Chasing a Brighter Blue, page 11
And now things were relaxed between them—fun and teasing. And flirting? It wasn’t something she was really used to. The places she’d been, where she’d worked…there wasn’t much fun going on. Had she become so accustomed to that lifestyle that she forgot how to play? Forgot how to live?
She felt eyes on her and looked up into the mirror, finding Shelby standing behind her, a soft smile on her face. Reagan returned it.
“I was hoping you’d be early,” Shelby said as she sat down beside her. Zach came over immediately.
“Your usual?”
Shelby shook her head. “I think I’ll have what Reagan is having.”
“Scotch. Coming right up.”
“So only gin and tonic when you’re stressed, huh? Does that mean you’re relaxed?”
“Yes. The spa day still has me feeling mellow,” Shelby said. “How about you?”
Reagan nodded. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I saw you naked.”
Shelby leaned closer, her eyes teasing. “I saw you naked too,” she said quietly. Then she smiled. “Do I make you nervous?”
Reagan swallowed. “Yes.”
“Why? You are the one who wanted a spa date and a naked mud bath,” she reminded her.
Reagan waited until Zach placed Shelby’s drink in front of her and walked away. She turned sideways in her chair, facing Shelby.
“You make me nervous because…well, it’s been a really long time since I’ve had any interactions with another woman.” She met her gaze. “A really long time.”
Shelby’s expression turned serious. “And your pickup line in the bar the other night?”
Reagan shook her head. “I’m not usually—ever—that forward,” she admitted. “I just…I saw you and…well, I…I needed—”
“Someone?” Shelby asked in a near whisper. “Someone to make you feel alive?”
Reagan nodded, then her breath caught as Shelby reached out and placed a warm hand on her thigh.
“If I had to do it over again…your offer…I’d probably say yes.”
Reagan wasn’t sure what to say to that so she said nothing. Shelby smiled, a sweet and gentle smile that eased some of her anxiety. Shelby then patted her thigh and withdrew her hand.
“Relax,” she murmured. “It’s all good.”
Reagan took a deep breath, trying to do just that.
“So…with all the wedding planning, I completely forgot about gifts,” Shelby said, changing the subject to something less personal. “Do you think it would be rude to skip gifts this year?”
“I never do gifts,” Reagan said. “It’s rare that I’m home for Christmas anyway.”
Shelby studied her. “Even if you’re in another country, surely there are others there that celebrate, aren’t there?”
Reagan nodded. “Sure. But most celebrations involve food and booze,” she said with a shrug. “Some miss it more than others. Some will give little trinkets simply to be giving something. Which is why I hate the whole Christmas thing anyway,” she said. “Giving gifts only to be giving with little thought put into it. Most of us don’t need anything. We don’t need a new sweater, a new shirt…a new tie. It’s all so wasteful. If people could really see those in need, they’d appreciate the holiday more, I think.”
“I know. But to most people, Christmas is a feel-good holiday. Parties and gifts. And food. All things in excess.” Shelby leaned closer. “Like this wedding. And for as much as Stephanie loves Christmas, I don’t blame her for this. I blame my mother.”
“Josh hasn’t said a whole lot about it,” she said. “I do know that initially they wanted only the family here for the wedding and they were going to make it a long weekend.”
“Yes. Christmas is on Friday, which is when she wanted the ceremony. They were originally going to stay here for the weekend and head to Hawaii on Monday instead of Saturday,” Shelby said. “My mother thought it would be fun to also celebrate the week before too.” She sipped from her drink. “In fairness to Stephanie, Mother is hard to say no to. Impossible sometimes.”
“So how are we getting out of the group dinner tonight? Josh didn’t say.”
“We had an argument with Mother and she’s too distraught to be a hostess for dinner,” Shelby said. “Bruce—he’s the manager—will be seating everyone in the restaurant.”
“But we’re going out?”
“Yes.”
She leaned closer. “Why an argument?”
Shelby smiled. “Bridesmaid dresses.”
Reagan groaned. “So she’s still on that, huh?”
“Like a dog with a bone,” Shelby said. “I gave her three options, none of which were acceptable to her. You in a tux. Or only have one bridesmaid—me. Or replace you with Holly or someone else.”
Reagan smiled. “Those three are all perfectly acceptable to me.”
Shelby bumped her shoulder with her own. “Thought they’d be.”
Then Shelby pulled away and put some distance between them. Reagan frowned, then heard a familiar voice. Stephanie. She looked up into the mirror and saw her and Josh coming toward them. Apparently Shelby wanted to keep their budding friendship a secret. She wondered why?
“I’m in the mood for Mexican food,” Stephanie stated. “Mexican food and margaritas. And I want to relax and there’s to be no mention of bridesmaid dresses or Mother. I’ve reached my limit.”
“I’m in,” Reagan said.
“Me too,” Shelby said.
Chapter Nineteen
Shelby stood at the large window in her suite, her gaze traveling to the snowcapped mountain peaks west of town. They were still holding onto the gentle pink color of the sunrise. It was going to be another sunny day although a storm was on the horizon. Nothing severe, the weather forecast said, but a few inches of new snow and colder temps. She was thankful there was nothing on her mother’s agenda today. She wanted to get out and enjoy the last day of warmer weather. She had hoped to entice Reagan into another hike, but her parents had asked her to take them into Boulder to view the campus and do some shopping. She imagined—with this being the last weekend before Christmas—that most of the shops would be packed, even if it was a Sunday. She did not envy Reagan. Christmas shopping was near the bottom of her list of fun things to do.
She turned away from the view and moved into her small kitchen. The Keurig was ready and she chose a Sumatra blend for her morning coffee. She took her cup and her phone and sat down in the recliner, pausing to stare out of the window for a few more seconds before calling him. She should have called yesterday, but it was late when they’d returned from dinner. And truthfully, she’d been afraid she’d interrupt something had she called that late. Like Reagan had suggested, she really didn’t want to know if her father was having an affair or not.
“And how is my favorite daughter this morning?”
She couldn’t help but smile, even though he greeted her in the same way most mornings. “I believe she’s stressing out over her wedding,” she answered. “She’s afraid her father is not going to make it.”
“Is she now? And what about my other daughter? The sensible, practical one?”
“She is trying to keep Mother in line. That should be your job,” she said.
“Oh, Shelby, I’ve long given up trying to keep your mother in line.” She heard papers rustling and wondered if he was already at work. “So what do I owe the pleasure? Is there a catastrophe of some sort?”
“There will be if you don’t make it up here for the dance tomorrow. What’s going on?”
“Is that tomorrow?”
“Yes. We’d hoped you’d be here already.” She paused. “What’s going on, Dad?”
“I told you, there was a problem in Aspen that needed my attention.”
“If there was a problem, I would have heard about it.”
“I told William to leave you out of the loop. You have enough going on with the wedding and all,” he said.
“I’d have rather been in Aspen,” she murmured and he laughed. “So, what kind of problem is it that William couldn’t handle?”
She could sense his hesitation, and she wondered if he was debating whether she had a need to know or not. While he had let her delve into most aspects of the business, some things he still kept from her.
“William stumbled across some…well, some improprieties. I had an audit done.”
“We have our own audit team.”
“Yes. So I hired an outside agency.”
“Oh, no,” she said. That could only mean one thing.
“Yes. It seems Murray has been doctoring the books.”
“Mark Murray? He’s been with us for years. I can’t believe it.”
“Yes, he’s worked for me for thirteen years,” he said. “And over the last five, he’s embezzled over a million dollars.”
“I would never have suspected he was capable. He seemed so loyal, so protective of his work. I thought it was simply him not trusting anyone else to do the job.” She leaned back, staring at the ceiling, picturing Mark’s face. “He oversaw all three hotels. Are you going to audit the others?”
“Yes, of course. He lives here in Aspen and so he has more access, but he’s had his hand in the accounts of all three.”
“Does he know what you’ve found?” She paused. “And why didn’t you tell me?”
“He knows I’ve had someone here poking around, yes. I told him we were auditing housekeeping, for starters. But judging by his demeanor, I think he must suspect. And Shelby, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry about it. The wedding—”
“Is Stephanie’s wedding, not mine. Or it could be Mother’s wedding…it’s hard to tell at this point.”
“I’m sorry I’m not there to help you, honey. I know how difficult she can be.”
“But you’ll be here for the dance?”
He sighed. “I suppose I must. I’ll fly up tomorrow,” he said.
“There’s a storm coming overnight. You may want to fly in today,” she suggested.
“You never did trust my piloting skills,” he said with a quick laugh.
“It’s really the plane I don’t trust. You know how I feel about flying.”
“Yes, I know. You’re so much like me in most everything. I always wondered why you never got my love of flying.”
“Nor your fondness for expensive wine,” she added.
“Well, you do like a fine brandy and scotch. There’s that at least,” he said.
“So? When will I see you?”
“I’ll check the weather. I promise. But I’ll definitely be there before the dance.” He paused. “Oh, and Shelby…please keep this conversation between us. Other than William, no one else knows. I’d like to keep it that way for now. We’ll discuss it more when I get there.”
“Of course. I understand. I’ll see you soon.”
After she disconnected, she realized she had taken only one sip of her coffee. It now held only a hint of warmth, and she went into the kitchen and tossed it out. She shook her head, still not believing that Mark Murray would skim money from them. She knew what his salary was, and it was quite lucrative already. It was simply astounding that he would cheat them—and chance getting caught. She’d known him since she was in high school and he was always an upstanding guy. To find out the opposite was true was shocking.
But her father had a handle on things so she wasn’t going to worry about it now. She still had another six days to make it through until the wedding.
So, while another cup of coffee brewed, she pondered her day. A solo hike, which is what she was accustomed to, didn’t sound appealing. But still, it would get her outside. And away from the hotel. According to Stephanie, their mother was going to take up the issue with the bridesmaid dresses again. Or, more specifically, Reagan’s refusal to wear one.
A smile lit her face as she tried to picture Reagan in a dress. And heels. She shook her head. No, she couldn’t see it. Now a tux? Yes, Reagan would look quite attractive in a tux.
She added sugar to her coffee and stirred it, her mind wandering to Reagan. There was an attraction between them, she knew that. Even though they’d done nothing more than tease about it, it was there nonetheless. She felt closer to her than the time they’d spent together warranted. Whether it was Reagan’s recent trauma—and her confession—that drew them close, she couldn’t be sure. Maybe it was just the circumstances here that they naturally gravitated toward each other. Reagan certainly wasn’t like most of the women she dated. But that was more of a product of well-meaning friends setting her up with the wrong kind of women. Reagan was obviously independent and was used to being alone. She was too, for that matter. Reagan was attractive, virile…handsome. She didn’t hide her sexuality, something Shelby appreciated. She’d been out with her share of closeted women and found it exhausting…and a waste of time. She could have told each and every one of them that they were only hiding from themselves.
But she shrugged. Not everyone was comfortable being out and open with family and friends. Reagan obviously was.
Knocking on her door brought her out of her musings, and she walked over, glancing through the peephole before opening it. She knew it was too early for Stephanie and feared it would be her mother. She was pleasantly surprised to find Reagan standing in the hallway.
She opened the door, smiling at her. “You found my suite.”
“I hope you don’t mind. Josh told me. I don’t have your cell number,” Reagan said.
“Come in,” she said as she stepped back.
Reagan came inside and gave a cursory glance around, then brought her attention back to Shelby. Shelby stood still as Reagan’s eyes traveled over her. While Reagan was already dressed for the day, she was still in her robe and bare feet.
“You’re…you’re not dressed,” Reagan said. “Am I too early? I assumed you were an early riser.”
Shelby shook her head. “No. I was having coffee. Would you like a cup?”
“I probably…shouldn’t,” she said nervously. “Maybe you should go put some clothes on though.”
Shelby laughed. “I have bed head, no makeup on and coffee breath. I doubt that’s very appealing.”
Reagan’s eyes met hers. “Then you obviously haven’t looked in a mirror,” she said quietly. “You look adorable, coffee breath and all.”
Shelby sipped from her coffee cup, a smile on her face. “So…what brings you up here?”
“Oh, yeah. I was wondering if you wanted to go to Boulder with us. Keep me company,” Reagan said.
“Christmas shopping? You’ve got to be kidding,” she said.
“Not just shopping,” Reagan said. “A drive through the mountains, a stroll around campus.” She put her hands in her pockets and Shelby wondered if she was really that nervous. “I’ll treat you to lunch,” she offered.
Shelby arched an eyebrow. “Like a date?”
“Well, my parents will be there. Not sure we should call it a date.”
Christmas shopping…it was at the bottom of her list, she reminded herself. But the prospect of spending the day with Reagan was too appealing to let shopping stop her.
“Okay,” she agreed. “On one condition.”
“And that is?”
“You let me drive.”
“Okay. Deal.”
“Good. Then let me get a quick shower and I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Reagan went to the door, then turned back around. “Are you…are you naked under your robe?” she asked quietly.
Shelby met her gaze. “What would be your guess?” Their eyes held for a long moment, and Shelby noted that there wasn’t even a trace of the haunted, saddened look in Reagan’s. There was, however, a trace of desire. It caused her heart to beat a little quicker.
“Yes would be my guess,” Reagan said, her voice little more than a whisper. “And I should…I should really get out of here now,” Reagan said.
Shelby smiled at her and nodded. “Yes. That’s probably a good idea. Unless your parents want to go by themselves…” she said, her voice falling off in a question.
Reagan smiled too and took another step toward the door. “You enjoy teasing me, don’t you?”
“Who said I was teasing?”
Chapter Twenty
Reagan was still smiling as she got off the elevator. Yes, of course Shelby was naked under her robe. Silly question. She’d seen her at the spa. Shelby was quite comfortable being naked. With a body like that, who wouldn’t be? Damn…
She found her parents in the bar sipping coffee. Her father was reading a newspaper, his glasses perched on the end of his nose, and he greeted her with a brief nod. There was another couple in a far booth having coffee and sharing quiet conversation. Other than that, the bar was empty. She sat next to her mother and waited until Ty came over.
“Just coffee,” she said.
“Did you have any luck with Shelby?” her mother asked.
“Yep. She also offered to drive us.”
“Well, that was nice of her.” Her mother gave her a playful poke with her elbow. “That’ll give you girls a chance to spend some time together.”
“Don’t play matchmaker,” Reagan warned. “Shelby Sutton is out of my league.”
“No more so than Josh and Stephanie,” she said.
“Josh is an attorney. Big difference.”
“And you’re an award-winning journalist,” her mother reminded her. “Besides, I’ve seen the way she looks at you. I think you have a chance.”
Reagan laughed. “You think it’s time I settle down?”
Her mother’s expression turned serious. “Whatever happened to you in Afghanistan, I wasn’t able to reach you, to help you. You had such a terrible dark cloud over you when you came back.”
“Mom—”
“But she reached you, didn’t she? That spark is back in your eyes again.”
Reagan nodded slowly. “Yes. Something happened over there. Something terrible.” She cupped her coffee cup with both hands. “Now’s not the right time to talk about it, but…I haven’t been able to pick up a camera.” She glanced at her. “And yes, I talked to Shelby about it.”
