Chasing a Brighter Blue, page 5
“So Shelby, I understand you like to ski,” Doug said. “I’ve skied a few times myself. Are there slopes nearby? Perhaps we could take a day trip,” he suggested.
I’m going to kill Stephanie.
She forced a quick smile to her face as she shook her head. “No, there aren’t any slopes right around here. This area is mostly for cross-country skiing. Which is fun, if you have the stamina,” she said. “The closest ski area is in Nederland.”
“Well, maybe we could take a trip,” he suggested.
“I don’t think so. I’m really only here for the wedding. And as you know, my mother has quite a bit already planned.”
“I saw the agenda. Quite impressive.”
Reagan bumped her shoulder and she turned, smiling as Reagan winked at her. “He’s trying so hard to win you over,” she whispered. “Go skiing with him.”
Shelby met her gaze, her voice low. “I will not.” She leaned closer. “I told Stephanie I wouldn’t be rude to him but it’s so hard.”
Reagan leaned closer too, her mouth nearly touching Shelby’s ear. “Oh, I’m sure it is very hard right about now.”
Shelby couldn’t contain her laughter, causing several people to glance at her, including her mother.
“What’s so funny?” Doug asked. He leaned closer too. “I didn’t realize you and Reagan knew each other so well.”
“We don’t. I only met her yesterday,” she said.
“She’s gay, you know.”
“Really? What a coincidence,” she said. “So am I.”
His eyes widened. “What?” Then he smiled skeptically. “Oh, come on. No way.”
She nodded. “Yes. Very gay. Very, very, very gay.”
He smirked. “If you need an excuse, at least be realistic. If you don’t want to get to know me better, just say so. No need to fabricate something as crazy as that.”
She sighed. Why didn’t men ever believe her? Why did it always have to be this way? But she’d promised Stephanie she wouldn’t be rude to him. He was Josh’s best man, after all.
“Okay, Doug. Let’s do it this way then. You’re not my type, so there’s no point in spending the next two weeks getting to know one another better.”
He smiled broadly. “Now, was that so hard to say?” Then he leaned closer. “But I’ll warn you. Be careful if you’re ever standing under mistletoe. You’re fair game then.”
Seriously?
She felt movement beside her and leaned closer to Reagan. Reagan’s mouth moved to her ear and Shelby felt her breath as she spoke.
“There’s a snowbank coming up,” Reagan whispered. “Want me to help you push him?”
Shelby turned slowly, finding Reagan’s mouth only inches from her own. It was too dark to read her eyes but still, she found her closeness unsettling. And not in a bad way. As Reagan slowly pulled away, Shelby saw a smile on her face and she returned it.
“I’ll warn you too about standing under mistletoe,” Reagan murmured. “You never know who might sneak in for a kiss.”
“Consider me warned.”
Chapter Eight
Reagan walked past the restaurant without glancing inside. A group breakfast at the buffet followed by a “shuttle ride to Estes Park’s shopping district” was on the wedding agenda.
No, thank you.
She might be persuaded to join the group for dinner though. It was Josh’s lone contribution to the activities, she’d learned. It was at a local steakhouse that boasted the state’s biggest T-bones. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a good steak.
“Where are you sneaking off to?”
She turned, finding Shelby coming toward her. She returned her smile, then motioned to the restaurant.
“Hiding from the group. You?”
Shelby nodded. “Me too. I was going to head into town for a quick breakfast, then find a hiking trail. I just want to get out of the hotel for a while.”
“Hiking? Are there trails without snow?”
“Sure. Down at Big Thompson Canyon. It’s on the dry side of the mountain. There may be some pockets of snow in shaded areas, that’s about it,” she said. “You want to go?”
“Sounds like fun,” she said. “Beats your mother’s agenda for today.”
“I know.” Shelby’s cell rang and she sighed. “Speaking of Mother,” she said.
Reagan noticed the smile left Shelby’s face, and she wondered if their relationship was strained or if it was just the stress of the wedding.
“I’m not joining you for breakfast, no,” Shelby said. A slight pause, then another sigh. “Because I’m going hiking.” She glanced at Reagan. “I’m showing Reagan the sights,” she said. Then she nodded. “Yes, we’ll be back in time for dinner.”
Shelby slipped her phone back into her pocket, then looked Reagan over. “You might want to grab a jacket.”
Reagan had a long-sleeved T-shirt on under one of the new sweatshirts she’d bought. She glanced outside, seeing blue skies and bright sunshine. It looked warm, but it was still probably in the low 30s. So she nodded.
“Be right back.”
When she returned to the lobby, another woman was approaching Shelby so Reagan paused, not wanting to interrupt their greeting.
“You’re Shelby, aren’t you?”
Shelby smiled. “Hi, Holly. Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Oh, gosh, yes. Two weeks free vacation. It’s great.”
Shelby gave a forced smile, one Reagan had seen her give to Dougie before.
“Well, good. What about the rest of your family? I haven’t seen them.”
“Oh, they couldn’t get off work, but they’ll be here for the weekend. But I’d been saving my vacation for a cruise. When this offer came up, I jumped on it,” she said. “Two weeks free at a resort hotel? Free food and drinks? Woo hoo,” she said with a laugh. “It was a no-brainer!”
“Of course.”
“Well, see you later,” she said with a wave as she walked away.
Reagan moved closer, shaking her head. “Wow.”
“Yeah,” Shelby said dryly. “Cousin Holly. I told you we’re not really close.”
“You don’t say.”
They went to the entrance and Stevie held the glass door open for them as they stepped out into the sunshine. Shelby headed toward a 4-wheel-drive Jeep Cherokee that was running, the exhaust steaming in the cold air.
“I had them bring my car around,” she explained as she got inside.
Reagan got in the passenger side, enjoying the heated seat. “New?”
Shelby nodded. “A few months. I got it in September.”
“Not what I pictured you driving,” she said.
“Why not? Did you expect a sports car or something?”
“A Mercedes or something,” she said. “Not anything quite this practical.”
Shelby laughed. “I am very practical. You should know that by now. I had a very reliable Subaru before this,” she said as she pulled away from the hotel. “Do you have a preference for breakfast?”
“Whatever. As long as there’s coffee involved, I’m fine.”
“Good.” Shelby’s phone came up on the console screen and she scrolled through her contacts, finding the one she wanted. The call was answered on two rings.
“Dave’s.”
“Good morning. This is Shelby Sutton. I’d like to order a couple of breakfast sandwiches to go, please.”
“Sure, Shelby. Sausage, bacon or ham?”
Shelby glanced at her with raised eyebrows. “Bacon,” Reagan said.
“Two with bacon.”
“Swiss, mozzarella or cheddar?”
“Mozzarella for me. Reagan?”
“Swiss.”
“And two large coffees,” Shelby said.
“Give me ten minutes,” he said.
“Thank you.” She disconnected the call as she turned toward town. “You’ll love these.”
“Eggs?”
“Fried eggs, loaded with bacon, crispy hash browns and cheese. On thick buttered Texas toast. They’re sinful.”
“God, how do you stay so thin? That burger the other night, now this?”
“I only allow myself one of these breakfast sandwiches when I’m here. I’m scared to even ask how many calories and fat grams they have,” she said with a laugh. “We’ll work it off on our hike.”
Dave’s looked like it used to be an old house and Shelby said as much.
“Yes. A lot of the shops are renovated old homes,” Shelby said. “Except in the original business district, of course.” She pulled to a stop in the small parking lot. “Be right back.”
Reagan watched as Shelby hurried inside, then she leaned back in the seat, realizing how relaxed she felt. When she’d first gotten up and looked at the “agenda,” knowing she would not be participating in it, the day ahead loomed desolate and bleak…and depressing. She’d thought about calling Josh but knew that he would be hanging with Stephanie. And Dougie, no doubt. She’d thought briefly of finding her mother and seeing if she wanted to do something, but she knew her mother would enjoy the shopping excursion into town with the group. And yes, she’d also considered looking for Shelby to see what she had planned for the day. She hadn’t known her long, but she suspected a group shopping trip was not something Shelby would enjoy.
But in the end, she’d escaped her room alone with no plans other than avoiding the wedding party for the day. Apparently Shelby had had the same idea. And thankfully, she’d included Reagan in her plans. Because her loneliness—depression—seemed to disappear in Shelby’s presence. The day no longer seemed desolate and bleak. It was filled with sunshine and a new friend to share it with.
She smiled quickly as Shelby walked out of the café, carrying two bags and holding a cardboard tray with two coffees. She reached across the console to open Shelby’s door for her.
“Thanks,” Shelby said as she handed over the coffees.
Reagan took them from the tray and sat each of them in the cup holders in the console. She then took the large bag from Shelby and peeked inside, the aroma of bacon making her mouth water.
As if reading her mind, Shelby laughed. “I know.”
“Will you be able to eat and drive?” Reagan asked.
Shelby nodded. “Yes. This is my normal routine when I head out hiking. Grab breakfast to eat on the way.” She handed her the smaller bag. “Sugar and cream. I didn’t know how you took your coffee.”
“Thanks. A little of each. You?”
“Black with one sugar, please.”
Reagan readied their coffee as Shelby pulled away. Then she could wait no longer as she pulled the two sandwiches from the bag.
“They’re huge,” she said, finding the one with “Swiss” scribbled across the wrapping. She handed the other to Shelby, wondering how she could possibly eat it and drive at the same time.
But, true to her word, she seemed to be an expert at it, tearing only a corner of the wrapping away from the sandwich. She took a large bite, moaning as she chewed.
“So damn good,” she murmured with her mouth full.
Reagan, too, took a bite, her taste buds exploding with the first bite. “Oh, my God,” she said. “That’s—”
“Sinful,” Shelby finished for her with a laugh.
“Very.”
They ate in silence as Shelby drove them south of town toward Big Thompson Canyon. The river flowed on their right and Reagan enjoyed watching the shimmering rapids as the sunlight reflected off the water. Bare trees—aspen and cottonwood—were intermingled with the evergreen spruce, fir and pine that lined the river. The warmth of the car belied the winter scene. There was hardly any snow along the banks of the river, only pockets here and there where the trees kept it shaded.
“We cross the river up ahead and take a forest road to the trailhead,” Shelby explained.
“I’m not in the best of shape,” Reagan warned her.
Shelby stared at her for a moment. “I wouldn’t have guessed. You seem to be very fit.”
“I do a lot of walking, that’s about it.”
“In your job, you mean?”
Reagan nodded. Yeah…her job. Was that still her job? She felt darkness try to settle over her again and pushed it away, staring instead at the tranquil scene outside the window, the ever-flowing river taking some of her dark mood with it.
She finished her sandwich and wadded up the wrapping before putting it back inside the bag. She was stuffed and couldn’t imagine taking a strenuous hike after eating that.
Before long, Shelby turned to the right, taking a small bridge across the river, the paved road turning to gravel on the other side. She handed Reagan the rest of her uneaten sandwich.
“I can’t eat another bite,” she said.
“You did a pretty good job,” Reagan said, noting that only a small corner remained. As full as she was, she couldn’t resist pulling off the last piece of bacon and popping it in her mouth.
The trailhead parking lot was carved into the forest and she was surprised to see that there were already six other cars there.
“Good. We beat the crowd.”
“There’ll be more?”
“It’s a beautiful morning. It’s the holiday season. I’m sure by noon the lot will be full. This is a popular hike in the winter,” Shelby said. “There’s only a short climb at the start, then it’s pretty level until it dips down to the river,” she said. “The last part of the trail follows the river back here. It’ll take about two hours.”
“Okay. I guess I can handle that,” she said, wondering what Shelby meant by a “short climb.”
They crossed a large patch of slushy snow that covered the trail, then it turned to dirt and rock as they moved into the sunshine again. She looked up into the clear sky, wondering if she’d ever seen it this blue before. She turned to stare at Shelby, finding the same color in her eyes.
“What?”
“Your eyes,” she said. “Mirror image of the sky. Beautiful blue.”
Shelby stared at her for a moment, then looked up into the sky as if assessing her comment. Her eyes were striking. No doubt she’d had countless compliments before. Reagan wondered if it made her uncomfortable.
Shelby finally looked back at her. “Thank you,” she said quietly.
Reagan gave voice to her earlier thought. “You hear that all the time, I guess.”
“Not often with as much sincerity,” Shelby said as she continued up the trail.
Reagan didn’t offer a comment to that. She suspected Shelby would be wary of any compliment directed her way, whether it be about her looks or anything else. Having access to the family fortune had its benefits, surely, but she wondered if—when it came to dating—Shelby ever trusted anyone.
A large dark blue bird swooped down onto a low spruce branch in front of them, watching as they approached. He didn’t appear to be concerned with their closeness.
“Stellar’s jay,” Shelby said. “Don’t know if you’ve seen one before.”
“No, I don’t think so.”
The bird fluttered up a few branches as they walked past. “I love the different shades of blue and the way it blends with the black on their head,” Shelby said. “Do you take pictures of wildlife?”
Reagan shook her head. “My subjects are mostly people.” She hoped Shelby wouldn’t ask more questions.
Shelby paused. “You don’t like to talk about your work, do you?”
They were starting the climb, and Reagan had a hard time catching her breath. Shelby didn’t seem affected by the altitude at all.
“I’m kinda…taking a break from my work,” she said. “I haven’t told Josh or my parents.” she admitted.
Shelby stared at her for a long moment, holding her gaze. Reagan wondered what she was seeing there. Could she see the pain? The heartbreak? The guilt? She must have seen something because her eyes softened and she finally nodded.
“Let’s go hike.”
Chapter Nine
Shelby was painfully aware of the quiet woman who hiked beside her. She’d offered bits of information about the area, hoping to draw Reagan into a conversation, but her attempts had failed. Most of Reagan’s comments were one syllable, if anything at all.
She should let it go. Whatever was bothering Reagan, she obviously didn’t want to talk about it. But, God, the pain in her eyes was almost too much to take. She couldn’t imagine what had put that sorrow there. Had she lost someone she cared about? A lover? She had indicated that there had been no breakup, but could it have been something else? Something more tragic than a breakup?
“Wow. That’s breathtaking.”
Shelby glanced at her, surprised that Reagan had spoken. She then followed Reagan’s gaze, seeing the snowcapped peaks to their north. The pristine white of the mountaintops was in sharp contrast to the deep blue sky.
“That’s the southern edge of Rocky Mountain National Park,” she said.
“Why is there so much snow there and not here?”
“We’re quite a bit lower in elevation here, for one thing,” she said. “And we’re on the eastern slope, so it’s dryer.”
Reagan had stopped walking, her gaze still fixed on the distant peaks. Shelby studied her, again wondering at her sadness. Reagan turned then, capturing her eyes. They were as haunted as the first time she’d looked into them. Reagan looked so sad, so vulnerable at that moment that Shelby had to stop herself from going to her and embracing her.
“I’m sorry I’m not very good company,” Reagan said, her voice not much more than a whisper.
“Tell me what makes you so sad,” Shelby replied, her voice as soft as Reagan’s. Their eyes held and Shelby could see the uncertainty in Reagan’s, could see her warring emotions. Then Reagan pulled her eyes away, looking again to the mountains.
“I can’t…can’t pick up a camera. I can’t even bear to look at one.”
Shelby frowned, not understanding. Reagan looked back at her again, and Shelby knew she was ready to talk.
“Let’s get off the trail,” Shelby suggested. “We’ll sit in the sunshine and talk.” She hesitated. “Okay?”
Reagan finally nodded. “Yeah. We’ll talk.”
