Authors: Heidi Hutchinson
Duke chewed
thoughtfully for a few minutes. “When do I get to meet the
guy?” He tried not to smile at Lenny’s surprised
expression.
“
What?”
Lenny blushed and she tried to fight the dopey grin that wanted to
commandeer her face. “What guy? What are you talking about?”
“
C’mon,
Lenny, don’t bullshit with me.”
“
How
did you know there was a guy?” She narrowed her eyes at Duke.
“
Don't
insult my intelligence. Of course there's a guy. No other reason why
you’d have that dumb grin on your face.”
“
How
are you not mad at me?” Lenny frowned at him, perplexed.
“
I
was mad at first. But I got over it.” Duke finished his
sandwich and rubbed the crumbs out of his whiskers. “Don’t
change the subject, which one was it? The drummer? The guitarist?”
He studied her coy expression. “Nah…you’re too
flashy for that, you went for the lead singer, didn’t ya?”
Lenny’s eyes
widened and she smacked his shoulder. “Flashy?”
Duke chuckled, “I
knew it.”
She shook her head,
her hair falling over her face, hiding her expression. “We’re
still working out the kinks, it’s all very new.”
“
What’s
his name?”
“
Luke
Casey.” Lenny couldn't hide the grin as she said it and Duke
chuckled.
“
Geez,
you got it bad.” Duke shook his head in mock disappointment.
“Is he coming for New Year's?”
“
How
do you already know everything?” Lenny exclaimed. “Seriously,
are you spying on me?”
Duke chuckled again,
“I told you, I know you better than anyone.” He looked
out the big windows and watched the sun slip completely behind the
mountain line. “Well, I hope he’s better than the last
guy you brought home.”
“
Shane
was nice.” Lenny chastised seriously.
“
He
was an idiot. All caught up in the technical.” Duke let out a
tiny belch.
“
You
just didn’t like his style.” Lenny quietly defended.
“
What
style? The guy was afraid to even try fresh pow. Besides, who has
more style than me?” Duke raised his eyebrows and pointed to
his red flannel pajamas.
Lenny laughed,
“You're right, no one compares to you.”
“
Damn
straight.” Duke gave a satisfied grunt.
He watched her as
she gazed out across the last few flashes of orange sunlight shooting
through the clouds. He willed her to soak in the calm climate of the
the home they had created together. Could it be the refuge that they
had planned so long ago? Could she finally feel safe again?
Her face had lost
its pinch, her eyes were soft in the low light and she wasn't nearly
as jumpy as she had been a few months prior. Duke felt a combination
of elation and heaviness settle over him. She was better, but still
not whole.
“
Well,”
Duke stood up and scratched his belly. “I’m going to bed,
I have a five am alarm set to get out there.”
“
You’re
not coming to the house for Christmas?” Lenny asked.
“
Nah,
you’re the only gift I need.” He reached over and messed
up her hair. She pushed his hand away and pulled her head back,
laughing. A full, hearty laugh, like when she was a kid.
Duke moved toward
the stairs but turned around before ascending them.
“
I’m
glad you’re back. Even if it is only for a little while.”
He said sincerely, wanting to say more but finding the timing all
wrong.
Lenny smiled
faintly, “I am too.”
***
After Duke went to
bed, Lenny went into the foyer and grabbed her duffel and headed
upstairs to her third floor bedroom.
When she had first
purchased the Lodge years ago it had come fully furnished, which had
been a major appeal to her since she really didn't have the patience
or eye for interior decorating. Her mother, on the other hand, had
taken it upon herself to completely gut the furnishings and start
fresh. She had said that Lenny's home should be a reflection of
Lenny herself. Lenny had agreed mostly because she really didn't
care, and also, she wasn't sure she'd be able to talk her mother out
of it.
What had transpired
that summer still amazed Lenny to this day. She was ever thankful
that she had let her mother have free reign over the decorating
process. Kelli Evans had simplified everything. Creating the
perfect, comforting atmosphere that made Lenny feel at home despite
the massive size of the estate. Every room was modest yet elegant, a
symbol of Lenny's riding style. But out of all the rooms in the
house, her bedroom was her favorite.
The entire third
floor was a master suite. Floor to ceiling windows covered the
westward facing wall with a majestic view of the Tetons. A King-size
bed with heavy, down comforters that had always kept Lenny warm
despite the subzero temperatures of a Wyoming winter was centered
against the east wall. Her walk-in closet could have been another
bedroom in and of itself and it was adjacent to her equal sized
bathroom which boasted a shower and full size bath tub. The walls
were adorned with original paintings done by her grandmother when she
had been a younger woman.
Lenny
slung her duffel into the purple armchair facing the small gas
fireplace and sighed. She didn't need to turn on any lights in the
main room as she changed for bed due to the brilliance of the full
moon coming through her windowed wall. She was looking forward to
sleeping in her own bed again, and actually
sleeping
.
The stress dreams and muscle aches had stayed largely absent
since...well, since that first kiss.
Lenny touched her
lips absentmindedly and smiled. Luke Casey's kisses had a powerful
effect indeed. She snuggled under the heavy covers and checked her
cell phone. One new text. She bit her lower lip as she opened the
message.
Luke:
I miss you already. It's crazy since I just saw you a few hours ago.
I hope this week goes fast. Merry Christmas, Lenny.
She tapped out her
reply and placed the phone on the nightstand. Pulling the covers up
to her chin she smiled into the starlit bedroom. Homecoming had never
felt so sweet.
***
Duke
slept restlessly. He tossed and turned most of the night before he
finally got up way too early and made himself some breakfast. He
watched the mountains wake up in the chilled sunshine and
contemplated changing his morning plans. He would be thirty-six next
month and it
was
Christmas after all. Maybe it was time to do more 'grownup' things.
He washed his
breakfast dishes and started a pot of coffee. Now that Bird was home
he was going to have to get back in the habit of making extra again.
He rubbed his hand down the front of his face and tugged on his
beard. Except she wouldn't be staying for long. Maybe he should go
with her to Christmas dinner at her folks' house.
He shook his head in
silent disagreement. He didn't think he could get along with Scott
for that long of a time frame. And she should really be with her
family for the holiday. He hadn't ever fit into that mix. No, he
would spend the day with his first and only true loves. The mountain
and the board. His mistress and his passion.
He jogged up the
stairs lightly, being careful not to disturb the other house guest.
He needed to get changed and get out of there as soon as possible.
If Lenny asked him to change his plans, he would. He struggled with
telling her 'no.'
That girl always
managed to turn his world upside down.
***
Lenny closed the
door to the cold world outside and looked up the open staircase of
the home she had grown up in. Mom had the place completely decked
out in holiday festooning. Lights, ornaments, wreathes and ribbons
hung from every doorway, railing and light fixture. The air was thick
with cinnamon and opulence. Lenny took off her scarf and hung it on
the hook, she slipped her jacket off and placed it in the closet.
“
Auntie!”
Lenny was suddenly
accosted by four little boys, all under the age of eight. They
surrounded her and hugged her while she struggled to stay upright.
She finally gave in and collapsed on the floor, laughing.
“
Boys!”
Their mother, Felicity, clapped at them from the top of the stairs.
“Let your auntie up.”
Lenny hugged each
one individually and they ran off into another part of the house.
Felicity had made her way down the steps and embraced her. She
started to guide her towards the kitchen,
“
Sorry,
about that.” Felicity chuckled, “They've been pretty
excited to see you.”
“
Not
a problem,” Lenny smiled widely. She inhaled the delicious
aroma of turkey as she entered her mother's state of the art kitchen.
“
Lenny,
you're early!” Her mother exclaimed from behind a a stack of
pies. “Did Duke come with you?”
“
Um,
no. He said last night that he wanted to get out there early and I
heard him take the sled when I woke up.”
“
I
never see that man when there's snow cover.” Kelli muttered
more to herself than anyone else.
“
Geez,
ma, you think you got enough pies?” Lenny teased her tiny
mother. Kelli Evans was only five feet tall but made up for her lack
of height with extra spunk. Lenny had gotten her father's tallness
but otherwise could have been a carbon copy of her mother, same
blonde hair, same dark blue eyes.
“
I
hope so.” Kelli answered seriously, eyeballing the tower of
pies arranged on a tiered pie stand. “We ran out last year,
you know. It was awful, your father cried.”
Lenny snickered at
her mom and made her way to the stove top to get herself some apple
cider.
“
Len,
dinner won't be ready for a while yet, do you think you and Nathan
can take those little boys outside and burn off some energy?”
“
I
would love nothing more.” Lenny smiled and drained her cider.
She went in search of Nathan to challenge him to a snow fort building
competition. They each claimed two of the little boys for their
team. In a matter of minutes they were all suited up and out in the
cold.
While the four
rambunctious boys started to build their piles of snowballs in their
finished forts for the eminent fight, Nathan and Lenny had a little
heart to heart.
“
I’m
really glad you could make it home for Christmas.” He looked
at the house. “I wasn’t freaked that you took off, I
totally understood. They have always set the bar a little higher for
you than the rest of us.”
Lenny nodded, “Yeah,
I should’ve done it differently but I am glad I got away for a
while. It really helped to put some things in perspective.”
“
You
ever think you’ll go back out there?” Nathan nodded to
the mountains in the distance.
“
I
don’t know.” Lenny answered honestly.
“
I
heard you have a boyfriend.” His eyes twinkled, teasing her.
Lenny rolled her
eyes at him. “It’s still pretty new. I don’t know
what I’d call it.” She knew she would have to deflect
any discussion of Luke all day. She wasn’t sure what to say.
“
Well,
he’s coming up for New Year’s, right?”
“
Yeah,
but the whole band is coming. All of them. So it’s not like a
special thing.” Lenny could see that Nathan wasn’t
buying it.
“
I
don’t know, Nate.” She said, exasperated. “I like
him and he likes me. That’s all I have figured out right now,
okay?”