By the third week of June, Stardance Ranch RV Resort was rocking the summer season. The number of Tornado Alleycats camped at the resort continued to fluctuate as members arrived and departed, more of the former than the latter. Not a meal went by that somebody didn’t invite Brick to join them, and almost every night the activity center rocked with laughter.
These ladies were the craftiest bunch of folks he had ever run across. Scrapbooking. Painting. Sketching. Coloring. Quilting. Knitting. Every time he turned around someone was dragging him into her RV to show off her latest creation. And don’t even get him started about the name tags. He’d never dreamed that so much time and effort and expense could be involved in creating name tags for every special event they held—and they held something almost every night.
He liked the Alleycats. Friendly and fun, they were for the most part laid-back, undemanding, and easy to please. The kind of people he’d hoped would choose Stardance Ranch when he’d decided to open the RV resort. The kind of people he enjoyed having in his life.
The exact opposite of those who right at this moment were making his life miserable.
In the camp office, Brick tossed his phone onto his desk and scowled. “Glamping, shmamping. Whose stupid idea was it to open River Camp?”
“That would be yours, boss,” said Josh as he restocked the moose head Pez dispensers on the pegboard beneath the registration counter.
In her second week as his newest employee, Courtney looked up from her computer and spoke to Josh. “Is he always this cranky in the morning?”
“He was out late last night.”
“Are you my brother or my mother?” Brick asked with a scowl.
“I’m thinking somebody needs to be your keeper. Seriously, Brick, you can’t keep burning the candle at both ends. Not this time of year. We are completely booked today. We have two washers on the fritz, three broken boards on the fishing pier, and four clogged toilets. Plus, it’s pizza night and Wendy called a few minutes ago and said they’re all down with a bug. We need to either fill in and man the oven ourselves or cancel.”
Brick shook his head. “We can’t cancel. They’ll riot.”
“Yep.”
“I’ll call into town and see if I can’t rustle up another pair of hands or twelve to help out. Who is scheduled to work happy hour at River Camp tonight?”
Josh rattled off the names. Brick nodded. “Good. Remind Suzy to double-check the preference lists and labels before she pours. Our guests in Wilson swear they were poured something other than the Macallan last night.”
Brick had named the tents at Stardance River Camp after some of the fourteeners in Colorado—mountain peaks with elevations over fourteen thousand feet. Wilson currently was occupied by a couple from Boulder, winners of this week’s PITA award.
“Seriously?” Courtney folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. “That’s a crock. I watched your bartender break the seal on the Macallan myself. Is that why you’re grumbling about River Camp?”
“No, I know that guest is full of it. Tom is an excellent bartender and as honest as the day is long. The pretentious SOB is just trying to impress his lady. That type of guest I can handle. It’s the twinkles that make me crazy. Particularly the one coming the end of the month.”
“Twinkles?” his sister asked.
Without looking up from the box of Pez dispensers, Josh clarified, “Celebrities.”
Courtney’s eyes went round. “A celebrity is coming to River Camp? Who?”
Brick shook his head. “I don’t know. All I have is a code name.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. A code name and a basket full of troubles. Now I have to order in a supply of bottled water from some little town in Italy. The only good thing is that their deposit arrived in today’s mail. Which reminds me, Courtney, you can pay the stack of vendor bills underneath the bear paperweight.”
His sister nodded. “What about the ones beneath the hula girl?”
“Nope. Those are going to have to wait until the Alleycats pay this week’s rental.”
“The purchase orders we discussed yesterday?”
“Put them through.”
“What about the Pikes Peak paperweight stack?”
Brick looked at the small mountain of bills and sighed heavily. It was his fault for having fallen so far behind on bookkeeping after Donna Barton moved away. Josh had helped, but Brick had piled way too much on his plate. They’d both fallen behind. Courtney’s decision to move to Eternity Springs had been a lifesaver. “If any twinkle deposit money is left after the bear bills, take a run at Pikes Peak. We should be able to blow it up completely soon since I’m requiring full payment of twink upon arrival.”
“What sort of code are you talking in, CDD?” came Patsy Schaffer’s familiar voice from the doorway.
Brick dipped his chin toward his chest. “Am I ever going to convince you to quit calling me that?”
“Probably not.”
“That’s unfortunate.” Brick gave her a rueful smile, then added, “Can I help you with something, Patsy?”
“I hope so. Do you have time to take a little walk with me? We’ve a situation I’d like to discuss.”
“Sure.” Brick glanced at his brother and sister. “Josh, will you follow up with our maintenance guy and make sure he tackles those toilets?”
“Of course.”
Courtney stopped him by asking, “Can you give me a few minutes first, Brick? I need you to sign some checks and paperwork if I’m going to make it to the post office before they close.”
He nodded as Patsy said, “No rush. I’ll be outside doing my stretches.”
A few minutes turned into almost fifteen as Courtney gave him a stack of checks and purchase orders and the office was suddenly slammed with phone calls and check-ins. When Brick finally managed to tear himself away, he gave his sister a hug. “I’m so glad you decided you liked Eternity Springs.”
As he left the office, he reflected on what a difference Courtney had made at the Ranch in the short time she’d been there. She was quick with numbers, quick on the computer, and willing to pitch in with whatever he asked. He was oh, so glad to have her and Josh in his corner this summer season. And he was bummed by the realization that neither one planned to make their stay in Eternity Springs permanent.
“Wonder what it’d take to change their minds?” he murmured to himself as he glanced around the campground, halfway expecting to see that Patsy had given up on him.
He spied her over by the playground where one of the Alleycats pushed a granddaughter, visiting for the weekend, on the swing. He headed in that direction. “Sorry for the delay, Patsy.”
“No problem at all. I’ve been enjoying myself listening to a little girl’s giggles. It’s a lovely day to be alive, isn’t it?”
“That it is.”
“Shall we walk up toward the wishing bridge?”
“Sure.” After a moment’s hesitation, he asked, “Where’s the wishing bridge?”
Patsy laughed and took his arm. “We’ve dubbed the bridge over the creek that leads to the kid fishing hole the wishing bridge.”
“Oh. That’s cool. I should have a sign made.”
“Don’t bother. We’re planning to make one in our wood-burning class next Tuesday night.”
“I swear, Patsy. You are a wonder. Is there any craft your group doesn’t know how to do?”
“Actually, Celeste is coming out to help us with that lesson.”
Brick couldn’t help but grin and shake his head at that. “Are you sure you and Celeste aren’t secret sisters?”
Patsy got a gleam in her eye. “Some things are simply not meant to be known, my dear.”
She asked about the rumor going around camp that pizza night was to be canceled and followed it up with a question about campsite plans for the Fourth of July. Brick sensed that neither topic was what had brought her to the office, and he was afraid he knew what subject was on her mind.
“So,” Patsy finally said. “About Lili.”
Bingo.
“She told me that she ran into you a few nights ago at Murphy’s Pub. And twice at the Bear Cave’s happy hour.”
“Yes, well, I’ve been thirsty.”
“And at a church fund-raiser the night before last.”
“I support local causes.”
“And at the Stargazer’s Club meeting last night.”
He shoved his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “She was meeting one of those motorcycle gang members!”
“Yes,” Patsy drawled in her southern, sweet-tea voice. “The dastardly one who had his Harley towed in from Lake Tahoe for a ride with fellow members of his bar association.”
“Well, she met him in a bar. That’s just a little too much bar association for my comfort.”
“I don’t disagree with you, Brick.”
“Just because some guy has money and a two-hundred-dollar haircut doesn’t mean … wait.” His head swiveled toward her. “You said you don’t disagree?”
“That’s correct. While I don’t believe that going stargazing with the Lake Tahoe lawyer was dangerous, I am worried about her.”
“Me, too. She’s acting reckless.”
“And that’s not like her. I fear our Liliana is headed for trouble if she continues on this path. She’s a kitten playing with tigers.”
“I know.” A wave of relief washed over Brick. Finally, someone else who recognized that Miss Party Central was out of control. “She’s acting totally irresponsible. It would be one thing if she focused on local guys, so at least we know something about them. She’s not doing that. She avoids flirting with locals and sets her sights on the guys just passing through. I don’t understand her. She doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
“Actually, I think she knows exactly what she’s doing. I’m afraid I’ve inspired her in a manner I didn’t intend.”
Brick cast a sidelong look toward Patsy and noted the worried purse of her lips. “She did mention something about living her life like you’ve lived yours.”
Patsy sighed. “Like so many do, I’m afraid she’s focused on the sex. I have admitted to having a colorful sexual history, but like we say in the South, Lili is turned different from me. If she were meant to walk on the wild side of life, she wouldn’t be so entrenched on the straight and narrow.”
“Not anymore. You should have seen her night before last. She wobbled all over the place. And I only saw her drink two beers.”
“Yes, her tolerance for alcohol is low.” Patsy repeated her sigh, more heavily this time. “In all honesty, I agree that Lili can use more sexual experience. It’s been entirely too long since she’s gotten laid.”
Brick almost tripped over his own feet. Did she just say that? She didn’t say that! He didn’t just hear that! He could feel the tips of his ears growing warm from embarrassment. He shifted his hands from his back pockets to his front ones.
“But sex isn’t why I encouraged her to join the Tornado Alleycats.”
A good thing, since it’s an all-female club and Liliana is straight.
“Lili tries too hard to please her family.”
“Not anymore, Patsy. From what I’ve observed … from what she’s shared … she’s actually doing the exact opposite of that.”
“Nonsense. She’s hiding from her family. That’s what worries me. She’s taken one step forward and two steps back. Leaving Oklahoma City was huge. Don’t get me wrong. But she’s lost it in the follow-up. Lili has the sweetest heart of just about anyone I know, but she’s a pushover.”
Brick frowned in annoyance. “No, she’s not.”
Patsy proceeded to tick off five separate instances in which Liliana had proved to be precisely the pushover she claimed. Still, Brick felt compelled to defend Liliana.
“The Liliana I knew when we were kids has never been a pushover. If anything, she was a determined pest who followed along behind us every chance she could. Her brother and I used to go to great lengths to avoid her. I can’t tell you how often we failed. And she’s been just as stubborn in my dealings with her here in Eternity Springs.”
“I know! Isn’t that wonderful? There’s something about you, Brick, that trips her trigger. She’s strong around you. We need to encourage that. She’s going to need her strength in the days to come.”
That roused Brick’s suspicions. “Why do you say that? What do you know?”
“I know that Liliana is alone. Alone with a capital A. Most of her friends in Oklahoma she knew through work, and they have certainly let her down in the wake of that horrible DUI business. Why, you’d think she had a contagious disease the way they’ve kept their distance. She’s making friends here with the Alleycats, but frankly, she’s the youngest among us and while many of us act like we’re still in our twenties, we’re not. She needs to make friends her own age. And she needs to reconnect with her family. They do love her, you know.”
“Her parents didn’t stand by her. What kind of love is that?”
“Complicated, I’d say. I suspect that the Howes have their reasons for acting the way they did. Lili caught them by surprise with her news, and then she ran away and hid. That’s fine for a period of time, but don’t let her drag it on too long.”
“Me? What do I have to do with any of it?”
“You’ll have to reach out to her brother.”
Brick halted. “Oh no. I’m not telling Derek where she is. She asked me not to. She’d kill me. Besides, I don’t break my word.”
“She wasn’t being truthful with you when she asked for that word. That gives you an out. She’ll be angry, true. And that anger will stand her in good stead. She’ll need it.”
Brick knew he was missing a piece of the puzzle. “What is it you’re not telling me?”
Patsy patted his arm. “Listen to what I am saying, dear. It’s obvious from your recent behavior that you care about Lili.”
“Hold on. It’s not like that,” he defended. “I’m just trying to watch out for her.”
“Yes, you keep telling yourself that, CDD. I firmly believe that Liliana is destined to become a strong woman. She will learn to protect her gentle heart without changing its essence. Since you care about her, I know that you will want to support her on her path. That’s why you need to keep those two things I’ve mentioned … well, make that three things … in mind. She needs friends. She needs family.”
“And the third thing?”
“She needs to get laid.”
Brick raked his fingers through his hair and his voice climbed half an octave as he said, “Why in the world are you telling me that?”
Patsy splayed her hand against her chest and spoke with exaggerated innocence. “You have declared yourself her protector, have you not? You’re playing her white knight?”
“I’m not playing anything. I’m just … filling in for her brother. And believe me, Derek would not go around facilitating his sister’s hookups.”
“No, I don’t imagine he would. I’ve never met Dr. Howe, but Lili has spoken of him often.”
Patsy stopped walking and Brick realized that they had reached her RV. Apparently, their walk—and thus their conversation—was over. He didn’t know if that made him feel better or worse.
“Thank you for joining me, Brick. I do feel better about things now.”
Why? I sure as hell don’t. “Patsy, she’s my best friend’s little sister. I’m not going to … to…”
She patted his arm. “Just remember what our friend Celeste likes to say. ‘Love is what gives an angel’s wings lift.’”
She disappeared inside her RV long before Brick found his voice. He spoke to her closed door in a low voice. “Love isn’t on the table, Patsy. Not now, not ever.
“And I’m damned sure not an angel.”
* * *
“You look like an angel.”
Rather than roll her eyes like she wanted to, Lili smiled at the doctor from Denver and wondered how often his lines worked for him. Actually, she wondered if he truly was a doctor from Denver. Denver she could believe. Something about the hazy gleam in his eyes made her wonder if the closest he came to a hospital was a dispensary.
“Aren’t you sweet,” she said, purposefully brightening her smile because her self-appointed bodyguard had just entered the bar. With a beautiful brunette.
His date.
Lili’s stomach sank. So much for her fishing acumen. Brick Callahan was being painfully uncooperative. Catch and release? Hah. Two weeks of trolling with bait fish on the line and so far she’d been skunked. Not even a nibble from the prize.
All she’d gotten from Brick was the stink-eye.
No more hot looks. No more stolen kisses. No more touches of any kind. On the rare occasions when he spoke to her, he called her Lili or Liliana. No more mermaid or Lili-fair.
The burst of self-confidence that she’d experienced the day of their fishing trip had fizzled. The last ember died out when she saw him place his hand at the small of the brunette’s back and lead her toward a booth.
Lili brightened her smile a little bit more and managed not to lose it when the Denver dude gave her a wink.
She hadn’t even wanted to come out to the Bear Cave tonight. She’d had every intention of attending this evening’s Alleycat activity. But when word got around the Stardance Ranch laundry that Brick had a date tonight, her pride wouldn’t let her stay home, even though it meant missing the second wood-burning lesson.
Lili had wanted to be there for that. She had her trailer canopy welcome sign half-done. Everyone else would have theirs finished and on display tomorrow, and her poor little trailer would look even more naked than it already did.
The majority of the club had been decorating their campers for years. And redecorating. And decorating some more. They all had a basic theme, and then a theme on top of that theme, and sometimes yet another on top of that.
Lili’s trailer didn’t even have a name. She needed to do something about that. She’d been working on it, but so far nothing she’d come up with seemed right. She wasn’t one for personification. No Molly’s or Maribeth’s or Mabel’s. But at the same time, she couldn’t come up with a decent concept, either.
“So, Lili,” said the doctor. “Do angels’ dreams always come true?”
Oh, brother. She really, truly didn’t want to hear the follow-up to that come-on question. So when a seasonal ranch hand from the Bar L tapped her on her shoulder and asked her to dance again, she gratefully accepted.
Billy Bodine was tall and wiry and actually kind of cute. A terrible dancer, though, she’d discovered earlier tonight after he stepped on her feet as often as he missed them. He was also seven years younger than she and head over heels for a hometown girl, the daughter of a farmer in Pampa, Texas. Billy planned to formally ask for her hand in marriage when she visited him for the Fourth of July weekend.
“Thanks for dancing with me again, Lili. I know I’m lousy at it, but I’m trying real hard to learn. I know Leah wants dancing at our wedding, and she’ll be wearing white shoes. Could be a disaster.”
Lili laughed, her first genuine response since Dr. Denver had approached her. “You’ll get the hang of it, Billy.”
“I sure hope so.”
They both winced when he stepped particularly hard on her left instep during a twirl. “Sorry.”
“Not a prob— Whoa.” She tripped over his feet and stumbled into him. His arms wrapped around her as he steadied her.
She caught a glimpse of Brick’s stormy expression right before Billy released her, and suddenly she was tired. Tired of casting her line. Tired of reeling it in empty. Tired of making a fool of herself.
So much for fishing for marlin. If she truly wanted to find her inner Alleycat, she needed to change course. Change bait. Forget about fishing for a trophy.
“Guppy, anyone?”
Billy gave her a puppy dog grin. “What’s that?”
“Nothing. Never mind.” Despite her efforts to avoid looking at Brick, she spied him striding toward the men’s room. Suddenly free from his judgmental stare, she took the opportunity to relax. This time, it was she who misstepped. The heel of Billy’s boot came down on her hard.
She gasped and yanked up her hurt foot, hopping on the other. Did she just hear something break?
“Oh no,” Billy said. “That was bad. Wasn’t it? Can you walk? You don’t need to walk. Here.”
He scooped her up into his arms. “Shall I take you to your table? Want to go outside?”
She hurt. She really hurt. She wanted to whimper a little bit and let the tears fall. Her heart hurt just as much as her foot. “I think I’m done for the night. I rode here with Sharon. Would you mind taking me back to Stardance, Billy?”
“I’ll be happy to.”
By now they’d caught the notice of other people in the bar. Sharon hurried up to them. “Lili, what’s this? Are you okay?”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brick return to the barroom. She acted on instinct. Throwing her arms around Billy’s neck, she said, “I’m fabulous, Sharon. I’m leaving with Billy. I’ll find my own way home.”
Sharon cast a glance from Lili to Brick. Brightly, she said, “You go, girl. Have fun!”
“I plan to.” She rested her head on Billy’s shoulder and lowered her voice to a tone only he could hear. “Get me out of here now, please.”
“Are we trying to make somebody jealous?” he asked, whispering in her ear.
“No. Yes. Well…”
“Then let’s make a grand exit, shall we?”
He slowly twirled her around as he headed toward the exit, graceful now that he no longer had another set of feet to worry about. At the door, he hesitated, bending his face toward hers as though he intended to kiss her but positioning them both so that no one inside could see for sure. He swept her outside into the cool night air, lifted his head, and asked, “So, who is he? Callahan?”
“I’m that transparent?”
“No.” Billy gave a little laugh. “He is. I’ve noticed before. He watches you like a hawk.”
“Not a hawk,” she replied glumly. “A brother. He’s my brother’s friend, so he’s decided he needs to fill in for him.”
“Oh. Funny, the way he looks at you isn’t exactly brotherly.” Billy’s brow lowered in a frown. “So, is he going to come out to the Bar L tonight wanting to pound on me?”
“No.” She didn’t think Brick would do that. But then, she didn’t really know what Brick would do. Probably nothing. Because even though he’d kept a close eye on her, he had yet to interfere. Obviously, her ploy had not worked. “If he does anything, it’ll be pounding on my door and giving me grief.”
Billy carried her to the passenger side of a red Chevy pickup and set her carefully on the ground. “How’s the foot doing? Do you think it’s broken? Do I need to take you by the clinic?”
“No, it’ll be fine. Just take me…,” she trailed off. She didn’t want to go back to the RV camp. What if Brick did come knock on her door to scold her? What if he didn’t come back to camp at all tonight? After all, he was with a beautiful woman. He certainly hadn’t rushed out of the bar to prevent Lili from leaving, had he? He’d probably spend the night with the brunette. Or bring her back to his tree house.
Lili absolutely, positively wasn’t in the mood for that.
“… not to Stardance, Billy. Please, take me to Angel’s Rest. I’ll soak my foot in the hot springs and rent a room if they have one available. I could use a little break from life in the trailer park.”
“I’m sure sorry to cause you trouble, Lili. I’m just such a clumsy oaf.”
“No, you’re not. This one was my fault. Now, tell me more about this girl of yours. You say she likes to ride?”
“Loves it. That’s the common interest that brought us together.” He shared details about his Leah all the way to the front door of Angel’s Rest. “I’m going to go in with you, make sure you’re walking okay and can get a room.”
“You’re a gentleman, Billy.”
“It’s the way my mama raised me.”
Lili did manage to walk, and she was delighted when the desk receptionist told her they had two available rooms. She thanked Billy, promised she’d dance with him again sometime, then hugged him good-bye.
“The first room is in a newly opened section of the resort,” the friendly teenager said as Lili handed over her credit card. “Have you heard about the cave?”
“No.”
“It’s awesome.” The girl’s pretty eyes brightened. “Celeste got the idea to build it after she saw what Brick Callahan has done with the springs at Stardance River Camp. Our building is built over a hot springs, and there’s a natural cave and hot pool that acts like a sauna and hot tub all in one. It’s fabulous.”
The last thing Lili wanted tonight was a reminder of Brick. “I’m sure it is, but I’m afraid this was a last-minute visit. I don’t have a swimming suit with me. I just want to relax and take a bubble bath. Where is your other available room?”
“It’s upstairs here in the main house.”
A familiar figure entered from the kitchen, a wide smile on her face. “Lili,” Celeste said. “How lovely to see you. I missed you tonight.”
“I wish I’d stayed for the lesson.”
Celeste waved dismissively. “I’ll be back next week. We didn’t get a lot accomplished, I’m afraid. The girls got to telling me tornado stories, and then Josh wandered into the room to fix the icemaker and before it was done he’d opened up some about his history. Such tragedy he’s faced. I hope Eternity Springs is able to work its magic on him.”
Lili knew the facts about Josh’s bad weather luck, but she didn’t know details. Before she could ask, Celeste addressed the desk clerk, “Which room do we have open, Melissa?”
“Number nine.”
Celeste wrinkled her nose. “No, that won’t do. Liliana needs a luxurious soak in the bathtub. We had a late cancellation and our honeymoon cottage is unoccupied tonight. Give her that—at the same rate as number nine.”
Honeymoon cottage? All by herself? Could anything be sadder … or more appropriate?
But she couldn’t refuse the offer. Not with Celeste looking so pleased with herself. And shoot, at the rate she was going, this might be the only opportunity she’d ever have to spend the night in a honeymoon cottage.
Feeling a little sorry for yourself, Howe?
Sure am. Just stick a fork in me; I’m done.
“You will absolutely love it, Lili, dear,” Celeste continued. “It’s the perfect place to pamper yourself. As much as I love my little canned-ham trailer, I will admit that it’s always nice to come home and have room to stretch out.”
“Thank you, Celeste. Where do I—?”
“It’s isolated, of course. I’ll take you over in the golf cart.” She wiggled her fingers and the teen handed over an old-fashioned metal key on a white satin ribbon. “Follow me.”
Having surrendered, Lili did as she was told. Celeste led her to a golf cart painted gold and sporting the Angel’s Rest logo in celestial blue. The innkeeper drove the vehicle like a madwoman. Lili was glad that the near-full moon illuminated the path because she really didn’t want to be the reason why a guest got run over while on a nighttime stroll across the grounds of the healing center and spa.
Along the way, Celeste chatted constantly. She talked about the Alleycat meeting and her book sales and asked if Lili had an interest in playing baseball while she was in the area. “Our adult league has grown enough to field three teams, but we are desperate for subs, especially as we head into the busiest weeks of the summer season. Many of our small-business owners simply don’t have time for recreation in July. Claire Lancaster owns Forever Christmas. She has missed the last two games. Brick told me yesterday that he’ll probably have to quit altogether.”
In that case … “I can probably sub from time to time, Celeste.”
“Excellent. I’m so glad. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy our lovely summer weather and make new friends.”
“You can never have enough friends, I guess.”
“Exactly. Now … here we are.” Celeste braked to a stop in front of a dollhouse of a cottage.
Yearning washed through Lili. What would it be like to be arriving at a place like this with the man she loved, the man she’d married, at her side?
I’m lonely.
The realization weighed heavily on Lili’s shoulders as she climbed out of the golf cart and followed Celeste inside. It was true. Lili had great new friends and if their interests were sometimes different from hers … well … she couldn’t complain. She might not have grandchildren to go on about and as a rule she didn’t find talk about blood pressure and cholesterol levels all that interesting, but hey, had she ever laughed any harder than she had at last night’s pole-dancing lesson?
And I can always get a dog. She could get a dog tomorrow, in fact. Nothing was holding her back from that.
Celeste showed her how the lights worked, where to turn the gas fireplace on and off, and how to operate the lighting on the outdoor in-ground hot tub. Then she handed Lili the key, saying, “You’ll find a bathrobe in the closet and towels are out by the hot tub. Like I said, we had a very late cancellation, so there is champagne on ice, a cheese tray, and fruit. They are included in the price of the room, so enjoy yourself.”
“Thank you, Celeste.”
The older woman patted Lili’s hand, then surprised her with a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t despair, my sweet. Throughout history, the men and women who make a world a better, brighter place—the teachers and the talented, the firemen and philanthropists and physicians, the artists and, yes, the accountants—have been people who had to build a bridge over a river of challenges and cross it in order to find the angel inside of them. Only after they discovered that inner angel did the universe open up to them. They dreamed, and achieved those dreams. They grew their wings. They learned to fly.
“The thing you must remember is that each and every angel is an individual. Her talents are her own. Each angel has her own flight plan. Embrace yours and sail.”
Uncertain how to respond, she said, “Angels seem to be a theme tonight.”
“I speak of them quite a lot. I do like to empower my friends with the discovery of their inner angel. You have the tools to build your bridge, Liliana. Make it a priority and allow her to lift you out of the quicksand of perceived limitations. Allow yourself to love like an angel. That’s the secret to happiness and joy.”
For some weird reason, Lili got a lump in her throat.
“I’m going now. If you need anything, just call the office. I hope you sleep well, dear.”
“Thank you. Thank you for everything, Celeste.”
“My pleasure.”
Lili shut and locked the door behind her hostess and then wandered around the cottage, looking in drawers and closets, exploring the basket of soaps and lotions in the bathroom and the collection of lotions and oils beside the oversized bed. It was a luxurious place, a comfortable place, a sensual place.
“I might as well relax and enjoy it,” Lili said aloud, drifting toward a bookcase full of books, hardbacks and paperbacks, thrillers, mysteries, and romances. She chose a historical romance and flipped the switch to light the fire. She opened the champagne, poured herself a glass, and carried it and the cheese tray to the table beside the recliner in front of the fire.
She switched on some soft instrumental music, settled into her chair, and prepared to be swept away by a pirate story. Instead, her mind kept returning to the stormy look on Brick’s face when Billy carried her out of the Bear Cave.
Brick didn’t want her, but he didn’t want anyone else to want her, either. How fair was that?
She took a long sip of champagne and decided she needed to put him out of her mind. She needed to move on. Maybe she should find another RV camp. Maybe find another camping club.
But that would mean leaving Patsy and the new friends she’d made, and she didn’t want to do that. Neither did she want to let Brick drive her away.
One thing these last two weeks of trolling had taught her: She could get a legitimate date if she wanted one. Maybe that was the most important thing she needed to do—start dating seriously and actively. Forget playing the barfly routine. She didn’t enjoy it. Neither did she want to tell her future children that she met their father in a bar.
“If I ever have any children,” she grumbled, refilling her champagne glass and toasting her little pity party.
She ate a bite of Brie and tossed the pirate romance aside. Standing, she began pacing the room. She’d gone out of her way to avoid meeting local single men, but it was time for that to stop. Eternity Springs was as good a place as any to attempt to meet someone. She had nothing to return to in Oklahoma City. She could always sign up on one of the online dating sites. She wouldn’t mind driving a little ways to have a real date.
Maybe before she did that she should see about getting a real job.
Nothing in numbers. Maybe she could get a teaching certificate and teach school. Or open a flower shop. She loved flowers and she was excellent at arranging them. Did Eternity Springs have a florist? She couldn’t recall seeing one. Maybe she could open a flower shop here in Eternity Springs. She liked this little town. She enjoyed— No. No. This was Brick’s hometown. She couldn’t.
Or could she? What was it Celeste said? Build a bridge over a river of challenges and on your deathbed you’ll find total consciousness. Gunga, gunga lagunga.
Lili closed her eyes, knowing that Celeste had somehow gotten mixed up with Caddyshack.
Not consciousness, then. Happiness. And not on your deathbed, but when you build your bridge over troubled water. Or something like that.
Lili let out a giggle. Ordinarily, she wasn’t one who giggled, but the champagne had gone to her head.
The bottom line was that this was still America, Danny, to quote Caddyshack, and she could live in Eternity Springs if she wanted. If she managed to build her bridge to the not-giving-a-flip-about-an-old-crush shore, then she could arrange flowers here if she wanted.
Celeste’s voice echoed through her mind. Love like an angel.
Sudden tears filled her eyes. Her throat got tight and her chest physically hurt. Giggles to tears in fifteen seconds. Welcome to my world. “I’m so tired of being alone.”
Needing a change of scenery, she grabbed the champagne bottle and stepped outside. She switched the lighting in the hot tub to a faint blue and decided she might as well soak her feet. They both hurt.
She kicked off her sandals, sat on the coping of the spa, and sank her feet into the blissfully hot water. It felt divine.
At some point during the next hour, she drank half the bottle of champagne. At some point, she lay back upon the wood decking and gazed up at the moon and stars. They spun a little bit. Twice she thought she saw one shoot across the sky, but that could have been the alcohol. Or her angel.
Celeste’s voice brushed through her thoughts as gentle as an angel’s wing. Only after they discovered that inner angel did the universe open up to them. They dreamed, and achieved those dreams. They grew their wings. They learned to fly.
Liliana fell asleep and she dreamed. In her dreams, she learned to fly.