Lili didn’t know why she was surprised to find Brick Callahan in a bar with his arm around a redhead. So what else was new?
She told herself she didn’t care. She’d gotten her Colorado bucket-list kiss. Now it was on to other items. Like romance.
So when the sexy guy who’d checked her into Stardance Ranch rose and sauntered over toward her table, she offered up a bright, determinedly confident smile when he tipped the straw cowboy hat he wore and said, “Hello, ladies. Looks like you decided to skip the big bingo game at the activity center tonight.”
Lili nodded, idly wondering why he looked familiar. “We did. The five of us decided we needed a night out on the town.”
Sharon Cross stepped forward and offered her hand. “I’ve seen you at the camp, but we haven’t met. My name is Sharon.”
“I’m Josh. Nice to meet you, Sharon. Are you enjoying your visit to Colorado?”
“I’m loving it so far. Josh, have you met the rest of my friends here?”
“Ms. Howe and I met when she checked in. Likewise for Ms. Hernandez. But these two ladies…”
Sharon introduced Mary-Ellen Carkin and Corrine Swain, then invited Josh to join them.
“I’d love to, but I’m having dinner with family. Maybe afterward?”
“I’m afraid we’re not staying,” Mary-Ellen informed him. “We’re going to a place called the Bear Cave.”
His eyebrows lifted. “That’s an interesting choice.”
“Lili wants to dance,” Sharon added. “I do hope the Bear Cave attracts some single men who like to dance.”
Lili wanted to kick Sharon under the table for being so obvious. At the same time, her gaze checked out his left hand. Ringless.
Lili’s wasn’t the only mind that went in that direction, because Patsy tossed a look toward the table where Brick and the redhead sat. “So, family, you say? Your wife?”
Lili swallowed a groan. Patsy made Sharon look like an amateur.
“Our foster sister. She’s visiting Stardance Ranch for a few days.”
Then it clicked for Lili. “I know you. You lived with the Christophers.”
Josh’s brow furrowed and he studied her intently. “I’m sorry … I’m drawing a blank.”
“Mark—or I guess I should say Brick—and my brother Derek are friends. They played baseball together in high school. They built the tree house in the Christophers’ backyard.”
“Oh yeah. I remember him. Forgot his name, but the tree house is legendary. Brick is still building them. So your brother is Derek. Derek Howe. He’s a big-deal doctor, isn’t he? A surgeon?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re from Norman. Funny, Brick hasn’t mentioned a local connection.” Josh’s smile turned flirtatious. “Guess he wanted to keep you all to himself.”
Liliana laughed at the absurdity of it. “Not hardly.”
Josh noted the waiter approaching his table with what appeared to be his order. “Our dinner is here. I’ll try to drop by the Bear Cave later if I can manage it.”
“That would be just lovely,” Sharon said. “Wouldn’t it, Lili?”
Embarrassed, Lili gave up trying to pretend that her friends weren’t being obvious. She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Sorry.”
He grinned and winked at her as he tipped his hat once again before returning to his table. Lili narrowed her eyes and frowned at her friends. “Seriously? Could you be a little more obvious?”
Sharon clapped a hand over her heart in a gesture of innocence. “What?”
Mary-Ellen snickered. “He is cute. Not as cute as CDD, maybe, but if sometime this summer I decided to go the cougar route he’d certainly be on my to-do list.”
Everyone at the table laughed at the absurdity of that. Mary-Ellen was the devoted wife of a Methodist minister who was in South America this summer on a mission trip with their two sons. She led grace before every community meal and organized a morning devotional for those club members who wanted to attend.
Their own orders arrived and Lili turned her attention to her mushroom-Swiss burger. The musicians took the stage at one corner of the patio just after the burger baskets were cleared and orders for desserts had been placed. The ladies at the table shifted their chairs to make it easier for everyone to see and in doing so gave Lili an unimpeded view of Brick.
She tried not to stare at him. She tried very hard. But the man was a magnet for the eyes.
Maturity looked good on him. So, too, did the mountain man flannel shirt, jeans, and hiking-boots look. Funny, whenever she’d thought about him she’d always pictured him in an Italian suit and tie.
He caught her looking at him, and their gazes held for a long minute. Then the woman at his table said something that garnered his attention. Lili studied her.
She didn’t remember her at all, but that wasn’t surprising. The Christopher family had a lot of kids in and out of their home. Lili’s own parents had been torn between admiration for Paul and Cindy Christopher and disapproval of their revolving front door.
Dessert arrived—three kinds of pie from Sarah Murphy’s bakery—and the Alleycats dug in and began discussing favorite pie recipes. When the guitarist concluded his first set, they paid their tabs and gathered up their things to leave. The Alleycats all waved a good-bye to Brick’s table, and when the other girls indicated they wanted to make a stop at the ladies’ room before they left Lili stepped outside onto the sidewalk to wait for them. She had her head down, tucking her wallet back into her purse, so she didn’t notice Brick’s approach until he said her name. “Lili, tell me y’all aren’t really going to the Bear Cave.”
Her chin came up. “We are.”
“It’s not a good idea. It’s a rough place.”
“I’m told a new owner has changed things.”
“He’s trying, but that’s easier said than done. Some hard characters have been going there for years. They don’t change their habits easily. There’s been some trouble at that dive in the past couple of weeks. You and your friends need to stay away from there.”
Another time, in another place, if he were another person, Lili would have listened to him. Tonight she wasn’t in the mood. “I appreciate your concern.”
He scowled at her. “You’re going anyway, aren’t you?”
That put her on the spot. Maybe better sense would have prevailed once she no longer stood beneath that disapproving frown of his, but faced with the challenge Liliana couldn’t very well back down. Not the new and improved Tornado Alleycat Lili. “Well, yes.”
He muttered something about stubborn women, then retreated back inside Murphy’s Pub.
Lili mentioned Brick’s concern during the drive out to the Bear Cave, but the older women dismissed it. “I asked about it today while I grocery shopped at the Trading Post,” Jana Hernandez said. “Everyone assured me we’d be just fine.”
The dozen or more motorcycles parked outside of the bar when the Alleycats arrived almost gave them second thoughts, but Sharon pointed out that they were high-dollar rides. “I’m sure they’re fine. Motorcycle clubs are all the rage nowadays, you know. This time of year, this is probably a club of doctors and lawyers from Texas.”
Sharon was close to being right. The riders belonged to a university alumni club from Houston on a charity ride raising money for MD Anderson. Not that they weren’t a rowdy bunch. Within five minutes of the Alleycats’ arrival, it became obvious that Lili would have the opportunity to dance her sandals off if she so desired. But the men were gentlemanly in their rowdiness and they invited all the women to dance. Mary-Ellen revealed herself to be a pool shark when she challenged one of the riders to a game of eight ball with the loser making a donation to the youth group of the winner’s choice.
Because she’d grown up with an older brother, Lili wasn’t the least bit surprised when twenty minutes after her group arrived at the Bear Cave the door opened and Brick, his brother, and his sister walked inside.
Waltzing across the dance floor like the belle of the ball, Lili admitted to being just a little bit thrilled to see Brick Callahan.
* * *
Brick was not at all happy to be at the Bear Cave. He’d anticipated a nice, relaxing evening catching up with Courtney. Instead, he was nursing a serious case of indigestion after watching Joshua go hound dog on Liliana.
At least now Josh had some competition. A lot of competition. The motorcycle club guys were all at least ten years older than Liliana, but that didn’t stop them from swirling around both her and Courtney. Shoot, they didn’t leave the other ladies alone, either. Tonight the Bear Cave was a regular pickup bar. Nothing like mixing men, women, drinking, and dancing to get the juices flowing.
And what the hell did Liliana think she was doing? Dancing and laughing and flirting outrageously. Was she looking for a hookup with a married guy from Houston? Or was she too naïve to realize that was the vibe her actions telegraphed?
Brick sipped his beer and scowled as his brother cut back in to dance with Liliana. “Come dance with me, Mark,” Courtney said as she returned to the dance floor after ducking outside for a few moments to cool off.
“Thanks, but I don’t—”
“Don’t argue,” she interrupted. “And don’t tell me you can’t dance. As I recall, you had some pretty good moves.”
Brick did like to dance. He just wasn’t in the mood for fighting his way through a throng to dance with Liliana. So he danced with Courtney and Jana and Sharon and Corrine and waited for just the right time to cut in on Liliana.
When the first strains of an old Johnny Cash song rose from the jukebox, Brick decided he’d waited long enough. He cut in on the dance and Lili gave him a breathless smile. “Admit it, Callahan; you were wrong and I was right. The Bear Cave isn’t dangerous.”
“I admit there’s a safe enough crowd in here right now. That could change at any time.”
“If it changes, we can leave.” Her long blond hair swirled around her shoulders as he twirled her. “I love this place. It’s fun!”
She certainly appeared to be having fun. Her eyes sparkled. She laughed readily. He tried to picture the young girl who used to give Derek hell over their tree house rules. His memories of the child were hazy. He recalled the teenager more easily. Freckles and legs. Braces, too. She’d always been quiet, though. Quiet and shy and seldom noticeable.
He twirled her again and she threw back her head and laughed. “You have changed, Lili-fair.”
Josh, blast him, smoothly cut into the dance. “Good one, Bro. It fits her.”
Outmaneuvered, Brick watched his brother dance Liliana across the dance floor. Trying not to scowl, he threaded his way toward the bar and ordered another beer.
He lifted his gaze toward the television hanging in one corner and tried to care that the Rockies were tied at three in the bottom of the ninth. Brick was a baseball guy. He was passionate about pennant races. Tonight, although he kept his gaze on the game, his attention remained somewhere else entirely.
He had no business casually flirting with Derek Howe’s little sister. He had a firm personal rule against mixing business with pleasure. No hookups between him and campers. After the break-up with Tiffany, he’d gone through his phase of banging everything in a skirt. That got old pretty quick. Nowadays, he dated because he genuinely liked women and enjoyed their company, not because he was out to get laid.
And never because he was looking for a relationship. That was one road he had no desire to travel a second time.
Behind him, one of the Alleycats discovered the karaoke machine, called for a round of umbrella drinks for the house, and soon the party atmosphere had risen another notch. One of the Alleycats was doing a decent rendition of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend.”
Brick kept his gaze on the baseball game until the Rockies’ left fielder hit into a double play that ended the game. From the corner of his eye, Brick noticed a flash of yellow exiting through the bar’s back door.
He scanned the bar, looking for Liliana. No yellow sundress anywhere. She’d gone outside.
With whom?
Not your concern, Callahan. Not your business.
Unless that person was Joshua. He shouldn’t be hitting on the Stardance Ranch guests, either. It was against company policy. Had to be in the employee handbook.
Well, it would be if Brick had an employee handbook.
“Something for the to-do list,” he muttered, searching the room for his brother.
Josh was nowhere to be seen.
Not your business. Not your concern.
Nevertheless, his feet carried him toward the door.
The cool mountain air felt refreshing after the stuffiness of the bar. Once the door closed behind him, the quiet of the evening settled around him like a warm, soothing blanket. The Bear Cave was far enough from the center of town that traffic noise didn’t intrude, close enough to Angel Creek that he could hear the rush of white water bubbling over the creek bed. On the one hand, Brick loved that sound. He found it peaceful.
On the other hand, the lack of sound coming from either his brother or Liliana disturbed him.
Male voices from around the side of the building caught his attention. Joshua. Brick followed the voices and discovered his brother admiring the club members’ bikes. Another time, Brick might have joined them—he liked a powerful ride as much as the next guy. But tonight he spied a glimmer of yellow in the moonlight. Liliana sat all alone atop a picnic bench beside the creek. A string of solar lights hung from the tree above silvered her hair and cast her in an ethereal light. Brick was powerless not to go to her.
“Needed some fresh air?”
“Thought I’d better leave before I got dragged into karaoke. I’m not much of a singer.”
“I have a good voice,” he told her, teasing rather than bragging.
“I remember.” Her voice was glum. “Is there anything you don’t do well?”
“Hmmm.” He pretended to consider it. “No. Nothing that I can think of.”
To his alarm, the noise that escaped Liliana sounded a little like a sob. He rested his hand on her thigh. “Liliana? What’s wrong?”
“I should never have had that strawberry daiquiri.”
“Not at the Bear Cave, no.”
“Rum goes to my head faster than anything. I get … weepy.”
I shoulda stopped with Joshua to talk Harleys. “Are you…” He paused and searched for a substitute for the word “drunk.” “… sick?”
“At heart. I’m sick at heart.”
Ah. Now he had a glimmer. Bet she’s coming off a heartbreak, herself.
“I never wanted to be an accountant.”
Okay. That one caught him by surprise.
“Had to pick a profession to please my parents. Something deserving of the Howe family name. Something that required an exam. A doctor. A lawyer. An engineer. Of course, Derek already had the doctor box checked. And let’s face it. He’s brilliant. I’m … adequate.”
“Liliana…,” Brick began.
“You’d better go back inside, Brick. Or go talk to the motorheads. I’m having a pity party and no one should have to listen to it.”
“Keep talking, Lili-fair. I’m hanging on your every word.”
“I made a mistake when I picked accounting over architecture. I think I actually might have enjoyed that. But I was good with numbers, you know? Numbers come easy to me. But they bore me.”
“So quit them.” She’d turned her face so it was hidden by the shadows, so he sensed rather than saw her sharp gaze. “Life is too short to do work that you don’t enjoy.”
“I know. I’m trying to tell myself that. I need to look at this disaster as an opportunity. And I am. I do. It’s the darned rum.”
Disaster? “What happened, Liliana?” He waited a moment and when she didn’t respond took a guess. “Did you get fired?”
Her laugh was as bitter as burned coffee. “Oh yes. I definitely got fired.”
“Why?”
She folded her arms. “Promise you won’t tell Derek?”
“I promise.”
“I mean it.” She shook a finger at him. “Your solemn oath.”
“My solemn oath.”
“If you break it … hmm … okay … if you break it you’ll bring a curse down upon the Sooners. They’ll never win another national championship for as long as you live!”
“Pretty good one, Liliana. Except I didn’t go to OU. I went to Hawaii. Remember?”
“Oh. Well.” She shrugged, weaving a little. “Doesn’t matter. You grew up in Norman, Oklahoma. You can’t ever leave OU loyalty behind.”
“Sure I can, but that’s not a concern. You have my word that I won’t tell Derek.”
She let out a little giggle. A little semi-hysterical giggle. “They say that I embezzled two hundred twenty-seven thousand dollars. And sixty-seven cents.”
Brick took half a minute to try to make sense of what he’d just heard. Liliana Howe a thief? Yeah. Right. And Celeste Blessing was undoubtedly her accomplice.
* * *
Lili held her breath. She wasn’t exactly sure why she’d spilled her guts, but she’d sobered up the minute the e word tumbled from her lips. She was afraid to look at him, but at the same time she couldn’t look away. Her heart was in her throat. Believe in me, Brick.
“Well, hell, Freckle-Sticks,” Brick drawled. “I’d have figured you’d be smart enough not to go for that last sixty-seven cents.”
The smile started in her heart and bloomed like a sunflower as he finished the nonsensical comment. He’d found the perfect way to convey that he didn’t believe it for a second.
“So what’s the story?” he asked as the Bear Cave’s door opened and Sharon stepped outside, looking around for Lili. At the same time, Joshua turned away from the motorcycles and stepped toward them.
“It’s long and this isn’t the time or place,” Lili replied with a measure of regret. She’d had just enough rum that she would have liked to share the whole ugly story tonight.
Brick shocked her when he said, “Tomorrow’s my day off. I’m going hiking up in the high country. Come with me.”
Before she could answer, Josh said, “A man turns his back just for a moment and what happens? His brother tries to horn in on his date. How’s that for brotherly love?”
“Buying me one umbrella drink does not a date make, Josh,” Lili said with a laugh.
“Details. Come back inside. I want to dance with you again.”
Sharon spied Lili and waved. “Honey, Pauline danced one too many times. Her arthritis is paining her. You about ready to head back to camp?”
“I’ll take you back later,” Josh offered.
Brick didn’t say a word, but he watched her very carefully. It had been a fun night, but Lili was ready to go. Nothing like ending the evening on a high note, too. Lili was just tipsy enough to be able to imagine that both of the Christopher boys were flirting with her.
“Thanks, but I’m ready to call it a night.”
“You’re breaking my heart,” Josh said.
She laughed and gave him a quick, friendly hug. “Thanks for the drink and the dances.”
She turned to Brick, but the idea of reaching out for a friendly hug wasn’t quite the same. He took the decision out of her hands by leaning over and kissing her cheek. He spoke softly into her ear so that only she could hear. “I’ll pick you up at eight.”
“But your sister came to visit. I can’t interfere with—”
“She has plans tomorrow. Eight a.m.”
Lili floated back into the Bear Cave to get her purse and say good-bye to the bikers who were traveling on the next day. The ladies piled into their designated driver’s truck, and Mary-Ellen drove them back to Stardance Ranch.
Lili’s head spun pleasantly as she drifted off to sleep.