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She walked around the long table that had been set up in her living-room-turned-classroom to check on the mock campaign posters her students were creating. Early on in her teaching career, she’d realized that kids learned more easily and maintained information more readily when they could relate the lessons to real life, so she’d talked about the recent flood during a unit on environmental studies and had worked the upcoming election into their discussion about governments.
The latter had certainly given her some insights into the political leanings of many local families, and though the class seemed fairly evenly divided between “Team Crawford” and “Team Traub,” she was optimistic that Collin would emerge victorious. But right now she tried to focus her thoughts not on the upcoming election but on the current lesson.
She really did love her job and looked forward to the start of every day, approaching each subject with equal enthusiasm. She had her own personal favorites, of course, but she tried not to let that bias show. She wanted her students to experience and enjoy everything. She loved being able to open their minds, to encourage their curiosity and nurture their creativity, and gloried in each and every one of their successes. And because she was so completely engaged with her students, she hurt when they were hurting.
And she knew that Ryder Traub was hurting. Sutter had been right about the fact that Dallas’s eldest son was having a hard time adjusting to his mother’s abandonment. He wasn’t acting out, as was often the case with children going through difficult transitions. Instead, it was as if he’d drawn into himself, disengaging from the other students and the activities in the classroom. He wasn’t uncooperative—he always did the work that was required of him—but Paige could tell that he was just going through the motions.
She tried to draw him out, but that wasn’t an easy task when she had sixteen other students to attend to. Not that they all came to class every day, which was another reason teaching in her home was a challenge. It was as if the parents figured it wasn’t an actual school, therefore, she couldn’t actually be teaching. And that only made it harder to impress the importance of every lesson upon her students.
When the day was over and the last student had gone, she realized she needed more markers and stickers to replenish her cupboard. Sometimes she would go to the specialty classroom resource store in Kalispell, but for everyday supplies she could usually find what she needed at Crawford’s General Store.
Unfortunately, she sometimes found more than she wanted, as was the situation when she realized it was Nate Crawford behind the counter instead of his sister.
She forced a smile as she emptied her basket. “Where’s Nina?” She wasn’t just making conversation but was genuinely concerned about the woman, who was nearing the end of her pregnancy.
“She had an appointment—” he automatically began to scan Paige’s purchases “—so I said I would cover the store. It gives me a chance to connect with the people of our town on a more personal basis.”
Which Paige interpreted to mean that any poor soul who wandered in for essential grocery items was likely getting a healthy dose of Nate’s campaign propaganda along with every loaf of bread and quart of milk. “It always helps the voters to know their candidates,” she agreed.
He totaled her order and she gave him her money.
He made change, but didn’t immediately pass it across the counter. “I feel as if I should warn you about something.”
“I’m sure that’s not necessary.”
“I know you have...a history...with Sutter Traub,” he continued anyway. “But your public declaration of allegiance could make you unpopular in this town.”
“I don’t need to be popular—I’m not running for office.” She picked up her bag and held out her hand for her change.
“No,” he agreed, finally giving her the money. “But maybe your new boyfriend needs to know that you’re running around with your ex.”
* * *
Paige knew that she’d done nothing wrong, that there was absolutely no reason for her to feel as if she had, but that knowledge didn’t succeed in alleviating her guilt. Because the truth was, the whole time she’d been with Sutter the night before, she hadn’t once thought about Alex—not until Sutter had specifically asked her about the other man.
She didn’t know if that said something about her relationship with the mill foreman or if it was simply a side effect of being near Sutter. She’d been dating Alex for a couple of months now and, after fifteen minutes in Sutter’s company, she’d barely remembered his name. It was embarrassing to admit, even if only to herself, and Alex certainly deserved better than to be an afterthought.
So when she got home, she surveyed the contents of her refrigerator to ensure that she had the groceries she needed to put together a decent meal—because she was not going back to Crawford’s for another dose of Nate’s self-righteousness—then called Alex to invite him to come over for dinner. Though he seemed surprised by the impromptu invitation, he immediately accepted.
She set the table, even putting out candles and a bottle of wine, then set about preparing the meal. She was going to spend some time with Alex tonight and forget about Sutter Traub once and for all.
* * *
Sutter figured he must be a glutton for punishment. Why else would he have decided to drive down Cedar Street before he headed home the following night? It wasn’t as if it was on his way. It wasn’t really out of his way, but the most direct route would have been to continue along Main to Sawmill, since he had to cross the river at the Sawmill Street Bridge. Instead, he turned onto Cedar, then North Pine, so that he passed by Paige’s house.
And in passing by Paige’s house, he couldn’t possibly miss the battered truck parked outside of it. He knew that the Cruze parked in front of it belonged to Paige, and he suspected that the truck belonged to Alex Monroe, because he’d seen the same vehicle in the parking lot at the mill every day. His mother had warned him that Paige was dating the foreman, and Paige herself had confirmed it, but he still hadn’t wanted to believe it. But the truth was hard to deny when it was right in front of him.
She hadn’t invited Sutter in for a cup of coffee the night before because it was a school night. Well, it was a school night tonight, too, and she didn’t seem to have any qualms about having company. Or maybe she didn’t consider Alex company. Maybe—
Don’t go there.
He sharply reined in his wandering thoughts and continued on his way.
He’d honestly thought he’d let her go. When he’d driven away from Rust Creek Falls five years earlier and Paige had decided to stay, he’d known that was the end for them. And yet every time he was near her he felt the chemistry that had always sizzled between them. That sizzle warned Sutter that they weren’t as over as he wanted to believe.
Except the fact that she was at home tonight with her new boyfriend suggested that he might be the only one who felt they weren’t over. And that really sucked.
His mother had said that she was making pot roast for dinner, one of his favorites, but he’d declined her invitation to join the family—as he’d declined most of her invitations since returning to Rust Creek Falls. Too much had been said and done for Sutter to pretend otherwise, so aside from working with his father and brothers on the ranch, he usually kept to himself and prepared his own meals at Clay’s house. Tonight, he pulled into the parking lot of the Ace in the Hole instead.
He climbed the rough-hewn wooden steps and opened the screen door beneath the oversize playing card—an ace of hearts—that blinked in red neon. The bar was dimly lit and buzzing with conversations that mostly drowned out the Johnny Cash song emanating from the ancient Wurlitzer jukebox that still played three songs for a quarter. A long wooden bar ran the length of one wall and the dozen bar stools that faced the mirrored wall reflecting rows of glass bottles were already occupied, with several other patrons crowded in between the stools and leaned against the bar.
The booths that lined the outer walls were also filled, as were most of the wooden tables that surrounded the small dance floor in the middle of the room. Discarded peanut shells crunched under his boots as he made his way to one of those tables near the mostly unused stage in the far back corner. He pulled out the ladder-back chair and settled onto the creaky seat. The round wooden table was battered and scarred but appeared to be clean.
“What are you doing here?”
Sutter looked up, startled to see Paige’s sister Lani standing at his table. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt, so it was only when he saw the apron around her waist and the order pad in her hand that he realized she was his waitress.
And not a very happy one, judging by her tone, so he kept his deliberately light and said, “I was hoping to look at a menu.”
She tossed a single laminated page on the table. “That’s the menu—look all you want.”
“You probably don’t get very many tips with an attitude like that,” he mused.
“I’ll give you a tip—stay away from my sister.”
He looked around. “Is Lindsay here, too?”
Lani’s eyes narrowed. “You know very well that I’m talking about Paige.”
Ellie’s roast beef with a side of gentle prying suddenly seemed infinitely more palatable than substandard pub fare with prickly attitude, but no way was he going to let Paige’s little sister run him off.
“And I’ve barely seen her in the three months that I’ve been back in Rust Creek Falls,” he pointed out to her.
“You saw her last night,” Lani noted.
“Yeah, and here’s a news flash for you—it was a public meeting at town hall.”
“You walked her home.”
He didn’t bother to ask how she knew. This was Rust Creek Falls, where anyone might have seen them and no one could ever keep a secret for very long. “Actually, she would probably say that she was walking alone and I just happened to be beside her.”
“Good.”
“How about a beer while I try to decide between the cheeseburger and the bacon burger?”
“We’re out of bacon.”
“In that case, I’ll have the cheeseburger and a draft beer.”
She nodded and took the menu back, but she didn’t move away from his table. “Alex Monroe is a good guy—and he’s good to Paige.”
“Have I said anything to the contrary?”
“The fact that you’re still in Rust Creek Falls says plenty.”
“I’m here because I’m helping Collin with his campaign.”
“Then you’re going back to Seattle after the election?”
“Not that it’s any of your business,” he felt compelled to point out. “But yes, I’m going back to Seattle after the election.”
“And that’s why she’s better off with Alex,” she said triumphantly. “Because he won’t leave her.”
“But does he love her? And does she love him?”
“She’s with him,” Lani said firmly. “That’s all that should matter to you.”
He didn’t want to admit she was right, so he only shrugged, as if he was bored by the whole conversation. “Are you going to get my drink now?”
“Maybe.” She turned away and went to another table, where a young couple had just sat down. She took their order, immediately returned with their drinks, then went back to the bar again and finally brought Sutter his beer.
The election was in two more days, and then his job here would be over. He should probably hang around a little while longer to tie up any loose ends, but he figured it was safe to assume that he’d be back in Seattle within a week. Back to the freedom and contentment of being anonymous, back to the big city where there weren’t memories of Paige Dalton in every direction he turned.
He should forget the burger and get back to the ranch to start packing so he didn’t have to spend any more time in Rust Creek Falls than was absolutely necessary. Except that leaving this town meant leaving Paige again, a prospect that was just as unappealing now as it had been five years earlier.
She’s better off with Alex.
Sutter suspected that Lani was right, but he wasn’t going to believe it was what Paige wanted until he’d heard it directly from her lips.
* * *
Paige really liked Alex, but she wasn’t in love with him. And while she’d hoped that her feelings for him might grow and deepen with time, as she dished up the peach cobbler she’d made for dessert—using canned fruit in the recipe because there were no fresh peaches to be found in Montana at this time of year—she realized that wasn’t likely to happen. At least not so long as Sutter was in Rust Creek Falls.
Not going to think about him, she reminded herself sternly.
The admonishment snapped her attention back to the present but failed to banish all thoughts of the other man from her mind. Which probably wasn’t so surprising, considering her extensive history with Sutter. But that was what it was—history. He was her past, and Alex was her future.
Except that she was starting to question whether that was really true. She might want to think she and Alex could have a future, but the more time they spent together, the more difficult it was to imagine they would ever be anything more than friends.
He was an attractive man—objectively she knew this was true—but she wasn’t attracted to him. Her heart didn’t start to pound as soon as she saw him, her blood didn’t hum when he was close and her knees didn’t go weak when he kissed her. She guessed that Alex probably felt the same way, because he’d never tried to push her for more than the few kisses that they’d shared.
So why had she invited him to dinner tonight? Had she been hoping that he would say or do something to somehow change her mind about their relationship? That he would take her in his arms and kiss her until she was breathless and panting and wanted nothing more than to haul him upstairs to her bed?
As she poked at her dessert, she acknowledged that was what she’d been hoping. And when he’d walked through the door, Alex had kissed her. The kiss had been warm and pleasant...and over almost before it began.
“That was a fabulous meal,” Alex said, pushing his empty plate aside.
She forced a smile. “I’m glad you were able to make it on such short notice.”
“It wasn’t a hard decision, considering all that I had waiting at home was a frozen dinner.”
“So it was the home cooking and not my company that compelled you to accept my invitation?”
He reached across the table and linked their fingers together. “I always enjoy spending time with you, Paige.”
“Why do I feel as if there’s a but coming?”
His lips curved, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “But lately I’ve found myself wondering if there’s any hope for a future between us so long as you’re still hung up on Sutter Traub.”
“I’m not hung up on Sutter,” she immediately denied. “In fact, I’ve barely even seen him since he came back to Rust Creek Falls.”
“Because you’ve been avoiding him,” Alex guessed.
She pulled her hand away and stood up to clear the dishes from the table. “Because I don’t want to see him.”
He followed her into the kitchen. “Why would it matter if you didn’t still have feelings for him?”
She hated that he could so easily see a truth that she’d only recently acknowledged to herself. “Our relationship didn’t end amicably,” she admitted. “So there are probably some unresolved issues.”
“Then you need to resolve them,” Alex said gently.
“I need to move on with my life.”
“You’re an incredible woman, Paige. And I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent with you, but you’re never going to move on with your life until you put your history with Sutter behind you.”
“It’s five years behind me,” she protested.
“I stopped by town hall on my way home from work to catch the last part of the debate last night,” he told her. “And when you stood up to defend Sutter Traub, there was more passion in your words than in any of the kisses we’ve ever shared.”
She didn’t know how to respond to that except to say, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said. “And don’t ever settle for less than everything you want.”
“You’re dumping me, aren’t you?”
He shook his head. “I’m letting you go so that you can figure out what you want. If you decide that’s me, you know where to find me.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then lowered his head and touched his lips to hers. It was a nice kiss. Light and friendly, and completely uninspiring. She wanted to feel heat or tingles—anything—in response to his touch, but there was nothing.
As she watched Alex drive away, she silently cursed Sutter Traub and the possibility that his kisses had ruined her for any other man.
Chapter Four
Sutter was one of the first voters lined up when the polling station opened on Thursday morning, right behind Collin and Willa, who followed Nathan Crawford. Sutter wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that Nate had camped outside of town hall to ensure that he was able to cast the first ballot.
There was a steady stream of voters throughout the day. Some of them wore their allegiance proudly on their lapels in the form of buttons that proclaimed Crawford or Traub, and by Sutter’s estimation, they were fairly equal in number—and far outnumbered by the voters who came in grim faced and solemn with no indication as to how they were voting or why.
Nate had several factors in his favor. Aside from his campaign being widely supported and well funded—although no one in town really seemed to know where his money was coming from—he’d lived and worked in Rust Creek Falls his entire life. He was friendly and generally well liked, and he always knew what was going on with everyone in town. Of course, that probably had something to do with the fact that Crawford’s General Store was the shopping mecca of Rust Creek Falls and people tended to chat while they browsed, making it the central point of information dissemination, too.
Collin, on the other hand, tended to keep to himself and mind his own business. He lived on Falls Mountain and operated independently out of a renovated workshop on the property. He’d inherited CT Saddles from their great-uncle, Casper Traub, but it was Collin’s artistic craftsmanship that had really put the business on the map. He made custom saddles and tack and pretty much anything of leather, and he’d used the same focus and attention to detail that had made the company a success to develop a solid plan to rebuild the town and revitalize the economy.
The polling station closed at 6:00 p.m., at which time Thelma McGee taped up the tops of the boxes and took them into the back room to be counted by the independent vote counters. The first step was to divide the ballots into separate piles: Crawford, Traub and spoiled ballots. Then each pile was counted once, then counted again to double-check the results.
The candidates were entitled to be present during the counting of the ballots, along with an authorized representative. Nate Crawford was there with his campaign manager, Bill Fergus. His parents, his sister, Nina, several close friends and a handful of campaign workers were waiting outside for the results.
Of course, everyone was there in anticipation of a celebration, but only one candidate could win. And Sutter couldn’t help but think that if his brother lost, it would be his fault, that he’d tainted Collin’s campaign by being part of it. Because he was afraid his family would share that belief, he decided it was somehow less stressful to hide out with Thelma and watch the votes being counted than to wait with his family for the results. So Sutter stayed in the room while Collin opted to remain outside with Willa and the rest of the family, claiming he was too nervous to watch.
It was nearly nine o’clock before the final results were tallied, and although the numbers were close, when Thelma McGee emerged from the back room it was to announce that Collin Traub was the victor. Of course, Nate Crawford was furious, and although Sutter heard him grumbling and predicting dire consequences for the town, he couldn’t dispute the results. For the benefit of the local reporter who was hanging around, he offered Collin a terse congratulations and a brief handshake, then walked out of town hall with his family and supporters trailing after him.
While Collin and Willa and the rest of “Team Traub” were laughing and hugging, Sutter found himself looking around the small gathering of supporters for Paige, but she wasn’t there. He knew he had no right to be disappointed. She hadn’t made him any promises, but he’d hoped that she would show up anyway. He’d wanted her to share in the victory he was sure wouldn’t have happened if not for her words at the town hall meeting earlier in the week.
Her absence was proof to Sutter that she wanted to maintain a certain distance between them, that the brief conversation they’d shared after that meeting hadn’t bridged the gap of five years. And maybe that was for the best.
He forgot about Paige—at least for a minute—when he got back to the ranch and discovered that the rest of the family had already gathered there. Bob and Ellie, of course, along with Braden and Dallas and Dallas’s three boys—Ryder, Jake and Robbie. Clayton and Antonia had made the trip from Thunder Canyon with their two children, Bennett and Lucy, in tow, as had Forrest and his new wife, Angie.
Ellie had the champagne in the fridge—and sparkling grape juice for the kids and the nursing mother—so that as soon as everyone was gathered, the drinks were ready to be poured. As hugs and kisses were exchanged all around, Bob popped the corks and started the bubbles flowing. It was a joyous celebration—thankfully with enough people around that Sutter could avoid having any direct communication with Forrest.
When the glasses had been distributed, Sutter raised his and called for attention to toast Mayor Collin Traub. Everyone joined in, clinking crystal and adding congratulations and advice, and Forrest leaned over to tap his glass to Sutter’s.
It wasn’t a big deal—or it shouldn’t have been. But to Sutter it was huge. Because in that moment, Forrest had looked him directly in the eye. Not a word had passed between the two of them, but somehow Sutter felt as if the vise that had been squeezing his chest eased, just a little. For the first time in a long time, he actually felt as if he was part of the family, as if he was home.
* * *
This is probably a bad idea.
As Paige turned her vehicle into the long drive that led toward the Triple T Ranch, she was seriously questioning the wisdom of her impetuous decision to come here, and yet she couldn’t stay away. She’d been pleased to hear about Collin’s victory, but her thoughts weren’t focused so much on the new mayor as his campaign manager. Which was why she knew this was a bad idea.
And yet she didn’t turn her car around; she didn’t drive away. Instead, she parked at the end of the long line of vehicles and tried to ignore the pounding of her heart.
She could hear talking and laughing from inside even as she made her way to the door, and she wondered if anyone would be able to hear the ring of the bell over the cacophony of sounds. But her finger had barely lifted from the buzzer when the door was opened and she was face-to-face with Sutter.
“You didn’t come to town hall.”
She was taken aback by his greeting. Not the accusation of the words so much as the hurt beneath them. She hadn’t intended to hurt him. Truthfully, she wouldn’t have thought that she could. They were supposed to be beyond that.
But somehow, only two days after vowing to put him out of her mind, she was at his door. And no matter how many times she told herself that she hadn’t come to see him, she knew it was a lie.
“I figured I’d already made enough of a public statement at town hall on Monday night.”
“Well, you’re here now, so you can join the party,” he said. Then he pulled her into his embrace and swung her around.