Hummingbird Lake Page 0,28
Daisy and Duke.”
“But Miss Sarah …”
“Good-bye, Josh.”
Colt smiled as the downcast youngster departed the store, a dramatic pitch to his voice as he said, “It’s okay, puppy. I’ll find you a good forever home, no matter what.”
Colt loaded his cart with staples. He enjoyed cooking, though he rarely had time to do so, and he planned to indulge in that activity during the next two weeks. He added a couple more steaks to his buggy, thinking that maybe he’d invite the Callahans out to dinner. He and Nic had been friends a long time, and he really liked her husband, Gabe. Plus he had to see the twins. Nic’s Christmas card had said they were rolling over and trying to sit up. Then, picturing the teary-eyed redhead, he reached for the last rib eye in the meat case and murmured, “What the hell.”
He chatted with Sarah while she rang up his groceries and asked how Lori was doing. “She’s good. Anxious for college acceptance letters to begin arriving.”
“Where does she want to go?”
“Texas A&M. She wants to be a vet.”
“A vet, huh? What would she say about you turning down little Josh’s puppy?”
Sarah laughed. “After working as Nic’s vet assistant, she learned she can’t bring home every animal in need. Still, she does go gooey at puppies.”
“Most people do.”
“Do you want a dog?” Sarah’s lovely violet eyes gleamed with mischief. “I know where you can get one.”
“Nope. I’m a short-timer here, as always, and my condo in DC doesn’t allow pets, I’m afraid.”
“Sounds like you need a new place to live.”
Colt’s smile sobered a little at that. “You may be right, Sarah. It’s very possible that a new place to live might be exactly what I need.”
He pondered the question on the way out to the lake. His job entailed so much travel that he’d never thought it fair to keep a pet. Still, he’d always wanted to have a dog. A big dog, like a retriever or a boxer. Maybe someday.
Celeste’s directions to the house were spot-on, and when he made the final turn into the drive and saw the log cabin for the first time, he felt the last bit of tension inside him fade away. Thank God he wasn’t in Washington right now. Celeste was right. He was going to love it here.
The cabin was decorated in what he thought of as mountain traditional—wagon-wheel furniture, elk and moose heads on the walls, and a bearskin rug in front of a huge stone fireplace. The master bedroom had a fireplace also, along with a king-sized bed and a sliding door that opened onto a deck with a hot tub.
“Awesome.” A soak in the hot tub at the end of a day on the slopes had always been one of his favorite parts of skiing. And the stars in this part of the world were a sight to see. “Thank you, Celeste,” he murmured aloud. “Excellent job.”
He unloaded his car and put away the groceries, then lit a fire in the big stone hearth. He was careful and deliberate about the task, having witnessed some horrific results of carelessness over the years. As he watched the flames flicker and build, he told himself not to go there, not to think about his job at all.
He was burned out. Toast. He needed these two weeks to decompress, and he couldn’t do that if he thought about work all the time.
He watched the yellow flames dance in the hearth until a flash of light against the window snagged his attention. Headlights, he surmised. Guess his neighbor had arrived home.
Curious as always, he moved to the window, where he spied a Jeep idling in the drive next door while an automatic garage door opener did its thing. He cupped his hand against the window glass to better see inside the Jeep.
When he identified the driver, Colt pursed his lips and let out a slow whistle. Well now. He dragged his palm along his jawline and considered his choices.
He could leave her alone. Maybe he should leave her alone. But what was the fun in that? Glancing at the clock, he decided he’d give it half an hour. He’d let her settle in, and then he’d grab a measuring cup and go ask to borrow a clichéd cup of sugar—from his favorite redhead.
SEVEN
Sage was in a mood. When she returned to the studio she maintained above Vistas after leaving Angel’s Rest, her attempt to finish her work in progress failed miserably. Before the