Hometown Star - By Joleen James Page 0,40
this town. The thought killed her appetite and she pushed her plate away.
“You okay?” Cade wiped his mouth on his napkin.
“No.” Star finished her coffee. “I’m so sorry about what happened last night.”
“It wasn’t your fault.” Cade frowned. “Don’t apologize for her.”
“I’m not.”
“You are,” Cade said. “Destiny and John made their own choice. Just like you and I make our own choices. Just like my father made his own choices.”
“Wait, what happened exactly?” Brad asked, his mouth full of pancakes.
“You know what happened.” Cade stood and began clearing the plates.
Thankfully, Brad let his question drop.
Star got up to help, Cade’s words rattling around in her head. What choice did she want to make with regard to Cade? Could she have her summer fling and move on? Any good Cosmo girl would.
Together they cleaned the kitchen. Finn and Emma wandered in with Snowbell.
“It’s a rare day off for us,” Cade said. “No guests.”
Star winced. “Sorry.”
“What I mean is,” Cade said, “we should do something fun.”
“Like what?” Emma asked with interest.
“What about a hike? Or a bike ride?” Cade suggested.
“Okay.” Finn jumped up and down.
“Star has to come,” Emma said. “You’ll come, won’t you, Star?”
“I don’t think so,” Star said. “I have some work to finish up.”
“Take the day off,” Cade said softly. “Spend it with me, with us. It’s one day out of your life, Star.”
“But Mom,” Star began.
“Can take care of herself. I don’t see her leaving John’s side anytime soon.”
Star’s teeth grazed her lower lip. “I don’t know.” It wasn’t her work that kept her from saying yes; it was the O’Briens. In her heart she knew that the more time she spent with them, the more time she’d have to become attached.
“Please, Star,” Emma begged. “Please, please, please.”
“Oh, all right.” Deep down, she wanted to go, wanted to be included. “Can we hike up to the top of Eagle Ridge?”
Cade traded glances with the twins. “I don’t see why not.”
Star grinned. “I’ll go and get dressed.”
“Hurry, Star,” Emma said, her eyes bright with excitement.
Star touched the little girl’s hair. “I will.”
“Come on.” Finn tugged on her hand. The little boy pulled her to the stairs, leading her to her room. “Now hurry.”
He left Star at her door.
Star had no choice but to go inside and dress. She grabbed the change of clothes she’d brought and headed for the bathroom.
She had to admit, she loved the idea of the hike. Since coming back to Alaska she’d had very little time for sightseeing. She’d earned this day out.
Humming, Star stepped into the shower.
Chapter Twelve
Star winced.
“You okay?” Cade offered her his hand, ready to help her down yet another steep incline.
The hike to the top of Eagle Ridge was everything Star remembered. The scents of the forest combined with the way the sunlight filtered down through the canopy of branches and emerald leaves overhead lent an enchantment to the hike. Wild daisies and fireweed grew with abandon, adding bright spots of color. This was nature at its finest, raw and unspoiled.
And although her feet ached something awful, she didn’t want to stop.
“I’m fine.” She took his hand, but she must have winced again because he said, “You’re not fine. Is it the boots?”
She’d borrowed some hiking boots from the collection Cade kept for the guests. At first, the boots had felt fine; now the darn things were biting into her feet in a number of places.
“Wait up,” Cade called to the kids.
Down the path, Finn, Emma, and Brad stopped, turning to stare at them. All three looked as tired and hot as Star felt.
“Sit down.” Cade helped her to a nearby fallen long.
When she was seated, he unlaced the boot.
“I don’t think you should take it off,” Star said. “I’ll never get it back on.”
“I have some moleskin in my first aid kit. If we work quickly we should be able to get the boot back on before your foot swells.”
“Great,” Star said dryly.
Cade eased the boot from her foot. Blood dotted her sock.
Cade frowned. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
Star shrugged. “I didn’t want to be a crybaby.”
With a shake of his head, Cade removed the other boot, then took the first aid kit from his backpack. Cool fingers eased her bloodied socks off. He tore open a package, producing an antiseptic pad, and cleaned the sores, his touch gentle.
“Ow,” Star cried when the antiseptic met raw skin.
“Sorry.” He covered the sores with the moleskin before putting her socks back on, his fingers lingering on her ankle a little longer