want to go to the Sundance, either.”
“Good.”
Settling back, she stared at her phone again. “Wherever we’re going, will I have cell service?”
“Yep.”
“Can you manage more than one syllable while you drive? Because if not I can take over.”
Grinning at her, he lifted his boot off the accelerator, then slowly made the turn.
Sitting taller, she peered out the windshield. “Oh. I know where we are. I think.”
Trace didn’t correct her. She’d see soon enough she hadn’t been up to this particular meadow. He shifted to four-wheel drive and took them up as far as the eroded trail would allow. The last of the yellow and purple wildflowers dotted the mountainside. Another week and they’d fade.
“Wow, this isn’t where I thought we were. It’s pretty, but why are there flowers up here and nowhere else?”
“It’s cooler because of the elevation so they hang on longer. A month ago there were three times as many. Wait until next spring. You’ll see all kinds of wildflowers in back of the Lone Wolf.” He cut the engine and suddenly her attention went straight to her phone.
“Okay, I’m ready to do this.”
“Want me to take a walk?”
“No.” She grabbed his arm, surprising both of them. “I don’t understand why she wants to know,” Nikki said, letting him go to press speed dial. “I mean, she hasn’t even seen Wallace in over twenty years. What difference does it make that he’s dead?” She held the phone to her ear with an unsteady hand. “She’s finally getting married to a decent man and moving to— Mom? It’s me.”
Nikki turned away from him, her back stiff and tense. He lifted the center console out of the way and angled his body, sliding closer to her so he could reach her shoulders.
She jumped, but when he started to massage and work out the knots, she relaxed. “How are you? Getting packed?” She paused. “No, everything is fine.” Another pause. “How did you know?” she asked, her voice softer. “Yes, he died in his own bed. Last night. No, actually the night before but I’ve been kinda busy helping make food for after the funeral. Fine. I promise.”
Letting her chin fall forward, she quietly listened to whatever her mother had to say as he continued to carefully work his fingers into the layer of muscle above her shoulder blades.
“No,” she said after a minute. “I’m with a friend. No. No. Why does it matter?” Nikki sighed, and Trace smiled, wondering if she realized she sounded like an annoyed teen being interrogated. “Rachel’s brother, okay?” She stiffened again. “Yes, it’s Trace.”
So she’d spoken of him to her mother. Well, wasn’t that something? He splayed his hand and ran it down her back, giving her the bonus rubdown. She gave a tiny shiver and sent a glare over her shoulder.
He winked at her.
Rolling her eyes, she faced the passenger door again but made it obvious by leaning back that he was to return to his slave duty. “You sound good. I expected you to be upset.” Nikki got quiet, listening for a while and really starting to relax.
“Oh, Mom, I’m sorry. Though I should’ve known, because I couldn’t figure out why you’d want the details.” She laughed. “If you knew how much I was dreading this call—” Nikki went perfectly still. “What? Say that again.”
All the tension he’d managed to work out returned full force. She leaned forward as if she wanted him to stop touching her. So he lowered his hands, feeling as though he’d caught some of her anxiety.
“What did you tell him?” She chewed her thumbnail, something he hadn’t seen her do before. “No, no, I understand. How was he? No, I meant...could you tell if he’d been using?”
Her voice had lowered but of course he was still able to hear everything, and she had to know.
“Good for him.” She started to rock, a slow small motion that might be giving her comfort but made him edgy as hell.
It was crazy how much this woman continued to get to him. How many nights had he lain awake trying to figure out what it was about her that had him feeling as if he was running a race without a finish line. He’d tried taking small time-outs since she’d come back. Staying away from the bar, away from her, hoping to get his head straight.
He’d even tried convincing himself to call the pretty blonde he’d met at the Billings auction. She’d given him the green light and two phone numbers. Might’ve