Body and Soul (Twist of Fate 3)

I sighed. “Yeah. Okay, that would be great, if you don’t mind. I might have to take a trip to Denver and find another car to rent for the rest of the winter.”

“Nah. You can use the Jeep as long as you need. Russ does furniture repair out of a workshop behind his house. Even when he gets back to town, he probably won’t need the Jeep as much as you will. And you’re only here for a little while anyway.”

He was right, of course, but the reminder stung a little now that I’d met the nice women at the clinic and had a community project to work on. I liked the town of Haven and could see why people chose to live there.

Once we’d shucked off coats and boots, I offered him a seat while I turned on the coffee maker and let Boo outside.

“What brings you to the Great Beyond? Missed the wilderness?” I asked with a grin. “In-town living got you down?”

Bennett’s cheeks, pink from the cold, stretched in a grin of his own. “Hell, no. Seeing the snow drifts up here is bringing back memories of what it was like when we spent one Christmas here before moving into town. Now, at least, we’re able to walk places when the snow gets too deep. Oh, that reminds me, you know we’re supposed to get a cold snap over the next few days, right? Subzero temperatures overnight and dangerous wind chills. You’ll need to minimize how much time you spend outside, so no more walking up mountains. If you want, you could come stay with us–we have plenty of room.”

Cold snap?

It was going to get colder?

Part of me was tempted to take Bennett up on his offer, but I quelled the instinct. Like everyone, I enjoyed some pampering now and then… and heat that came out of the vents at more than a trickle. But supermodel Laird wasn’t here while up-and-coming fashion design phenom Oz was, and he was going to kick Colorado’s ass just like he was going to kick Cocci Borroni’s ass at Fashion Week.

Right after he stopped mentally talking about himself in the third person.

The designer’s cruel response to my whispered admission about one day wanting to design clothes instead of model them rang through my ears. Pretty, pretty Laird, always trying to prove to everyone you’re more than a pretty face. Just accept it, darling. You are what you are. Something nice to look at. Like a live mannequin.

No, I needed to remember why I was here. I shot Bennett a smile I wasn’t feeling.

“Nah, I’ll be fine. I’ll just plan to stay home whenever I’m not at the clinic.”

Home.

I looked around the small space and thought about how little it looked like home to me. But I’d come up with a plan for that. Before going to the grocery store, I’d stopped in at a couple of antique shops, a thrift store, and a hardware store. Haven offered slim pickings in the area of decor, but I was excited about what I’d managed to stuff into my tiny car. I had big plans to decorate my nest before hunkering down and getting to work on my designs.

“Well, if you change your mind, just come on down,” Bennett said.

After letting Boo back inside, I poured our coffee and found a couple of cookies in a tin to offer along with it. Boo had quickly decided Bennett’s looked like as good a lap as any and had already made herself at home on it. The man’s hands found her mane immediately and began stroking it. The dog preened under his attentions. I wanted to smile at the fact that she seemed to adore everyone except for Jake.

Damn, why wouldn’t that asshole just stay the hell out of my head?

“Sorry I don’t have anything fancier,” I offered. “The groceries are still halfway down the mountain.”

Bennett laughed. “Thanks, this is fine. I can’t really stay long anyway. I actually stopped by because Xander, Lucky, and I wanted to invite you to our place for Thanksgiving next week. We’re having a big meal with a few friends, and it would make us really happy if you joined us–for Christmas too. Aiden and Ash are flying in from New York for the wedding at Christmas, and I know they’d love to see you.”

Aiden was my agent and had been instrumental in getting me the cabin for the winter. He hadn’t told me much about Xander and Bennett other than that he and Bennett had gone to college together and had been friends for a while. I’d only met Aiden’s boyfriend, well, fiancé now, briefly but I’d gotten the sense that the young man hadn’t had an easy time of it. I knew Aiden, and Ash by extension, would keep my real identity a secret, since Aiden knew what I was trying to accomplish by being out here.