Bundling up, Whitney headed to Main Street, just two blocks away. Fortunately, it had stopped snowing just fifteen minutes ago and everything was blissfully white and bright. Kids were playing further up Bramble but she didn’t pass anyone on her way down 2nd Street.
Denver saw a lot of snow but the snow seemed different here. In downtown Denver you wouldn’t see kids with sleds or having a snowball fight, whereas Marietta made her feel like she was on vacation, in one of those charming little ski towns.
Whitney ended up at Java Café for a bowl of soup and a half sandwich. She was the only customer in the café tonight. “The snow has really shut this place down,” Whitney said, carrying her dishes up to the counter.
The girl behind the counter shook her head. “It just looks dead right now but everyone’s either at Grey’s Saloon or the Wolf Den watching the game.”
“What game?”
“The Broncos-Cowboys. My boyfriend’s a big Cowboys fan so he’s been texting me updates.”
“Is there much time left to the game?”
“I think they’re in the 3rd quarter. He said it’s a good game, almost all passing with Manning and Romo both putting on a show.”
“Where did you say people watch around here?” Whitney wasn’t a big football fan, but if she were cheering for a team, she’d have to cheer on the Broncos.
“Grey’s Saloon, one block from here. Don’t go to Wolf Den. It’s on Front Street near the highway, but it’s pretty much bikers and truckers. Pretty hard core.”
Whitney thanked her and headed to Grey’s. It felt a little strange walking into a new bar on her own, but she liked Grey’s as soon as she stepped through the big wooden door. It reminded her of the old bars that had once lined Bozeman’s Main Street. The only problem was that Grey’s had drawn a crowd for the game and all the tables and booths were filled. There wasn’t a lot of seating at the long bar counter, either. She was just about to leave when a tall dark haired man approached Whitney.
“I know you,” he said, extending his hand. “Don’t I?”
He was really good looking and most definitely a Sheenan. Cormac might be blonde but he had the same height and bone structure. “It’s Troy, right?” she said, taking his hand.
“I thought I recognized you. You’re Whitney. Cormac’s friend.”
Cormac’s friend.
That was debatable, she thought but she wasn’t about to say that to his brother. “I heard there was a game on, thought I’d check it out, but it’s pretty crazy in here.”
“Come sit with Taylor and me. My wife would enjoy some girl energy. It’s kind of heavy on testosterone in here tonight.”
Whitney enjoyed the next hour and a half, sitting with Taylor and Troy, drinking beer, chatting about this and that, while also cheering on Peyton Manning and the Broncos. It was a very high scoring game but in the end, the Broncos pulled out the win.
Whitney was delighted to discover that Taylor was Marietta’s head librarian and a member of the relatively new Historical Society. Taylor filled Whitney in on the Big Wedding Giveaway held two years ago February to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Graff’s reopening and the original 1914 Great Wedding Giveaway. “We have an exhibit at the library on the 2nd floor. You should come by and see it. Pretty fascinating stuff.”
“You love your history,” Whitney said.
“I do,” Taylor agreed. “And I’m so happy Cormac bought the old Crookshank Building. You know that was originally the Crookshank Department Store? Women came from all over Gallatin, Crawford and Park counties to shop there. It was quite the place in its day.”
Troy and Taylor both asked questions about the renovation work being done at the building, interested in Cormac’s technology solutions. Troy had a whole list of questions that Whitney couldn’t answer with confidence. “I confess, that is not my area. But I should know, shouldn’t I?” she said.
Taylor shook her head. “Troy is all about high-tech. That’s what he lives and breathes so don’t let him get to you.” She pointed a finger at her husband. “Why aren’t you having this conversation with Cormac?”
“Good point,” he answered, giving Taylor a kiss. “I think I will. Should be easy since he’s heading this way right now.
Whitney straightened abruptly and pushed back her beer bottle.
Not at all prepared to see Cormac now.
And then he was at their table, tall, tan, golden and gorgeous. It was almost as if she’d never seen him before. For a split-second she felt like one of the wide-eyed girls at the table across from them eying him with obvious appreciation. But then, he was an impressive male, especially when he was flying solo, as he was now.
Her gaze swept him from head to toe, taking in the way he’d planted his feet in the all-weather boots. His old faded Levis sat low on his hips making the most of his lean hips and small, hard butt. His snug thermal shirt wrapped his biceps like a glove.
He looked good. Sexy. Virile. Alpha male to the max.
If he was surprised to see her with his brother and Taylor, he didn’t show it. His gaze met hers and held, his smile lazy even as he answered Troy’s question about Daisy, and how Bella Davis, a local high school girl who was the daughter of friends, was watching Daisy so Cormac could get a few things done.
Was this his idea of getting a few things done?
She didn’t know, but she couldn’t look away from him, either.
He knew it, too. She flushed, growing hot all over, even as her heart did a jagged two-step. He was so easy on the eyes.
And so smart at the same time.
She liked his body but she loved his mind. She’d always had a weakness for really intelligent guys.
Moments like this made it easy to remember why she’d fallen for him. And moments like this could also get her into serious trouble.
She needed to go before she said or did anything stupid.
“I should head back,” she said, standing. “Need my beauty sleep.” She turned to Troy and Taylor. “Thanks so much for including me. It was great fun.” She glanced at Cormac. “See you tomorrow, boss.”
“Not your boss,” he said, walking her out.
She rolled her eyes as he pushed open the heavy saloon door. “You absolutely are.”
“Only during office hours.”
“Which is 24/7 when I work for you.” She shivered at the gust of wind that greeted them as they stepped outside. “Bozeman was never this windy and cold,” she said, shivering again.
“It’s the valley. It’s a wind tunnel.” He snapped his leather barn coat closed. “And I was serious. You don’t have to leave just because I’ve arrived. Stay, have a beer, hang out with us.”
“I’ve had two. That’s plenty.” She tipped her head back to see the sky. The clouds had cleared and the moon shone high and full. “Pretty night.”
“You had fun though? With Troy and Taylor?”
She nodded as she slipped on her gloves. “I did. They’re good people, and it’s obvious they’re really happy together.”
“They are an opposites attract story. But it works.”
“Maybe that’s the best kind because it’s unexpected.” She smiled then shivered, bundling her arms across her chest. “I’m going to get going before we freeze to death. See you tomorrow.”
“Let me drive you back to the hotel.”
“I’m fine. I’ll walk.” She hesitated. “And I’m not at the Graff anymore. I moved out of the Graff this afternoon.”
“Where are you now?”
“At the Bramble House.”
His eyebrows rose. “Until January?”
“My room at the B&B was half the price of the Graff, so I’m saving you a lot of money.”
“I don’t care about the money.”
“Well, you should. But I’m going to be happier at the B&B, too. I have my own room over the garage, with my own entrance so I can come and go without disturbing anyone. I think it’s going to work out really well.” She saw his expressio
n and added. “Cormac, it’s not good for us to be on top of each other. This way we have some distance and down time. And I do like it there. It’s homey…cozy. I even have a fireplace in my room.”
“I just hope—” he broke off, chewed his lower lip. “I hope—” He grimaced, trying to find the words, and obviously uncomfortable with what he was trying to say. “—you didn’t leave because of me.”
“No.” Liar, she told herself.
“I want to apologize—”
“Not necessary.”
“It is.”
“No.” She took a step back, hands buried in her coat pockets. “We go back a long way. We have a lot of history. It was a very brief kiss.”
“But you have a boyfriend and I knew it and I’m sorry.”
She cringed inwardly at the reference to a boyfriend. Jason wasn’t her boyfriend. She shouldn’t have ever said that. “Apology accepted and now I think we should just you know…let it go.”
“Like the theme song from Frozen?”
She grinned. It was the last thing she’d expected. “You are really up on your Disney trivia.”
“Not trivia when you live with a preschooler. I think I’ve watched Frozen one hundred times. And I’m not joking. I could probably recite every line.” He smiled with wry humor, and even his eyes smiled, too, with creases fanning from the corners.
She didn’t think he’d ever been more ruggedly handsome, and yet he was also far more approachable. Being a father had turned him into someone rather likeable.
“Let’s see how good you really are with the lyrics,” she teased.
“Throw me a lyric. I’ll finish it for you.”