A Second Chance at Crimson Ranch (2 page)

“He wanted to discover his bliss,” she said after a minute. “The life we had was stifling for him.”

“Tell me you're not defending the jerk.”

She shook her head but her eyes dropped to his bow tie. “It will be better in the long run.”

“Is that what he told you?”

“It's what I tell myself to get through each day,” she answered then blinked, her eyes filling with tears.

The music ended and she pulled away, but he held on to her hand. “Let's get a beer.”

She shook her head as if realizing she'd revealed too much but followed as he led her off the dance floor toward the bar. He could feel the weight of the stares from the other guests. He hadn't stepped foot in Crimson in close to a decade and saw no point in making friends during this return trip. He planned to get the hell out of town as soon as Josh and Sara returned from Hawaii.

Without letting go of Olivia's hand, he grabbed two beers from the bartender and made a path toward the hallway that led to the stairs by the main restaurant. He wanted to head outside, but he knew it was too cold for her in that thin dress. It was late March and at the nine-thousand-foot altitude where Crimson sat nestled in a valley high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the temperature at night was still below freezing.

Instead, he took her to the back of the restaurant, which was empty so late on a Saturday night. He pulled out a chair and she sank down, cradling her head in her hands as her shoulders shook.

“Go away,” she mumbled between her fingers.

Logan opened the beer bottles and sat one on the table in front of her. “Drink this.”

He took a long pull on his, then ran a hand through his hair.

“I prefer white wine,” she told him, her voice still shaky.

“I'm fresh out,” he answered and she raised her head to glare at him, wiping the tips of her long fingers across her cheeks. Good. Anger he could deal with a lot easier than sorrow.

“You don't want them to see you hurting. They'll take too much interest in it. That's how small towns work.” He took several paces across the empty dining room, wondering why this woman's sadness bothered him so much. Wondering if his advice was more for her or himself.

“Everyone in Crimson has been great to me since I arrived.” She took a sip of the beer, made a face and then swallowed another bigger drink. “Besides, I
am
hurting. My husband was mayor of Crimson. I had a very public image in this town. We had the perfect life. Now I look like a fool.”

“I'm not going to argue about your version of the
perfect life
. The fact that he cheated, then left you is his problem, not yours.”

“It's mine when he left with all of my money and hadn't paid our mortgage in months. He left me with nothing.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “You don't want to hear about my problems.”

“Don't be too sure. Who was this pillar of the community?”

She picked at one corner of the bottle's label. “Craig Wilder. He comes from a prominent family in Crimson.”

Logan felt his jaw clench. “I know who the Wilders are.”

“Were you friends with Craig growing up?”

He almost laughed at that one. “He went to school with my oldest brother.”

Her gaze became speculative. “How old are you, Logan?”

“Twenty-six.”

“A baby,” she whispered.

“Hardly,” he countered. “So what's your plan now?”

She took another drink of beer. “I don't have one. I was working on renovating the community center downtown, but it was in a volunteer capacity. I think Craig mainly gave me the job to keep me busy and unaware of his extracurricular activities. I'm not sure what happens now. The contractor heading up the remodeling was the husband of Craig's mistress. Needless to say, I don't think he's too excited about a project that helps the town.”

“But what happens with you?”

“My mom still lives in Saint Louis, where I grew up. I'm going to stay with her and regroup.”

“What about the community center?”

She sat the beer bottle on the table and wrapped her arms around her waist. “It would have been good for Crimson. I had so many plans: art classes, events, reviving the theater, workshops for seniors. We were going to bring together people of all generations and walks of life in Crimson. The center would have highlighted local artists and brought guest teachers to the area. It had so much potential.”

For the first time, Logan saw something more than disappointment in her gaze. When she talked about the community center, it was with passion and dedication.

“It still does,” he answered.

Her eyes searched his as if she expected to see something he knew she'd never find. She stood and took a step toward him as if drawn by the same invisible connection he was having trouble ignoring. “Why do you care about this?”

“I don't.” He took a drink of beer and looked away. “I'm making conversation to stop you from crying.” He forced his lips into a casual smile. “I've been away from Crimson for a while, but I've still got a reputation to protect. One dance with me and a woman bursts into tears. I don't think so.”

That made her smile and the strange charge between them disappeared. “I'll be sure to tell everyone how that one dance was an amazing, life-altering moment for me.”

He didn't know whether to laugh or be offended at her sarcasm. Before he could decide, she lifted onto her toes and brushed a quick kiss across his cheek. “It was nice meeting you, Logan. Thank you for the dance,” she said softly. “I owe Sara for making you ask me.”

“My sister-in-law didn't make me do anything.” Suddenly it was important Olivia understand that fact.

She only smiled over her shoulder and walked out of the restaurant.

Logan sank into her chair after she'd gone. Her perfume still lingered in the air and he closed his eyes to focus on the expensive floral scent. He'd been back in Crimson for less than a week, enough time to reconnect with his brothers and attend Josh and Sara's wedding. But already he felt his equilibrium shifting. His reaction to Olivia Wilder tonight was proof of that.

He needed to get back to his regular life sooner rather than later, which wouldn't involve an extended stay in his hometown. He'd left that chapter of his life behind long ago.

Chapter Two

O
livia nervously tapped her toe on the floor as she waited in the lobby outside the mayor's office two days later. She tried to relax, to think of flowery meadows and golden light, but the only image that popped into her mind was Logan Travers's face as she'd kissed him. As silly as it was, she could still feel the rough stubble of his cheek and smell the woodsy, all-male scent of him. What had possessed her to kiss him as she'd walked away after the reception?

As innocent as it had been, Olivia had never done anything so forward in her life. Put her mouth on a practical stranger, even a tiny peck. She almost giggled at the absurdly liberating feeling it gave her, which at least served to calm her nerves a bit.

To him it had probably meant nothing, much like their one dance. He'd been fulfilling an obligation, end of story. Olivia certainly knew a lot about being an obligation.

No more. That wasn't how she'd live her life going forward.

“Marshall will see you now.” The new assistant eyed her with a mix of curiosity and sympathy.

“Thank you,” Olivia answered and, her nerves fluttering, walked into the office her husband had occupied only months ago.

Marshall Daley looked at home behind the desk she'd come to think of as Craig's. He'd been appointed mayor pro tem after Craig resigned and would complete her husband's term until the next election. Marshall was a lifelong resident of Crimson, a retired insurance salesman and Olivia knew he'd do the right thing for the town as mayor.

She closed the door and took a seat across from him. “How are things going?”

He sat back and drew in a long breath. “They'd be a hell of a lot better if your husband hadn't run off, leaving his responsibilities floating in the breeze.”

“Ex-husband,” she clarified. “Almost. I've got another few weeks before the divorce is final.”

“And you've heard nothing from him?”

She shook her head.

“I was so sure he'd come home and make this right.” Marshall picked up a pen from the desk and twirled it absently between his fingers.

“My soon-to-be ex-husband is a selfish jerk who doesn't care about right or wrong.
My
concern is what happens to the community center after this.”

She felt herself twisting her wedding ring around her finger, still keeping up appearances despite the fact that her marriage had been a disaster. A part of her had, like Marshall, held out hope Craig would make things right and save her from looking like the fool she was. A look of pity crossed Marshall's face, making her want to run shrieking from the building. She tried to see herself through the new mayor's eyes. She'd worn a business suit to the meeting, the kind she normally reserved for town meetings. Now the tailored gray wool felt tight and itchy, as if it didn't belong against her skin, the same way she no longer fit the mold of complacent political wife.

“Unfortunately, the community center may become one more casualty of Craig's abandonment.” Marshall shrugged. “Jeremy Dempsey wants nothing to do with the renovations. You must have noticed that work has stopped on the project.”

She nodded. She'd driven by the job site on the way to this meeting, disappointed to see the darkened building.

“Without a general contractor, the work is stalled indefinitely. We can't find anyone willing to take over. Guys feel like they're being disloyal to Jeremy if they even return my calls. It's like he wants to punish the town for Craig and Melissa's misdeeds.”

Olivia had heard that Jeremy was making things difficult around town since learning his wife was Craig's mistress. Olivia understood all too well the humiliation, hurt and anger Jeremy probably felt. “It's not right that the people of Crimson should be punished. Craig and Melissa had hardly anything to do with the community center. I swear the only reason either of them cared about it was because it kept Jeremy and me occupied and off their trail.”

“I understand that,” Marshall said with a slight cringe. “I also know how hard you worked on the project, and I agree that the town needs it. But there's no one in Crimson willing to take over, Olivia. I'll have a public relations nightmare on my hands if I hire someone from out of town. I'm putting out a dozen fires as it is thanks to all the things Craig left undone.”

“You can't give up on this,” she argued.

“We need more money to finish the project. I know you did the initial fund-raising when you were the mayor's wife, but things have changed.” He sighed and rubbed two thick fingers against his forehead. “There's a real estate developer who's interested in the building. He wants to turn the space into condos.”

“No!” Olivia felt her heart pound against her rib cage. She'd worked hard to convince Craig to support the community center. She had so many plans for it and couldn't stand to see them circling the drain this way.

Marshall started at her outburst, then shrugged. “I'm sorry, Olivia. I don't have a choice.”

She wasn't sure what she'd expected from this meeting. A part of her had hoped Marshall would say the community center could be saved. That would at least allow her to leave Crimson knowing she'd done some good during her time here. “What if I continue fund-raising?” she offered suddenly. “I've been managing most of the work anyway.”

“I thought you were moving back to Missouri?”

She pressed her lips together as indecision filled her. That had been the plan, the easiest way to leave behind this humiliating chapter of her life. The past two months had been awful. Olivia had hardly left her house other than to visit the ranch or Natalie's small apartment. She drove to a town forty-five minutes away to do her grocery shopping so no one would stop her in the aisles. She knew people meant well, but she couldn't stand how stupid she felt after being duped and then dumped by her husband.

Sara's wedding had been the first time she'd been out in public since Craig's departure. There she'd ended up sulking at a table before crying on a stranger's shoulder on the dance floor. Not the most stellar re-entry into the community.

A vision of Logan's piercing blue eyes came to mind. She thought about his comment that Craig's leaving wasn't her fault. She may not agree. but it was time to stop cowering behind closed doors. She loved the town of Crimson and the friends she'd made here. Why should her lying, cheating, rat husband rob her of this place, too?

She straightened her shoulders and met Marshall's gaze across the desk. “I'd like to stay and see the community center open. Like you said, the town needs it.” She paused then added, “I need it.”

“I don't know if continuing to keep this project going will help either of us at this point.”

She leaned forward the tiniest bit. “I'm not the only one whose reputation has suffered from Craig's leaving. I know the mayor's office is under a lot of scrutiny. You need some positive press for the town, especially before tourist season starts. The center was set to open by early May. I can still deliver that date. I'll talk to Jeremy and convince him to keep working on the project. Or I'll find someone to replace him.”

His bushy eyebrows rose. “That's aggressive, Olivia.”

“It's time I got aggressive about something, Marshall.”

He studied her for a few moments, then nodded. “If you want a salary, you'll have to come up with grant money to cover it. I know you did everything as a volunteer when you were the mayor's wife, but I can't start paying you now.”

“Don't worry,” she assured him with more confidence than she felt. “I can take care of myself.”

There's a first time for everything.

He looked as if he wanted to argue, but she stood before he could speak. “You won't regret this. I promise.” She extended her hand and he shook it tentatively.

“I hope you're right,” he said.

Me, too, she added silently.

She turned to leave.

“Olivia?”

Marshall's voice stopped her as she reached for the door. She turned.

“You were too good for him from the start,” he told her.

“Thank you,” she whispered, swallowing down her emotions.

Without looking back again, she walked out of the town hall and into her new life.

* * *

“You're not being fair,” Olivia argued later that week.

She stood in the back of Crimson's local building-and-supply store, where she'd cornered Jeremy Dempsey after he'd repeatedly ignored her calls.

“The town was weeks behind on our payment schedule.”

“There was a lot of turmoil after Craig and Melissa left, but we've straightened things out. You've been paid now.” Olivia had watched the finance manager cut the check herself.

“Who's to say it won't happen again?” Jeremy turned away and grabbed a box from the shelf.

“I know this isn't about the money. The community center will help the town in so many different ways. Don't let your personal feelings cloud your judgment this way.”

He gave her a once over. “Since when did you become the town champion?”

“I'm learning to be my own champion. Marshall put me in charge of the project.” That stretched the truth, but Olivia had to prove she could do this.

“Not good enough,” he told her. “Your husband is a two-timing, lousy—”

“Ex-husband,” she corrected. “Soon to be, anyway. Trust me, I know every one of Craig's shortcomings and I'm sorry for what he did. What both he and your wife did. But I shouldn't be punished for his sins. This town needs the community center. I want to make things right.”

“You could have made things right by keeping Craig's wandering eye on you.” His eyes blazed as he spat out the words. “Maybe if he'd been happy at home, none of this would have happened.”

Olivia took a step back as if he'd slapped her. She knew Jeremy had a son who was now without his mother. Olivia wasn't the only one who'd been wronged, nor was hers the biggest loss. She'd been trying to convince herself that it wasn't her fault. Jeremy's angry words echoed in her head. If Craig had been more interested in her, maybe none of this would have happened.

She sucked in a breath at the thought.

This was hopeless. What had made her think she could extricate herself from the shadow of Craig's deception and make a home in this town? She didn't belong in Crimson.

Emotions flooded her and she turned to flee, only to run into someone. Someone tall and extremely solid. She glanced up to find Logan Travers staring down at her. She saw a look of understanding pass through his eyes and nearly groaned. Of course he would have heard the accusation Jeremy had thrown at her. She wondered briefly if it was possible to actually die of embarrassment.

His hands felt warm on her arms as he set her back a few steps. “You're not running,” he whispered, then raised his head to greet Jeremy. “It's been a while, Jeremy. How are things?”

The other man's gaze swung between her and Logan, clearly trying to come up with a connection. “I'm getting by,” Jeremy answered. “I'm surprised to see you back in town, Travers. With the way things were going, I figured you'd have ended up in jail by now.”

Olivia's breath caught at the blatant rudeness of the words.

Logan didn't seem to mind. One corner of his mouth lifted. “I turned things around. It happens.”

“Construction attracts all types. Lots of guys just hanging on to the edges of the business to stay afloat.” Jeremy gave a jerky nod. “I hear you're building houses in Telluride.”

“Things are good down there. I've been lucky with the people I've gotten to know. Some builders care about doing things right. Others cut corners wherever they can.” His blue eyes met Olivia's gaze. “I stopped by the community center building the other day. There are some problems with the wiring and insulation you're going to want fixed before you continue.”

Jeremy took a step forward. “Are you hinting that those problems are my fault?”

Logan shrugged. “I'm saying it's important to get the right people working on the project.”

“You've got some nerve, Travers.” Jeremy Dempsey's temper was back in full force. “I remember when you were a scrawny kid running wild around this town. You and your sister raising holy hell all over the place.”

“A lot has changed since then,” Logan answered casually but Olivia saw a muscle tick in his jaw.

Jeremy must have realized he'd stepped over some invisible line because his attention turned to Olivia. “I don't want anything to do with your project and I'll make sure no other contractor in Crimson will, either.”

“It's a community center
for
Crimson,” she said, trying not to sound as desperate as she felt. “I'm doing this to help the town.”

“You could help by leaving,” Jeremy said. “No one here needs the reminder of anyone or anything associated with Craig Wilder.”

He turned on his heel and stomped off toward the front of the store.

She would have gone after him but Logan's hand clamped around her wrist. “You're better off without his help.”

She shook off his grasp. “Easy for you to say. I need a contractor. I can't exactly renovate the building on my own.”

An older man walked into their aisle, took something from the shelf and turned away without making eye contact. Great. She wondered how many people had overheard her argument with Jeremy. She'd never liked the guy but knew he was well-connected in the community.

She'd been running on adrenaline since her meeting at the mayor's office earlier in the week, but now her shoulders slumped under the weight of the task before her. She felt Logan's searching gaze and bit down on her lower lip. “I'm not going to lose it,” she assured him.

He didn't look convinced. “Let me buy you a cup of coffee while we talk.”