Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Connor

T he moment I guided my truck through the gate and beneath the sign that read Safe Haven Ranch, it felt like a valve in my chest had opened, releasing all this pressure I didn't realize had been building up. That was the effect this place had on me. The town, the ranch, all of it.

Being back here was a balm to my soul. I had a week here to celebrate my best friend's wedding and to soak up all the peace and comfort this place had to offer before heading back out on the road. I could have used a longer break. My body was feeling the effects of my age and my profession, but I didn't know what the hell to do with myself if I wasn't riding. I usually liked to stick around and help Zach run the ranch, but he'd be taking off with Rae for their honeymoon right after the big day.

I hit the button on the door panel to lower the windows and inhaled deeply, pulling all the familiar scents into my lungs. The earthy smells of hay, grass, and wildflowers baking in the warmth of the sun. The smell of the animals out in the pasture. All of it was more comforting than a security blanket or a home-cooked meal from your momma.

I turned the radio's volume down so I could hear the crunch of my tires on the gravel. I came to the split in the road that would either take me toward the main ranch house where Zach and Rae lived and the big barn beyond, or to Second Hope Lodge. I made the left toward the lodge where Zach said he'd be waiting.

The lodge came into view a few minutes later. Where a chain hotel would have looked totally out of place, the four-story cabin style structure had been built to belong, just like all the other houses and cabins and out buildings that had been built over the generations. Made of wood and stone with huge panes of glass, it blended seamlessly with the tree-covered foothills it butted against and the mountains beyond that jutted up toward the sky. Whoever had designed the place had done a brilliant job.

As I got closer, my heart began to beat faster, knocking against my ribs. I'd thought about a million times over the past few days what I would say to Ivy when I finally saw her again, but as my truck closed the distance between us, the speech I had prepared, the one I'd spent hours memorizing and perfecting, had grown fuzzy as the reality of seeing her went from being a distant thought to a very real thing.

I pulled into the guest lot and threw my truck into park. Most of my visits here were spur of the moment between events, and, more times than not, I'd have to bunk in one of the empty cabins designated for the cowboys who worked for Zach because the lodge was usually fully booked. However, this time around, Zach and Rae had made sure to block off rooms for out-of-town guests coming in for the wedding.

My boots hit the dusty ground, and I stretched my arms upward to work my muscles loose from hours on the road before moving to the bed of the truck and hauling my duffle bag from the back.

With the straps looped over my shoulder, I started toward the massive cabin and took in everything around me. There were people lounging comfortably on the cushy outdoor couches and Adirondack chairs that circled the large stone firepit off to my left. It wouldn't be lit until after the sun went down, but they seemed to be content simply to relax.

There was a group gathered near the edge of the deck, circled around Raylan Bradbury, the lodge's guide for things like fishing, hiking, and trail rides. They all watched with rapt fascination as he spoke animatedly. I'd gone on a couple hikes led by this man who had become a friend over the years, and I wasn't the least bit surprised he had their attention. He was damn good at his job and made every trek he was in charge of enjoyable.

My booted foot hit the bottom step leading up to the wraparound porch just as the front doors of the lodge flew open and two kids burst out on peals of laughter and excitement.

"Whoa," I said on a low chuckle, lifting my arms and taking a quick side-step to avoid collision.

"Whoops!" the little boy, who looked about seven, exclaimed when he almost plowed into me. "Sorry, mister!" he exclaimed over his shoulder without breaking stride as he and the little girl with him continued running down the front steps.

A harried woman followed closely after them. "Henry! Cassie! Slow down! You're going to break your necks or someone else's!"

"Sorry, Mom," the two kids shouted back at the same time.

There was no missing the twitch in the woman's eyelid as she looked up at me apologetically. "Sorry about them."

"No sweat," I offered genuinely.

She glanced back over her shoulder at the man I only just noticed trailing behind her, nearly running into the doorframe as he kept his head twisted back to look at something behind him. "Damn it, Carl. Will you please help me out? Those demon-spawns are just as much yours as they are mine."

I had to curl my lips between my teeth to keep from laughing.

"Yeah, sorry. I just..." The man looked slightly shellshocked as he shook his head and followed after his wife. "Did you see that guy? I could have sworn that was—" Their voices trailed off before I could hear who he thought he saw then cut off completely when I stepped into the lodge, the door closing behind me. I moved deeper into the great room right off the entrance. The beauty of this place never failed to take my breath away. I'd barely had enough time to take it all in when I heard a familiar voice call my name.

My mouth stretched into a smile as I turned and spotted Zach heading in my direction. The man looked the happiest I'd ever seen him in all the years of knowing him. Zach was a great guy, one of the best I'd ever known, but he could be a grumpy bastard at times. He'd always been a bit too serious, but the beaming smile he was wearing transformed him completely. If I hadn't known Rae was perfect for him before, seeing him then would have confirmed it.

"Welcome back," he greeted as he got closer, pulling me in for a quick, back-slapping hug I gladly returned before dropping my arms and taking a step back.

"Happy to be back." More than he could probably imagine. "Though, I nearly got mowed over by a couple rowdy kids whose mom looked like she could really use a stiff drink."

He let loose a chuckle. "Well, I'm glad you survived. It would suck having to get married without a best man."

"Tell me about it. I almost feel bad for the lady, and her husband was acting like he'd seen a—holy Christ." My jaw nearly fell to the floor. "Is that Tanner Fine?"

Zach glanced over his shoulder at the man I'd just spotted coming out of lodge's restaurant, a to-go cup of coffee in his hand.

As if sensing our attention on him, the man in question turned his head and glanced over at us. He offered a friendly wave and grinned before heading in our direction. "Oh, shit. Tanner Fine is coming over here."

A bark of laughter barreled out of my friend. "Jesus, man. You sound like a fangirl."

"Shh!" I hissed as the two-time Stanley Cup winner and goalie for the Washington Rebels started toward us. The guy was a fucking legend. "Be cool, man."

"Fuckin' hell," my friend muttered under his breath with a shake of his head just as the hockey legend stopped in front of us.

"Hey, man," he greeted Zach, the two of them quickly shaking hands.

"Hey. How was that trail ride yesterday?"

"It was great," the giant of a man offered. "Though I'm sore in places today I've never been sore before."

"Yeah, sittin' on a horse is an experience if you've never done it before, that's for sure." Zach cleared his throat and shot me a quick, knowing smirk. "This is my buddy Conner."

He gave me a small chin tilt. "Nice to meet you. I'm?—"

"Tanner Fine," I answered for him, like the guy didn't know his own damn name. I thrust my hand in his direction, acting exactly like the fangirl Zach had accused me of being. "I'm a huge fan. Huge ."

"Christ's sake," Zach mumbled under his breath. Okay, so maybe I was the one who needed to play it cool. But this was actually all his fault if you thought about it. I mean, how could he not tell me Tanner Fine was staying at his lodge? I knew people with more money than sense liked to come to places like this for a taste of a different kind of life, but as far as I knew, this was the first celebrity guest of Second Hope Lodge.

Not counting Rae's dad, of course. Roan Blackwell was a famous musician, but seeing as he and Rae's mother, Alma, were technically from here, even though it wasn't their permanent residence anymore, they were still considered locals.

He chuckled good-naturedly. "Thanks. Always happy to meet a fan."

"Sorry. I wasn't expecting to run into a hockey legend when I showed up." I cast a quick accusatory glance at my so-called best friend. "What brings you down this way?"

"Just needed a bit of a reset after the season ended," he answered. "Was looking for a bit of quiet and a place where I could recharge my batteries."

"Then you picked the right place," I assured him while clapping Zach on the shoulder. I had to give credit where credit was due. He and his family had built something truly spectacular.

"Yeah, I'm quickly discovering that." His focus shifted to something or someone else halfway through that statement, and a whole different kind of smile pulled at his cheeks.

I twisted my head to see what caught his attention, and just like that, all the air escaped my lungs as though they'd been wrung out like a damp washcloth. Despite knowing this moment was coming, I hadn't been fully prepared to face Ivy. I was hoping for at least a few more hours to get my head screwed on straight so I could talk to her without making a fool of myself.

But it looked like that wasn't going to happen.

The woman in question was currently walking down the grand staircase off the reception area. No, that wasn't right. She wasn't just walking—she was gliding . That was the only way to describe it. She looked like some sort of ethereal being floating gracefully down the stairs.

All her silky rose-gold hair was twisted up into a messy bun on the top of her head and secured in place with what looked like a pencil. She was dressed in a white blouse with a frilly collar that was tucked into a simple black pencil skirt that nipped in at her waist and hugged the lush curve of her hips. I didn't need her to turn around to know her ass looked impeccable.

Black framed glasses sat perched on her delicate nose, and her rosy bee-stung lips were puckered into a gentle purse as she stared at the iPad in her hands, studying whatever was on the screen. I didn't need to see her round eyes to know they were the most breathtaking shade of deep sapphire blue. I'd gotten lost while staring into those big blue doe eyes more times than I could count.

The sounds of the busy lodge muffled around me as my focus narrowed on her. My pulse began to race. I felt the adrenaline course through my veins. It was taking everything to keep my feet rooted to the floor when all they wanted to do was charge in her direction. Even my hands were clenched into tight fists as the urge to reach out and touch her became this visceral thing refusing to be ignored.

"Gentlemen," I vaguely heard Tanner Fine say through the blood rushing in my ears, "if you'll excuse me."

I barely registered what was happening as the huge, hulking guy moved faster than a guy his size should, closing in on the staircase as Ivy's black heels clicked at the base of them.

"What the hell?" I mumbled to myself as Tanner stopped in front of Ivy. She jerked her attention from the iPad with a start, the surprise quickly melting away to recognition a second before her lips curved up into a bright, happy smile.

I stood frozen in place as the guy I used to be a fan of reached out and tucked a loose lock of Ivy's hair behind her ear. "What the hell?" I repeated, my voice growing louder.

"Oh, yeah. That," Zach said, his voice full of humor. "That guy's been here about a week now, and he's been crushin' on our girl the whole damn time."

I suddenly understood what people meant when they said to never meet your heroes. It was a shame that Tanner was such a talented hockey player. It was going to make committing murder that much harder to get away with.