Rocky Mountain Desire

Chapter Sixteen

Hope stepped to the bedroom door and knocked. “Helen? You still awake?”

She banged loud enough that there was no way her sister could claim to not have heard.

The door swung open, and the bright red scraps of fabric masquerading as a nightgown assaulted her eyes. “Your date over so soon? It wasn’t anything I said, was it?”

Hope stepped in and looked around the room. There was an open suitcase on the dresser and another spread at the foot of the bed. “No—we decided to have an early night. What are you doing here?”

Helen sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m back. Figured I can work here just as easy as in Calgary for a while. Things were getting tough—it was too expensive to get by.”

There was a sour taste in Hope’s mouth and she straightened her spine. Poor little Helen. Things were getting tough? “Well, good luck finding work. I know there’s an opening down at—”

“What? I’m working here. At the shop. Like we’d planned all along.”

Hope shook her head in disbelief. “You can’t be serious. And you’re planning on living where? Not in this apartment. You know, the one you left me high and dry to make full payments on all by myself?”

Her sister wiggled back until she leaned up against the headboard. “I’m sorry about that. I needed to get out of town quick. I was dying. Suffocating.”

Yeah, right. No sympathy coming from this quarter.

“So that made it all right to try and drag me under with you? It wasn’t all roses and ponies after you left. I worked like crazy to not lose everything before the shop even opened.”

Helen glared back. “I said I was sorry. What else do you want me to do? Open a vein?”

The urge to snap out a nasty response was so strong, Hope actually trembled as she contained it. This wasn’t supposed to be a discussion. This was her announcing the way life was going to be. Nothing to debate. She leaned back on the wall beside the door and crossed her arms, getting into a safe, solid position to present the facts.

Because if she guessed right this conversation was about to get nasty.

“Helen, I’m sure all your reasons for leaving were very sound and logical to you, but they tore apart everything we’d worked for. I had to make big changes and sacrifices. The bank manager finally set up an agreement—hell, I’m not going into that because it doesn’t involve you.”

“My name is on those papers too.” Helen wasn’t so casual and relaxed anymore, perching taller on the bed.

“Ha. That’s bullshit. Because even when we first started this venture you were always too busy to get the things done you had to. So if you remember correctly, it was my name alone on the original loans, it’s been my ass on the line in terms of meeting the deadlines for rent, which in fact means it’s my business. All of it. Stitching Post has one owner, and that’s me.”

Helen stared across the room, her face gone red as she shot to her feet. “You can’t do that.”

“Can’t do what?” Hope stepped into the doorway. “Can’t run my business the way I feel best?”

“You can’t cut me out like that. It’s not only your business.”

“You try and tell a lawyer that and they’d laugh in your face. Especially since you’ve been gone for a full year. All payments, on time, in my name. Bank account, in my name. Insurance, orders—everything we were supposed to do together, done by one person. Me.”

Helen stopped for all of ten seconds, like she was regrouping and recalibrating her demands. “You really won’t let me work in the shop? You’re kidding.”

“Bullshit, I’m kidding. The place is just surviving, and I learned enough during school to know this isn’t the time to make any rash financial mistakes. Which means not hiring on unneeded staff who have no idea how to deal with customers or how to sew enough to handle the average question.”

Helen waved a hand. “I was going to do the banking and the orders and the…non-sewing stuff.”

“Right, operative word, was. Get this clear in your head, Helen. Last January, I didn’t kick you out. You left, and that changed everything. Don’t go thinking I’ll let you come in and destroy what I’ve fought for, because it’s not going to happen.”

“Well, there you go.” Helen shook her head in disbelief. “You’re just like Mom. So much for caring about family.”

Hope had held it in pretty good until now, she really thought she had, but that stupid comment was enough to break through her tenuous layers of control. She planted her hands on her hips. “You know what? You’re lucky I do care enough about family that I’m not kicking you into the street right now, tonight. But I want you out of the apartment first thing in the morning. You will not hang around the shop, you will not try to get me to change my mind. If you find a place to live in Rocky and a job, then you can call me and we can see about having a coffee some time.”

“A coffee? What the hell are you talking about?”

“A coffee in a coffee shop. Like somewhere I’d meet a stranger and start to get to know them. Because that’s what you are—a stranger.” Hope slowed her speech, squeezing her fists tight to stop them from shaking. “If you really are sorry for your actions, then I’m willing to forgive you. But I’m not willing to let you drag me around and use me.”

Helen looked her up and down. “You’re a fine one to talk about using people.”

No more. Helen wanted to turn this into an all-night event? Hope was cutting that option right here.

She turned her back, tossing the words over her shoulder. “I’m not continuing this discussion. I’m going to bed.”

“Well, fuck you too.”

Yup. Sweet, sisterly love was alive and well.

Hope used the bathroom then retreated into her bedroom, locking the door. She didn’t think Helen was crazy enough to do something stupid during the night, but the extra barrier between them was symbolic if nothing else.

She lay back and stared at the ceiling. How much of that conversation would she regret in the morning? She replayed it a few times, but actually couldn’t think of anything she’d change.

No name-calling, on her part. Nothing but the facts, if a little emotionally presented, but damn it, that should be expected. Hope grabbed her cell phone and stared for a second before punching Matt’s number.

“Hey. What’s up? You okay?” His deep gravelly voice was reassuring. Solid.

“Just needed to hear a friendly voice before I turn out the light.”

“That bad, eh?”

Hope sighed. “Not as bad as it could have been, but considering I had a totally different plan in mind for tonight—yeah, it was bad enough.”

Matt coughed lightly. “You had to go and remind me about our plans, didn’t you?”

“As if you’d forgotten.”

“Actually, I was sitting here worrying about you, darling, not thinking about how sexy you’d look laid out naked on my bed, but now that you’ve reminded me…”

He did this growly thing into the phone that would have knocked her knees out from under her if she’d been standing. “Thanks for worrying. It’s still not finished, the thing with Helen, but I told her she had until the morning to get out.”

Matt paused. “I meant it. If you need help, call. And if you’re worried about me being upset having to deal with her, don’t be. I’m over it. I’m over her. It’s you I care about.”

The tension of the evening was going to have her in tears if he kept that up. “Thanks. Really.”

“Now, can I offer to bring supper over tomorrow night, or are you gonna be teaching the monkeys more sewing skills?”

The smile stretching her face felt good after all the forced emotionlessness of the past half hour. “You’re never going to let me forget that comment are you? Please don’t say anything to Clay.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Well, not true. I’ll dream about taunting him but I wouldn’t actually do that to you.”

And he wouldn’t. She knew it. “Supper sounds great. I’ll be ready to kick back and relax.”

“I can help with that relaxing bit.”

She bet he could. “Night, Matt.”

There was an ache inside from having to deal with Helen instead of spending the night romping with Matt, but maybe this was for the best. She’d known at some point Helen was bound to show up. Maybe getting her out of the way now instead of later would be a good thing.

By breakfast the next morning, though, it was clear that Helen wasn’t going to take the high road. The fact she’d come to the table in her nightgown was the first sign Hope’s request for her to leave immediately wasn’t about to be honoured.

Then the begging started. “Just let me stay for a few more days. I can’t afford a hotel right now.”

Hope shook her head. “You’ve got friends in the area. You can crash with one of them. Tawny still lives in town.”

“I can’t just drop in on her unannounced. That would be rude.”

My God. Can’t muck up a friend’s life, but you can do it to me? “You can’t stay here.”

“Why, because Matt is going to be over?”

Hope poured the last of the coffee into her cup before turning slowly to face her sister. “Partly. This is my place. I told you what I expected.”

“When did you guys start seeing each other?”

Like she was about to share heart-to-heart stories with Helen. “Are you nearly done? I need to be getting down to the shop soon.”

“Why are you acting all stuffy? I thought we were supposed to try to be friends.”

Hope ignored her.

Helen shook her head. “So now you’re not going to talk to me? That’s mature. Fine, you can just listen.”

The temptation to slap her hands over her ears was strong, but as Helen had pointed out, childish.

“I bet you’re only seeing him as a thrill to prove you can have what I had. Well, good luck keeping Matt interested in you. You’re not the kind of woman he likes anyway.”

“And what kind is that?” Even as she spoke Hope knew she should seal her lips shut. To not let the frustrations bubbling up escape, but the sweet pleasure she had shared with Matt was too fresh to let Helen taint it with bitter accusations. “Do you think he likes a woman who goes off and fucks complete strangers? Is that what he wants? I don’t think so.”

Helen’s face went white. “You have no idea. You think you’re so smart, but there’s more to the story than you know. You’ve heard the rumours about the Coleman boys. There’s a bit of truth in every one. He likes to share. Matt and me were with someone else, and he was the one who set it up.”

“Matt’s interested in me, not you. And whatever kinky sexual things you guys did have nothing to do with our relationship.”

“You keep telling yourself that. All the way up until he asks you to do something with another guy. Then you can try to be all righteous on me.”

Helen stormed from the room, and Hope eyed her retreat warily.

Fuck. She shouldn’t have gone there. Shouldn’t have stooped to getting involved in a dirty word war. Plus now, she was fighting against time because while she didn’t want to leave Helen alone in the apartment, she couldn’t let the shop sit unopened.

A solid knock landed on the outer door. Hope glanced at her watch and wondered who was up at eight thirty in the morning and crazy enough to come her direction.

A glance through the peek hole shocked the hell out of her. Hope swung open the door and gaped. “Jaxi?”

Her friend pushed into the apartment, the most fearsome expression on her face. “She still here?”

Sweet relief rushed her. “Matt called you.”

“Damn right, he did.” She turned and wrapped Hope in her arms. “Figured if you didn’t need any backup, you’d need a hug.”

Hope squeezed her before shuffling back and sharing quietly, “It was okay last night, but it got a little messy this morning. I told her she had to leave. She’s not happy about that.”

Jaxi nodded. “You need to open the shop, right?”

“In about thirty minutes, but yeah, I need to get things set up.”

“Anything else I need to know? Other than she’s supposed to get out?”

Hope shook her head.

Jaxi tilted her head toward the door. “Then go do what you need to get ready for the day. I’ll stay until she’s gone.”

“I’m sorry for taking you from your work.”

“You kidding? The babies are happy to get spoiled by Gramma for a couple hours, and there’s no way I’d let you bear this alone. Matt would have come over himself, but I figured I’m a less likely target.”

Hope’s head was filled with fog. “Thanks. I’m just…I didn’t want to drag anyone else into this confusion.”

Jaxi pushed her toward the bathroom. “Don’t worry about me. I can deal with Helen. Now, hurry, you’ve got less time to get ready than before.”

Hope brushed her teeth and rushed through her final routine. All the while banging noises came from behind the guest room door, and she hoped her sister was being reasonable and packing.

She knocked then spoke before Helen could answer. “I’m off to work. Call me when you get settled.”

There was no response, and she walked away, hoping that would be the last of the troubles. It was unlikely, but hey, her biggest coping strategy up to now had been to concentrate on the positive.

Yeah, the blue jay of happiness was sitting on her shoulder. A little battered and bruised, with a few loose feathers maybe, but still singing. Hope hugged Jaxi one last time and escaped downstairs into the warmth of the shop, where quilts for families and homemade signs with heartfelt statements like Love Lives Here surrounded her.

The irony made her smile and ache at the same time.

Matt hauled out his cell phone and answered on the second ring. “Everything okay?”

Jaxi snorted. “Hello to you too. Yes, Helen is out and the locks on the shop and the apartment have already been switched—Hope called the locksmiths the minute their shop opened.”

“I talked to her a few minutes ago and she mentioned that. I’m asking if you had any troubles with Helen.”

“Ha.” The volume of expression in the short word made Matt laugh in spite of his concerns. Jaxi cleared her throat. “No, Helen didn’t really try, although the comments about ‘you teenage Coleman bitch’ would have been funnier if I could have planted my boot on her ass when she headed out the door.”

“You didn’t.”

“Nope, I was amazingly reserved. Only showed my teeth for a second. The woman eventually figured out it was time to shut up. About five minutes later than she should have, but it’s not as if I’m going to melt from a few cuss words being tossed my direction.”

“Damn. I should have—”

Jaxi cut him off. “No, you were right to call me. Hope got the shop open in time, and it could have been far worse if you had been the one there. Hell, who knows? She might have even done something stupid like accuse you of attacking her or…something insane.”

“How’s Hope really doing? She called me, but she sounded so tense—I’m not sure what’s going on with her.”

Jaxi hummed. “I saw her before I left. She’s upset, but okay. There were customers in the shop so we couldn’t talk. But, Matt…”

He pulled in next to the barn. The day loomed long and monotonous ahead of him with everything that had to be done when what he really wanted was to head over to the shop to see for himself Hope was okay. “What kind of advice you hesitating over giving me now, Dr. Phil?”

“Do I really have that reputation?”

“From what I hear, you’re cuter than him, but you know damn well you boss us all around, especially since you and Blake got married. So spill.”

“Fine. It’s possible this entire storm can smooth over in no time flat. I mean I wasn’t happy about being insulted, but it’s only words. They only have power if I let them. If Helen has moved back, so what? She knows now that Hope isn’t going to cave instantly in to her demands. If Helen gets a place to stay, finds a job…she’s just another person in town. Unless we give her the power to upset us. Right?”

Which was pretty much what Matt had concluded the previous night. “If all she does is live in town and act like anyone else who’s sort of known to the family, then yeah. You’re right. But if she tries anything to hurt Hope, then she’s out of line.”

“Agreed. But can we hope for the best? The woman isn’t stupid. I know she hurt you bad, and part of me hates her guts for that, but it’s time to move on.”

Matt stared out at the snow. The ice and cold that had wrapped around him for so long after Helen had left—he’d been free of it for just a little while.

Because of Hope’s warmth.

“Not what I expected to hear from you, Jaxi. I thought for sure you’d be heating pitch to tar and feather Helen before running her out of town.”

“The thought crossed my mind, believe me. Maybe I’ve gone soft after having the babies, but there are more important things to do than waste time on revenge. Happy things like kissing toes and cuddling and—”

Matt laughed out loud. “My images of those things and yours aren’t the same, I’m thinking.”

She blew a raspberry. “Dirty Coleman mind. So, anyway. I’m saying let’s see what Helen does before declaring war. If she behaves, we can spend our time on the things that matter.”

“Hope is one of those things.”

“Right. I think she’ll call you if she needs anything. Could be she’s a bit embarrassed. Since you’re going over tonight that should be soon enough to reassure her she’s got people who care about her, even if she feels awkward. Hope’s one of the most stubborn people I know when it comes to accepting help.”

Matt groaned in frustration. “Yeah, I gotta get back to work if I’m going to get done on time. Thanks, Jaxi. For everything.”

The sound of a kiss being blown hit his ear, then she hung up.

He headed into the barn and the dirty work of the day a whole lot more relaxed than he thought possible. But his plans for the night? He revamped what he’d had on the agenda. After the shock of her sister’s arrival, Hope needed a different kind of care than to be ordered around like some sort of sex slave.

Although he was sure they would get back to that scenario another time.