Tay continued, “Estimated arrival: just under two hours. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride… But not too much.” Tay looked very pointedly at Ed and Eddie.
Another ripple of laughter moved through the bus.
I couldn’t stop the smile tugging at my lips, though the reason for my good mood was entirely separate from our plans for the day or Tay’s little joking tangents.
Because even if I had, once again, dressed for the wrong climate…
I knew I was sitting in the right seat.
HAIRPIN TURNS AND TUNNELS
I handed off my hard hat and stepped into the sun, blinking as my eyes adjusted. The air outside was bright and dry, the sky that Colorado blue over the craggy ridge. Laughter floated over from the others as they made their way toward the gift shop.
Before I could follow, my phone rang.
Ashley.
“Hey,” I answered, a little out of breath as I stepped away from the group. “What’s up?” So far, I’d been the one calling her. “Is Mom okay?” I asked.
“She’s fine. Still pushing her limits, but you know Mom…” My sister’s answer let my heart slow down. I mean, I wasn’t worried, but…
“And Max and Blakey?”
“They’re good. We’re all good here. I tried calling earlier but it went straight to voicemail.”
“Probably because I was underground,” I said, glancing down at the jacket still draped around my shoulders. “We toured a mine this morning. It was actually kind of awesome. Also freezing.”
Ashley chuckled softly. “So, what—you went mining for gold?”
“No, but…” I hesitated. “Noah gave me his jacket.”
“The hot doctor guy?”
For a few seconds, Ashley didn’t say anything. But I could feel the shift on the line—like we both knew exactly what that meant.
“Yeah.” I grinned. “Just—casually walked over and dropped it over my shoulders. Like something out of a movie. It’s way too big, and the tour’s over, but I haven’t taken it off yet.”
Another pause.
“I know that’s not why you called,” I added, “and I swear I’m not ignoring the rest of my life, but… I’m actually having fun, Ash.”
“I can tell,” she said, but then added, “Did you ever listen to Leo’s messages?”
“Nope.”
“The show?—”
“I’m on vacation.” My voice was firmer now. “And you were the one who told me to get away from Newport and…everything.”
“Right.”
“He’s just so sweet, Ashley,” I said, laughing a little. “And…we’re flirting. A lot. But also—I’m getting to know the others too. Patty and Denise—they’re this lesbian couple that lets people think they’re just friends—anyway, they pulled me aside during the tour to ask about commercial kitchens. They want to open a B-n-B in Florida and were grilling me for tips. Honestly? It felt good to talk about cooking without Leo standing over my shoulder.”
“So you’re making friends.”
“Kind of,” I said. “But…these places are pretty cool. We’re in Ouray this morning. In this mine, they served an old miner’s breakfast underground. It was surprisingly great!” The whole time I kept catching Noah’s eye from across the table, but my sister didn’t need to know everything. “Anyway, I’m just trying to…live in the moment
Ashley didn’t say anything for a moment.
