The ride to the airport was as slow as expected, and I made it just in time.
The flight from LA to Denver took a little over two hours. I worked on my laptop the entire time. It felt like we had just taken off when we approached Denver.
As soon as I stepped out of the airport, a wall of cold air hit me. I nearly turned back around. Colorado was cold. Not that the locals seemed to notice, walking around in shorts and T-shirts, but then it was almost summer. Only I was used to a different kind of summer than this. I had lived in California my entire life and never got used to colder climates.
Clutching the keys to my rental car, I made my way to the parking lot. It was easy to find the marked bays. It took me a while to find the car though, since I didn’t know what a Ford Escape looked like. I just went up to every white car and pushed the Unlock button.
I wrestled my suitcase into the trunk, cursing myself for packing so much. Sliding into the freezing car, I wondered if I should put an extra jacket on. I was already wrapped in a puffer jacket, a scarf, and gloves. I couldn’t find my hat or I would have put it on as well.
After circling the parking lot a few times, I found the exit and handed the rental papers to the attendant at the gate before finally making my way out of the airport. I didn’t know where Landon lived, but I had the address of where he worked, so that was where I planned to go.
He was a mechanic at a popular garage. Last year there was a big feature about them inCar and Driver. They mentioned Landon a few times in the article, and it was easy to track him down from there.
I forgot all about how cold I was or the long drive ahead of me when I saw the view that greeted me. Shortgrass prairie surrounded the airport, and snow-capped mountains stood proud in the distance. It was breathtaking. The airport itself was impressive, the unique tent-like design making it an interesting landmark.
My euphoria was fast replaced with nerves. I would see Landon again. Even though I had no recollection of the wedding, I had a lot of snippets of the time we spent together. I also remembered every moment of when we first met. The attraction had burned through me like wildfire as soon as I laid eyes on him.
I drove ten miles under the speed limit, both hands gripping the steering wheel, leaning forward, my body a tense mess. I wasn’t used to driving on wide-open roads. There also weren’t many cars around, and it made me nervous. I was more of a bumper-to-bumper ten-miles-an-hour driver.
A car passed me and honked, making me cringe. I just couldn’t get myself to go any faster. Not for all the honking and raised middle fingers in the world.
Humptulips, the town I was going to, was a two-hour drive from Denver. It also looked to be in the middle of nowhere. With the amount of publicity the garage Landon worked at received, I would have thought it’d be closer to a big city. I wondered how they became so popular.
After crawling along the highway for twenty minutes, I stopped at a gas station and stocked up on nuts and coffee. I eased back onto the road, checking all my mirrors three times before merging. After an hour, I felt more confident and almost drove the speed limit. If only the lack of sleep plus a day of travel weren’t catching up with me. My eyes felt heavy, and I couldn’t stop yawning. Spotting the sign for Humptulips was a relief.
The town was small, with only one main street and not much else. I stopped in front of a café, deciding to have another coffee first and then make my way to the garage.
The bell above the door tinkled when I walked inside, and almost every head in the packed space turned my way. I smiled and walked to the counter, ignoring the looks being thrown at me. I was still wearing my Balmain minidress, the baby blue sequined tweed standing out among the jeans and checkered shirts dominating the room.
When I made it to the counter, a gorgeous woman with bits of flour on her cheek and in her hair greeted me. She had the most amazing hazel eyes, framed by long lashes that also had bits of flour stuck to them.
“Welcome to Sweet Dreams. What can I get you?”
“One coffee, black, and a chicken salad please, without dressing or cheese. Both takeout.”
“Do you want to add a brownie? Or a cupcake? They’re fresh out of the oven.”
My mouth salivated at the thought, but I shook my head. I didn’t want to put on weight before the wedding. And I only had to look at a cupcake to gain five pounds. The wedding dress was tight enough already; I would suffocate next time I wore it if I put on even an ounce.
“No thank you, but they look delicious. Maybe next time.”
She nodded, and bits of flour fell from her hair. “You staying or just passing through?”
“I’m staying for a night or two.”
She smiled and rang me up. “You’ll love it here. It’s a great little town.”
I smiled, hiding the grimace that brewed just under the surface. I had no doubt it was a lovely place, but my reasons for being here weren’t conducive to relaxing and enjoying the town.
“$8.90, please.” She handed me my coffee. “If you wait over there, I’ll call you when your salad is ready. Enjoy your stay.”
I gratefully accepted the cup and touched my credit card to the machine.
Standing off to the side, I sipped the coffee. It was almost too hot to drink, but I was desperate. What I really wanted was a mocha with whipped cream, but that was an indulgence I only allowed once a week.
My salad was ready within a few minutes, and then I was back in my car. I would stop at the garage first and hopefully see Landon. My stomach was in knots at the thought of seeing him again. I hoped he wouldn’t affect me the way he did in Vegas. Surely that was just a fluke. A onetime deal.
He was gorgeous, or at least he had been a year ago. When I first saw him, he’d stolen my breath away. He was tall with messy blond hair, jade eyes, and an irresistibly devastating grin. His powerful body moved with grace, screaming confidence. Even in a crowd, his presence was compelling. He was a born entertainer.
