Rocky Mountain Heart Read online

  Rocky Mountain Heart

  Kay P. Dawson

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Epilogue

  Rocky Mountain Baby Excerpt

  Roberts of Silver Springs Series

  About the Author

  Also by Kay P. Dawson

  Introduction

  Rocky Mountain Heart is the eighth book in the multi-author Roberts of Silver Springs Series.

  Thank you to the other authors in the series for making this such a fun experience.

  Cover Art by Erin Cameron-Hill

  Edited by Meg Amor

  Rocky Mountain Heart

  Emma is happy living her life as the owner of Books ’N Beans, the dream coffee shop/bookstore she opened in her home town of Silver Springs. That is, until a man roars into town on a Harley to take over the radio station next door. And, this isn’t just any man…

  Cooper Levine has a past he wants to get away from, where memories and pain keep trying to pull him under. He needs to go somewhere where he can start over, and give the one person in his life he cares about a better chance than he was ever given himself.

  When he spots Emma Roberts, the only girl who wouldn’t go out with him all those years ago when he’d show up in town, he’s determined to turn that around.

  After spending time together, he wonders if he can trust her not to run when he reveals the shame of his past? Will secrets threaten to destroy their chance at a future?

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  One

  “You guys will never guess who’s moving to town to take over Chuck Levine’s KHRT radio station.”

  Jack made his announcement as he walked in through the front door of the coffee shop. He’d just come off his overnight shift and he was still in his paramedic uniform. Emma rolled her eyes at her brother as she stepped back behind the counter and poured his morning coffee.

  She’d already heard the familiar roaring of the Harley Davidson engine, so she knew exactly who her brother had bumped into before he came through the door.

  “Cooper Levine.” She grinned as he scowled, knowing she’d ruined his hot “news.”

  Their younger sister Bri was leaning against the counter already sipping her coffee. She often stopped in at Emma’s shop, Books N’ Beans, after her morning run. Emma didn’t open until six, but she always had the door unlocked earlier for her siblings and sometimes the occasional cousin who was already up and getting ready for their day.

  “Well, I guess it’s old news then.” Jack sat down at the closest table, so Bri and Emma joined him, laughing at his pouting tone.

  As she slid his coffee over to him, Emma scrunched up her face in disgust. “Sorry to ruin your news, but I’d already heard he was in town. Everyone has heard within a ten-mile radius of the radio station where he roars in with his motorbike every morning.”

  “Now, Emma, it’s time to get over your bitterness that he never noticed you when you were younger.” Jack grinned across the table at her.

  “Oh, that’s right!” Bri spoke in an excited tone. “Cooper Levine…wasn’t he the guy who used to come and spend the summers in Silver Springs working at the station with his uncle? And you had such a crush on him.” Bri and Jack looked at each other, nodding and grinning like fools.

  Clenching her teeth together, she plastered a fake smile on her face. “No, I did not have a crush on him. He was arrogant, and annoying. We all knew he was bad news when he’d show up in town on his motorbike, letting all the girls in town swoon over him like he was a famous movie star or something.”

  Her siblings tried to contain their laughter.

  “Oh, so all the girls in town, except you, is that right?” Jack raised his eyebrows in question over the top of his coffee cup as he took a sip. “Ouch, man that’s hot today.” He pulled it back quickly, lifting his fingers to soothe his burned lip.

  “Serves you right.” Emma ignored Bri’s laughter as she took a sip from her own cup.

  “Well, anyway, it would appear the man you never had a crush on is moving here permanently. His uncle Chuck says he’s ready to hand over the reins of the local station, and Cooper is ready to bring some new ideas into the business. We’ve been lucky to have the station in town all these years, but it will be good to have things livened up a bit. He’s going to start playing more modern country music, and he says he has some other plans to bring it back to its old glory.”

  The station had been stuck in the past with Chuck Levine, who’d opened it and ran it for almost thirty years. People still listened to it because it was familiar, but new people had never really found any interest. And with the rise in satellite radio, and instant downloadable music, it had taken a hit over the years.

  Emma had no doubt Cooper could bring some excitement to it. He’d followed in his uncle’s footsteps and worked in radio in Denver. She just hoped Silver Springs was ready for his on-air style. It was a much smaller town than the city he was coming from, and the people tended to be a bit more laid-back and reserved.

  “Well, I’m not going to lie. I admit I was one of the girls who had a bit of a crush on Cooper when he’d show up in town.” Bri was staring off into space as she remembered. “I was a lot younger than you all were, but I noticed him. He was just that forbidden boy who rode a motorcycle, flying into town now and then, leaving a trail of drooling girls behind him.”

  Emma’s eyebrow went up as she stared at her younger sister in disgust. “Seriously, Bri, you too?”

  Bri just shrugged. “You can deny noticing him, Emma, but everyone knows the truth.”

  “Do you two have anything else to talk about this morning, or is it just going to be an ‘irritate Emma day’?”

  “Calm down, sis. What’s got your back all up this morning? It can’t just be us mentioning your old crush.” Jack was now carefully sipping his coffee, making sure not to burn himself again.

  Emma sighed and leaned back in her chair as she looked out the window at the sun coming up over the horizon. “I’m sorry, I really haven’t been getting much sleep. And that man you’ve all been talking about isn’t helping, showing up on his loud Harley at all hours to work on fixing up the building. Of course, he parks it in the empty lot between us, and it’s right below my bedroom window.” Emma lived in a small apartment upstairs, which was perfect for her so she was never far from her coffee shop.

  Bri wrinkled her eyebrows. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”

  “Just worries, I guess. Since that new Starbucks opened in town, I’ve taken a bit of a hit. It’s hard to compete with a large chain like that.”

  Jack laughed. “That place has nothing on you, and you know it. Your coffee is the best in Colorado, likely the entire United States. And this shop has a small town, homegrown feel that people around here aren’t going to trade in for the fancy new player in town.”

  “I have my regulars, and I know they’ll never leave. But it’s hard to compete with what they can offer to people who haven’t ever been to my shop. And people like the convenience of a drive-thru, which is some
thing I just don’t want to have. To me, it takes away from the homey feel of people actually coming in and talking to each other face to face.”

  Emma had worked hard to build this business into what it was today. She loved to read, so she’d added a small little bookstore at the back for people to buy used books. She didn’t make a killing from it, but people loved being able to grab a book to read while having their coffee, curled up in one of the comfy chairs in the back.

  “And to top it off, I received a letter from the town the other day saying they’re selling off that empty lot beside me. They wanted to let me know so I could put a bid in if I wanted to. I would have liked to try, but now I worry how well my business will be doing over the next few months. I’d hate to lose that lot. Everyone parks there because there isn’t much room for on street parking.”

  She tipped her cup back all the way to finish the last dregs of coffee. “That’s not even the worst part. I’ve heard people talking that an ice cream franchise is trying to buy it. The same people who have opened the Starbucks. That would put me completely out of business, because we all know I do a lot of ice cream sales too.”

  “Well, maybe you need to talk to Cooper and see about getting some advertising done on the radio? Get the word out about your shop for anyone who hasn’t heard about it yet.” Bri stood up to leave. Finished with her morning run and coffee, it was time for her to prepare the B&B for the day.

  “I’m not talking to Cooper. Besides, when he pulled in yesterday afternoon, I happened to look out the window and noticed him carrying a Starbuck’s cup. So I guess the city boy doesn’t appreciate the luxuries of a small town coffee shop. I have my doubts he’d be willing to help me out.”

  Jack stood up too, but tipped his head to one side and looked at her for a minute. “I’m not so sure. I seem to remember hearing some rumors way back in the day that Cooper Levine had a bit of a crush on a certain Roberts girl.”

  Emma groaned, standing up and shooing her siblings toward the doorway. “Seriously, you both just need to go find someone else to bother today.”

  The door opened as Emma made her way back behind the counter, and her cousin Spike walked in.

  “Hey, did you guys hear about who’s back in town? Remember the guy all the girls called “Divine Levine”?”

  Emma decided she wasn’t going to stand around listening to them all gush about Cooper Levine another minute. She slammed her cup down on the counter and walked into the back to get her muffins out of the oven.

  As she stormed away, she heard Spike’s voice, mixed with Jack and Bri’s laughter. “Was it something I said?”

  Two

  “And remember to tune in tomorrow morning when I will have a couple of ladies I’m sure many of you know of, Ally Synder and Melinda Walters from Alinda’s Antiques. We will chat about their business, and they can let you in on what you can find at their shop. I hope to make this a monthly feature where we get to find out more about a local small business here in Silver Springs.”

  Cooper swiveled in his chair to reach over and press the button to start the next song. “For now, let’s listen to some Tim McGraw.” The music started playing, and he silenced it as he pulled his headset off.

  His gaze moved to the window, where he could watch the people of Silver Springs make their way about their morning routines. Everything in this small town seemed to move at a much slower pace than he was used to. It was something he’d always loved when he’d visited his uncle as a teenager.

  In Denver, you were a nobody. No one recognized you, and they didn’t bother to say hello as they walked past. Here, he watched every morning as neighbors said hello and stopped to chat as they made their way to work.

  Already this morning, he’d watched as Bri Roberts jogged past on her way to her sister’s coffee shop. He’d spotted Jack Roberts pull up in his truck and go inside. From the side window in his small radio booth, he could just see the front door of Books N’ Beans, the little shop owned by none other than Emma Roberts.

  The Roberts family was well known in Silver Springs, so he’d always known who they were. He’d hung out at a few parties with Jack and Spike Roberts, but the women were always classified as “way out of his league.” Any time he’d found himself looking their way, he’d always been quickly reminded that his status wasn’t on their level.

  He was a hooligan who rode a motorcycle, at least according to the locals when he would pull into town. He wasn’t sure what had ever given anyone that impression, but he’d been glad to keep the image up. He’d enjoyed the attention he’d get from the girls in town. They all wanted a chance with the “bad” boy that they knew their parents would hate.

  But he’d only ever had his eyes on one girl, and had tried to convince her on more than one occasion to go for a ride on his bike with him, but she’d never taken him up on the offer. Any time he was around, she’d made it clear he didn’t have a chance.

  The back door of Books N’ Beans flew open, and the woman he was thinking about stepped out, her arms piled high with boxes as she moved toward the dumpster out back. Her brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she wore an apron over her T-shirt and blue jeans.

  She still managed to make his heart do a somersault, and he’d never understood what it was about her. Perhaps the fact she was the only girl who didn’t throw herself at his feet.

  He jumped from his chair, knowing the music he had lined up to continue playing would take over and keep going. He pushed the door to the booth open, and strode as fast as he could out the side door of the building to rush over to offer his assistance.

  As a box fell to the ground, she tried to crouch down to pick it up. He reached out and grabbed if before she could. “Here, let me help you with that.”

  She peeked around the boxes in front of her, offering him a tentative smile. “Thanks. I always try to do this in one load, instead of just going back for a second. It never works out, so you’d think I’d learn.”

  “I know. I’ve watched you struggle a few times. I couldn’t stand to watch it again, so was eagerly waiting to rush in and save the day.”

  She threw the boxes into the recycling bin then turned, crinkling her eyebrows together as she wiped her hands on her apron. “Save the day? That’s a bit dramatic, wouldn’t you say? It’s just a few boxes.”

  He shrugged as he threw his box over the side of the container. “You could trip and fall carrying all these boxes in front of you, breaking an arm which would require you to shut down your shop while you healed. What kind of man would I be to sit back and let that happen?”

  “Um, okay. I’ve managed for quite a while now without any serious injury, so I’m sure it would never come to that. But thank you for your concern.”

  She was turning to go back inside, so he stepped in front of her, crossing his arms in front of him. “Don’t you remember me?” He couldn’t believe that all those years of remembering every detail about her vividly, she wouldn’t at least have an idea of who he was. Every other girl in town remembered him.

  Emma tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. That lopsided smile he’d pictured a million times spread across her face. “Should I know you?”

  She couldn’t be serious. He’d asked her out at least a dozen times over the summers he’d spent in Silver Springs.

  “Well, I’d like to think I’d made at least a small impression on you. But obviously that was wishful thinking.” Now he felt like a fool.

  She laughed and shook her head. “Divine Levine. Everyone remembers you.” He cringed, hearing her say the nickname he knew all the teenage girls had called him back then.

  “I prefer to go by Cooper.”

  Hearing her use his nickname annoyed him. He could have had any girl he’d wanted back then, except for the one who was now laughing at the name she’d used.

  “Yes, well, Cooper, I need to get back inside. I left muffins in the oven and I’m training a new girl behind the counter.”

  “I’ve heard y
ou have the best coffee in town.” Now he was just sounding downright pathetic, trying to make small talk to keep her outside talking to him.

  “That’s what I hear. I’m quite proud of the coffee I offer. You’d know that if you didn’t frequent the new Starbucks in town who’s most likely going to put me out of business.” The smile was still on her face, but it was strained.

  “Touché. I guess it’s easier to just keep going to a place that’s familiar. Back in Denver, that’s where I got my coffee. How about we make a deal? If you agree to sit down and have a coffee with me, I’ll come in to get my morning coffee from you tomorrow?”

  “Seriously? First of all, I don’t open until six, and I know your show starts then. Second, you should just be supporting the other small businesses in town, especially the one that’s your neighbor, without any kind of deal needing to be made.”

  He laughed. “Emma, you know someday you’ll agree to go out with me. Just because it’s been close to eight years since I asked you out, doesn’t mean I’m done asking.”

  “And, I always told you, I wasn’t interested. The last thing I need in my life is a player who thinks he can get any woman he wants.”

  Rolling his eyes, he sighed. “Honestly, I’m hardly a player. I don’t think I’ve even been on a date with a woman in three years. How can you say that about me? Oh, right, you’re basing your assumption on the memories you think you have from when we were teenagers. Instead of giving me a chance back then, and getting to know me, you already had me pegged for a player.”

  She was watching him warily, obviously not sure if she should believe him.

  “Well, I need to get back to the station. Maybe I’ll stop in for a coffee this evening, so I can try this famous brew by the one and only Emma Roberts.”

  He could understand why she’d always believed him to be a player when they were younger, but he was ready to show her how wrong she truly was.