Rocky Mountain Home Read online

  Rocky Mountain Home

  Cassie Hayes

  Contents

  About This Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Rocky Mountain Heart

  About the Author

  About This Book

  She thought she was coming home. He thought she was coming home to him.

  When a career-ending injury forces Michaela ‘Mike’ Roberts to hang up her skis for good, she returns to her hometown in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains humbled, confused and completely directionless. She’d be utterly lost if she didn’t have the support of her family…and her best friend, Zach.

  Zach McCormick has been waiting ten years for Mike to return to Silver Springs so they could pick up where they left off in high school, but the moment he sees her, it’s clear she doesn’t remember the one kiss he can’t forget. To save his sanity — and their friendship — he vows to let go of his childhood crush and get to know the woman Mike has become.

  When an accidental discovery leads Mike to see Zach in a new light, she discovers something else…even the most exciting prospects for her future will be meaningless unless he’s by her side. But will he still want her when he discovers what she’s done?

  Rocky Mountain Home is Book 7 in the Roberts of Silver Springs series. Find an excerpt of Book 8 at the end!

  1

  Mike Roberts’ left knee throbbed like a Denver warehouse rave. Clearly, driving seven hours just four months after tearing her ACL hadn’t been the best idea, but without a job, she’d had to leave Park City behind and come crawling back home.

  She shook four Advil into her hand and swallowed them dry as she stared at the front door of her parents’ house from the safety of her car. A lovely array of mums and pansies filled the flower beds in front of the family home, thanks to her mother’s green thumb. The aspens surrounding the property had started turning colors — not surprising, since it was already the first week of September — and their bright yellow and orange leaves popped dramatically against a background of dark green spruce and fir trees.

  Anyone else sitting in her place would have been overwhelmed by the beauty before them, but it all left her cold. Coming home to Silver Springs had always been a treat for her. This time, it felt like a sentence.

  Mike rested her head on the steering wheel for a moment, summoning her courage. Returning to her Western Colorado hometown in disgrace hadn’t been anywhere in her ten-year plan, but neither had tearing the ligament in her knee for a second time, effectively ending her decade-long career as a professional freestyle skier.

  The last ten years had been one heck of a ride though. One minute, she’d been a seventeen-year-old junior, excitedly shopping for a prom dress; the next, she’d been invited to join the Olympic ski team. That was the day her dreams had come true and her real life had begun. And in a single bad turn, that life had ended.

  Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to peer through the gloom of the gathering dusk at her childhood home again. Not a single light shone anywhere in the big house — not even the porch light. Mike’s parents, Bob and Christina, knew she was arriving that evening, yet they didn’t seem to be home.

  Mike tried not to let herself feel rejected by their absence. It wasn’t as if she’d expected a welcoming party or anything — in fact, the exact opposite. She’d fantasized about being crushed in her mother’s eternally comforting embrace, while her father scooped out a big bowl of his favorite ice cream, maple walnut — forget the fact he was the only one in the family who liked it. Then she’d slip into a nice hot bubble bath to relax and not think about her future. Or lack thereof, as seemed to be the case.

  Grabbing her overnight bag from the backseat of her silver Subaru Forester, Mike hobbled to the front step. She didn’t limp as much anymore — usually only after long drives or any other kind of overuse — but at least she didn’t have to use the crutches. She tipped the cheesy garden gnome decorating the top step and fumbled around inside for the spare key. One day the obvious hiding spot would bite her parents in the backside, but she was thankful for it tonight. Sitting in her car for Lord knows how long until they returned would have been extremely uncomfortable.

  Slipping the key home, she choked back tears of defeat. This wasn’t how she’d envisioned retiring from the sport that had been her sole focus for most of her life, but at least she’d have some time alone in the house to settle in and get her bearings before having to be social.

  The second she cracked the door open though, the lights blazed on, and what seemed like a thousand people jumped out to scream “Surprise!”

  Horror and embarrassment and gratitude battled for dominance within Mike as the entire population of Silver Springs — or at least most of the Roberts family, which accounted for a large part of the entire population of Silver Springs — rushed at her with hugs and greetings and well-wishes. She’d hoped to hide under the covers for a few days before having to see anyone, but apparently, her party-loving mother had had different ideas.

  “Michaela!” Christina Roberts pulled her daughter into the hug Mike had been hoping for, except with an audience instead of the private moment she’d imagined. “You look exhausted. Here, have some punch.”

  Mike accepted the cup of bright red liquid and took a big gulp, hoping it was spiked. It wasn’t. Sighing, she smiled at her mom and gave her another side hug, grateful for the love of her family — as frustrating and intrusive as it could be sometimes.

  “Honey! Gimme some sugar,” her father said, not waiting for her to accept his invitation before gathering her up in his thick arms. With his mouth close to her ear, he whispered, “I tried to talk her out of it, but you know how your mother gets.”

  Mike couldn’t help snickering. Boy, did she!

  “Sis,” shouted her twin brother, Spike, over the insanity of the raucous crowd. “I want you to meet Amy, my girlfriend!”

  Spike pulled a lovely little brunette forward, trailed by an adorable little boy. Spike wrapped an arm around the woman’s shoulder and grinned.

  Mike had never met one of her brother’s girlfriends before — she’d barely been home more than a week at a time since she was seventeen — but she’d heard about them from her sisters, Ally and Bekah. They rarely lasted long, apparently, and he’d never willingly introduced one to his family. But this one — Amy — was different. Not only did she look at Spike like he hung the moon, but he mirrored the look right back at her.

  “Nice to meet you, Amy,” Mike said, shaking the woman’s hand. “And I’m sorry you got saddled with the likes of Spike.”

  Amy showed her good humor by laughing. “Oh, I think I can handle him.”

  Mike had no doubt.

  “This is my son, Ethan,” Amy said, hoisting the adorable, sandy-haired boy into her arms.

  Mike still couldn’t believe her commitment-phobic brother had not only found a serious girlfriend, but a kid had come with the deal. She never thought she’d see the day, but Spike looked happier than she could ever remember.

  “Hey, Ethan. Do you ski?” Mike asked.

  Ethan smiled broadly. “Spike’s teaching me! He says one day I might even beat you!”

  Mike couldn’t help being charmed by the boy’s exuberance. “I better keep my eye on you then,” she said, tickling his tummy.

  “My turn!” Their younger sister, Bekah, shoved through the crowd, beaming like a ray of sunshine as she hugged Mike. “You look great. How’s the knee?”

&nbs
p; Mike stuck it out and bent it as a test, wincing at the ache, then shrugging. “It’s okay. It’ll never be the same, but at least I’m walking.”

  For a moment, Bekah looked somber, then squeezed her hand. “I’m really sorry, sis.”

  Mike shrugged again, as if it was nothing. Of course, it was anything but nothing. It was everything. But that wasn’t something one said at a party, for goodness sake. So she put on her game face, the same one she was so used to as a public figure, and smiled until she thought her cheeks might crack.

  “And who might this be?” Mike asked, nodding at a handsome gentleman with brown hair and eyes, who happened to be holding her sister’s hand.

  Bekah grinned lopsidedly up at him. “This is Hunter, my husband.”

  “And this one’s mine!” Ally, her other sister, elbowed Bekah aside and thrust yet another handsome brown-haired man at Mike. “Remember Rex? Didn’t he turn out hot?”

  Of course, Mike knew both her sisters had quickly married the loves of their lives over the last few months, but seeing the couples together was rather surreal, especially considering they were both younger than her. That fact left her a little…twitchy.

  “I’m sorry, Hunter,” Mike laughed. “You’re doomed. If I’d been here sooner, I would have warned you. But Rex…you should have known better!”

  Almost as if on cue, Hunter and Rex each gazed down at his own bride and smiled softly. It was straight out of a commercial for a sappy, romantic, made-for-TV movie.

  “I think I’ll keep her,” Rex murmured, his voice sending tremors down Mike’s spine from the love he poured into those few words. He was smitten, and Mike couldn’t blame him. Ally was a keeper.

  Hunter shook his head and skimmed a finger down Bekah’s cheek. “She’s my kind of crazy,” he said with a grin.

  “I’m just sorry I missed the weddings,” Mike said, eager to extract herself from the sickeningly sweet display.

  Before she could do so, a gaggle of Roberts cousins surrounded her and welcomed her home. Emma, Molly and Chase all seemed to have refrained from getting hitched in record time, but Bri had a brand new spouse on her arm, while Sam had a fiancée, and both looked positively elated.

  “What’s in the water up here?” Mike laughed, hiding the pain inside.

  “Dive on in, cuz,” Bri teased with a giggle, “the water’s fine!”

  Mike hadn’t imagined it would be possible to feel any worse than she already did, but seeing so many of the Roberts kids hooked up with people so clearly devoted to them, sent her self-esteem spiraling into the abyss. It wasn’t that she didn’t want them to find happiness, but having so many of them shove it in her face at this particular moment was hard. No man had ever looked at her like she was the center of his universe — well, at least not since high school, and that hardly counted.

  As the group gabbed about the romantic weddings she’d missed, Mike plastered a fake smile on her face and scanned the crowd. All of the immediate Roberts family were crammed into her mother’s spacious living room, along with several second cousins, family friends, and a variety of notable townsfolk. They all smiled and waved, welcoming her home in style…but one face was missing.

  In her darkest moments over the last ten years, all she’d had to do to perk up was think about her best friend. She couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t been in her life. He’d protected her like a little sister and encouraged her in just about everything. He was her rock, her biggest fan — so why wasn’t he here?

  Then the door to the kitchen swung open and there he stood, staring at her. Her fake smile morphed into a real one, and for the first time since she felt that fatal pop in her knee, she felt happy.

  * * *

  Zach McCormick could barely believe his eyes. Mike was home. For good this time. Now his real life could begin.

  It took far too long for him to catch his breath at the sight of her. Her brunette hair fell around her shoulders in soft layers, framing her oval face and accentuating her toffee-colored eyes, and that smile nearly bowled him over. To the unobservant, it looked the same as every other Roberts’ crooked smile, but to the trained eye, it sparkled just a little brighter than the rest. She looked exactly as she did the day he’d asked her to prom ten years earlier.

  When his heart started beating again, he couldn’t stop a grin from lighting up his own face. The smile faltered for a second when he noticed her pronounced limp as she made her way through the crowded room, but then he became lost in her embrace.

  “Zach, it’s so good to see you,” she exclaimed, hugging him tight.

  As Zach’s arms wrapped around her too-thin frame, his eyes fell closed. The scent of coconut wafted up from her hair, and he was loath to let her go when she pulled away. He’d spent so many years thinking of this day, it almost seemed like a dream. Of course, in his dreams, Mike let him do a whole lot more than simply hug her.

  But this was reality. There would be plenty of time for that other stuff once Mike had healed and settled back into life in Silver Springs. For now, he was more concerned about her well-being.

  “Hey, how’s the knee?” He released her, letting his hands glide slowly down her arms until only their fingertips touched. She broke the connection first.

  “Pretty good,” she said, rubbing her left leg gingerly. “Stiff from the drive, but my doctor says it’s healing nicely since surgery. I should be back on the slopes within a couple months, if I keep up with my exercises.”

  Zach frowned. “Oh.”

  Mike punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t look so happy for me, jerk!”

  “Sorry, I just thought… I thought you weren’t…” He couldn’t find the right words through his confusion and heartache. If she was only home temporarily, then his hopes would have to be put on hold…again.

  “I won’t,” she answered, trying to look unconcerned, but he knew better. “For all practical purposes, it was a career-ending injury. I’ll never ski professionally again, but that doesn’t mean I won’t ever ski again. At least, that’s what the doc say. You’re just going to have to accept I won’t be sending you postcards from all over the world anymore.”

  Zach had loved getting those postcards over the years. As far as he was concerned, they proved the connection between them. Who would send hundreds of postcards to a strictly platonic friend?

  “Mike! Hey, Mike!” Jack Roberts waved at his cousin from across the room. “Come say hi to my bride, Erin!”

  Mike turned a pleading gaze up at Zach. “Help! I need to get out of here for a minute.”

  She hadn’t even finished speaking before he was ushering her into the kitchen and out the back door, letting her lean on him to take the pressure off her bad knee. Once outside, he helped ease her down onto the top step, then settled next to her, reveling in the closeness he’d waited so long to enjoy.

  “Sorry,” she said with a grimace. “I wasn’t expecting all this. I’m a little overwhelmed.”

  “I’ll bet you are, and not just by the party.”

  He noticed her shiver and took off his light jacket, draping it over her shoulders. Early September evenings got downright nippy at this altitude. She smiled her gratitude and watched moths dance around the yard light twenty feet away.

  “Where are the cars?” she mused quietly.

  “Huh?”

  “Everyone’s cars. Where did they all park?”

  Zach laughed. “You know your family is insane, right?”

  “Indeed I do.”

  “Your mom insisted on everyone parking down at the community center. There we all boarded a specially chartered bus to deliver us here.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Her eyes goggled.

  “No joke!”

  They laughed together for a bit, finally settling into a comfortable silence. Zach leaned back on his hands, mostly to keep himself from wrapping an arm around her shoulders. As much as he wanted to hurry things along, he knew he shouldn’t rush her. Just because he’d spent th
e last decade thinking about her promise, didn’t mean she had.

  “So Mike…how are you, really? This can’t be easy for you.”

  She dipped her head and picked at her short fingernails in the dim light. “That’s an understatement,” she whispered thickly.

  This time he didn’t resist putting his arm around her. She leaned her head onto his shoulder, and he pressed his cheek to the top of her head, inhaling her coconutty scent.

  With a brave sniff, she straightened and swiped at her eyes. “Really, how much longer could I have been competitive, anyway? A couple more years, max.”

  “Are you kidding me? You’re only twenty-seven!”

  “No, it’s the truth — at least, statistically speaking. Women skiers peak at my age, maybe a year or two later. After that, if they don’t get injured”— she sighed heavily —“they plateau, and then slow down.”

  “But you had the ligament repaired, right? Some of the top skiers in the world have had three or four surgeries, and they’re still winning events.” His next words tasted bitter, but he had to say them, for her own sake. “Couldn’t that be possible for you?”

  Mike shook her head, and when she looked up at him, tears swam in her eyes. It was all he could do to not kiss them away.

  “That’s what my coach said, but my doctor warned me one more tear might actually cripple me. Of course, me being me, I lived happily in denial all these months. I went to PT religiously, I followed the doctor’s orders to the letter, and I let my body heal.”

  “But?” He could tell from her tone there was a but.

  “But my first time on skis after getting the ‘go ahead’ from the doc told me more than all the medical professionals and MRI images ever could. My knee is…different now. It’s hard to explain, Zach, but I knew it on my first ride down a bunny slope. I can’t trust it, at least not for competition.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mike.” And he was. As much as he’d wanted her to come back to Silver Springs, he also wanted her to be happy. “What are you going to do now? Any plans?”