One Hundred Choices (An Aspen Cove Novel Book 12) Read online

  “What I really need is a change of clothes.” She pointed to herself. “This is all I got. I washed my underwear in the sink, and they’re hanging from the knob of my dresser to dry. Probably too much information but Agatha told me to come here. Said you might know of someone who’s hiring.”

  Katie rubbed her chin. “Go see Cannon at the brewhouse. I think he might need someone.” She giggled like she had a secret. “As for clothes, what size are you? A six?”

  Trinity shook her head. “No way. I live on burgers and junk food. I’m tall, so I look thinner, but I’m a solid ten. After this plate of sweets, maybe a twelve.”

  Katie took a sticky note off the wall and put it and a pen in front of Trinity. “Humor me. Write your wish. It can’t hurt.”

  Trinity scribbled the words a change of clothes on the note and tacked it to the board. “Done.” She finished her muffin and drank the watered-down coffee before she stood. “I’ll take the rest with me.” She figured Wyatt might enjoy the brownie, or maybe Abby would like the cookie.

  Katie jumped up and rushed around the counter, coming back with a bag and a box. “Will you be seeing Luke?”

  “He’s next on my list.”

  “Perfect. Can you bring this to him?” She lifted the box. “He loves Wednesday’s chocolate chip muffins.”

  She bagged up the leftovers and tucked the box under her arm. Goodbyes were always awkward. She didn’t know if she should wave, walk away, or shake Katie’s hand. With guys, it was easy. All they did was get up, nod their heads, and walk off. This experience was new.

  Katie didn’t give her a chance to wonder too long. She opened her arms and tugged Trinity in for a hug. “You stop by anytime, and don’t forget to ask Cannon about a job.”

  When Katie let her loose, Trinity walked to the door. “Is this town for real?”

  The trill of Katie’s laughter filled the bakery. “Almost spooky, right? But don’t worry, you’ll fit right in. You belong to Luke and Cade, which means you’re family to all of us.”

  Trinity walked out, feeling like she was dreaming and moved down the sidewalk carrying a box of muffins for her brother. She turned into the fire station to find four men winding hoses. Two stopped dead and stared at her.

  Luke tugged on the hose, and when he realized the others had dropped their sections, he lifted his chin.

  “Trin? Is that you?”

  She waited for him to point his finger to the exit and yell “Out,” but he didn’t. He rushed over and wrapped her in a hug. Maybe I picked the wrong brother’s doorstep to land on.

  “Introductions please,” said one of the younger men in his station.

  Luke scowled. “James, Jacob.” He pointed to the door. “Out.”

  “Geez, man, you can’t have all the pretty girls.”

  “This is my sister Trinity, and she’s off-limits.”

  The two younger men frowned at each other and walked away.

  Trinity realized she still had the box of muffins. “Katie sent these over.”

  He took the box and showed her to his office. “Have a seat. You didn’t tell me you were coming.”

  She sat in the chair in front of his desk. “I figured, better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.”

  “How long are you staying?” He leaned in and breathed in the baked goods.

  “You sharing?” the fourth man from the garage said. He didn’t wait for an answer but entered and took a muffin.

  “This is Thomas,” Luke said.

  Trinity lifted from the chair. “Pleased to meet you, Thomas. I’m Trinity.”

  “My pleasure meeting you, too.” He looked at Luke. “You mind if I sneak out to see Eden and the baby?”

  Luke nodded toward the door, “Tell them hello.”

  “Are you staying in Aspen Cove?” Luke tilted his head.

  “Are you worried?”

  He waved her off. “You were never a problem for me.” He took a bite of the muffin and set it down. “I’d offer our place, but we don’t have a room for you. Riley has the spare space turned into a workshop.”

  “I’m sleeping in the bunkhouse at Cade’s. He’s not happy, but he’s letting me stay until I find something else.”

  “Good. I could ask around and see if anyone has a place for rent.”

  “Let me find a job first, and I’ll let you know. I’ve got a lead on something.” She stood. “In fact, I should be going.”

  “It’s good to see you, Trin. You need to come by and have dinner or something. Or at least go to the diner sometime to meet Riley.”

  “That sounds great.” She left and made her way down the street toward Bishop’s Brewhouse. She took a deep breath and said a silent prayer before she walked inside.

  “You must be Trinity,” the man behind the counter said. “Can you start tomorrow night?”

  She moved toward the bar. “Are you Cannon?”

  “Yep, and I need someone to wait tables a few days a week.”

  “You don’t want to interview me?”

  “I don’t need to. Katie said you were nice.”

  She leaned against the wooden counter, fearing her knees would buckle. Was she more afraid of working at something other than horses or failing?

  “I’ve never worked with anything but horses.”

  “You can’t be any worse than Goldie was when she started. She hadn’t worked with anything beyond makeup and fancy clothes. You’ll feel right at home because many of my customers can be a horse’s ass.”

  “That’s it? I show up and work? Is there something I need to wear?”

  He shook his head. “Clothes.” He filled up bowls with pub mix and set them on the bar. “You can fill out your paperwork tomorrow. See you at five.”

  She left the brewhouse feeling dazed. Being in Aspen Cove was equal to entering an episode of the Twilight Zone.

  She sat in her SUV and searched for a nearby Chase Bank. There was one in Copper Creek. On her way out of town, she stopped at the gas station. A woman walked out and waved.

  Trinity spent the last of her cash on gas. She was almost surprised the woman didn’t rush over and tell her it was free. Relieved actually, because, in her experience, every gift needed repayment, and she was cash broke, and emotionally empty.

  After pumping, she walked inside the station and put her nine dollars on the counter.

  “You must be Trinity. I’m Louise.”

  “News travels fast.”

  She nodded. “Good news for sure.” She took the money and stuck it in the register. “I would have given you the gas, but I’ve got eight kids.” She pointed to the rack of chips and jerky. “Take a snack as our welcome gift.”

  “Eight kids? Wow.”

  Louise blushed. “I know. It’s a lot, but I wouldn’t send one of them back.” Louise gathered a few things from the display. “Take these and come back and see us.”

  Trinity shook her head. “I wasn’t expecting anything.”

  “It’s the unexpected that brings us the most joy.” She pushed the chips and jerky into Trinity’s hands.

  “I’m not sure I can handle anything else. I’m on kindness overload.”

  “Well, hold on because your ride has just begun.”

  Trinity didn’t know how to interpret that. Did she know about the ranch and the trouble she had with Cade? Not knowing how to respond, she smiled, waved, and walked away.

  Copper Creek was a fail except for depositing her check. Since it came from out of state and was drawn on a different bank, they would hold the funds until they cleared. Her dream of stopping at Target to get underwear and a change of clothes would have to wait. The only good part was the teller gave her a sucker and showed her how to use the online app.

  When she pulled in front of the bunkhouse, Tom was standing on the porch. He held a bag in his hands.

  “Someone named Katie dropped this off for you.”

  Trinity saw the bag overflowing with clothes.

  “Wow, everyone is so nic
e here.” She wanted to amend that to exclude him, but she behaved.

  He shoved the bag into her arms. “Well, they don’t know you yet.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Where’s your girlfriend?” Violet asked.

  Her comment stumped Wyatt for a second. He didn’t have a girlfriend.

  “You mean Three?”

  She frowned. “Isn't her name Trinity?”

  “I call her Three. I mean, that is what the trinity is, anyway. Only she isn’t celestial.” That kiss I stole from her was.

  Violet let her petulant teen come out. “Whatever,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Why isn’t she here?”

  He stored his saddle and picked up his backpack. He hadn’t seen Trinity since the night before last when they’d shared a burger and a beer.

  He knew she was in the bunkhouse because her shampoo filled the air. The place smelled like tropical fruit instead of damp wood. He passed by her closed door several times but figured if she was in a social mood, she would have come out to visit.

  “She’s at home.” He didn’t know for certain, but it was a safe answer. “I’m out of here.” It had been a long day on the range. Three calves had been born with one needing assistance. Nothing like being up to his elbow inside a cow to help pull out her calf.

  He didn’t wait for Violet’s response. He moved past her to his truck. He made the drive back to Cade’s on autopilot. When he arrived at the bunkhouse, Trinity’s white SUV was nowhere in sight.

  Walking back from the barn were Cade and Tom. The latter moved past him with no acknowledgment. Cade stopped to say hello.

  “How did the day go at Big D?”

  Wyatt leaned against the rail of the porch. “Three calves born today. I suspect we’ll have more tomorrow.” He looked down at his dirty clothes. “I really need a shower then a beer in that order.”

  “A beer sounds good.”

  “Where’s your sister?”

  Cade glanced over his shoulder like he hadn’t noticed her SUV missing.

  “She got a job.”

  Wyatt’s eyes grew wide. “Really? That was fast. I thought she’d be helping you around the ranch.”

  “Having Trinity work with Tom would be like putting two rabid dogs into a single kennel.”

  He wasn’t sure he had a right to say anything, but Cade didn’t give his sister enough credit. He’d seen trouble in his life, and Three wasn’t the poster child.

  “I’m not sure she’s the problem.” He nodded to the door. “Is that guy trustworthy? I mean, he was incredibly rude to your sister the other night. If I hadn’t been there, she would have had to piss in the bushes.”

  “She’s staying in the bunkhouse?” He rubbed at his chin. “I thought she’d stay in the trailer.”

  “That was her plan, but the amenities are lacking. I convinced her to take a room.”

  “You might regret that.” He looked toward Abby’s cabin. “If you want a beer, I’ve got cold ones at the house. Come on over once you're showered.”

  Wyatt pushed off the rail. “How about a trip to the brewhouse? I love the amber ale they have on tap.”

  Cade groaned. “That place is off-limits to me. That’s where my sister got a job.” He shook his head. “First, she got me kicked out of my house, and now she’s infiltrated the watering hole.”

  That piece of information made Wyatt smile. “You don’t give her enough credit. Or … maybe you give her too much. Have you ever considered her behavior is a response to others?”

  “Look, I know her. She’s too pretty for her own good. Men love her. Women hate her. She may not cause the problem, but she’s always at the center.”

  “Seems unfair.”

  Cade kicked at the dirt beneath his boots. “Life isn’t fair.” He took a step toward home. “Beers are cold if you want one.”

  Bishop’s Brewhouse sounded tempting before he knew Three worked there, but now it was more appealing. He could honestly say hamburgers and a beer with her were the highlight to his week. And that kiss. It might have been the best one of his life. If men fought over her, it was because she had something they wanted.

  When he entered the bunkhouse, Tom stood dripping wet and wearing a towel in the kitchen. He threw two pieces of bologna on white bread.

  “I’d offer you dinner, but sharing doesn’t seem to be a thing here.”

  “Thanks, but I’m heading out. I don’t mind sharing, but I do mind assholes. Until you stop being one, I’m not interested in anything you offer.”

  Tom walked over to the worn leather chair in the corner and plopped down. “You’re after what Trinity offers, and I’m telling you, man, you don’t want that. She passes out favors like penny candy on Halloween.”

  Wyatt desperately wanted to defend her honor, but he didn’t know the truth. Three didn’t seem like a woman who was indiscriminate about lovers. He refused to take the advice of a guy who thought two slices of bologna and two pieces of bread counted as dinner.

  “Something tells me you were a trick-or-treater at her door, and she gave you nothing.”

  Tom kicked off the chair and stomped past him to the hallway. When he got to his door, he said, “What do you know?”

  Wyatt walked to his room. “Not a damn thing, but I want to know everything.”

  Twenty minutes later, he drove off the ranch toward town. He found a parking spot in front and walked inside. Behind the counter was Trinity, looking all flustered. Next to her was Goldie.

  He moseyed to the bar and took a seat.

  “I’ll be right with you,” Three said without looking up. “What am I doing wrong to get so much head on the beer?”

  Goldie laughed. “It’s the angle of the mug when you pour.”

  Wyatt watched Goldie fill a perfect mug. “You try.”

  Three looked up and noticed him. “Oh, it’s you.”

  “Is that good or bad?”

  “Good. I needed a friendly face.” She shook her head and smiled. “Who knew that giving a guy too much head was a bad thing?”

  “Only for beer,” he said. “I’ll take an amber ale.”

  She pulled out a frosted mug and tipped it under the spigot, but her geometry skills were off, and the beer hit the bottom, then sloshed out onto her T-shirt. How the cotton stuck to her stomach told him it wasn’t the first time it happened.

  “I’m cursed.”

  Goldie patted her on the back. “You practice on Wyatt, and I’ll get the boys at the pool table.”

  He turned to see who was playing. Dalton’s friends were back. They weren’t the only ones in the bar. With the growth in Aspen Cove, several construction crews came and went. He didn’t recognize the rowdy guys in the corner.

  “How was work?” Three asked. “Any problems with your admirer?”

  “Besides being pissy because I have a girlfriend?”

  She finished the pour and slid it to him. There were five inches of beer and two of foam. It was a good start.

  “Now I’m your girlfriend?”

  He sipped his beer. “I bought you dinner.”

  “I’m not that cheap or easy.”

  He nodded. “Something tells me that’s true.”

  The guys in the corner raised their glasses, and Three groaned. “Looks like I’m up.”

  She rounded the bar with a tray and trudged toward them.

  Wyatt pivoted on the chair to watch. She approached them but didn’t get too close. One man reached out and pulled her by the belt loop, tugging her into his lap. He would have pinned her there if Three wasn’t so quick to free herself.

  Wyatt made to get up but thought better of it. Sometimes it was better to observe than to act. She had lived in bunkhouses all her life. He was interested to see how she handled the men.

  One guy placed his hand on her bottom. If Tom and Cade were right, he assumed she’d giggle and smile. Maybe she’d flirt to get the extra tip, but not Three. She bent over and whispered something into his ear, and the guy dropped his hand an
d shifted away.

  Once she had their orders, she swung around and returned to the taps. “What a bunch of idiots.” She put four frosted mugs on the counter and set out to fill them up. “It’s a wonder we evolved past pounding chests, pulling hair, and caves. I’m tempted to bring them a box of matches and show them fire for the first time.”

  He loved her sassy mouth.

  “You seemed to handle it all right. What did you tell the groper?”

  She finished pouring the first mug and moved on to the second. “I told him you were my boyfriend, and you had a concealed carry.” She winked. “Said the 45 in your boot was itching to come out and play.”

  He laughed. “Really?”

  She shook her head. “No, that would have been too many words to string together for him to understand.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  She set the second mug on the tray.

  She smiled. He knew why men fought over her. It was the chance to make her luscious lips tip up. “I told him I worked on a cattle ranch castrating bulls, and if he didn’t keep his hands to himself, he’d be next.”

  He squirmed on his seat. “That would do it.”

  She filled the rest of the mugs up and took them straight to the table. This time no one touched her, but Wyatt could see they wanted to.

  There was nothing provocative about the way she dressed. Baggy jeans and a T-shirt, that came high on her neck, didn’t shout party girl or tramp. Her face was makeup free, and her hair was pulled into a ponytail. She was beautiful. Maybe Trinity was the perfect name because she was otherworldly.

  When she returned, she leaned on the bar and sighed. “I’m in hell.”

  “If you hate this job so much, why do it?”

  “Because I like to eat, and it would be amazing to have a change of underwear.” She pointed to her outfit. “These showed up on the porch yesterday. This town is really something. However, the owner was shorter than me. The hem sits on my shins. Thank God for boots.” She lifted one foot to show him the denim tucked inside.

  “Someone brought you clothes? Who?”

  She lifted her shoulders. “Not sure, but I’m guessing Katie. I put a wish on the board, and by the time I got back to the bunkhouse, there was a bag of clothes waiting.” She leaned in, so their noses nearly touched. “The pharmacy gave me shampoo and conditioner, and Katie gave me treats. Speaking of which, I’ve got half a brownie in my room for you.”