The young woman let out a quiet, bubbly laugh. “Thanks for the compliment, but compared to you I’m just a plain Jane.” She thrust her hand over toward Mia. “Hi, I’m Marti Newmar.”
Mia shook Marti’s hand and as she did she realized it had been months, maybe longer since she’d felt a real need to communicate with another woman just for the sake of talking and sharing ideas. Dear God, maybe this quaint little western town was beginning to help her heal, she thought.
“Mia Smith. Nice to meet you.”
Marti’s nose wrinkled at the tip as she thoughtfully studied Mia. “I think I’ve seen you somewhere. You live around here?”
Trying to push away the cloak of wariness she constantly wore, Mia said, “No. I’m a guest at Thunder Canyon Resort.”
Marti’s lips parted in an O, then her fingers snapped with sudden recognition. “That’s it. That’s where I’ve seen you. In the resort lounge.”
Mia relaxed. She should have known this young woman had to be a local and not someone from Denver or Alamosa, Colorado, where she’d lived for most of her adult life.
“Yes, that’s probably where it was,” Mia agreed.
“I just started working at the coffee shop in the lounge a few days ago.” She laughed. “I’m still learning how to make a latte. I grew up on a nearby ranch and the only kind of coffee my parents ever drank was the cowboy kind. You know, throw the grounds and water into a granite pot and let it boil. This fancy stuff is all new to me.”
Warmed by the woman’s openness, Mia smiled at her. “I’m sure you’ll learn fast.”
“I hope so. Grant Clifton, the guy that manages the resort, was kind enough to give me a job doing something. You see, I’m trying to get through college and the cost is just awful. I got a partial scholarship on my grades and this job should help with the rest of the expense.”
Marti’s situation was so familiar to Mia that she almost felt as though she were looking in a mirror. Five years ago she’d entered college with hopes of getting a degree in nursing. But at that time her father had already passed away and, using what little money she and her mother could earn at menial jobs, she’d had to settle for taking one or two classes at a time. Those years had been very rough and discouraging. It had been during those terribly lean times in her life that her priorities had gone haywire. She’d begun to think that money could fix everything that was messed up in her life. She’d been so very, very wrong.
“Whatever you do, don’t give up,” Mia encouraged her. “It may take you a while to find your dream, but you will.”
Nodding, Marti said, “Yeah, that’s what my mother keeps telling me.” Tilting her head to one side, she continued to study Mia. “Have you met many people at the resort?”
The young woman’s question instantly brought the image of Marshall Cates to Mia’s mind.
“A few. I’m not…much of a social person.”
“Hmm. Well, there’re all sorts of good-looking men hanging around there.” She gave Mia an impish grin. “But I only think of them as eye candy. I’m not about to let some smooth-tongued devil change my plans to become a teacher.”
“I’m sure some day you’ll want to marry. When the time is right for you,” Mia told Marti, while wondering if that time would ever come for herself. At one time, Mia had dreamed and hoped for a family of her own. Now she would just settle for some sort of peace to come to her heart. Otherwise she’d never be able to give her love to anyone.
Marti shrugged in a ho-hum way. “I don’t know. I’ve seen my older sister get her heartbroken over and over again.” She looked at Mia. “You know Dr. Cates? The hunk that works at the resort?”
Every nerve in Mia’s body suddenly went on alert. What was she going to learn about the man now?
“Vaguely,” she said, not about to elaborate on the surprise encounter she’d had with the man.
Marti sighed, telling Mia that the young woman definitely considered Marshall Cates eye candy. “Gorgeous, isn’t he?”
“He’s, uh—a nice-looking man.”
“Mmm. Well, my sister, Felicia, thought so, too. They dated for a while and she was getting wedding bells on the brain.”
Mia was afraid to ask, but she did anyway. “What happened?”
Wrinkling her nose, Marti said, “She found out the good doctor wasn’t about to settle for just one woman. Not when he had a flock of them waiting in line.”
So the man was a playboy. That shouldn’t surprise her. No matter where he was or who he was with, the man was bound to turn female heads. The best thing she could do was forget she’d ever met him. Still, she couldn’t help but ask the question, “Is your sister still dating Dr. Cates?”
Marti chuckled. “No, thank goodness. She finally opened her eyes wide where Marshall Cates was concerned. She recently moved to Bozeman and got engaged to another guy.”
Across the room, one of the hairdressers called out. “Marti, I’m ready for you, honey.”
Smiling at Mia, the young woman hurriedly snatched up her handbag and jumped to her feet. “Nice meeting you, Mia. Maybe I’ll see you at the coffee shop. Come by and say hello, okay?”
Nodding, Mia returned Marti’s smile. “Sure. I’ll look forward to it.”
Later that afternoon, at the resort lodge, Marshall finished up the small amount of paperwork he had to do, then left Ruthann in charge of the quiet infirmary and headed down to the lounge bar for a short break.
Three couples were sitting at tables, busy talking and sipping tall, cool drinks. One older man with graying hair and a hefty paunch was sitting at the end of the bar. He appeared to be sleeping off his cocktail.
Lizbeth Stanton was tending bar this afternoon, and the pretty young woman with long auburn hair smiled when Marshall slid onto one of the stools.
“Hey, there. I was about to decide you weren’t going to show up today.” She glanced at the watch on her wrist. “This is late for you.”
Marshall chuckled. “I’m so relieved that at least one woman around this place is interested enough to keep up with my comings and goings.”
She shot him a sexy smile. “Awww. Poor Marshall,” she cooed. “Had a bad day?”
With an easy grin, he raked a hand through his dark, wavy hair.
“I’ve never seen so many patients in one day. Several were suffering from altitude sickness and one had taken a nasty fall on a hiking trail. But they’ll all be okay.”
Not bothering to ask if he wanted a drink, Lizbeth went over to a back bar and began to mix him a cherry cola. At one end of the work counter, a small stereo was emitting the twangy sounds of a popular country music tune.
“Well,” Lizbeth said to him, “that is what you’re paid for. To doctor people who have more money than
