she had to depend on Mike not outing her. He’d already proved himself, but her ditching him like a bad date might turn that around, and then where would she be?
This was the perfect time to figure out how deep a hole she’d dug for herself. Do some damage control. She wouldn’t dare acknowledge Mike when she was with Ron or Nina. They’d want an explanation that could cost her dearly. Worse, it could cost the company this job and damage its reputation.
Savannah turned around and headed back to the bakery, hoping he was still there. A gray truck was coming toward her. As it got closer, she saw Mike behind the wheel. He slowed down and lowered the passenger-side window.
“Can I offer you a lift?” he asked, despite the fact they were now headed in opposite directions.
“No thanks,” she said, but she found herself hopping in anyway. Guess she needed a bit more calm.
He rubbed his jaw and laughed.
“I know. Ignore me,” she said, and managed a slight smile. “We need to talk.”
He drove a short way then pulled over to the curb. “Okay. Shoot. I assume this has something to do with your fiancé?”
Her face got hot, and it was hard to look at Mike without blurting out every last thing. Of course he knew about Ron. He’d known it last night. “That’s not the only thing,” she said, then worked up the nerve to meet his eyes. “I don’t want anyone to know who I am. I’m frankly shocked you recognized me. It was so long ago.”
“I’ll admit, you’ve changed. I wasn’t sure at first.”
“You were very kind last night. I didn’t even realize how kind until this morning. I appreciate it. And honestly, I’d like to explain why I’m here, but it’s kind of complicated.”
“Hey, it’s nobody’s business why you’re here, including mine,” he said, shrugging. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.”
He wouldn’t. She knew it. Even though curiosity was alive in his gaze. It was so tempting to spill it all. To let him know that Ron wasn’t her fiancé, far from it. Mike had to remember exactly what had chased her and her mom out of town. She’d had so few interactions with the people in Blackfoot Falls—a rare lunch at the diner, some trips to the market and then getting to attend school, which had seemed like a miracle but had ended up a public disaster. Mike had always been nice, though.
It would feel good to explain why she was here, that it was for her job. That she’d overcome her unfortunate past and made something of herself.
“Savannah?”
What was she thinking? She couldn’t admit any of that. Not yet. After she gave the presentation, then maybe. In the meantime, she needed to keep her head down, stay focused on the job. And not be sitting in his truck for everyone to see. Jeez. Talk about stirring the pot. She glanced around and noticed her rental heading their way, with Ron driving it.
She ducked down, bumping her forehead on the dashboard. “Drive. Please. Anywhere but the motel parking lot.”
Mike didn’t say a word, just put the truck in gear and zoomed out of there. He turned the corner, made another turn, drove some more then turned again. If he kept that up, it wouldn’t just be butterflies she was feeling.
Finally, he said, “I think we’re in the clear.”
When she poked her head up, she saw he’d pulled into a vacant lot behind the motel. “Okay. This is good,” she said, checking the side mirror. They were at the edge of town; the only thing past the motel was a gas station. “I’m sorry about that. About everything. But thank you.”
Before he had a chance to speak, she opened the door and jumped out.
“Wait.”
She considered ignoring him. But she didn’t want to make things worse and not just because he could cause problems. It wasn’t fair to him.
After another cautious look around, she got back in but left the door ajar. “There is an explanation,” she said, keeping her voice level. “I promise. Trust me, if you can. For a bit.”
“I meant it, Savannah, it’s none of my business.”
“I know,” she said. “I’d actually like to tell you as soon as I’m at liberty to do so.”
Now he looked twice as curious. “Look, I hope this isn’t out of line, but I’m glad I got to see you. You were such a shy kid, I couldn’t help wondering what had happened to you.” His smile filled the cab with its warmth. “You’ve come a long way. You should be very proud of yourself.”
His words brought a lump to her throat. She hadn’t realized just how much she needed to hear that. Barely able to swallow, she said, “Thank you, Mike. I don’t... I should go.”
She jumped out before he could say anything else. Or she ended up oversharing. The emotion he’d tapped into ran deep, so deep she wondered what else was buried down there.
But now wasn’t the time to start digging for insight. She saw an entrance next to a loading dock and figured it was for employees. The brisk walk and morning chill felt good as she skirted the building to get to the front entrance. Dying for some coffee and time to get back her sense of control, she forgot to check the lot for Ron. Though what did it matter if he was around or not? It didn’t help that she was still confused about why she cared what Mike Burnett thought. So he’d been nice. Mike had always been nice.
She entered the lobby. Ron wasn’t there, but a fresh pot of coffee was. And luckily, Maxine was nowhere in sight. Savannah calmly got a Styrofoam cup and poured a quick one then hurried into the elevator before someone stopped her.
Leaning against the elevator wall, she wanted to weep. This trip wasn’t turning out to be the serene and healing experience she’d imagined. After wallowing for a few seconds, she realized she hadn’t pressed the button. She straightened, hit her floor and took a fortifying sip of caffeine.
She was made of tougher stuff than this. After what Mike had told her, how could she dare think this wasn’t the road to closure? And if she encountered a few bumps along the way, she’d just put the blame on Ron. That made her feel a tiny bit better.
The wind was blowing again and despite the sun shining directly overhead, the cool afternoon air kept things pleasant for Mike and Chip. Not a bad day for moving the rest of the herd to Logan Flats, where they’d have a few more weeks of grazing before winter.
Mike wished he knew when Savannah planned on leaving town. After seeing her at the bakery yesterday, he’d decided it would be best not to run into her again, what with her getting all jittery around him. Though he couldn’t help wondering why she’d want to come back to Blackfoot Falls.
It couldn’t be nostalgia. And he knew for a fact it had nothing to do with the cabin and land she and her mom had left behind. The bank had owned the property for years. The shabby two-bedroom cabin had never been worth much, but the seventy acres it sat on butted up to Burnett land. At one point he and his dad had considered buying the whole thing. Now, for some reason, Mike was glad they hadn’t.
“Dammit.” Chip must’ve jumped five feet. “Why the hell did you let him go? I almost injected myself.”
Watching the calf plow past Chip, Mike swore under his breath. The little guy headed straight to his mother. They’d have to catch him again. Cool nights and warm days had produced four sick calves. They all needed antibiotics and to be put in a pen to heal. “Sorry.”
“Where’s your head at? You’ve been acting weird all week.”
More like two days, but he didn’t correct the kid. Mike shaded his eyes and checked to see if Bill and his brother had made it to the mouth of Sunrise