Jamie leaned forward. “That’s bull, and you know it. The only reason Cole even questioned it is because he knows—”
“—there’s no reason why we would even be friends, never mind lovers,” Rachel finished for him. “You know it’s the truth.”
“So let’s do this,” Jamie said, refusing to be drawn into an argument over something that seemed, at least to him, so trivial. “Let’s bring it all out into the open, and let everyone know we’re together. Glacier Creek isn’t that big of a town, so if we tell a few people, I figure everyone’s going to know inside of a week. They can get all their idle gossip and speculation out of the way, and within another week it will be old news. People will get used to seeing us together, and before you know it, nobody is going to care.”
Rachel looked away. “I don’t know…” She glanced at him. “Are we even going to be in Glacier Creek long enough for it to matter? Our parents will be back in less than a week.” She groaned. “Actually, mine will probably be here tomorrow.”
“In which case, we’ll leave them to look after Dylan, and you and I can hightail it back to Glacier Creek. We have at least a week before my folks return, and your parents will probably stay here, until Dylan can be moved. We have some time to figure this out.”
Rachel pressed her fingers against her temples. “Wait, wait. This is moving way too fast. Are you saying once our parents come home, we should tell them about us?”
Jamie forced himself to sound casual. “Sure. Why not?”
Rachel stared at him in disbelief. “Really? What about your parents? Do you really think they’ll be okay with us being together? Won’t they think it’s crazy?”
Honestly, Jamie didn’t know how his parents would react. He didn’t think his father would care, but his mother was a different story. She still thought of him as a kid, and couldn’t help but fuss over him as much as he tried to discourage her.
He leaned forward and captured one of her hands in his. “I don’t have all the answers, Rachel. All I know is our folks are coming home soon, and I’m not ready to end whatever this is between us. We’re both adults, which means we get to make our own choices. So if you still want to be with me, we’re going to have to go public, because I refuse to sneak around.” He gave her a meaningful look. “We’re both too old for that.”
Rachel stared at him, and then nodded. “You’re right. But can we at least have this next week to keep things under wraps? I promise once our parents and Dylan are back in Glacier Creek, if you still want to go public, then we will.”
Jamie let out a slow, controlled exhalation of relief. He’d been half certain Rachel would take the coward’s way out and end things now, before she was forced to face her family and friends. Hell, he’d end things if she felt that strongly about keeping their relationship a secret, as if it was something to be ashamed of. As if he was someone to be ashamed of.
He glanced at his watch. “It’s just past one o’clock, and I’m pretty beat. Why don’t we go back to the lodge and, uh, take a nap?”
Rachel narrowed her eyes at him, but her mouth curved in a knowing smile. “Somehow, I don’t think sleeping is what you have in mind.”
“Nope,” he agreed cheerfully.
If he stood even the smallest chance with Rachel, he needed to take every opportunity to remind her how good they were together.
Chapter Fourteen
They stayed in Bozeman for another two days, and when they weren’t at the hospital with Dylan, they were either at the lodge making love, or exploring the area attractions. Rachel couldn’t get enough of Jamie, and he seemed intent on holding her hand, or touching her in some other way when they were out in public. He was everything she had ever hoped for in a lover, alternately tender and possessive, showing her pleasure she had never dreamed possible.
He was inventive, and had no boundaries or inhibitions. Everything was a possibility with him, and although much of the sex was urgent and intense, he also made it fun and light-hearted. Rachel didn’t think she’d ever laughed during sex before, the way she did with Jamie, just before he made her gasp and cry out in satisfaction.
Now, on their third day in Bozeman, they made their way through the corridors to Dylan’s room. They had visited with him earlier that morning, and had returned to the lodge at noon. There, in the shadowed coolness of their room, Jamie had brought her to orgasm twice, before they’d showered and made love yet again on the wide bed, their bodies still slippery and wet.