He glanced down to her shirt. “You spilled your coffee. Did it burn you?”

  Only then did she realize that, yes, she had spilled her coffee all over her chest. And yes, it did burn. The empty Styrofoam cup was crushed in her hand.

  “Come on.” He took the cup from her, led her one door down, and ushered her inside. He flipped on the lights, revealing a large industrial kitchen, everything stainless steel and clean.

  Cooper opened the freezer door and withdrew a large bag of ice.

  Katie glanced down at her chest. The area above her V-neck shirt was red and starting to hurt.

  She looked at Cooper’s shirt. “Are you okay? Did any of it spill on you?”

  “No, I’m fine.” He was transferring ice into a Ziploc bag, his big fingers working efficiently.

  She pressed her hand to her chest, but the heat of her palm only made her skin burn worse.

  “Here you go.”

  She took the ice pack and pressed it to her skin. “Thanks. I promise I don’t normally injure myself at every turn.”

  “I shouldn’t have been walking by so fast.”

  “What are you doing here? Is this where you go to church?”

  “Yes. I was running a campaign errand—official business.”

  His crooked smile made her heart tilt. She just noticed the box he’d set on counter.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  She opened her mouth but couldn’t think what to say. Did he know AA met in his church building on Friday nights? “I, uh . . . I’m—”

  Something shifted in his eyes. His gaze darted toward the doorway before it returned to hers.

  Yes, he knew about the meetings. Katie’s mouth went dry.

  “Sorry. None of my business.”

  Boy, she’d had a busy five minutes. After twenty years she finally had her mother’s phone number in her pocket along with an invitation to call, and Cooper Robinson thought she was an alcoholic. And she couldn’t really explain without divulging very personal information.

  He gestured to the ice pack. “How’s the burn?”

  “Better. I should go home and get something on this.”

  “Yeah, good idea. I’ll clean up here.” In his hurry to help her, he’d left out the ice bag and Ziploc box and a knife he’d used to chisel the ice.

  She held up the ice pack. “Thanks again.”

  Their eyes connected, and she saw so many things there. Affection. Concern. Questions. But she couldn’t return his affection, and she wasn’t ready to give him answers—so she just turned and left.

  12

  “Happy birthday, Mom.” Cooper kissed her on the cheek as she set a dish of something on the picnic table. The smell of grilling burgers carried across the backyard. “You don’t look a day over sixty.”

  She swatted him on the back of the head. “I’m only forty-nine, smart aleck.”

  “We should have a big bash next year for the big five-oh.”

  “That’s what I told her,” Jeff said from behind the grill.

  Avery set down a bowl of potato salad. “We should rent out the Trailhead and invite the whole town.”

  “That’s what I’m talking about.” Jeff’s laugh lines fanned out as he smiled.

  “There’s only one thing wrong with that plan,” his mom said. “It sounds like torture.”

  “Wouldn’t hurt you to be the center of attention for once in your life.” Cooper got it, he really did. But his mom gave so much to the town, worked so hard behind the scenes serving as a trail angel, organizing fund-raisers, overseeing the children’s program at church. He’d love to see her recognized for everything she did.

  “Where’s Gavin?” Cooper asked.

  Avery grabbed a handful of SunChips from the bag. “Running a few minutes late.”

  Mom was on her way back to the kitchen for more food. Cooper followed her and gave her a hand. He was setting the condiments on the picnic table when Gavin came around the side of the house.

  And right on his heels was Katelyn.

  “Hey, guys!” Gavin said. “Happy birthday, Mom.”

  They exchanged greetings, and Kate’s gaze met and held Cooper’s for a long beat when they said hello.

  Mom stopped fussing with the tablecloth long enough to hug Gavin and welcome Kate. She welcomed everyone with open arms—it was her way. Kate seemed to blossom like a flower under her attention.

  Next to Gavin, Kate seemed so petite. So cute. Her hair swung from a ponytail today, her long neck exposed. Her sunny yellow top showed off tanned arms, and the denim shorts she’d paired it with made the most of her shapely legs.

  He pulled his gaze away. The unexpected sight of her was a sucker punch. He hadn’t seen her since last week when he’d literally bumped into her at the church. He’d thought about that night a lot. About Katelyn being an alcoholic. He hated that for her. And he wished he didn’t know because he wasn’t sure she’d told Gavin—and it was kind of a big deal.

  “Dinner is served.” Jeff set a platter of thick burgers in the center of the table.

  “Do we have great timing or what?” Gavin said.

  Avery nudged Gavin. “It’s like you have a sixth sense or something. Every time he stops by my place, I’m just getting dinner out of the oven.”

  “You mean out of the take-out bag,” Gavin said.

  “She’s a busy working woman,” Kate said. “She doesn’t have time to cook every night.”

  “That’s right. But I do cook on certain days.” She pointed at Gavin. “And I’m not telling you which ones.”

  “Aw, give a poor bachelor a break,” Gavin said. “Have you seen the size of my kitchen?”

  Avery rolled her eyes. “As if that’s the problem.”

  Everyone found a seat at the table, and Jeff said grace, thanking God for his wife and praying for many more years with her. As soon as he finished they all dug in.

  Cooper helped himself to a burger, smothered in melted cheddar, and avoided looking up. Why did it seem like Kate was always seated directly across from him? He took a heaping spoonful of potato salad and passed the bowl to Avery, then went to work on the condiments.

  Gavin got up and grabbed a couple drinks from the cooler. When he returned he placed a wine cooler in front of Kate.

  She glanced at Cooper. “Oh, um . . . could I just have a water please?”

  “Sure thing.” Gavin fetched the water.

  Clearly she hadn’t told his brother. And given their family history with alcoholism, that might be an issue for Gavin.

  None of your business.

  He blocked Kate from his mind and tuned in to the conversation going on around him. The family caught each other up on their work lives.

  Jeff owned Trailside Market. That was where he and Mom had first spoken. His mom asked if they carried Band-Aids, and the rest was history.

  The campsite was keeping Gavin busy, and the clinic was bursting with patients. Cooper told about a repeat caller, all hang-ups. It turned out the couple’s four-year-old son was good with a cell phone and wanted to hear the sirens.

  “I got my hair done yesterday,” Mom said during a break in the conversation.

  “Looks nice, Mom,” Gavin said. “I thought something was different about you.”

  “Yeah, looks great.” His brother wouldn’t notice if their mom had shaved her head.

  “I wasn’t fishing for compliments.” Mom nudged Cooper. “I saw Amber Clarke there, and she asked after you.”

  “So?”

  “So, she’s clearly interested, honey, and she seems like a nice girl. She’s gorgeous and she comes from a good family too. You should ask her out.”

  “He’s already gone out with her twice,” Avery said. “Once for coffee and once on a picnic.”

  He spared Avery a look. “I don’t recall mentioning that.”

  She shrugged and stuffed a spoonful of potato salad in her mouth.

  “I heard the picnic went well,” Gavin said. “There was definitely kissing involved.”

  Cooper scowled at him. Stupid grapevine.

  “Well,” Mom said, “it was clear she was interested, that’s all.”

  “Thank you, Mom,” he said facetiously.

  “I’m not butting in—just trying to be helpful.”

  “I can handle my own love life, thanks just the same. What about you, Avery? Are you seeing anyone these days?”

  She pushed her mahogany hair over her shoulder. “I’m having an extended affair with my clinic, and we’re very happy together.”

  Mom glanced at Jeff. “How’d we raise these two? Didn’t we provide an adequate example of happy married life? One of you is a workaholic and the other can’t seem to make it past three dates.”

  “Give me credit for trying,” Cooper said. “Besides, I have a demanding job, and there is the small matter of my run for sheriff.”

  “And between the clinic and Coop’s campaign, I’ve got all I can handle.”

  Mom picked up her burger. “I give up.”

  “Finally,” Cooper muttered, earning him a frown.

  “You should join a dating website,” Jeff said to Cooper. “Broaden your horizons.”

  “And disappoint all the single ladies of Riverbend?” Avery took a bite of her burger.

  “That seems to be the way all the kids are doing it these days.”

  “I’m not joining a dating site.” Cooper’s eyes connected with Kate’s, and he caught the little twitch of her lips. The irritation drained right out of him, and his own lips tilted upward.

  “Anyway, I told Amber you’d give her a call,” Mom said.

  That caught his attention. “What?”

  “She wants to volunteer for your campaign and after all, you can hardly have too much help.”

  Amber wanted to be more than a volunteer for his campaign. But at his mom’s prolonged look, he sighed. “Fine, I’ll call her.”

  “Don’t sound so begrudging. She’s a lovely girl.”

  Cooper let the subject drop and thankfully Jeff changed the topic.

  * * *

  Katie tossed the beanbag, which landed on the slanted wooden board right next to the hole.

  “Nice,” Gavin said from across the grassy lawn.

  Her last shot arced through the air and sank into the hole.

  Gavin punched the air. “Yes!”

  “Good one,” said Avery, who stood next to her.

  “We’re up by four.” Gavin collected the red and blue bags with Cooper.

  “Did we mention Coop and Avery are undefeated this year?” Lisa asked Katie from the picnic table.

  “Oh boy.” Katie rubbed her hands together. “Pressure’s on.”

  “And they hardly lost last year,” Jeff said. “They’re the team to beat.”

  “We’re going to take ’em down, Katie,” Gavin said. “Let’s go!”

  Jeff got a call and slipped away from the family.

  Katie couldn’t miss the humor in Cooper’s eyes. Gavin clearly took the game more seriously than his brother. Their eyes clung for a long moment. Why did it always seem like an invisible thread connected them?

  The moment was lost when Gavin handed Cooper the red bags. Cooper lined up his body, a frown of concentration slicing his brows. He sank his first shot. The second came close. Avery cheered him on.

  Gavin’s family was so fun. So welcoming. They rooted for each other and bickered lightheartedly, much like she and Spencer had done. But they were a whole family, complete with mom and dad, something she’d always craved. Even though they were actually two families patched together, it didn’t feel that way. And every time she was with them, they made her feel as if she was one of them.

  Katie’s gaze caught on Cooper, thinking back to the conversation over dinner. To the way his mom had butted in on his love life. He obviously objected to her interference, but Katie thought it would be wonderful to have a mother who cared so much about the details of her life.

  She couldn’t help but wonder who Amber was and if Cooper was interested in her. He must be if he’d kissed her on their picnic date. At the thought of his lips on another woman, jealousy pricked hard. She had no right to feel that way—she was dating his brother.

  What would’ve happened if Avery had set her up with Cooper instead of Gavin?

  She was a terrible person. Gavin was a great guy, and he treated her so well. He’d been through such a hard time—she couldn’t imagine the pain of losing a child. And then a divorce on top of it.

  She needed to put these ridiculous thoughts of Cooper from her mind.

  Cooper’s last bag thunked on the board, and she gave Gavin a bright smile. “We only need six points. You’ve got this.”

  Gavin winked at her, sure in his ability to pull it off. His first three bags plunked onto the board. The fourth hit the ground. And the last one sailed through the air and flopped through the hole. “Yes! We did it.”

  “Great job,” Katie said as Lisa applauded from the table.

  “Lucky shot,” Cooper teased.

  “Lucky shot, my—”

  “Be nice, Brother,” Avery said.

  Katie and Gavin met in the middle for a high five, then he pulled her into his arms for a hug.

  “We should play girls against guys,” Avery said. “I’ll bet Katie and I could wipe the floor with you two.”

  “What about Mom and Jeff?” Cooper said.

  They turned toward the table.

  Jeff had just gotten off the phone, and Lisa was watching him with a frown. “What’s wrong, hon?”

  Sensing that something was afoot, the family converged at the table.

  “That was Louis Parker from the Trail Conservancy,” Jeff said in a sober voice. “They called a special meeting and—they’re shutting down the Main Street Bridge for repairs. The trail won’t be coming through town again until it’s repaired.”

  * * *

  “What’s wrong with the bridge?” Cooper’s mind spun with the ramifications. If the bridge was down, hikers couldn’t come through. Most of the town’s businesses were set up to accommodate them: the outfitters, the market, the hostels, the campground, and the motel. No hikers, no business. Even the coffee shop and restaurants would struggle.

  “That last storm we had,” Jeff said, “the logjam did some damage. They’re leaving it open for the next month—long enough to reroute the trail, then they’re shutting it down till the repairs are done.”

  “Reroute the trail where?” Mom asked.

  “Through Silverton.”

  “That’s seven miles away.” Cooper’s stomach took a dive. Hikers wouldn’t come this far out of the way. Why would they even hitchhike if they found everything they were looking for in Silverton?

  “But Silverton isn’t set up as well as Riverbend,” Mom said. “And the town isn’t exactly known for putting out a welcome mat for hikers.”

  “There’s really no choice. Anyway, Louis thinks their attitude will change once business starts flooding in.”

  “But clearing a new trail will cost a lot of money,” Gavin said.

  Jeff shrugged, sinking onto the bench beside Mom.

  Cooper joined his parents at the table and so did the others. Quiet descended as the news settled. This would not only mean economic hardship for the community but also for Jeff’s store, which had been around since the early eighties when his parents opened it.

  “But wait,” Avery said. “They’d still have to get the hikers across the river, and there’s no bridge in Silverton.”

  “No, but they have that old railroad truss,” Jeff said. “In the next month they’re planning to make it into a footbridge.”

  “How long will our bridge repairs take?” Cooper asked.

  “Up to six months, they think.”

  Cooper’s shoulders sank. “Six months? That’s the rest of the season.”

  The winter months were hard enough without losing half of tourist season too. It would be like a ghost town without the tourists. Would the businesses make it through this?

  “There has to be something we can do,” Mom said. “Some way to bring business to the community.”

  “What about an event of some kind?” Katelyn said. “A festival or something?”

  Mom sat up straight. “That’s a brilliant idea! It’s too late for a summer festival, but we could do some kind of fall celebration. One last big hurrah before winter.”

  “It’s already the end of August, Ma,” Gavin said.

  Avery leaned in. “If anyone can throw together an event in short order, it’s Lisa. And she’s on the city council.”

  “They’ll see the need for this,” Mom said. “I know I can get them on board. And the town will be eager to follow suit. If we’re going to count on good weather, we should schedule it no later than Halloween.”

  Jeff shook his head. “But that’ll take us right up to the election. That’s a lot for this family to contend with.”

  “Cooper and I can keep our focus on the campaign, and the rest of you can put your heart into the festival,” Avery said. “Maybe we could even use the festival to benefit Coop’s campaign in some way.”

  “Great idea,” Cooper said. “And I’ve got plenty of volunteers, Mom. You don’t need to worry about that.”

  “Now we just need to figure out what kind of shindig we should have,” Mom said.

  Gavin tilted his head to the side. “What about a harvest festival?”

  “Or maybe something related to the trails?” Kate suggested.

  “I love that.” Mom threw an arm around Kate. “You’re a genius, sweetheart.”

  Kate’s cheeks bloomed with color.

  “We could call it Trail Days . . .” Jeff said. “And it could celebrate the history and culture of the trail.”

  Cooper nodded. “I love it.”

  “It’s perfect,” Gavin said.

  The mood around the table had shifted from despair to excitement.

  Eyes sparkling with resolve, Mom leaned in. “We’ll make Trail Days the best festival this area has ever seen. It’ll bring the revenue this town needs to make it through.”

  Catching the spirit, Cooper smiled. “We’ll do whatever it takes to survive. And so will the rest of the town.”