I tugged on Gigi’s braid. “You should be a writer someday, since you’re so good at making up stories about people. I need to go over and say hello to her.”
As I strode over to Lauren’s table, I prayed Chef was going to prepare something magnificent tonight. She looked like someone who was used to five-star meals, and I needed him to put on his best cooking performance for her first night at the ranch.
“Good evening,” I said to her with a tip of my head.
“Hello, Matthew.” She smiled up at me, and I was under the spell of those brown eyes again. “How are you?”
“I’m well, thank you.” It was time to put on those fancy manners my mother taught me. “I hope your accommodations are to your liking?”
“My cabin is fine,” she said. “The bed is so comfortable that I slept for an hour this afternoon. I was wondering, do you have a map of the ranch?”
“I have some in the office,” I said, “but, honestly, once you walk around the property tomorrow, you’ll have this area figured out in no time. All the buildings are concentrated in one area. You will want a map for the hiking trails, though. If you plan to go on a long hike alone, make sure you tell us first and take enough water with you, of course.”
She nodded, but her eyes told me she still had questions. “How do I make a reservation for the spa?”
“You mean the hot springs?” I was glad she’d asked about this amenity because it was something special we offered. A few years back, a Canadian named Luke Daltry moved to Three Rivers, the town nearest to the ranch, and renovated the facilities at the hot springs. The mineral waters were supposed to have healing properties, and guests had raved about their experiences over there.
“We offer trips by request,” I continued. “It’s prettier under the stars, so we usually go in the evening. Plus, it’s nice to soak after a day of riding.”
Lauren tilted her head and frowned. “No, I mean the spa here at the ranch. I’d like to look a t the menu of everything you offer.”
I widened my stance, feeling like our conversation was about to hit a rut in the road. “We don’t have that kind of spa at Silver Sage.” Had she really booked a trip here when she knew nothing about us? The best I could offer for a facial was some locally sourced eggs and milk. Actually, that sounded more like an omelet than something a lady would put on her face.
“You don’t have a spa? Are you sure?” She was looking at me like I was the one who had gotten bad information.
“Pretty darn sure.” I took a deep breath and tamped down my irritation. “I’m not sure why you thought we did.”
“When my sister described this place, it sounded very different from what I’m seeing here. I’m just wondering if there’s been some mistake.” She looked worried now, and worried wasn’t good.
“We had your reservation.” My chest tightened as I prepared myself for a confrontation. First, she heard us talking about the “deluxe ranch package,” and now this? “You’re paid in full for the week, so I don’t believe there’s been a mistake on our part.”
“It’s almost like she sent me to the wrong Silver Sage Ranch,” she said with a little laugh.
“There’s not another one in Wyoming,” I said. “Someone did tell me about a Silvery Sage Resort and Spa that opened last summer in Montana, but that’s nowhere near here. Not even the same state.”
Her eyes widened. “Did you say Montana?”
Oh crap. “Yes.”
“Oh, my God.” She pressed her hand to her forehead. “I think I’m at the wrong ranch.”
* * *
Many things can gowrong for guests when they’re on vacation—accidents, health conditions, family conflicts, emergencies back home. We’d dealt with our fair share of these events at the ranch, both the odd and unexpected as well as the routine. In our history, however, I couldn’t remember a guest ever coming here by mistake.
After Lauren’s revelation, she stepped outside to call her sister, and from what I saw through the window, it looked like quite an animated conversation. Yikes. Someone was in trouble. A few minutes later, she returned to tell me her sister asked an assistant to book Lauren a trip to Silvery Sage Resort and Spa in Montana. That person did some half-assed Googling and booked her a stay at Silver Sage Ranch in Wyoming instead. I had many reasons not to feel bad about the situation, one of them being that this other outfit stole our name. Still, my instinct was to solve the problem for everyone’s benefit.
“I promise we can make sure you have an outstanding stay at the original Silver Sage Ranch,” I assured her. “Please sleep on it and consider giving us a chance.”
She looked exhausted and shell-shocked, and she didn’t seem at all convinced. And yes, I sounded desperate because I was. We direly needed the money she’d paid us, and although, technically, I didn’t have to give her a refund, I had this annoying thing called a conscience. There was only one way to fix the situation—I needed her to stay put and have a wonderful time.
“I’ll think about it over dinner,” Lauren said. “I’m sorry to involve you in my mess.”
“It’s fine,” I said, backing off. “Mistakes happen.” I was glad it wasn’t my mistake.
Fortunately, the dinner Chef prepared was delicious, and although our server Kyra, who was Tyler’s girlfriend, wasn’t the most genteel person in the world, she had a bright smile and a friendly attitude. Overall, I thought the meal went down well and might even sway Lauren toward staying a few more days. While she was having her coffee and dessert, I returned to her table.
“I’m sorry to bother you again,” I said, “but I wanted to make sure everything was satisfactory with your meal and that you have everything you need for tonight?”
