I laughed, but I knew she was only half kidding. “I can’t believe I’m at the wrong ranch.”
She clicked her tongue. “I know, right? This is something that would happen to me, not you.”
It was true. Normally, I over-planned everything so that my copious lists had sub-lists. As a finance person, I rarely left anything to chance, and I’d surprised myself by not being more upset about Sully’s error. Maybe being publicly humiliated had broken something inside of me. I wasn’t even completely sure what clothing I’d packed in my bag until I put everything away in the cabin’s closet and dresser.
“My mind hasn’t been razor sharp lately. I keep thinking about what happened that night.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and squeezed my eyes shut. “She had her hands in his pants, Tori. What was he thinking? We were all right on the other side of that curtain. Is he some kind of adrenaline junkie? I know people have sex in public places, but that was just so…”
“Stupid,” she finished for me. “It was stupid. He was thinking with his dick, and he’s probably in a midlife crisis. I know it seems like life won’t get better, honey, but it will. This too shall pass, as Mom says.”
“I know. I need to think about other things and not dwell on the past.” Easier said than done. “Hey, apparently, there are cows on this ranch who might join me on my hikes.”
“Good God, we need to get you out of there. Do cows attack humans?”
“Pretty sure they’re peaceful creatures. At least I hope so.” I shook a handful of trail mix from the bag into my hand. “Someday we’re going to look back on all of this and laugh. Right now I want to cry.”
“Don’t cry,” she said. “Or do if it makes you feel better. I’m going to chew out Sully and make that reservation, just in case.”
“Thanks, sis.”
“No problem. I love you. And send me a picture of this Matthew guy when you get a chance. I need an image in my mind.”
How did she realize he was hot when I hadn’t confirmed it? Twin sister second sense was the only explanation.
“Fine, I’ll try to get one when he’s not looking. That won’t be weird at all.”
I’d have to find Matthew in the morning anyway. If I planned to hike, I was going to need something other than sandals to wear. There had to be a store somewhere in the area. Every time I thought about that wrangler telling Matthew to give me the “deluxe ranch experience,” I laughed. It was only funny because Matthew had sounded so horrified by the idea of tricking me. My gut was right about him being an honest person. If only I’d gone with my gut in those days leading up to my wedding and not married Freddy. By the time I’d realized he might not be a man of integrity, we’d already invited three hundred of our closest friends and family to attend our nuptials at his cousin’s villa in Provence. Canceling a destination wedding felt catastrophic at the time, and I convinced myself that his flirtatiousness and self-centered behavior would get better.
Not so much.
“Get those divorce papers signed,” she said. “I don’t care if you have to offer him more now. You’re going to do so well in this syndication deal that you can afford to pay him a little extra to get this thing over with. Remember that.”
We hung up the phone, and I knew I should feel euphoric about the syndication deal. Money brought independence, and this was the culmination of many years of hard work. Except…sometimes it seemed like my professional life was the only place where I was winning. Yes, I had two wonderful kids, I couldn’t forget about that, but they were both grown up and didn’t need me much anymore. My siblings were both in serious relationships, and I’d let a lot of my friendships fizzle out. My apartment was quiet in the evenings, and for the first time in my adult life, I was lonely. Did I want a romantic relationship? A new career challenge? A trip on one of those cruise ships that sails around the world? I wasn’t exactly sure, but something had become clear in my mind on that beautiful drive to the ranch. There had to be another adventure in store for the second half of my life, and I was going to find it.
CHAPTER6
MATTHEW
Tyler, sweaty and dirty from a morning of putting a new belt on the dryer, poked his head into the office. It brought back memories of when I was around his age, finished with college and helping my parents run the ranch. This place used to be bustling with guests from May through August, and everyone in the family was expected to pitch in and do their part. Tyler seemed to love the place as much as I did, and I wished he could have seen it in its prime.
“I’m gonna head out in a few minutes to pick up supplies in town,” he said, “but I need a shower first.”
“Sounds good. Take my truck. Keys are in it.”
That was one of the nice things about living at the ranch—you never had to lock a car door. You might need to carry bear spray with you, but that was another story.
He nodded crisply. “You got it. Okay if Gigi comes with me?”
She was somewhere on the premises, but I wasn’t exactly sure where she’d gone after grabbing a muffin from the breakfast tray in the staff mess hall. Probably to the stables.
“I think she’d love that, Ty. Thanks. You can call her on the walkie. She has it with her.” Gigi looked up to Tyler and his girlfriend Kyra like the older siblings she never had. They were good kids to choose as role models—hard working, responsible and level-headed.
After he was gone, I worked on some accounting, trying not to think about my intriguing guest from Manhattan. She wasn’t at breakfast, at least not when I stopped by the dining room, and I needed to find her soon so we could book some activities for the day. Why was she wearing a wedding ring but vacationing by herself? And why was her sister planning trips for her? Lauren Wagonblast was certainly a woman of mystery. It felt like she was running from something, but I couldn’t understand what that could be.
As if on cue, she strode into the office wearing black shorts that exposed her tanned, shapely legs. My heartbeat quickened at the sight of her like a damn schoolboy with a crush. She’d paired her shorts with a white t-shirt that somehow looked a lot more expensive than the white t-shirt I was wearing, even though they both seemed to be made of cotton. Must have been the way she wore it, and she did wear it well.
“Good morning,” she said. “I came to check if anyone is heading to town today?” She glanced toward my bluetooth speaker. “You listen to K-pop?”
“Ummm…” Dammit, I’d left Blackpink playing without realizing it. I reached over and slapped the power button. “My daughter loves this band, and I listen so I can relate. You know how it is.” I shrugged and sighed, to clarify that I was doing it for my kid. “Parenting.”
