“Weekends get a little wild, but it’s a nice place to go on weeknights. Maybe we can—” I caught myself before I suggested the two of us go on what might sound like a date. After all, she was married, and it wascomplicated, not to mention she was a guest at the ranch. “Maybe we can have a little gathering in the Round Room one night to do some two-stepping.” Lauren nodded, so I continued down that path. “I think the other families would like that, and I could invite a few locals. I can’t let you get bored in the evenings.”
I pulled into the parking lot of The General Store and shut off the engine, waiting for her response. Had she picked up on my attraction to her? Was I scaring her off?
“I don’t think I’ll get bored,” she said, “but I’d love to learn to two-step. Sounds like I need some cowboy boots in addition to my hiking shoes.”
“Cowgirlboots, you mean.” I smiled to myself, hoping she’d pick me as a dance partner. “You’ve got to get a pair while you’re here. When in Wyoming…”
“Exactly,” she said.
We went inside the store, and I waited until she was looking at boots before I approached Alma at the register.
“Good morning, Matthew.” She set aside the crossword puzzle that she’d been working on. “Can I help you?”
“I need some tea.” I spoke quietly so Lauren wouldn’t overhear me. “Have you ever heard of matcha?”
Her wrinkled face creased even more deeply as she thought about the question. “Is that like Machu Picchu?”
“I don’t think so. It’s a kind of green tea a guest requested.”
“Oh, I’ve got boxes of green tea. Go over to the grocery section, and you’ll see it.”
“Has to be matcha,” I said. “It’s special.”
Alma sighed. “People are so particular about their beverages these days. Next thing you know, we’ll have a Starbucks on the corner selling pumpkin flavored coffee.”
I had a feeling we were in no danger of that happening any time soon. “Can you order it for me?”
She didn’t look thrilled, but she picked up her pen, nonetheless. “How many boxes do you want?”
“One would be great. I’ll pay for you to put a rush on it, too.”
She craned her neck to see who was at the back of the store. “Is that lady with the pretty legs the matcha drinker?”
Sometimes I wanted to live in a place where everyone minded their own business. “Yep, that’s the one.”
With a smirk on her lips, she winked at me. “Ah. I get it now, Matthew. Say no more. As my grandson would say, I’ll hook you up with the best matcha I can find. Don’t you worry, honey.”
“Thank you, Alma.” Lord, help me.
CHAPTER8
LAUREN
“What do you think?” Matthew asked as we stood inside the store aptly named Ranch Apparel.
“I’ve never seen so many shirts in my life.”
The main floor of the store housed dozens of circular racks packed full of western shirts in all colors, patterns, and sizes. Along the walls were built-in wooden shelves stocked with hundreds of pairs of jeans. I glanced over at the mannequin next to me with its bold patterned shirt, stiff Wrangler jeans, and brown leather boots. If I wasn’t careful, I was going to leave this place looking like an extra from the musical “Oklahoma.”
“Hey, Matthew,” a young woman called out from across the store. “Need any help?”
“Hello, Kate. We’re just heading upstairs to look at boots.” He put his hand on the small of my back. “Right this way. Boots and hats are on the second floor.”
His touch was friendly, a means of guiding me in the right direction. So why did it make me feel warm and glowing inside?
The stairs creaked as I walked up them, moving slowly so I could take in the photographs covering the wall to our right. The framed pictures, mostly eight by tens, featured riders at rodeos and regular men and women at work on ranches. I peered at the faces of the people in them, wondering if there was a photo of Matthew up there.
“It’s strange that you can live in the same country as someone,” I said over my shoulder, “and your life can be so vastly different.”
