“I think I found out something about myself this week.” She clenched her teeth together in a grimace. “I’m not very good at relaxing.”
I laughed and shook my head. “You’re only discovering this about yourself now? I could have guessed that an hour after we’d met.”
“Ha ha.” She playfully slugged my arm, and even that bit of contact felt good. I’d missed her, and we’d only parted a few hours earlier, when Walt unlocked the gate and we drove back to the ranch. Sleeping with her at my side had been something special. The shampoo she used made her hair smell like honeysuckle, and it was like waking up with my nose buried in sweet flowers.
“C’mon in then,” I said. “I’ll give you a task and then you can check it off my list.”
She pressed a hand to her chest. “How did you know I love lists?”
“Lucky guess.”
As we walked into the Round Room, I tried to see it through her eyes. The hand-peeled aspen log chairs matched the rustic atmosphere of the room perfectly, but their leather cushions were wearing thin. The stone fireplace was a classic feature that was also in need of a good cleaning. I hoped she could appreciate the finer details of the room despite the age on them, including the pine plank floors and the airy feeling created by the high ceiling that rose to a peak in the center. It suddenly occurred to me that maybe my nostalgia clouded my view of how this place really looked.
“This room is so interesting,” she murmured after saying hello to Gigi and Tyler.
I hoped interesting was good and not a euphemism for dated and dusty.
“I’ve always liked it. We’re trying to make it look a little festive for tonight, but I’m afraid that’s not really my strong suit.”
“Have you ever thought of—” she stopped herself short. “Nothing, sorry.” She mimed zipping her lips.
“Go ahead,” I said. “I don’t mind suggestions.” One of the disappointing things about running the ranch on my own, without a spouse or a sibling, was that there was no one to bounce around ideas with or share in the triumphs and struggles. Part of the joy my parents experienced in owning the ranch was building the business together. My father had been the front man and the boss, but Mom’s handiwork was all over the ranch, from the choice of quilts on the beds to the website pages detailing the backstory of every horse the ranch ever owned.
“Well…” Lauren walked around the room, her hands on her hips and a pensive expression on her face. “I’m picturing little lamps on some of these tables for mood lighting. I think that would give this room a cozy glow.” She looked up at the wagon wheel style chandeliers on the ceiling. “You get some light from up there, but it’s still pretty dark in here.”
“That’s a good idea.” I wondered if I could find some decent lamps at the Goodwill in Cheyenne next time I was there.
“Some cozy rugs might be nice scattered around the room to give it more warmth. It would be great if they were in a Native American pattern. Of course, you’d want to find something authentic, not a ripoff. My sister would really be the woman to help with decor. She has an amazing eye for detail.”
I could see the businesswoman in her as she surveyed the room, making mental improvements. She blushed as she clocked me watching her.
“Not that you need to do anything to this room. It’s charming as it is.”
“No, those are good suggestions,” I said. “Thank you. Would you like a drink from the bar? We just got it set up.”
She waved a hand, showing off her nails, which were now stripped of paint. “No, don’t be silly. Put me to work.”
I tasked her with helping Gigi knock down the cobwebs that had accumulated on the ceiling of the wrap-around porch. No doubt a busy, successful woman like Lauren had a housekeeper back home, but she jumped right into the task. Meanwhile, I got the extension ladder out of the storage barn to change some of the burned out chandelier bulbs.
After finishing our clean-up of the Round Room, we parted ways so we could all get showered and dressed for dinner. I told Gigi she should eat dinner with Lauren by the pool while I tended to a few last details. The two of them got along so well that it was hard not to imagine what it would be like if I had Lauren in my life as more than a ranch guest. Obviously, that was only a dream because our lives wouldn’t intersect for anything more than a vacation.
I tried to simmer down and not get too excited about seeing Lauren all gussied up, as my mother would have said. Gigi and I put on our best pairs of jeans and boots, and we both chose to wear black Western shirts that snapped down the front. Hers had roses embroidered on the front pockets. Without trying, we ended up looking like a matching pair. She found it amusing to be my mini-me, and I treasured the moment, making sure to get a photo of the two of us. In a few years, she’d probably want to look nothing like her father.
Merle and Jean Tucker were the first guests to arrive at the Round Room looking sharp, as usual, in their western wear and turquoise jewelry. Wizened with wrinkles, but still spry in spirit, they asked Tyler to start the music so they could warm up on the dance floor.
“Takes a little longer to oil the gears these days,” Merle said with a wink.
Sam showed up next with a plate of homemade cookies in hand. To my surprise, Ella was with him. She must have taken a night off from The Mangy Marmot, which was out of character for her. Instead of the “bartender bun” she always wore her hair in while working, her auburn tresses hung down around her shoulders in ringlet curls. She wore pressed white jeans and an off-the-shoulder light pink blouse that showed off her shapely figure, and…was that a rosy lip gloss on her lips? The fact that Ella was dressed up all feminine and cute was unusual and a little concerning. If this was an actual date, Sam would find a way to mess up the relationship, as he always did, and in the process, he’d ruin a longstanding friendship. There was no way I was going to let that happen.
I gave Ella a brotherly hug. “I didn’t know you were coming with Sam tonight. I thought you had to work?”
“I got Dakota to cover for me. You know I love to two-step.” She gave me her signature extra tight squeeze before brusquely pushing me away. That hug was Ella in a nutshell. “And Sam gave me a sad story about not having a date for the evening. I didn’t want him to arrive alone, looking like a loser.”
“Lies.” Sam handed me the plate of his delicious sea salt, chocolate chunk and caramel cookies. “She was the one without plans tonight, and I felt sorry for her.”
Ella patted him on the shoulder. “Sure, you tell yourself that, Sam.” She looked over at me. “I’m getting a drink before I have to attempt dancing with your brother. You know he has two left feet.” Ella sauntered off to the bar where Tyler was mixing drinks. Once she was out of earshot, I stared down my brother.
“What happened to your original date?”
