“My dad really likes you,” she said as we rode back. “He’s been different since you got here.”
“Different in a good way?” I hoped she didn’t think I’d been taking him away from her.
“Yeah,” she said. “He seems happier. Last summer he didn’t ride as much or go to the hot springs. He’s having more fun now.”
“I’ve been having fun too.” More fun than I ever imagined when I fled to this ranch, thinking only of escape and anonymity. Who knew I’d find so much more?
Matthew and Walt took Gigi on a special moonlight ride after dinner, and although they invited me to join them, it didn’t feel right to intrude. Gigi and I had done our special ride and picnic, and now she needed time with her dad and the man who was like a favorite uncle to her. While they were out on their ride, I continued making spreadsheets and planning my pitch. The property would keep its charm if we restored and renovated the current buildings, but we’d also add modernity and comfort by building new structures like a pickleball court and the wellness spa that I’d expected when I first arrived. Since there were already a plethora of dude ranches that catered to families on vacation, we’d use our ranch for other purposes. Tori called when I was finishing up my work for the evening.
“So you’re still set on letting Freddy go ahead and plant his stories in the media?” Disappointment laced her tone. In all my excitement about buying the ranch, I’d almost forgotten about what was happening back home. New York felt a million miles away from here.
“I really don’t want to rehash this,” I said. “I’ve made up my mind about that situation.”
“What’s going on with you?” she asked. “You practically hung up on me the other day. Are you mad at me? I feel like you’re keeping secrets.”
“No secrets, and I’m not mad at all.” Right as I spoke, an owl screeched outside my window, as if calling me out on my lie.
“Okay.” She went quiet, and I knew she didn’t believe me. “How’s the rancher?”
“Matthew is fine.”
More uncomfortable silence ensued, which was unusual for us.
“You are coming home, aren’t you?”
“Yes, of course! There’s a big party arriving soon, and the ranch is completely booked so I’ll be back in two or three days. I just need to buy a ticket.” Matthew had said I could stay at his house when my cabin was needed for new guests, but I’d be in his way. He was so understaffed that I had no idea how he was going to get through the next few weeks.
“Then what’s going on?” she demanded. “I know you, and something is off.” She was losing patience with me, and although I wanted to share my ideas with Matthew first, maybe it was better if I tested out my presentation before I spoke to him?
“I’ve always been supportive of your business pursuits,” I said. “Just remember that when I tell you what I’m about to tell you. Okay?”
“Okay, hit me with it.”
I took a deep breath, clicked on the PowerPoint I’d made on my laptop for my own reference, and then dove in. “Silver Sage Ranch is in financial trouble, and Matthew might have to sell it. I’ve talked about it with Deborah, and I can afford to buy this place. I’m going to make an offer to him and pitch my plans for revitalizing it. It needs major updates, but it has great bones. Have you looked at the photos I’ve been sending you? The scenery out here is magnificent, and the property’s potential is endless. Please listen before you tell me I’m nuts.” I held my breath as I waited for her reaction.
“I’m just relieved you’re not getting engaged. You had me worried there for a minute. Tell me more.”
“If I bought the ranch, we could start doing Ms. Match couples retreats here, like we’ve always talked about, helping people work on their relationships. We could also do singles retreats, if we wanted to go in that direction. We’ve also talked about having conferences for female professionals and leaders so they could network, and this would be a great place for that too. The sticking point for starting all of that up is always the hassle and expense of finding a location. If I owned the ranch, that wouldn’t be an impediment anymore.”
“Interesting…what else?”
My pulse quickened because her tone was curious and engaged, like she was taking me seriously, which was almost more than I’d hoped for. “We’ve talked about how the show is getting stale, and we’re not bringing in new viewers. It’s a great time to transition to something else, a different format. I was thinking about a new version ofMs. MatchcalledWestern Matchmaker. The premise of the show would be that you come out here and match up people who live in Wyoming. Like a rancher looking for a wife to help him run his cattle ranch or a young rodeo star who’s ready to settle down. Matthew’s brother is a country vet who’s quite a catch.”
“Hate the name, but that’s a fun idea,” Tori said. “It’s never been done before either, not that way.”
“We could get footage of you doing Western things too,” I said. “Like trying to ride a mechanical bull or doing some target shooting. We could film some of that at the ranch.”
“And how are you going to do all this and still keep up as our CFO in New York?” she asked.
“I would spend a lot of time out here,” I admitted. “We’d need to hire someone to take on a lot of my day-to-day duties in New York. I need a change, Tori. I’m stagnating at work, and I don’t want to retire next year and learn Mahjong. My time here has transformed me in ways I couldn’t have put into words before I got here, but it was exactly what I needed. I want this new challenge.”
What I didn’t need was her approval to buy the ranch, but I wanted that, too. I wanted this place to be connected to our work in New York, and for that part, I needed her onboard.
“I’m going to say to you what you said to me when I wanted to start a matchmaking company, and I asked you to quit your job and join me.”
“Okay.” I tried to remember back to that conversation. “What did I say?”
“You said, this isn’t just about what you enjoy doing today. This is about your future. Is matchmaking what you want to spend your days and nights thinking about? Is this your passion?”
