Aunt Mo gave her a rundown of all that had to be done. Together they worked to prepare a baked egg casserole to go with the fried bacon and hash browns with homemade biscuits.
“Mmm…something smells good.”
Charlie Grace looked up to see Gibbs in the doorway. “Now, why is it that you always show up when there’s bacon frying?” she asked, pouring herself a second mug of coffee.
“Well, good morning to you, too,” he said, helping himself to a crisp slice from the plate Aunt Mo held in her hand.
The older woman smiled and handed him another.
Charlie Grace wasn’t as generous. “If you start eating breakfast here, the cost will be deducted from your wages,” she warned. “Besides, you have a lot to do. Shouldn’t you be out at the barns doing it?”
He moved to slap her on the butt. “Oh, settle down.”
She caught his hand before it hit its mark. “I mean it, Gibbs. This job ain’t no free ride.”
He lifted the mug from her hand and took a sip. “Like I said, no reason to fret. The feedings are all done. You’re getting low on grain, though, so I plan to head in and grab some sacks from Wylie’s.” He pulled a crumpled piece of paper and a pen from his back pants pocket. “You need anything else while I’m in town?”
She shook her head, choosing not to acknowledge his completed chores. “Don’t go dawdling in town. You’re on my time clock, and I’m not paying you to chat up the boys at the Feed and Seed.” Despite the weak smile on her face, she gave him a look that meant business.
Gibbs responded with a tip of his hat and a wide grin. “Yes, boss.”
As soon as the door shut behind him, Charlie Grace turned to Aunt Mo and groaned out loud.
“Oh, honey. It would be best if you quit letting Gibbs get under your skin like that. Robs you of peace.”
“You’re right.” Charlie Grace moved for the sink and tossed the remains of her coffee down the drain. “Right now, I’ve got to get a little girl up and ready for school. Should only take me a few minutes, and then I’ll get back over here.”
Aunt Mo placed the platter of bacon into the oven next to the egg casserole to stay warm. “Well, honey. You best let me do that. It looks like your first guests have arrived.” She pointed out the window.
An SUV wound its way up the lane.
The palms on Charlie Grace’s hands suddenly turned clammy. All the dreaming, the planning, the preparation—now it was show time.
Her aunt seemed to sense what she was feeling. “It’s the dawning of a new day here at Teton Trails.” She squeezed Charlie Grace’s hands in her own. “Savor this moment. You’ve worked hard, Charlie Grace.”
She couldn’t help it. Her eyelids burned with unshed tears. She blinked away the emotion. “Yup…a new day.”
She smiled at her aunt and then headed out the door to greet her first guests.
11
Charlie Grace found herself strangely excited as she headed across the front porch and watched the SUV doors open. Out climbed a man who looked to be in his forties wearing chinos, a polo shirt, and loafers. The woman, who she guessed must be his wife, had long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. She wore a floral T-shirt dress and stylish canvas sports shoes in a shade of pink that matched the pattern in her dress. Two adorable children exited the back passenger seat—a boy and a girl who looked very near the same age.
“Wow!” said the boy, looking all around.
“There’s horses!” The girl pointed toward the corrals. “Real ones.”
That brought a smile to Charlie Grace’s face. “Welcome. You must be the Clark family,” she said, moving down the stairs with an outstretched hand. “I’m Charlie Grace Rivers, one of the owners here at Teton Trails.”
She helped them unload their luggage and learned that Jay and Gail Clark were from Logan, Utah. Jay was a software engineer, and his wife was a stay-at-home mom who homeschooled their twin children, age nine. Kyle and Kaylie.
“Let’s get you settled,” Charlie Grace suggested. She led them to the biggest guest cabin, a two-room log structure with a fireplace and a kitchenette. “You have a coffee pot and sodas in the refrigerator, all complimentary.” She turned to the kids. “The snacks in the basket are also for you.”
Kyle’s eyes widened. “Yum! I love candy bars.”
“Me, too,” his sister added as she grabbed a Snickers.
Gail slipped the bar from her daughter’s hand. “Uh, uh…no sugar until after breakfast.”
