Charlie Grace hurried out the door and was met with a signature evening—warm air filled with the scent of pines, sagebrush, and just a hint of honeysuckle from the bushes her mother had planted next to the fence line. The setting sun was awash with a warm glow of orange and pink hues, leaving the mountains silhouetted against the sky and casting long shadows over the valleys below.
As she drew closer to the fire pit, the smell of wood smoke hit her nostrils, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since that energy bar in the barn hours ago. She walked briskly toward the campfire, feeling the tickle of the blades of grass on her bare toes.
“Good evening, everyone! I hope you had a lovely first day here at Teton Trails.” She smiled. “And I hope you are all hungry.”
“We had a great time today,” Jay Clark announced. “We took a quick hike up to Hidden Falls. Amazing scenery.”
“There were so many birds,” his wife, Gail, added. “We even saw an eagle’s nest.”
Their son poked the campfire with a long stick. “Actually, Mom, it was a peregrine. Bald eagles are brown with white heads and tails.Peregrine falcons are similarly sized birds with dark blue bodies and white bellies. Their eye sockets, beaks, and talons are bright yellow. The white bellies of the falcons are barred, usually with brown, rust, or blue.”
Charlie Grace grinned. “My, you know a lot about birds.”
“He is especially into birds of prey,” his father explained. “Has been since he was barely in school.”
His sister spoke up. “I like hummingbirds.”
“You do?” Charlie Grace asked.
Not to be outdone by her brother, Kaylie quickly added, “Did you know there are over three hundred species?”
Charlie Grace smiled with amusement. “I did not.”
Satisfied, the little girl folded her arms and sat back in her lawn chair before continuing her animated conversation with Jewel, who had brought her Barbies to the event and was thrilled to have a playmate.
Charlie Grace turned to the older couple. “What about you two? Did you have a nice afternoon?”
Edith was quick with her response. “Oh, yes, dear. We both sat down on the edge of the river and read. So very relaxing.”
A glance around the campfire revealed no sign of Nick Thatcher. Disappointment flooded Charlie Grace. Was he planning on skipping out on this evening’s cookout?
Before the next thought fully formed, she caught a glimpse of him. He stepped out from the front door of his cabin onto his porch, then headed in their direction from across the lawn. He waved.
She stood with her eyes fixed upon him, taking in every detail of his appearance. He wore jeans and a casual button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up enough to display his tanned forearms. For someone from California, he made a pair of cowboy boots look pretty dang good.
“Hey,” he said in greeting as he neared.
“I wasn’t sure you were coming,” she said, trying desperately to hide how pleased she was to be wrong.
She made introductions and then turned to Ford. “And for those who haven’t formally met our chuckwagon master chef, this is Ford Keaton. You won’t eat better than what this man prepares.” She patted his flannel-covered back. “This rugged, hardworking individual embodies the spirit of the American West. Lucky for all of us, he’s about to delight our palates with the best grilled steak and cowboy beans ever tasted.”
Ford adjusted the bandana tied around his neck and held up his wooden spoon with a hand calloused from years of working with cast iron pans and Dutch ovens over an open fire. “I hope you folks all brought your hungry tonight.”
While everyone was dishing up, Nick appeared at her side. “I’m impressed. This is a first-class operation.”
“Thank you,” she said. “We have lots of hope for success.” She pointed to the food line. “Shall we?”
He nodded and joined her by taking a plate and adding a thick slice of homemade bread baked in a Dutch oven pulled from the embers. He slathered on honey butter and took a bite before filling the rest of his plate. His eyes all but rolled back as he savored the delicious fare.
“You look like you just took a trip to heaven,” she teased.
“I think that’s fairly accurate,” he told her. He added another slice before he moved on and added a scoop of the beans slow cooked with bacon and onions to his plate, along with a big helping of fried spuds.
She led him to the fire grate, where Ford lifted and placed a large rib eye, charred at the edges, onto Nick’s plate next to the rest of his food. The weight of the meat caused Nick to blink. “I don’t think I’ll go away hungry.”
Ford grinned. “That’s the plan, young fella.”
Reluctantly, Charlie Grace left Nick’s side and played hostess to her other guests, making sure they all had what they needed.
