“Oh, darlin’, please call me Casie.”
“Sure, thank you. What is this place? It looks like there’s a great deal going on.”
“You got that right,” she replied with a little chuckle. “This is my elite dude ranch.”
“Really, they still have those things. I’ve only read about them in books when I was a kid.”
She’s full on laughing now. “Yes, of course they do. Let me show you.” She guides me over to a wall with a giant map lying out the plans for the property. “See here,” she points, “this is the main lodge. In it there will be a full kitchen, dining room, library and ten guest rooms. Over here in these other buildings we will have a game room and bar, this barn will be glammed up to be an event venue, the stables will be over here, these little buildings are guest cabins plus staff housing. Then of course, the rodeo arena is right here next to the stables.”
My jaw is probably on the ground as she’s pointing all around the map. I’m not sure yet what she is wanting me to decorate, but it could be possible that this may be a bigger job than the Winters’ den.
13
The local coffee shop on Main Street is the best way to start a long day. With a strong piping hot cup of caffiene, I scroll through today’s itinerary on my phone to see what Hanna has lined out for me. The hustle and bustle of Heartville is steady, waking up early like me. Okay, maybe it’s just Hank, Hayden’s dad, and a few of his pals sitting around a table gossiping like school girls. We learned a long time ago not to rely on information that begins with, “The guys at Java Hut said…” You can take that information with a grain of salt and pretty much throw it out the window.
I choose a table on the back patio, so I can watch the peaceful sunrise. Reading through my calendar, it looks like Hanna set me up with a morning full of barn hoppin’ and an afternoon of fun with felines, one including a code three, which I’ll be having her cancel. I’m still upset with her for not writing code three on the chart that she left outside the examining room when Romi came in. Damn her, or maybe not damn her, because without that little meeting I would not have felt her soft curves under me a few weeks ago. Then again, yes, damn her, because that woman has consumed every dream I’ve had at night and almost every waking moment of the day.
“What’s the topic of today’s rag mill?” I look up to find Shane pulling out a chair to join me, and I glance over my shoulder to the elderly men and back to Shane.
“If we talk about it, will it make us the new coffee shop gossip circle of Heartville?”
“Good point, don’t tell me. We are too young to be included as such just yet. We’ve got at least forty years before we even consider that as our daily outing.”
“Damn straight. What are you doing up so early? I hardly ever see you around before noon.”
“You are right about that; you know traveling all over the world leaves me with jet lag. If I didn’t make my own schedule it would really suck. I’m up at the ass crack of dawn to head out to Dallas to catch a flight.” I’ve asked him several times what he does, and he explains something about online sales, websites and meetings in different countries. I don’t really know what this guy does, but I think it's cool that he gets to see the world for a living.
“Do you have to go oversees, or are you staying in the states this time?” My question falls on deaf ears with the little bell above the door sounding as it opens, and a gorgeous blond haired woman walks in.
“Holy hell, I’ve got to go and follow that beauty out?” Shane says, catching me off guard, and I follow his gaze through the large window into the coffee shop. I’m stunned speachless to see her here. In my town. In my space. Back in my life. Why is she here? “Later, man.”
Oh, no he doesn’t. He’s not getting close to my girl. My girl? I can’t lay claim on her, but I sure as shit ain’t letting Shane have her. He’s a nice guy and all, and he’s normally shy. I’ve seen his determination and how he fights to get what he wants, and if he goes after her, I might as well say goodbye forever.
I grab my coffee and jump up to follow him out. We are only steps behind Romi and a short lady that I’ve never seen before. Shane opens the door, and we step out, then we both look left then right down the sidewalk, but they are nowhere to be seen. A little farther down the road I spot taillights of a white suburban heading in the direction of Dallas.
“Well, that was a nice sight to see. Too bad we missed ‘em. I’m off. I’ll catch you in about a week. Take care.”
“Yeah, I agree with you there. It sure was a sight.” That worked out in my favor, and I didn’t have to explain to Shane why he wouldn’t be touching the blond with stunning blue eyes.
Now, I’m going to find out what the hell she’s doing here and why she didn’t let me know she was back in town. Without another thought, I pull out my phone, type a few words and hit send before I think better of it.
Clay: Are you enjoying your coffee?
Romi: What?
Clay: I just saw a blur walking out of Java Hut and it looked like you.
Romi: Yep, that was me.
That’s a vague reply. How am I suppose to take it? Does she not want to talk to me?
Clay: Okay, it was good to see you. What are you in town for?
There, I put the foot forward. If she wants more, she can respond or not. I walk to my truck and sit there waiting to see if she’s going to. Why the heck am I even worried about it? With a heavy sigh I lean my head back to the head rest and toss my phone into the passenger seat. Back to business as normal. Work, work, work. It’s good I didn’t say anything to my sister about my little weekend excursion with Romi, or she would have told my mother and then the two of them would have been like nagging hens bothering me about it. See, Romi’s not interested anyhow. No reply.
Let’s get this day started and over with. I put the truck in drive and head out to the county line to check on a pregnant pig.
Of course, the day drags on as if I’m some lovesick puppy whose playmate went away. My day consisted of Old McDonald’s fucking Farm, E-I-E-I-O. It’s been a shit day, and I wonder if my bad attitude stems from the fact that Romi seems to have lost my number and never really had an interest in me. I thought I was feeling something, even though I know I shouldn’t because I wouldn’t be able to spend time with her like she deserves.
I just can’t shake the thought of her from my head. She’s kind, driven, confident, beautiful and sexy. Our one night in bed, didn’t compare to any other woman I’ve ever been with. Conversation is easy with her, and when she walks into the room, she owns it. Beyond the hard exterior, I can see the underlying turmoil deep inside her bright blue eyes, and it’s calling me to protect her.
I’m heading home, time for a much-needed shower. Having to chase and catch piglets in mud made for a very messy and smelly day. The song on the radio plays a fun melody, and the lyrics depict a story that’s a romantic tale of a boy meeting a girl. Her favorite song comes on the radio, and he loves how she beams with happiness every time she hears it played. He does everything he can to have the song play when she is around, so he can see that light in the girl’s eyes spark when she hears it. There’s a pull in my heart of longing to feel that same way, to get the full sensation of satisfaction with seeing the spark in my girl’s eyes. My first thought is the way Romi lights up when she’s talking about designing a space.