Her Cowboy Prince, page 5
part #1 of Once Upon A Western Series
“When did you do all this?”
“I couldn’t sleep last night, so it was either this or staring at my apartment wall. I figured this was more productive.”
“I’ll say.” He picked up the sheet that detailed her ideas for events every day starting a week before Christmas and continuing through Christmas Day. In addition to the sleigh rides and a visit from Santa, she had a new Christmas tree being decorated each day. Add to that a gingerbread-house-building contest, homemade candy making, ornament making, classic movie marathons shown in the media room, holiday-scented spa treatments, carolers from local church choirs, snowman-building contests, Secret Santa gifts for all the guests, and a big Christmas Day meal, and he felt as if he really was being dropped into some idyllic, Rockwellian holiday.
“I don’t know how much will be possible or what your budget is, but I just put down everything I could think of.”
“Thank you.” He realized how much deep gratitude was behind the words when Melody looked up at him with curiosity in her beautiful blue eyes. “Been a while since we launched anything new around here, and I think this has a lot of potential.”
She nodded as if she understood.
“Of course, the staff decorated the resort last year, but my family and I…”
“Made it through the holiday by trying to ignore it as much as you could?” Her response wasn’t harsh. Rather, it sounded as if it wasn’t a guess but the voice of experience. “I lost my mom when I was a kid,” she said, likely realizing her comment caused questions to form in his mind. “The first Christmas after that, we didn’t even put up a tree.”
“I’m sorry.” At least he’d had his mother during his entire childhood, though he’d give anything to have her back, even for just a little while. Long enough to tell her again that he loved her, that she’d been the best mom anyone could ask for. Long enough that she could set his dad on a better, less self-destructive path.
She shrugged a little and shook her head, which gave her a momentary look of vulnerability that made him want to reach out and give her a touch of reassurance. But he kept his hands to himself and refocused on the work she’d done. He wondered if he should do a little gambling of his own, roll the dice by undertaking everything she’d suggested. He wanted to believe it would pay off big, but there was no way of knowing that for sure.
They’d been working for about an hour, making a priority list of all the ideas she’d come up with plus the handful he tossed in, when his stomach suddenly growled loud enough that it sounded as if a grizzly had wandered into the room.
Melody laughed. “Sounds like someone hasn’t eaten lunch.”
It took him a moment to process her words because the sound of her laugh and the way the smile transformed her appearance stunned him. She should smile more often and he barely caught himself before he told her exactly that.
“I guess I need to eat or start scaring the guests. How about we go have some lunch?”
“I’m fine. I ate before I left home.”
“I hear they have chocolate cake as a dessert special today.”
“You go ahead. I’ll just work a bit here.”
He got the sense she wasn’t saying something but was definitely thinking it. “Okay, out with it.”
“What?”
“I’ve never seen someone who says she likes chocolate fight so hard to not have chocolate cake.”
She turned toward him and crossed her arms, looking way more authoritative than a housekeeper.
“I don’t think you want to be seen in the restaurant with a staff member who cleans the toilets.”
He winced. “You think I’m a snob?”
She shook her head. “No. But your resort caters to a certain level of clientele. It would be off brand for the owner of the resort to be sitting in the Pinnacle with someone wearing this,” she said, gesturing to her uniform.
He wanted to disagree with her, but he remembered that the reason for working with her in the first place was to help the resort’s bottom line. And damn if she didn’t have a point.
He picked up the receiver on the phone in the middle of the table. “I’m not doing this because I’m embarrassed to be seen with you.”
After he ordered some lunch, including peach cobbler for himself and a slice of chocolate cake for Melody, to be delivered to the conference room, she shook her head.
“You didn’t have to order me any cake. I said I was fine.”
“And I firmly believe that there is a separate section of our stomachs reserved for dessert. Even if we’re full from a meal, there’s always room for cake.”
A faint smile softened her face. “I like how you think.”
“I have a halfway decent idea every now and then.”
“You underestimate yourself. It takes more than a handful of brain cells to run an operation like this.” She gestured at their surroundings.
“I think a lot of it was just learned through osmosis. Happens when you literally grow up in a business.”
He’d swear the light on Melody’s face dimmed before she lowered her gaze back to the plans in front of her.
“What about you? Where did you grow up?”
“Oh, nowhere near as exciting as this.”
This time he laughed. “While I love this place, I’m not sure ‘exciting’ is the correct way to describe it.”
“Okay, charming then.”
That more accurately described Logan Springs, and was what the local tourist bureau wanted to convey.
He was about to ask her about her background again, but Tina from the restaurant arrived with his order. As the young woman entered the room, he didn’t miss the curious look she aimed at Melody. Or the way Melody squirmed in her chair under the perusal. Maybe there was more to her not wanting to be seen in the restaurant than concern for the image of the resort.
And he was surprised by how much he wanted to find out that reason, and more, about Melody Shaw.
Chapter Four
Melody changed up her normal routine during her shift. After seeing the way Tina had looked at her when she’d delivered Justin’s order from the restaurant, she chose to avoid the lobby and dining area of the resort until the daytime staff went home. The level of curiosity in Tina’s gaze had been palpable, as if she thought Melody might be gold digging or at least brownnosing. It was the kind of attention that she didn’t need. But how was she going to avoid it if she planned to keep helping Justin with the Christmas festivities? Should she tell him she’d changed her mind, that he should have Nadine or someone else pick up where she’d left off and run with it?
She hated the thought of abandoning the project, one that had given her something new to look forward to instead of the usual roteness of most of her days. Something that used skills she feared had atrophied.
Her mood lifted when she stepped inside the spa building. The lovely, calming scent of lavender had her closing her eyes and inhaling slowly. Oh, how she missed an occasional spa day to relax and rid herself of the stresses of daily life.
“That’s the look I like to see on people’s faces.”
Melody opened her eyes to see Erica, the head of the spa staff, smiling at her.
“It always smells wonderful in here.”
“You should come in for a massage or spa treatment sometime. I’m a firm believer in a bit of pampering.”
“Sounds nice.” And expensive. She’d seen the rate charts while cleaning. “And I stay pretty busy.”
“Yeah, I hear you’re taking on more duties.”
Melody’s mouth fell open a bit in surprise before she could stop it, causing Erica to laugh.
“Sorry. Word spreads pretty fast around here.”
Melody sighed and started pulling supplies from her cart to clean the windows. “It’s nothing, really. I was just asked my opinion on some ideas for Christmas events. I guess Mr. McQueen wanted a fresh perspective.”
“Mr. McQueen? Nobody calls Justin that. It’s reserved for his dad, although a fair number of people, especially long-time employees, just call his dad Tom. I’m surprised you haven’t picked up on that as long as you’ve been here.”
“I didn’t want to sound disrespectful.” Or like she was overly familiar with Justin.
Erica waved off Melody’s concern. “We’re pretty casual with each other around here.”
Now that she thought about it, the atmosphere among the employees of all levels seemed to be friendly and almost like a small community within a small community. But it was hard to keep secrets in that type of environment, and she had one monster of a secret.
“So what’s being cooked up for Christmas?” Erica asked.
“Nothing is certain yet. We just talked about some ideas centered around an old-fashioned Christmas.” She shared a few of the possibilities, curious if anyone else would be as enthusiastic about them as Justin seemed to be.
“Sounds great. Like a Currier and Ives Christmas card come to life. Let me know if you need any help, and I’ll start thinking about specials we can run in the spa.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“Oh, and feel free to turn the music on in here if you want. You can peace out while you work.” She headed for the exit. “And give some thought to the spa day. Nothing like it to make you feel like a new woman.”
Melody wondered if she looked so tired and tense that Erica felt it her duty to suggest spa treatments. Chances were she was only being nice, but Melody still wondered if she’d recognize herself if she looked in a mirror. Maybe she’d take Erica up on her suggestion. She imagined her muscles relaxing, her mind drifting as she absorbed the sensory stimulation. Spa days had been just what she needed when the stress of her former life had built to a certain level. It made sense the same would be true now, but as Melody Redmond she’d not had the additional stress of worrying about how to afford a trip to the spa.
She waited a few minutes after Erica left before she turned on the music and let it wash over her in soft waves. For a few moments, she stood with her eyes closed and soaked in the atmosphere, pretended that all the horrible things that had happened to her over the past couple of years were nothing more than a bad dream. After taking a long, deep breath, pulling as much peace into her lungs as she could, she opened her eyes and got to work.
As she cleaned, she considered buying some essential oil air fresheners for her apartment. If she couldn’t afford a spa day, at least her home could smell like a spa.
After stretching out her work in the spa as long as she could, she turned off the music and headed back toward the lodge. She scanned the parking lot and didn’t see Justin’s shiny black pickup. Its absence should help relax her further, but a part of her wouldn’t have minded seeing him again. As they’d worked together that afternoon, she’d been impressed by his business sense. Why, she wasn’t sure, because it wasn’t as if the resort ran itself. But he just seemed like such a…cowboy.
Even though he was the head of a profitable enterprise, he still dressed in jeans and cowboy boots. The only time she ever saw him in a tie, it was of the bolo variety. But that seemed to be common in Montana. In all the magazine articles she’d seen featuring successful businesspeople across the state, their attire paid homage to their locale more than Georgia’s ever could. Local business owners looked as if they could go from the boardroom to the rodeo to a barbecue without ever changing clothes.
She’d seen employees of the Peak View Ranch riding horses from time to time, even Wes McQueen, but she’d never seen Justin astride a horse. She imagined he’d cut an impressive figure, a hero straight out of a classic western. Even his last name screamed cowboy to her ears.
Her thoughts drifted back to memories of watching old black-and-white westerns with her dad. Her mom hadn’t been a fan, instead enjoying cooking shows and foreign films. But Melody had been fascinated by the stories in those westerns, like life on an entirely different planet. More than anything, she’d enjoyed the special time with her dad.
She pressed her lips together and blinked several times, wondering if she’d ever get to the point where thoughts of her dad didn’t bring tears to her eyes.
As she went about the rest of her work, she instead focused on the ideas for the Christmas events. Even if she decided to remove herself from the official planning, she could pass her thoughts on to Justin and he could choose whether to use them. But the more she considered it, the more she didn’t want to quit. She loved envisioning how all her ideas would come to life. It reminded her of the Christmas charity event she’d helped to organize a number of years before. The looks of pure delight on the faces of those little kids had been absolutely priceless as they’d walked through the constructed winter wonderland. She wondered how Justin would react if she suggested he incorporate a similar charity event in the midst of all the guest-centered activities. It wouldn’t hurt to ask, so she mentally put it on her to-do list for the next day as she clocked out at the end of her shift.
As she headed home, something made her stop at the spot where she’d watched the stars with Justin. She turned off the headlights and the engine, then stepped out of the car. The absolute quiet was striking, something she’d only ever experienced one other place, during a trip through the Australian Outback when she’d been in college. Even in a town as small as Logan Springs, it was never totally quiet. The mechanical noises of civilization were ever-present, sounds she’d not thought much about when there had been exponentially more of them in her life.
But here, in a slice of the country most Americans would never even see, she could understand why some people never wanted to live in a city. She looked up at the starry sky and felt as if she was staring at the infinity of the universe, a connectedness that made her understand why Justin liked this spot, why he probably felt close to his mother here.
When she heard a howl in the distance, she retreated to the safety of her car and continued the drive toward home. She’d barely turned onto the highway when her headlights illuminated someone hitchhiking.
“You have got to be kidding me.” With a shake of her head, she pulled over and waited for Marty to walk up to the passenger door. She rolled down the window. “Get in.”
Marty sank into the seat, looking embarrassed.
“I take it you haven’t gotten your car fixed,” she said as she pulled back out onto the road.
“No.”
“So you’ve been hitchhiking to and from work?”
“Yes.”
Though she wasn’t old enough to be his mom, she suddenly felt like mothering him. She hated the idea of him hitchhiking on such a lonely stretch of highway, especially at night.
“That’s dangerous, you know.”
“If I don’t work, I can’t save up enough to fix my car.”
“Is it still sitting where you left it?”
He shook his head. “I, uh, got it towed.”
While that sounded good on the surface, there was something in his voice that made her wonder what he wasn’t saying. And she felt in that moment that he was every bit as alone as she was, which made her heart ache for him.
By the time she pulled into the parking lot for their complex, she’d made a decision that she hoped she wouldn’t regret. When she switched off the ignition, she stayed seated.
“Thank you, again,” Marty said as he reached for the door handle.
“Wait a minute.” She gave her decision one last consideration before looking over at him. “I want you to borrow my car until you get yours fixed.”
“I couldn’t do that.”
“Yes, you can, but you’ll have to drop me off and pick me up from work.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “Why would you do that for me? You don’t even really know me.”
“Call it gut instinct.” Something that had served her well throughout most of her life, despite how that life had turned out.
She wasn’t sure in the dim light, but she thought she saw the sheen of tears in his eyes.
“I don’t know how to thank you,” he said, sounding as if he had a lump in his throat.
She smiled. “Just don’t wreck my car, and we’re good. And, I don’t know, maybe you can teach me to play those video games you’re always playing. I could use an outlet to get rid of frustration sometimes.” On a gaming system, she wouldn’t have to worry about stumbling upon Angelica’s face and wanting to put her fist through the screen.
Marty looked down at his hands, picked at a cuticle. “I’ll take good care of your car.”
Trying to lift his mood, she asked, “You don’t think I’m too old to be gaming, do you?”
He shook his head. “It’s not that. I, uh, had to sell my gaming system to afford the tow.”
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.”
He directed a weak smile in her direction. “I doubt that.”
“No, really. I know how much you must enjoy gaming.”
He shrugged. “It’s something to do.”
Melody didn’t buy his “It’s no big deal” act. She got the sense that the gaming system was just the latest loss Marty had endured. She’d never had any siblings, but she found herself wanting to hug him and take care of him like she might a younger brother.
Not wanting him to feel any more self-conscious than he probably already did, she pulled the keys from the ignition and opened her door. As she walked toward the building, Marty followed. When she reached her door, she stopped and made eye contact with the young man.
“I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but things will get better. Sometimes life just decides to throw more than our fair share of crap our way.”
He nodded, but she could tell he was having a hard time believing her words. To be truthful, sometimes she had a really hard time believing them herself.
*
Justin was finishing up a meeting with his brothers, catching up on the various aspects of the Peak View operations—ranch and resort—when Melody appeared at his office door. He’d been on the verge of telling Wes and Roman about his dad’s financial situation, but Melody’s arrival cut the conversation short.
