Pulling back some, I gave her a soft smile. “I hope you don’t mind. I just love it here and thought it would be perfect for me to catch up on some work I’ve been pushing off.”
“You know you are welcome here for as long as you want. Lark and Azurdee will be here in a few days as well. They’ve decided to come a few days early too.”
My heart dropped and I took a step back. “Tristan?”
Giving me that motherly smile of hers, she nodded her head. “He’s busy with work. They’re not letting him take off over the holidays. He’s very upset and insisted he would be here for Christmas, even if they fired him.”
Letting out a nervous laugh, I said, “Sounds like Tristan.”
“Let’s get your luggage; Peter is out checking the fences. We can get some girl talk in while he is working.”
Nodding my head and giving Joyce a wink, I turned and opened the backseat of my car. Reaching in, I grabbed the duffle bag I had packed and threw it over my shoulder. Reaching in again, I got my laptop case and my cowboy boots. “Wonder what Peter will be teaching me on this trip?” I asked as I rolled my eyes and shuddered to think what animal he would have me gut this time around.
Joyce, MaryLou and I talked for almost two hours before Peter walked into the kitchen. “Kathryn, why look at you. You’re hair has grown longer.”
Smiling, I stood. I didn’t want to tell Peter I had just gotten my hair cut. It was just to my shoulders and the sides were pulled up. Pushing me back, he looked me over after he gave me a bear hug. Nodding his head, he gave me a smile like none I’d ever seen before.
“Why do I get the feeling you are planning something in your head for me?”
“Smart girl, I always knew I liked you, Kathryn. It’s a shame my son is too stupid to open his eyes.”
“Peter Williams!” Joyce called out. Laughing, I lifted my hand and pointed my finger at him.
“Behave.”
Giving me a sly smile, Peter said, “Always.”
Four days after I first pulled up for my mini Joyce and Peter vacation, I found myself lost on the ranch. Peter thought it would be fun for me to take the Jeep out and go for a drive.
Get some fresh country air, Kathryn. Cause the country air on the front porch wasn’t good enough he said. Even though I had my laptop all set up and I was comfy as hell. Oh no, I had to get my ass up and take a jaunt around the few thousand-acre ranch.
Stopping the Jeep, I looked around. “I’m so screwed right now.”
Opening the door, I got out and began looking around. For some reason, this area of the ranch looked familiar to me. Laughing, I dropped my head back. “Oh dear God, Ryn. It’s thousands of acres . . . how could this spot seem familiar?”
Turning to my right I saw a trail. Walking toward it, I pulled out my cell. Still no coverage. It was hit or miss if I had cell coverage here. I couldn’t wait for Lark and Dee to show up later this evening. I loved Joyce, but something was off with her, as if she was hiding something. She kept asking me if I wanted to go into town and get facials. I finally agreed to it yesterday, thinking maybe it was Joyce who needed time away from the ranch and Peter. Smiling, I had to admit it was fun. I would have loved to have had a mother like Joyce. She was funny, said what was on her mind, yet she had a way of being gentle with you, even when she was telling you that you were flat out wrong about something.
She never brought up Tristan. Not once. On my last trip here she mentioned him a number of times. The fact that she hadn’t brought him up caused me to think that maybe he had been dating someone. I asked Sierra and she said he wasn’t. They saw each other once a week and I was insanely jealous of their friendship. I had to stop myself more than once from telling Sierra I didn’t want her hanging out with Tristan. I knew it was selfish of me. I did however finally break down and ask her if she had maybe mentioned to Tristan I wasn’t seeing Dodge anymore. All she did was smile and say, “Oh, he already knew that.”
She never did elaborate on how Tristan knew this bit of information.
Making my way down the trail, I came across a hunter’s cabin that Peter used for the guys who paid to hunt on his ranch. It only took a split-second for me to realize this was the same cabin Tristan and I made love in. The same cabin where he told me he was falling in love with me.
Making my way to the door, I reached down to the doorknob. I knew it would be locked. Tristan had used a master key he carried on his key ring to open the door last year.
A rush of sadness swept over my body. It was almost a year to the date when we had been here together. Closing my eyes, I tried the handle. When it turned, I let out a gasp. Pushing the door open, I stood at the threshold. I was scared to death to step into the room. Knowing the moment I did, the memory would overtake me and push away any progress I had made this week in moving on and letting Tristan go. Up until now, the visit to the ranch had been therapeutic. It was a cleansing almost. I knew in my heart I would forever love Tristan.
