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My heart leaped to my throat and began beating double time. “Do you have evidence? Has she told you anything?”
“Like I said, she doesn’t disclose much,” Finley said. “Regardless, it’s my strong suspicion, given how she lights up when you come in a room, that her brother of choice is definitely you.”
I wanted so badly to believe her and for her instincts to be right. “You think?” My spirits lifted just thinking of the possibility.
“My apologies if this is crossing a line, but I’m going to anyway.” She placed her hands atop the counter, leaning slightly. “Why don’t you just ask her out?”
“For a dozen reasons,” I said. “Primarily, because I’m certain she would say no.”
“Take my word for it, she won’t,” Finley said. “I see the way she looks at you.”
Could I risk embarrassment and actually ask her out on a date? What about the awkwardness of living together?
“I don’t know. It seems risky,” I said. “For a lot of reasons.”
“Isn’t love always risky? For a lot of reasons?”
“When did you get so sassy?” I asked, a teasing lilt to my voice. “You were so sweet when you came to us.”
She didn’t reply to my question but simply pointed at the door. “She’ll say yes.”
4
SAMMIE
I left the restaurant right after the lunch rush for my meeting with Thad and Stella. Although I was flattered at the prospect, the idea of starting a wedding planning service for our guests terrified me. I’d wanted to go to college to study design, but that was a million years ago. Now I was a mother. I had responsibilities instead of dreams. With no education, was I qualified to take on such a big role? My initial thought was a big fat no.
Thad had seemed so confident in my abilities, and his mother had suggested the idea in the first place, so maybe they saw something I didn’t. John had beaten me down physically and emotionally for enough years that half the time I wasn’t sure I was good at anything. The bright, fun-loving person I’d been before my marriage was like someone from my past. I had fond memories of her but no longer knew her.
I walked across the property from the Bunkhouse to the office. When I arrived, Finley was busy checking a family into one of the cabins but said Thad and Stella were waiting for me in his office. I thanked her and headed back to the office, so nervous I couldn’t feel my legs.
They were both seated when I came in and looked up at me with inviting expressions on their faces. They looked a lot alike, dark-haired with olive complexions and small features. Thad resembled his mother more so than any of the Moon brothers.
“Come in, have a seat.” Stella motioned for me to take the other visitor chair.
I did so, thankful to be off my feet for a few minutes. The restaurant had been crammed with guests between eleven and one thirty. When it was busy, the hours flew by, only to catch up with me at the end of my shift. Not that I was complaining. The tips were good this time of year, when almost all the cabins were rented, as they were today.
“I was just filling Mama in on our conversation from this morning,” Thad said.
“What do you think?” Stella asked me, smiling with her whole face.
“I’m not sure. I don’t have any experience wedding planning. What if I was no good at it?” John always said I was too scatterbrained for much. He’d think this was a laughable idea.
He’s dead. You never have to worry what he thinks again.
The voices in my head were loud these days.
“We don’t care about experience,” Stella said. “I didn’t have any background in running a dude ranch when we first started out. You’ll learn along the way.”
“It’s only event planning,” Thad said. “Compared to raising a daughter on your own, this will be a piece of cake.”
A feeling of discomfort stirred within me. Were they doing this out of pity? They’d already done so much for me, including taking care of Chloe too many afternoons and evenings to count. “Do you think so, really?” I watched him for signs of pity. If they were offering me this because they felt sorry for me, I would be devastated. “Or is this just another nice thing a Moon is doing for me and Chloe?”
“Nice? No, definitely not.” Stella sat up straighter, a look of consternation replacing her smile. “We see this as a great service to offer our guests in addition to being another revenue stream. After seeing what you did at Atticus and Annie’s wedding, we have no doubt you’ll do very well.”
I pressed my damp palms together. If they believed in me, then shouldn’t I believe in myself? Think back to what you used to be like, I told myself. The girl in high school. Before I met John. What would she do?
“I’ll take the position and do my best,” I said. “But to be honest, I don’t know where to even start.”
