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“Newly wedded bliss,” Buckee nods as my cheeks flame. “That'll do it to you.”
“Anyway, I'm not the only fan that'll be disappointed if this concert is canceled,” I say, desperate to get the attention off Cole and me. “There'll be at least a thousand others equally as heartbroken. That aside, what about the vendors? They'll lose a couple hundred if not thousands—they invested so much to prepare for this and they were counting on the revenue from all the tourists the twins would draw in. The whole community is counting on this.”
Connie hadn’t been able to afford the booth prices to secure a spot for the diner. She’d been devastated, but now it’s probably for the best. Otherwise her meager earnings would be tied up in a refund process that could last weeks, if not months.
“Tell me about it. Bear Lair, that’s my husband Beau’s and his family’s lodge business,” Cali says, addressing me, “is going to lose a ton of money with all the cancellations. With so much money spent on the new extension we were really looking forward to the tourists to help rebalance the books. We thought about hosting the concert at the lodge but there’s no way that we would have enough space for all that.”
As Cole gazes out the window, his eyes light up so much I spin around to see who’s piqued his interest, but no one's there. Just miles and miles of green and golden pastures.
“What if we had the concert right here at Forester Ranch?” he asks, looking at Buckee. “There’s tons of space, and tons of exit points on the outskirts.”
“Did you know I had my first rodeo right here on this land?” Buckee says. “My grandfather offered a part of the ranch to host the event that year. It was fantastic. I swear the entire town came out. And besides some dead patches of grass and a crap ton of dung, which we used to fertilize those areas, there weren’t any problems hosting a crowd that big. It’d be great to see this dead ranch come alive again with people.” Buckee’s pointed look at Kai and Ash isn’t lost on me but then he looks at me. “And loads more kids. The more the merrier.”
I blush. Does Cole want kids? I love mothering Zander, but there’s no way I can take on another kid as a single parent. Not when I’ve already been struggling so much to pay rent and provide a good life for Zander.
With Cole though, that wouldn’t be a worry.
Well, if he were actually my husband.
Cole would be such a good father too. I would love for us to have children together and give Zander more siblings, but I have to remind myself that I don’t get to keep Cole.
I’m pulled out of my thoughts when Kai says, “That’s not a bad idea,” eyeing the property line. “Time’s running out and I know the twins won’t want to disappoint their fans or the vendors. I’m positive Luna will go for it.”
Ash coos. “Luna, huh?” Ash elbows Kai while raising his eyebrows suggestively. Since when have you two been on a first name basis? What happened to remaining professional?” Ash shoots me a look. “That’s Kai’s favorite word.”
Kai clears his throat, “I mean, Ms. Tynam.”
But the damage is done as everyone shares knowing smiles.
“But we need a stipulation in the contract,” Cole says, his eyes sliding to mine again. “Zoe has to get a spot on the vendor list. A prime spot, close to the stage and free of charge. Her services come with the land—”
“Cole,” I say incredulously. “I can’t do—”
“Why not?” he interrupts. “You said catering is part of your dream. This is the perfect opportunity to start it.”
“But—”
“Your husband’s right,” Buckee says. “No time like the present. Take it from someone who’s present is as fragile as that convertible’s wheels.”
Despite the morbid undertones, we all look to the corner where Everly scoots around on the pink convertible, its plastic wheels flexing with strain.
“Cole and I are making a truck,” Zander says. “A big one I can actually fit in.”
“Can I fit in it too?” Sunny asks.
Zander nods.
“Ohhh will you bring it over so we can ride in it with you?” Everly coos as the convertible makes a cracking sound.
“Of course he can,” Buckee says. “Cole, you can bring it over when you come to work on Zoe’s stand. It’ll be a good way for the kids to keep busy for a few hours.”
Wait... my stand? At the Tynam concert? It feels too good to be true, but then reality sets in.
“I... I don’t have a menu, or supplies or...”
“But you have us,” Buckee says, patting my knee and I swear my heart grows two sizes bigger.
“It’s easy for us to put together a stall or booth or whatever you want,” Kai says in agreement. “Our mill always has a pile of damaged lumber we can salvage and Cole’s workshop is loaded with paint supplies.”
