Chapter Five
N atalie shook her head as she continued on, ignoring the way her pulse quickened at the sight of Sam Miles in that big truck of his with the Flying J logo painted on its forward doors.
A truck she’d pretended not to notice parked across from the Bramble House last night.
At first, it bothered her to see him there.
But after the catcalls that had followed her out the bar door last night, she couldn’t help but feel a little bit safer, knowing he was there, looking out for her like he’d offered to do.
Even after she’d more or less walked out on him last night.
Which, she reminded herself, was completely within her right.
They weren’t having a meeting, nor was it a date.
They’d just been two adults happening by the same watering hole on the same night.
Pure coincidence. And she’d actually enjoyed his company their first few minutes together.
But then he’d started in about his ranch and how her company was about to do his family wrong, and there was nothing she could have said to convince him otherwise.
Natalie stepped aside to let a young couple exit the Java Café. The scent of coffee tickled her senses as they passed. Lord, she loved the smell of coffee. A good thing, since she was known to drink it all day long.
In fact, she’d been on pot number two in her room at the Bramble House this morning when the mayor’s secretary, Patty, had called, saying he had a free hour this afternoon, and could she meet him at the Java Café at three?
Natalie hadn’t believed her luck. She’d immediately said yes—if she could make sure he was in support of their project, hopefully he could help influence the other voters on the planning board.
Patty had said he always sat at the middle table against the back wall, and that if he wasn’t there when she arrived, not to worry—he’d likely be along shortly.
Natalie stepped inside the shop, and the scent of coffee intensified.
It was mostly empty, the back middle table’s three chairs vacant as well.
Relieved she hadn’t kept him waiting, Natalie made her way to the table and dropped off her notepad before making her way back to the order counter.
A display case sat to the counter’s left, full of a dozen varieties of pastries and desserts.
As she debated which delectable item to try today—because if the coffee was half as good as it smelled, she would definitely be back tomorrow—the front door swung open and a gust of warm air hit her back.
Natalie looked over her shoulder, ready to greet the mayor.
But instead, Sam Miles stepped inside and removed his hat. She quickly turned away.
Did cowboys often visit Montana coffee shops in the middle of the afternoon? And hadn’t his grandmother been in the truck with him?
Maybe she asked him to run in and get her something.
Yes, that made more sense. Maybe they were in town on business and had decided to make a quick stop.
Only, if that were the case, why had he kept walking instead of getting in line behind her?
She cast a subtle glance in his direction and spied him disappearing into the restroom.
Hopefully, the mayor would get here soon and then she wouldn’t have to worry about making small talk with Sam two days in a row.
A jovial young woman stepped out from behind one of the drink mixing machines. “Sorry about the wait, hon. What can I get you?”
Natalie offered the barista a sheepish grin. “I’m not sure. It’s my first time here and everything looks amazing. What do you recommend?”
“Well now, that depends. What’s your usual go-to drink?”
Natalie shared her favorites from back home, and the barista offered several options she might enjoy. Eventually, she settled on a Marietta It’s-Too-Hot-Out Cold Brew, then ordered a slice of lemon pound cake to go with it.
“Go on and grab a seat. I’ll bring them out to you when your drink’s ready, hon.”
This—this was why Natalie would never live in a big, sprawling city; she much preferred the small-town pace and extra hospitality. “Thanks so much.”
Still smiling, she turned from the counter… and froze. Sam Miles had parked himself at her table, attention fixed on his cell phone. Had he not noticed her black notepad sitting on the table? And how was she supposed to send him off without getting into a fresh confrontation with him?
He’s just an ordinary man , she reminded herself as she started forward. An incredibly good-looking man who radiated sex appeal, but he put on his pants one leg at a time every morning like she did. Yeah, but just imagine what a view that would be.
Darn it, now was not the time to let her imagination run wild; she had a mayor to win over and a project to complete.
She came to a stop beside her table. The scent of his sandalwood cologne was more faint today than it had been last night, but it was still present and proceeded to tease her senses.
His cowboy hat sat on the seat beside him, leaving his short hair exposed.
It glistened in the muted afternoon sunlight, hinting at the outdoor work he must have been doing before arriving here.
The same work she wished he’d hurry up and return to so she could fully focus on her meeting with the mayor. If Sam stayed, her attention would surely be divided. It was time for him to move along.
“Hey, Sam.”
He looked up from his phone and did a double take.
“Oh, hey, Natalie.” He sat up straighter and looked around the otherwise empty room. “What are, uh, you doing here?”
“I’ve got a business meeting starting in a few minutes. In fact, that’s my notebook there. I was trying to save the table.”
“Sorry, it kinda blended in with the table. I didn’t even notice it.” He blinked a few times, as though trying to process what she had just said. “Who did you say you were meeting here?”
Natalie shifted from one foot to the other. She hadn’t said, not that it was really any of his business. Then again, she had no reason to lie. As soon as the mayor walked in, he’d figure it out, anyway.
“The mayor, actually. His secretary told me this was his usual spot.”
Sam’s brows furrowed. “And you’re sure she said to meet him here ?”
What an odd question. “This is the Java Café, isn’t it?”
“Sure is.”
He looked to the window again, contemplating. Natalie looked, too. Still no sign of the mayor.
“Here you are, ma’am. One cold brew with a side of lemon cake.” The barista set Natalie’s order on the table where Sam was seated. “Can I get you anything, Sam?”
Natalie noticed the change in the barista’s voice when she addressed Sam. And the slight blush rising in her cheeks. Apparently, Natalie wasn’t the only one affected by the handsome cowboy on a daily basis.
“Actually, Lily, I’d love an Americano. Black.”
“No problem, I’ll bring it right out for you.”
She turned back for the drink station, a broad smile on her face. Natalie watched her go, then arched a brow at Sam.
“Where are my manners?” he said. “Please, have a seat.”
Darn it, that look was to get him to move, not to make himself at home.
Though, it would probably look kind of silly, them sitting at separate tables when no one else was here.
Natalie checked the time on her phone. It was 3:10.
Surely, if something would have come up, the mayor or Patty would have called to tell her.
Which meant he was on his way, Natalie just needed to be patient.
And, to keep the peace with her project’s most vocal opponent thus far, play nice with Mr. Miles.
“Thank you.” She eased into the seat across from him and summoned a smile. “So, do cowboys usually spend sunny afternoons hanging out in coffee shops?”
He snorted. “Only the ones who have grandmothers requesting rides into town to meet with her quilting ladies.”
Natalie couldn’t help but grin. “Eli doesn’t drive?”
“Oh, he does.” Sam paused to thank Lily as she set his drink in front of him. She nearly curtseyed before leaving them again. “But he wasn’t… available this afternoon.”
“I see. But your grandma doesn’t?”
“No.” Sam took a careful sip of his coffee. “Gran doesn’t see the best. She does fine inside, but we don’t trust her behind the wheel anymore. Ran their truck off the road one too many times.”
“Yikes. Probably a good idea.”
He leaned back in his seat. “How about you? Your grandparents still around?”
Natalie shook her head, heart aching at the thought. “No, both sets have been gone for some time. My favorite grandpa—is it bad to have a favorite?—was the last to go. He’s been gone about eight years now.”
“Sorry to hear that. I know it’ll happen eventually for me, too, but I’ll never be ready for that day to come.”
She studied him for a moment. “You all seem very close. Do you live near your grandparents?”
That brought a chuckle, breaking the somber moment.
“Oh, yeah. See, we all live at the ranch. My grandparents have private quarters at the back of our lodge. The rest of us have our own homes, built on slices of land gifted to us when we were old enough to leave home. I suppose the thinking was, if we had land, we’d have no reason to leave. ”
“Wow, that’s actually really cool.” Natalie took a drink, envious of their close-knit family. “Did it work?”
“For most of us.” Sam grinned. “My parents built a home and stayed. I built a home and stayed. My sister built a home and stayed. But our youngest brother—well, he built a home. Doesn’t use it much, being on the road a good chunk of the year with the rodeo, but it’s there for whenever he decides he’s done being a celebrity. ”
“Wait—your brother is some kind of rodeo star?”
“Sure is.” Sam sat a little taller. “He and his buddy Rhett have been in the top five for team roping for a number of years now. Hoping this will be their year to hit number one.”
“Team… roping?”
Amusement lit on Sam’s features. “You know what roping is, right?”
“Um, like with a lasso?”
“Atta girl,” he said with a nod. “So, basically there’s two cowboys on horseback—the header and the heeler—and one cow trying to outrun them.
The header cowboy ropes the steer’s horns, and the heeler comes up behind him and tries to rope the steer’s hind legs.
Clock stops when the roping is done and the horses are facing one another. ”
“So, how long does it take to rope both ends of a steer? A couple of minutes?”
“More like a couple of seconds. I think their fastest time was under four.”
“Seconds?!” Natalie tried to picture it but just couldn’t.
Sam chuckled. “When you need a break from work later, google team roping. Better yet, google Jaxon Miles and team roping, then give his YouTube page a like. I guess he gets paid for stuff like that.”
“Is it weird? Having a brother who’s a celebrity?”
“Nah. ’Round here, he gets treated like anyone else. Well, until someone needs a celebrity endorsement or wants to put his face on an advertisement to get people to come and support our own rodeo. But on the ranch, he’s gotta pull his weight like the rest of us.”
“Oh? So, you guys have assigned responsibilities?”
He smirked. “Something like that. My dad does the financial side of the ranch; I run the day-to-day activities. My mom, she used to oversee the lodge, but she’s slowly been handing those responsibilities over to my sister, Norah.
Now Mom spends more time helping Gran in the kitchen.
And Jaxon, well, when he’s not on the rodeo circuit, he’s playing grunt for the rest of us. ”
“A celebrity grunt. Gotta love it.” Natalie shook her head. “So, what about your grandfather? What does he do?”
“Drive the rest of us crazy.”
Natalie took in his semi-serious look and burst out laughing. “Sorry, but I can totally picture that.”
“Don’t be sorry—I’m the one that said it, and I should know.”
The door behind them opened, and Natalie spun, almost feeling guilty for enjoying the conversation they’d been having. But the mayor wasn’t here, and getting along with Sam could technically be seen as helping Terakion’s cause. Sadly, their newcomer wasn’t the mayor either.
“Well, speak of the devil,” Sam murmured.
Eli turned to spy them and headed their way, his stride slow and back slightly hunched. But judging by the broad smile on his face, neither bothered him much.
“Why, Natalie girl, what a lovely surprise!”
His smile was contagious, and she couldn’t help but smile back. “Good afternoon, Eli. How’s life treating you today?”
“Better than I deserve if you ask my wife.” He offered a wink then pulled out the open chair between them. “What are you two kids up to?”
“Well, I was supposed to be meeting the mayor for coffee, and I believe Sam was waiting on Sunnie to finish with her quilting friends.”
Natalie no sooner said that than her phone began to ring. The number on its face was that of Patty, the mayor’s secretary, and it was now 3:30. Something told her today’s meeting wasn’t happening.
“Excuse me, I need to take this.” She rose and hurried for the other corner of the room. Sure enough, something had come up for the mayor. Patty relayed his sincere apologies and asked if they could perhaps move the coffee talk to tomorrow, same time, same place.
“Absolutely, Patty. I completely understand.”
She headed back for her table where the Miles family was involved in a hushed conversation.
Whatever it had been about, smiling Sam had been replaced by broody Sam once more.
Natalie was surprised by the disappointment that brought her.
It had been kind of nice, sitting here sharing stories; almost felt like she had a friend in town, which was a pleasant change from all of hers being hours away back home.
“Well, looks like my meeting got moved to tomorrow,” she told the others as she resumed her seat.
“You don’t say.” Eli exchanged a look with Sam, whose eyes narrowed. His grandfather chuckled. “Does that mean you’re heading back to work, or do you have the rest of the day free?”
Natalie tipped her head, mentally cataloging what she’d accomplished so far today and what was left to be done.
With her meeting moved to tomorrow, that did open her schedule some, especially since Steven had yet to send her information on her next assignment.
She’d hoped that was a good sign, that maybe he knew something she didn’t about her possible upcoming promotion.
But she didn’t dare count her chickens before they hatched—life had a funny way of stealing eggs now and then.
“I suppose I have some free time now,” she said with a shrug. “I’d been thinking of doing some sightseeing. Do you have any recommendations on where I should go?”
Eli’s smile widened. “As a matter of fact, we do.”