Chapter Two #2
Once they arrived, Serena found a spot and parked. They hopped out and started working their way through the shops. Naomi wanted to buy everything she touched but held off. She wasn’t fully settled yet, and she needed to be smart. Still, she was already halfway in love with the place.
“There are a lot of people around for a small town,” she said.
“Tourists.” Serena nodded.
“Really?”
“It started when Becca Daniels arrived to inherit her grandmother’s place.
She’d never even met her grandmother, but she had six months to decide whether to sell or keep it.
She ended up meeting Jake Stone, fell in love, and never left.
They’re married now with two kids. She turned the old colonial into a bed and breakfast, and people come from all over the country to stay there.
” Serena steered her around a slow-moving couple on the sidewalk.
“There’s also a guest ranch over in Spring City called the Bur Oak Guest Ranch.
Between the two of them they bring in a lot of traffic.
They both close for the winter, but once spring hits the towns are packed. ”
“Fascinating.” Naomi glanced around. An antique shop, a coffee shop, a bakery, an ice cream parlor. She was going to need more than one afternoon.
“Have you had a burger from the diner yet?”
“Oh, God, yes.” Naomi pressed her hand to her chest. “Ethan got one for me the day I moved in. I can’t get over how good it was. I’m going to have to behave myself or I’ll be buying a whole new wardrobe.”
Serena laughed. “I totally understand. So, have you been married?”
“I was, for about a minute. I threw him out when he cheated on me. Said it was my fault for being gone so much for shows.”
“What a charmer.”
“I miss him about as much as you’d miss a toothache.” She grinned when Serena laughed. “What about you?”
“Divorced. Years ago, now. We just grew apart, no drama. We’re still friends actually.”
“That’s rare.”
“It is.” Serena smiled. “Some people are just better as friends than anything else.”
“Oh, I have to go in here.” Naomi stopped in front of a window display packed with ornaments, garland, and twinkling lights. The sign above the door read Festive Finds.
“Mallory Nichols owns it.” Serena pulled the door open and nodded for Naomi to go ahead. “She and her mother make the best fudge you’ve ever had in your life.”
Naomi stepped inside and stopped. The whole place smelled of cinnamon and pine and something warm she couldn’t quite name. Christmas music played softly somewhere in the back.
“I feel like I should be looking around for Santa,” she said.
A woman appeared from behind a display of snow globes, wiping her hands on a red apron. She was pretty, with long, dark wavy hair and a smile that matched the shop perfectly.
“Serena, hi.” She came around the counter and hugged her. “I haven’t seen you in weeks.”
“I know, I’ve been buried in work.” Serena stepped back. “Mallory, this is Naomi Austin. She just moved to the ranch. She’s one of Ethan’s new trainers.”
Mallory turned the smile on Naomi and extended her hand. “Welcome to Clifton. How are you liking it so far?”
“I’m already in love with it.” Naomi shook her hand. “This shop alone might do me in.”
Mallory laughed. “Browse as long as you like. And you have to try the fudge before you leave. I just made a fresh batch this morning.”
“Serena already warned me about that.”
“Smart woman.” Mallory moved back behind the counter. “I have peppermint, chocolate walnut, and salted caramel today.”
Naomi looked at Serena. Serena looked at Naomi.
“One of each,” they said at the same time, and Mallory laughed as she reached for a box.
They stayed longer than they meant to, wandering from shop to shop until the afternoon light started to soften and turn gold.
“We should head back,” Serena said, glancing at her phone. “Don’t want to be on those roads after dark.”
Naomi smiled. “No, we don’t.”
They climbed back into the SUV, a bag of fudge and a few other small treasures between them and headed out of town. Naomi watched Clifton disappear in the side mirror and felt something settle quietly in her chest.
When they pulled into the ranch the sun was sitting low on the horizon, painting everything amber. Ethan was sitting on the front steps of the main house, a coffee cup in his hand.
Serena parked and they climbed out.
“Made it back before dark,” Serena called over to him.
He lifted his cup in acknowledgment and said nothing.
“I’ll see you Monday,” Serena said, squeezing Naomi’s arm. “This was fun.”
“It really was. Thank you for showing me around.”
“Anytime.” Serena climbed back in, gave a wave, and pulled out of the yard.
Naomi glanced over at Ethan as she headed toward the stairs. “Goodnight, Ethan.”
“Night.” He didn’t look up.
She climbed the stairs smiling anyway.
****
Ethan watched her disappear around the corner of the barn, the sound of her footsteps fading into the quiet.
He took a sip of his coffee and stared at the spot where she’d been.
He’d been around plenty of beautiful women.
Dated a few. Never had trouble keeping his head straight about any of them.
There was something about Naomi Austin that was different and he couldn’t put his finger on what it was, which bothered him almost as much as the feeling itself. He looked down at his cup.
“And you offered to drive her to Kalispell.” He shook his head. “Idiot.”
Now he wished he hadn’t offered, but it was done. He’d take her to get her horse and after that he’d keep his distance. As much as he could anyway.
He made a point of watching his trainers work every day, checking in on the horses, seeing how they responded.
That wasn’t going to change. But he could be professional about it.
He was glad she and Serena had hit it off, that made things easier, gave her someone to settle in with.
It was good for the ranch. He’d keep telling himself that.
He drained the last of his coffee and went inside.
Shouldn’t be too hard. He hoped.