Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
Robyn
It had taken a few days, not to mention more than a few telephone conversations for Robyn to decide a person could only eat so many eggs. It was time for a grilled-cheese sandwich. Despite her determination to eat something other than breakfast, Robyn avoided the cafeteria like the plague and made her way to the café.
“Hi, Robyn, is someone joining you?” Julie asked from behind the counter.
“Nope, it’s just me tonight. May I have a grilled-cheese, fries and water? Wait, make that a chocolate milkshake.”
“You’ve got it,” Julie said with a smile.
Robyn loved the fact there was no judgment in the woman’s eyes. Robyn could admit it wasn’t the healthiest of meals, but then why did she care? It wasn’t like anyone was going to berate her for the carb overload she was going to be indulging in. She chose to sit at one of the smaller tables next to a window that looked outside. The view was one she’d never tire of. Moving to Montana had been the answer to a prayer and gaining approval to open a B&B on the Ridge had been an answer to a dream. A dream that she’d originally shared with her twin sister, Raven.
Robyn pushed a strand of hair behind her ear as she thought of how she and her twin would spend hours talking about their dream. She had first thought they would open a place together, but Raven had shut that avenue down when moving so far away became Robyn’s choice of location.
“If you want to open a B&B in the mountains, that’s fine, but what’s wrong with the mountains here?” Raven had asked.
“I just want something new,” Robyn explained.
“Well , it can’t be the cold since Montana’s winters are every bit as bad as Vermont’s, if not worse,” Raven had said. “How about you tell me the real reason?”
That was one thing Robyn hadn’t been ready to do. She’d admit that mountains were pretty much the same and most every forest contained a whole lot of trees, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit that it was a specific Ranch that offered the freedom to be her true self that was calling to her like a siren called to sailors.
“I love all of you, but if I don’t get away from here I feel like I’m going to explode.” It was close enough to the truth not to have her insides swirling by telling a lie.
Raven gave her a long look and then smiled. “Fine, if that’s the way you want to play it, I won’t push. You know Mom and Dad are going to think their little bird just wants to test her wings.”
Robyn had groaned. “Don’t you ever get tired of the same old jokes? I swear our parents had to be higher than a kite when they saddled all of us with the names of birds.”
Robyn had said this before and knew their sisters Dove and Sparrow agreed. She still remembered her twin’s laugh as Raven lifted her arms and flapped them as if trying to take flight.
“It’s nice to hear you laugh.”
Shocked out of her memories, Robyn looked up, her muscles tensing.
“Hey, it’s just me.” Hayleigh gave her a concerned look as she slid into the chair opposite Robyn’s.
“Sorry, I thought… you just startled me,” Robyn said, not about to admit her reaction surprised even herself.
“You’re not worried about tomorrow, are you?” Hayleigh asked, concern evident in her voice.
“Tomorrow?”
Brown eyes rolled as Hayleigh’s lips curled into a smile. “Seriously? You’ve got to share what has you so deep in thought that a simple compliment has you jumping out of your skin and totally forgetting that tomorrow is your big day.”
Shoving down what she would like to share, Robyn managed a smile. “Of course not, I was just thinking about my sister. Have I told you she’s planning on opening her own B&B but in New Hampshire?”
Hayleigh nodded, reaching out to snag a fry the moment Julie set the basket containing Robyn’s dinner on the table.
“Hey! That’s mine!” Robyn slapped at Hayleigh’s hand.
“That’s better.” Hayleigh stuck the fry in her mouth and rolled her eyes in pleasure. “Julie, I’ll have the same.”
“I thought you always ate in the cafeteria,” Robyn said.
“Nope. I eat there a lot, but Daddy and I usually eat dinner at home. But since he’s busy with food for the Meet and Greet, I’m on my own,” Hayleigh offered before leaning forward a bit. “But let’s keep this little treat between us, okay?”
Robyn relaxed and laughed. “Why do I have the feeling you’d be paying for those fries with a red butt if your Daddy finds out?”
“Because you are one very smart lady.” Hayleigh snagged another fry before adding, “And stop slapping at me. I’ll pay you back when mine come. But seriously, you really don’t have any reason to worry about tomorrow. Your place is more than fabulous.”
“Thanks to you.” Robyn believed in giving credit where credit was due. “Not only is it all ready, everyone is going to see just how talented you are. You have a keen eye for interior design. Sometimes when you showed me a sketch, a fabric sample or a cute drawer pull, I’d wonder if you knew me better than I knew myself.”
“I just love it. You were a great client and so much fun to work with. If you can even call it work. Design is like playing dress up only it’s not confined to clothes. Paint colors, furniture, lighting, all the little knick-knacks. It’s like choosing all the different types of candy and building your very own gingerbread house. And as for knowing you better than you know yourself, that comes from being your friend.””
Robyn smiled, the vision of her B&B popping up as if she were looking directly at it. “You’re right, though gingerbread is brown rather than yellow.”
“Who cares? Yellow is a happy color. Anyone who doesn’t want to wake up in a place that resembles the sun rising over the mountains doesn’t deserve to stay there.”
“I won’t argue with that.” Robyn lifted her glass and clinked it against Hayleigh’s newly delivered shake. They took sips and then Robyn took a big bite of her grilled cheese, her moan causing Hayleigh’s eyebrows to shoot to her hairline.
“Wow, that moan alone would have me ordering whatever caused it except that I already did,” Hayleigh said, taking a bite of her own sandwich. “Hmm, maybe you got more ooey gooey cheese than I did because while it’s delicious, I can’t say I feel the big ‘O’ coming on.”
“Hayleigh!” Robyn said, her eyes darting around the café.
“Relax, this is Rawhide, remember. You’re not going to find the orgasm police breathing down your neck. Well, not unless you meet someone climax-worthy at the Meet and Greet.” Pausing, she took another bite, using her fingers to guide a long string of melted cheese into her mouth. “Perhaps a certain cowboy?”
“He’s still here?” Robyn asked before remembering she wasn’t interested. “Never mind, I’m not even going to the party.”
“Why not, pray tell?”
“Because I’ve got tons of things to do to get ready for tomorrow.”
Hayleigh shook her finger at Robyn. “Now who’s flirting with a burning butt? You just said everything is ready to go. Fibbing will have you over any Daddy’s lap in a heartbeat.”
“Good thing I don’t have a Daddy then, isn’t it?” Robyn retorted, ignoring the fact her delicious sandwich was threatening to turn into a ball of lead in her tummy.
Hayleigh’s hand dropped to cover Robyn’s. “You’re going to find the perfect Daddy, I promise.”
“How can you promise that? Have you got some ideal man hidden up your sleeves?”
“No, I just know that this is the most perfect place on the planet to find a Daddy. Sometimes, you aren’t even looking and the one meant just for you falls into your lap. Or you fall into his.”
Robyn shook her head, blinking hard. “You know I love you, but you are crazy. If you think I’m going to magically fall for some man named Rooster, you are out of your gourd.”
“You’re telling me that you’d give up the man that had you all googly eyed just because you don’t like his name?”
“Of course not,” Robyn denied vehemently. “It’s just that, he… he didn’t do anything for me.”
“Other than save your life?”
“That doesn’t bind me to him forever,” Robyn said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he did but he’s the reason I choked to begin with so it was sort of his responsibility to make sure he didn’t murder me.”
Hayleigh shook her head. “Girlfriend, you might be able to make sense of that, but I know better. I’ve worked with you for months now and I’ve never seen you light up like you did when that man walked into the room.”
“Roosters don’t walk, they strut,” Robyn said before reaching over to snag an entire fistful of fries from Hayleigh’s basket.
“Oh wow, you’ve got it bad,” Hayleigh said, not even reacting to the uneven exchange of fries.
“Can we talk about something else?” Robyn asked before stuffing one fry after another into her mouth.
“Sure. What time do you want me there tomorrow?”
The women spent the next half hour discussing the opening of the B&B as they finished their dinner. “I already have a few guests arriving,” Robyn said as she slurped the last of her milkshake.
“The first of many.” Hayleigh smiled. “I’m telling you, you’ll be turning away people in no time. We’ve needed a place where guests could come visit family without having to step onto the Ranch if they aren’t into the lifestyle. I bet you’re going to make a whole lot of grandparents happier than a kid in a candy store.”
Robyn smiled and wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I hope so. If I don’t find someone to share all the muffins and scones I’ve been baking, I’m going to need to start jogging up and down these mountains and you know how much I loathe running.”
Hayleigh laughed. “About as much as I hate it, though I must say you did manage to run like a gazelle out of the cafeteria.”
“You’re not going to let that go, are you?”
“Nope. And neither will Sadie. But, I’ll give it a pass until after tomorrow. I really do want you to enjoy your grand opening.” Hayleigh slid out of her chair when Robyn stood. “Are you sure you aren’t coming to the Meet and Greet?”
“Positive,” Robyn said, truly having no interest in mingling with anyone. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bright and early,” Hayleigh agreed, giving Robyn a hug.
Robyn waited until Hayleigh left through the door that would lead to the lobby where people would already be gathering for the night’s event. Resisting the urge to follow, Robyn left through the exit that led out onto the porch. Stepping down the stairs, she turned her head back at the sound of laughter that spilled out of the lobby when someone opened the double doors of the resort. Would some Little find her forever Daddy tonight? Despite her own reserve, she found herself truly hoping so.