Chapter Two
By the time they got home after catching up with everyone at the bakery, Ty was ready to kick back with a beer and have a quiet evening.
Tanner slapped his shoulder as he headed for the stairs. “I’m going to get changed and ready for work. Are you coming in tonight?”
“Nah. I’m going to hang out here, take it easy.” He used to spend all his Friday nights hanging out at the bar at Chico while Tanner worked, but the appeal had worn off lately.
Tanner grinned at him. “You going to go trawling for women online instead of at the saloon?”
“I told you – I’m done with that whole deal.”
“Not yet, you’re not. I saved a bunch of profiles for you. You should take a look.”
“All right! I’ll look.”
Tanner grinned. “Good. You never know, you might find one who wants to come visit – everyone wants to see Montana.”
“Yeah.” Ty waved over his shoulder as he headed for the kitchen. That was part of his problem with the whole online dating deal. What had started out as a selling point – the ability to meet people he never normally would have, to widen the net, as Nessa called it – seemed more like a downfall when it came to the possibility of actually meeting someone. If they lived outside of Montana, when would he ever be able to meet them in person, let alone spend enough time with them to get to know them?
He took a beer from the fridge and settled himself on the sofa in the great room with his laptop.
He chuckled at some of the profiles Tanner had saved for him – most of them were hot chicks: big lips, big tits, short skirts, and lots of makeup. Not Tyler’s type. There was one that Ty liked the sound of, but her profile picture was a flower. She sounded like fun, but if she didn’t want to post a photo of herself, she probably wasn’t much to look at. He didn’t like to think of himself as superficial, of course there was much more to a woman than her looks but … there had to be some chemistry.
After he’d checked out the profiles that Tanner had saved, he went to his messages – so much for deleting his profile, he was hooked again.
The very first message – the most recent one, it’d come in this afternoon – was from the flower picture girl – ShayinCA . The subject line read simply, Hi. For some reason, it made him feel hopeful. He decided to save it for last and check out the others first. He wasn’t expecting much, and he wasn’t disappointed.
Most of the messages were the same old thing. He couldn’t figure out if people were just that superficial or if they were tired of wasting their time. He was starting to believe that the lines –
Great profile. Let’s talk.
How are you tonight?
Hey handsome want to chat?
all came from some copy and paste guidebook to online dating. He deleted them as he went.
When there was only ShayinCA ’s message left, he clicked to open it and then sat back in surprise.
Hi!
If I’m guessing right, you’re Tyler MacFarland.
Lol, don’t freak out. I guessed it from the brand on your hat and your username.
Shit! And he’d thought that he’d given nothing away! He ran his hand through his hair and continued reading.
I promise you I’m not some weirdo – and I’m also not Shayna, who this profile belongs to. I’m April Runyan – or April Preston. You might not remember me; I was in Tanner’s year at school.
He stared at the screen. He did remember her. She was a mousey kind of girl. She went out with Mason Remington for a little while before Mason got together with Gina. Then she married that asshole, Guy Preston. He blew out a sigh, wondering what she wanted with him.
I’m messaging you from Shayna’s account because she liked the sound of you, but she’s not convinced about online dating – and because you didn’t post a photo of yourself. I told her she wouldn’t be disappointed.
Oh, and I bet you’re wondering why she didn’t post her photo. It’s because she’s a hot blonde! Lol, not the high maintenance kind, she’s a real small-town girl. She gets enough creeps messaging her as it is, even without them seeing how gorgeous she is.
I was with Shayna and saw that she was looking at this site. She said she’d like to meet a cowboy, so I did a search around Livingston – that’s how you came up.
She’s awesome. You should chat with her and see for yourself. Anyway, I know this must sound strange. If it seems too weird, you can ask Gina about me – get her to call me to verify if you want. You could ask Chance, but he’s here at the lake this weekend.
Shoot, she’s on her way back. I snuck on her computer while she was in the bathroom! Give her a try, Tyler! I have a good feeling about the two of you.
April.
Ty reread the message a couple of times. It did seem weird. He didn’t know what to make of it. He was tempted to delete it along with the others and forget the whole thing. But his curiosity wouldn’t let him. He was intrigued. He took his phone out and searched for Mason’s number – he didn’t have Gina’s.
“That didn’t take you long,” Mason answered.
“You know why I’m calling?”
“I do. April called Gina this afternoon and told her what she’d done. Are you going to follow up on it?”
“I dunno. Do you know this Shayna?”
“Nope.”
Ty felt like he was trying to play catch up.
Mason laughed. “You need to find someone who can sneak a photo of her before you decide what you want to do.”
“Yeah, but what are the odds of finding someone who’d … wait, is Chance there this weekend?”
“He is, but I don’t know that he’d agree to sneak a photo of a woman without her knowing.”
“No. I wouldn’t in his position.”
“Do you have his number?”
“I do. I could text him.”
“That might be best – you’ll get a quicker and easier yes or no that way.”
“Okay. Thanks, Mase.”
“Not a problem. And if this turns out to be something – if you start seeing this girl and she comes up here to visit you, we want to know about it.”
Ty laughed. “Yeah, okay. I don’t see that happening but …”
“You never know.”
“I guess not. Thanks again.”
“Sure thing. See ya.”
Ty ended the call and went to grab a fresh beer from the fridge. Was he really going to ask Chance if he’d try to sneak a photo of this girl? That was crazy! It’d be easier to chat with her and ask her to send a photo herself.
He went back and flopped down on the sofa. After rereading April’s message and Shayna’s profile, he took his phone out of his back pocket. He was intrigued enough that he had to do something.
He wasn’t a coward though; he dialed Chance’s number and waited.
“Tyler. I’ve been expecting you.”
Ty let out a short laugh. “Is this some kind of set up? Are you all in on some big joke at my expense – making me think I’m after some hot blonde in California when really, it’s just you guys leading me on a wild goose chase?”
Chance laughed. “Damn! And they say I’m paranoid. It’s not a set up, Ty. All I can tell you is that April was all excited about trying to set you up with Shayna online. We’re out with April tonight – you can talk to her if you want. She also called Gina to warn her that you might be calling to see if it was legit.”
“Okay. Do you know this Shayna?”
“Not personally. I’ve seen her around. Summer Lake’s a small town; gossip works about the same way it does in the valley. So, I can tell you that she’s a hard worker – she works a few different jobs, she’s behind the bar tonight where we are, and she was at the barn this morning mucking out stalls.”
That piqued Ty’s interest, but it didn’t answer the big question. He had to ask. “What does she look like?”
“April said she told you that Shayna’s a hot blonde.”
“She did. But she’s her friend for one thing, and she’s a woman.”
Chance chuckled. “So, you’re going to put me on the spot and ask for my opinion while I’m standing next to my wife?”
“Shit, no. Sorry, I …” Ty relaxed when he heard Hope laughing in the background.
“Hi, Ty,” she said. “I made him put you on speaker. And I told him that he has to tell you the truth. I’m going to go and talk to Missy now – she’s over on the other side of the bar, so Chance can tell you honestly without worrying about me.”
“Thanks, Hope.”
The background noise faded out and he guessed that Chance had taken him off speaker.
“Sorry, man! I didn’t mean …”
“Not a problem. She’s only playing. She knows I’ve never looked at another woman since the day we met.”
“And why would you? Hope’s beautiful.” He wasn’t just saying it. Hope was a former swimwear model who’d once been voted one of the most beautiful women on earth. More importantly than that, she wasn’t insecure – about herself or about her husband.
“She is. I know what a lucky bastard I am – and not just because of her looks. But since looks are what we’re talking about …”
“Go on,” said Ty. “Put me out of my misery. Has Hope left because you don’t want her to hear you say that another woman is attractive – or because she doesn’t want to hear you say anything derogatory?”
“Like I said, I don’t know her personally, but I’ve seen Shayna around quite a bit and … she’s a good-looking girl. She’s got long blonde hair, a decent figure on her. She works at the barn, she works behind the bar here, she also teaches fitness classes at the gym.”
Ty smiled, this was sounding better and better. “And from what you know of her, she seems nice?”
“She does. She seems like a real sweetheart.”
“How would you describe her?”
Chance was quiet for a few moments before he said, “She reminds me of Hope a little. Don’t get me wrong, she’s not a model, she’s not from a billionaire family, she’s a small-town girl, but she kind of looks like Hope, and she strikes me as being the same kind of sweet and kind. Whenever I’ve seen her, she’s always smiling and upbeat.”
Ty grinned. “Thanks, Chance.”
“Happy to help. Is there anything else?”
“I don’t think so.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Send her a message I guess, and see if she replies.” His smile faded when he realized that Shayna hadn’t even contacted him. It was only April sticking her nose in. He might message Shayna and hear nothing back from her.
“Want me to ask Hope to put in a good word for you?”
“It couldn’t do any harm, could it?”
Chance chuckled. “Nope. I gotta go. Good luck, Ty. Here if you need me.”
~ ~ ~
Shayna finished wiping down the bar then braced her hands on it and let her head droop. It was late; it’d been a busy Friday night at The Boathouse, she was tired, and she was ready to go home.
“You okay?” Kenzie asked as she passed her. “We’ll be out of here in a few. I’d tell you to go now, but I want to follow you and make sure you get there okay.”
“It’s fine, Kenz, honestly. I don’t mind staying till we’re done, and you don’t need to follow me home – I keep telling you that. I appreciate it, but I don’t think it’s necessary anymore.”
Kenzie held her gaze for a long moment. “You might be right. It’s different now that you’re living at Davin and Alexis’s place. I know that you’re safe once you get there – it’s not like your old house. But … tell you what, when Davin says he doesn’t think it’s necessary, then I’ll quit following you home.”
“Okay.” She knew that some people might not like that idea – they wouldn’t want anyone else to have the final say over what they did. But it wasn’t like that. Davin and Alexis had taken her in – treated her as family. They looked out for her, and it gave her the warm and fuzzies.
“Shoot, what do these two want?” Kenzie said in a low voice. “I love ‘em to pieces, but I’m not serving anyone else tonight, not even Chance and Hope.”
Shayna watched them approach the bar, wondering what they wanted. Some of the tourists, and some of the locals for that matter, would try to get another drink even when it was obvious that the bar was closed, but Chance and Hope weren’t the type.
Kenzie grinned at them. “You’re out of luck, cowboy. Not another drop of booze is crossing this bar tonight.”
Chance frowned, and Hope smiled and said, “That’s okay. We’re not after another drink.”
Shayna’s breath caught in her chest when Chance looked directly at her and said, “We want a quick word with you when you’re finished.”
Her heart started to pound. Why would they want to talk to her? “What …?”
“She’s finished now,” said Kenzie. “Have at it, I’ll be back in a minute.” She went into the back, leaving Shayna eyeing Chance and Hope warily.
She relaxed a little when Hope smiled. “Don’t look so worried. It’s nothing bad – in fact, it might turn out to be something good.”
“What might?” She didn’t have a clue what was going on.
Chance’s lips turned up in the hint of a smile. “Have you heard from Tyler yet?”
“Tyler? Oh!” It’d been a busy night in The Boathouse; she hadn’t had a minute to think about the mysterious cowboy in Montana or the message that April had sent him. “I …” She held her hands up. “No. I don’t think so. I’ve been working all evening, I … why?”
“He saw the message that April sent, and he was curious. He called me, since he knows that I’m here this weekend. At first, he didn’t know if it was a set up – if we were messing with him somehow. When I assured him that you are in a fact a real person, he wanted to know what I could tell him about you.”
“I see.”
Hope smiled at her. “I hope you’re not mad – I think I might be mad about everyone interfering if I were in your shoes.”
Chance turned to look at her. “You would?”
“Yes. Think about it. Shayna doesn’t know us, she has no idea who Ty is, all she knows is that April sent a message from her account and now she has a bunch of strangers trying to interfere in her dating life. Sorry, Shayna.”
She had to smile; she was grateful that Hope understood.
Chance nodded slowly. “Yeah. Sorry. I didn’t mean …”
“It’s okay – really. I don’t know you guys that well, but I know that you mean well.”
“We do.”
“So, what exactly did you want to talk to me about?”
Chance shrugged. “Just to tell you that if you hear from him, you might want to give him a shot. He’s a good guy.”
“And he’s hot!” Hope said with a wink.
Chance narrowed his eyes at her. “He is?”
She laughed. “Of course he is! All those MacFarland boys … Oops!” She grinned at Shayna. “I think I’d better zip it.”
Chance smiled at her through pursed lips. “I think you might be right.” He turned back to Shayna. “To be fair, he wanted to know what you look like.”
“He didn’t post a photo of himself either,” she said.
“I know. I reckon the two of you should chat online – see if you get along, then you can decide if it’s worth finding out what each other look like.”
Shayna nodded slowly. She was intrigued. If this Tyler was someone who Chance would go out of his way for – and Hope – then she imagined that he must be a decent guy.
“For what it’s worth, Chance told him that you’re gorgeous,” Hope said with a smile.
She felt the heat in her cheeks and didn’t know where to look.
Chance shrugged. “I told him that you remind me of my wife – in looks and personality.”
Hope nodded. “Exactly.”
“Anyway, it’s none of our business really, but April started it, and I wanted to make sure that you know that it’s for real. Okay?”
“Okay, thanks.”
“You should message him,” said Hope.
Chance met her gaze and held it as he nodded. “I reckon you should – or wait for him to message you.”
“Thanks, guys.”
“Okay, we did our bit, we’re out of here.”
She wasn’t sure how she felt as she watched them walk out of the bar. It was strange to have people meddling in her life – but they weren’t really meddling. April was the one who’d done that. Chance and Hope had come to reassure her that Tyler was a decent guy – and hot! She just wished she could see a photo of him.
She took her phone out and logged on to the dating site. She swallowed when she saw a new message from Bro#5. She made herself close the site again – she’d wait until she got home to read it.
“You good to go?” Kenzie called.
“Be right with you.” She grabbed her backpack from the back room and followed Kenzie out to the parking lot.
“I’ll follow you till you turn into your driveway,” said Kenzie. “Once you’re there, I know you’re good – it’s not like anything’s going to happen to you with Davin around.”
“Or Alexis.”
Kenzie laughed. “True. She’s fierce.”
“She’s awesome!”
“She is. Are you rostered on with me tomorrow night again?”
“I am.”
“Damn girl, when do you ever get a break?”
Shayna smiled. “Sunday afternoon. It’s become our tradition – we all hang out as a family.”
“Aww. I love that. Okay, let’s get going. I want to get home to Chase.”
When she got home, Shayna drove straight into the garage and pressed the remote to put the door down before she got out of her SUV. Davin and Alexis had made her promise that she’d get into the habit of doing that. The entrance to the apartment was inside the garage so once she was in, she was safe – as long as she remembered to close the door behind her.
Once she was in her apartment, she got ready for bed and brought her phone with her. She usually left it in the kitchen to charge overnight, but even though she was tired, she knew she wouldn’t be able to get to sleep until she’d read the message from Bro#5 – Tyler.
She snuggled under the covers and switched the light off before she pulled the site up again. Her heart was beating rapidly as she clicked on the message.
Hi Shayna
My name’s Tyler – but I guess you already know that from April.
To tell you the truth, I’m not sure if I should send this message.
I thought I’d give it a go. If you don’t want to talk to me, not a problem.
Would you do me a favor and message me back to say so?
I’d be interested in talking to you, if you want to – understand if you don’t.
Tyler
She blew out a sigh. The message wasn’t anything exciting. It didn’t give away anything about him, but … no, that wasn’t true. He’d reached out, and he hadn’t put any pressure on her. He might not have said much, but he had no idea who she was – just as she had no real idea about him.
She reread the message a couple of times. She was tempted to write him back about how weird this whole deal was, but that’d get too long, and she might give too much away about herself before she knew enough about him. Instead, she decided to follow his example.
Hi Tyler.
Thanks for reaching out. I’m glad you did.
I felt a bit awkward about April messaging you like that.
I’d be interested in talking to you, too.
I just got home from work, and I have to be up early in the morning so – more soon.
Shayna.
She hit send before she talked herself out of it or added a whole bunch more. She was starting to feel a tingle of excitement creeping in, but she had to get to sleep – she needed to be up early to get to her other job at the barn.