Chapter Four #2
Shauna Barnes had been Pam’s protégée since the age of six, when she had been one of the first students to enroll in Pam’s acting school in Wyoming.
Now twenty-five, Shauna was a well-known actress in Hollywood and often sought Pam’s guidance on relationship issues. “And what advice did you give Shauna?”
“To trust her gut feelings and instincts. I also encouraged her to rely on her inner compass and never rush anything. Some things don’t have to be timed. Everything has a natural flow, Iris. Even relationships. I found that out the hard way when I became engaged to marry Fletcher Mallard.”
“And what if my gut instincts are telling me I’m not ready for anything serious? Or my inner compass leads me in another direction?” Iris asked.
“Then go with that. However, make sure it’s not your reluctance to let go and move on. You and I both know Garlan would want you to be happy.”
Pam paused and then said, “I recall when I was about nine, and it was just me and Dad. Mom had died six years earlier, when I was three. But I remembered her. I recall how well she took care of me, her deliciously cooked meals, and how beautiful she was. I also recall how much she made Dad smile.”
After taking a sip of coffee, Pam resumed talking.
“I will never forget the day—a few months after turning ten—when Dad sat me down and told me about Alma and that he was thinking of marrying again. I had a full-blown panic attack. The first thing that crossed my mind was that if Dad married someone else, he would forget Mom. That his new wife would erase her memory from our lives forever.”
“Did you tell your dad how you felt?” Iris asked.
“Yes. I shared all my fears with him, and he explained that Mom would always have a special place in his heart. There was no way she could not, given he had loved her so much. He told me he had a big heart and Alma would fit into it, and have her place in it, just as I had my place there. Dad understood my worries were the result of my feeling insecure. He then told me something I knew to be true.”
“What was that?”
“Mom had a big heart, too, and she wouldn’t want us to be alone. She would want him to have someone in his life to love him and who would love me, too. He and I were a package deal, and Alma knew and accepted that.”
Iris nodded. “And from what you told me, she was the best.”
“Yes, she was. Alma was just what my dad and I needed, and she made him smile again.” After releasing a deep breath, she said, “You don’t have to worry about Garlan Jr., Iris, since he never knew his dad, and I honestly don’t think he would have a problem with you dating. He hasn’t so far.”
“No, he hasn’t. He wasn’t around Karlton much and spent even less time with Warren.
Besides, Garlan is getting older and will soon have a life of his own to live.
He’s already told me he and a few of his friends are thinking of going skiing during the holidays in Aspen.
He figured that should be okay since we usually spend Christmas and New Year’s here with you guys. He’ll only be three hours away.”
After taking a sip of coffee, Pam placed her cup down and studied her. “You are okay with that, right, Iris?” Pam asked.
“I can’t help but be okay with it. It will be hard since it’s the first holiday we’ve ever spent apart. But I realize he’s getting older, and I don’t want him to feel as if I’m smothering him.”
Inhaling then releasing a deep breath, Iris continued, “And as for Matt, there’s no guarantee it is meant for him to be a part of my life just because I was attracted to him that one time.”
Pam chuckled. “That one time? Spare me. I might have been the sister of the bride at Nadia’s wedding, but don’t think I missed how you were eyeing Matt when you thought no one noticed. Although you were with Warren, you couldn’t help yourself. But then neither could Matt.”
Iris lifted a brow. “He was looking at me?”
Pam smiled. “Yes, he was.”
“I didn’t know.”
“It wasn’t meant for you to know. You had a man with you at the time. A man who happened to be at the wedding as your plus-one,” Pam said.
Iris rolled her eyes. “A man, who by my calculations, was involved in an affair with another woman at that time.”
The kitchen was quiet until Pam said, “I believe your heart can expand for someone else if you truly want it to. I am just getting to know Matt, but Dillon likes him. All the Westmorelands who have met him do, too. It’s obvious he is somewhat reserved, and I can understand.
The Westmorelands can be a bit overwhelming at first. Plus, he is dealing with finding out he is Sid Roberts’s son.
That in itself is huge. Since he attended the Sid Roberts Foundation banquet last month, I understand he’s been bombarded with requests for interviews. That can be overwhelming as well.”
“You’re right about that,” Iris agreed, after taking a sip of tea.
“But even if you decide Matt isn’t the guy for you, then hopefully there is someone else who is worthy. The question you have to ask yourself, Iris, is whether or not you will want to share your life with anyone again. That is a decision only you can make.”
* * *
Matt awoke that morning feeling well rested. Probably because he had passed on the poker game that had been in progress when he arrived. Instead, he and Deena had gone straight to the cottages at Bella’s Retreat that had been reserved for them.
Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, he saw it was barely past nine o’clock and recalled being told that breakfast would be served in the Westmoreland House until ten.
He had just enough time to shower, dress and get over there, figuring a good meal was being prepared.
He was hoping that at some point today, his path would cross with Iris’s.
He’d overheard Bella mention to Deena that she had arrived earlier in the week to assist Pam with last-minute details.
Less than thirty minutes later, Matt walked into the huge three-story structure, the Westmoreland House.
According to Quade, Dillon, who was the oldest of the Denver Westmorelands, became the guardian for his fourteen siblings and cousins when his parents, aunt and uncle were killed in a plane crash.
When Pam and Dillon married, she felt it was essential for his family to know she wasn’t taking him away from them, that they would always remain a big part of the family.
For that reason, she had implemented a huge dinner in their home once a month and all the family was invited.
At the time, Dillon had been the only one who was married.
Pretty soon, the once-a-month dinners became twice-a-month dinners when more Westmoreland men got married and everyone began having children.
It soon became obvious that although Dillon had a huge house, his dining room couldn’t accommodate everyone.
That’s when Dillon and Pam had the idea to build The Westmoreland House on a section of his land.
The building was enormous. On the ground floor, there was a humongous kitchen where all the wives pitched in with the cooking.
It included a massive dining area that could seat over three hundred people when needed.
Also on the ground floor was a ballroom suitable for the future weddings of any member of the Westmoreland family.
The space was also plenty big enough to host other special occasions, events and family gatherings whenever the Atlanta, Montana and Texas Westmorelands, as well as the Alaska Outlaws, came to visit. Like the event this weekend.
Matt had also heard that during the design of the structure, the men insisted the Westmoreland House have a man cave where they could play poker.
That became the entire third floor, which included sleeping quarters for those overnight poker games.
The man cave made the women insist on having a theater room to watch movies on one wing of the second floor.
They even added a game room for the teens and a playroom for the little ones on the second floor’s other wing.
One such playroom resembled an indoor playground, and another even had a merry-go-round.
He was headed toward the buffet table when he heard his name. He turned and saw Dillon. He’d appreciated the man’s easygoing demeanor and friendliness from the time they’d first met. He smiled. “Good morning, Dillon.”
“Same to you, Matt. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, I did. Thanks for asking.”
Matt thought that if there was one word to describe the Westmorelands, it would be genuine.
They honestly loved family and friendships.
And they supported each other. He’d discovered that when he’d met a number of them—as well as the Outlaws—at Cheyenne’s birthday party.
They’d been there for Pam’s sister’s wedding six months later.
That had been his first visit to Westmoreland Country, but it hadn’t been his last.
Then there was the time the triplets hosted the Sid Roberts Foundation dinner.
Although they weren’t all related to Matt’s biological father, per se, the triplets were, and the Westmorelands had been there in full force to support.
Even the Outlaws had arrived in Austin, flying their own planes.
The landing strip Clint had installed on his property had made it easy to do so.
Matt glanced around. “I didn’t think I was late for breakfast. Where’s everyone?”
Dillon chuckled. “You’re not late. Some of the guys involved in the all-night poker game left at dawn to shower and change clothes.
They returned, grabbed something to eat, and now they’re back upstairs, either shooting pool or playing poker again.
The kids have eaten and are doing their thing on the second floor, and I understand the ladies went shopping. ”
Matt nodded. That was probably the reason why there’d been no answer when he had knocked on Deena’s cottage door earlier. “All the women?” he asked.