Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Allegra had faced one shock after another and it was far too early in the morning to have her head spinning, but at least the food was good.
Brunch was a serve-yourself deal, but not like a buffet.
Family-size platters filled the table, and people had to talk to each other if they wanted the plates passed.
It was a clever way to get people acquainted, she supposed, but it made the brunch noisy, and she had too much to think about.
The quick debrief that Carter had given her outside the airport seemed to have left quite a lot out.
She suddenly realized that there was a whole section of his life that she knew nothing about, and she wondered why.
But that was a conversation for later, when there weren’t twenty people talking around her.
For the moment, she busied herself with the food, and the small talk she had to make to get her hands on it.
She ate far more than she should have, especially on top of the airport pretzels, but it was worth it.
As the mountain of food slowly vanished, the room grew quieter.
And once it seemed that most people were finished, their hosts stood up.
“We’d like to welcome you all to our home.
My name is Grace Prendergast, and this is my husband Arlo, but most people call us Ma and Pa.
Please use whichever you’re comfortable with. ”
Ally was willing to bet most would stick with Ma and Pa. She’d never seen anyone more suited to the titles.
The smile Ma swept around the table was cordial and sincere.
Pa simply nodded his head, obviously happy to let her take the lead.
“The Second Chance Ranch has been running for close to forty years now, and in that time, it has helped so many people learn and grow. About eight years ago, we switched to working specifically with romantic partners who needed to reconnect.”
Carter’s hand settled on Allegra’s thigh, and she gave him a quick glance, but couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
Ma continued, and her tone changed to something less familial and more professional.
“This world is hectic and crazy, and sometimes love just isn’t enough to hold things together.
Distance grows, communication flags, and problems that pop up aren’t always dealt with.
” She shrugged. “We offer a somewhat … unique path to growing closer and revitalizing your relationships.”
Pa hooked an arm around her waist, as he took over. “We run five or six of these sessions most years, and we’ve seen just about everything. I can tell you there’s no problem you can’t work through, if you both want it, and we’re here to help you do just that.”
It was clear they’d given this speech so many times that the swapping back and forth was choreographed.
Ma was up again. “Now, some of the things we’re going to ask you to do might seem a bit outlandish …
but we ask that you trust the process. You are the fiftieth group to come through these doors, and I can assure you that we know what we’re doing.
Well, we’d have to by now, wouldn’t we?” She laughed and elbowed her husband gently.
Allegra leaned over and whispered, “Unique and outlandish? What exactly are they going to have us doing?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, Ally. The program was different when I was here, but they’ve always been really good at helping people, so let’s ‘trust the process’ like they asked.” He squeezed her thigh.
He seemed to trust them, but even he was shocked when printouts were passed around the table and he scanned down the list of rules.
She watched his eyes widen, and hurried to pull the sheet over so she could see.
The very first rule made her mouth drop open.
She reread it several times, sure she was somehow not understanding.
She wasn’t the only one.
“Uh, excuse me Mr. Pren—uh Pa,” someone called from the other end of the table. “I don’t understand … does this say couples are … that we can’t … um.” His voice trailed off, but others had the same question.
Allegra was staring holes in Carter, but he didn’t look her way.
Pa seemed to take the upset in stride. He smiled. “I know. I get it. You’re shocked and confused, but you read it right. Couples will be housed separately for the first week, and we ask that you refrain from any sexual contact.”
There was an explosion of voices. Almost everyone had something to say, including her. “But we’re here to grow closer. How can we grow closer if you keep us apart?” was what Allegra wanted to know.
Ma fielded that one. “We won’t be keeping you apart. You’ll be working with your partner. You’ll see each other for meals and activities too, and the week will fly by, I promise. If you all behave yourselves and follow the rules…” She shot a stern but motherly look around the table.
Allegra couldn’t help squirming, and she wasn’t the only one. Ma had clearly nailed the mom warning stare.
“Then week two will start with moving you into cabins with your partner,” Pa finished.
“But why?” someone asked. It didn’t matter who, since it was what everyone wanted to know.
“There are a few reasons we do this, but we’ll let you figure it out for yourselves. I expect you’ll realize pretty quick what the main goal is in separating you.” He chuckled as he leaned down to whisper something in Ma’s ear. She dimpled and the creases around her eyes deepened as she laughed.
“Carter!” Allegra hissed at him. This wasn’t what she’d signed on for, and she wasn’t sure that picking their next vacation was worth all of this.
“It’s just one week,” he reminded her. There were similar conversations being had around the table and their hosts just let them talk it out.
“Now,” Ma said finally, as the voices died down.
“Tomorrow is the official start. We have several more couples arriving, and then we’ll have a full house.
For today, we’ll just let you get settled and do a little exploring.
We have packets for each of you, here.” She tapped a stack of glossy folders on the table in front of her.
Pa began passing them down, as she continued. “All our amenities are listed, mealtimes, and everything you might need to know is in here. But if you need anything, you’re welcome to hunt us up, or ask any of the staff. In the meantime, before we get you sorted into your rooms, you can ask any que—”
“I have a question!”
“Why can’t we—”
“When is—”
There was chaos for a few minutes, as everyone tried to ask questions at once. Some of the answers were right in the packets they’d received, but most of them hadn’t even looked. After flipping through the pages and brochures, Carter had a question and he pitched his voice to cut across the others.
“Will we be staying in the bunkhouses for the first week?”
Bunkhouses? What fresh hell was this? Did that mean they would be sleeping in a group? The large brunch sat heavily in her stomach, and she wished she hadn’t eaten so much.
“Good question. Next week when you’re back with your partners, each couple will have your own cabin, but for now… yes, most will be staying in the bunkhouses. We have one for men and one for the ladies,” Ma explained.
Obviously that caused another commotion, and their host stopped and waited.
When they showed no signs of quieting after a full minute, she clapped her hands loudly.
“Thank you,” she said, as they finally stopped talking.
“I understand this is a surprise, but I think you’ll find it’s a fun way to get to know each other.
And our bunkhouses aren’t exactly rustic. You’ll be quite comfortable.”
“Are they?” she whispered to Carter.
He hesitated and then shook his head. “They were … rough when I was here, but that was a long time ago. I’m sure they’ve been renovated.”
She let out a long sigh.
But standing in the doorway of the ladies’ bunkhouse, she had to admit Ma had told the truth. There was nothing rustic or ‘rough’ about the building. She was also pleasantly surprised to have her own little cubicle with a cozy twin bed.
Ma led them through the building to a large sitting area with comfortable couches and a huge television. “Consider it a weeklong slumber party,” she suggested, as she stood in the center and pointed out the popcorn maker, and the fridge with snacks and drinks.
Allegra had never been to a slumber party, not really, and the idea was oddly appealing, though it would depend on whether the cluster of women got along. So far, she hadn’t really talked to any of them. Most seemed just as confused as she was.
“The bathroom is through there.” Their host pointed to the obvious door. “Shower stalls, toilet stalls, and a four-person sauna if you want to catch some steam after work. I highly recommend that.”
“About the work thing…” someone called out. “We’re um, not really going to be doing cowboy—uh, cowgirl stuff, are we? Like real ranch work?”
Ma motioned for them to all move in and sit. “The life of a cowboy is rough. They work from sunup to sundown most of the year, and it’s exhausting. So, in that respect… no, you won’t be doing that.”
A relieved murmur swept the group. “What we aim to do is give you a slice of that life. You’ll get the experiences and you’ll learn a lot, but there will be plenty of time for rest, relaxation, and most importantly… bonding with your significant other.”
Allegra felt the tension in her middle loosen. That sounded a lot better than what she’d been picturing, and apparently, she wasn’t alone. “What if we don’t know anything about ranch stuff though?” she couldn’t help asking.
Ma smiled at her, and it seemed maybe a little more personal than the professional smile she’d been giving the others.
“Don’t you worry about that, Allegra. We know that most of our guests have never actually been on a working ranch.
You’ll learn as you go. We team each couple up with an experienced cowboy who can show you the ropes. ”