Chapter 25
The Howling Wolf Saloon was quintessential Montana, from what Windsor could tell.
A moose head and assorted other animals were mounted on log walls, a roaring stone fireplace took the chill off the spring evening air, and a bar full of blue-jean-and-cowboy-boot-wearing customers turned and stared as part of the cast and crew came through the door.
Marta had let them know they were coming, after consulting with Ephraim. And he was leading the pack, after driving Lyric with Sylvia and Butch in his big black ranch truck.
The bartender waved. “Hey, man. Your table is set up over there. We’ll be right with ya.”
“No rush, Bernie. Thanks,” Ephraim replied.
With his hand on the small of Lyric’s back, he guided her toward the table. “Birthday girl sits at the head.”
Windsor glanced at Bo, and he smiled back at her. They both saw it. Everyone saw it.
“He’s wasting no time.”
Bo’s arm slid around her. “When a man knows what he likes, knows what he wants, and his window of opportunity is limited … you gotta go for it,” he said. “Also, be aware that every eye in this place is on us.”
Windsor’s well-honed sixth sense had already picked up on that. She didn’t care. She leaned into Bo. “How much do you want to bet the tabloids go nuts about us soon?”
His smile was soft. “It’s only a matter of time. I’m glad you’re okay with that.”
“I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“Good.”
He led her to the table and pulled out a chair so she could sit next to Lyric before taking the seat next to Windsor’s.
Butch and Sylvia sat across the table with Jenni, along with Martin, the key grip, and Jose, Cam A operator. Sandra, Laura, and Jody—the prop master, set designer, and sound engineer, respectively—filled in the rest of the table.
“Well, look who we have here. Never thought I’d see Ephraim Holcum sitting at the Howler at a table full of California folks.” A brassy blonde glared as she stalked toward them in a sequined denim jacket and mini skirt.
“Heidi …”
Windsor could tell from the woman’s tone that they had history and she was pissed.
“What happened to don’t California my Montana?”
“Heidi, you need something? I’ll be right over to your table if you do,” a server with a black apron around her waist said.
Windsor, and the whole table, breathed a sigh of relief when they realized Heidi wasn’t their waitress.
The girl looked so mad that she might spit.
Thankfully, it won’t be in our food.
“I’m good. Just never thought I’d see the day.” Heidi spun on her bootheel and stomped off.
“Sorry about that, guys. I’m Maddie, and I’ll be serving you this evening. Welcome to the Howling Wolf Saloon, the pride of Thompson Falls.”
“Thanks, Maddie. This is the birthday girl, right here,” Eph said.
Disaster averted, Windsor leaned against Bo. “Well, that was interesting. Do you know who she is?”
“Ex-girlfriend. She dumped him for a guy who had bought a brand-new truck.”
Windsor whipped her head around to see his face. “You’re kidding?”
“Nope. He was broke and brokenhearted when I hired him.”
“He dodged a bullet, didn’t he?”
“And her man’s truck got repo’d when the mill closed, rumor has it.”
“Ahhh …” Windsor understood. “And now Eph works for a cowboy superstar and drives a fancy truck and makes bank.”
Bo nodded.
“Timing is everything, isn’t it?”
“Seems to be.” His gaze flicked over her shoulder. “By the way, I think we’re being filmed.”
“What else is new?” Windsor replied, thankful for the good posture her mother had drilled into her. “Wanna give them a show?”
“What are you thinking?”
“Just a kiss.”
He grinned. “You sure?”
“Yeah.”
He leaned down and swept his lips across hers. “You think they got that?”
“Maybe.”
“One more then,” he whispered against her lips.
“Putting on a show for the local wannabe paps is gonna cost you a drink order,” Butch said.
Windsor smiled and pulled back with a glance up at the waitress. “Our apologies. We couldn’t resist.”
“Oh my gosh. Are you two, like, together?” Maddie asked.
Bo slung his arm over the back of her chair and let Windsor answer. “We sure are.”
Their waitress gasped. “Hearts’ll be broken everywhere. Do you know how many girls in Thompson Falls have been dreaming of catching his eye since he moved to Montana?”
“I was just waiting for this one to notice me,” Bo said.
“It’s been years in the making,” Windsor added.
“That’s just so romantic. And I heard before the gossip magazines.” Maddie paused. “What can I get you both to drink?”
“Water for me,” Windsor replied.
“Same,” Bo said.
“Appetizers?”
“How about some of your chicken wings?” Bo replied.
“Coming right up. And if you don’t mind me saying so, you two look great together. Like you belong together.” She smiled and ducked off to the bar.
“How ’bout that?” Bo said.
“Yeah. How ’bout that?” Windsor replied as she leaned against him.
The whole bar sang “Happy Birthday” when Maddie carried out the lit cake that Marta had dropped off earlier in the day.
Lyric’s eyes were wide and shocked as they set it in front of her.
“How?” she asked Windsor.
“You can thank Marta for that.”
“Oh my gosh. You guys …”
“Don’t forget to make a wish,” Sylvia said.
Lyric’s gaze cut to his ranch foreman, whose chair was scooted next to Lyric’s, with his arm hanging over the back of her seat.
Out of the corner of his eye, Bo could feel another malevolent glare coming from Heidi, the woman who had stopped at their table earlier.
It wasn’t the first run-in he’d seen between her and Eph. She’d been trying to get him back for years, but to his credit, the man had learned his lesson well enough the first time.
Gold diggers were everywhere, even in Thompson Falls, Montana.
Bo had brushed up against a few himself.
Starting with a few weeks after he had moved in, a woman had claimed she would have his babies if she could just do a movie with him first. Maybe she didn’t count as a gold digger exactly—more like a fame chaser—but it had still been awkward.
It was like they were blinded to the fact that he could see right through them to their true motives.
It was one thing he didn’t wonder about at all with Windsor.
She’d been rich and famous long before he picked up his first script.
She understood exactly what it was like for people to want you for reasons that had nothing to do with you and everything to do with what they thought they could get from you.
She didn’t want movie roles or money or to be famous. She just wanted him. And the ranch didn’t hurt either. But he knew that wasn’t her motive. She hadn’t even known the ranch was his when she jumped on the part, even with a fully nude scene, simply because it was opposite him.
And everything that Bo had, he was happy to share with her.
She could make herself right at home. He wasn’t going to pretend that hadn’t been in the back of his mind the whole time he’d been putting his stamp on Granite Point.
At the time, it might’ve seemed crazy, but part of him had believed it was possible.
And here he was, in a hole-in-the-wall bar that served PB&J and air-fryer food, in Western Montana, with the woman of his dreams next to him. Life didn’t get any better than this.