Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
TANDY
S ipping coffee out of my Charlie Brown mug brings back so many memories. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t smash the mug ages ago. I should probably google to be sure that this old mug won’t kill me or give me lead poisoning. But researching that can wait until after I’ve at least finished one cup of coffee.
While I’m sure it seems silly to be harboring resentment toward the man this long, I can’t help myself. The night he walked out on me destroyed my self-confidence. I climbed in his window a young woman with dreams and then snuck out his back door angry and hurt, vowing that I’d never let anyone hurt me that way again.
I’ve held to that promise.
Emotional walls were the only thing that prevented me from falling apart when I learned that he’d moved on. And they almost didn’t hold me together when I received word that he’d gotten married. That was a lifetime ago, but I can still remember sitting in that little apartment in the metal chair with the orange vinyl seat. I was sipping chamomile tea as I read my sister’s letter. To this day, I cannot stand the taste or smell of that tea.
It wasn’t like he cheated or gave up on us quickly. I left town and made my sister promise not to tell Matthew anything about my life. But she’d send me letters, updating me about his. He asked about me for months before finally starting to date again.
And life worked out the way it was supposed to. I became successful, and he got his happily-ever-after. He has a beautiful family, and his two grandsons are some of the sweetest men in town. Men who clearly adore their wives.
And that thought reminds me that I need to chat with Haley about ideas for Matchmaker Ranch. It would be fun to start each new couple off with a photo shoot. Strangers being photographed when they first meet. It would be a great icebreaker. And Haley and Nacha will be perfect at capturing those moments. Or I can bother Lilith, but she isn’t doing much with her photography these days.
She stays busy running the venue, spending time with Beau, and being a grandma to lots of littles on the ranch.
After swallowing the rest of my coffee, I wash the mug by hand.
I don’t hate Matthew. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to talk to him. It is amusing to watch him fight for my attention. It reminds me of when we were young, and he worked so hard to get me to go out with him that first time. After all these years, the man is still funny.
But the protective layers around my heart are a result of his actions, and I can still remember how I felt that night as I stood in his bedroom.
I need to let go of the hurt, but I’m not sure how. Especially when he acts like it wasn’t a big deal. It probably wasn’t to him. He had no idea I was in love and ready to give up my dreams to be with him.
Maybe that’s the silver lining. He rejected me, and as a result, I moved away and followed my dreams.
A door slams outside, and I fill the Charlie Brown mug with coffee. Matthew’s steps sound on the porch, and I yank open the door before he can knock.
“Morning, sunshine. How are you on this fine Friday?” He has the same brown paper bag tucked under his arm that he showed up with yesterday. And there is a box of donuts in his other hand. “The coffee smells good. I’m bummed that I forgot my travel mug.” He offers the box. “Help yourself to donuts. I got extra of the chocolate filled. Just because you seem to like them.”
I take the box and hand him the Charlie Brown mug before walking away from him.
“Is this for me?” He stares into the cup, probably wondering what I added to the coffee. “If I pass out after drinking this, please call an ambulance and tell them what you slipped in my drink.”
A laugh slips out before I stop myself, and a look of satisfaction flashes on Matthew’s face. I pick up one of the chocolate-filled donuts, hoping that the sweet treat will prevent me from talking to him.
He eases up behind me and reaches around me and into the box. “This ooey gooey chocolate one will go well with coffee. You don’t mind if I have one of these, do you?”
I glance back and shake my head.
He beams. “More body language. That’s progress. And thanks for the coffee. Later, if you’re craving something sweet, we can share a few Nips.”
Have I really not changed that much from when I was a teen? Sweets have always been a weakness for me. Once upon a time, Matthew was too.
“Colt, how’s the barn coming?” I sit down at the corner table in Sweets across from my wrangler. He’s overseeing the repairs on the barn and getting it ready for horses. I hired him much too early in the process, and he doesn’t even have enough to keep him busy. But I’m paying him a full salary. He’s a sweet kid, and I’m glad I snatched him up before someone else hired him.
He'll handle the horses and trail rides once the ranch is open.
But I want more than horses. There will be cows, maybe some sheep, and for sure some chickens. I’ll need someone to handle the ranching side of things because I’m not going to be hauling my bootie into a field to feed the cows.
He flashes a grin. “It’s good. I got all the bad boards replaced, and those guys fixed the hole in the roof.”
“Perfect. Everything is coming together. I’m so excited.” I slide my notebook out of my purse. “Let me check those things off my list.”
“What about your new house? When is construction getting underway?”
“Not sure. I have someone doing renovations to my current house. When that’s finished, I’ll focus on the other house.” I hand him my credit card. “Get yourself some goodies. I’ll run into the ladies’ room. Then we can drive out to the ranch.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He rubs his leg after getting up.
“Are you still hurting?” I probably shouldn’t worry over him like a parent, but he’s young and he needs someone worrying about him.
He shrugs. “Not too bad. Just a little twinge from time to time. I do not recommend getting stabbed in the leg by a tree.”
Colt got hurt while helping people this past Christmas. He’d just started working for me then. But since that accident, I hover more. So far, he hasn’t complained.
“Noted. And make sure you get something.” I hurry down the back hallway to the little girls’ room. I’ve had way too much coffee today.
Thirty minutes later, Colt pops a third donut in his mouth before turning into the ranch.
I holler, “Stop!”
He slams on the brakes, and his donut lands in his lap. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. I just want to snap a picture, so that I can order that gate. Any idea where I can order a gate? Not one that just swings open. But the fancy kind the goes up and over.”
Colt shakes his head, then rubs his face. “I think my heart stopped for a second, and I’ll ask around about gates. Sutton at the hardware store will probably know.”
“Good idea. And I didn’t mean to scare you. But when a thought comes, I have to grab it before it’s gone.”
He laughs, and once I’m back in the truck, he drives down the washed-out pavement.
I typically ride with Colt when I come out here because my car doesn’t do well on this poor excuse for a road. But having the roads paved is on my list, and it should be happening soon.
“Over there will be a rec room. Ping-Pong tables, a large table for board games or puzzles, and a comfy couch with an entertainment setup. And the cabins for our guests will be down that fork of the road. And I’ll have your cabin built by the barn.” Coming out here makes me giddy with excitement. When I squint, I can picture what it will look like.
He nods. “It’ll be fabulous out here.”
“And maybe while I’m matchmaking, I’ll find you a nice girl.”
Dimples appear on his cheeks. “I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Just last week, I learned to tie my shoes.”
Laughing, I pat his arm. “I’ve only ever seen you in boots.”
“Because I’m not good at tying shoes. Boots are easier.” He parks and grabs his cowboy hat off the dash. “I can’t even drink yet, Miss Tandy. Finding me a special someone can wait a bit.”
“We’ll have to see how life unfolds.”
My phone rings, and I stop outside the barn and answer. “Hello, Cami. What sort of trouble are you into today?”
“Only the fun kind.” She gives a playful laugh. “But I was calling to invite you to a barbecue next weekend. It’s mostly young families, but you know several of us. Zach, Haley’s husband is smoking a brisket, and those are always yummy. You should come.”
I try my best to keep busy because sitting alone at home sours my mood. And the last time I checked my calendar, I had nothing at all scheduled next weekend. So even though I’m questioning Cami’s motives, I say, “I’m free. What time and what should I bring?”
“Just yourself. I’ll text you the time and address.” She hangs up before I can tell her that I know where Haley lives.
Colt hooks his thumbs through his belt loops and leans back against the faded red paint on the barn. “Everything okay?”
“Great. That was a friend of mine. Let’s go check on things. Then later, if you aren’t busy, I’ll buy you dinner.”
“It’s a date. But I can’t stay out too late because I promised Mr. De Los Santos that I’d help him repair some fences. Have you met him?”
“I haven’t. But I’ve heard nothing but good things.” I stand in the barn and close my eyes, envisioning what it will be like when this ranch is up and running. Not just matching people but operating as a ranch. “Let’s go through the list. Then we can drive around a little. There is so much that needs to be done out here.”
“Seems like a lot now, but it won’t be long before singles will be driving under your fancy gate, excited about finding love.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself.”
I pull out my list, and for the next hour, Colt and I talk about the ranch and sketch out plans for the new horse barn. The current structure isn’t big enough, but it can be used for tools, hay, and maybe a tractor.
When I moved back to town, matchmaking wasn’t even on my radar. But watching the young couples around town lit this fire. I want the people who come to my ranch to have what I never did. Love. Romantic love. And I think I can help with that.