Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
TANDY
I ’m hosting ladies’ night, and they’ll be here any minute. We don’t usually meet on Monday nights, but Steph insisted. I think she just wants an update on what’s happening with Matthew. And that’s an easy answer. Nothing.
But I need to get his number off the board before anyone sees it. I save the number in my phone but list the contact under the name Twinkle. It’s been years and years since I spent any time with the man, but one thing for sure has not changed at all. He still has a twinkle in his green eyes.
As I’m wiping off the board, someone knocks.
“Be right there.” I tuck the board in the guest room because I don’t want to explain how it got here. Neither do I want to tell the ladies how ridiculously stubborn I’m being with Matthew.
It’s just a game at this point.
Stephanie grins when I open the door. “I really want to hear how the renovations are going, but I can wait until the other ladies arrive.”
“Is everyone coming?”
“Mindy isn’t going to make it, but I think Lilith, Ava, and Joji will be here.”
I pull wineglasses out of the buffet and set them on the coffee table. “Did you and Blake get your big project finished?”
“What project?” She uncorks the wine.
“The project that you needed his help with that prevented him from coming to the house today.” I’m starting to think my day alone with Matthew was a setup.
“Oh, that. Yeah. We were out picking until really late, and then I had a piece of machinery break. It was a series of frustrations. But thankfully, thanks to Blake’s help, everything got done in time. I appreciate that you aren’t breathing down his neck on this project. Did things go okay with Matthew here?” A message pops up on her phone, and she smiles. “I’m not sure what I did to deserve Blake. He dropped me off and said just to text him when I was ready for my carriage to whisk me on home.”
“So he really was helping you today. I figured that y’all were just trying to get me alone with Matthew.”
Her head wags from side to side. “Not at all. But how did it go? Are y’all on speaking terms?”
“One of us is, but it isn’t me. And today was fine. Matthew did a great job with the flooring.”
She crosses her arms and leans forward. “I’m so curious about why you don’t speak to Matthew.”
I smile. She’s not going to hear the story from me.
Lilith knocks as the door swings open. “We’re here! And we brought goodies.”
Stephanie pours the wine as Ava and I set out the food.
Lilith waits until I sit down, then says, “You stopped working at the venue and at the winery. I’ve heard rumors that you bought a ranch and hired a wrangler. You need to update us. We’re dying of curiosity.”
“And we want to know about Matthew. I hear he’s working here at the house.” Joji sips her wine, her smile peeking out around the rim of the glass.
“There is nothing to tell about Matthew. He’s helping Blake with the renovations. I am still not speaking to him, so there is no update to give about that. But I have lots to tell you about…” I spring up and grab my notebook off the table. Holding up a sketch of a possible design for the main gate, I announce. “My new project is Matchmaker Ranch.”
Their jaws drop open, and they are silent for several heartbeats. Stunning these ladies into silence is an accomplishment.
“I figured if Joji could buy a goat farm, there was nothing stopping me from creating a place where people could fall in love.”
Lilith rubs her hands together. “Tell us more. This sounds kind of exciting. Will we get to help with the matchmaking?”
“I don’t see why not. I thought about putting an application online. Letting people submit requests. I’m still trying to work out the details, but first, I have to build everything. And I really haven’t even gotten much done on that front. And I did hire a young man. He’s helping me repair the existing barn and planning out a new horse barn. He’ll be the wrangler once the place opens. Handle trail rides and things like that. His name is Colton Reed, but he goes by Colt.”
Joji kicks off her shoes and tucks her feet up beside her. “I love this idea. So who are you going to hire to build everything?”
“Not sure about that.” I glance at Stephanie. “I already mentioned it to Blake to see if he knew of anyone. He gave me one name, but I’m still looking at other options.”
The ladies all laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
Ava points at me. “We’re laughing because we all have a pretty good idea of who Blake suggested. Matthew is kind of known for building stuff.”
“He used to. But I heard that he retired.”
She shrugs. “So did you, but that isn’t stopping you from doing fun stuff. All I’m saying is that you should ask.”
“That would require speaking to him.” I pop a stuffed mushroom in my mouth, hoping that will end this conversation.
And it does.
Joji spreads her famous cheese onto a cracker. “Back to the matchmaking stuff, you’ll have to bring people in for that because it seems like all the people I know are now romantically attached. Well, except?—”
“Dallas.” I don’t run around town announcing that he’s my nephew, but these ladies know that. “I’m not sure he’ll ever warm to the idea of love. I think he’s a bit like me and has given up on the idea, which is a shame since he’s still young.”
“You never know what cupid has up his sleeve.” Ava picks up a lemon bar. “He has all sorts of tricks.”
Joji laughs. “Cupid may have tricks, but that little cherub doesn’t have sleeves. Have you mentioned the ranch idea to Cami? I bet she’d love to help.”
Lilith nods. “Absolutely you should talk to Cami. She did everything she could to get Joji and Clint together.”
“I’ll call her and plan a lunch. But please do me a favor and don’t tell anyone else about this yet. I’ve only told a few people. And I don’t want anyone to swoop in and steal my idea.”
“I think there is zero chance of anyone doing that.” Stephanie lifts her glass. “To Tandy, whose wisdom opened my eyes to see what was right in front of me. And to her ranch.”
We clink glasses.
“Thanks.” These ladies are the best thing about being back in the town where I grew up.
When I left at age eighteen, I never expected to live here again. But time has an underappreciated healing power.
“Are you going to the barbecue this coming weekend?” Joji points out the front window in the general direction of Zach and Haley’s house, which isn’t that far from here.
“I’m planning on it. Cami invited me. Should I be concerned?” If Cami has talked to the ladies about why she invited me, it’ll show in their expressions. None of them have poker faces.
Joji shrugs. “I haven’t heard anything about that, but Cami is always trying to match people. So you should probably be at least wary of her reasons but come anyway. Zach makes the best brisket. And when he smokes one, the entire neighborhood smells divine.”
“Speaking of smells, there is a new candle place in town. Have you been there? They have one that is a combination of whiskey and leather. I bought three.” I find that talking about shopping is a great way to steer the conversation away from Matthew.
Chatting, we work our way through a bottle of wine and polish off the snacks.
I love these nights where one sentence launches us into hours of laughter and stories.
At the end of the night after all the ladies have been picked up, I tap out a text to Matthew.
Me: Thanks for the marker board.
Matthew: I hope we won’t need it much longer.