Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
MATTHEW
T andy has been scarce all week. The chocolate kisses I leave around the house all disappear overnight, and the insults mug is waiting near the coffee machine each morning. But I haven’t gotten to talk to Tandy.
Blake and I don’t work at her place on the weekends, and I can’t wait until Monday to talk to her. That’s why I’m at her house on a Saturday evening. I can’t stop thinking about her project. The stuff she wants done is what I’m good at. Even though I’m not in business for myself anymore, I know all the right people, the ones who are the best at what they do. And since her renovations are wrapping up in a few days, I need a new reason to see her. Coming out of retirement for a little while would not only help her, it would also allow me to continue seeing her.
And in my gut, I know Tandy is being distant because she got spooked when I said she was the reason I was helping with the renovations.
And it was my fault. I need to set that right.
The sun is sinking below the horizon when I pull up in front of her house. Her red truck is in the driveway, which means she’s home. But that doesn’t mean she’ll open the door.
The curtains move as I stride up the walkway.
I knock, then wait.
And wait a bit longer.
She’s probably just inside the door, trying to decide what to do.
“Tandy, please open the door. I just want to talk.”
The door swings open. “About what?”
“Do you want me to step away and leave you completely alone? I don’t want that, but if you do, I’ll respect it. When I said that you were the reason I was working this project, it was the truth. But my intention was to get you to talk to me. To maybe find a smidgeon of the friendship we once shared. I didn’t know it would scare you away.”
“I’m not scared of you, Matthew.” She crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow. “But I accept your apology.”
“Do you want me to leave?”
She gives an almost imperceptible head shake. “I didn’t say that.” Pulling open the door, she steps aside. “You can come in.”
I take off my cowboy hat as I step inside. “The other thing I wanted to talk about was your ranch. I’d love to coordinate whatever you need built out there. Consider it a peace offering for how I hurt you so many years ago.”
“Let’s not talk about that.”
“The ranch or that night in my room?”
She clenches her jaw. “You know what I don’t want to talk about.”
“I think we need to talk about it, Tandy.” I lean down so that I’m eye level with her. “Please.”
“Fine. If you have something to say, just spit it out.”
“I was not expecting you to crawl in my window that night. My parents were on the other side of the wall. My brain felt like it was about to explode when you started slipping off your coat and it became obvious there was nothing under it. I panicked. So I got out of there the fastest way I could. The same way you came in.”
“And you managed to drag my coat out the window and kick over the stupid ladder, and I had to sneak downstairs to get out. I was humiliated and horrified. What if your mom or dad had woken up?”
“I didn’t plan for that to happen. Shoot. I left wearing only boxers. Thankfully, it was dark, and I snuck back in before daylight. But I’m sorry. And that bedspread. I can’t tell you how many times my mom asked what happened to it. For the record, I didn’t realize that I’d gotten tangled with the coat until it hit the ground, but I was afraid to go back. Because the coat was on the ground, and you were in my room… without it.” I rub my face. “I just wasn’t ready for what you wanted, Tandy. Never told a soul what happened that night. I was too embarrassed. What kind of seventeen-year-old runs away from that? And I didn’t mean to knock over the ladder. Didn’t know I had until I got back later. I’m shocked the noise alone didn’t wake up my parents.”
“Yeah. I hovered in the corner for a bit until I trusted that the coast was clear. And I never told anyone either. I was young and stupid, but I learned from my mistakes. And I made sure to never put myself in a position to be rejected so brutally again. I thought you wanted to marry me.”
I meet her gaze, wishing the ache in my gut would go away. “I never meant to be brutal, Tandy. And I heard you say something about marriage as I climbed down, but my brain didn’t process it until I was half a mile away. I needed time to think. Because… I guess it doesn’t matter now.”
“Oh no. It matters. Say it.”
“I wanted to marry you, Tandy, but I didn’t think you’d stay in town. We didn’t want the same things. You talked about New York City like it was a person you were dying to meet. You shined a little too bright for this dot on the map. I’d resigned myself to the idea of your leaving. But after what you said that night, I tried over and over to talk to you. Started calling early the next morning. But you up and left town without a word. After a few months, your little sister told me to stop calling and quit sending letters because you weren’t coming back. So I moved on. I thought we both had.”
“Life works itself out.” Tandy walks to the minifridge. “Want pie? I have a couple of slices of peach in here.”
“Sounds delicious. I’ll make us some coffee.” It’s quiet while I start a pot brewing. “Did you get married? Were you happy?”
Her shoulders sag, but then she squares them up and looks at me. “I never ended up getting married. I called off the engagement. Three engagements actually. Different times to different men. But I’ve been happy. And you clearly were. Your family is well-loved around here.”
I slide a mug toward her. “Truce?”
She nudges the pie closer to me. “Yeah, and if you’re serious about helping me with the ranch, I accept. I’ve been afraid I’ll choose someone and then find out I can’t trust them.”
“I’d be honored if you trust me with this, Tandy.” I pull out a chair for her.
She eases into the seat and looks up at me. “But no funny stuff. This is a business arrangement between old friends.”
“Understood.” I drop into the seat. And while we enjoy our dessert, she tells me about what she wants on the ranch.
Her passion for this project is a bit contagious, and it’s funny that I’m excited about matchmaking. Maybe while we’re working together, I’ll learn why she broke off so many engagements and never made it down the aisle. I’m not sure I want to know the answer, but it might help me understand her even more.
I’ve heard through the grapevine that there is a photoshoot happening today. Tandy has wrangled some new cover models, and my granddaughter-in-law is doing the photoshoot. My grandson, Zach, mentioned that he was going to be there so that he could watch Haley work.
And I decided to join him.
I park beside Tandy’s red truck, and as soon as I step out, I know I’m in the right place. The shirtless guys hanging around are way too pretty for ranch life.
Zach is leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, and Haley gives him a quick peck before walking toward the group of models.
I ease up beside my grandson. “You smokin’ a brisket again tomorrow?”
“How’d you know?” He grins.
I nod toward Haley. “She’d love you even if you weren’t a master with the smoker.”
He chuckles. “I hope so, but right now is not when I want to test that theory. I liked it better when Lilith was doing these photoshoots. Why’d Tandy have to drag my wife into this?”
“You don’t need to worry about ripped abs and sculpted pecs. Haley probably doesn’t even notice.”
Zach cuts a glance at me. “You aren’t helping, Granddad. Why’d you come?”
“To see Tandy. I’m helping her with her new ranch.”
He turns to face me. “Really? Haley tells me it’s some sort of matchmaking business.”
“It is. It’ll be a bit before it opens for business. But it’s a fun idea.”
“And I guess this means y’all are talking civilly now?”
“Yep. Like old friends.” I pat his shoulder, then wander over to Tandy. “Hey there.”
She glances at me and rolls her eyes. “I thought we were meeting for dinner to talk about stuff.”
“We are. I’m still planning to pick you up like we agreed. But this seemed like something interesting, so I came. Is that bad?”
“Just don’t get in the way. Or cause any trouble.”
“Can do. And if you need another model, I can be out of this shirt and my undershirt lickety-split.”
“No one wants to see your wrinkles on a book cover, Matthew.”
“Wrinkles? I like to call them rivels of wisdom.” I bump my shoulder against hers. “And how would you know if my chest has wrinkles? Have you been peeping in my windows when I’m changing?”
“You are so infuriating. Take your grandson and go do something that makes you feel manly. The photoshoot isn’t a spectator sport.”
“Just here to help. I can wave those big palm fans if you need these models to have their hair blowing in the wind. And the chances of my dragging Zach away are less than zero. But I promise to behave.”
“I’m not sure you even know how.”
“Now there’s the pot calling the kettle black.”
Her lips curl into a smile. “Haley’s calling me. I’ll see you at dinner.”
“Can’t wait. And I like that outfit. It fits you well.”
She shakes her head as she walks away, but it’s the grin on her face that betrays her true feelings.
When one of the models drapes his arm around Haley, I race back over to Zach. “Let her handle it.”
He laughs. “I know. She made me promise that I wouldn’t do anything stupid.”
“Tandy told me almost the same thing.”
I wait for Tandy to slide into the booth before sitting across from her. My notebook slaps the table, and the pencil rolls off and drops on her side. “Oops.”
She hands over the pencil. “So now you’ve seen the ranch. What do you think? Be honest.”
“Beautiful land. Having a river on the property will be great for what you’re wanting to do. Opens options for activities. Putting the love nest cabins so that they have a view of the water seems romantic. And that hill will be a great spot for your place.” I make a rough sketch of the property, marking the newly laid gravel roads and the winding river. Then I draw rectangles for the cabins and houses. “Putting a rec building here with a dining area and game room would work. You could have an office there, where people would check in.”
“You’ll help me make this dream a reality?” She leans forward, keeping her voice low.
“Oh yeah. You saw what we built at the winery.”
Smirking, she picks up a menu from where they’re tucked beside the napkin holder. “Stephanie must think I’m nutters. I went to great lengths to avoid you while you were building that place.”
“I remember.” I bump her foot with my boot. “But we’re good now.”
“We are. You were dumb, and I was impulsive. We’ve both grown since then.”
“Anything exciting happen after I left the photoshoot?” I open the menu but stay focused on her, waiting for an answer.
“Not really. Guys took their shirts off. They struck muscly poses. And Haley snapped pictures. She showed me a few. They’ll be great for book covers.” She wags a finger at me. “Be warned, I’m not in the mood for snarky comments.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I lift the menu so that she can’t see my face. “How do you find those guys? Do you just hand out business cards outside the gym and dance hall?”
“I deal with an agency most of the time. Occasionally, I’ll ask, but not often anymore.”
“I was considerate and kept my shirt on while working the job at your house, but let me know if you want me to work without a shirt at the ranch.” I drop the menu and wink at her.
She kicks me under the table. “You can keep your rivels of wisdom protected from the sun.”
After telling the waitress what we want, I grab my pencil again. “So this is what I was thinking for the layout of the cabins. Obviously, I’ll get real plans drawn up, but what do you think of something like this?” I sketch a floor plan for a one-bedroom cabin.
Tandy leans over the table, cocking her head. Then she huffs and slides out of the booth. “Move over.”
I scoot toward the wall. “This is cozy.”
“I want the guest cabins to share a wall. Specifically, the bedrooms need to share a wall. That’s important.” She takes the pencil out of my hand and modifies the sketch. “I’m thinking something more like this. Each building will have two sides, two cabins.”
“How many of these buildings will be on the ranch?”
“Five maybe. I haven’t decided. At the beginning, I’ll only have one couple at a time, so to start, we don’t need more than one of them. I know they take a while to build, and I don’t want to delay the opening. We only need one double cabin to start.”
“I have an idea about speeding up the building process.” I search up pictures on my phone to be able to show her examples of what I’m thinking.
“I’m listening.” She leans closer to me, trying to see my screen.
“The wrangler cabin is traditional construction. And I’m guessing you want the same for your house. But what if the cabins and other buildings were Quonset huts? Like this. Curved metal on the outside with the inside finished off like any other space. The ceilings are curved. That’s the biggest difference seen on the inside.”
Nodding, she takes my phone and scrolls through pictures. “Look at this one. They have an open breezeway connecting two of them.”
“You could have a kitchen on one side and the rec room with games and tables across the breezeway.”
“And I could put in a fireplace at one end and have a cozy seating area. Maybe just a love seat, which forces people to sit together.”
“Right. What do you think? It would definitely help you open earlier.”
“Love it. Let’s go that route. I’m so excited.” She runs a finger over the sketch of the property. “Over here by the new horse barn, we’ll need another barn-type thing for cattle stuff, right? And we’ll need a chicken coop. Should the goats and sheep share a barn with the horses?”
“Are you matching people or starting a petting zoo?”
She elbows my rib cage. “People like watching sheep and goats. They’re funny. It’s a ranch. I want it to feel like one, with cows and cowboys.”
“And who, pray tell, is going to take care of all your ranch animals? Your new young friend?”
“Colt will handle the horses. I need to find a ranch foreman to deal with the rest. And I have an idea, but I don’t want Beau to hate me.”
“Your sister’s kid?”
She nods. “Dallas. He’ll hate the idea of matchmaking, but I bet he’d love to run a ranch. He’d be good at it.”
“I’m sure Beau will understand. Dallas is family.”
“We’ll see. But don’t breathe a word about that. Please.”
I tap my lips. “I’ll keep your secret.”
When the waitress brings our food to the table, Tandy slides the notebook out of the way, but she doesn’t go back to the other side. And I’m not complaining.