the bathroom. Totally functional kitchen – you can even bake a cake in here if you want. Small office space over there.”
“OK, good.” Julie looked at her. “What time are the cabins going to be cleaned tomorrow?”
“Around noon, I imagine.”
“Great. I’ll have my meeting with Rob, and then I’ll meet you at cabin one at noon. I’d like to start seeing the others cabins right away.”
“And breakfast?”
Julie looked around at the compact kitchen space. “Surely I can make my own breakfast here? You did tell Joe to bring me some food?”
“Well, sure. But just the basics.”
“What are the basics?”
“Fruit and some vegetables, bread and butter and jam. Some yogurt and chicken and cheese and ham. Eggs. Coffee and tea. Water, some soda.” She grinned. “A bottle of wine.”
“That’s more than enough,” Julie said. “I’ll manage.”
“Are you sure, hon? Manny does a mean breakfast… bacon and eggs and pancakes and French toast. He feeds all the on-site staff every morning, so it’s not like he’d be going out of his way. The buffet’ll be set up for the guests and the live-ins, no matter what.”
“Actually… where do the on-site staff live?”
“We have quarters in the back of the reception building, and there’s also a small stand-alone cabin behind the stables.”
“I see.”
“Most of us commute in, but five of us live here.”
“Do you live here?”
“Oh, yes, hon. I love living here. It’s my home.”
“That’s nice. Oh, and could you please spread the word among the staff that I’d like them all to gather in the restaurant at ten o’clock? I’ll introduce myself properly and meet them all then.”
“Sure. I’ll make sure everyone knows.”
“Thank you. Well, goodnight, Mattie.”
“Goodnight. I’ll see you in the morning.”
After Mattie had gone, Julie sat down in an armchair and looked out the window at the mountains. OK, so that hadn’t gone so badly, she figured. She’d get some important and much-needed information first thing tomorrow, meet the staff and get some sense of who did what, and get the lay of the land after she toured the cabins, the stables, and the grounds. By this time tomorrow, she’d know exactly what she owned, and what she had to sell.
That cabin, though. The Big House, as Mattie called it. That place where her biological father had lived, and maybe died. Now that she thought about it, actually, she hadn’t ever asked Hawkins how the bastard had kicked the bucket. Heart attack? Car crash? Trampled by a rampaging horse? She made a mental note to put in a call to New York one day soon and ask Hawkins for that small detail.
Anyway. She’d have to go and check it out at some point, she knew. It was a major asset in the sale of the property, and it had massive potential as a luxury cabin rental. Maybe for company employees on a retreat, or an integration weekend? She knew companies back in New York that paid big bucks to rent out hotels space for employee training sessions, and team-building seminars. Maybe she could check out if Open Skies offered such a service to companies in Denver and Colorado Springs?
A wave of tiredness crashed over her, so she got to her feet and headed in to the bedroom. She’d unpack a few basics, then jump in to the shower. She couldn’t wait to scrub off the layer of grime that travel always seemed to leave on her skin and in her hair. She’d go to bed early, and set her alarm for six o’clock. She wanted to show up to her first financial meeting looking perfect. Looking like the boss. Looking like the damn person in charge here.
Everything was going to be just fine. It was all under control. There was nothing at Open Skies Ranch that she couldn’t handle.
Chapter Three
Jake Weston’s steel-gray eyes were narrowed in shock and anger. He stared at Rosie, then at Joe, then back again.
“She what ?” he demanded.
“And after she refused to stay at the Big House and snubbed the
“OK, good.” Julie looked at her. “What time are the cabins going to be cleaned tomorrow?”
“Around noon, I imagine.”
“Great. I’ll have my meeting with Rob, and then I’ll meet you at cabin one at noon. I’d like to start seeing the others cabins right away.”
“And breakfast?”
Julie looked around at the compact kitchen space. “Surely I can make my own breakfast here? You did tell Joe to bring me some food?”
“Well, sure. But just the basics.”
“What are the basics?”
“Fruit and some vegetables, bread and butter and jam. Some yogurt and chicken and cheese and ham. Eggs. Coffee and tea. Water, some soda.” She grinned. “A bottle of wine.”
“That’s more than enough,” Julie said. “I’ll manage.”
“Are you sure, hon? Manny does a mean breakfast… bacon and eggs and pancakes and French toast. He feeds all the on-site staff every morning, so it’s not like he’d be going out of his way. The buffet’ll be set up for the guests and the live-ins, no matter what.”
“Actually… where do the on-site staff live?”
“We have quarters in the back of the reception building, and there’s also a small stand-alone cabin behind the stables.”
“I see.”
“Most of us commute in, but five of us live here.”
“Do you live here?”
“Oh, yes, hon. I love living here. It’s my home.”
“That’s nice. Oh, and could you please spread the word among the staff that I’d like them all to gather in the restaurant at ten o’clock? I’ll introduce myself properly and meet them all then.”
“Sure. I’ll make sure everyone knows.”
“Thank you. Well, goodnight, Mattie.”
“Goodnight. I’ll see you in the morning.”
After Mattie had gone, Julie sat down in an armchair and looked out the window at the mountains. OK, so that hadn’t gone so badly, she figured. She’d get some important and much-needed information first thing tomorrow, meet the staff and get some sense of who did what, and get the lay of the land after she toured the cabins, the stables, and the grounds. By this time tomorrow, she’d know exactly what she owned, and what she had to sell.
That cabin, though. The Big House, as Mattie called it. That place where her biological father had lived, and maybe died. Now that she thought about it, actually, she hadn’t ever asked Hawkins how the bastard had kicked the bucket. Heart attack? Car crash? Trampled by a rampaging horse? She made a mental note to put in a call to New York one day soon and ask Hawkins for that small detail.
Anyway. She’d have to go and check it out at some point, she knew. It was a major asset in the sale of the property, and it had massive potential as a luxury cabin rental. Maybe for company employees on a retreat, or an integration weekend? She knew companies back in New York that paid big bucks to rent out hotels space for employee training sessions, and team-building seminars. Maybe she could check out if Open Skies offered such a service to companies in Denver and Colorado Springs?
A wave of tiredness crashed over her, so she got to her feet and headed in to the bedroom. She’d unpack a few basics, then jump in to the shower. She couldn’t wait to scrub off the layer of grime that travel always seemed to leave on her skin and in her hair. She’d go to bed early, and set her alarm for six o’clock. She wanted to show up to her first financial meeting looking perfect. Looking like the boss. Looking like the damn person in charge here.
Everything was going to be just fine. It was all under control. There was nothing at Open Skies Ranch that she couldn’t handle.
Chapter Three
Jake Weston’s steel-gray eyes were narrowed in shock and anger. He stared at Rosie, then at Joe, then back again.
“She what ?” he demanded.
“And after she refused to stay at the Big House and snubbed the
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