Read Online The Cowboy's Little Surprise by Barbara White Daille - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara White Daille
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didn’t need the narrow-eyed glances he shot at her from time to time to remind her of that. She also didn’t need him hovering near her elbow as if to keep her from disappearing.
To tell the truth, she didn’t need him here at all.
She felt grateful her cousins had chosen this week to come for a visit. Their conversation helped cover her silences. And without them here, Jed and Abuela would have made Cole the center of attention.
When Jed had finished his last bite of dessert, he pushed his plate away and clasped hands with Andi and Jane, who sat on either side of him.
“Now that you two have arrived,” he said, “I’m not letting you go very far. And I’ve got some mighty important plans to share with you about this hotel.”
Her breath caught. First, Jed had stunned her by rehiring Cole. And now this. What plans?
“You all have always known the Hitching Post is my pride,” he continued. “The weddings were my Mary’s joy, but I’ve let that side of things go for a long time. Not anymore. My dream is to get this place back to the way it was, with the catering business up and running.”
She stared at him in astonishment. She had lived on this ranch since she’d been born, and Jed had always known how much she loved the hotel. Yet never once had he said a word to her about his dream.
“That’s a wonderful idea, Grandpa,” Andi said. “Weddings are a booming business. I know people who would love to have a private ceremony at a ranch setting like this.”
“The hotel’s got great character,” Jane agreed. “You ought to capitalize on the honeymoon angle, too.” She looked around, eyeing the bright glazed pottery on the table, the half-paneled walls, the ceiling crisscrossed by dark beams. “You’d have to update, make some renovations, but keep the Southwestern style.”
Tina gripped her napkin with both hands. This was too much. Jed’s idea for attracting guests and increasing the hotel’s profits was wonderful. Lord only knew, they could use the revenue.
But...
renovations
?
They couldn’t afford to do anything much except paint and buy new linens. That would be fine with her. But structurally, there wasn’t a single thing about the hotel she would want to see changed.
“A ‘Southwestern destination wedding,’” Jane murmured, making air quotes with one hand. Or maybe she imagined snapping a photo with one of the cameras she’d left on a side chair. Eyes narrowed, she nodded. “I can see it.”
“So can I,” said Jed, slapping his hand on the tabletop. “I want the Hitching Post made into a going concern again. But here’s the thing. With everything that’ll need to be done around this place, I can’t tackle it alone. I want all you girls to turn my dreams into reality.”
Tina started. She couldn’t keep from feeling touched that Jed wanted her help to achieve his dreams.
But the rest of his statement left her wary. If the last thing she wanted for the hotel was to see it changed, the next-to-last thing was having to coordinate those changes with her cousins. She had long ago seen the way they played with others: they didn’t.
“All of us, Grandpa?” Jane asked, as if she had her own doubts about Jed’s idea.
“Yep. You’re a photographer. You can pull together some photos that will put this place on the map. Tina’s got the financial know-how to deal with the upgrades. And we’ll get Andi helping with something, too.”
Both women looked as astonished as she felt.
Between Jed’s announcement and her cousins’ involvement and Cole’s sudden reappearance, her life had spun out of control.
* * *
A FTER SPENDING A while listening to the Garlands discuss Jed’s ideas for the hotel, Cole excused himself. “I’ll go join Scott and Robbie.”
“Me go boys!” Andi’s son shouted.
His mama looked at Cole. He hoped his nod of agreement appeared more enthusiastic than it felt. He didn’t begrudge taking the little one along, but he had enough to handle
To tell the truth, she didn’t need him here at all.
She felt grateful her cousins had chosen this week to come for a visit. Their conversation helped cover her silences. And without them here, Jed and Abuela would have made Cole the center of attention.
When Jed had finished his last bite of dessert, he pushed his plate away and clasped hands with Andi and Jane, who sat on either side of him.
“Now that you two have arrived,” he said, “I’m not letting you go very far. And I’ve got some mighty important plans to share with you about this hotel.”
Her breath caught. First, Jed had stunned her by rehiring Cole. And now this. What plans?
“You all have always known the Hitching Post is my pride,” he continued. “The weddings were my Mary’s joy, but I’ve let that side of things go for a long time. Not anymore. My dream is to get this place back to the way it was, with the catering business up and running.”
She stared at him in astonishment. She had lived on this ranch since she’d been born, and Jed had always known how much she loved the hotel. Yet never once had he said a word to her about his dream.
“That’s a wonderful idea, Grandpa,” Andi said. “Weddings are a booming business. I know people who would love to have a private ceremony at a ranch setting like this.”
“The hotel’s got great character,” Jane agreed. “You ought to capitalize on the honeymoon angle, too.” She looked around, eyeing the bright glazed pottery on the table, the half-paneled walls, the ceiling crisscrossed by dark beams. “You’d have to update, make some renovations, but keep the Southwestern style.”
Tina gripped her napkin with both hands. This was too much. Jed’s idea for attracting guests and increasing the hotel’s profits was wonderful. Lord only knew, they could use the revenue.
But...
renovations
?
They couldn’t afford to do anything much except paint and buy new linens. That would be fine with her. But structurally, there wasn’t a single thing about the hotel she would want to see changed.
“A ‘Southwestern destination wedding,’” Jane murmured, making air quotes with one hand. Or maybe she imagined snapping a photo with one of the cameras she’d left on a side chair. Eyes narrowed, she nodded. “I can see it.”
“So can I,” said Jed, slapping his hand on the tabletop. “I want the Hitching Post made into a going concern again. But here’s the thing. With everything that’ll need to be done around this place, I can’t tackle it alone. I want all you girls to turn my dreams into reality.”
Tina started. She couldn’t keep from feeling touched that Jed wanted her help to achieve his dreams.
But the rest of his statement left her wary. If the last thing she wanted for the hotel was to see it changed, the next-to-last thing was having to coordinate those changes with her cousins. She had long ago seen the way they played with others: they didn’t.
“All of us, Grandpa?” Jane asked, as if she had her own doubts about Jed’s idea.
“Yep. You’re a photographer. You can pull together some photos that will put this place on the map. Tina’s got the financial know-how to deal with the upgrades. And we’ll get Andi helping with something, too.”
Both women looked as astonished as she felt.
Between Jed’s announcement and her cousins’ involvement and Cole’s sudden reappearance, her life had spun out of control.
* * *
A FTER SPENDING A while listening to the Garlands discuss Jed’s ideas for the hotel, Cole excused himself. “I’ll go join Scott and Robbie.”
“Me go boys!” Andi’s son shouted.
His mama looked at Cole. He hoped his nod of agreement appeared more enthusiastic than it felt. He didn’t begrudge taking the little one along, but he had enough to handle
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