“I’ll miss you,” she tells me.
“Hey, stop hogging my baby sister.” Landon jostles me.
Claire grins and seems to relax as they banter.
Greg comes out and greets Claire, taking her bag. She waves to us.
“We’ll talk soon. I promise,” Landon yells after her.
We walk up to our chartered Gulfstream, and Yolanda sticks her head out and waves. I’m excited she’s joining us in Montana.
“Great to see you,” I gush.
“This should be fun,” she agrees.
The pilot returns and gives us the details of our flight, reminding us that when we stop in Montana, we’ll need to immediately get off the plane so he can continue on to Vancouver without anyone figuring out we’ve landed.
Once the plane comes to altitude in the air, Landon adjusts his seatbelt. “Molly and Frank were pretty upset with me when I didn’t show up at the ranch after you arrived.”
So those are their names. “They’re good people.”
“Be ready for a heroine’s welcome, and I’ll still probably be in the shit house.”
“I’m good with that.” I look away from him. “We have a lot to keep us busy. You’ll be fine.”
“How far have you gotten on the software?”
I give him the highlights.
He nods. “That’s amazing. We can get this done.” I’m not sure if he’s assuring himself or me, but I believe it.
“I agree.” I pull out my Kindle and begin to read.
Before I know it, we’re doing our quick landing. The plane is on the ground less than five minutes before it continues on as if we never stopped.
Unlike last time, when I was left in this field alone, there are two trucks waiting for us. Yolanda and other members of Jim’s team move the gear and our bags to the back of the two vehicles.
“Frank, this is Tinsley Pratt.” Landon says.
Frank nods. “We’ve met. I didn’t think we’d see her again after you pulled that stunt and stood her up.”
I smile.
“I wasn’t sure I would either,” I tell him.
When we arrive at the house, Frank’s wife meets us, and she’s all smiles—so different from the last time. “I’m so glad you’re back. I’m Molly Pierce. Landon was so scared to see you when you came a few weeks ago.”
“He knew he was in trouble.” I look at Landon, and he’s taking the teasing, mostly because he knows he deserves it.
I walk in with Molly and Landon.
“One day, I’ll tell you what happened with Frank when we were courting,” she says. “Men have a foolish gene in them sometimes.”
Landon sighs. “I already told her I was in the doghouse, and if the house burns down, you’re savin’ her and leaving me to figure it out on my own.”
“You bet your ass,” she replies with a wink.
I can feel the smile on my face.
“How about the Yellowstone room for Tinsley?” Molly suggests. “And you can have the Rockies room.”
Landon’s eyebrows arch, but he nods. Landon may own the ranch, but Molly is in charge around here.
I follow her to my room with my suitcase after she sends Landon off to his room on his own.
All the teasing does make me feel a little better. I wasn’t crazy to feel the way I did.
“Dinner will be at six thirty, but feel free to come down whenever you’re ready,” Molly says. “We have a full bar, and we can make you a drink before dinner, if you’d like.”
“Thank you.” I hesitate a moment. “Don’t be too hard on Landon. He has some real crazies chasing after him.”
She nods and leaves me to my room.
When I turn to look at it, I know why Landon was surprised. This is usually his room. I’m sure of it. The king-sized bed faces windows that look out over the land, which is a stunning patchwork of greens, blues, and golds. Montana is God’s country. There’s also a massive fireplace, and the bathroom is bigger than my apartment in San Francisco.
The entire team gathers for dinner, and Molly has gone all out. Molly and Frank definitely continue to jab at Landon, but I see it as admiration, not anger.
“Dinner was outstanding.” Landon pushes his chair back from the table and pats his belly.
Frank makes us after-dinner drinks, and Landon and I sit in the living room, alone for the first time since we arrived.
“This place is pretty spectacular,” I tell him.
“It is. Mia Couture owned it for a few years, and I think Jim has used it a few times. Molly and Frank know Jim and his team—they even seem to have an office here.”
“Wow, I can believe it. So handy if they want to keep a client off the radar. The pilots had the landing and disembarking down pat.”
“It’s my turn to host the next poker game, which will be over Labor Day weekend. I don’t know if we’ll still be working from the ranch, but Mia assures me that will be a great time to be here.”
“Will you try to lose it back to Mia?” I ask as I take in all the details around me, like a collection of Royal Doulton figurines and a bookshelf of what looks like first editions of classic books, including Jane Austin’s Emma, and Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale. A collection of Fabergé eggs sits on a table. The house has so many beautiful pieces. I’m sure Mia misses it.
“I don’t know,” Landon says. “I like it. I have a ski chalet in Whistler I may try to lose instead. I’ve been looking at another place that’s a little more secluded and would accommodate my parents better.”
“Does it have a boat slip for your dad?” I tease.
Landon laughs. “No. There’s an inlet not
