Natalie walked down a short hallway. On one side was a small bathroom, across from it a bedroom. “It’s small, but spacious. I sometimes wish I lived here. So much less to do.”
Gabriela couldn’t help but smile. The small cabin was straight out of a fairytale. Every detail decorated in pale greens and blues. The furniture was distressed, shabby chic style, which suited the whitewashed walls perfectly.
“It’s lovely,” Gabriela assured Natalie. “I may not want to leave.”
Natalie smiled widely. “You can stay as long as you wish.” She let out a breath. “There isn’t much going on early tomorrow, and there is breakfast food here. Please come over at noon for lunch.”
“Is there a grocery store nearby?” Gabriela asked, already planning to spend her mornings at the small dining table while drinking tea and taking in the beautiful view.
“The nearest one is in town. I’ll give you directions tomorrow,” Natalie offered. “I best let you get some rest. We can discuss details of the Winter Festival once you are refreshed.”
She accompanied Natalie to the door. “Do all of you live here?” It was a good way to find out where the hunky detective lived. Not that he would be interested in a walking disaster.
“No, not permanently. Henry does on occasion at the bunkhouse, when there’s work. Jeremy will be here on and off for the next few weeks to help out with the festival. I suppose we’ll keep Henry here too to help after today.” Natalie chuckled. “But he’ll have to keep his clothes on.”
“That would be nice.” Gabriela laughed. She liked the woman. Although she was pretty sure they didn’t see many non-whites other than perhaps Native Americans in the area. It was nice they’d not batted a lash when she’d showed up. As a dark skinned Mexican, Gabriela had wondered how people would react to her there in Montana.
San Diego was a melting pot where many nationalities co-existed. It was nothing new to be at events or shopping and not only see people from different ethnicities on a regular basis, but also hear different languages.
Natalie studied Gabriela for a moment. “Do you have any dietary restrictions? I can whip up a gluten free version of almost anything. You’d be surprised at the special requests we get from guests during the summer.”
“Nope.” Gabriela shook her head. “I’m not a picky eater. Oh, before I forget, if I go for a walk early in the morning. Is it safe to do so? Will your dogs chase me?”
“Goodness no. They are used to all kinds of commotion. If you want one of them to accompany you, just whistle and tell them to come.”
Once the woman left, Gabriela was finally free to let out a long breath. She sunk into a comfortable sofa and took in the peaceful environment. Everything was perfect. There were even fresh flowers in a clear glass vase on the kitchen table. On a side table tucked into a corner, was a small tabletop Christmas tree. The three-foot tree was decorated all in white. She smiled.
Despite being away from home for the holidays, the cabin somehow made her feel content.
Chapter Four
“Go to sleep Henry. Don’t you even think about walking outside naked. My dogs will definitely attack you thinking you’re a skinny meal.”
Henry’s eyes narrowed. “You’re lying.”
“Try it and see.”
A fully dressed Henry had leaned back in a recliner, remote control in one hand and coffee cup in the other as he watched some old black and white movie. Not even five minutes later, still holding the items, the man’s head lolled to the side and a loud snore came out.
“Idiot,” Jeremy mumbled, walking out. He knew why Henry acted the way he did. After what the man had gone through in Iraq, it was understandable that he wasn’t quite right in the head.
Jeremy glanced over to the guest cabin where Gabriela Diaz was now settled. Lights shined out from the windows onto the snow.
A smile curved his lips. That was one accident-prone woman. Cute as all get out, but he wouldn’t be surprised to wake to the guest cabin having caught fire.
His mother had informed him just a couple weeks earlier that a writer for an online magazine from San Diego was coming to do an article on their yearly festival. It had not occurred to him that it would be an attractive woman. He’d expected either a bespectacled guy in loafers or a middle-aged woman who’d hang out with his mother in the kitchen.
As he headed to the family home, the cool air helped him perk up. A full day of work and tons of paperwork afterward meant he was dog-tired. There was much to do and he’d yet to unpack his stuff. Although he stayed there ever so often, he never left much more than a change of clothes and toiletries.
A lone owl’s call sounded, and Jeremy stopped to look around.
The moon shined down across the expanse of the land and over the stables. All of the horses were in for the night. His parents kept a ranch-hand on during the winter to look after the horses they bred or boarded. Whatever the ranch-hand didn’t get done, his father did.
It was home and would be the last place he’d live. Jeremy was the kind of man who liked knowing what to expect out of life. One day he’d marry a local lady and after a few years have a house built on this land. Here he would raise his children, close to their grandparents.
His sister, Molly, lived nearby, her house just a couple miles down the road. She and her husband Eric had two children and a third one on the way.
Despite the chill, he did not want to hurry inside. Instead Jeremy stood in front of the open barn and considered all the decorations and work that would go in to getting it ready for the winter celebration his family hosted every year.
The
