Rolling Like Thunder

He contemplated that. “I see what you mean.”

“Thank you.” There was triumph in her voice. “If you’d been the one responsible for this very important PowerPoint, you would have made me drive while you worked on it.”

“Well, you’re going to have to stop because there’s the Bunk and Grub up ahead. We don’t have much time to check in before we head over to meet the Chance family at the saloon.”

She turned off her laptop and tucked it into her carrying case. “Looks just like the picture on the website, a cute little Victorian. With a name like the Bunk and Grub, you’d think it would be more rustic.”

“The Spirits and Spurs is rustic. We passed it on the way here.”

“Is it close?”

“A couple of blocks. We could walk it.” Then he thought of her high-heeled sandals. “Or not. I forgot about your shoes.”

“If I can take the hills of Seattle in these I can certainly walk a couple of blocks on flat ground.” She glanced down at her outfit. “But are you sure I’ll be okay wearing this? Not that I have anything more Western and rustic to change into.”

“Chels, you’d look great in a feed sack.” He wondered if he should have said that. But it was true. She had an instinctive sense of style.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t bring a feed sack. I don’t even know what they look like, but I’m sure they’re rustic. Being a cowboy and all, you probably know all about them.”

He laughed. “I do. Listen, whatever you brought will be fine, unless you decide to go riding while we’re at Thunder Mountain. Then maybe we should pick up a couple of things in Sheridan. Or you might be able to borrow a pair of boots from Rosie or Lexi, depending on sizes.”

“Could we do that? Go riding?”

“That’s up to you. Ever been on a horse?”

“I have, but it’s been...jeez, fifteen years. I took some lessons. And I rode English.”

“Huh. I didn’t know that.” He pulled into the parking lot beside the Bunk and Grub and shut off the engine.

“I’ll bet there’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

“Probably so.” He met her gaze. He’d deliberately avoided finding out too much for fear it would only create more connection between them. Like the riding thing. Although she hadn’t kept it up, at one time experiencing the world on horseback had appealed to her.

“If it isn’t too much trouble, I’d love to go riding when we get to Thunder Mountain. I’ll be rusty, but I think it would be fun to get on a horse again. If the horse is gentle, I should be fine wearing my gym shoes.”

“Then I’ll take you.” He broke eye contact and reached for the door handle. “There’s a Forest Service road through the trees. You’ll like it.” And damned if it didn’t sound like a romantic thing to do.

“I’m sure I will.” She opened her door and climbed out.

The walkway around to the front door of the B and B was a series of stepping stones set in gravel, so Finn offered to carry both suitcases and Chelsea took their laptop shoulder bags. As he followed her up the steps to a front porch decorated with white wicker furniture and floral cushions, his mind was still on that ride along the Forest Service road.

He hadn’t thought much about the second part of this trip, but now that he knew she had some riding experience, he wanted to show her everything—the little clearing where he, Cade and Damon had performed their blood-brother ceremony, the stream where the three of them used to camp when they were older, and the slope they’d cleared of trees so they could use it as a toboggan run in the winter.

She’d like Cade and Damon. Finn was looking forward to seeing them again. So much had changed since he’d been there in June. Cade and Lexi had gotten back together, although still no word on a wedding. Damon had moved back to Sheridan to be with Philomena, the carpenter who’d worked with him on a fourth cabin for TMA last month.

Finn had been back to the ranch a few times since moving to Seattle, but he’d always traveled alone. This would be the first time he’d ever taken someone there. Maybe it was fitting that Chelsea should be the one. She’d helped him make the transition to Seattle and now she’d be able to see where he’d come from. For her, at least, the picture would be complete.

But he had huge gaps in his knowledge of her. He didn’t feel good about that. When it came to Chelsea, he’d been a coward. He should be able to get to know the woman’s background without forming an inseparable bond. As he walked through the front door of the Bunk and Grub, he decided to use this weekend to learn more about her.

The reception area and an adjacent parlor matched the exterior. Antique furniture and gilt-framed mirrors reminded Finn of the pictures his grandfather had showed him of his great-grandparents’ house. Vases of fresh flowers were everywhere.

A middle-aged woman with blond hair rose from behind an antique desk and came forward when they walked in. “You must be Finn and Chelsea.”

“We are.” Chelsea held out her hand. “And you must be Pam Mulholland. I recognize you from your picture on the website.”

“I’m Pam.” She took Chelsea’s hand in both of hers. “And I’m so excited about Thunder Mountain Academy. I’ve been talking to everyone I know. You should have a good crowd at the Last Chance tomorrow afternoon.”

“My goodness, thank you!”

“The project sounds amazing.” She squeezed Chelsea’s hand and released it. “And, Finn, I’m delighted to meet you.”

“Same here, ma’am.” He touched the brim of his hat. “I also want to thank you for getting the word out about tomorrow. Thunder Mountain means a great deal to a lot of people, me included.”

“I’m sure it does. When Cade visited last month he kept us all entertained with stories about the days when you boys lived there.”

He smiled. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”

“So you weren’t the one who glued the toilet seats shut and put salt in the sugar bowl?”

“Uh, well...” He made a mental note to have a talk with his old buddy Cade.

Pam laughed. “You wouldn’t be normal kids if you hadn’t pulled a few pranks. According to Sarah, the Chance boys—”

A grandfather clock in the parlor chimed, interrupting her. “Whoops. Time to get moving.” She hurried behind the desk and grabbed two sets of keys from a board on the wall. “The bigger one opens the front door when I’m not here and the smaller one’s a room key. You can both sign the register later. You two are my only guests this weekend, so we can be more informal.”

“That sounds nice,” Chelsea said.

“I won’t abandon all the protocol, but I’ve dispensed with our usual happy hour for obvious reasons. You’ll be at Spirits and Spurs tonight and at the ranch for dinner tomorrow. We can see about Sunday night’s happy hour if you end up hanging around here.”

“We might,” Finn said. “It’s a great house.”

“Thank you.” Pam looked pleased. “I love it. Oh, and if you should need anything while you’re here, dial zero from the phone in your room. It’ll connect to me, or if I’m not here, it goes to the housekeeper’s room. Yvonne will take care of you. Are you walking over to Spirits and Spurs or driving?”

“Walking,” Chelsea said without hesitation.

“Then I’ll walk with you. Come on down whenever you’re ready and we’ll head over. Everyone’s so eager to meet you.” Pam glanced at Finn. “Josie has the beer you shipped chilling even as we speak. Nice touch.”

Chelsea swung around to gaze at him. “You sent beer? What a great idea.”

“Testing the market.”

“Smart.” She glanced at the number attached to her set of keys. “Which way is Room Three?”

“Up the stairs and to your left.” She handed Finn the other key. “You’re in Four, right next to her. They’re my two favorites.”

Finn took the key with a smile. “Much obliged, ma’am.” From the corner of his eye he caught Chelsea’s smirk. But he was in cowboy country now. He’d felt it the minute they’d landed in Jackson, and the Western atmosphere brought back all his cowboy manners. He hefted both suitcases and started toward the stairs.

“Oh, and in case I get caught up in the dancing and forget to mention it,” Pam said, “breakfast is at eight. Just follow your nose to the coffee and you’ll find the breakfast room.”