Welcome Wagon (River's End Ranch Book 13) Read online

  Why were they asking for this information, and why on such a tight deadline?

  He figured it had something to do with testing his performance under pressure, but it still felt like a hoop to jump though. If he wanted the position, he’d jump. But now there was a problem. A huge problem. Well, more like a five-foot-three problem with red curly hair.

  Just the night before, he’d told Gwen that he wanted to give their relationship a try, and he’d actually considered relocating to Idaho. He could see how happy she was here, and she’d just gotten a raise. It would be cruel of him to take that away from her. But he was now being given the chance to move even higher in his career, and he didn’t know how to compare this opportunity with hers. Obviously, being a head judge was more prestigious than running a hotel, but how did he compare his happiness to hers and try to decide which was more important?

  One thing he knew for sure—he was going to fight for this post. He had worked toward it, and he needed to prove to himself that he could do it. As far as where that left his relationship with Gwen . . . well, he didn’t know. He’d have to try to take each thing a step at a time. Neither could be rushed. Both were too important. And he’d have to trust that they’d shake out the way they were supposed to.

  He stood up, gathered up his breakfast containers and threw them away, then reached for his laptop. He had some words to write.

  ***

  Mrs. Callahan was in tears when she stepped up to the reservation counter. “Oh, Gwen, this has been the most wonderful vacation of my life. I wish I didn’t have to go home.”

  “Do you really have to? You could just move here and stay with us forever,” Gwen suggested.

  “I wish I could, but I think my grandchildren would miss me—I’m the only one who knows how to make magic rainbow cookies.” Mrs. Callahan wiped her eyes. “I’m definitely coming back, though—I’m going to come back twice a year.”

  “What was your favorite part of your stay?” Gwen asked.

  Mrs. Callahan looked thoughtful. “I liked being able to sleep in as long as I wanted to without being forced out of bed by an overanxious maid wanting to make my bed like they do in other hotels. I loved having tea with Jaclyn and the fairies—I’ll never forget that as long as I live. Oh, and the movies. All the wonderful movies. I just curled up in my cozy robe and enjoyed. You really made this a memorable trip, and I can’t thank you enough.”

  “I’m glad it was restful for you,” Gwen replied. “Most people need vacations to recover from their vacations, but you look like you’ll arrive home well rested.”

  “I will. Thank you again.”

  She signed her check-out paperwork and marked the box that indicated she’d like to be notified of upcoming events and specials. Then she waited as the bellboy brought her luggage downstairs and out to her car. With one last good-bye, she walked out and drove away. It was always sad for Gwen when a pleasant guest checked out—they weren’t few and far between, but they were definitely memorable—and she’d miss Mrs. Callahan.

  As it had several times over the last two hours, Gwen’s mind wandered to Gabe. She was tempted to check on him, but the fact that he’d tucked himself away in his room with a few meals’ worth of takeout boxes was a pretty good indication that he wanted to be left alone. She wished he’d dropped a hint or something, though—this was pretty mysterious, and the curiosity was driving her crazy. She kept herself busy booking a Christmas vacation trip for a family of six, including snowmobiling, and checking on Kaitlyn’s training. The girl was a natural—these two weeks would be just a formality. And then, just as she was about to go beat Gabe’s door down in utter frustration, he finally showed up in the lobby.

  “There you are. How has your day been?” Gwen asked, trying not to sound like a prying old woman, but feeling like a prying old woman.

  “It’s been a day.” Gabe draped himself over the top of the counter like he was made of noodles. “I can’t tell you about it yet, but I’m told that I’ll be able to at noon tomorrow.”

  “What? It’s almost six now. Noon’s hours and hours away. How am I supposed to live with this kind of suspense?”

  “It’ll be rough, but it must be done,” Gabe said. “And I’m in desperate need of entertainment. What’s tonight’s movie?”

  “Do you want to laugh or cry?”

  “Laugh, please. I’m begging you.”

  Gwen pondered for a moment. “I know just the thing. And why don’t I make pasta? I bottled some outrageously good sauce this last summer, and I have two bottles left.”

  Gabe raised an eyebrow. “You bottled your own sauce?”

  She shrugged. “It’s kind of the thing to do in this part of the country. So, what do you say? My place at seven thirty?”

  “Absolutely. Wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

  Chapter Nine

  As soon as Gwen got home that night, she filled her pasta pot with water and set it on to boil, then stepped into her room to change. Gray yoga pants and her pink T-shirt sounded perfect. When Gabe arrived, she had arranged glasses, a water pitcher, and a basket of breadsticks on the table, and the pasta was almost done.

  “Wow,” he said as he looked around. “You did all this in half an hour? You got off at seven, right?”

  She shrugged. “The breadsticks were already in the freezer.” She tried to sound like it was no big deal, but it was, in fact, a very big deal. This was the first date they’d had since he told her he wanted to see where this might lead. Of course, that was just the night before, but still. Things would be different now. This was a relationship thing and not just two old friends hanging out together.

  “I thought you might enjoy a little Peter O’Toole and Audrey Hepburn tonight,” she said, nodding toward the TV.

  “How to Steal a Million?” he guessed.

  “The same. Come scoop up how much pasta you want.”

  The meal turned out exceptionally well, and of course the movie was hysterical. But something felt off with Gabe, something Gwen couldn’t define or identify.

  “You know,” she said in an attempt to get rid of the slight tension in the air, “the director, William Wyler, was originally going to cast Gregory Peck in the role of Simon.”

  “Was he? I can’t imagine Gregory pulling some of those stunts,” Gabe replied.

  “I think there was a darker, more brooding approach to the character for him. I’m glad Peter O’Toole was cast instead—the show’s fantastic as a comedy.”

  “I agree.” Gabe leaned forward and put his plate on the table. “So . . . um . . . remember what I said last night about our relationship and wanting to find out where it would lead?”

  “Of course,” Gwen said with a chuckle. “That’s about all I’ve been thinking about.”

  “Well, do you think . . . do you mind if we put that on pause for now?”

  Gwen couldn’t believe he’d just said that. It had been less than twenty-four hours since he’d told her something totally different. “Just how long does something like this go on pause?” she asked after a long moment of racking her brain, trying to figure out what on earth had gone wrong between the two of them.

  “Until tomorrow at noon,” he replied.

  “Ah, that magical hour again.” She stood and gathered their plates. “Very well. But I expect to see you in front of my desk as soon as you decide you’re ready to tell me what’s going on because frankly, this isn’t very amusing anymore.”

  “I never meant for it to be amusing, and I never meant to upset you,” Gabe said, reaching out to touch her elbow as she turned toward the kitchen.

  “I’m not upset. I’m confused. I’m very, very confused. Just last night, you’re asking me if I think this has a chance, and now tonight, you’ve changed your mind? What happened? Did I say or do something wrong?”

  “It’s not like that, Gwen. It’s something I’ve been asked not to talk about.”

  “Until tomorrow at noon. I understand.” Gwen moved into the kitchen and put the
plates in the sink, then leaned against the counter. She couldn’t decide if she was more hurt or angry. Under perfect circumstances, she’d be patient and understanding, telling him it was all right. But these weren’t perfect circumstances, and she didn’t feel patient at all. She’d been waiting for how many years for a chance at happiness? And now this?

  She just needed a minute to breathe, but Gabe came in the kitchen and leaned against the opposite counter. He didn’t touch her or say anything, but just breathed with her.

  “At noon?” she said at last.

  “At noon. That’s when I’ll know, and I’ll come find you. I promise.”

  She stared at the floor. She wanted to stay angry at him, but somehow, she couldn’t. How could she believe that he’d hurt her deliberately? He never had before.

  “All right. I’m going to give you the benefit of a doubt. But I think maybe you’d better go. It’s getting late.”

  “Okay. And thank you. Hopefully it will be worth the wait.” Gabe reached out and touched her arm, then walked out of the apartment and pulled the door shut behind him. She listened to it close and winced, hating the finality of that sound. She might have to watch another movie before bed to take her mind of things so she could sleep.

  Chapter Ten

  Gabe parked his car, then decided to take a walk around the ranch. He was too edgy to go to bed. He hated this whole situation, but part of his agreement in applying for the head judge position was confidentiality. He couldn’t talk to anyone about it—anyone—which was silly because Gwen lived half a country away from his district and wouldn’t be able to spill the beans to anyone who shouldn’t know. But rules were rules, and once he’d made a promise, he kept it. He just hated making Gwen think there was something wrong when there wasn’t.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked. None of the buildings in the Old West town were open, but it was fun to walk past them and see what was available. He’d have to come back tomorrow and check it out. And definitely visit the general store. He could see through the window that they carried quite a selection of Western clothing and souvenirs.

  “Excuse me, sir.”

  Gabe turned and saw a uniformed security guard approaching him. “Yes?”

  “It’s a bit late out, sir. Is everything all right?”

  “I just needed to stretch my legs. I’m Gabe Grant. I’m staying in the bunkhouse.”

  The officer pulled out his cell phone and punched a few buttons. “Yes, there you are. I’m sorry for interrupting your walk. We take the safety of our guests very seriously.”

  “Not a problem.” Gabe glanced at the man’s name tag. “Tony.”

  Tony nodded, wished him a good night, and resumed his rounds.

  Gabe listened to the other man’s footsteps recede in the distance, then decided to go back to the bunkhouse. A hot shower should help him relax, and it felt good, but no amount of hot water could relax the knot he felt in the center of his chest. He’d been promised he’d know about the position by noon the next day. Just twelve hours of this uncertainty.

  ***

  “When we’re taking a reservation, we always ask how they heard about us. If they were referred by a previous guest, we send that guest this email thanking them for the referral and offering them a discount on their next stay.” Gwen showed Kaitlyn where that email was located on the computer.

  “How many of those discounts end up getting used?” Kaitlyn asked.

  “I’d say about thirty percent. It’s been a pretty successful program.” Gwen clicked on the next tab. “This is the screen that shows all the current charges for our activities. We have to adjust the prices from time to time depending on the season and availability. Bertie over in Wade’s office keeps this page updated, and we use it for our quotes. Now, say the Smiths call on Monday and we see on this page that rock climbing is a certain price. Then the Johnsons call the next day. They might be quoted a different price than the Smiths based on what this page says. It’s never a drastic difference, so it’s not unfair, but it allows us to adjust profit margins and so forth.”

  Kaitlyn nodded. “Makes sense. Same thing other hotels do with room rates.”

  “Exactly. So, do you have any questions?” Gwen asked.

  “Um, I don’t have any right now, but I’ll let you know if I come up with any.”

  “Great. And I know I’ve already said this, but thanks again for working with us. You’re reducing our staff’s load quite a lot.”

  “And I’m glad to have a job for the winter,” Kaitlyn replied.

  The phone rang just then, and Gwen motioned toward it. “Take it away.”

  Kaitlyn flashed her a grin as she picked up the receiver. “River’s End Ranch, Kaitlyn speaking. How can I help you?”

  Gwen gave her a thumbs-up.

  “We’d love to host you next week. Let me check our reservation calendar.” Kaitlyn moved the mouse to the correct tab. “Yes, we do have a deluxe suite in the bunkhouse available for those dates. Are you also interested in preregistering for some of our fall activities? Yes, you can choose them when you arrive.”

  Gwen nodded. She was very pleased with Kaitlyn’s professional tone.

  Just then, she felt someone walk up behind her, and she knew even without turning that it was Gabe. It was like her soul recognized his.

  He didn’t say anything, but just stood there while she continued evaluating the phone conversation.

  “May I get a credit card number to hold the room?” Kaitlyn read back the digits, thanked the guest, and ended the call.

  “That was great,” Gwen said. “How would you like to run the desk for the next hour? I’ll be nearby in case you have questions, but I’ll let you steer the ship.”

  “That would be awesome,” Kaitlyn replied.

  “It’s all yours.” Only then did Gwen turn to Gabe. “Hello.”

  “Hello.” He nodded toward the desk. “So, you need to stay close by?”

  “I do.”

  “Why don’t I run over to the diner and bring lunch back here? Then we can talk and you can stay on site.”

  “That sounds good. I’d like a Western Wonder burger.”

  “Okay. I’ll be right back.”

  Gwen tried to shift her focus back to Kaitlyn after Gabe left, but it was hard when she was so darned annoyed. She didn’t want to wait until he came back—she wanted to know whatever it was he had to tell her. He was either feeding her as a diversionary tactic, or he was hoping that filling her with food would put her in better spirits. And she had no idea which it was. It might even be both.

  Kaitlyn took another phone call, but this time, she had to turn to Gwen for help. Gwen showed her where the menu items and ingredient lists were located on the computer so they could help a woman with severe allergies decide what to order while she was there. “We look forward to seeing you next Wednesday,” Kaitlyn said, then thanked Gwen for her help.

  Gabe was taking a long time to come back. Either that, or she was hungrier than she realized, and that was making her impatient. Whatever the reason might be, she was pretty edgy by the time he returned.

  “Can we sit in your little break area there?” he asked, nodding toward the room behind the desk.

  “Sure.” They went in, sat down, and arranged their boxes on the coffee table. Gabe opened his, but Gwen didn’t touch hers, even though it was her favorite hamburger.

  “I really need to know what’s going on, Gabe. Food’s awesome and all, but I don’t think I’ll be able to swallow until we’ve talked.”

  He nodded. “I understand. Well, I guess it’s time I told you. We can only drag this out so long.” He took a deep breath. “Gwen, I don’t know how to tell you this.”

  Her stomach clenched. This was bad . . . whatever it was.

  “It would seem that you’re talking to the new head judge over my district.”

  Gwen just looked at him. “What?”

  Gabe leaned forward and grinned. “I was contacted yesterday, told
that I was in the running, and asked to send over a document with my thoughts about the position and an account of some of my more memorable cases. That’s why I was locked away so long yesterday—I had to get that written up. And that’s why I couldn’t say anything to you—they made me agree to total confidentiality. But I was just notified that I’ve been appointed.”

  Gwen blinked several times, trying to clear the film of tears that suddenly covered her eyes. She was so relieved, she felt a little lightheaded.

  “That’s your news? That’s fantastic! I can’t believe it!” She reached over and gave him a one-armed hug. “Just one day after my good news. This is quite the week for both of us.”

  “It is. And it’s also part of the problem.”

  Gwen sat back. “Part of the problem? What are you talking about?”

  Gabe took a sip of his soda before answering. “Because we’re both very happy where we are—and where we are is just a bit less than two thousand miles apart. That makes things complicated.”

  He was right—why hadn’t she thought about that before? Probably because she didn’t want to think about it. She knew very well how far away Oklahoma was—she’d driven that road a few times to go visit her parents. She’d flown the other times, but there was nothing like a long, long trip in a car to burn the miles into your brain.

  “And that’s why you wanted to pause our . . . whatever you call it. Exploration of relationship.”

  “I don’t know what else to do, Gwen. You have a fantastic life here, with a rewarding job and real friends. I’ve just been appointed to a position I’ve wanted for years, a chance to use my experience to help other people. In order for a relationship to work, both people need to be in the same place. Long distance is only a stop-gap measure until one or the other can move. It’s not a solution.”

  Gwen closed her eyes. Everything he said made sense, but she hated that it did. “So, what do we do?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t see a solution here that works for everyone. So why don’t we eat, and then we can talk a little more? All I know is that you’re important to me, Gwen. You’re too important to lose.”