Molli 's Story: Chapter 1

“We are really doing this,” I thought as I climbed into the front seat of Lexi’s truck. She looked at me as she continued to talk to her mom on the phone.

“Yes, we have the GPS. Yes, I have both maps. Okay. We will. We love you too. Bye!” She turned to me and rolled her eyes. “How many times can she tell us to be careful,” she laughed as she put the truck in drive. She turned toward me with a wary grin. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I’m in shock I think. I can’t believe this is really happening,” I said. She laughed as we passed Brooke and Claire pulling out of my driveway. My old driveway, I corrected myself. The life I had built in this West Texas town wasn’t my life anymore, I realized. All of my things were packed into the horse trailer that was behind Claire’s pickup truck. All of my clothes were piled in with Lexi’s in the backseat. The rest of my things were in boxes stacked in my new bedroom or our new living room. We decided we would unpack and sort it all out when we got there.

I turned to make sure Claire was following us. There she was, and behind the horse trailer was Brooke in her green Mustang. Her backseat was packed full of everything that we couldn’t fit into Lexi’s truck or the horse trailer. Dart, her sweet yellow lab, was riding shotgun with his head hanging out of the window, ears flapping in the wind. Claire’s truck wasn’t packed with anything because she was in charge of the other members of our odd little family…the rest of our dogs. My welsh corgi Trigg and Lexi’s red border collie Brylee were in the front seat with Claire, and her two Leonbergers, Mira and Jenna, were sprawled in the backseat, only because they couldn’t fit anywhere else. Lexi and I had Claire’s terrier mix (appropriately named Lil’ Dude) in the backseat lying on a blanket on top of the pile of clothes. I reached back to give him a pat and Lexi interrupted my thoughts with a slap to my shoulder.

“Molli. Come on. Quit acting so sentimental and set the GPS! Let’s get the hell out of here!” I laughed and reached for the Garmin on her dash. I started to type in the city, but realized I would have to reset the state first. It felt weird knowing that very soon, we would be out of the state that I was born and raised in and starting a life in South Dakota, of all places.

Deadwood was a town that Lexi and I visited last summer when we took a road trip to Canada. Lexi and I have been friends since we were in the sixth grade, and we had enjoyed taking road trips since we were old enough to go out of town on our own. The small black hills town was just a stop for us along the way, but we fell in love the first night. The old west came alive in Deadwood, and the main street was a never ending row of casinos, hotels, and bars. Lexi and I spent most of our time in the Tombstone bar and made quite a few friends there. Lex vowed that one day, she would return and start a business. After last summer, I had never given it much more thought, until I met Claire.

It was fate that brought Claire and I together, in a town called Flatland of all places. I landed my first teaching and coaching job there, and she was starting her second year as a science teacher and basketball coach. We hit it off from the start and found that we both shared a love of horses and the western way of life. She was from Flatland and was practically born with a basketball in her hands. She enjoyed coaching but knew that was not what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. I liked teasing her about “getting out of this town,” and quickly found out that if she ever got the opportunity, she would! Shortly after basketball season ended, opportunity did come, in the form of my best friend Lexi. She came to visit one weekend and I introduced her to Claire and her best friend, Brooke. Little did I know that Lexi had more on her mind than a visit.

A building and quite a bit of land with it had come up for sale in Deadwood, and she wanted to buy it. With help from me, Lexi had a dream of opening a saloon style bar in the building. She assured me it would be perfect, and after we got the saloon up and running, we could even start a trail riding business with the land behind the building, as there were two hundred and seventy acres of black hills just waiting to be explored right out of the back door. The stables needed a little work, but nothing we couldn’t handle.

In my opinion, the best part about the whole idea was the living area on the second floor of the “saloon”. There were four huge bedrooms on each corner of the floor, with a massive open area in the middle that served as the living room and kitchen. Vaulted ceilings made the space seem even bigger. The two bedrooms on the east side of the building shared a bathroom between them, as did the bedrooms on the west. Floor to ceiling windows covered the back wall, and the back French doors opened up to a balcony overlooking the stables, with a magnificent view of the acreage behind the building. The front door out of the living area opened up to a smaller balcony above the first floor bar area, which was attached to the beautiful winding staircase that led down to the ground level. Lexi was right—the place was awesome. The only problem I had was that there were only two of us, and a large amount of building and land to take care of.

Hello fate.

Claire and Brooke happened to be eating supper with us when Lexi mentioned the “two hundred and seventy acres of black hills just waiting to be explored”. Claire was in before I could blink. Not only did she love horses and anything having to do with them, but she was also the hiking and exploring type. She would love nothing more than to see what the land had to offer, and share her love of riding and the outdoors with others. Brooke was very interested in this idea also. Brooke’s life had taken an unexpected turn of events, and the veterinary degree she had been pursuing for six years was no longer a reality for her. She was at a crossroads and this was just the opportunity she had been looking for. So before I knew it, our group of two entrepreneurs had grown to four over supper.

Everything seemed to happen quickly after that. We flew to Rapid City and rented a car to drive to Deadwood the first week of June, where we got approved for the loan and bought the saloon. We flew home and packed some of our things and drove my car up. It was now parked underneath the four-car carport behind the saloon. Then we flew home and have spent the last three weeks packing and saying goodbye to our family and friends in Texas.

“Molli, seriously. What are you thinking about?” Lexi asked, annoyed.

“I’m just thinking that this is a lot to leave behind. What if this doesn’t work out?”

She looked at me and rolled her eyes again, something she was very good at. “It’s going to work out. We have everything lined up. What else do we need?”

I laughed as I looked at her pointedly. “We still need a name…but I’ve been thinking about that. I have a good one in mind.” She looked at me expectantly. “Pistols and Pearls,” I said with a smile.

Her jaw dropped as she turned toward the passenger seat. “That’s perfect,” she said. “Perfect.”

Molli 's Story: Chapter 2

“Continue north on U.S. Interstate 27,” the robotic voice of the GPS blurted out. Lex had just turned off of the interstate and onto a westbound highway. She looked at me and laughed. “Did you set it for Deadwood, or for Cheyenne?” she asked.

“I forgot,” I admitted. I didn’t really forget that we were going to the Cheyenne rodeo on our way to our new home; I was just so caught up in thinking about Deadwood that I programmed the GPS to go there. I reset it to point us toward Wyoming, and realized that in less than an hour, I would be out of Texas for good. Of course, we would come back to visit, but our lives were changing in serious ways. I felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness as I glanced out at the South Plains scenery that was flying by. No more cotton fields. No more pump jacks. And no more being able to see for miles and miles. I noticed Claire’s headlights flashing behind me, and at the same time I felt Lil’ Dudes breath on my cheek. I looked at him as he poked his head into the front seat and I laughed. “Pull over Lex. Time for a potty break.”

We pulled onto the shoulder and unloaded all of the children. While they were busy greeting each other and doing their business, Claire came over to talk to me and Lexi. I knew she what she was going to say before she got to us, and sure enough: “Are ya’ll sure we shouldn’t just head straight to Deadwood? I mean, I’m all for going to the rodeo, but we have a lot of work to do…”

“Shut up Williams,” I cut her off with a grin. “This is the last vacation any of us is going to have in a long time. I’ve already talked to Britt, he is going to put us up in his guest house, and there’s plenty of room for the dogs. We’re going to cut loose and have a good time this week, and then we’ll get to work as soon as we get to the saloon.”

She smiled. “Okay. I just hope we meet some nice people,” she said with a wink. Right…nice people as in nice guys! Ha…she had no idea. Britt was a friend of mine that I met one year at the rodeo in my hometown. A team roper, he ran a ranch just outside of Cheyenne and raised roping horses. What Brooke and Claire didn’t know was that Britt had three guest houses, and we were only staying in one of them. The other two were reserved for his friends that were in town for the week—fellow ropers who were competing in the Cheyenne rodeo. I grinned as I loaded Spook back in our truck. They were in for a pleasant surprise, that was for sure!

We continued on our drive and once again, my thoughts drifted back to home. I was fortunate enough to be able to call two places home. My hometown where I grew up would always be where my heart was. My parents and family still lived there, along with many friends from high school who either never left, or went to college and came back after four years. Most of them had started families and stayed on successful career paths. Lexi and I were pretty in line with the career thing…it was the family part that we were behind on.

Not that I didn’t have the chance—I was engaged to my high school sweetheart until I called the wedding off four weeks before it was supposed to happen. Marriage wasn’t in the cards then, and I guess it really wasn’t now either. My boyfriend of the past three years was settling into his new life in the Australian town of Sydney. After working for a year and a half for the United States Department of Agriculture as a soil scientist, he had been offered a position he could not turn down. Sloan was going to be one of the leaders of a project to record and describe the soil content covering the entire continent of Australia. He would be working with the top researchers in his field, and the position would put him in the running to become one of the top agronomists in the United States.

The position was offered to him at the end of April, around the same time the girls and I had seriously begun discussing the saloon. It seemed to us that fate had knocked on our door again, and Sloan and I both agreed that these were outstanding opportunities for us. We mutually decided to put our relationship on hold for the year while he was in Australia, and we’d decide where we stood after that. It was hard when he left two weeks ago, but I knew that this was my chance to finally figure out if I was ready for marriage and a family.

I did love Sloan, but I also loved the life that I lived when I wasn’t with him. I suppose, like Brooke, I was at a crossroads too. Time for me to figure out where I stand, I guess. I smiled as I thought of the email that Sloan had sent yesterday. He loved where he was living and was fortunate to be working with three other scientists from Texas that he knew. I was glad he was happy, but part of me missed him terribly.

My daydream was interrupted by Lexi reaching into the cooler that was in the backseat. She came up with two cold beers, the mountains still blue. I smiled as I took mine from her and reached for the koozie that I always kept in her console. She laughed as we popped the tops and toasted silently. Each of us knew what the other was thinking. Here’s to a new start, new friends, and the adventure of a lifetime.

I noticed Claire speeding up to pull beside us, and she grinned as she rolled the back window down and Mira stuck her head out. I raised my beer as did Lexi, and we did an imaginary toast to Claire. Just as I knew she would, she rolled her eyes and shook her head. This was sure to be the main difference between Claire and Brooke and Lexi and I. They aren’t really the drinking kind. And Lexi and I…well, we are.

Lexi was pretty much raised in the downtown pub of our hometown…the owners threw us a joint birthday party when we turned twenty-one. We enjoy drinking and we have had a lot of good times, especially “that summer” that we always talk about. The summer we turned twenty-one was by far the best summer of my life, and I know Lexi would agree.

Claire and Brooke may be just the opposite. Brooke rarely drinks and I have seen Claire drunk exactly once. It was a hilarious night that she would like to forget, I’m sure. But these differences were what made us a great group. Lexi and I could run the saloon and give the customers a great time, while Claire and Brooke would be the ones in charge of the stables, trail rides, and everything else outdoors. It was a perfect fit, and I was excited to see what the next few months would bring. I was also determined to show Claire and Brooke a good time in Cheyenne. There would be many people to meet and rodeos to watch, and I was sure that we could sneak a few drinks in for them at some point.

Suddenly, Lexi slammed on the brakes and I saw her furiously flashing her lights at Claire, who had maneuvered her truck and trailer in front of us.

“What are you doing?” I asked, confused.

She pointed at the sign in front of us and I couldn’t believe that I didn’t realize it sooner. The huge green sign stood out against the rolling plains like a giant elm tree in the desert. LEAVING TEXAS, THE LONE STAR STATE. COME BACK, Y’ALL. I felt a lump start to form in my throat as I got out of the truck and went to stand beside the landmark.

“If you cry, I will hit you,” Lex said as Brooke got out of her car to stand beside us. We waited for Claire to turn around about a half mile up the road, and I tried my hardest to stop the tears from overflowing.

“Molli, don’t act like this is a bad thing. This is a great thing! And we’ll be back soon,” Lexi said as she came to stand beside me. I didn’t say anything as I walked toward her truck and set the self-timer on my camera. I put it down on her hood and got it into position as Claire stepped out of her pickup and stood beside Lexi and Brooke.

I saw Claire smirk as she said to Lexi, “Let me guess. She insisted on taking a picture by the state line sign.”

“No, actually Lex was the one who pulled off the road,” I said defensively. “Do not be mean to me because I’m having a moment! We’re leaving the place that we have called home all of our lives.”

I told them to get ready and glared at Claire as she said something about my “bossy tendencies”. They got into position as I pushed the shutter button and sprinted to my spot between Lexi and Brooke. We smiled as the camera flashed, and Brooke put her arm around me as we walked back to our vehicles.

“I’m glad we stopped. I know how you feel. I’m gonna miss this place too,” she said with a smile. I grinned back and realized that we were going to get along just fine. Claire came up behind me and grabbed my arm.

She flashed her perfectly straight teeth in a bright smile and said “I was kidding. You know that, right?”

I laughed as I shoved her with my shoulder. Yes, I knew it. We both enjoyed giving each other hell, which was why we got along so well. I got back into Lexi’s truck and checked the picture that we had just taken. A perfect pose with the sign centered just behind us. Our smiles showed pure happiness, and I realized there wasn’t anywhere else that I would rather be than right here.

Molli 's Story: Chapter 3

The sunset painted the Wyoming sky a mixture of pink and orange as we pulled into the gates of the Bostick Ranch. I felt a mixture of apprehension and excitement stir inside me as we rounded the bend in the road and got a full view of the main house. I noticed the sea of cowboy hats on the porch around the time Claire did. She looked at me and grinned as she slowed the truck and trailer down.

I had decided to ride the rest of the way with her after we stopped for supper in Denver. Lex and I were like sisters and sometimes we fought like them too…needless to say, we were on each others nerves after riding together for twelve hours. She happily took Jenna into the passenger seat with her and I was happy to have Trigg riding in my lap the rest of the way.

“Just pull in here,” I said as she slowed the truck to a stop at an empty spot behind a shiny new four-slant trailer. After she cut the engine, both of us sat still, unsure what to do next. I noticed Lexi and Brooke pull in behind us, and saw one of the cowboy hats making their way down the steps that were connected to the wraparound porch.

I quickly recognized Britt in all of his six-foot-five glory. His hat was pulled low over his forehead with just a hint of shaggy brown hair peeking out by his collar. His black button down shirt had patches of different sponsors sewn on, assuring me that they had not been back from the first performance for long. His Cinch jeans were just the perfect fit and flowed nicely down to his square-toed boots, which I’m sure were black when they were clean, but now looked like a dusty grey.

I smiled as I stepped out of the pickup and walked swiftly to meet him. His perfect teeth still made my heart skip a beat as he picked me up in a bear hug and swung me around in a full circle. Before I realized what was happening, he dropped me and ran to do the same to Lexi, who was struggling to keep Jenna in her truck.

“Aww, let her go,” Britt said in his deep voice. “Max is around here somewhere, and Trixie is in the barn. You can let all the dogs out if you want. I’m sure they’re tired of being cooped up anyhow.” I smiled in agreement as Claire opened her driver’s side door and Trigg leaped from the seat. Mira, deciding not to wait for Claire to open the back door, climbed over the middle console and bounded out behind him. As I watched Jenna make a beeline for Mira, I noticed Britt’s black and white Border collie sprinting from around the house. Dart, Brylee, and Spook made our dog family complete, and we watched and laughed as they jumped over each other and all pounced on top of Max.

I turned, realizing I was being rude by not introducing Claire and Brooke. “Britt, this is Brooke, one of the other members of our little escapade.”

He laughed as he took her small hand in his and removed his hat with the other. “It’s nice to meet you”, she said with a smile. “Thanks so much for having us.”

“It’s no problem at all,” he said with a wink.

“And this is Claire,” I said motioning to the tall brunette to my left.

“Hi, Claire. Britt Bostick. Good to meet you.”

He took her hand as well and I noticed his smile get a little wider as he stared. I snuck a peek at Laci who glanced at me with a knowing look. Claire was the tallest of us all, and with her long light brown hair and face that should be in commercials, she was gorgeous to say the least. Not to mention the perfect smile that lit up her face as she took in Britt’s husky frame. He was a sight, and still just as good-looking as he was when we first met him three years ago.

At the time, I was captivated by his “rugged cowboy” looks, but nothing ever transpired between us. I was loyal to my Texas roots back then, and he had a Wyoming ranch that couldn’t run itself. We were still very good friends, and Lexi and I had come to visit him every summer since. I noticed him holding Claire’s hand for a second longer than normal and saw the blood rush to her cheeks as she swept her hair back after he released it. Britt busied himself with the pile of dogs wrestling at his feet, and Brooke grabbed Lexi’s arm and steered her back towards the pickup.

“Who are all of those guys on the porch,” she asked curiously.

“Roping friends of Britt’s, I’m sure. They all stay here in the guest houses during the rodeo.”

“Guest houses? There’s more than one?” I gave Brooke and Claire a wink as I made my way to the back of Lexi’s truck to get my suitcase.

“Three, actually. Surprise!” I said quietly. I was met by three grins on the other side of the pickup. I knew we were going to have a great weekend.

As I drug my suitcase out of the bed, Britt grabbed my arm. “You don’t need to unload that yet”, he said. “Wait till I show ya’ll around to the guest house.”

“I know,” I replied. “I need a jacket though. It’s cold in these hills!”

He laughed as he helped me into my coat and led the way to the main house. Eight pairs of friendly eyes stared curiously as we made our way up the front steps. Each man was just as well dressed as Britt, and each was holding a beer. This was my kind of crowd, I thought.

“Girls, I know you won’t remember all of the names, but I’ll introduce you anyway.”

He pointed to a tall lanky fellow with glasses and the short stocky man beside him. “This is Mitch and Mike. And Lane and Ty,” he continued as he motioned to a pair of tall blondes that could not have been more than twenty-one. “This is Sterling”, he said pointing to a dark haired figure with piercing blue eyes. My gaze lingered on him for a moment. He was absolutely gorgeous. He stood well over 6’2”, and his shoulders were wide set on his medium build frame.

He smiled as Britt introduced him and I’m pretty sure my mouth watered. He had a perfect set of teeth and his smile accentuated his wide jaw line. His eyes wrinkled around the edges when he grinned and looked at the four of us, and I struggled to pull my eyes away from the curls of dark brown hair peeking out from underneath his cowboy hat as Britt continued with his introductions.

“This is Chance,” he said, pointing to another tall, dark haired figure. He glanced up quickly and nodded his head. He wasn’t as stunning as Sterling, but he had his charm. His dark eyes were mysterious and I got the feeling he was a little shy. Then Britt motioned to the other two men standing on the far side of the porch and my jaw dropped. “And this is Ma-”

“Mason and Brody,” I cut him off with a wary grin. “We’ve met.”

I stood awkwardly for just a moment until I felt Lexi’s hand on my back. Yeah, we should go say hi at least, I thought to myself. I made my way slowly across the porch until we were face to face and leaned in to give Brody a friendly sideways hug. Before I knew it his strong arms were pinning me to his chest and I recognized the scent of the Cinch cologne that they had both worn since we met them. He released me from his bear hug and held me at arms length.

“Molli, you’re lookin’ good. Still not married I see,” he said as he studied my face. Dylan was never one for subtleties. “I’m really liking the dark hair too! I mean, I loved you as a blonde, of course but this is different. Good different, I mean,” he rambled on as Lexi and I stood in front of them.

I noticed Mason had his arm around her shoulder as he carefully avoided eye contact with me. That was just fine, I thought as I turned to face the rest of the curious crowd. Thankfully, Lexi began to explain, “Mason and Brody were on the rodeo team of the college in our hometown. We all got to know each other during the year that they were there. We hung out a lot one summer especially.”

Fortunately she left it at that and no one else asked for further explanation. Like why Brody was avoiding her like the plague and Mason still hadn’t looked at me from beneath his black hat. In the time that we got to know them, Lexi and I thought we had found our future husbands, and how lucky was it that they were best friends and planned to rodeo together for years to come? We thought we had finally found a way to build our futures side by side until it all came crashing down one night. We both had really bad breakups and Lexi and I cut all ties with them both, which they rightfully deserved.

After many failed attempts by them to reconcile, we called the whole thing off with the understanding that it would be easier for all of us. The last text message I got from Mason was after the Houston rodeo two years ago, when he won the team roping with Brody. He’d said “Holy shit, Brody and I just won Houston. I wish more than anything that you and Lex were here with us. Please call me.”

I didn’t, and I hadn’t heard from him since. One of the hardest parts of the situation was the fact that we had developed such good friendships with each other. Brody and I grew very close and Mason and Lexi were almost like brother and sister by the time it had all ended. What were the odds that we would all end up here, on a ranch in the middle of Wyoming?

As I made my way back to where Claire and Brooke were sitting on the long swing, I knew Lexi and I had some explaining to do. Claire shot a concerned look at me and I smiled. Funny how in just the year that we had known each other, we were able to read one another so well. I knew she wanted to know what was going on, and she knew I would tell her soon.

Once again, I felt so fortunate to be a part of this awesome group of girls. The sun kept slowly sinking on the western horizon, and I agreed with Brooke when she said it was probably the prettiest sunset she had ever seen. Soon it was dark and everyone was sitting in a big makeshift circle on the huge porch listening to the guys tell rodeo stories.

I noticed Sterling get up and go inside to return with a western print blanket, which he handed to Brooke. I assumed he’d either heard her say it was getting chilly, or else he was just very thoughtful. Either way, I was a little envious. It shouldn’t surprise me though if the gorgeous man had taken a liking to Brooke immediately. The only blonde in our group, she was very curvy and had a face that could light up a room. I smiled at her when he turned to again take his seat beside her. She laughed a little and gave me a wink.

I turned to face Britt, who was reliving last year’s Calgary Stampede with Mitch and Mike. In that brief second, I locked eyes with Mason and my stomach flipped. He looked away as quickly as I did, and Lexi gave me a slight nudge with her elbow. We had been friends for as long as I could remember, and we were close enough that I was positive she knew exactly what I was thinking. I sighed and looked toward Britt again, just in time to hear him invite everyone on a morning ride to watch the sun rise. I laughed out loud when he looked at me expectantly.

“I don’t think so Britt,” I said with a smile. “My days of rising before the sun ended when I left coaching behind. But I’d like to go on a ride tomorrow afternoon, if you want!”

He shook his head and chuckled as he turned to the rest of the circle. I noticed his gaze linger on Claire again, and I knew what she would say before the words came out of her mouth.

“Sure, I’d love to go,” she agreed, anticipation evident in her voice. Britt looked at Lexi as she shook her head.

“I’m with Molli. This is our vacation. I’ll be warm and asleep while y’all are watching the sun come up.”

Unexpectedly, Sterling’s deep voice said “I’d like to go Britt. I need to be up early anyhow. I’m roping in the morning slack tomorrow.” They both looked at Brooke and I saw Sterling’s smile get a little wider when she nodded her head in agreement.

“Sounds fun,” she confirmed. “Got any fast ones, Britt?”

We all laughed as Britt nodded his head. “I like you already. I’ll see what I can find!”

I was surprised when the rest of the guys declined the trail ride, and smiled as I thought about Claire and Brooke on horseback alone with Britt and Sterling. “Lucky bitches,” I thought to myself. Lex and I would certainly get all of the details when they got home. I settled in a little closer to Lexi and Claire, and listened as Ty and Lane talked about the upcoming rodeo. It was the perfect end to an otherwise perfect day.

Molli 's Story: Chapter 4

The next morning I woke up to bright sunlight streaming through green and white curtains. The cabin was very rustic, with flannel sheets and western print comforters on the bed, and worn leather furniture in the small living room. I reached for my phone on the bedside table and remembered that I had left it in the kitchen the night before so it could charge. Only one electrical outlet in the bedroom, and Lexi claimed it for her phone the minute we walked in. You would think she was going to die if she spent more than one second away from it! I gently pushed her head off of my shoulder and reached across her for her phone so I could check the time. She mumbled as she shifted on the bed and went back to sleep. I laughed to myself, thinking of all the mornings I had experienced that were just like this one.

The first sleepover we ever had was when we were eleven, and we had probably stayed together hundreds of times since then. We had many talks about life, boys, and anything else you could imagine in her waterbed back home. I grabbed her phone and scanned through the two unread messages. One was from her mom and the other was from the calf roper that was still in love with her back home. I laughed as I thought about all of the boys who had been in love with Lex throughout our friendship. She didn’t intend to be a heartbreaker, but that was usually how it turned out. Not that she didn’t have feelings for any of them—it was just that those feelings never lasted very long.

Her phone read 7:35am. I sighed and pushed the blanket off of me, shivering at the sudden burst of cool air. I pulled off my shorts and slipped into a pair of dark blue jeans that I had tugged out of my suitcase. I put on my favorite long sleeved t-shirt and made my way to the bathroom. I peeked into the room that Claire and Brooke were sharing and laughed at the difference between the two sides.

Brooke had obviously made the bed, complete with all of the matching pillows sitting precisely where they should. Her suitcase was neatly stacked with folded clothes, and her makeup was arranged meticulously on the dresser. Claire’s side of the bed was strewn with her pajamas and the clothes that she had worn yesterday. Her makeup and toiletries were piled haphazardly on the nightstand. It wasn’t that Claire was overly messy…it was just that Brooke was very neat. We always teased her about being obsessively organized.

In the bathroom I took my time brushing my teeth and washing my face. I pulled the front half of my long brown hair up and pinned it back, deciding not to waste much time on it—chances were we would be outside most of the day on the horses anyway. I applied my powder and silver eye shadow quickly, and finished the look with black eyeliner and mascara. I shuffled my way back to our room and dug my brown Anderson Bean boots out of my bag. They were not the cutest boots that I owned, but definitely the most comfortable, and I was clueless as to what the day might bring, so I decided to play it safe.

After I was dressed I jumped on the bed and pulled the covers back. Lexi glared at me with fierce green eyes and said, “Molli, I will hurt you. Don’t you know how to sleep in anymore?”

I laughed. “Old habits, I guess. Brooke and Claire are still gone…doesn’t look like anyone is up and moving yet. I’m gonna go to the main house and see if I can figure out something to make for breakfast.”

She closed her eyes. “Good. Call me when it’s ready.”

I rolled my eyes and slid off the bed. I grabbed my cell phone off of the narrow kitchen counter and walked out into the crisp morning air. I was greeted almost immediately by Trigg, who jumped on me until I knelt down to give him a hug.

“Hi, honey,” I whispered.

I gave him a kiss on top of the head and watched as he leapt off the porch and went to join Mira and Max who were chasing a barn cat along one of the fence lines. As I walked toward Britt’s house, I couldn’t help but notice the breathtaking scenery that surrounded me.

The sun was fully up just above the horizon and was surrounded by streaks of pink and orange. The peaks of the mountains to the north were almost completely covered by low, full clouds. A cedar post fence lined the pasture that was to the east, and just behind our guesthouse was the barn and stable area, along with the roping arena. The main house was a two-story beauty, with dark grey brick, white shutters, and a porch that wrapped all the way around.