Slay Bells

by Hildie McQueen

  “What Mexican place?” It was too late. His mother was saying love you and hung up.

  Jeremy stared at the phone, not sure if he should call back or figure it out himself. His parents had raved about a Mexican restaurant a few miles from their ranch, which was just outside Missoula. That narrowed it down.

  Since his father had a fender bender a few months earlier, his mother had refused to allow him to drive. She also refused to drive farther than the few miles it took to get to the grocery store. His father took it in stride since he rarely left the ranch anyway.

  Jeremy chuckled at his parent’s antics and turned on the television.

  It would be a nice relaxing night and he had the next day off. His lips curved until he realized his dog was at his parent’s. He’d forgotten to pick it up. Just as well, he’d go stay at his parents after dropping off his aunt.

  Chapter Three

  “Deep breath,” Gabriela mumbled to herself as the airplane flew in for the landing at the Missoula International airport. Flying was not her favorite thing, especially with her penchant for being accident-prone.

  Of course, flying was not as bad as what she’d been through lately. The last few months had been filled with a series of events that had not been on her “to-do” list.

  Outside the window, the view was far different than flying over San Diego. Snow covered mountains, snow covered buildings and well, snow covered everything. Just two weeks before Christmas and this town was definitely a winter-wonderland. She frowned as the plane landed with barely a bump and rolled down the runway smoothly.

  “You can release my hand now,” the older man on her right said, his expression tight.

  “Oh sorry.” At the man flexing his hand, Gabriela felt bad. “I didn’t mean to squeeze so tight.” Actually, she’d not been aware of taking the stranger’s hand at all.

  Thankfully the airport was small, so it was easy to find her way to the baggage claim.

  Just as she approached where people waited for passengers, she spotted him. The man who checked off every single box on her “Want To Do” list.

  The tall, wide-shouldered guy had dark brown hair, bright hazel eyes and his jawline was darkened by a sexy five o’clock shadow. His gaze met hers for a moment, and then moved on to the other passengers.

  Gabriela purposely slowed down pretending to have problems with her rolling tote. Unfortunately, she didn’t take into account the people behind her. The same man who’d sat next to her tripped on her suitcase and stumbled forward. If not for someone reaching for his elbow, he would have fallen flat on his face.

  The poor man slid her a narrow-eyed look, his face reddened by the almost fall, and he hurried away. She didn’t blame him for wanting to put distance between them.

  When she turned to look at the sexy guy, he had his back turned. Hopefully he’d turn up at the baggage claim. It would be fun to have a little fling while in Montana. Gabriela tried to come up with a subtle way to give him her number.

  People jockeyed for position at the baggage carousel. Gabriela stood back keeping an eye out for the tall hunk. Thankfully, the man she’d tripped was on the other side and far enough away it was impossible to harm him.

  White Christmas screeched over a sound system, filling the air with some sort of attempt at a holiday feel. It would have been easier on the ears if the song wasn’t blaring through speakers in dire need of replacement.

  Just as the red light flashed and the carousel jerked to a start, the hunk appeared. He walked with an older woman who spoke animatedly, her hands moving with each word while he nodded every so often.

  “How sweet,” Gabriela whispered to herself. Patient and caring. Another two items to check off her “perfect man list”. Actually, those two things were not on her list. She added them for him.

  Her black and white polka dot suitcase went by and she ignored it. One more turn would not hurt while she kept an eye to see where Hunky man and the woman decided to stand.

  They kept walking, coming closer and closer, and she couldn’t keep from smiling.

  “Excuse me.” A woman tapped her arm and looked at her matching carry-on. “Isn’t that your suitcase?” Indeed her suitcase was passing by again.

  “I think it is,” Gabriela replied not moving to the carousel. “I’ll get it next time it comes around.” The woman shook her head and gave her a look that clearly said. “Wierdo.”

  Rocking around the Christmas Tree blared then. Someone needed to turn the darn music down.

  An elderly woman toddled over and tugged what looked to be Gabriela’s suitcase off the carousel. She wondered if perhaps the old woman had the same pattern as hers. Upon spotting her bright pink luggage tag, Gabriela rushed over. “That’s my bag.”

  The white-haired woman didn’t relinquish her hold on the handle. “I don’t think so honey. This one is mine.”

  Gabriela smiled, trying to keep calm. “If you read the bright pink tag there, you’ll see my name is on it. Gabriela Diaz.”

  The woman pointed an arthritic finger at her. “If you don’t back off, I’m calling for security. You’re probably one of those bag nabbers.”

  “What?” Gabriela looked around, but other than a couple people who watched with bored expressions, she didn’t see any airport personnel nearby.

  She caught sight of another suitcase on the carousel. It was also black and white polka dots. It was a bit smaller and had larger dots and a green sash on the handle.

  “Look!” she exclaimed with the energy of a Labrador on speed. “I bet that’s yours.”

  “Well don’t just stand there, take your ugly bag,” the woman snapped, pushing Gabriela’s suitcase away. “That’s my suitcase.” She pointed at the carousel.

  The old woman shoved her aside and toddled to the carrousel. She tugged at a suitcase, but it didn’t budge.

  “I think your grandmother needs help,” a teenager stated.

  “Ah.” Gabriela couldn’t think of what else to say. Not only was the woman a white-haired Caucasian, but she was also definitely nothing like her Mexican-American abuelita. Deciding it was best to help so that people didn’t think she was mean to her grandma, Gabriela let out a resigned sigh and reached for the woman’s bag.

  At the same time, the old woman yanked the bag off the carousel. The woman stumbled backward gaining momentum that sent them both stumbling backwards. Gabriela’s heel hit her luggage and before she knew it, she was on her back, staring at the ceiling.

  I’ll be home for Christmas screeched over the sound system.

  The old woman looked down at her. “Now, which one is mine?”

  Gabriela pointed to the one next to her. “This one.” She sat up and let out a breath, not daring to look around.

  “Oh good.” The woman grabbed the handle and smiled down at her. “Don’t sit on the floor dear, it’s probably very dirty.”

  Gabriela did her best to get up gracefully. She kept her gaze down as she hoisted the purse strap onto her shoulder. “You okay?”

  Her head jerked up. She’d forgotten all about hunky man, who now stood in front of her, with a crooked grin. “Seems you’re having a hard time there.”

  “Ah…no…I mean yeah. Thanks.” So much for giving a good first impression. Her words kept coming out as if she’d reverted to eighth grade. “I got it…them…my bags.”

  “Okay.” He turned to the older woman. “Ready Aunt Rita?”

  The woman gave Gabriela a warm smile before looking to her nephew. “Ready as ever.”

  Arms at her sides and shoulders rounded, Gabriela watched the handsome man walk away.

  She’d certainly made a grand fool of herself. Good thing she’d never see him again.

  Across the carousel, she caught sight of the man she’d tripped earlier. He gave her a wide-eyed look and then turned on his heel and hurried away.

  “I hate Montana,” Gabriela muttered lugging the suitcase and carry-on behind her, she made her way to the rental car desk. Hopefully she’d make
it to the ranch without any additional incidents.

  The drive to the ranch would be easy. It was situated just outside the larger city of Missoula. The owners had given her precise directions, telling her it was about half an hour from the airport.

  Once outside the airport, the cold air and snow-covered ground made Gabriela hesitate and look back toward the airport. It had been a long time since she’d driven in snow. As she made her way to stall number eighteen, she kept an eye on the surroundings. Seemed like the streets were kept clear of ice and snow.

  Gabriela could take her time deciding where to stop and eat prior to heading out to the ranch. After all, she wasn’t expected until that evening. She’d caught an earlier flight but had not told the couple who owned the ranch about an earlier arrival. This way she could take her time and do a bit of driving around to get a feel for the area before settling in for the evening.

  She drove down a side street following her phone’s directions to a chain restaurant when a naked man darted out from behind a dumpster and waved at her. He smiled broadly, acknowledging her with a nod.

  It was definitely too cold to be naked. In her rearview mirror, his scrawny body kept her attention since he continued standing in the road.

  “Damn it.” Gabriela turned around and pulled to the side. She dialed 9-1-1 and waited for someone to answer.

  “There’s a naked man in the street.”

  “Skinny and ugly?” The dispatcher sounded bored.

  “Ummm, I suppose.” Gabriela gave them the street name and the name of a nearby business she could see.”

  It sounded as if someone asked where Detective Hawkins was. The dispatcher told her someone would be there soon to collect the man, who she pronounced to probably be Henry.

  Hawkins was the name of the family she was staying with.

  She remained for a few moments until a patrol car arrived. The police officers got out and held up a blanket to the naked man. He crossed his arms and shook his head.

  Obviously, the man was impervious to the cold.

  When her stomach grumbled, Gabriela decided to leave. There wasn’t much she could do, and the sight of the naked skinny man was not exactly something she wanted etched on her brain.

  Just then, the police officer looked over and signaled for her to drive closer.

  Gabriela groaned. Nothing like a closer look at a naked man to keep her appetite in check.

  After moving forward only a few feet, she stuck her head out the window. “Hello Officer.”

  The police officer grinned. “Are you the lady who called?”

  Gabriela nodded. “Can I leave now?”

  The officer came closer. Thankfully, the naked man had finally accepted the blanket from the other cop and was now pointing at the dumpster.

  Williams, the name displayed on his uniform, was a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. He was attractive with sandy brown hair and a mischievous look about him. He gave her a crooked grin. “Sorry you had to see that. Henry hasn’t been right since… well ever. He means no harm.”

  “I was worried since it’s so cold,” Gabriela offered, unable to keep from looking at his ring finger. There was a ring. She let out a sigh. “It is definitely an unforgettable welcome to Montana.”

  Officer Williams shook his head. “I assure you we don’t all run around butt naked in the snow.”

  “That’s a relief,” Gabriela replied with a chuckle. “I’ll be on my way then. Do you need anything from me?”

  “Nope, have a great day Gabriela.”

  She froze. “How did you know my name?”

  “You gave it to dispatch.”

  “Oh, that’s right. Okay…goodbye Officer Williams.” She made a show of pointing to his nametag.

  His smile widened. “You can call me Greg.”

  “See ya.” She drove forward slowly refusing to look at the naked man as she passed. Unfortunately, he called out to her, “Merry Christmas!”

  Gabriela let out a long breath and waved without looking.

  She pulled into a nondescript strip mall and smiled at seeing Paul’s Pancake Parlor.

  After a hearty meal of buckwheat pancakes and sausage accompanied by freshly brewed coffee, Gabriela was more than ready to find the ranch where she’d spend the next few weeks, get as much as possible for the magazine and hopefully also get some rest from her stalker ex.

  It had been a heck of a day. Thankfully, the drive to the restaurant and then heading on the road out of Missoula was uneventful.

  Lucky Break Ranch came into view. There was log fencing for what seemed like miles and an iron archway with “Lucky Break” over it, also made of black iron.

  Through the arch, a huge log cabin stood front and center amidst tall trees with mountains for a backdrop. It was beautiful. She brought the car to a stop to study the surroundings before approaching.

  Like a scene out of a Christmas card, there were horses in a corral with blankets on their backs, feeding on hay.

  There were a few other buildings, one she thought could be a barn, stable, or something similar.

  Past the area where the horses were, there was a pond and a line of what looked to be cabins. They were spaced with a bit of land and trees between them giving plenty of privacy. She itched to explore those.

  Once again, the larger home caught her attention. A short distance from the house was a smaller cabin. It was adorable. She noted several pick-up trucks and a sport utility vehicle parked beside the house.

  It was time to meet the owners, get the introductions over and done so she could collapse into a bed. It was early evening there and even earlier in California, so technically, Gabriela shouldn’t be as tired as she was. She still had to report back to the office to inform them of her arrival, write up her first impressions and call Mila to tell her about the craptastick day she’d had.

  She pulled up in front of the home and walked up the wide steps to a huge porch that spanned the entire front of the dwelling. There were welcoming rockers, although not so much when it was so cold.

  Although the front door had etched glass on both sides, she could not see in through the colorful stained glass.

  She pushed the doorbell and heard a deep bell sound inside.

  A tall thin blonde woman, who looked to have stepped out of a ranching woman’s magazine, opened the door. Her shoulder length hair was tucked behind her right ear, the other side swung forward as she leaned to greet her. Friendly hazel eyes met hers. “You must be Gabriela. I hope you didn’t have any trouble finding the place.”

  “None at all Mrs. Hawkins.”

  “Please call me Natalie. Welcome to Lucky Break.” She looked over her shoulder. “Come in, I’ll introduce you around.”

  They entered a spacious kitchen-living combo. Surrounding the table were three men, each had some sort of dessert on a plate and a cup of coffee either in hand or next to the plate. Conversation stopped when she and Natalie walked in.

  Two large brown dogs lay on the floor, both picked up their heads and studied her.

  “Well hello there.” A tall man, who Gabriela figured to be Natalie’s husband, got up and came to greet her. He stuck out his hand. “Rick Hawkins.”

  “Nice to meet you.” She looked past the man and her eyes rounded at seeing not only Officer Greg Williams, but also the man, Henry, who’d been naked on the street in Missoula.

  “Hello,” Henry said.

  “Fancy seeing you here,” Officer Greg Williams said.

  “Uh,” Gabriela replied.

  “Greg brought Henry over since he refused to do anything until he spoke to our son. He’s a police detective,” Natalie explained.

  Gabriela looked to the table. “Henry is a police detective?” She couldn’t keep her voice from lifting a few octaves.

  Greg laughed. “That would be a good one.”

  “No, my son is,” Natalie replied while guiding her to the table. “Have a seat, I’ll get you some coffee.”

  “Where’s Jeremy?
” Greg asked between bites of pie.

  “He had to go to the other side of town. Should be here any minute,” Natalie said and placed a cup of coffee and slice of cake in front of Gabriela.

  Gabriela wanted to cry. The day was only getting more bizarre. Not only had she made a fool of herself at the airport, called the police after spotting a naked man out in broad daylight, but now here she was sitting in a kitchen, at a table with not only the naked man, but the police officer and her new hosts. Thank God for cake.

  “Are you okay?” Henry asked.

  “Just a bit tired. It’s been an interesting day,” Gabriela explained. “Certainly, didn’t expect to be seeing you both here,” she told Henry and Williams. “Strange trip so far.”

  When the Hawkins’ look to Greg, he shrugged. “Gabriela was the one who spotted naked Henry and called us.”

  Both nodded but didn’t say anything.

  Footsteps sounded and everyone looked to the doorway behind her.

  “Hey Jeremy,” Henry said with a wide grin. “Greg brought me here. Today is the day I’m supposed to be sleeping outside naked.”

  Natalie rolled her eyes.

  Rick put down his cup and blew out a breath. “Here we go.”

  Greg shook his head. “I hate to do this to you bro, but with the new baby, Patty would kill me if I brought him to our house.”

  There was a deep groan from the man behind her. Gabriela would wait to be introduced, then hopefully get Natalie to take her to her cabin.

  “The writer I told you about is here. Come meet her, Jeremy.” Natalie motioned to Gabriela, who’d just taken a sip of coffee.

  Gabriela turned and the coffee went down the wrong pipe. She gasped and coughed, and then began hacking like a dog with a bone stuck in its throat. Tears appeared and someone pounded her on the back.

  Meanwhile the hunk from the airport switched between frowning and lifting his eyebrows as if waiting to see if he would have to intervene and resuscitate her.