by Lexi Post
“A white harness?”
“Yes, for the stage coach. We could deck it out with white flowers and white ribbons.”
He swallowed his chuckle. “It’s very nice, but I don’t think it’s going to go well with Sage and Daisy.” The two draft horses were matching blonde Belgians, anything but dainty.
“Why not?” Lacey crinkled her brow. “Do you think the white would clash with their ivory hair?”
Clash? “No, I meant because they’re so large. When was the last time you were at the barn?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Last month? Jenna’s horse, Cyclone, is a Clydesdale and I think he’d look great in this.”
If he remembered correctly, Jenna was the vet for Last Chance ranch where Lacey lived and where he’d purchased more than one horse. “Then if you think the harness would look good, and it can get here in time, I’m fine with it.”
Instead of nodding at his approval of the expense, Lacey frowned. “Do you think Kendra would be okay with it?”
He gave her a genuine smile. Based on how affectionate Kendra had been yesterday evening when she’d come back from her fitting, he’d say she was on board with anything. “Yes, I think she’d love it.”
Lacey beamed. “Excellent. I’ll order it and have it shipped overnight. If this stage coach thing works out, we could put together a whole wedding package and advertise it to our clientele.”
“That’s a good idea…if it all works out.”
Lacey patted his hand. “Oh, don’t worry. We’ve got this.”
“We?”
She spread her arms out. “All of us. Everyone who works here will make sure this wedding goes off without a hitch. Do you need Jorge’s help to maneuver the stage coach out of the building?”
And there went his happy mood. He glanced at the clock behind the counter. His parents and older sister would be arriving anytime. “Not today. My family will be here soon, and my dad wants to do that.”
Lacey smiled. “I can’t wait to meet them. I have to say I’m impressed that they wanted to help with wedding preparations so much, they are arriving while we’re still open.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure what my mother is thinking. My niece is three years-old.”
Lacey waved away his comment. “Oh, that’s fine. From the research I’ve done, nudists are used to naked children around. It’s a natural thing.”
Not natural for his family though. “I don’t think Jean is going to let my niece run around naked. Which casita did you manage to get them?”
“The one closest to the pavilion, so your parents wouldn’t have far to go to attend the wedding.”
And they would pass the main building, pool, bar, and four casitas filled with naked people before finding theirs. He just couldn’t see his mother being comfortable around naked people. She was known to criticize actresses on television for revealing too much at awards shows. His gut felt like a knot in a rope that had been swollen with rainwater.
“Is something wrong? You don’t look happy. Were you hoping for a different casita?”
At Lacey’s crestfallen look, he forced a half smile. “No. You did great just to open up a casita.”
She shrugged. “I just gave a couple guests a discount and they were happy to share. Oh, and I had a cot delivered. I didn’t know your niece was only three.”
“That’s fine. What’s not fine is them coming today.”
Lacey’s eyes widened. “Why?”
“They aren’t nudists. I told my mom we’d have guests, but she just said she’d be quiet. No idea what that has to do with anything. When she gets an idea in her head, there’s no swaying her.”
“Oh, my. Is she as, um, obvious as Donna.”
He grinned. “No, my mother is very polite, but my grandmother has a lot in common with my future mother-in-law. Luckily, she won’t be in until after Sunday.”
Lacey pulled her laptop around and tapped a few keys. “Tuesday. She’ll be here for the bridal shower. I can’t wait to see the two of them together. I have a feeling there will be a lot of laughter.”
“And embarrassing comments that I’ll be happy to miss.”
Lacey laughed. “I’ll be sure to take notes.”
“Great.” He let his shoulders slump in defeat before straightening again. “I’m on my way to check on Chris’ guest. Let me know when my family arrives at the garage.”
“Oh, you don’t have to check on Kane. He’s all set.” She pulled her laptop back down and placed it on her desk behind the counter.
“You found a medical person among our guests?”
“Oh, I did better than that.” She grinned smugly. “We have a radiologist and a surgeon here. I went with the surgeon, and he was happy to take a look. He believes Chris’ guest has broken ribs, a broken finger, and a lot of bruises. The surgeon splinted his finger, prescribed ice for his ribs and ibuprofen for the pain. He said Kane could confirm the broken rib diagnosis with an x-ray, but based on his pain and restricted movement, the surgeon was pretty confident. However, he told Kane if he started wheezing or had trouble breathing to get to an emergency room, but agreed Kane doesn’t need to go to the hospital for any additional treatment at the moment.”
He raised his brow. “What about the broken ribs. I had a couple of those during my short rodeo season. If I remember correctly, they taped me up.”
Lacey shook her head. “Not anymore. The surgeon said to use the ice and not to move in any way that causes pain. I know Cole’s cousin, Logan, had his arm in a sling just to keep him from moving the wrong way. Not sure if that would help Kane, but I’ll mention it to Chris.”
This was one of those times when Lacey’s efficiency actually got in the way. He wanted an excuse to meet the man who had defended Chris without even meeting him. Either he was the hero that Chris made him out to be at line dancing, or he was someone who was always looking for a fight, one of Kendra’s concerns. “Great work as usual, Lacey. I think I’ll head over there, anyway, to see how—”
His phone rang. A quick glance at the caller told him it was his mother. “Are you here?”
“Hello to you, too, Wade. Yes, at least I think we’re here. There’s a barricade at the end of the road. Are we in the right place?”
He’d given her directions three times. Detailed directions. “Yes. Just park in the garage you just drove past.”
“He said to park in that metal structure.” His mother was obviously speaking to his dad. “Okay, then what?”
“I’ll be up to get you. Just wait there. It will take me a couple minutes.”
“Okay. I don’t see anything but desert here. How are you going to get here in a couple minutes?”
He was already walking out of the lobby. He’d parked the wagon at the fork, so he wouldn’t have far to go. “It’s an optical illusion. Trust me.”
“Oh, I see because your guests don’t want to be disturbed by the outside world. I understand. We’ll wait.”
He jumped up onto the bench seat of the buckboard wagon with the modified shocks for their guests’ comfort. “See you in a few.” Not waiting for his mother to respond, he ended the call and picked up the reins. Flicking them, he started Sage and Daisy down the ravine.
The two draft horses knew the route by heart having brought many a guest down to the resort. The golf carts were only used after dark. However, most guests arrived in the daylight and could appreciate the surprise of Poker Flat.
A sense of pride rose inside. He couldn’t wait for his parents to see what Kendra had built. From where they were parked, the resort was completely hidden by the ravine, and where she had placed the barrier made it hard to see the large opening unless a person knew it was there.
When they married, she insisted that the resort become theirs instead of hers. Her willingness to share her dream with him had been humbling. He hoped his dream would be something she’d like to share as well, but he’d have to wait until after their marriage to give her his wedding gift.
Was
she proud of him? Sometimes he wondered. She’d been afraid to trust him because she saw him as perfect for the longest time. Though he’d proved himself to be anything but, he could tell she was hesitant about fitting into his life like he fit into hers.
She’d surrounded herself with people who needed a second chance. He hoped she saw this second wedding for her as her second chance.
As the horses appeared over the ridge of the ravine, he heard his sister. “Look!”
He grinned once the wagon brought him into view of his family standing in the shade of the garage. They stood with their mouths open, except for his niece who was picking up a rock from the desert floor.
His dad recovered first, a wide smile transforming his weathered face. “Well doesn’t that just knock the flies off a cow’s ears?”
He laughed, his heart full at finally being able to share the resort with his family. His smile faltered as he remembered the customers wandering about. He had thought to show off Poker Flat to his family when it was empty.
He pulled Daisy and Sage to a stop a few feet away. No help for it now. They were here. Jumping down off the driver seat, he embraced his mother who had recovered from her surprise of seeing him appear out of nowhere. She wore a flowered sundress with half-sleeves that showed off her thin figure. Her pale blonde hair camouflaged the many grays, but she still smelled of lilacs just as she always did. He loved that she never seemed to change.
She stepped back. “Look at that tan you have. Are you wearing sunscreen?”
“Yes, mom.” His no sleeve button-down shirts were Kendra’s favorites, so he’d worn one for her today, forgetting that his mom might not approve.
She studied his arms then met his gaze. “Just be careful.”
“Karen, give a man some room to greet his son.” His father, who was only an inch shorter than him but broader gave him a bear hug. When he stepped back his eyes glistened with excitement, proving that his wavy hair may be almost all white already, but his spirit was still young. “You have me more than a little curious now, son.”
He shrugged, but couldn’t stop smiling. “I told you the resort was built on the side of a ravine.”
His father chuckled, “So you did.”
A tug on his jean leg pulled his attention. Looking down he found his niece, Tierney, holding on with one hand and lifting a rock with her other. “Here. Here.”
Crouching down to be closer to eye-level with her, he held out his hand, palm side up. “What did you find, Tee?”
“A ruby.” She smiled triumphantly as she put the brown rock in his hand.
“Is this for me?”
She nodded before turning her head to look at her mom.
Before he could ruffle her short dark curls, she’d let go and run off only to be captured by her dad, who lifted her in the air causing an ear-piercing squeal of happiness.
“It’s good to see you, Wade.”
He rose from his crouch and gave his older sister a hug.
“I’m happy to see you, too, Jean, though I wasn’t planning on it until Monday.”
As his brother-in-law, Lowell, came over to shake his hand, he explained the accommodations. “Since we still have resort guests, I had to put you all in one casita. But this one has two bedrooms, so I hope you’ll be comfortable.”
His mother took his arm. “Oh, we’ll be fine.” She walked him toward the wagon. “Now I simply can’t wait to see Kendra to find out what I can do to help.”
As his mother talked, his father and Lowell pulled the suitcases out of the trunks of the two cars they’d travelled in.
He led his mom around to the back then disengaged his arm so he could take down the steps that folded up under the bed of the buckboard. Along each side was a built-in bench with a cushion where guests sat. At the end, there was no seating as that was where the luggage was set, though there wasn’t much since their guests didn’t bring clothes.
“How quaint.” He resisted the urge to laugh. His mother was always polite, no matter what. He took her hand and helped her ascend to the back of the wagon. After piling everyone in and adding the luggage, he locked the back board in place and strode toward the front bench where his father was already waiting.
“I’m sensing a theme.” His dad patted the seat beside him. “Very smart.”
He flicked the reins and turned Daisy and Sage around to head back to the resort. “Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
“I’m ready to be impressed.” His dad sat back, resting both elbow on the short back of the bench seat.
Maneuvering around the barrier on a well-worn wheel track, Wade kept the horses to a slow walk. When the wagon came close enough to the ravine edge, his father sat forward.
The resort came into view.
“Wow.”
At his father’s soft-spoken word, he felt the wagon shift a bit as his family turned to look. When the horses reached the edge, he halted them. “Whoa.”
“That’s impressive.” His dad’s words sent pride filling his heart. He hadn’t designed it, but he’d helped make the resort the success it was…or rather the success it almost was.
From their spot, they could see the whole layout of the resort perched on a shelf on the opposite side of the ravine. The guest casitas dotted the hillside, some almost down to the little stream.
“Wade, this is beautiful. No wonder you wanted to be married here. It’s breathtaking.” His mom patted his back. “What an oasis. I can see it’s a tranquil and spiritual place.”
That wasn’t exactly what Kendra had been going for, but he’d take it. “To the left over there is the stables, stable manager’s office, and coach garage. Across from that is the Old West Mainstreet. Behind that is the staff casitas. The two-story structure is Kendra’s home. The right is the main building with Great Room, dining room, offices and indoor bar. As you can see, to the right of that is the outdoor bar, main pool and conversation pool which flows to the pavilion. That’s where the wedding will take place. The casitas you see across from the pool are the guest casitas. Lacey has the one closest to the pavilion reserved for you.”
He looked back at his sister. “Tomorrow, you, Lowell and Tierney can move into the one next door.”
“Wade, this is really impressive.” His sister’s awe meant a lot. Jean and Lowell traveled quite a bit and only stayed at the best places.
“What are we waiting for?” His father grinned at him. “Let’s get these horses movin’.”
At his father’s comment, he clicked his tongue and Daisy and Sage started down the slope. His family continued to comment on everything they saw from the stream to the bridge to the signs that told guests exactly where everything was.
He brought the horses to a halt in front of the main building. His father was watching two nudists bring their drinks from the bar to two lounge chairs on the side of the main pool. His eyes were wide with surprise.
That didn’t make sense. He and Kendra had told them all about the resort being for nudists. Maybe he was surprised by something else. As his father broke into a wide grin, he relaxed.
Jumping down, he walked to the back of the wagon and took off the back board. Taking out the luggage, he set it on the ground before helping his sister out. He was just assisting his mother down the steps when a golf cart pulled up. The guests exited the vehicle and strode inside the main building.
His sister, who held Tierney in her arms, quickly turned so the girl couldn’t see.
His mother’s grip in his hand tightened. “Wade. Those people were naked.” Her voice was so low, he almost didn’t hear her.
“Yes. They’re supposed to be.” He lowered his brow as his father walked around to the back of the wagon. “This is a nudist resort. I told you that.”
His mom’s face paled. “Oh, my God.”
His dad rested his hands on her shoulders, his mouth quirking with humor. “Actually, I don’t think a higher being is really what this place is about.”
His mother gave his dad a
scathing look.
“I don’t understand.”
His father had laughter in his voice. “Your mother thought you said Buddhist resort. She’d convinced us all that you and Kendra ran a retreat for Buddhists.”
He widened his eyes at his mother. “Is there a large Buddhist population in Arizona?”
She continued to scowl. “I don’t know.”
A sudden thought, froze him in place. “You couldn’t believe that we would run a nudist resort.” The cloud of pride he’d been riding all the way down the ravine evaporated as if the Arizona sun had targeted his chest.
His mother’s face cleared as she grabbed his arm. “No, honey. That wasn’t it at all. I had just never heard of a nudist resort, so I thought I must have misheard. When you and Kendra described it, it just made sense to me that it might be a spiritual escape. They have them in Sedona, so why not here?”
He studied his mother’s eyes. She was always polite, even with her own children. Did she mean it, or was she hiding her disappointment?
Another golf cart arrived and Mr. and Mrs. Richards, annual visitors stepped out. Mrs. Richards walked directly to him, and his sister quickly spun around to face them all since Tierney was looking over her shoulder.
“Wade, it looks like you have new guests.” The short, slight pudgy, seventy-six-year-old lady had a heart of gold and had been instrumental in helping them start a good reputation.
He forced a smile. “Yes, but not for the resort. This is my family. They’re here for Kendra’s and my wedding.”
“Oh, how wonderful! Adriana told me about it. I just know it will be beautiful. How can it not with such two wonderful people? You must be so proud” She looked directly at his mother, so he made the introduction.
“Mrs. Richards, this is my mother and father.”
“Oh, please, call me Lucinda and this is Leonard. I was just thrilled to be one of Poker Flat’s first guests. This place is so special and the improvements in just a year are simply amazing. I can’t tell you how rare it is to find such a lovely place to vacation. Believe me, not all clothing optional spots are so beautiful, or so well run.” She looked back at him and he smiled politely.
