Trouble in Loveland

by Jennifer Peel

  “That’s a long date, I guess I can safely bet it’s not the movies,” he said, completely ignoring my request for a playdate with Josh.

  “We wouldn’t be having this conversation if it were.”

  “Yes, of course. That would be too boring for you. So what does this guy have planned that is first-date worthy for you?”

  I wasn’t sure what to make of this conversation and why I was even having it. Didn’t he get that it was him I wanted to date and for him I would have even gone to the movies, but yet there he stood asking me what my plans were for the night with another man? Why did he even care? I decided to play along, though I was quite annoyed with him for some reason. “Horseback riding and a picnic.”

  That wiped the smirk off his face. “Hmm … It seems a little overkill for a first date.”

  “It’s just terrible that there’s a man that feels I’m worthy enough to ask out and then heaven forbid he tries to impress me on our first date.”

  He stepped closer and took off his aviators. “Charlee, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to take it that way.”

  “I’m going to be late. I need to go.”

  He reached up and touched my arm. “I’m sorry I kept you.”

  “Tell Josh he can come over tomorrow or Sunday if you’re not busy. I would love to see him.”

  “He’d like that … I’d like it, too.”

  “See you later.” I turned and opened my car door and got in. I sat there for a second. I wasn’t even sure now that I wanted to go on my date with Aidan. I was drawn to Ryan. I was just about to turn on my car when my phone’s text alert went off. I picked up my phone.

  “Your date is one lucky guy.”

  “There was no luck involved. He asked and I said yes,” I responded back. Then I threw caution to the wind and put my heart on the line, “You should try it sometime.” I hesitated to hit send, but at this point I figured, What do I have to lose? and my thumb made direct contact with the send button. I threw my phone in the passenger seat. Why couldn’t he be the lucky guy?

  I drove home quickly and changed into jeans, a t-shirt, and boots. I tried hard not to think about my neighbor who I got along famously with. Our morning runs were basically just long, drawn out talks.

  As I looked into my floor-length mirror and did one more hair and makeup check, I thought maybe I should give up on the whole Ryan thing. Who cared that he made me laugh, that we both loved spicy food, we both saw the genius in John Hughes movies, and that I was completely in love with his kid and I loved how he loved his son? Who cared that when he touched me I felt connected in a way that I never had before? I cared, that’s who. These were not good thoughts to be having when a different man was on his way to pick me up.

  When the doorbell rang, I reminded myself it was better than being home by myself, but then I remembered, I wouldn’t have been home by myself, Josh and Ryan would have been with me. Ugh!

  I opened the door to a very handsome cowboy holding a bouquet of daisies. It was picture perfect, well almost. As he smiled, I noticed he had one dimple, and his copper colored eyes lit up.

  “Hello, Charlee, these are for you.” He pushed the sweet bouquet forward.

  I gladly took them and briefly breathed in their scent. “Thank you, Aidan. Come in and I’ll put these in a vase real quick.”

  He took off his cowboy hat and walked in. It was then I noticed his muscular physique, particularly his biceps. So maybe this was going to be good.

  We walked out to his large Dodge Ram truck; the side of the door advertised his parent’s ranch, Bailey Ranch. He was a gentleman and opened my door and helped me in the truck, which sat quite high off the ground. His hand was strong and smooth, but his touch did nothing for me. Darn that Ryan Carter, he was ruining me for other men.

  We headed west up US-34; it was one of my most favorite drives. I loved Estes Park and had been missing it. I hadn’t had the chance to get up into the mountains since I’d been home due to work and wedding nonsense. I loved the scenery, the rushing river to our left and the cute little towns we passed on our way up. The weather was perfect, too. Tonight had all the makings of a perfect evening. I tried to focus on Aidan and not the other guy. It helped that, Aidan kind of fascinated me. To look at him you might think hick, but he was anything but. He was currently studying to get his PhD in chemistry. He was doing an internship at a pharmaceutical company this summer, and on the weekends he worked at his parents’ ranch.

  “Have you heard from Krissy?” he asked as we wended our way through the quaint town of Estes Park.

  I pulled myself away from looking at all of the little shops I used to visit with my parents when I was growing up, and in particular the Christmas shops that were open all year round. I laughed a little. “No, not at all, but I didn’t expect to. Besides, I’m not sure I want any reports on the honeymoon.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t blame you.”

  “But I’m definitely looking forward to them coming home.”

  “So did you and Chance really date?”

  “Why is everyone so fascinated with that?”

  He looked over quickly and grinned. “I wouldn’t say fascinated, but you have to admit, it’s unusual for a guy to date two best friends and for the girls to still remain best friends.”

  “I suppose, but it was high school, and honestly, I wasn’t that into him.”

  “Ouch. Just what every guy wants to hear.”

  “Well, it’s not like I told him that, and he did break up with me.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep.”

  He glanced quickly my way again and winked. “And here I thought he was a smart guy.”

  I think I may have blushed. There was some definite lip biting going on. “Well, thanks, but really, he got the better of the two.”

  “Beautiful and modest.”

  This guy was good.

  “Again, thank you.”

  His parent’s ranch was situated right outside Roosevelt National Forest, and it was breathtaking. The main house was a giant log cabin with a wraparound porch. There was a small pond in the front with tall grass and wildflowers. I rolled down the window and breathed in the cool mountain air and the smell of the pine trees. It also smelled like someone was barbecuing, and the aroma was tantalizing. Aidan informed me this was a guest and working ranch, and each night they provided dinner for the guests staying there.

  He pulled his truck around to the stables and corral. There were already a few horses meandering in the corral. They were beautiful specimens.

  Before he even turned off his truck, he turned to me. “Don’t move, I’ll get your door.”

  He was good - really, really good.

  He helped me out and released my hand as soon as I was safely on the ground. I liked that, it meant he wasn’t forward.

  A haggard-looking man came out and greeted us. Aidan called him Earl and introduced him as the boss. The boss of what, I wasn’t sure, but he informed Aidan that he had saddled up the horses and they were ready to go. “Your shotgun is loaded and packed, as well,” he added.

  I looked worriedly between the two men. I had never had a date that involved firearms, and I wasn’t too sure how to feel about that.

  Aidan smiled reassuringly. “There have been some reports of mountain lions in the area.”

  Yeah, I still wasn’t feeling better about the situation.

  “Don’t worry ma’am, Aidan’s a crack shot and mountain lions usually like to be left alone. You’re in good hands.”

  “We can stay at the ranch,” Aidan offered.

  I shook my head. “A little adventure is good for the soul.”

  Earl smiled and slapped Aidan on the arm. “This is a good one here.”

  Aidan winked at me.

  I hadn’t been on a horse in years, but I found it was like riding a bicycle. I even mounted Butterscotch correctly. Aidan’s horse was named Thunder, and you could tell he was livelier than the sweet paint I was on. Thunder was a pu
rebred and had an air to him, but Aidan commanded him well. I was grateful they thought to give me a gentle spirit.

  Aidan’s horse carried the food and yes, gun. I kept looking at it thinking, I hope this guy really is a good guy and if that’s true, I hope that if we see a mountain lion, he’s quick on the draw.

  “You don’t need to worry about mountain lions, they’re usually more afraid of us.” I guess he noticed my frequent glances.

  “Are you just saying that?”

  “I wouldn’t bring you out if here if I didn’t think it was safe.”

  Good guy? Yes?

  We didn’t talk a lot, which was fine by me. There was too much nature to enjoy, and talking would have ruined it. Once in a while Aidan would point out a different type of bird, and we even saw some elk, but other than that, he too seemed to just enjoy being out on the trail. The trail led us to a beautiful lake in the middle of a meadow. It was so stunning I took out my phone and snapped a few pictures. It was a picture perfect place for a picnic. It looked like a postcard with the evening sun reflecting on the still water and a light breeze that barely nudged the tall grass. It was a piece of heaven. Too bad my first thought was, I would love to bring Ryan here. Focus, I told myself.

  Aidan and I enjoyed chicken salad sandwiches, fruit, and I daresay the company. Aidan was a thoughtful speaker and well read. I almost felt like I needed a thesaurus handy to speak to him, but he never made me feel stupid or inadequate, as Ryan would say. I just couldn’t believe this cowboy was a chemist. He just didn’t fit the image in my mind. Maybe I should have taken more chemistry classes in college.

  We didn’t just talk about him, although I was intrigued with the world of drugs, that is the legal kind (he knew all sorts of long names for penicillin, ibuprofen and so on). He was a courteous date and asked a lot about me. I tried to steer the conversation away from accounting, in fact I liked talking to him about drugs that treated different types of psychosis.

  “Are you sure you’re in the right profession?” he asked after a lengthy discussion on the side effects of depression medication and his opinions on the best options available.

  “No,” I sighed. It was weird telling a practical stranger that. The only other person that knew was Krissy. I never even told Jay.

  “So, why are you an accountant?”

  I looked out over the lake and watched a fish jump out of the water. It reminded me of my dad. “It’s a long story, but I guess the short answer is family.”

  He smiled thoughtfully. “I understand that. My dad wasn’t too thrilled when I decided I didn’t want to be a rancher.”

  “Did he come around?”

  “Eventually. I think he likes telling everyone his son’s going to be a doctor, even though it’s not that type of doctor.”

  “I’m sure you’ve made them proud.”

  “You know, it’s not too late for you to change your mind.”

  I sighed again. “Honestly, I’ve been looking at different programs at CU and CSU, but again, it’s complicated.”

  “Choose CU,” he said in jest. That was his Alma Mater.

  “If only that was the complicated part.” I smiled.

  He touched my hand briefly, and yep, nothing. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

  I’m sure I would, too, but I wasn’t sure how long that was going to take or how I would accomplish my dream. I couldn’t ask my dad for money, and I couldn’t live with him forever; it’s not like he was in any hurry to kick me out, but out of self-respect, I needed my own place. With what my dad paid me, I could more than afford a place of my own, but if I went back to school, I could only work part time. I think I could still manage if I cut my hours, but then there were the student loans, and I would have to pay out-of-state tuition if I went back in January. I was looking into different scholarships, but there were no guarantees. Then there was the whole, I don’t want to disappoint my dad thing. He was already nudging me about taking my CPA license exam. I had studied quite a bit with Ryan’s help, and I had no doubt I could sit the four part exam and pass it, I just didn’t want to.

  We had to get back to the ranch before the sun set. It had been a very pleasant way to spend the evening. I liked Aidan, he seemed like a great guy. In fact, he reminded me of Jay, which was great on the friend spectrum, not so much on the romantic end.

  Why couldn’t I fall for nice guys, not that Ryan wasn’t nice, he was beyond nice, but not so available. Ok, why couldn’t I fall for available guys?

  I had the pleasure of meeting Aidan’s parents briefly before he took me home. Evelyn and William were a lovely older couple. They were definitely proud of their son. They made sure to throw in how smart he was and, for good measure, that he would one day own the ranch. I tried not to laugh at their overt attempts to sell their son to me. I think it embarrassed Aidan, but he took it in stride.

  “You’re welcome back anytime,” they said.

  I would love to come back and explore, but I wanted to bring Josh and Ryan. I wondered how they would feel about that. Not that I wouldn’t go out with Aidan again. He was a super date, but I needed to get over Ryan, which was dumb since we weren’t anything but friends.

  The dreaded part of the evening came for me just as we got into Loveland. You know, the part where you decide if there was any sort of connection and if you would like to see each other again.

  “I had a great time,” he started off.

  “Me, too. Your parents’ place is incredible. Thank you for inviting me.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  Here it comes. “Maviny mentioned that perhaps you were already involved with someone, but it wasn’t exclusive, is that true?”

  Ok, so that was not what I expected. And boy was Maviny getting an earful from me. “I’m not technically involved with anyone,” I said as I looked out the window. This was a little awkward for me.

  “What does ‘technically’ mean?”

  I looked over to him, and he kept glancing at me when he could as he drove. “I know it feels like I keep saying this, but it’s complicated.”

  “Is it that guy that caught the garter?”

  I tilted my head. “How did you know?”

  “It was obvious from the way you two danced together.”

  I let out a deep breath and twisted my hands together. “I hope you don’t feel like I’ve led you on or anything.”

  “Hey, it’s just a date. Not that I wouldn’t want another if you’re up for it. And I don’t mind a little competition.”

  I laughed. “You’re a good guy.”

  “But?”

  “There’s no but there. I just feel like I need to figure out my feelings.”

  “I can respect that, and you have my number. I hope you’ll use it.”

  Chapter Twelve

  I walked in, after I had been walked to my door and sweetly kissed goodnight on the cheek, to find my dad pretending to watch Jimmy Fallon, but I knew he was up waiting for me.

  “Hi, Daddy,” I said as I walked down the few steps it took to reach the sunken family room.

  He sat up from his lying down position on the couch. “Hey, baby girl. How was your night?”

  I sat down next to him as he put his arm around me. I reveled in the safety and comfort I felt there with my head on his shoulder. “It was really nice.”

  He rubbed my arm. “Nice, huh?”

  “Yep, nice. How was your evening?”

  “I scored a big account tonight.”

  “Exciting.”

  “It’s not as exciting as it used to be.”

  “Yeah, I guess success gets boring after a while.”

  He chuckled briefly. “I missed your cheekiness.”

  “I thought we agreed, I was witty, not cheeky.”

  He laughed again. “You going to go out with this guy again?”

  “He wants to.”

  “Ahh. I take it you don’t.”

  “I know, I have problems.”

  “Why would y
ou say that?”

  “Because, Aidan is a great guy, he seems like the whole package exactly like Jay, but yet I’m not interested. But give me a guy that’s not interested in me and that’s all I can think about.”

  My dad squeezed me tighter. “Honey, Ryan’s interested, he’s just gun shy.”

  “I don’t know, Dad.”

  “I do know. I saw the look in Ryan’s eyes when you announced you had a date this morning; he wasn’t happy to hear that particular piece of news.”

  “Then why doesn’t he ask me out himself?”

  “Honey, dating you puts a lot at stake, and I think he’s having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that you were his teenage neighbor once upon a time. And he’s still dealing with getting over his divorce.”

  “He’s dated other women.”

  “True, but with you it’s different.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re different.”

  “I’m not sure how I should take that.”

  He kissed my head. “It’s a good thing. I think you’re just what the doctor ordered for him, but sometimes medicine can be hard to swallow.”

  “So now I’m different and horrible tasting medicine?”

  “No. You’re perfect and wonderful.”

  “No need to exaggerate.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Thanks, Daddy.”

  “I have a feeling Ryan will be coming around real soon.”

  I woke up and enjoyed the feeling of not having anything to do. My only plans were Saturday chores, some grocery shopping, and laying out on the deck. I got up, quickly showered, and dressed for my super casual day. I only bothered with mascara and lip gloss. I made it upstairs just in time for the Saturday morning music playlist. First up, Boston’s “More Than a Feeling.”

  My dad and I made omelets together and then commenced cleaning the house, which didn’t take long at all. The two of us were, both generally tidy people. After I threw a load of laundry in the washer, I sat down and started to make the grocery list for the week. I had insisted on buying the groceries and doing at least half the cooking. In my mind, it was the least I could do. My dad was uncomfortable with it, but he relented. Halfway through making my list, the doorbell rang. My dad was mowing the backyard lawn, so I got up and answered it. I opened the door to find two of my favorite people.