The construction crew would be at dinner tonight along with the adorable Jodi, but he’d discussed the renovations with them over lunch, so his presence wasn’t required. He made his apologies to Angie, Kendall and Kieran, got another hug from Jodi, and texted his brother.
He offered a pizza from town along with a cold six-pack. He kept a couple of insulated bags in his truck for just such a purpose. Luis was all for it and said he’d supply the beer and make a fire.
Fragrant cedar smoke drifted from the casita’s chimney as Adam climbed out of his truck and retrieved the pizza from the passenger seat. How long would it be before the aroma of a fire wouldn’t remind him of Tracy?
Luis had moved into Carmen’s little dun-colored home. The design resembled the mini-hacienda Mila and Claudette shared, but the casitas, one built for Carmen and the other for Ezzie, only had two bedrooms and a smaller front patio. The aunties had specifically requested a scaled-down version so they’d have less to clean.
When his dad had built them, he’d made a special trip south of the border and returned with a trailer full of light fixtures, cabinet hardware and hand-painted sinks. He’d outfitted the kitchens with retro appliances. Carmen and Ezzie had been thrilled, and now Luis and Xavier were extremely grateful for a chance to live in them.
Luckily Rio didn’t envy them for having the casitas. Auntie Kat’s two-story ski lodge suited him much better. Her crystal chandeliers, high ceilings and winding staircase had captured his imagination from the time he was a toddler. When he’d been told he could live in her house, he’d thought he’d died and gone to heaven.
Luis met him at the door and relieved him of the pizza. “Thanks for suggesting this,hermano.After all the excitement ofthe adoption promo I’m ready for a quiet night at home. I love that construction crew you hired, but?—”
“It turns into a party whenever they stay over. I know. But FYI, they’ve each adopted a horse. Kieran adopted two.” Leaving his jacket and hat on hooks near the door, he followed Luis into the kitchen.
“Hey, that’s great. I didn’t know. Claudette or Mila must have responded when those came through. I’ll show up tomorrow night to thank them.”
“It’s their last night, so I’ll be there, too. Angie said M.R. Morrison’s monthly newsletter will have a link to Hearts & Hooves’ new adoption program.”
“Cool. That bookstore project just keeps delivering dividends.” Shifting the pizza to a large platter, he grabbed napkins. “I don’t know if I’ve said this out loud, but Mom’s a different person since you launched that idea.”
“One of many reasons to do it. Dad was always coming up with projects.”
“Yeah, he was. We were stagnating, but not anymore. Wait’ll you see the latest figures. It’ll blow you away.” He nodded toward the turquoise fridge. “Dos cerveza, por favor.”
Adam pulled out two bottles of Luis’s favorite Modelo and carried them into the living room. The beehive fireplace was identical to the one in Mila and Claudette’s house, only smaller.
A curved leather sectional faced it, along with a rough-hewn coffee table that provided a resting place for food, drinks, Luis’s laptop, and his booted feet. But he wouldn’t tolerate rings so Adam picked up two cork coasters from a pile next to the laptop.
“Before we start eating, let me show you some stats.” Luis set down the pizza and picked up his laptop. “The promo’s only been live since Friday, and this is where we are today.” He turned the laptop so Adam could see the screen.
He let out a whistle of surprise. At fifty bucks per adoption, they’d made thousands in only four days. “You’ll be able to do so much with that.”
“Tell me about it. We’ve been scrimping along with old feeders and leaky water tanks out in the meadows. Now we can actually pay Monty for his vet services and I can hire an assistant.”
“An assistant? Aren’t you the guy who works better alone?”
“I am and I do. Finding one won’t be easy, either. Not many wranglers have the patience. But that’s the point. It takes forever to get a wild horse ready for adoption and now that dad’s gone, it’s just me.” He closed the laptop and set it aside.
“Dad would want you to get help. He loved working with them.”
“Taught me all I know. Anyway, I now have a budget for hiring someone and we can start repairs on the halfway house barn before it falls down. I’m ecstatic. I just wish he could see it.”
Adam heaved a sigh. “Me, too.”
“Adoptions will taper off when the ad push is over next weekend, but Claudette and Mila have plans for maintaining momentum. Also, what you saw is gross, not net. Advertising costs come out of it, but the concept is dynamite.”
“Took a lot of work, though, getting pictures, naming them all.”
“Yeah, but it was fun, especially the naming part.” He spread a napkin over his lap and took a wedge of pizza. “It changes things, giving them a name.”
“I’m sure it does.” He picked up his beer and tipped it in Luis’s direction “Here’s to Hearts & Hooves.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Luis grabbed his beer, tapped it against Adam’s and took a long swallow. Then he settled back. “Okay, your turn.”
Adam gave him a look.
“Something’s going on with you and Trace. Isn’t that why you’re here?”
