“It is not inevitable.” Her body disagreed.
“Looks like it to me. I kept my family in the dark, but now everyone knows we’ve been lovers. And here we are on a road trip.”
“Your choice. In fact, you were pushy.”
“And I don’t regret it. I’m also glad you’ll be staying at the ranch. You’ll love it out there. Before your room in town kept you out of reach.”
“I still am. I’ll be at your mom’s house and you’ll be in your place.”
“That’s… true.”
He said it like that wasn’t the barrier she imagined. She couldn’t help being curious about this house of his. “What’s your place like?”
“It’s a casita. There’s a walled patio in front, a beehive fireplace in the living room, arched doorways, Mexican tile. My dad was the builder but we all helped. Most everything at Laughing Creek is a family project.”
“That’s why I expected there would be one big rambling house and everybody lived there.” With that setup she would’ve had safety in numbers, even if he happened to be right down the hall. Instead he had his own, very private dwelling.
“We were all crammed in together when Mom and Dad first got married — six kids and Grandma Doris, who was a big help the first couple of years. Then six became eight when Rio and Greta came along and Dad built Grandma Doris her own cottage.”
“Were the aunties part of all that?”
“They showed up later. Dad built each of them a house, too. After he died, the four of them got this idea that Dad’s adult kids might like to live in those houses and each have our own place. They talked us into it by reminding us we’d helped construct three of them.”
“Who lived in the one you have?”
“Auntie Carmen. Zay got Auntie Ezzie’s, Monty got Grandma Doris’s and Rio got Auntie Kat’s.”
“And they all moved into the ranch house?”
“No, they wanted the bunkhouse. They fixed it up and named it the Dorm for Dazzling Damsels. That’s when they came up with their official brand.”
“But if only four of you got houses, that’s not very—” She stopped herself from saying fair. “Sorry, that’s none of my business.”
“No worries. Mila and Claudie already had a place. Mila inherited the mini-hacienda Dad built for my Grandma Paloma and invited Claudie to move in with her.”
“Your dad sounds like a wannabe contractor. That’s a lot of houses.”
“There was one more. He lured his Grandma Lucy to the ranch with a modern version of the log cabin she grew up in. She was in her nineties and had health issues but resisted leaving her beloved Victorian.”
“Let me guess. That’s where the bookstore is.”
“Yes, ma’am. It stood empty for years until Adam came up with this idea. Grandma Lucy would have approved. Dad would have, too.”
“I took a walk out there last night. It’s stunning. Who inherited Grandma Lucy’s log cabin?”
“Adam. That’s where he and Tracy live.”
“Then everyone’s accounted for except Greta.”
“She’s happy at the ranch house keeping Mom company. She’s always loved the big house, especially the kitchen. She was in culinary school when Dad died. Hasn’t had the urge to go back.”
“Aw.”
“She’ll find her rhythm. She’s heading up the bookstore’s coffee shop project. That’ll be in operation by Christmas.”
“You guys really are a unit.”
“We are now. When we were kids, Adam and I regularly tried to kill each other. Mila and Claudie got into it pretty good, too, but Tracy was around to mediate. Adam and I would sneak off somewhere and duke it out until we drew blood.”
