The sun would be down soon, and lights were already coming on. The bunkhouse, now called the Dorm for Dazzling Damsels, sat a few yards beyond Luis’s place.
It was covered with multicolored lights. Strand after strand lay along the roof and hung in rows along the sides. Last year they’d had half this many. Did they have blackout curtains? If not, how did they sleep?
She’d heard about Mannheim Steamroller from these ladies, and usually they had it turned up when they knew she was coming. They called it piping her in, as if she were a celebrity.
She couldn’t hear it now, though, so maybe this time they… suddenly Joy to the World blasted out, making her smile. She hadn’t given them a lot of time to prepare.
No doubt they were running around setting the scene, lighting the candles, brewing the tea. With the music so loud, she doubted they’d hear her jingle the bells hanging beside the door, but she rang them anyway.
The door flew open and Grandma Doris pulled her inside for a round of hugs.
She’d been here many times, but she still got a mood boost entering the fairyland they’d created from an ancient bunkhouse. Those bunks had never had it so good — custom-made feather beds, silk sheets, velvet quilts and throw pillows in every possible color.
The woodstove was original, but it had been refinished in fuchsia enamel. Flames danced behind the glass door and five beanbags in different colors were gathered around it. A couple of extras were stacked to one side. Once she’d asked Tia Kat why the beanbags.
“Because getting in and out of them builds our core muscles, darling, and they’re stackable whenever we want to dance.”
Delicious aromas drifted from their state-of-the-art kitchen to her left, and soft lights illuminated the bathroom down the aisle between the bunks to her right, which contained high-end fixtures, including a marble-tiled shower and a clawfoot soaking tub.
She tucked her gloves in her coat pockets before she took it off. “I’ve been riding. I’d better wash up.”
“By all means, princesa.” Tia Carmen took her coat and waved her in that direction. “We put in fresh towels.”
Of course they did. A new bar of peppermint-scented soap sat in an ornate dish in the shape of a poinsettia. The towels had a similar theme and were so pretty she hated to use one. But she did, because she’d insult the Damsels if she didn’t use what they’d provided for her.
When she returned, they had her sit in the middle beanbag and brought her a generous-sized mug, a red napkin covered in white snowflakes and a plate of little frosted cakes decorated with candy bells and Christmas ornaments.
She sighed with pleasure. “This is just what I needed.”
Tia Ezzie came in with her mug, napkin and plate of goodies. “We know.”
“How do you know?”
She lowered herself to the beanbag without tipping the plate or her mug, demonstrating that the beanbags were doing their job. “Because you’ve been tucked in with Cole since Saturday night and now you’re here. We’re great company, but not that great.”
Her breath hitched. “We didn’t fight, if that’s what you’re saying.”
“Of course you didn’t. You’d be much more upset if that were the case.” Tia Kat sat next to her with even more grace that Ezzie. Grandma Doris took the other side and Tia Carmen settled smoothly into the last one. “But something’s changed.”
“Well, we’ve fallen in love.”
“We knew that Saturday night.” Tia Carmen sipped her tea. “Try the tea. See what you think.”
She lifted her mug. “I can see you added cream.” Then she tasted it. “Whoa.”
Grandma Doris chuckled. “We added cream all right. Baileys.”
“Did you, now?” She took another sip and smiled. “I needed this, too.”
They all gazed at her and smiled.
“So here’s what I want to know. What are the most important things to have in a relationship?”
She got the answers she’d expected — communication, respect, trust, honesty, support and most of all, laughter. While they expanded on those, she nodded, sipped her Baileys-laced tea and nibbled on the little cakes.
Finally Tia Kat held up her hand. “We’ve pretty much run that subject into the ground. What’s next?”
“The obvious.” Mila surveyed the group. Boy, she loved these women. “What can damage a relationship?” Again, she got about what she expected, the flip side — distrust, disrespect, dishonesty, lack of communication, lack of support.
