It doesn’t feel like enough . . .
I check the website and sure enough, Hadley Jones appears on the list of riders for the Alberta Bravos.
I can’t wipe the smile from my face.
Eat dirt, Knox.
Everyone in those comments can go find a short pier and take a long fucking walk.
Good on you, bud.
What a way to start the day. Beaming, I take the stairs two at a time down to the foyer of the lodge. I find Mom in the restaurant, clearing tables. I file in beside her and do the same.
“Some one’s happy this morning,” she says, her smile matching mine.
“Had some great news.”
“Oh, fantastic! What was it?”
“That rider, the one with all the photos, he made a team.”
Mom tilts her head, her eyes squinting with amusement. “Careful, sweetheart, they’re growing on you.”
My mouth gapes. “No, they are absolutely not.”
The second the words leave my mouth I know that’s a lie. And it’s not just Hadley, either. Brady, Spencer, and even Levi, they are all incredible men, sportsman and kind, respectful humans.
They haven’t just grown on me, they’ve dug in, roots and all.
Shit.
I follow Mom into the kitchen, arms loaded with plates, bowls, and dirty cutlery. Terrance winks at me when I dump them by the sink.
“Morning, Maggie. Out snapping the world today?”
“Maybe. I have some work to catch up on first.”
“Always bringing something to the world’s attention. What would we do without you?”
“Live under a rock?” I give him a cheeky smile.
A tea towel flies through the air at my head.
The old man chuckles as he starts another batch of scrambled eggs for the guests who’ve filled the dining room this morning. His food is one of the best parts of this old lodge, and he was one of Mom’s first hires when she took over.
Terrance meets my gaze. “Need a little lunch to-go later?”
“Sure, I could use some mountain air.” I sneak a spoonful of eggs and he spins around, holding out a slice of toast, butter already melted to perfection and glistening on the triangle of golden bread. I take it, not able to make it last as I wander to the buffet and grab a cup of coffee to wash down the toast.
“Need some company on your walk today?” Mom asks, now back at the front desk.
With work, the lodge, and all my travel, the time to just be with Mom is rarer and rarer. “Sure, Mama. I’d love that.”
“Good. Brad can man the desk for the day, hey. Just us two girls in the wilderness.”
I laugh before sipping the coffee. “I’ll alert the bears.” Waving a hand through the air like a mock commercial announcer, I add, “Meredith Gallagher, out in the wild. The first and last warning for all bears of Yoho.”
She gives me a sarcastic look before rolling her eyes. “I was the outdoorsy type once. You try and keep up.”
“Oh, game on, old lady.”
The look of feigned horror as she clutches her invisible pearls almost has the coffee snorting out my nose.
“Take lunch with?” Mom says over her shoulder as I head for the stairs.
“Sure, Mama. Be down in a few hours.”
Her smile is the pure definition of happiness. The sight fills my chest with warmth.
I’m loving today already.
