Chapter Seven
“Are you busytonight?” Damaris asked Ella the following Thursday.
“No, why? Is there something you want me to do?”
“It’s Thursday night. Whiskey River girls’ night out.”
“And you want me to…”
“I want you to go, of course. It’s mani-pedi night at Tips, Tops & Toes Nail and Beauty Salon. Have you met Rosario Rodriguez yet? She’s the owner.”
Mani-pedi night? Damaris was into manicures and pedicures? Really? It seemed a bit…well, girly for Damaris to like. Not that Damaris wasn’t feminine. In fact, she was, but she sure as heck wasn’t a girly-girl. “No, I haven’t really met anyone besides you, Chase, Marshall, and Gabe and Chantel. But I can’t go to this. I’m not one of the girls.”
“Of course you are. You live here, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re definitely a girl.”
“Yes,” she repeated.
“Then you’re one of us. Come on, it will be fun. Chantel’s coming with us and her sister Angel will be there too. And a lot of other people you should meet will probably be there too.” Damaris wouldn’t take no for an answer so she wound up going to her first girls’ night out in Whiskey River. It was quite a production. Damaris and Chantel filled her in on the way into town. The women met every Thursday evening at Rosario’s salon and all the Whiskey River women were invited. The regulars were around hers, Chantel’s, and Damaris’s age. Everyone brought snacks, soft drinks, beer, wine and occasionally margaritas, according to Damaris and Chantel.
Ella smelled cookies the moment she walked in. Rachel Lane, who owned the Cookies and S’more(s) bakery, had brought some of her specialty cookies. Ella had a real weakness for cookies of any sort. Now she was going to have to check out Rachel’s store for sure.
Luckily Ella knew Chantel since she lived on the ranch with Gabe, and she’d met Angel. As for the rest, Damaris introduced her to so many women she couldn’t keep them all straight. Eventually, Damaris took a seat in one of the chairs at the opposite end of the shop from Ella. Taking off her shoes, Ella took a seat in the chair Rosario indicated. She decided to leave her hands for another time since her plans for the following day included some rough work. Next to her sat a petite blonde with a smattering of freckles across her cheeks and nose.
“Hi, I’m Hazel Forrester,” she said.
“Ella Slade,” she said and added, “You own Hazel’s Equine Therapy, don’t you?”
“I do. And you’re the new manager for the Walker ranch.”
“That’s me,” she said with a smile. “Damaris says your facility is top-notch.”
“Damaris has been very supportive of us. We’ve taken care of a couple of her paints. They’re doing well now.”
“I’ve always wanted to visit an equine therapy center but haven’t had the chance.”
“Then you’re in luck,” Hazel said. “When would you like to come?”
Ella laughed. “I wasn’t fishing for an invite.”
“Why not? I’d love to show you around.”
“I’m not sure when my next day off is. Can I call you?”
“Sure.” She rattled off her phone number and Ella put it into her cell phone. “How are you liking the new job?”
“So far I like it a lot.”
Rosario sat down on the stool in front of the porcelain tub at the foot of Ella’s chair. “Feet in the water,” she said. “You too, Hazel.”
They both did as she said. “Rosario, is it true that Dana Chapman is pregnant?” Hazel asked. To Ella she said, “Rosario hears everything. But she won’t tell unless Dana said she could.”
“She is,” Rosario said. “Dana’s married to our resident billionaire,” she told Ella.
“There’s a billionaire in Whiskey River?”
