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Macey took my hand. “You have to look at it from the outside.”
I smiled and played along, following her out into the warm evening air, hinting at cooling down. It still amazed me how warm it could be in the day here, but how chilly it could be at night, even in the summer. I took a second to soak in a bit of the evening sun. I hadn’t been outside since lunchtime when I picked up food for the three of us. Though, I had barely touched my salad. My stomach was in knots thinking Ryder could be nearby. I closed my eyes and ran my hands through my curled blond hair.
“What do you think?” Marlowe had joined us outside.
I opened my eyes and turned to see the revamped window display. The array of neon hit me full force. It wasn’t my favorite fashion trend but judging by how much we sold of the bright clothing, I was in the minority. Earth tones and neutrals for me, please. I blamed that on etiquette school. One of my instructors there always said, “Clothing should never speak louder than your presence.”
I stepped closer to admire their handiwork. Though I didn’t love neon, the window display was eye catching and inviting. I loved how they made the mannequins look like they were getting splashed with water. The sign behind the mannequins, dressed in everything from summer dresses to swimsuits, said, “Suddenly Summer.”
I faced both women who were anxiously waiting for my approval. “This is darling, ladies. I love it. Do you want to get a drink or dinner to celebrate the start of our summer season?” Anything to not have to go home and face what, or who, could be lurking on the property.
“Sorry, Shelby, I have a date with Jaime tonight.” Macey blushed.
“The new guide?” Marlowe raised her right brow. The Ranch was offering guided backpack excursions this year for their guests since it bordered some of the most pristine Colorado hiking trails.
Macey bit her lip. “Yeah.”
Marlowe’s nose wrinkled. “He’s not very attractive and he’s shorter than you.”
My eyes widened. I still wasn’t used to Marlowe’s bluntness. She never finessed a thing.
Macey scowled at her sister. “He’s nice.”
Marlowe rolled her eyes. “You could do so much better.”
I gave Macey a comforting smile. “I would take a nice man over a handsome one any day of the week.”
Marlowe flashed me a look as if I’d lost my mind. “You both can hang out with your nice men tonight. I have a hot date with Lance.”
I was sorry to hear that. Lance was the owner of one of the local bar and grills. He was a womanizer. I would have thought that after Marlowe’s and Macey’s unfortunate relationship with Sawyer’s brother Ashton last year, she would have learned her lesson. Yes, this was another odd family connection of Emma’s. Not only had Emma married her stepbrother, but Macey and Marlowe had, let’s say, carnal knowledge of the other stepbrother. Neither of them knew they were both seeing the same stepbrother at the same time, but what a mess it all was when it came out last summer. Ashton still had a warrant out for his arrest stemming from him stealing several thousand dollars from the boutique. Hence the reason I now owned the store.
I guess that meant I was on my own for the night. “I hope you ladies have a good evening.”
Marlowe wagged her brows before jetting off. “I know I will.”
Macey gave me a sheepish grin.
I placed my hand on her arm. “Don’t let what Marlowe said get you down. I’ve met Jaime and not only does he seem nice, but he’s well-spoken and adventurous.” The man had traveled around the world hiking some of the highest mountains and living among native cultures in places like Bolivia and Paraguay. “You’ll have a great time.”
“Thanks. He’s going to make me a traditional Guatemalan dish called chicken pepian.”
“Sounds interesting. You’ll have to let me know how it is.”
“Thanks, Shelby. Maybe we can go out another night.”
“I’d like that.”
Now I had to figure out if I should brave going home or see if any of my other friends were available. But first, I decided to walk to the bank after locking up the boutique since it was only a couple of blocks away and the temperature was mild enough that I only needed a sweater over my camisole. Also, it was a good excuse to avoid going home.
After dropping off the deposit in the night depository, I leisurely walked past the shops of Main Street, casually glancing at the storefronts. I stopped in front of Cove Café and contemplated going in. I hated eating dinner alone, but if this last year had taught me one thing, it was that I could be alone and okay. Especially after my little failed rebound attempt with Sawyer. Oh Mylanta, I know how wrong that was, but in my defense, I thought Sawyer and Emma were only stepsiblings and friends. I was grateful we had all moved past that, and that it made me realize I needed to let the dust settle and my heart heal before I attempted to have another relationship. Ryder had unfortunately stolen my heart and the battle for custody was still being hard fought.
