Chapter Three
Sienna stared at the house tucked amid the pine trees, then checked the GPS on her phone one more time. She’d made a reservation at The Bumblebee Bed and Breakfast at 1 Ivy Lane on a whim after picking up an adorable business card at the counter of the grocery store next to the rental car agency.
Normally Sienna stuck to luxury hotel chains. She gravitated toward sleek decor and modern conveniences. But something about the colorful flowers and cheerful bees drawn on the card appealed to her. She needed some color and cheer in her life.
But she also wanted a hot shower and a toilet that flushed. Nothing about the plumbing van sitting in the driveway of the dilapidated house at the end of the long, winding drive gave her confidence she’d find either at The Bumblebee.
If her mother were here, she would have been happy to enumerate the ways Sienna had managed to mess up her life—all of them in one day. Dana Pierce loved making lists.
The only thing on Sienna’s to-do list right now was getting back in the compact car she’d rented and finding a decent hotel.
“Sienna!”
She turned back toward the house, surprised to hear her name shouted out like a long-lost friend had just spotted her.
“You’re Sienna, right?” A tiny pixie of a woman ran toward her, appearing from the trees like a woodland sprite. “I’ve been waiting for you.” The woman stopped, clasped a hand over her mouth. “Scratch that last part. It sounds like the start of some creepy horror movie.” She waved her hands in the air as dark curls bounced around her face. “I’ve been waiting for you,” she repeated in a deep, melodramatic voice. “You know what I mean, though. I’m excited you found us...me, rather...The Bumblebee, that is.”
“You must be Paige,” Sienna said, reaching out a hand.
“Who else?” the woman asked, bypassing her outstretched hand to give Sienna a tight hug. The innkeeper might be small, but she was strong, practically squeezing all the air out of Sienna’s lungs. “You’re my first guest. We’re going to have the best week.”
“This isn’t summer camp,” Sienna said quietly, making Paige laugh.
“I know, silly. But I just got the sign up today.” She pointed behind her to a hand-painted piece of cardboard that read The Bumblebee B&B. It leaned against the edge of the porch rail. “Not quite up,” Paige admitted. “But you still found me.” She scrunched her winged brows, emerald green eyes zeroing in on Sienna. “How did you find me anyway?”
“The business cards you left at the grocery.”
“I remember now.” Paige nodded. “I picked them up from the post office on my way to buy food for dinner. I told Rodney—he’s the manager at the Shop & Go—not to put them out until next week.”
“Apparently he did anyway.”
Paige squeezed Sienna’s arms like they were best friends. “Lucky for both of us.”
“Are you sure?” Sienna inclined her head toward the plumbing truck in the driveway, then pointed to the various pieces of furniture sitting in the front yard. “It looks like you might need a bit more time to get ready.”
Paige gave her a brilliant smile. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
Terrifying, Sienna thought to herself.
“Then why the plumber?”
“A leak in the first-floor bathroom,” Paige said, spacing her first finger and thumb a tiny width apart as she held them up to her eye. “But your bedroom is upstairs.”
“That’s good.”
“Only now,” Paige said, wrinkling her nose, “I’ll be sharing it because mine is downstairs.”
“Not so good.” Although Sienna had a brother right here in Crimson, most of her life she’d been an only child. Her mother liked to tell her she wasn’t good at sharing, and Sienna had no reason not to believe it because she’d never had to.
“It will only be for a day or two.” Paige flashed a bright smile that only wavered slightly. “Maybe.”
“I don’t mind finding a normal—I mean regular—hotel in town.”
“Good luck with that. The rodeo’s at the county fairgrounds this weekend. Everything’s booked from here to Grand Junction. Unless you want to stay in Aspen.”
Sienna shook her head. “I don’t.”
“Huh. No offense, but you look like the Aspen type. Other than the mustard stain on your blouse.”
