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“Thank you. You’re my best friend and deserve a break from your hard work.”
Eden nodded in agreement, but she remained silent. She knew Cammie had her best interests in mind, as they had been friends for a decade. There were days when Eden didn’t know what she would do without Cammie; she was the only person in her life. Her parents passed away years ago, and since she was eighteen, she had been on her own. Sixteen long years. She worked hard to put herself through law school and landed a job at a distinguished firm focused on wills, estates, and trusts. They offered her a partnership, but it was a major decision. That’s why she took a leave of absence to consider the offer seriously.
“We must be getting close,” Cammie said, breaking the silence.
The GPS directed them to turn left, and Eden followed its instructions until they reached a blacktop road. In the distance to their left, they could see a lodge with a full parking lot.
“Do we check in at the lodge?” Eden asked.
“No, at the registration cabin. The brochure says we have to stop there first.” Cammie pointed to a sign on the right.
“Why can’t we just check in at the lodge?”
“I’m not sure,” Cammie shrugged.
Eden shook her head slightly and drove toward the small cabin. After parking the SUV, they quickly entered the building. A friendly young woman greeted them with a smile.
“Welcome to the Bur Oak Guest Ranch. My name is Josie. How can I assist you?”
“It’s so hot out there,” Cammie complained.
“It’s unbearable,” Eden agreed. “We have reservations, one for Hart and one for Fairchild.”
Josie glanced at the computer screen, then smiled at them.
“Your cabins are ready,” she said. “They’re not close together, but we could ask another guest to switch if you’d like.”
“Seriously? You’d do that?” Eden’s surprise was evident in her tone.
“We want our guests to be comfortable,” Josie smiled.
“Well, that’s going above and beyond, but we’re fine,” Eden said, grateful for the offer.
“Okay, let me get your keys and directions to the cabins.”
“Why can’t we check in at the lodge?” Cammie asked.
“No one is allowed on the property unless they’re registered guests,” Josie explained. “The only exception is Saturday evenings when we hold a dance for departing guests on Sunday.”
“Oh, I forgot about the dance,” Cammie said. “That sounds like fun.”
As Eden walked to the window and admired the green fields outside, a tall man in a cowboy hat entered through the door. She couldn’t help but widen her eyes and clench her jaw in surprise. He glanced around the room before walking behind the counter and disappearing into the back.
“Do you need something, Ian?” Josie called out to him.
“Walt misplaced the keys to one of the UTVs,” he replied. “Jax said there should be a spare set in the safe.”
“I’ll help you in a minute,” Josie said. “Let me get these ladies their keys first.”
“I got it, Josie. Don’t worry about it.”
Eden looked at Cammie, who was smiling at her with raised eyebrows. She bit her lip to stifle her laughter; Cammie had clearly noticed how attractive the man was and wanted to share that observation with Eden. Grinning, Eden shrugged in response, and Cammie chuckled in amusement.
Eden approached the counter, stood beside Cammie to see her lean in, and whispered to Josie.
“Wow, he’s really handsome. Is he single?”
“Cammie,” Eden hissed, giving her friend a disapproving look.
