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“You are all free to go now. We have various activities available for you, or you can simply relax after your ride. Each cabin has a jar of salve for your muscles, and please use it. Your body will thank you,” Chip announced to the group.
Ian patiently waited for the guests to leave the barn, but the brunette stayed by his side.
“I hope I’ll see you again later, Ian.”
“Yes, ma’am. Have a pleasant day.” He quickly turned his horse and made his way out of the barn. It was nothing new for women to hit on him while at the ranch, but he knew there were rules in place, and he always followed them.
“Ian?”
He turned to see Jaxon Callahan approaching him.
“Hey, Jax. What’s going on?”
“Not much. Did something happen this morning?”
“Not really. One guest thought they could ride in sneakers.”
“Seriously? It’s in the brochures about the proper gear.” Jaxon frowned, his voice laced with frustration.
“Oh, yeah. She knew that but thought she could ride anyway since she forgot her boots.” Ian shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “I told her she couldn’t, but she wouldn’t take my word for it and demanded I call one of you, so I called Devin. He straightened her out.”
Jaxon chuckled, slapping Ian on the shoulder. “Some just never read the brochures. Okay. I was curious about it. As long as she doesn’t cause any problems, it’ll be fine.” Jaxon sighed.
“I don’t think she will. She was pushing it, is all.” Ian shrugged nonchalantly.
“Hell, what female doesn’t push a man?” Jaxon laughed, shaking his head.
Ian joined in the laughter. “True.”
“I’ll see you later. Do you want to take the camping group tomorrow, or do you want Devin or me to take it?” Jaxon asked.
“I can do it. I like going on camping trips,” Ian said.
“Okay. No problem. Have a good rest of the day, Ian. See you.” With a wave goodbye, Jaxon walked off.
After putting Breeze in his stall and giving him a pat on the neck, Ian strolled toward the office to check the list for tomorrow’s trip. It was an overnight camping excursion, and he always looked forward to it. He removed the clipboard from its hook and scanned over the names of participants. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Eden Fairchild’s name on the list. Shaking his head, he hung the clipboard back up, hoping she had followed through on her promise to get a pair of boots before tomorrow. Otherwise, she would not join the group, which was perfectly fine with him. The less time he had to spend around her, the better.
****
Walking beside Willa on the busy sidewalk, Eden couldn’t help but smile at the charmingtown. “Do all these people live here?” she asked.
“No, some are staying at the Bur Oak or Clifton Bed and Breakfast, and others are locals from either here, Spring City, or Hartland.”
“It’s such a picturesque little town. I bet it’s even more beautiful during Christmas.”
“Oh, it definitely is. I was thrilled when I experienced my first winter here with snow.”
“Where are you originally from?”
“California. I came here a few years ago with my boss and fell in love with Devin.”
“I can see why.” Eden laughed as Willa grinned.
“That man drives me crazy. He always has and always will. But I love him and this place so much. And even though I’m nine years older, he didn’t care about that. I did at first, but now I never want to leave and return to California.”
“That’s great if you enjoy small-town life. Personally, I prefer the hustle and bustle of the city. My best friend convinced me to come on this trip. Not sure what she was thinking, but I’m sure we’ll have a good time.”
“Oh, you can count on it. I lived in Hollywood for years and was a city girl for a long time. But after being here, I couldn’t imagine leaving.”
