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“No, but if anyone catches you looking at me like that, the gossip will really start flying.”
“Fortunately for us, the biggest gossips are all in the kitchen right now,” Drew pointed out, clearly referencing the rest of the women—or lack thereof, as they appeared to be the only two females in a room full of cowboys.
“Is that an expectation around here? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not very good in the kitchen.”
“It’s okay. There are other rooms where you have more talent.”
Maisie gave Drew a jab with her elbow. “You’d better be referencing my office skills, Drew Campbell.”
Drew put up her hands to ward off any additional blows. “I don’t know why you’d think I was talking about anything else.”
“Behave yourself,” Maisie warned. “I see women with casseroles heading our way.”
“That’s my cue to go check on my dad.” Before Maisie could argue, or threaten bodily harm for abandoning her, Drew had disappeared.
After setting the food she’d been carrying down on the table, a woman about Maisie’s age walked toward her, body language signaling she intended to introduce herself. Maisie put on a smile and prayed she still remembered how to socialize. Three months away from civilization had left her as curmudgeonly as Drew.
“Hi, I’m Claire.” The woman held out her hand. “You must be the person I’ve heard so much about who’s staying at the Lazy C.”
“Maisie. I’m a brand expert.” The lie rolled off her tongue. “The Campbells brought me in to reassess their business plan.”
“Like marketing and such?”
Maisie nodded.
Claire let out a low whistle. “I didn’t know Andy and Drew had it in them. Do you work by the hour?”
“Excuse me?” Maybe it was all those secret meetups she and Drew had been having in the hunting cabin recently, but when it came to charging by the hour, only one profession immediately popped into Maisie’s mind.
“I mean, I was hoping…” Claire seemed taken aback by Maisie’s tone, and it became clear very quickly she hadn’t been insinuating anything. “I own a coffeeshop in Gillette, and I’ve been wanting to take it to the next level with a new website or a newsletter. I thought maybe I could have you take a look.”
“Oh!’ Maisie felt like a complete idiot, even as her cheeks flushed with the excitement of a total stranger actually thinking she had an opinion on a business matter worthy of sharing. “Of course. I’d love to.”
“I hope it’s not too crass to ask this at a funeral, but…” Claire glanced around as if to see if anyone was watching. “Do you have a business card?”
“Uh, no, but—” Maisie dug inside her purse, looking for a scrap of paper and finding an old receipt and a pen. “Here’s my email. We should chat sometime when it’s a little more appropriate.”
“You should come out to the shop for a coffee and a nice visit. I bet you get pretty lonely all the way out here,” Claire commented. “Before I started going into town regularly, I was at my wits’ end.”
“Are you not from the valley originally?” Maisie asked.
Claire shook her head. “Moved here when I married Mike, and I’ll tell you right now it was an adjustment.”
“Sounds like you don’t recommend it.”
“It’s not for everyone. More than a few marriages have ended; that’s for sure. The founding families’ stubborn love of tradition doesn’t help matters.” There was a hint of caution in Claire’s tone, and Maisie could tell there was more to the story, but before she could ask any questions, another of the women waved to get Claire’s attention. “They need me back in the kitchen, but it’s been so nice talking with you, Maisie. Will we be seeing you at the farmers market?”
“There’s a farmers market?” Maisie perked up considerably at this news. “I’d love the details. That sounds like exactly what I need for a project I’ve been working on at the Lazy C.”
“I’ll email you the details,” Claire promised. “I’m sure there’s still time to get a booth.”
* * *
Standingbeneath the bright white popup tent she’d ordered online, Maisie unfurled one stack of red and white checkered tablecloths, spreading it out over a plastic folding table.
“It’s only going to get ruined,” Drew commented, but her heart wasn’t really in the criticism. “Half the produce you brought is still covered in dirt.”
“We have a washing machine. And the dirt is a selling point. All the research I’ve done says presentation is a vital ingredient to a successful day at the farmers market, and the dirt says it’s so fresh it just came out of the ground.”
