Page 37 of The Artist

“Okay, I’ll give it a try.”She did the same as he did, chewed and then swallowed.“Well, I can say I’ve tried it now.”She pushed the treat to the side.“I don’t think I’ll try it again though.”

Peter threw his head back and laughed.

She enjoyed the lobster claws immensely, going back for seconds and then thirds.“You know people in lots of places.For some reason I thought you would only know other artists.”

“I was many things before I was an artist.In college I waited tables at one of the pizza places in Boulder.I was a short order cook at Buffalo Bill’s Grave and Museum in the mountains outside of Golden.I lived there, too, while I worked there.I worked on my family’s ranch, which I still do.We all do as time allows and for round up and haying.”

She leaned her elbows on the counter while he worked setting up their snacks.“What is haying?”

“That’s when it’s time to cut and bale the hay.We, actually my parents, grow most of our own hay each year, and it has to be baled for use during the rest of the year, especially the winter, when no grass grows for the herd to graze on.”

They settled at the dining table and ate their snack.

Alexis helped him put the food away and load the dishes into the dishwasher.

After they finished he led her back out to the sitting area.“We should be landing soon.It only takes about an hour between Aspen and Denver.You’ll be on my ranch in no time.I?—”

“We are making our approach to DIA.”The pilot’s voice came over the loudspeaker.“Please be seated and fasten your safety belt.”

“Come on.We’re almost home.”

They sat on the same loveseat again and buckled in.

Finally, the plane landed.After taxiing for about five minutes, it came to a stop outside the terminal.

A moving staircase had been pushed against the plane after the door was opened.At the bottom of the stairs, a black SUV waited.

“Did you have a good trip, Brother?”asked a man who looked to be around Peter’s age, maybe a little older.He wore a cowboy hat and boots, had brown hair and was wearing jeans and a chambray shirt.He didn’t look like any cowboy she’d ever seen and she’d seen her share living on the western slope of the Rockies all her life.

“Actually, it wasn’t a great trip.I’ll explain later.Thanks for picking us up, by the way.”He put his arm around Alexis’s waist and pulled her close.“This is Alexis Armstrong.Alexis, this is my brother Cole.As you can see, I’m the good looking one.”

Alexis saw two exceptionally handsome men but only a little resemblance between them.They had the same eyes, and when Cole smiled, she saw it was the same as Peter’s.Other than that they had nothing in common.Peter’s hair was darker, he was not as muscular as his brother and was a bit shorter.

She held her hand out to Cole.“I’m pleased to meet you.Why did you meet us here, rather than sending a car?”

Cole smiled and jutted his head toward his brother.“I’m pleased to meet you, too.You’ll have to ask my brother the answer to that question.”

Peter finally released her and sighed.“I asked him to meet us.I wanted to get his take on what’s been happening and to ask him to do some digging.He has contacts that I don’t.”

Cole frowned and pressed the hatch button on the key fob.“What’s been happening?Are you in trouble?”

“I’m not, but I believe Alexis is.Let’s head to my ranch.We’ll talk on the way.”

The plane’s pilot and co-pilot stopped next to the SUV with Peter and Alexis’s luggage.

“Thanks, George and Roger.I appreciate the help.”

The men loaded the luggage in the SUV.

Alexis packed basically her entire closet, although it wasn’t much.Just one large suitcase held it all.She’d learned early on that the old saying was correct, it was better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.That could be applied to clothes or money.

Peter opened the rear driver’s side door and waited until she was buckled in before he closed it and walked around the vehicle to climb into the passenger seat and fasten his seatbelt.

Cole was behind the wheel and headed west when they hit I-70.

“Peter, where is your ranch?”asked Alexis.

“About twenty-five miles west of Denver, in the foothills.We’ll turn north for another ten miles.Basically, it’s out in the middle of nowhere.But close enough to take advantage of the things a city has to offer, like grocery stores and movie theaters and even ballet and opera, if that’s your thing.”