Page 2 of Rebel Moon

“You too, Finley.”

“I’m Finley Moon,” she said to me. “I’m a Moon by marriage. Soren’s my husband. You’ll meet him later. He runs the ranch. Thad Moon and I both work in guest services, so don’t hesitate to ask for whatever you need.”

A young man came with a luggage cart to collect our bags, but I declined, saying I could carry my own bags inside. “Given that the cart’s going to be full with Madeleine’s bags.”

“Again, Knox, we’re here for a month,” Madeleine said.

“Come inside where it’s warm and we’ll get you checked in.” Finley gestured to the office. “You’re the last couple to arrive.”

“We’re not a couple,” Madeleine said.

“Yes, of course. I meant the last couple of guests to arrive,” Finley said. “My apologies.”

The office was indeed warm and fully decorated for the holiday. There were carafes of coffee and a plate of cookies on a table by the window. I snagged one and put it in my jacket pocket for later. It wasn’t one of my hard-fast rules, but I never passed up the opportunity for a cookie or an IPA.

“Okay, let’s see where we have you two staying,” Finley said, typing into a computer behind the desk. “Ah yes, Madeleine, you’re in cabin two, and Knox, you’re right next door to her in cabin one. These are close to the fire pit and just a short distance to the restaurant and main lodge, where the wedding will be. Your bags, Madeleine, are already on the way. I’ll take you through a quick tour and then get you settled. Dinner tonight with your whole group will be at six, which gives you a few hours to get unpacked and rest.”

Finley led us back outside. It had begun to snow, which seemed to delight our hostess. “Isn’t this wonderful? Perfect timing.”

“It’s beautiful,” Madeleine said, sounding almost wistful.

Not possible. Madeleine Price didn’t care about natural beauty. She was too busy trying to make money to notice the way the snow was already dusting the trees. Or was she?

“Right, quick loop around the ranch before we lose the light,” Finley said. “The lodge is in what used to be the Moon family home. Just a year back, we renovated the inside to add guest rooms and a large lobby. We’re very proud of how it turned out.”

The lodge looked more like a farmhouse from the outside, which made sense if it had once been an actual residence.

“This is going to be an incredible month,” Madeleine said, slipping slightly in those ridiculous shoes. Instinctively, I reached out a hand to steady her.

She gave me a look as cold as Montana.

I snatched my hand away.

“Restaurant’s through there, past the lodge. My brother-in-law Caspian and his wife, Elliot, are our resident chefs.”

“The whole family works on the ranch?” Madeleine asked.

“Yes, all the brothers except for Atticus.” Finley gestured beyond the tree line where the top of a large house could be seen. “He’s a retired tech executive and his wife Annie is an actress, so they’re back and forth between here and L.A.”

“Sounds awful,” I said. “Not a fan of Southern California.”

“Atticus isn’t fond of L.A. either,” Finley said. “But that’s what we do for love, right?” Finley waved an arm toward the fire pit as we came round the path. A ring of Adirondack chairs circled the large stone pit, string lights crossed overhead. “The fire pit’s where everyone ends up at the end of the evening whether they mean to or not. There’s a bonfire tonight after the tree lighting.”

“Tree lighting?” Madeleine asked. “How fun.”

“It’s a tradition here.” Finley pointed to a large fir to the left of the lodge. “We’ll have cocktails for your group and hot buttered popcorn. It’s spectacular. One of my favorite nights of the year.”

Madeleine continued to hobble around in her heels. She’d be lucky not to sprain an ankle.

Finley continued. “Barn and stables are off east—that’s my husband Soren’s kingdom, and the corrals beyond. Horses get assigned tomorrow.”

“Horses?” Madeleine asked. “I don’t ride.”

I didn’t either but I kept that to myself.

“He’s already picked gentle ones for both of you. Ivy mentioned neither of you were horse people. I’m not either, which is funny considering my husband’s great love for them. He’s giving you Duchess, Madeleine, who I always ride. A total dear of a horse, although she’s a bit of a diva. Doesn’t like to get too dirty.”

“Perfect,” I said under my breath.