Page 8 of Slay Bells

“The writer I told you about is here. Come meet her, Jeremy.” Natalie motioned to Gabriela, who’d just taken a sip of coffee.

Gabriela turned and the coffee went down the wrong pipe. She gasped and coughed, and then began hacking like a dog with a bone stuck in its throat. Tears appeared and someone pounded her on the back.

Meanwhile the hunk from the airport switched between frowning and lifting his eyebrows as if waiting to see if he would have to intervene and resuscitate her.

Yep, the day seriously sucked balls.

By the time she’d been able to breathe normally and once again attempt to drink the rest of the coffee, the hunk was nowhere to be seen.

“Let’s get you settled. You look dead on your feet,” her hostess said while guiding Gabriela toward the front door.

Much to Gabriela’s delight, she was to stay in one of the small cabins. “Oh my goodness, it’s so cute!” Gabriela exclaimed at the small wooden house. The front entrance was shaded by a small snow-covered porch, on it a whitewashed rocker.

They walked in and she put the suitcases beside the front door.

“Over here is the kitchen. It’s small, but adequate,” Natalie said as she motioned to the right. “I stocked it with coffee, there is creamer in the fridge. There is also bread and butter, plus a couple jars of jam. We make them here at the ranch.”

Natalie walked down a short hallway. On one side was a small bathroom, across from it a bedroom. “It’s small, but spacious. I sometimes wish I lived here. So much less to do.”

Gabriela couldn’t help but smile. The small cabin was straight out of a fairytale. Every detail decorated in pale greens and blues. The furniture was distressed, shabby chic style, which suited the whitewashed walls perfectly.

“It’s lovely,” Gabriela assured Natalie. “I may not want to leave.”

Natalie smiled widely. “You can stay as long as you wish.” She let out a breath. “There isn’t much going on early tomorrow, and there is breakfast food here. Please come over at noon for lunch.”

“Is there a grocery store nearby?” Gabriela asked, already planning to spend her mornings at the small dining table while drinking tea and taking in the beautiful view.

“The nearest one is in town. I’ll give you directions tomorrow,” Natalie offered. “I best let you get some rest. We can discuss details of the Winter Festival once you are refreshed.”

She accompanied Natalie to the door. “Do all of you live here?” It was a good way to find out where the hunky detective lived. Not that he would be interested in a walking disaster.

“No, not permanently. Henry does on occasion at the bunkhouse, when there’s work. Jeremy will be here on and off for the next few weeks to help out with the festival. I suppose we’ll keep Henry here too to help after today.” Natalie chuckled. “But he’ll have to keep his clothes on.”

“That would be nice.” Gabriela laughed. She liked the woman. Although she was pretty sure they didn’t see many non-whites other than perhaps Native Americans in the area. It was nice they’d not batted a lash when she’d showed up. As a dark skinned Mexican, Gabriela had wondered how people would react to her there in Montana.

San Diego was a melting pot where many nationalities co-existed. It was nothing new to be at events or shopping and not only see people from different ethnicities on a regular basis, but also hear different languages.

Natalie studied Gabriela for a moment. “Do you have any dietary restrictions? I can whip up a gluten free version of almost anything. You’d be surprised at the special requests we get from guests during the summer.”

“Nope.” Gabriela shook her head. “I’m not a picky eater. Oh, before I forget, if I go for a walk early in the morning. Is it safe to do so? Will your dogs chase me?”

“Goodness no. They are used to all kinds of commotion. If you want one of them to accompany you, just whistle and tell them to come.”

Once the woman left, Gabriela was finally free to let out a long breath. She sunk into a comfortable sofa and took in the peaceful environment. Everything was perfect. There were even fresh flowers in a clear glass vase on the kitchen table. On a side table tucked into a corner, was a small tabletop Christmas tree. The three-foot tree was decorated all in white. She smiled.

Despite being away from home for the holidays, the cabin somehow made her feel content.

Chapter Four

“Go to sleep Henry. Don’t you even think about walking outside naked. My dogs will definitely attack you thinking you’re a skinny meal.”

Henry’s eyes narrowed. “You’re lying.”

“Try it and see.”

A fully dressed Henry had leaned back in a recliner, remote control in one hand and coffee cup in the other as he watched some old black and white movie. Not even five minutes later, still holding the items, the man’s head lolled to the side and a loud snore came out.

“Idiot,” Jeremy mumbled, walking out. He knew why Henry acted the way he did. After what the man had gone through in Iraq, it was understandable that he wasn’t quite right in the head.