by Ava Walsh
Lauren looked over the crowd of people and saw her pixie-like friend waving. Her blue eyes lit up. She smiled and rushed forward to hug Jane.
They’d been friends for years, ever since elementary school. Jane had moved with her family from Georgia to Colorado and now lived on her own with her boyfriend, Adam. He was a cowboy who worked with cattle as well as riding them on the rodeo circuit. Jane still had the same black hair cut into the cute bob around her face and she was glowing today. “Hi! I am so glad that you’re finally here! It took you long enough,” Jane teased Lauren as she looked her over. “Come, give me your bag and let’s head back to the cottage. I can’t wait for you to see it!”
“Are you sure that Adam doesn’t mind me taking up the guest room?” Lauren asked as they made their way through the airport.
Jane waved her hand and laughed. “No, not at all. He works a ton so he’s happy that I’ll have someone to hang around with.” Jane leaned closer to her. “It’s not crowded like this, Lauren. It’s small and close knit and beautiful.”
Lauren had to admit that she liked that idea as they walked into the parking garage, where Jane led her to a chunky Jeep that had its share of bumps and bruises. “This is a long way from your little yellow Jetty in Georgia, Jane.”
“Everything is a long way from Georgia in Julesberg, Lauren. It’s like a breath of fresh air,” Jane said, as she opened the back and slid the suitcase inside of the car, laughing.
“You only say that because of Adam,” Lauren teased, but Jane looked at her with a thoughtful gaze.
“No, I mean…he’s the reason that I moved there. But I just love the slow way about the town and the quiet when the sun goes down. There’s a peace about it that you have to see.” Jane smiled and stared at her. “Let’s go. I want to show it to you.”
Jane paid the fee, and they hit the freeway to go home.
Home.
“So, about Cole,” Jane said slowly. Lauren looked over at her with her nose wrinkled up. “Look, he’s Adam’s best friend, and they’re on the circuit together. He’s a great guy and let’s be honest, Lauren, you still haven’t dated too much, right?” Jane asked as Lauren took a deep breath.
“No, I haven’t. Nobody struck me back home and who’s to say that Cole will? Just because you fell for Adam on the first night doesn’t mean that it will happen to everybody,” Lauren told her. Jane gave her a long stare since they were at a stoplight. “I don’t want to be that girl that gets set up like this.”
“You’re not. It’s just something I thought of when I knew that you might move here, and my imagination went a little crazy,” Jane defended herself, smiling. “He looks like Dermot Mulroney, you know.” That was Lauren’s favorite actor and she rolled her eyes.
“Great,” Lauren said, as she settled back for the hour drive and stared over at the green mountains. “It’s pretty here.”
The girls chatted about childhood memories as they drove and laughed over some of the funnier times they had with Lauren’s father, Kevin. Jane had loved him as much as Lauren and had come back to Georgia for a full week to help Lauren through the funeral.
Lauren watched as they pulled into a small town that featured the main stores for survival but nothing fancy like Target or Costco. She didn’t know how to feel about that, but as they drove down a small street and parked in the driveway of a cute yellow cottage, she changed her mind.
It was beautiful. There was a green lawn with flowers and a big porch that was set up for guests and time outside. Lauren got out of the car and stared at it. “This is amazing.”
“It is. The house is small but cozy and I think you’ll love it,” Jane said as she took Lauren’s luggage out of the Jeep. They walked into the house and almost bumped into two men who were just coming out.
“Hi, you must be Lauren. It’s good to meet you,” said a sweet looking guy with green eyes and dark hair, who Lauren assumed was Adam. He reached out his hand and she shook it as he continued, “We were waiting to grill some burgers, and here you are. Oh, and this is Cole Harmon, my best friend.” He gestured towards the other man. Lauren looked at him and realized that Jane was right. Cole looked just like Dermot Mulroney.
“It’s a pleasure, Lauren. Welcome to Julesberg,” Cole said, before he offered his own hand. Even though she’d told Jane she wasn’t interested in dating, she felt a bit self-conscious as Cole smiled at her. She liked his subtle drawl though and she smiled back at him.
“Thank you, Cole. I have to admit that I like it here. It’s very charming,” Lauren assured him as he grinned and nodded.
Adam took her suitcase to the guest room while Jane went into the kitchen and grabbed a plate of burger patties to bring to the back yard. Lauren was hungry after the flight, but she needed to fresh up a bit first. She looked from Jane to Cole and then excused herself to use the restroom. “Where is it?”
“Just at the end of the hallway.” Jane gave her a reassuring smile and watched as her friend turned and left the room. Lauren went into the little room and stared in the mirror at her hair that hung down to her shoulders in soft curls. It was messy, and she needed a shower, but with the party waiting outside, that was going to have to wait.
She settled for using the facilities and ducking into the guest room beside the bathroom to change into some fresh yoga pants and a sweatshirt since it was cooling down outside. She pulled her hair back and forced a smile on her face before she returned to the living room.
The guys were outside by the grill and Lauren looked around the living room for a moment. It was a spacious room with soft couches and some tables scattered about, as well as a pretty stone fireplace. She could see through the back window to the backyard where there was a deck and the grill, as well as a gorgeous sky on the horizon. “Wow, it’s so beautiful here,” she said as Jane came over to stand beside her. “But Jane, really, Cole already?”
Jane frowned and walked into the kitchen. “I know it must look like that, but I didn’t plan it. They’re friends and they always hang out together. This is usual,” Jane said as she pulled out a bag with some vegetables marinated in spices and oil.
“Babe? Do you have the asparagus and zucchini?” Adam called from outside.
“Right here,” Jane answered. She went to get a plate and the veggies and gave both to Adam with a soft kiss on the lips. She came back into the kitchen. “I didn’t invite him the way that you think I did. He’s just always here,” she said as she put her arm around Lauren and smiled at her.
Chapter Two
Lauren followed Jane to the table in the little dining room. There were tons of windows and she took it all in with wide eyes. It was stunning here and Lauren picked up on the peace that Jane had been describing to her. The guys came in with the cooked food and Lauren sat between Jane and Cole as she sipped her sweet tea.
Dinner was light and fun as they talked about the town and their lives. Jane worked as a writer for a few online websites and thought that Lauren could do the same. There weren’t a lot of jobs outside of the ranching world and Jane was making plenty of money with her writing.
The guys were cowboys through and through. It reminded Lauren of a movie, the way the men talked and laughed as Jane sat there with stars in her eyes. She was in love and Lauren smiled at her best friend as she watched. Cole looked at her as he sipped his can of beer and smiled when their eyes locked. She blushed, then looked away and took another bite of the salad before Jane brought in the watermelon.
Adam and Cole excused themselves after everyone was done eating, Adam hitting the sack and Cole going to his own home. Jane started to clean up and Lauren helped her as she took in the mood of the house. It was so peaceful. Jane told Lauren that the men started work at five in the morning, so they typically went to sleep early.
Lauren and Jane stayed up talking for a while before Jane told her friend to get some rest and a shower after the flight. Lauren stepped back into the small bathroom and rinsed off quickly before she dressed in some pajamas
and walked into her new room. It was cute. It had a full sized bed with a worn dresser in the corner. Lauren knew that this was temporary, but she thought that she’d like it here.
She left the window open so that the moon could shine through it onto the floor. She thought about her new life. She’d have to get a job, a car and a place to live. Despite all the help that Jane had offered her, she needed to do some of this on her own. But first, she needed to get some sleep.
***
Lauren woke up late the next morning and looked outside over the grass and fields. She could hear the birds singing and smiled as she got out of bed and walked down the short hallway and into the dining room. Jane was working on her computer with a cup of coffee in front of her. She pushed her square glasses up her small nose when she saw Lauren.
“Morning, Jane.”
“Hey!” Jane greeted her, as she looked up and grinned. “I was letting you sleep, with the time difference and all.”
“Thanks. I think I needed that.” Lauren walked to the window and shook her head. “You wake up to this every day?”
“I do.” Jane got up and poured her friend a cup of coffee. “Here,” she offered, and Lauren took it. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“It’s a bit remote, isn’t it?” Lauren could see that there were neighbors, but each house had a few acres surrounding it, whereas Lauren was accustomed to one house next to the other.
“Well, we all have each other’s numbers. We’re close and we help each other. It’s cool and, better than that, it’s nice and quiet.” Jane grabbed a cup of coffee and some cream from the fridge and handed both to Lauren.
Lauren sat at the table and sipped her coffee as she looked around for a moment. “Yeah, it is.”
Jane showed her the website that she’d gotten her work on and Lauren decided that she’d set up a profile and see what she could find. She spent a good part of the morning doing that, until she heard a car in the driveway and saw Jane pulling some food out of the fridge. “Who’s that?”
“The guys come here for lunch, since it’s so close. Sorry, I forgot to tell you.”
“The guys are here?” Lauren jumped up and ran to her room to change into some jeans and a big t-shirt before she pulled up her hair into a messy bun and walked back into the kitchen.
Cole and Adam were at the table eating hearty sandwiches and Lauren blushed as she realized that her profile was open on her laptop right beside Cole. “Oh, I’m sorry about that.” She went to move it and saw his eyes twinkle as he looked at her.
“From what I saw, you have an impressive resume. Not that I read everything, of course,” Cole told her, giving her a crooked grin and drinking some soda. Jane and Adam were sitting together eating and talking and weren’t paying any attention to their friends. “Think you’ll make something of it like Jane?” Cole asked.
“I’d like to. Eventually, I’d like to make it back to college, but this is good for now.”
“English major?” Cole guessed, and she smiled. “I saw that much.”
“Yes, English major. I was at the end of my first year when I had to…take a break. I guess I could take it up again somewhere here in Colorado.” Lauren shrugged as she looked outside.
“Here.” Cole offered her half of his sandwich and Lauren felt Jane’s eyes on her.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Lauren asked. “You’ve been working for hours.”
“It’s a big sandwich,” Cole assured her, and she smiled and took it from him. She took a bite as Jane grinned at her and settled back in her chair.
The guys went back to work and Lauren focused on finishing her profile and keeping Jane company at the table. She decided that she was ready to start working. This was admittedly different from her job at the Starbucks in town. Her father had left her some money from his job as a bank manager, so she could get by for a time doing this, but not forever. It wasn’t enough money to be called a trust fund or anything along those lines.
When she looked up to tell her friend what she’d been thinking, Jane was smiling brightly at her. “What has you all happy over there?” Lauren asked.
“He’s cute with you,” Jane told her, and Lauren rolled her eyes. “Cole had a hard time last year, Lauren. I didn’t tell you this part, but he lost his girlfriend in a car accident. They’d been dating for five years, since he was twenty. I’m pretty sure that he was going to propose soon.” She shook her head. “He shut down some, Lauren. When I knew that you were moving here, I couldn’t help but think that you guys could help each other. I believe you did, because he’s smiling again. So are you.”
“I suppose that I am,” Lauren mused as she looked back at the computer screen. “How did you and Adam meet again?”
“He was in Denver for this big rodeo, and he came into that little bistro that I worked at. Remember I told you about it?”
Lauren nodded.
“I guess we just clicked. He asked for my number, and we went to dinner, and six months later, I moved in. I know, it was a shock to me as well. At first, I didn’t know what to do with all of this peace and calm, but now I love it.” She smiled at her best friend. “Adam thinks you’d be good for Cole, too. He wants to see him happy again.”
“What am I going to do with the both of you?” Lauren asked, shaking her head. “Let me get used to the peace too, would you?”
Chapter Three
Lauren had a couple of jobs by the end of the week and she found herself craving the crickets at night now as she fell asleep. She started to want the coffee in the morning with Jane and the meals with the guys as they all grew comfortable together and laughed as they ate. She even started to let Jane teach her how to cook, laughing at her mistakes along the way.
One night, Jane and Adam had gone out to dinner and Lauren was surprised when Cole stopped by the house. She’d been there for over a month now and was starting to love her new home. “What are you doing here?” she asked as he opened the door.
“I knew that you were here on your own and I thought that you might like to grab some dinner with me,” Cole said in a soft voice, looking down at her.
“Cole…are you sure? They’re not here, so you don’t have to act like you want that,” Lauren told him. He frowned.
“Act?” Cole asked, as he made his way inside. “Listen, Lauren. I thought Jane was a little crazy when she told me about her idea a couple of weeks ago. I know that Adam wants me happy again, and she’s right beside him with her pom poms and I appreciate that. I wasn’t sure at first, but you make me laugh. You’re beautiful. You make me feel good again, for the first time since…just since last year.” Cole stared at her with his dark eyes and closed the door gently. “I want it to be us over dinner tonight. I want to give this a chance.”
“Wow. I didn’t think…I mean, I knew that we got along, but I didn’t know you felt that way.” Lauren blushed as she let a smile cross her face. “I’d love to have dinner with you. Give me just a sec to change.” She changed into a summer dress and pulled a green cardigan over her shoulders before she went to the door and found her sandals.
Cole took her to a sweet little steakhouse for dinner and she told him all about her father over the meal. Cole, in turn, told her about his girlfriend Kelsey and her tragic accident.
When they had to leave at eight because the restaurant was closing, Lauren couldn’t help but laugh. “It sure is different than back where I lived. Places stay open all night there sometimes.’
They walked out into the parking lot and to Cole’s car. “Do you like it?” Cole asked, turning to look at her. “Here, I mean?”
“I love it. The peace and it’s so beautiful and…I feel like I’m home here. I loved Georgia as well, but this place just soothes me.” He smiled as they reached his car. Their eyes locked as he stepped towards her.
“You soothe me,” Cole told her, as he stared down at her lips for a moment. “Can I kiss you, Lauren?”
“I have never been asked before,” Lauren answered with a ho
arse voice. He smiled and looked into her eyes again.
“You’ve never been with a gentleman before.” Cole cupped her face and leaned down to press his lips gently to hers. The kiss was so soft and nothing like the awkward kisses that she’d shared with guys before. He kept the kiss light, but her knees were shaking and her heart pounded in her chest. Cole pulled away and slid his hands into her hair before he kissed her softly again. “Your lips are so soft, Lauren.”
“They are?” she asked. He pulled away and looked at her.
“Yes. What kind of men have you dated before?” Cole frowned as looked at her. Her face flushed a deep pink. It was dark outside now, but there was a street lamp, so she was sure he could see her face.
“I haven’t dated too much at all. The boys at my college didn’t really like me. They just tried to kiss me to make me…you know.” Lauren frowned, and he slipped his hands down to hold hers. “They thought that I was chunky and some called me fat.”
“You are beautiful,” Cole assured her, looking into her eyes and opening the car door for her. “They were fools.”
He took her home and kissed her goodnight in the truck before he walked her to the door. Adam and Jane were already home and looked a bit messy, as if they’d enjoyed their alone time. They had a movie playing and Jane looked up as they walked in. “Hi, you two. I was wondering where you’d gotten off to.”
“Cole took me to dinner,” Lauren said. Adam looked over at them with a knowing smile. She looked away quickly as Cole said goodnight and then left.
“It is about time. You guys have been so cute since you met,” Jane said. Lauren looked at her and sat down on the chair across from them.
“He’s not doing this because you guys wanted it?”
“Lauren, don’t be silly. Cole doesn’t date lightly.” Jane looked at Adam. “Tell her.”