Trouble in Loveland (The Loveland Series Book 1)

by Jennifer Peel

  When the doorbell rang, I reminded myself it was better than being home by myself, but then I remembered, I wouldn’t have been home by myself, Josh and Ryan would have been with me. Ugh.

  I opened the door to a very handsome cowboy holding a bouquet of daisies. It was picture perfect, well almost. When he smiled, I noticed he had one dimple, and his copper colored eyes lit up.

  “Hello, Charlee, these are for you.” He pushed the sweet bouquet forward.

  I gladly took them and breathed in their scent. “Thank you, Aidan. Come in and I’ll put these in a vase real quick.”

  He took off his cowboy hat and walked in. It was then I noticed his muscular physique, particularly his biceps. So maybe this was going to be good.

  We walked out to his large Dodge Ram truck, the side of the door advertised his parent’s ranch, Bailey Ranch. He was a gentleman and opened my door and helped me in the truck, which sat high off the ground. His hand was strong and smooth, but his touch did nothing for me. Darn that Ryan Carter, he was ruining me for other men.

  We headed west up US-34; it was one of my most favorite drives. I loved Estes Park and had been missing it. I hadn’t had the chance to get up into the mountains since I’d been home due to work and wedding nonsense. I loved the scenery, the rushing river to our left and the cute little towns we passed on our way up. The weather was fantastic too. Tonight had all the makings of the perfect evening. I tried to focus on Aidan and not the other guy. It helped that Aidan kind of fascinated me. To look at him you might think hick, but he was anything but. He was currently studying to get his PhD in chemistry. He was doing an internship at a pharmaceutical company this summer, and on the weekends he worked at his parents’ ranch.

  “Have you heard from Krissy?” he asked as we wound our way through the quaint town of Estes Park.

  I pulled myself away from looking at all the little shops I used to visit with my parents when I was growing up. In particular the Christmas shops that were open all year round. I laughed a little. “No, not at all, but I didn’t expect to. Besides, I’m not sure I want any reports on the honeymoon.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t blame you.”

  “But I’m definitely looking forward to them coming home.”

  “So did you and Chance really date?”

  “Why is everyone so fascinated with that?”

  He glanced at me and grinned. “I wouldn’t say fascinated, but you have to admit, it’s unusual for a guy to date two best friends and for the girls to still remain best friends.”

  “I suppose, but it was high school, and honestly, I wasn’t that into him.”

  “Ouch. Just what every guy wants to hear.”

  “Well, it’s not like I told him that, and he did break up with me.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep.”

  He glanced my way again. “And here I thought he was a smart guy.”

  I think I may have blushed. There was some definite lip biting going on. “Well, thanks, but really, he got the better of the two.”

  “Beautiful and modest.”

  This guy was good.

  “Again, thank you.”

  His parent’s ranch was situated right outside Roosevelt National Forest, and it was breathtaking. The main house was a giant log cabin with a wraparound porch. There was a small pond in the front with tall grass and wildflowers. I rolled down the window and breathed in the cool mountain air and the smell of the pine trees. It also smelled like someone was barbecuing, and the aroma was tantalizing. Aidan informed me this was a guest and working ranch. Each night they provided dinner for the guests staying there.

  He pulled his truck around to the stables and corral. There were already a few horses meandering in the corral. They were beautiful specimens.

  Before he even turned off his truck, he turned to me. “Don’t move, I’ll get your door.”

  He was good—really, really good.

  He helped me out and released my hand as soon as I was safely on the ground. I liked that, it meant he wasn’t forward.

  A haggard-looking man came out and greeted us. Aidan called him Earl and introduced him as the boss. The boss of what, I wasn’t sure, but he informed Aidan that he had saddled up the horses and they were ready to go. “Your shotgun is loaded and packed, as well,” he added.

  I gulped and looked between the two men. I had never had a date that involved firearms, and I wasn’t too sure how to feel about that.

  Aidan gave me a reassuring smile. “There have been some reports of mountain lions in the area.”

  Yeah, I still wasn’t feeling better about the situation.

  “Don’t worry ma’am, Aidan’s a crack shot and mountain lions usually like to be left alone. You’re in good hands.”

  “We can stay at the ranch,” Aidan offered.

  I shook my head. “A little adventure is good for the soul.”

  Earl smiled and slapped Aidan on the arm. “This is a good one here.”

  Aidan nodded his head.

  I hadn’t been on a horse in years, but I found it was like riding a bicycle. I even mounted Butterscotch correctly. Aidan’s horse was named Thunder, and you could tell he was livelier than the sweet paint I was on. Thunder was a purebred and had an air to him, but Aidan commanded him well. I was grateful they thought to give me a gentle spirit.

  Aidan’s horse carried the food and yes, gun. I hoped this guy really was a good guy and if that’s true, I hope that if we see a mountain lion, he’s quick on the draw.

  “You don’t need to worry about mountain lions, they’re usually more afraid of us.” I guess he noticed my frequent glances.

  “Are you just saying that?”

  “I wouldn’t bring you out here if I didn’t think it was safe.”

  Good guy? Yes.

  We didn’t talk a lot, which was fine by me. There was too much nature to enjoy, and talking would have ruined it. Once in a while Aidan would point out a different type of bird, and we even saw some elk, but other than that, he too seemed to just enjoy being out on the trail. The trail led us to a beautiful lake in the middle of a meadow. It was so stunning I took out my phone and snapped a few pictures. It was the picture-perfect place for a picnic. It looked like a postcard with the evening sun reflecting on the still water and a light breeze that barely nudged the tall grass. It was a piece of heaven. Too bad my first thought was, I would love to bring Ryan here. Focus, I told myself.

  Aidan and I enjoyed chicken salad sandwiches, fruit, and I daresay the company. Aidan was a thoughtful speaker and well read. I almost felt like I needed a thesaurus handy to speak to him, but he never made me feel stupid or inadequate, as Ryan would say. I couldn’t believe this cowboy was a chemist. He didn’t fit the image in my mind. Maybe I should have taken more chemistry classes in college.

  We didn’t only talk about him, although I was intrigued with the world of drugs, that is the legal kind (he knew all sorts of long names for penicillin, ibuprofen and so on). He was a courteous date and asked a lot about me. I tried to steer the conversation away from accounting, in fact I liked talking to him about drugs that treated different types of psychosis.

  “Are you sure you’re in the right profession?” he asked after a lengthy discussion on the side effects of depression medication and his opinions on the best options available.

  “No,” I sighed. It was weird telling a practical stranger that. The only other person who knew was Krissy. I never even told Jay.

  “So, why are you an accountant?”

  I looked out over the lake and watched a fish jump out of the water. It reminded me of my dad. “It’s a long story, but I guess the short answer is family.”

  His smile said he knew exactly what I meant. “I understand that. My dad wasn’t too thrilled when I decided I didn’t want to be a rancher.”

  “Did he come around?”

  “Eventually. I think he likes telling everyone his son’s going to be a doctor, even though it’s not that type of doctor.” />
  “I’m sure you’ve made them proud.”

  “You know, it’s not too late for you to change your mind.”

  I sighed again. “Honestly, I’ve been looking at different programs at CU and CSU, but again, it’s complicated.”

  “Choose CU.” That was his Alma Mater.

  “If only that was the complicated part.” I smiled.

  He skimmed my hand, and yep, nothing. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

  I’m sure I would, too, but I wasn’t sure how long that was going to take or how I would accomplish my dream. I couldn’t ask my dad for money, and I couldn’t live with him forever. It’s not like he was in any hurry to kick me out, but out of self-respect, I needed my own place. With what my dad paid me, I could more than afford a place of my own, but if I went back to school, I could only work part time. I think I could still manage if I cut my hours, but then there were the student loans, and I would have to pay out-of-state tuition if I went back in January. I was looking into different scholarships, but there were no guarantees. Then there was the whole, I don’t want to disappoint my dad thing. He was already nudging me about taking my CPA license exam. I had studied quite a bit with Ryan. I had no doubt I could sit the four-part exam and pass it, I just didn’t want to.

  We had to get back to the ranch before the sun set. It had been a pleasant way to spend the evening. I liked Aidan, he seemed like a great guy. In fact, he reminded me of Jay, which was great on the friend spectrum, not so much on the romantic end.

  Why couldn’t I fall for nice guys, not that Ryan wasn’t nice, he was beyond nice, but not so available.

  I had the pleasure of meeting Aidan’s parents briefly before he took me home. Evelyn and William were a lovely older couple. They were definitely proud of their son. They made sure to throw in how smart he was, and for good measure, that he would one day own the ranch. I tried not to laugh at their overt attempts to sell their son to me. I think it embarrassed Aidan, but he took it in stride.

  “You’re welcome back anytime,” they said.

  I would love to come back and explore, but I wanted to bring Josh and Ryan. I wondered how they would feel about that. Not that I wouldn’t go out with Aidan again. He was a super date, but I needed to get over Ryan, which was dumb since we weren’t anything but friends.

  The dreaded part of the evening came for me when we hit Loveland’s city limits. You know, the part where you decide if there was any sort of connection and if you would like to see each other again.

  “I had a great time.” He smiled my way.

  “Me, too. Your parents’ place is incredible. Thank you for inviting me.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  Here it comes.

  “Maviny mentioned that perhaps you were already involved with someone, but it wasn’t exclusive, is that true?”

  Okay, so that was not what I expected. And boy was Maviny getting an earful from me. “I’m not technically involved with anyone.” I stared out the window. This was a little awkward for me.

  “What does ‘technically’ mean?”

  I turned toward him. He kept glancing at me when he could as he drove. “I know it feels like I keep saying this, but it’s complicated.”

  “Is it that guy who caught the garter?”

  I tilted my head. “How did you know?”

  “It was obvious from the way you two danced together.”

  I let out a deep breath and twisted my hands together. “I hope you don’t feel like I’ve led you on or anything.”

  “Hey, it’s just a date. Not that I wouldn’t want another if you’re up for it. And I don’t mind a little competition.”

  I laughed. “You’re a good guy.”

  “But?”

  “There’s no but. I need to figure out my feelings.”

  “I can respect that, and you have my number. I hope you’ll use it.”

  Chapter Twelve

  I walked in, after I had been walked to my door and sweetly kissed goodnight on the cheek, to find my dad pretending to watch Jimmy Fallon, but I knew he was up waiting for me.

  “Hi, Daddy.” I walked down the few steps it took to reach the sunken family room.

  He sat up from his lying down position on the couch. “Hey, baby girl. How was your night?”

  I sat down next to him. He put his arm around me. I reveled in the safety and comfort I felt there with my head on his shoulder. “It was really nice.”

  He rubbed my arm. “Nice, huh?”

  “Yep, nice. How was your evening?”

  “I scored a big account tonight.”

  “Exciting.”

  “It’s not as exciting as it used to be.”

  “Yeah, I guess success gets boring after a while.”

  He chuckled. “I missed your cheekiness.”

  “I thought we agreed I was witty, not cheeky.”

  He laughed again. “You going to go out with this guy again?”

  “He wants to.”

  “Ahh. I take it you don’t.”

  “I know, I have problems.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Because, Aidan is a great guy. He seems like the whole package exactly like Jay, but I’m not interested. But give me a guy that’s not interested in me and he’s all I can think about.”

  My dad squeezed me tighter. “Honey, Ryan’s interested, he’s just gun shy.”

  “I don’t know, Dad.”

  “I do know. I saw the look in Ryan’s eyes when you announced you had a date this morning. He wasn’t happy to hear that particular piece of news.”

  “Then why doesn’t he ask me out himself?”

  “Honey, dating you puts a lot at stake, and I think he’s having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that you were his teenage neighbor once upon a time. And he’s still dealing with getting over his divorce.”

  “He’s dated other women.”

  “True, but with you it’s different.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re different.”

  “I’m not sure how I should take that.”

  He kissed my head. “It’s a good thing. I think you’re just what the doctor ordered for him, but sometimes medicine can be hard to swallow.”

  “So now I’m different and horrible tasting medicine?”

  “No. You’re perfect and wonderful.”

  “No need to exaggerate.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Thanks, Daddy.”

  “I have a feeling Ryan will be coming around real soon.”

  I woke up and enjoyed the feeling of not having anything to do. My only plans were Saturday chores, some grocery shopping, and laying out on the deck. I got up, showered, and dressed for my super casual day. I only bothered with mascara and lip gloss. I made it upstairs just in time for the Saturday morning music playlist. First up, Boston’s “More Than a Feeling.”

  My dad and I made omelets together and then commenced cleaning the house, which didn’t take long at all. The two of us were both generally tidy people. After I threw a load of laundry in the washer, I sat down and started to make the grocery list for the week. I had insisted on buying the groceries and doing at least half the cooking. In my mind, it was the least I could do. My dad was uncomfortable with it, but relented. Halfway through making my list, the doorbell rang. My dad was mowing the backyard lawn, so I got up and answered it. I opened the door to find two of my favorite people.

  “Cherry,” Josh yelled as soon as I opened the door.

  I immediately bent down, and he ran into my arms. I picked him up and squeezed him tight while I looked at his daddy, whose smile was melting my insides. “Hi, big guy. I’ve missed you.” I kissed his chubby cheek.

  He gave me a sloppy one in return.

  “I hope we’re not interrupting anything?” Ryan asked.

  “Not at all. Do you want to come in?”

  “Actually, we were hoping you would want to come to the park with us.”


  “Pwease, Cherry.”

  Believe me, I didn’t need to be asked twice. “I’d love to. Just let me tell my dad.”

  I kept a hold of Josh as I made my way to the backyard.

  My dad was bagging some lawn clippings when I walked out. He looked up and grinned when he saw who was in my arms.

  “I’m headed to the park with Josh and Ryan. I’ll see you later.”

  “See. What did I tell you?” My dad winked.

  “Bye, Dad,” I kind of sang. I met Ryan back at the front door where he waited.

  “Are you ready to go?” he asked.

  I nodded and smiled. I set Josh down and took his little hand in mine. Gosh, I loved that kid.

  On our way out, Ryan picked up a full backpack he had left waiting on our porch.

  “What’s that?” I inquired.

  “Rumor has it that you like picnics.”

  I’m not sure if I’ve ever smiled so big. “So that’s the word on the street, huh?”

  “I’m afraid so,” he teased.

  “Very good. Did you practice that gem?”

  “All night.”

  I was loving the playful banter. “I can’t wait to see what else you’ve come up with.”

  Ryan smiled and took Josh’s other hand. The three of us headed toward the neighborhood park. I hadn’t been there for years, but back in the day, Krissy and I had spent our fair share of time there, even as we got into high school.

  The weather matched my mood: bright, sunny, and warm. Colorado summers were the best.

  Ryan and I kept glancing at each other and smiling; sometimes we would look down at Josh. It was perfect.

  “Cherry, will you swide with me?” Josh’s little voice drifted up.

  “Yes, of course.”

  “See, daddy.”

  I looked at Ryan for clarification.

  “I told him you were too old to slide.”

  “Oh . . . You think so?”

  “Don’t you?”

  “You’re never too old to slide, that is, as long as your butt still fits.”

  Ryan laughed at me and then surprised me by carefully looking me over. “I don’t think you’ll have any issues.”

  I looked him over in return. “So I guess that means you’re sliding, too?”

  “No, I really am too old.”