Forever Together (30 page)

Authors: Leeanna Morgan

Tags: #romance, #police, #small town, #western, #cowboy, #brides, #nora roberts, #inspirational love, #mystery hospital angel

BOOK: Forever Together

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Tess high-fived Sarah before pushing the mug
across the counter. “You’re going to have to come up with a weird
combination to beat this barista.”

The doorbell jingled and Sally walked into
the café. She sniffed the air. “What coffee did you make
today?”

“Grande decaf, extra-hot soy Americano with
extra foam.”

“Impressive. How did Tess do?”

Sarah sighed. “She won.”

“Sounds like you’re going to be buying the
next meal at Charlie’s Bar and Grill.”

“I’ve still got another ten days to find a
coffee that outwits the maestro.”

“Not going to happen,” Tess said with a
smile. “What would you like to drink, Sally?”

“Hot chocolate.”

“Are you sure you don’t want that with a
cinnamon and cream swirl on top? I could even do low fat, half
strength.”

“Not me,” Sally said. “I’m an all or nothing
kind of girl.”

Sarah took her coffee to a table close to the
front counter. “Is that why you’re trying to offload one of your
puppies on me?”

“I’m not offloading.” Sally sat beside Sarah.
“I’m trying to re-home them. They were left in a bag on the side of
the road behind the youth center. I’m not allowed to take any more
animals to mom and dad’s place, so I thought Alex’s ranch would be
perfect.”

“I wouldn’t know what to do with a dog.”

“I could teach you.”

Sarah shook her head. “I’ve got no idea where
I’ll be living in twelve months’ time, so I’m a pet-free zone at
the moment.”

Tess arrived at the table with Sally’s hot
chocolate and a glass of orange juice for herself. “What have I
missed?”

“Sally’s trying to convince me to take one of
her puppies.”

“Shame on you, Sally Gray. I thought Alex had
already taken a puppy?”

Sally grinned. “He has, but I thought I’d try
convincing Sarah to make it two. He’s got lots of space. Besides,
with his wedding only a month away he’ll have more on his mind than
another four-legged friend.”

“How are all the wedding plans going?” Tess
asked.

“Okay. We had another fitting for the
bridesmaid’s dresses last night. Mom came with me and she got all
excited about the dresses Emily designed.”

“You’d better watch out,” Sarah said. “She’ll
start asking you when you’re getting married.”

“She’s given up on me. This is the ninth time
I’ve been someone else’s bridesmaid. I could start my own store
selling the dresses.”

“We should do something about it.” Tess
leaned her chin on her hands.

“Unless you plan on finding husbands for us
there’s not a lot you can do,” Sally said. “It’s depressing how
many people think you should be married by the time you hit
twenty-seven.”

“Don’t go looking for a husband for me,”
Sarah said. “One low-life fiancé was enough to last a
lifetime.”

“You’re lucky you got that far,” Tess said.
“None of the guys I’ve dated
have
got an ounce of commitment
in
their bodies. I’m so over the whole dating thing that it’s not even
funny anymore.”

“Here’s to happy singleness.” Sarah smiled at
her friends. Tess had a faraway look in her blue eyes. She was a
thinker and a dreamer, everything she needed to be to run a
successful café. And then there was Sally. Sarah had met her the
first week she’d arrived in Bozeman. Sally had introduced her to
Alex, her fiancé, and convinced him that he needed someone to look
after his ranch hands.

Sarah owed both of her friends more than
they’d ever know. She’d arrived in Bozeman with a few dollars in
her pocket and no idea of what she was going to do. And then she’d
met Sally and everything had fallen into place. She had somewhere
to call home, good friends that made her smile. Everything that had
disappeared from her life before she’d left Portland.

“Have you told Sally about the job on the
Triple L?” Tess asked.

Sarah shook her head. “Not yet. Do you know
anything about it?”

Sally frowned. “What job?”

“On the front window,” Sarah said. “Someone’s
advertising for a cook and housekeeper for a couple of weeks.”

“Jordan McKenzie needs help,” Tess said to
Sally. “He’s got some new guests arriving tomorrow and no one to
cook their meals.”

“Where’s Mrs. Davies?” Sally asked.

“She went to visit her sister and needs to
stay for another couple of weeks.”

“Jordan must be in a panic,” Sally said.
“He’s been working hard to get his business up and running. Are you
sure you’ll be able to do the meals for both ranches, Sarah?”

“It depends on how many people he’s
expecting. If it’s only a few I should be fine.”

“Four,” Tess said. “It’s a
family
group.”

Sally frowned. “Why do you want to take on
more work? You’re busy on Alex’s ranch.”

“The extra money would be a bonus and I’d get
to see how another ranch operates.” Sarah hadn’t told Tess and
Sally about the last twelve months, the utter desperation she’d
felt when her fiancé and business partner had stolen the computer
program she’d spent two years developing.

Sally took a sip of her coffee. “If you get
the job and need another pair of hands to help, just give me a
call.”

“Thanks. So what’s Jordan like?”

Tess smiled. “He’s a nice guy with the
sweetest tooth in Bozeman.”

“Think single, sexy, and funny,” Sally added.
“You’d enjoy working with him. Just watch your heart.”

“I don’t need to worry about that,” Sarah
sighed. “It’s my bank account that needs filling up, not my love
life.”

“You’re made for each other, then.” Tess
smiled. “Give him a call and see what happens.”