Page 46 of Dependable Cowboy

Layla had a delightful southern accent that was rarely heard in these parts. Suddenly, Layla’s outfit made sense. The southern transplant was cold in the mountain climate.

“We’re Joy Randall and Aaron Hunter. We have an appointment for 2pm.”

The spa manager consulted a small electronic pad. “Ah, yes. The couple’s massage followed by afternoon tea and some time in one of our private saunas. I’d live in that sauna myself for days if I could. Especially this time of year. Come right this way.”

As Layla took the lead, Joy turned her beaming face toward Aaron and hopped up and down in enthusiasm.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” she mouthed silently, but he could read every word. He’d learned that this would be herdream date while fishing for the information over the past year. This needed to not only be special. It needed to be perfect.

And deep down, even though it might be somewhat petty, Aaron couldn’t help but feel a miniscule amount of smugness. Joy had confided in him that Wayne had never once whisked her away for such pampering, mainly due to the expense of it. Itwasexpensive, and there was no getting away from that fact. But Aaron didn’t mind dropping some major bucks for Joy’s sake.

He wanted her to know how much he treasured her. How much he would continue to treasure her.

Besides, Wayne was holding his own now. Not only had he not relapsed after going through his rehab program, he’d become something of a sensation onFutile Passions. His character, a fitness instructor, had already had three different relationships, all of which had blown up in a spectacularly dramatic fashion. It made the ratings for the show go through the roof.

Also, Wayne seemed more stable overall. This past summer—very much on a trial basis—Kara had gone to spend a week with him during the show’s hiatus. At first, Joy had contacted her three times a day to check on her, but Kara had a blast. By the end of the week, she’d even asked to stay a little longer, and after discussing it with Wayne, Joy had allowed it. Kara’s dad had been going above and beyond to spoil her, so that likely had a lot to do with it.

Yet as long as Wayne didn’t mess anything up, Joy was all right with Kara spending time with him. Aaron, for his part, still had his doubts. But if Joy was willing to give him a chance, he supposed he should, too.

Even if Aaron gave him that chance begrudgingly.

In less tempestuous news, Sam and Whitney’s twins had grown into precociously adorable one-year olds. They were walking and talking, even though half the time, they seemed to prefer talking only to one another.

“It’s a twin thing, apparently,” Whitney had explained to him as they fed Bessie together one day in the barn. “This private communication thing. Guess Sam and I are just going to have to get used to always being kept a little on the outside of their conversations.”

Despite being preemies, neither Colby nor Faith seemed to suffer any permanent ill effects, a fact the whole Duncan family celebrated during their recent first birthday party.

Within minutes of entering the inn, Aaron and Joy had been escorted into changing rooms and set up with pristinely white terrycloth robes that felt extremely luxurious to him. He’d never put something so extravagant on his body in his life.

“Now, I’ll have Joy come out first and get her all covered with her towel. Then, once you’re ready, Aaron, we’ll do the same for you. Your masseuses’ names are Candace and Arabella. Just wait for Arabella to come get you.”

A ball of nerves, Aaron agreed to all this. But even once on the massage table that was right next to Joy’s, he couldn’t relax. Not even after thirty minutes of a surprisingly firm and thorough rubdown.

“Sir, you’ve got knots all over your back here. Exhale for me, and I’ll try to work them out again.”

He didn’t have the heart to tell her that hecouldn’trelax. Not until after he performed the task he’d set for himself.

And depending on how that went, maybe not even then.

Once they’d dressed and gone to lunch in one of the largest and most high-end dining rooms he’d ever entered, he prepared for what he had to do. But their server kept intruding. He didn’t think the kid meant to. He—Rocky—seemed to just be doing his job. But it turned out that the lunch Aaron had signed them up for had seven courses.

Seven.

“Here’s your second appetizer,” Rocky had strolled up to them right as Aaron had been building up his courage. Then came their soup course. And after that, their salad course.

Why couldn’t they bring it all out at the same time like normal restaurants did?

But Aaron wasn’t truly frustrated with the employees of The Aviary, the name of this elegant eatery. He was frustrated with himself. He felt almost frozen with both his need to do what he’d come here specifically to do and his nervousness surrounding it.

Finally, gathering up every ounce of his determination, Aaron decided to push through no matter what. That ended up meaning that he waved Rocky off when the kid appeared around the corner with their next course, one carried on a tray and hidden beneath two silver dome-shaped coverings.

But Aaron went for it. He dropped to one knee, reaching into his lapel pocket. He’d bought a sports jacket for the first ever time for this very occasion.

“Joy,” he began, drawing her attention away from the koi pond set up nearby. She’d been highly enamored with it and had evenmentioned bringing Kara here to see it. They could do that, he decided, but only after he got through this.

“Aaron…” She seemed startled to find him on the floor. “What are you doing?”

Rather than explain, though, he kept going.

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