Page 9 of Home to the Cowboy's Arms

“You do have a sense of humor—I will give you that,” he responded. “We agree to disagree…in an amicable way as we both keep our minds open over the next couple of days. Then we can have a calm discussion after all the facts are in. That’s agreeable, isn’t it?”

“We’ll hold judgment on the ‘calm’ part of that statement for now. But, yes, after all, we all want what is best for the people of Destiny’s River—all of them.” She sent that point his way and he would allow her to have the last word. This time. Little did he know that their peace accord would soon be put to the test in more ways than one.

*

“We’re glad thatyou folks will be staying with us,” the courteous manager greeted them once they arrived at their destination. “Glad to have you visit our springs and if you have any questions we can answer about our project here, we will be glad to do so.” Then he added, “There is just a minor change we have had to make in your earlier reservations. We had a bit of unexpected weather come in early yesterday…luckily it swept through and has given us better weather now. But it did do some damage to the units we had earlier placed you in. And it is really for the better. We have you in our Grandview Cabin. It’s an upgrade at no extra charge to you of course.”

“Didn’t we have two rooms before?” Tori chimed up when warning bells sounded in her brain.

“Yes, ma’am, and this cabin is one of our family cabins with two sleeping areas. It has a much nicer view of the mountains and it’s closer to the hot springs area.”

Tori caught the hint of amusement in Cade’s face before he took the keys and turned to the bags. He picked up both before she’d realized. She went to take hers and was met with a shake of his head. “You take a key and lead the way.” He nodded at one of the keys in his hand closest to her. She decided not to argue and headed in the direction the desk clerk indicated.

A few minutes later, they stood at the bottom of five steps that led upward to a porch surrounding a structure consisting of huge brown logs.

“An old log cabin.” The male tones were flat.

“A rustic, picturesque log cabin.” She corrected his depiction.

“Picturesque?” His gaze upon her was skeptical. “That would be an exaggeration in anyone’s book.”

“Well, we aren’t writing a book, nor are we here for the accommodations,” she informed him. “We are here for the hot springs and time is wasting.” Tori took determined steps upward. The porch was wide and to its credit there were two cane-back rockers and a porch swing. “Very inviting,” she pointed out as she fit the key into the lock and the door creaked open on its hinges.

She looked at Cade who had joined her much slower on the porch.

“Ladies first,” he said, waiting for her to step inside.

“Fine.”

Once inside, he stepped around her and went in search of the two rooms. She remained in the center of the living room/kitchen area that formed a fair-sized main room. The furnishings matched the rest of the cabin: log-hewn walls, open crossbeams overhead, a wagon-wheel hanging light fixture with milk stone lanterns, wooden flooring with large throw rugs in Native American weave forming an oasis for the deep-seated cushioned couch and two overstuffed chairs with end tables and lamps in a horseshoe arrangement framing the stone fireplace that filled the wall floor to ceiling.

“Small issue, Miss Mayor,” he announced, coming back into the living room.

“Why am I not surprised?”

“There are two sleeping areas.”

“Yes, I believe I have heard that before. What’s the problem?”

“Follow me.” He turned and she was left to do just that.

She assumed the room was the master bedroom. The four-poster bed, king-sized, was covered with a brilliantly colored, star-pattern quilted center. The frame was tall, and she was glad to see that a small step stool was beside the bed. There was a smaller fireplace in the corner of the room with another deep-seated chair, and a larger matching footstool in front of it.

“Very nice,” she commented.

“Glad you think so,” he said and his tone alerted her brain. “So where is the other bedroom?”

She headed toward the single door in the far wall. But he stopped her.

“That’s not it. That is the bathroom.” He walked over and flipped on a small lamp that illuminated an alcove…with a bunk bed tucked away in the corner. “This is the second bed area. Care to flip a coin?”

“I would say you’ve got to be kidding, but I’m afraid to hear the verification that you aren’t.”

“Nail on the head,” he responded. “This could handle a family of four…if two of the party were midgets and, gauging from the size of the bunks, young children.”

“And the desk clerk already verified this is the best they have now. So, I guess you’ll have to check out the sofa and see if you can make do with that.”

“I’llhave to make do with the sofa? No discussion.Youjust decided.”

---