Page 44 of Blame It On Midnight

She jumped out of bed, brushed her teeth, then pulled on an oversized sweatshirt that hung to her knees. It more than covered up the skimpy pajama shorts—made them somewhat respectable.

Her phone buzzed, and she peeked at it. There were several messages from her mother and a few from Kip. She didn’t have the energy for her family yet, so she left her phone behind and wandered downstairs.

The smells coming from the kitchen were heavenly. They made her stomach rumble, which she ignored, because she needed caffeine more than food.

“I just put on a fresh pot.” Willie stood by the stove flipping pancakes. “I have some old friends staying with us. Checked in last night. So we’ve got some company to look forward to.”

“Do you want a cup?” Collins held up a mug.

“Sure. Cream is on the table. One dollop and?—”

“Two teaspoons of sugar.”

Willie chuckled. “Keep that up, and I might let you stay for free.”

Collins couldn’t wait for the entire pot to brew. Once it was half done, she quickly removed it and poured two cups before placing the pot back. The brew was strong, but she needed it. Any form of fortification was welcome.

She handed Willie her cup and stood beside the woman, sipping from her mug, while her stomach continued to rumble like it was being neglected.

“The chafing dishes are full of goodies. Since we have additional guests, I’ve set them up in the dining room. Help yourself before your stomach runs away on you.”

“That obvious?”

“Sounds like you’ve got a pride of lions inside of you.”

Collins smoothed her sweatshirt and wandered into the dining room. It was currently empty, so she set down her mug, grabbed a dish, and went to town. She filled up on waffles, bacon, eggs, and toast. Then grabbed a small bowl of fruit to keep things balanced. She had just put her plate down when an older man and woman walked in. Deep in conversation, they didn’t notice Collins until she cleared her throat, and they glanced over.

“Oh,” the woman said, surprised. “You must be Collins. Willie told us about you last night. I’m Bunny, and this is my brother, David.”

“Hi.” Collins smiled. Willie arrived with fresh, hot pancakes and then sat down across from Collins.

The four of them made the kind of small talk people in a Bed & Breakfast usually discuss. The weather (hot sunny days for the next week), the local news (a bear was spotted outside of town). Some popular television show Collins had never heard of, but one that the couple and Willie were addicted to.

“My goodness, you need to give it a try,” Bunny said with a chuckle. “The actor who plays the lead detective is quite delicious, I don’t mind saying.”

“It’s a television show, sis. He’s not real.”

“Why, I know that, she teased, “but it doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a well-written, handsome, manly character now, does it?”

Her brother looked bemused. “I suppose not. I’ll never understand you women and the larger-than-life men you like to read about or watch on the telly.”

“Like a cowboy?” Collins asked with a grin.

“Yes. I bet none of the cowpokes in these parts look anything like the make-believe men on that there Yellowstone show that’s so popular.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Willie responded with a glint in her eye. “Big Bend has more than its fair share of handsome men, and Collins seems to have found one.”

“You have?” Bunny leaned over her plate, clearly invested in the conversation. “Tell me about him.”

Collins dropped her gaze and pushed her eggs around her plate. She knew her cheeks were red. “He’s a rancher.”

Several moments passed.

“That’s it?” Bunny asked, clearly disappointed.

“That’s it,” she replied softly. She wanted to keep Benton to herself. Didn’t want to share him with strangers.

“I can see from the expression on your face that he’s a lot more than just a rancher, but I will leave you to your privacy. And one day, if you can, share him with me. I’m looking for a real hero to base a character off of in my next book.”

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