Page 11 of Flippin' Cowboy
In his younger years, they’d all given him a hard time when he changed his major from mining engineering to architecture, followed by a master’s degree in historical preservation.
At least the TV producer, Ms. Karla Jones, had sounded understanding when he’d called her a short time ago and warned he was running late. He’d worried that his tardiness might cost him the opportunity of a lifetime.
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” she’d told him, in a voice that bore faint traces of the South. “Today’s just supposed to be a meet-and-greet, with an initial walkthrough of the property. We thought you and our GC might want to take some notes and talk about a restoration plan before our filmed walkthrough tomorrow.”
Once he finished tightening down the final lug nut on the spare tire, he lowered the jack, then rolled the damaged tire to the back of the Jeep and lifted it onto the tailgate spare tire carrier.
“Okay, Kelsey, Kegan,” he called, packing the tire jack away in its storage compartment. “I’m all done. Time to go!”
As expected, Kegan was having too much fun to stop now. “Just a few more minutes, Daddy? Please?”
Thanks to bedtime every evening, Nick was very familiar with this negotiating tactic.
“Not right now, Keeg,” he replied, his tone gentle but firm. He reached for the first of the suitcases he’d been forced to unload to access the tire jack and lug nut wrench and put it back in the Jeep.
“But I want to build a snowman!” Kegan countered.
Nick sighed and reached for the next suitcase, neatly lined up on the asphalt edge of the pavement. “Daddy’s late for an importantmeeting with the TV lady. But I promise that we’ll build a snowman after the meeting. Or maybe you want to go on a pony ride? The ranch where we’re staying advertises horse and pony rides for guests.”
“Horses!” Kegan’s face split into a huge smile. He abandoned his snowball battle with Kelsey and ran towards Nick. “I wanna be a cowboy, Daddy!”
“How about aflyingcowboy?” Nick bent, lifted his son, and swung him around.
Kegan’s eyes sparkled as he shrieked with laughter. “Superhero cowboy!” Under his woolly hat, his cheeks were rosy from the cold.
“Okay, buddy,” Nick said, setting his son back on his feet. “I promise I’ll take you to meet the horses and ponies as soon as I’m done with my meeting.”
Kelsey came up to them and took Kegan from him.
Like his son, her cheeks were flushed, and merriment danced in her eyes. Patches of snow clinging to her knitted hat and long scarf marked where Kegan’s snowballs had scored hits.
“Okay, kiddo, let’s get you buckled up so that we can hit the road,” she said, hugging the little boy. “We’re almost there.”
Kegan threw his arms around her neck and hugged her back. He adored her, and Nick knew how lucky he was to have hired someone who truly cared about his son.
Nick’s parents were friends and neighbors with Kelsey’s parents. She and Nick had grown up together. He had two brothers but no sisters, so he’d always considered her his kid sister by another mother.
They’d lost touch after Nick left for college, where he’d met and fallen in love with Tiffani, a business major who had a budding career as a model.
After Kegan was born, Tiffani filed for divorce and left to resume her modeling career in New York City. Three months later, Kelsey’s mother had mentioned to Nick that her daughter was looking for a job after completing a degree in Early Childhood Education.
Overwhelmed by balancing his job with single parenthood, Nick had gotten back in contact with Kelsey. Hiring her was one of the best decisions he’d ever made.
Once everyone settled back into their seats and belted in, Nick resumed driving south through the spectacular scenery of Paradise Valley.
The rugged, snow-capped peaks of the Gallatin and Absaroka-Beartooth mountain ranges rose on either side of the valley. Smooth blankets of glittering snow carpeted the pastures and meadows along the valley floor, which was bisected by the wide, turbulent flow of the tree-lined Yellowstone River.
Nick made a brief stop at the Snowberry Springs Ranch just outside of town. The Renovation Channel’s production staff had rented all the property’s vacation rentals, including a three-bedroom cottage for Nick, Kegan, and Kelsey.
After dropping off Kelsey, Kegan, and their luggage, Nick texted Karla Jones that he’d finally made it and was heading into town.
We’re still at The Snowberry Springs Inn.Meet us there, she replied.Sending you a pin now.
Relieved and grateful that she hadn’t decided to cancel their meeting, Nick brought up the location of the old inn on Google Maps and got back in his Jeep.
As he drove through downtown Snowberry Springs, he spotted rows of beautiful but neglected nineteenth-century commercial brick buildings lining Main Street and three sides of the town’s central square.
The old train station forming the fourth side of the town square was another diamond in the rough. Made of red bricks, with arched windows and decorative yellow brick pillars in the Italianate style that had been popular at the turn of the twentieth century, it appeared to be vacant but in generally good shape.
