Page 35 of The Journey That Never Ends

He felt Elana began to relax, and her emotions shifted from anxious to calm.

He sighed and curled into a ball in her lap. Resting his head on her thigh, he closed his eyes and dreamed of many more adventures with Elana while he still had the time.

CHAPTER22

Elana woke up before Grandma Cecilia. The temperature had dropped during the night, but they had slept under the warmth of the quilts that her grandmother had had the foresight to pack. Sometime during the night, Jack had snuck into their bed and curled up at their feet, keeping them warm. It wasn’t until Elana tried to turn over but was trapped under Jack that she decided to go ahead and get up. Sitting up in bed, she eased her feet out from under Jack.

The dog lifted his head, blinked, and lay back down.

She grinned and shook her head. Placing her feet on the floor of the van, she shivered and grabbed a pair of wool socks off the floor. After getting dressed as quietly as possible, she slipped her coat on.

Elana set the coffee kettle on the small propane burner and turned it on. She grabbed her mug and creamer out of the cooler and waited patiently for the coffee to be ready.

Jack lifted his head and sniffed before lying back down on the bed.

Once the coffee was ready, she poured herself a cup and mixed in some creamer. She crept to the van door and opened it. Stepping out into the cool morning air, she shivered.

She turned to shut the door and found Jack standing there.

“Come on, boy,” she whispered. The dog bounded out of the van.

The campfire from the night before was long gone. She spotted some cowboys saddling up their horses in the arena. She decided to walk over and sit in one of the chairs she’d sat in with her grandmother last night.

She took a sip of her coffee and let the liquid warm her from inside. Jack sat in front of her watching the horses with curiosity.

Her grandmother surprised her last night. She’d always known her grandmother to be a driven businesswoman. But last night she talked like a woman in love.

A part of what her grandmother said resonated with her. She knew what it was like to try to live up to her family’s expectations. Never had they asked what made her happy. She’d even gone into advertising to help with the business. But she soon learned her family preferred someone with more experience, so she settled for whatever clients came her way.

Since her birth, her family had instilled in her the idea that supporting the Taylor business was number one.

Jack arched an ear as a cowboy rode over.

Embarrassed that she had literally just rolled out of bed, Elana smoothed down her hair.

“You’re up early.” The cowboy grinned.

She swallowed. “I could say the same about you.”

A slow grin crossed his lips. “I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself yesterday. My name is Riley Hartness.” He tipped his hat.

She grinned and stood. “I’m Elana Taylor. Nice to meet you.”

He cocked his head. “You wouldn’t be related to the Taylors who run that big outdoors operation in South Carolina? Taylor Outfitters?”

She ducked her head. “I’m afraid so. My grandmother started the company.”

His eyes grew wide. “Wow, I didn’t know. Do you work at the company?”

She shifted her weight. “Indirectly. I help support the family with different charities. I work at an advertising agency.”

He grinned. “Oh yeah? Any clients that I’ve heard of?”

Elana shook her head. “Probably not.”

“So, Elana, what do you do for fun when you’re not working? Spend the night in a VW van?”

She felt her face heat at his teasing. “Actually, no. This is a first. And the first road trip I’ve ever taken. Is your horse friendly?” she asked, desperately wanting to change the subject.

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