Page 139 of Snowed In With the Mountain Man
“You two lovely ladies look like you could use a piece of cake to go with that coffee and tea.” Dr. Bob, the local veterinarian, had stopped by on his way to join the other members of their little coffee crew. He’d set down a piece of cake he’d bought up at the counter with an affectionate grin. “Gluten-free too.” He winked at Rose, and she clapped her hands together with a delighted laugh.
“Thank you!” Leaning forward, she called up to the counter, “And thank you, chef!”
A soft holler came from the back. “I finally found a recipe that works. Anything for you, sweet Rosie.”
Dahlia stifled a laugh. Every time she came here with Rose, the old men who gathered at this place treated her to something new.
Rose dug in with relish. “If Cal and his wife keep coming up with gluten-free treats for me, I’m going to turn into a whale.”
Dahlia grinned. “A little thing like you? Never.”
Rose rubbed her round belly with a laugh and pushed the plate toward her. “It’s delicious. Try some.”
“Oh, I don’t know…”
Rose rolled her eyes. “Dahlia, you’ve been busting your butt to help me move into Dex’s place all morning. I think you’ve earned yourself a little sweet treat.”
Dahlia laughed. “Okay, if you insist.”
For a long moment, they made each other laugh with their over-the-top moans of delight every time they took a bite. Between making each other giggle and eavesdropping on the coffee crew, Dahlia was highly entertained.
“Do they really gossip like this every day?” she asked.
Rose nodded, her eyes wide with amusement. “Every. Day.” She popped a forkful of cake in her mouth with a dramatic flair.
Dahlia giggled. She and Rose had been having so much fun together these past few weeks since she’d officially moved to Aspire. What had once been a tense, almost mother-daughter relationship had rapidly been turning into a real friendship.
She could say the same about her relationships with Emma and Lizzy too. They’d all been spending a lot of time together recently, especially now that Dahlia had found a way to help out at the ranch.
When Emma and Nash returned from their honeymoon, they moved into the upstairs master bedroom, which freed up the downstairs area for Dahlia. With Rose moving out as well, she now had two whole rooms plus the office space. She was quickly turning it into a happy home, although she spent more time up at the bunkhouse than she cared to admit. She just loved how rustic and rowdy it was. Dart nights and poker games were becoming a regular thing, and she loved every moment of it.
“Oh no…” Rose gave a mock pout. “Poor Mikayla.”
Dahlia wiped a crumb off the edge of her mouth. “Who?”
Rose nodded toward the men who were listening as Norman told a story about Levi’s teen daughter and how he’d caught her ditching school.
“Did you tell Levi?” Chicken Joe asked.
“Nah. I didn’t want to get the girl in trouble. You know how strict he can be. I gave her a good talking to, though.” Norman took a sip of his coffee. “I don’t think she likes me very much.”
The men chuckled while Dahlia and Rose shared a wink.
“Do you remember how much Daisy used to ditch?” Dahlia grinned. She could laugh about it now, but it had caused her no end of headaches back then. Trying to keep her twin sister in line had nearly caused World War III on multiple occasions.
“She never actually left school.” Rose snickered. “She played hooky in the music room.”
They both laughed.
“I think she had a crush on the music teacher.” Rose tipped her head in thought. “Do you remember how he’d always let her stay, even if it was breaking the rules?”
“Ugh. That guy was such a softie. And luckily happily married, because you’re right, Daisy definitely had a crush on the guy.” Dahlia shook her head. “She’s always had a thing for older men.”
Dahlia pulled a face, which made Rose laugh. She took another sip of tea before scraping icing off the plate with the tip of her finger.
“Have you told Daisy yet that you’ve found a job working for the family ranch?” Rose asked.
Dahlia tipped her head from side to side. “I mentioned it, but you know how it is with Daisy. I couldn’t tell if she was really paying attention.”
