Mandy walked back and forth between the mannequins in front of her, making sure that all of the outfits looked just like she wanted them to. Her meeting with the boss was in just a few minutes, and this was the first time she’d really been the lead on a line of clothing before. She’d helped, yes, but not done one herself.
“You’re stressing me out just watching you.” Emily grabbed her arm. “Stay still, please. I have one more tweak and then we’re done.”
“Fine.” Mandy dropped to a chair and smiled at the view in front of her. She’d done it. Having her boss like it was a whole other story, but she wouldn’t concentrate on that right now. She had a backup plan just in case it didn’t work out. It was insane, crazy, bonkers, and she almost hoped she could run with it. And if she did, she already knew a couple of high school girls in Idaho who would be willing to work with her.
It was probably a bad thing to hope she failed, but at that point, she didn’t care. It had been three weeks since she’d seen Thomas and every single day she wanted to text him to see how things were. She wanted to go out to dinner with him just so they could talk. But they were across the country from each other. And neither of them had texted since he’d checked to make sure she got home okay.
But texting would hurt. It would just be a way of dragging something out that would probably never happen. Maybe. Today would make her decision for her.
“Mandy? We’re ready for you. Did you want to meet in here?” Dawn, Mandy’s boss, asked.
“Yes, please.” Mandy stood up and straightened her skirt, then took a deep breath. She could do this.
Dawn and a few members of the board that helped run Walker Apparel filed in and took their seats in the mismatched chairs throughout the room. Emily stood to one side, ready to jump in when Mandy needed her help.
The outfits on the mannequins were only part of the presentation. Models walked out one by one so that the board could actually see them on people. They took notes as Mandy explained the make of the material, the types of dye that were used, and her vision of where they’d be sold. Dawn nodded with each one, but gave nothing away in her expression. Mandy did her best not to let it get to her because her boss was just that way.
When the presentation ended, Dawn stood and held her hand out for Mandy to shake. “Well done. We’ll talk it over and get back to you by the end of the day. In the meantime, why don’t you go over the Ellis account? Their wedding line is behind and could use some help. Emily, why don’t you come with me?”
Mandy stood there telling herself that things were going to be all right, but she knew it wasn’t. All of her energy had gone into making this happen. She’d left Thomas to come back because her boss said she liked the idea. Mandy blinked back the tears that threatened to flow as she packed up the clothes she’d worked so hard on. They’d go back to her apartment and then on to Idaho with her.
Emily came into the room when Mandy had the last skirt in her hands to fold. She gestured toward the mannequins. “Uh, what just happened here?”
“They didn’t like it. I can already tell. So, I figured I’d get it out of their way and then I can use it when I have my own company someday.”
Emily tipped her head to the side, her blue eyes troubled. “What are you talking about? I saw their expressions. Most of them seemed impressed.”
“Most. But not enough to make it happen.” Mandy took a deep breath trying to control her emotions. This was ridiculous. “What am I doing here, Emily? What was I thinking?”
Emily pulled her into a hug. “You were thinking you’re one of the best designers out there who earned her chance to work here. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Even if this one doesn’t sell, the next one will.”
Mandy stepped back and shook her head. “Did you hear what she told me to do? I’m going back to just being an assistant to someone else. That doesn’t tell me there’s a chance for me here.”
“This isn’t about that, is it?” Emily searched Mandy’s eyes. “You changed. Before you were all fiery and spunky, and ready to defeat the world. What’s changed?”
Blue eyes, a smile that could melt anyone’s heart, and a ranch in the middle of a sage-brush covered plot of nothing. Mandy laughed and wiped her tears and dropped the skirt into the last box.
“Remember how I always wanted my own company?” Never mind that she’d just said it two minutes before. “Remember my dreams of Paris runways?”
“Yeah?” Emily raised an eyebrow. “You’re thinking of running off to Paris?”
That just made Mandy laugh even harder. “No. That dream changed. Big time. Now I see myself in a small town in Idaho, selling my clothing to ranchers and farmers.”
Emily blinked. “Wha—wait. I knew it. You are in love with that boy. Thomas?”
“Yes. Well, maybe not in love. Not yet anyway. I haven’t been around him enough to know. But I do miss that little tiny town. I miss the wide open space. And I just want to know if we can make something work out.”
“Mandy? Oh good, you’re still here. We’d like to see you in the boardroom.” Dawn left the room, leaving confused silence in her wake.
Mandy gulped. “What if they actually liked it?”
“Then Paris will happen before you expected it.” Emily nudged Mandy toward the door. “Better not keep them waiting.”
Emotions warred within her. This was her dream on the line right here. Two, really. She stepped into the conference room and folded her hands in front of her so she wouldn’t fidget. The board finished whispering and turned to her.
“You’ve worked here for what, a year now?” Dawn smiled.
“Two, act—”
“We have many interns and employees come through here, hoping to have their careers take off. And no doubt, you want that same thing. We liked the basic style of what you came up with, but we had a few things we wanted to change.”
Mandy kept her clenched hands in her skirts so Dawn wouldn’t see them. It was normal for designs to be altered slightly. She’d changed them a couple of times herself. She could do this. “Shoot.”
Dawn scooted the folder over that the board had been discussing when she walked in. Mandy glanced at them before opening it. With each picture, Mandy’s heart clenched just a little more and it became harder to control her emotions. These weren’t small changes. Skirts were slashed to way up past the knee, necklines plunged enough that it made her blush. The colors had been crossed out and changed to patterns that she would never use. These were no longer her styles.
“We’d like to use your designs with these changes in mind. Congratulations.” Dawn smiled, and it took every ounce of control Mandy had not to scream.
Instead, Mandy forced her own smile as she picked up the pages and held them to her chest. “No thanks.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, no thanks. You’ve destroyed what I came up with. Consider this my resignation effective immediately. I’ll leave my new address with Emily so you can send me my last check.”
Dawn stood. “You’re making a huge mistake.”
This time Mandy’s smile was genuine. “No, I believe I’m doing exactly what needs to be done. Next time you decide you want to use someone’s designs, use them how they were meant to be, not how you want them to be.”
Mandy walked out of the room and stopped long enough to shred what they’d come up with. She’d have Emily delete any copies off of Dawn’s computer later that night just in case. Her heart was light as she punched the button to the elevator. By the time she reached her car, she was practically bouncing. The boxes of clothing sat in her backseat, ready for the long trek across the country.
It would have been easier to decide to move to Idaho with Laura two years ago, but it took a little longer for Mandy to realize she was living the wrong dream.
It wasn’t until Iowa that the realization of what Mandy had just done set in. She’d just walked away from New York City to run a small town shop. For a guy. She was tempted to stop at every exit she came to, but then she’d see another ranch, and then another. It kept her going.
Laura didn’t know she was coming, and Mandy wanted to keep it that way. Emily called a few times to make sure things were okay and to let Mandy know what was up with work. Dawn had gone on a tirade when she discovered the patterns were gone.
Mandy’s designs had meant a lot more to her than she was willing to admit, apparently. Her father’s real estate friend had been looking for a shop to buy in the area, but nothing had come up so far. There was already a small western store in town so either Mandy could try to work for them, or she could switch up her plans a little and start a different type of clothing store. Something dressier for when they had dances or other events.
When she did have to stop, it was long enough to get a little sleep, some food and possibly a shower, and then she was back on the road. It took three days, but the moment she passed the Idaho state sign, she cheered. She’d done it.
The last hour of the trip as she rounded the mountain and headed for Cottonwood Creek seemed to take an eternity. She wanted to go straight to Laura and Justin’s house, but the need for a shower sent her to the hotel first.
The wind was bitter cold as she climbed out of the car to stare up at the hotel where she’d started her adventures here in Idaho. It looked the same, but it was decorated for Thanksgiving instead of the fourth of July like the last few times she’d been here. Mandy grabbed her suitcase and trudged up the steps to the hotel.
Rachel brightened when she saw Mandy come in through the front door. “Hey, I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Neither did I. Please tell me you have a room available.” Mandy leaned against the counter so she could stay upright. She’d had too little sleep and too much caffeine.
“Let’s see . . . yes. You can take the first room on the right once you get up the stairs. Do you need help with your bags?” Rachel handed her a key.
Mandy generally said no, but as she could barely stay standing, she agreed to the help. It was all she could do to take a quick shower before climbing into bed. Laura would still be there that night. Mandy sent a quick text to Emily to let her know she’d gotten there safely, then to her dad to tell him as well. The rest could wait a few hours.
Mandy was pretty sure the sun wasn’t supposed to be shining in her window that late at night. She rolled over and checked her phone for the time. It was seven . . . the next morning. So much for sleeping for a couple of hours.
She stood and stretched, telling herself not to crawl back into bed. She really needed to ask Rachel what mattress she used for her bedrooms because she hadn’t slept that well for a long time.
The smells of sausage and eggs wafted up to her room as she opened the door. She closed it again to change into sweats, then went down to breakfast.
“There you are. I was about to send a search party for you.” Rachel smiled. “By the way, you left your doors open to your car last night. I hope you don’t mind that I had Patrick close them and lock up.”
“Oh boy. I was more tired than I thought. Which makes sense since I just slept for sixteen hours.” Mandy waved at Rachel and continued into the dining area. Families sat together as they ate. Mandy recognized a few of the waiters and waved at them before taking a seat.
A few minutes later, Patrick set a plate in front of Mandy piled high with eggs, sausage, and pancakes. “Rachel told me you finally woke up. She wanted me to make sure you had enough to eat.”
“Thank you.” She speared a piece of sausage with her fork and took a bite. Perfection as always. She’d been all over the world and no one could beat the hospitality she got while she was here.
Once she was done, Mandy ran back up to her room to find a coat and boots. It was colder here than when she’d left New York, and she was sure snow wasn’t too far off. Not the best time to be starting a new life here, but here she was.
The day before she hadn’t been able to enjoy the scenery as much as she did now. The green of the fields she’d been used to was now gone, the fields barren and gray. The trees along the road to the ranch were bare except for the few red and yellow leaves that had managed to hold on.
Mandy pulled into the ranch, and her small BMW clashed with all of the trucks the ranchers drove. She’d hoped to catch Laura somewhere else so that Thomas wouldn’t see her yet, but she’d just have to be super sneaky. She knocked on the front door and put her fingers to her lips when Rachel’s mom answered the door.
Mrs. Poulton grinned and moved out of the way so that Mandy could come in. She leaned forward. “She’s in the living room reading to Rachel’s little boy.”
“Wait, Rachel’s little boy? Have I been gone that long?” Mandy could hear Laura laughing from the other room.
“Evan’s about six months old and cute as a button. Laura’s been reading to him every day because she’s bored out of her mind. Works for her and for Rachel.”
Mandy shook her head. She’d missed so much and hadn’t even realized it. She tiptoed toward the family room and poked her head in. Laura lay on the couch with a baby next to her. She was reading a children’s book complete with voices.
“Wow, those high school drama classes have really paid off.” Mandy leaned against the doorway.
Laura gasped. “When did you get here?”
“Yesterday.” Mandy sat on the end of the couch.
“And you didn’t come see me?” Laura raised an eyebrow.
Mandy cleared her throat. “That was the plan, but then I slept all day and night. Apparently driving almost nonstop across the country isn’t the best idea.”
Laura tried to sit up before finally lying back on the couch. “Sorry, you’re going to have to come to me for a hug.”
“Sounds fair.” Mandy hugged her best friend. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too. Now spill. Why are you really here?” Laura set the book down that she’d been reading and repositioned Evan on her lap.
Mandy scooped Evan up in her arms and sat back down. “Lots of reasons, really.”
“Not good enough.” Laura pushed herself up to sitting and swung her legs around so she could stand. “Ahh, thanks for taking him. My legs were falling asleep.”
“Any time.” Mandy made Evan smile by pulling a few silly faces. She missed her nieces and nephews she used to babysit.
Laura stretched her arms. “Thomas came home cranky and quiet. That never happens. I can only assume it had something to do with you.”
“Are you saying I make people cranky?” Mandy knew it was a pathetic attempt at avoiding the inevitable. “We actually had a great time together. And I think that’s the problem. I went home to New York, and he came back here. End of story.”
“Except that now you’re here and he’s here and you’re not together. Why?”
Mandy stared down at the sweet baby in her arms. She wasn’t sure she knew the answer to the question. “I . . . I dropped everything. My perfect job, my gorgeous apartment, New York City, for, well, I don’t even know. A dream? So, what if it doesn’t work out? What if I’ve upset him enough that he wouldn’t even want to date me because I just gave up everything. I mean, I’m homeless. I’m going to be sleeping at the hotel for forever because I don’t have a place. And the real estate agent can’t find a place for me to start my store—”
“Hey, Mandy?” Laura asked.
Mandy jumped and realized tears were pouring down her face. She breathed to try to calm down. “Yeah?”
“Calm down. You can stay with me. I think Justin will be thrilled to know I’m not at home by myself. Work will happen. I know the owner of the store in town pretty well. We can work things out until you have a building of your own. And judging by Thomas’s mood, I don’t think you lost your chance. Give everything a little time.”
“You’re right. As always.” Mandy picked up Evan and hugged him close. “I can’t believe you’re going to have one of these soon.”
Laura rubbed her belly. “I can’t either. But if she doesn’t come soon, I might just pop.”
Mandy laughed. “You might be right. Which reminds me. I’d love to do a baby shower for you. If it’s not too late.”
“Really?” Laura brightened. “I’d love that. I have to admit that being away from all of my friends has made it kinda hard. People here are so sweet, but a baby shower hasn't even come up.”
“Well, we’re going to change that.” Mandy stood and handed Evan back to Laura. “I’m going to go back to the hotel if that’s okay with you. I want to see what the real estate agent has found out and then pack up my stuff.”
Laura nodded. “I’ll have Justin run by the hotel on the way home tonight so we can have you follow us back to our place.”
Mandy bent down and hugged her. “I’ve missed you. Thank you for helping me calm down.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
Mandy stopped at the living room door. “And Laura? Please don’t tell Thomas I’m here. I want to tell him on my own time.”
“Got it. Make sure you tell Rachel and her mom as well.”
Mandy nodded and walked back through the kitchen, stopping long enough to hug Mrs. Poulton and swear her to secrecy. She ran out to her car and left the ranch, knowing lunch was going to happen soon, and she didn’t want Thomas to see her.
The front lobby to the hotel was busy with everyone going to lunch, so Mandy slipped past all of them and went up to her room. She pulled out her laptop to check email and found a few from her parents wondering why she had flaked and taken off, a rather insulting email from Dawn, and another email from her realtor. Mandy opened that one eagerly.
We’ve had no luck finding a building, but I may have secured a location you could build on. I know it’s not ideal, but it means you could have the layout exactly how you want it. And the price is a steal. Let me know what you want to do. I’ve attached the ad for it so you can go check it out.
Dan
What was it with building things around here? But Mandy was seriously tempted. She knew what she wanted and how she wanted it, and this made that possible. Lunch would have to wait. Mandy grabbed her purse and keys and shut the door on her way out. Rachel stood talking to someone at the front desk, so Mandy waited her turn in line.
When it was finally her turn, Mandy approached the desk. “Hey, Rachel. I’m going to be checking out later today. Laura is letting me stay at her place until I find something more permanent.”
“That’s great!” Rachel beamed.
“Thanks. Listen, I’m going to go check out a place that might be available for a store in town. Is it okay if I leave my bags? I can grab them when I come back to meet Laura. If not, I’ll just take them.”
“We can keep them in storage if we end up needing the room. I’ll text if that happens. And good luck.”
Mandy grinned. “Thanks. Oh, and please don’t mention I’m here to anyone. I’m not quite ready for that yet.”
“I won’t say a word.” Rachel waved the next person forward and Mandy pulled out her phone to call her realtor as she left the hotel.
“Hey, I got your email. I’m headed there to check it out right now.” Mandy climbed in her car and started the engine. Hopefully she could keep everything in her car at Laura’s so she didn’t have to keep trying to peek around all the boxes in the backseat.
“I know you wanted a building and not land, but I think you’ll like the location.”
Mandy pulled onto the main road toward town. “We’ll see. Any luck on a house yet?”
Dan sighed. “You’re asking me to look into a black hole, Mandy. There’s nothing. Unless you want a trailer for about twenty thousand.”
“Wait, twenty? How is that even possible? I can’t even buy a room for that much in New York. Heck, I couldn’t even buy a closet for that much.”
“You’re right. You couldn’t. But I have to warn you that a trailer isn’t a step up from either of those. We’ll keep looking. I do hope you’ve found a place for now?”
“Yep. I’m staying with friends, so I’m good for a bit. Although I don’t want to stay too long. They’re expecting a baby any day now and I don’t want to be in their way.” Of course, having an extra pair of hands to help with the new baby would probably be helpful, but Mandy didn’t want to overstay her welcome.
There was silence for a moment. “It does look like there might be a place for rent, but you’ll want to check it out. The pictures don’t give me much information.”
“Send it over. Might as well check them both out.” Mandy turned on to the main road and was flooded with memories. Swimming, parades, concerts. All sorts of things. “I gotta go. I just made it into town, so I’ll let you know what I think of the plot you found.”
“Sounds good. And Mandy? Call your parents. They’re pretty worried about your sanity right now.”
Mandy laughed. “Got it.”
The land he’d found was in the center of Main Street in an empty lot. It was covered in weeds, but it was central to everything. Mandy tried to picture her store here and how it would look next to the businesses and houses in the area. This would work. She’d be crazy if she didn’t at least try for it, right?
The house, on the other hand, left something to be desired. The windows sagged, the roof needed to be replaced, and the weeds were overgrown. She could do something about the weeds, but the windows and roof were a whole different story.
Since she was already in town, she pulled up the browser on her phone and did her own search of houses. A few looked promising, so she drove past them. The last one made her stop. It was small and perfect. They were looking to sell, but maybe if she offered enough per month they’d let her rent for a bit.
She climbed out of her car and walked up the steps, her stomach in knots. She’d just gotten here yesterday and now she’s going to make an offer on a house? She’d tried to swear off spontaneity, but clearly, that hadn’t worked.
The woman who answered the door was a sweet older woman with a bright smile. “Hello, what can I do for you?”
“Are you Esther?”
She smiled. “Yes, that’s me.”
Mandy gestured toward the for sale sign in the yard. “Hi, I saw your listing and I wondered if I could possibly look at the house.”
“Oh, yes. Come in.” She opened the screen door and let Mandy walk past her. “I grew up in this house, but it’s become too much for me to handle.”
“It’s adorable.” Mandy studied the pictures along the hallways. “These are your kids?”
“Yes, they’ve all grown and moved away. It’s just me now.” Esther lifted a shaking finger to point to one of them. “That’s all of us.”
Mandy shook her head at the large family in front of her. All of her siblings were much older than her and never visited home, so this was crazy to her. Not in a bad way. “Your family is beautiful.”
“Thank you. Now, let’s show you the house.” She limped down the hallway to the small kitchen. It was bright with pictures and decor that made it homey. The curtains were white and lacy, allowing the sun to come in through the large windows. “It’s not much, but there are a lot of good memories here.”
“It’s wonderful.” Mandy was already picturing how she could decorate it. She tried to push it out of her mind, but it was no use. She needed this house. “I know it’s asking a lot because you probably need the money to afford a new place to stay. I would make it worth it, though. I just moved from New York, and I need to find somewhere soon. Are you willing to accept something in the form of rent-to-own? I could pay extra if needed.”
Esther stopped and turned, taking Mandy’s hands in hers. She stared up at Mandy with her cloudy brown eyes that had filled with tears. “Darling, this place needs new blood to bring it back to life. A touch of New York is exactly what it needs. I knew from the moment I saw you walk up these steps that this house belonged to you.”
Mandy wiped a tear of her own. “So, you’ll do it?”
“It will take a bit to get things packed. It’s just me, you know. But yes, I will do that. I can have my attorney draw up the papers today.”
“Thank you.” Mandy wrapped her in a hug. “And don’t you worry about the packing. If you’re willing to let me, I can help with that.”
Esther reached up patted her cheek. “As I said before, you belong here. I think we’ll be good friends.”
Mandy called Dan back and let him know she found something, then sent him the listing. When she got off, she could hear Esther talking in the other room. The woman’s laughter filled the house. While she talked, Mandy decided to check out the upstairs. It was just as beautifully decorated as the downstairs. Guest rooms were filled with memories of the children who once grew up here.
And for the first time ever, Mandy finally felt something she’d never felt anywhere else. She was home.