I sipped my coffee. It was still warm and dark and caffeinated, but that was about all that could be said for it. It tasted like nothing else I’d ever drunk, to say the least.
“Catering to cowboys, sure, but it definitely won’t be Starbucks,” I teased and tapped the mug.
“Hey.”
Before he came up with a retort, the outside door pushed open, and the sound of Cooper’s chocolate-rich voice drifted to my ears. “What? All three of them? Is anyone hurt?”
The words and concerned tone made me sit bolt upright.
Nolan and I looked at each other, silently asking for more details before Nolan returned to the food.
“Okay, yeah, that’s no problem,” Cooper continued. “No, don’t worry about it. Nolan and I can take care of it. I’ll call you when we’re done.”
I guessed the phone service must have been restored.
He entered the kitchen while running a hand back through his hair. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered. “Well, the good news is the ranch seems fine. I take it the barns are all right as you’re in here and not out there.”
“Sure are,” Nolan replied.
“What’s the bad news?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”
A million different scenarios ran through my mind, and I’d only heard Cooper’s half of the conversation. But if it was something serious, he’d tell us straight out—but for him to volunteer Nolan to help without asking first, it must have been a big deal.
“My brother called,” Cooper said. “His new partner has been trapped in one of those bungalows down at the resort with Hugh Davis and, uh...” He paused to look over at me. “And Muriel.”
My hand flew to my mouth at the mention of my friend’s name. “Oh my God. Is she okay? Are they all okay?”
“Yeah, they’re all fine.” Cooper nodded. “A tree came down overnight and damaged the front of the bungalow, but not that badly, if you know what I mean. They’re trapped inside but fine for now. Vic wants us to take the truck and go help with cleaning up, starting with their bungalow to get Cameron out of there so he can help too. He’s a cop; he should be at work.”
I had so many questions all at once. Too many for me to think straight.
Once I’d made certain Muriel was okay, I wondered what she’d been doing with both of those guys.
Hugh Davis was a local reporter, and Cameron was a police deputy. But I hadn’t forgotten the three of them were as thick as thieves back in the day. There was never anything more than friendship between them—of that I was quite sure because Muri would have filled me in on the details if there was anything to tell. It seemed too sweet that they should pick up their friendship where it had left off when we girls went away to fashion school.
But...they’d been trapped in the middle of the night? I wondered if there had been some trouble to involve a cop and a reporter stopping by her bungalow so late.
Or had she passed the time with those two in exactly the same way I had with my guys? Sure, it might have been a bit of a stretch, but... maybe not. They were all old school friends who had grown up, after all.
Just like Cooper, Nolan, and me.
“They’ve been trapped overnight, and they are only now calling for help?” I said, standing up, ready to go and get dressed.
“Vic says he’s been trying to get hold of me, but the phones haven’t been working until now.” Cooper pulled out a chair and sat down next to me. “We have time to eat before we go and rescue anyone.”
As he said it, both the sizzling sound and aroma of the frying eggs and bacon seemed irresistible. I would have gone without food to rescue my friend, but I couldn’t insist on the guys doing the same, especially as it seemed they’d already done a morning’s work while I lay in bed.
I sat back down.
“I’m sorry we have to cut short today’s fun and games.” Nolan placed three plates in a row on the table and frowned. “We can drop you off at your parents’ house on the way, though. Or—”
“Or I could come with you,” I said, even though I was pretty sure that wasn’t what he’d been about to offer.
It was Cooper’s turn to frown as he and Nolan exchanged one of their meaningful looks. Don’t you guys use words? “I don’t think so,” Cooper said. “It might be dangerous.”
“No more dangerous than driving me out here in the middle of a storm,” I countered. “And I can manage to stay away from the fallen tree or whatever now the storm seems to have died down.”
Again, they looked over my head at each other, which only made me more determined to go.