House of Belonging Read online

  Logan laughed. “You old devil. Of course it’s OK. I look forward to meeting her. When she’s ready, that is. She must be pretty special if she caught your eye.”

  The rest of the group started filtering out of their tents, the smell of breakfast a powerful incentive. The only people missing when the food was ready and it was time to eat were Sienna and Vivian, who appeared a few minutes later on the path back from the lake, already dressed in workout gear, hand in hand. Logan wondered if they’d noticed that his tent was still tied open and hadn’t been slept in, since it was next to theirs, but he decided that they likely wouldn’t care even if they had.

  Buck handed each of them a plate, inviting everyone to sit for breakfast. “I was just about to send Logan down the trail after you ladies, but I figured you’d enjoy those last few minutes alone at your lake. It really is spectacular.”

  The words hung over the group, causing a momentary hush, and it quickly became clear to Buck that he’d spilled a secret when Laina’s jaw dropped.

  She turned toward Sienna and Vivian. “Wait, this is your land? Why on earth didn’t you tell us? And why would you spend so much money to go camping on property you already own?” She was dumbfounded by the information.

  Vivian just smiled. “We paid all that money for the company and for the experience—not the location—and, honestly, it’s been worth every cent. And, of course, the money went to such a great cause.”

  Sienna nodded. “Besides, we felt like it was the right time to reveal ourselves as the owners. Willow and Garrett have known for a while, since we’ve been letting them come out here to the lake from time to time. But it’s not much fun having such a special place if you can’t share it with all of your closest friends.”

  Sienna turned toward Willow and Garrett. “Thank you for keeping our secret, guys. We’ve loved having you be the first to enjoy this place with us, and then having you all here last night was the perfect way to bless this land.”

  Logan got up for another cup of coffee, offering refills all around. “What are you planning on doing with this place? Do you think you’ll ever build a house up here?”

  Vivian shook her head. “Oh, I doubt it, since it’s so far from town. It would be a pain to have utilities brought up, and it’s just so beautiful as it is.”

  Wyatt was inspired. “What about tucking an Airstream in somewhere along the shore? India and I have one that we used to live in while we were building our home in Tennessee. Now that we have the kids, we haven’t been able to use it much, but after camping with my girl last night, I’m thinking maybe we should take a trip down memory lane sometime soon.” The look Wyatt gave his wife made all of them blush.

  India smiled, reaching over to kiss her husband, sighing. “Those were the days.”

  Rex and Violet smiled, reminded of those early days when India and Wyatt had been falling in love. Rex couldn’t help but tease his old friend, reminding Wyatt of a sign they’d hung on the door of the Airstream on their wedding night: “If this Airstream’s rocking . . . don’t come knocking.”

  “There’s magic for sure in those silver bullets, baby.” Rex had them all doubled over in laughter.

  Logan turned to Vivian. “I have a buddy back in Colorado Springs who owns an Airstream dealership, and they’ll customize them any way you want. If you ever decide to explore the idea, I’ll give you his information, or even drive you down to take a look. My old Bronco would be a good candidate to haul it back, no problem.”

  Vivian laughed at the look Sienna was giving her. “I think my hippie wife is a firm yes on that idea. Text me the info, and we’ll take a look at their website. If you’re serious about picking it up for us, we might just agree to that. What a perfect solution. We could come out here anytime we wanted and have a place to stay. It’s important for us to know that this land will remain as undeveloped as possible, as long as we own it.” She smiled at Sienna. “Besides, we hope we’ll have someone to pass this all down to someday.”

  Laina glanced at Logan, who was looking back at her. She gave him the smallest nod, knowing it’s what he was waiting for.

  “Speaking of offspring, I meant what I said last night, ladies. I’m in. I’ll be your donor, if you’re open to exploring the idea with me. I promise you I’m not a complete weirdo, and I’ve got decent teeth. No murderers in the family, that I’m aware of. Even a nice big healthy regenerated liver. What more could you ask for?”

  They were all laughing again, and Logan had gotten up to model his frame for them in several different hysterical poses. Sienna and Vivian were convinced.

  “We spent the morning discussing your offer, Logan, and we’ve decided that if you really are serious, there is no one else we could imagine having as a part of our child’s life. We sat by the lake and meditated, and we both came to the same conclusion. We know that we can find common ground with you, and we would welcome you to be as much or as little a part of our child’s life as you would want to be. We believe we can and will come to that decision organically as this whole process unfolds.”

  Sienna hugged Logan, kissing both of his cheeks, then stepped back. Once Vivian had hugged him too, and they’d accepted congratulations from the rest of the group, Vivian couldn’t help but ask Logan one more time if he was 100 percent sure. He was, and everything about his demeanor reflected that certainty. But he really wanted to assure them.

  “I’ve even checked with this amazing girl that I’ve just started seeing, and she’s on board, which is important. Very important. Maybe the most important thing to me.”

  Willow was listening to her brother intently. “Hold on, Logan. Tell us more about this amazing girl. And how were you able to check in with her about something you just found out about last night? We don’t even have cell service here.” Willow looked at Laina, confused.

  “Well, sis. You’d love her. She’s super smart, has a wicked sense of humor . . . she’s a decent cook. Very mysterious. And she’s drop-dead gorgeous. You’ve met her, actually.” He waited for his description, coupled with the embarrassed look on Laina’s face, to give Willow the clue she’d been missing. Everyone else was smiling at Laina, particularly India and Wyatt, who’d been in the adjacent tent the evening before. Willow finally caught on.

  “Oh, thank God! I thought I’d been totally off. Laina! You’ve finally agreed to go out with my brother? That’s so awesome. He really is a good guy, despite the fact that he likes to make me feel like an idiot sometimes for being slow on the uptake.” Willow slugged Logan in the arm on her way to give Laina a hug.

  Logan whistled to get everyone’s attention, throwing his hands up in the air. “Time out, everyone. We’re thrilled you’re happy for us, but we’re only telling you all so you can stop with the meddling. We appreciate everyone exercising their matchmaking muscles, but we can take it from here. We’ll see where this goes, and, no matter what, we’ll all remain good friends.” He walked around toward Laina’s side of the circle and stood next to her chair. “And now that we’ve agreed that I’m going to be a sperm donor, and Viv and Sienna are going to be mommies, and everyone appears to be done with breakfast . . . who’s up for a swim?”

  He glanced down at Laina with a devilish look in his eye.

  “No.” She stood up and tried to find her way out of his reach, but failed.

  “Yes.” Logan grabbed her, threw her over his shoulder, and ran the entire way down to the lake with Laina’s squeals ringing in his ears.

  It was the first occasion of many that they would all spend out on Bonhomie Lake, which they named together that morning. Sienna suggested it, telling them the word meant a feeling of friendliness among a group of people. They’d all agreed with her that it was just perfect.

  CHAPTER

  TWELVE

  The Aspen Food and Wine Classic had a way of chewing a person up and spitting them out, in the very best way, of course. Everyone had left the campout that Saturday morning with a laundry list of life to get back to, their collectiv
e to-do lists destined to keep them apart for the remainder of the Classic.

  Throngs of tourists had descended on the small downtown area, and the billowing white tents were now filled with vendors hawking everything from wine and chocolate to whiskey. The Grand Tastings interspersed throughout the day showcased the celebrity chefs who’d come to town to promote their latest cookbooks. Lines of fans holding title pages open to await autographs snaked through the crowds, and by late afternoon, almost everyone in town had been overserved. Aspen was officially comfortably numb. It was the party of the summer where the who’s who of the culinary world mingled with well-heeled foodies from near and far.

  Laina had returned to the restaurant Saturday afternoon for the dinner service and cooked her ass off, invigorated by their short trip. She created her menu with the idea that the earth had something to give back, a savory story laden with mushrooms, wild onions, fresh fish, and other ingredients inspired by her time at the lake with her friends. The feedback was resoundingly positive, as it usually was when she was able to tap into her heart center and cook from that purest of places.

  Van had left her alone, recognizing her need to go within after what had seemingly been a stimulating experience in the woods. He’d had a successful service himself in her absence the evening before, enjoying the freedom that came with the blank slate Laina had gifted him.

  She hadn’t spoken to Logan in person since just after they’d gotten back from the overnight trip. He’d told her on the ride home that his horses were booked for a solid two days by guests of Walland House. Laina was busy too with final preparations for the weekend at House of Belonging. They’d agreed before saying goodbye that they’d touch base when things settled down a bit. Logan promised to at least text her, though, so they could make an official plan to get together once the Classic was over. He’d just dropped her off and she’d barely gotten to her front door when her phone chimed the first time. She’d read Logan’s text and smiled, turning to see his fist pumping in the air out the open window of the Bronco as he drove away, back toward town. She’d laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.

  Logan: Damn, you look good from behind.

  Laina: Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to text and drive?

  It had only been twenty-four hours since she’d seen him, but she missed Logan already. Laina stood in her kitchen on Sunday morning scrolling through the rest of the text thread she’d started with him the day before, beginning with that moment on her porch.

  Logan: It’s not the phone that has me distracted. Wow.

  Laina: Pay attention to the road, hotshot.

  Then, twenty minutes later:

  Logan: I forgot to tell you that I had an amazing time. Or did I say that already?

  Laina: You didn’t say it, but I was starting to get the picture when you said goodbye.

  Logan: It wasn’t goodbye. It was see you later. Speaking of which . . .

  Laina: Tonight’s crazy, but we close earlier on Sunday. Drinks? My porch? Tomorrow after close? Around 10.

  Logan: That’s a firm yes for me. Will there be kissing? I’ll bring the wine. Red? White?

  Laina: Let’s see if you can guess the wine. Your first test! May the force be with you. And there might be a little kissing . . . we’ll see.

  Logan: Game on. Until tomorrow . . .

  Laina stuck her phone in her back pocket and picked up her coffee cup, looking out the window into her garden with a smile. She hadn’t heard from him yet today, but she knew she would. It was going to be a good day. She had plans to pick some fresh herbs to use at the restaurant, and then she hoped she could squeeze in a run. Sundays were her favorite. The town was sleepy, except for the other road warriors who also enjoyed the light car traffic on the streets.

  She finished her coffee and headed out into the garden, basket and shears in hand. Most days, Laina took her time, letting the food send her in a particular direction for the night’s meal. She was on the verge of inspiration when she heard a commotion at the end of her driveway. She looked up just in time to see Van kick-step the end of his skateboard, sending it smoothly up into his grip. He sauntered toward her, his sunglasses hiding his eyes, a newspaper tucked under his arm.

  Laina smiled. He was a gorgeous human being, but a little intimidating-looking if someone didn’t know him well. He’d taken to wearing his blond goatee and hair a little longer than usual, which, together with his suntanned skin, made his blue eyes even more piercing, when they weren’t covered by his shades. Laina remembered how when they’d first met she’d thought part of his appeal was that, even though he had that bad-boy thing working for him, he was a big softie. She discovered that he had the best sense of humor once he’d finally decided to let her in. Looking at him now, it was still amazing to her that their chemistry had presented as more of a friendship. It probably had something to do with the fact that they were a lot alike. Too similar for there to be enough of the kind of electricity needed for a romantic relationship to endure.

  Laina kissed Van on the cheek when he leaned in to greet her.

  “Have you seen the paper yet?” Van handed it to her, letting his glasses drop down enough to be able to make eye contact with her in his most dastardly way. “It’s an extra copy. Page three.”

  Laina set her basket down, reaching over to borrow the sunglasses from Van’s face so she could see well enough, and began to read:

  There exist already a million and one reasons to visit Aspen, but as of this weekend, the count stands at one million and two. Chef Laina Ming burst onto the scene with a charity dinner for Walland House on Thursday night, raising loads of money for sustainable agriculture in our beloved valley, and keeping diners guessing with a creatively composed meal described only in haiku form. If you’ve never seen art on a plate, you need to make your way to the banks of the Roaring Fork River where Ming has constructed her glass castle. Look closely, though; the magnificent structure blends in so well with the surroundings, you might miss it if you get distracted by the mystical aromas drifting out of Ming’s open kitchen. There isn’t a bad seat in the house, so everyone is treated to not one but two culinary geniuses at work. Despite being a California girl, some of Ming’s best work was in New York City, where she earned her two Michelin stars, alongside Donovan Laird, a renowned chef in his own right. The pair trained together at Natural Gourmet Institute, their education steeped in the plant-based curriculum that also included organic seafood and eggs, which are still components of their present-day styles. Chef Laird took the reins solo in the kitchen on Friday night, cranking out an edgy and well-thought-out menu with bigcity flair, while Chef Ming’s Saturday-night meal was an homage to local ingredients found in and around Aspen. Rumor has it Chefs Ming and Laird plan to import some of the greatest culinary minds, old and new, to join them in presenting the lucky diners who can score a table with innumerable unforgettable edible experiences. The possibilities are endless. House of Belonging, indeed. ★★★★★

  Laina took the glasses off, handing them back to Van with a smile. “Five stars! Well, that certainly makes an already- stellar day even better. Wow, and I was told by India not to expect too much in the way of good reviews. This woman is a tough critic. Sure sounds like you won her over, Mr. Edgy.”

  Van slipped the glasses back onto his face, doing his best aw-shucks impersonation. “I just whipped up a humble little meal in your absence. No big deal.”

  “Ha, OK. I’m throwing my bullshit flag on that one, Van. You don’t do anything halfway, and we both know it. I just wish I’d been there to taste your most recent masterpiece.” She picked up the basket, heading toward the garden to collect herbs. “Although I must admit I had a great time with the Walland House crew.”

  Van reached over to pick a fresh chive, chewing on the end of it while he studied her. Something was different. Laina could be a moody one, but today she seemed a little lighter. Happier. Smitten.

  “Really, now. Why don’t you tell me all about it? Stole a cookie
from the cookie jar, did you? I’m sure you’ll try to convince me that the guilty look on your face is just my overactive imagination at work. Am I right?”

  Laina was about to answer him when her phone chimed in her back pocket. “Excuse me, nosy Nancy. This might be one of our suppliers.”

  Logan: I can’t stop thinking about you. And I’ve decided. There will be kissing. Consider yourself warned.

  Laina worked to keep a straight face, but she felt the warmth creep up along her chest and neck, and knew she was busted.

  “Not the suppliers, huh? Never mind, Laina. I don’t need details. That was enough for me.” Van walked to the top of her drive, set his board down on the pavement, and pushed off to head back toward town. He couldn’t help himself, yelling to her over his shoulder. “Logan will fill me in when I see him anyway. We’re having lunch in twenty minutes.”

  Laina: Oh, you’ve decided about the kissing, huh? We’ll see about that. Also—lunch with Van?

  Logan: Yep. We’re bffs. You hadn’t heard?

  Laina: Tell Van to mind his own beeswax!

  Logan: Amazing review in the paper. Well deserved. I’ll congratulate you properly later.

  Laina: Just bring my favorite wine. And no cheating. Asking Van doesn’t count. Also— tell him nothing!

  Logan: Already bought the wine. Feel good about my choice. I went by feel. That’s my game plan for tonight, btw

  Laina: See you later.

  Laina finished gathering what she needed from the garden, then headed inside. Checking her watch, she figured she had time for a short run. When she got home an hour later, she was dripping in sweat and about to head upstairs for a shower when her landline rang.

  Her parents. They were the only ones, besides Van—who was currently on his big lunch date, who had the number.

  “Hi, Mom.” Laina guessed right, smiling at the sound of her mother’s greeting on the other end of the line. They chatted for a few minutes before her dad joined them on the call so Laina could fill them in on the opening and everything else that had happened over the past couple of days. Well, almost everything. Her parents had always been so proud of her, but she thought she detected a little extra emotion in her mom’s voice this time.