“We try. I run a ranch, so it’s hard to get time away,” he explained in a gravelly voice. Yep, definitely like Sam Elliott. My mother perked up at the mention of a ranch. She had a weakness for the movie The Horse Whisperer with Robert Redford. Except that took place in Montana.

“A horse ranch?” she asked, cocking her head.

“Yes, ma’am. Been raising horses since I was young. Inherited the place when my parents passed.”

Dana’s ears perked up at the sound of her husband’s voice. I wondered if she gave him much time to speak. “We even host guests who like to experience a working ranch as a vacation. You get to shadow Steve and eat all sorts of delicious food and go for rides. It’s highly rated on TripAdvisor. Maybe one day you’d like to come visit!”

“It sounds so exciting,” my mother said. “But I can only imagine how much work it takes to run a ranch.”

“We have a ton of employees, but Steve likes to be involved with everything. I keep telling him to go to a part-time schedule, but he’s stubborn.”

My mother snorted. “My daughter is also a workaholic.”

“Ah, what do you do?” Dana asked.

I bristled at the way Mom spoke about me but forced a smile. “Advertising. I own a company, so I understand the challenges. At least we love our work,” I said brightly. “Too many people suffer through boring day jobs just to gain a pension. I think the world needs more passionate employees.”

Steve nodded. “Agreed.”

Dana spoke. “I love dressing women in new designs and watching them feel confident in their bodies. But too much of anything isn’t good. That’s why I insisted on a long trip for our anniversary, to take a breath. We’ve always dreamed of seeing Europe.” She turned to Allegra. “How about you, honey? Are you like your mama? Ready to set the world on fire with your career?”

The words were obviously meant as a compliment, but my daughter’s reaction made my heart stop. Distaste carved out the features of her face and she shook her head hard. “No.”

She didn’t explain any further. An awkward silence fell, and Dana and Steve shared a look. Allegra ducked her head, and I forced a breezy laugh, pretending it didn’t bother me. “What daughter wants to be like her mom, right?”

Everyone chuckled. I avoided my own mother’s gaze and steered the conversation back to Dana, where it was safe. I wasn’t ready to showcase the cracks within my family on the first day of the tour. Another reason I’d wanted us to eat by ourselves, but at least Dana was entertaining, and it was obvious my daughter enjoyed her lighthearted dialogue.