Текст книги "Make Mine a Cowboy"

Автор книги: Sandy Sullivan

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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 10 страниц)

She grabbed her own plate and walked over to a table where a couple sat alone talking quietly. Let him stew.

Watching from the corner of her eye, she saw him slowly scrap the roast beef, gravy and mashed potatoes from his lap back on to the plate. Once his lap was sufficiently cleaned off, he dumped it into the washbasin where the dirty plates go, and stomped out of the lodge, slamming the door behind him.

That should teach him not to mess with me.

Mesa slowly put the spoon in her mouth, avoiding eye contact with any of his family. The whole dining room finally resumed talking after the blow up, but they seemed quiet and subdued. Well, it didn’t matter whether their whole affair made the rounds of the entire ranch. She wasn’t staying there much longer anyway. Soon she would be home, in her own bed, curled with up her cat and her half-gallon of chocolate chip ice cream eating her cares away. The situation would be a distant memory just like them making love. Would she forget? She hoped, in time.

Several minutes later, Joel returned in clean clothes but he didn’t get another plate of food. He walked straight up behind her, grabbed her hand, and forced her to her feet.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“We’re having this out, right now.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Yes, you are.”

He tugged her along, practically dragging her up the stairs to her room. “Key.” She stubbornly narrowed her eyes. “Give me the key, Mesa, or I’ll strip you bare until I find it, right here in the hall.”

“Fine,” she growled, pulling it from her front jean pocket and handing it to him. “I don’t want you in my room.”

“Too fuckin’ bad, baby doll, because I intend to make you listen to me.”

He opened the door and literally pushed her inside before he slammed it closed. “Strip.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said strip. Do it now.”

“I’m not taking my clothes—”

He grabbed her T-shirt and pulled it over her head. “I’ll do it for you then.”

“What the hell, Joel!”

“Take it off.”

“No.”

“Fine.” He grabbed her pants, popped the button and shoved them down around her ankles so fast, she didn’t know what hit her.

Within seconds, she stood in nothing but her bra and panties. Desire pooled in her belly. How fucking sick is that! “All right. You have me in nothing but my bra and underwear. I’m not stripping down to nothing. Take it or leave it.”

“All right. You can keep them unless you start arguing with me again. If you do, I’m taking those too.”

“Fuck you.”

“Only if you ask nicely.”

“You son of a bitch. Why can’t you just leave me alone? I don’t want anything more to do with you. You’re a user, Joel, and I don’t want to be part of your game anymore.”

“Stop. Just stop, Mesa. Listen to yourself? Do you hear what you’re saying?”

Tears rolled down her cheeks unchecked. She didn’t want to cry but she didn’t have a choice. His cavalier attitude hurt her heart. When did she start caring about this rotten asshole? “I hate you.”

“No you don’t,” he whispered, stopping in front of her to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “That’s our problem. Neither of us hates the other, but we don’t know what else to call it.” He kissed her cheeks before he brushed his lips against hers. “God, you taste like Heaven and Hell wrapped up in a single package. What am I gonna do with you, darlin’?”

He kissed her again, pushing his tongue into her mouth tentatively like he was waiting for her to give into her feelings and return the kiss. Why am I giving into this, him? God, I hate myself for wanting him.

She grabbed fistfuls of the front of his shirt and pulled the edges apart, buttons pinged off each surface they touched in their flight across the room. He lifted his head, staring down into her eyes, his crystal clear blue eyes bright with lust.

“That’s it, Mesa. Take what you want.” He pulled at his belt buckle, unhooking it from the loops as she worked his shirt from the waistband of his jeans.

His jeans and boxers hit the floor while he toed out of his boots. She worked frantically at the clasp of her bra until it came free. The next second her panties hit the floor at their feet and he grabbed her around the waist to fling her onto the bed.

“I’m gonna fuck you hard.”

“Too much talking.” She pressed her mouth against his as she ground her pelvis against his hard flesh. “Tell me you brought a condom.”

“In my wallet. Let me get it.”

He left her side for a moment, taking his heat with him while he searched his wallet for the protection they both needed.

“How long has that one been in there?”

“Quite a while actually,” he said sliding the latex over his engorged cock.

“I wanted to taste you.”

“Later. I need to be inside you.”

She closed her eyes and sighed a happy sigh when he positioned his cock at her opening and slowly slid deep into her pussy.

“Fuck, you feel fantastic.”

“Deeper, Joel. Please.”

She pulled her legs up to her chest, opening herself for his deep thrust. He didn’t disappoint as he slammed his pelvis against hers, pushing everything he had inside her much deeper than he’d been before. Each thrust pushed her across the bed until he grabbed her hips and held her still.

“Come for me, Mesa. Squeeze me until I explode. I wanna feel your heat.”

With a small thought in her brain, she grabbed the pillow from the bed and put it over her face as she screamed his name at the top of her lungs.

Within seconds, he growled her name while he shot every bit of his cum into the end of the condom.

He laid his head on her chest as the air sawed in and out of his lungs in a deep pant.

“Was that makeup sex?” she asked with a giggle.

He chuckled a dry laugh before he peeked up at her through his gorgeous lashes. “I guess you could call it makeup sex. After all, we were having a pretty big fight.” He kissed her quickly. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too.”

He slipped out of her and disposed of the condom in the small trashcan near the bathroom door. “I hope everyone in the dining room didn’t hear us.”

“I tried to be quiet but it’s kind of hard with you.”

He grinned a silly grin. “I’m glad I make you lose all control.”

“Yes, you do cowboy.” She frowned.

“What’s the frown for?”

“What are we gonna do, Joel? This can’t possibly work into anything beyond a few fun-filled days before I go back to California.”

“Let’s take it slow. Okay? I don’t know what’s goin’ on here either, but I like you a lot, Mesa, and I don’t like fighting with you. We have a good time together.”

“All right. Slow. Got it.”

“Would you show me what you’ve written today?”

“No!”

“Why not?”

She chewed her lip. There wasn’t any way she could show Joel her new book since it paralleled what had happened to her on the ranch. “I never let anyone but my editor read my stuff until it’s been published.”

“But I want to read it.”

“Not until it’s done. I don’t know what the ending is going to be yet and I don’t want to spoil it until I get there. I only wrote about five thousand words today so the whole plot has a long way to go development-wise before it’s done. I never know how they are going to turn out until I’m finished. And even then there’s times when I change my mind about parts.”

“All right, all right. I won’t look then.”

She crawled up on the bed to lay her head on the pillow. He took the spot next to her and gathered her into his arms. He kissed her hair while his hand did a slow crawl from her shoulder to her wrist.

“I love holding you like this.”

“You just want me naked next to you.”

His cock stirred, taking on a life of its own. “Well, yes. I love you naked any way I can get you.”

“Typical man.”

A knock sounded on the door. “Are you two okay in there?”

“Yeah, Ma. There’s no blood. We’re fine.”

“Good. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night, Ma.”

“Night, Nina.” She snuggled down closer to his chest. “Kind of awkward, don’t you think?”

“Nah. I think my mom was trying to get us together like this.”

“Why? She knows I don’t live here. It’s not like this could possibly develop into a relationship.”

“It can’t?”

“No. I have my life in Los Angeles. You have your life here. We are two very different people, Joel.”

“She’s playing matchmaker again. She told me to stay away from you earlier.”

Mesa laughed. “She told me the same thing this morning. I should avoid you today.”

“Sneaky woman, my mother.”

“Yep. She knew by telling us to stay away from each other, it would force a blowup and eventually we would have to talk. Thus, leading to this.”

“Well, she might not have thought it through to this end, but she definitely had it right about staying away from each other. I can’t.”

She rubbed her face against his chest, loving the feel of the springy hair beneath her cheek. “Me either. You’re like a drug. I can’t get enough.”

“I say we let it go where it may. If this is supposed to be something besides a short term thing, it will work itself out.”

She pressed her lips together, thinking about the situation. Could she walk away after her week here was over without regrets? Probably not, but she had to. Her life in Los Angeles came first. She was a writer after all. A semi-famous author who had a full, rewarding life in the big city. She liked having stores around the corner. She enjoyed having the nightlife and clubs to visit if she so chose to, not that she was much of a nightlife person, but the option was there.

Here you would have the abundance of ranch life to jumpstart your muse. You would have the quiet, the horses, the cowboys, and the little bar in Bandera where you could dance the night away in the arms of one hot cowboy.

But what if things with Joel didn’t work out? What if she gave up her life in Los Angeles, moved here to be with him, and they broke up after a time?

I could always move back to Los Angeles at any time.

“You aren’t helping.”

“Huh?” he asked sleepily when she glanced up at his face. His eyes were closed and his breathing had slowed into slumber. “Did you say something?”

“No. Go to sleep, big guy.”

Soft snores reached her ears moments later as she snuggled back against his chest. There wouldn’t be any use trying to make a decision like this on a whim. Like he said, let’s take it slow and see where things go. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. She should be able to make a decision by the time her week at the ranch went by.

Now, if she could just keep her heart from being the deciding factor in the whole thing, she might be able to make an intelligent decision.

Chapter Ten

Sunlight streamed through the window, dragging her from her dreams. Dreams of Joel danced behind her eyelids, keeping her from fully awakening to the birds chirping outside and the low bawl of cattle in the distance. She could get used to these sounds. The quiet country sounds instead of the blare of car horns, the chatter of people below her window, the bark of neighborhood dogs and the hustle of everyone in the city. No one slowed down to appreciate the things in life.

She reached to the side of the bed expecting to find Joel’s warm body next to her only to find cold sheets. She sat up, pushing the hair from her eyes and looked around the room. His clothes were gone.

“Well duh, Mesa. He works on a cattle ranch. He has to be up with the chickens.”

The clock on the table read seven-thirty. She jumped out of the bed, grabbed some clean clothes, and headed for the shower. Breakfast would be served in thirty minutes and she still had to be presentable. She wasn’t sure why she cared so much since it was a cattle ranch. They lived with dirt and mud every day, so what difference did it make?

She lifted her arm and sniffed. “Okay. I do need a shower.”

Several moments later, she stood beneath the warm spray of the water and drifted into a little daydream. Joel’s lips on hers, firmly taking what he wanted. His hands, slick with soap, drifting down over her breasts and pinching her nipples between his fingers. The feel of his lips on the tight nubs, pulling and sucking them between his lips, drove her desire higher. Her hand drifted down between her thighs to touch her clit. A soft moan escaped on a sigh.

“Are you touching what’s mine?”

Now her fantasy had a voice.

“I want you.”

“Open your eyes.”

She opened her eyes to find him standing at the bathroom door, leaning against the frame with a wicked grin on his lips.

The screech she released made him laugh. “What the hell? How did you get in here?”

“Master key.”

“I thought you were working. I was trying to get cleaned up for breakfast.”

“You looked like you were enjoying yourself a bit. Mind if I join you? I could use a shower, too.”

“Somehow I don’t think we’ll be doing a lot of showering.”

“I hope not. Watching you touch yourself was so fuckin’ hot, I almost came in my jeans.” He quickly stripped off his clothes and climbed into the shower with her. “Much better.” He grabbed the soap and lathered up his hands until they were slick. “Now I can touch you like I wanted to this morning before I left your bed.”

“Why didn’t you?” she asked, whispering along his throat. “I would have loved to wake up like that.”

He ran his hands over her breasts. “Because I didn’t want to wake you. You were sleeping so peacefully with a beautiful smile on your lips.”

“I was dreaming of you like this.”

He laughed as he pinched her nipples, drawing them to little points of pleasure. “In the shower? I thought that dream came when you were touching yourself.”

“Well yes, but I dreamt of you just the same, touching me, loving me. I can’t get enough.”

He slanted his mouth over hers, driving his tongue between her lips in the erotic dance only two lovers know. His hands skimmed down her abdomen and around to her hips to draw her closer to his body. His rock-hard erection pressed into her stomach. “Do you want me?” she asked, pulling away from his kiss to lick his throat.

“Oh, hell yeah. I snuck away from my chores to have you.”

“So romantic, you are.” She released a throaty laugh as she nipped at his skin. She wanted to bite him, eat him up until he couldn’t escape her feast on his flesh.

One of his hands slid around to the front of her body to dive between her thighs. “God, you’re wet.”

“I’m in the shower,” she said with a laugh before it turned to a moan the minute he thrust two fingers inside her pussy. “Okay, that’s not because of the shower.”

“Let me grab a condom.”

She glanced into his eyes. “I don’t want a barrier between us.”

“What are you saying, Mesa?”

“I’m clean and I’m on birth control. Are you?”

“Clean, yes.”

“Then fuck me, Joel.”

He put both hands under her buttocks. “Wrap your legs around me.”

“You can’t li—”

“I wrestle cows for a livin’, darlin’. I can handle a little thing like you.”

He lifted her in his arms and she wrapped both legs around his waist. With her back against the cold tile, he slid home, filling her to the brim with his hard flesh. Her satisfied moan echoed off the tile enclosure.

“God, you feel good, baby.”

“Move, Joel. I need you.”

He rocked his hips back and forth, sliding his scalding length deep inside her. His groan matched hers. Ecstasy fogged her brain. Water beat down upon them in a cascade, pounding in a solid stream between them as he continued to rock his hips.

“Damn, I’m not gonna last like this. The sensation is killing me.”

“Make me come.”

He shifted his stance. The slide of his cock hit her G spot in exactly the right place to shoot her desire to explosive. She exploded on a cry, his name a mantra from her lips. Stars burst behind her eyelids, blinding her to anything but the feeling of him deep inside her.

His own climax echoed hers until she felt the stickiness of their mingled cum sliding down her leg.

She rested her head on his chest, dragging air into her starved lungs until her head cleared and she could think straight again.

“I like it much better without the barrier between us.”

“Me too, but I didn’t want to push.”

The breakfast bell clanged, startling them both. He pulled out of her and grabbed the soap to finish washing her. “We need to hurry or we’re gonna miss breakfast.”

“We can always hit the diner in town.”

“Don’t you have work to do?”

“Yeah, but I’ll already be in hot water for skipping out this morning.”

“I don’t want you to be in trouble.”

“It’s okay. Josh covered for me.”

“He knew you were coming up here to seduce me?”

“I didn’t tell him if that’s what you mean. I think he might have assumed so from the silly grin on my face.” He washed himself, and then waited for her.

She quickly washed her hair and rinsed in the warm water that seemed to be turning colder by the second. “I think we’re about to run out of hot water.”

“Yeah, I think so too. Hurry.”

“I am.” Within minutes, she’d washed every bit of soap off and grabbed one of the fluffy, white towels hanging on the wall to dry herself with as Joel rinsed.

He shut the water off then pulled the other towel down.

“What time did you wake up this morning?” she asked, heading back into the bedroom with the pile of her clean clothes.

“I’m always up when the sun comes up. We have to feed and water the animals before we take them out for the day.”

“I know the bed was already cold by the time I woke.”

“Yeah, I’d already been up for a couple of hours by then.”

“Wow.”

“Do you want to go to town?”

“Sure.”

They dressed in a rush in between kissing and touching. His lips found her throat as he nibbled from her earlobe to her collarbone. “If you don’t stop, we’ll never get out of here. Food calls,” she said in between moans of ecstasy and trying to button his shirt.

“Maybe I want something else to eat.”

Her pussy creamed at the thought, soaking her panties. She loved when he ate her out. “Later, cowboy. My stomach needs sustenance.”

“Party pooper,” he replied, pressing his forehead against hers. “Promise?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Okay, let’s get food then.” He stepped into his boots as she tied her tennis shoes. “Did you bring boots?”

“I hadn’t planned on being on a ranch. I really should go buy some, I guess.”

“Yes, you should, especially if you plan on ridin’ with me.”

“Riding you?”

“With me, Mesa, but I’ll take the other, too.”

“I bet you would, cowboy.”

About fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to the front of a quaint little diner situated near the light in the middle of Bandera.

“Does everyone come here?”

“A lot of the older crowd comes for coffee early and so do many of the wranglers. They shoot the shit during the morning before they head out for the day’s work.”

“This place sounds so fun.” She took out the pen and paper she always kept in her purse to jot down some notes on the diner. A waitress showed them to a booth near the window. Joel took one side and she took the other. She set the book aside to glance at the menu. A ham and cheese omelet sounded good to her.

“What are you havin’?”

“Omelet. You?”

“Bacon and eggs.”

The waitress appeared at their table, barely glancing at Mesa, but focusing entirely on Joel. “Hey, Joel.”

“Hey, Marie. Coffee, Mesa?”

“Yes please.”

He looked up at the waitress and said, “Two coffees. I’ll have bacon and eggs over medium with hash browns and my lady friend will have?”

“Ham and cheese omelet.”

“Got that?”

“Yeah,” she said, simpering over him and batting her eyes. “Are you busy tonight?”

“Yes, I am actually.”

“What about tomorrow night?”

“Sorry, Marie. I’m not interested in dating you. We’ve already had this discussion before. You’re a sweet girl, but you aren’t my type.”

“And she is? Look at her!”

“What’s between me and Mesa is none of your business. I’ll thank you to remember that and please call us another waitress.”

“But I…”

“Ann?”

“Yeah, Joel?” an older woman called from behind the counter.

“Can you come here and take our order please.”

“Be right there.” She grabbed a coffee pot and two cups before she headed over toward their table. “I got this, Marie.”

Marie huffed off toward the kitchen, glancing behind her several times.

“Sorry about her, Joel. You know she’s had the hots for you for a long time. She just doesn’t know when to quit.”

“It’s fine. I just didn’t want to subject my friend here to her.”

Ann poured them two cups of coffee, smiling at Mesa and whole time. “You ain’t from around here.”

“No, I’m staying at the ranch for a few days.”

“Ann Quimby, this is Mesa Arraguso. She’s from L.A.”

“Nice to meet you, Ann,” Mesa replied, taking her hand in a firm shake.

“You too, Mesa. I ain’t sure how you corralled this youngin’, but hang on tight. You’re in for the ride of your life, honey.”

Mesa blushed to the roots of her hair. Was it so obvious they were sleeping together that the whole town could tell by looking at them? “Thanks for the advice.”

“No problem, darlin’. What are you two eatin’?”

Joel repeated the order to Ann then she took off toward the kitchen to get their order up. Mesa bit her lip and sipped her coffee. Joel watched her over the rim of his cup, his eyebrow raised over his left eye. “What?”

“You’re blushin’.”

“I didn’t think it was so obvious we’re lovers, but apparently it is.”

“Are you ashamed, because I’m not.”

“No. I really didn’t think it was written on my forehead though.” She tapped the spot between her brows. “You know. Joel’s slut.”

“You aren’t a slut, Mesa, for God’s sake. There’s a big difference between someone who goes around sleeping with everyone and anyone and someone who hooks up with one person for a short term fling.”

“Did you just hear yourself? It means the same thing, Joel.”

“No, it doesn’t.” He lowered his voice. “Sluts sleep with everyone or anyone. You are only sleepin’ with me. Of course, we aren’t doin’ much sleepin’.”

“Shush. I don’t want everyone hearing you.”

“It’s none of their business what we do, Mesa.”

“I still don’t need everyone hearing you talk about our sex life.”

“What does it matter? After you leave, you won’t ever see them again.”

“What if I come back?”

“Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Coming back after you leave.”

“I don’t know, Joel. It all depends on what happens between us. I mean, maybe we could just have a fling every year around the same time.” She sipped her coffee before setting the cup back down. “Isn’t there a movie with the same storyline? I know.” She snapped her fingers. “It’s called Same Time Next Year. We could do that.”

He drank a little of his coffee. “I don’t want to think about when you’re goin’ home.”

“I don’t either, but it’s reality. I have a life back in Los Angeles. Your life is here.”

“You’re becoming a very important part of my life, Mesa.”

“Here you go, folks. Omelet for the lady. Bacon and eggs for you, Joel. More coffee?”

“No, I think we’re good, Ann. Thank you.”

They ate in silence while the thoughts of going home soured her stomach. She didn’t want to go back to Los Angeles. She didn’t care about her life there anymore, but Joel didn’t want to talk about her leaving either.

After they finished their breakfast and quietly sipped their coffee, Joel asked, “Are you finished? We can hit the small western wear store for a pair of boots before we go back to the ranch.”

“Yes, I’m done.”

She grabbed her wallet to pay for her breakfast, but he beat her to the tab, thrusting twenty dollars into Ann’s hands as she brought the bill. “Keep the change.”

“Thanks, doll. See you around?”

“Of course, darlin’. You know I can’t stay away from you.”

He kissed her on the cheek and jealousy rushed through Mesa. What the hell? She’s old enough to be his mother.

“Tell my sister hello for me when you get back to the ranch.”

“I will. Ma needs to come in here once in a while to get away from the house. She spends too much time on the books.”

Her sister? Nina is Ann’s sister? Well that explains the familiarity of Joel with Ann. She’s his aunt!

“Are reservations up this year?”

“Yeah, business is doin’ good. Now, if the damned housin’ development people would back the hell off and quit buyin’ up the properties, we’d be fine.”

“Are they buyin’ up more?”

“Yeah. One of our neighbors sold out.”

“Y’all have enough land to keep them from bein’ too close to you.”

“True, but it cuts down on the range land overall, which makes it difficult for the wildlife.”

“True, baby doll.” She patted his cheek before she hugged him. “Kiss your mama.”

“Sure. Love you.”

“Love you too, honey. Take care of that girl. She’s good for you, Joel.”

Color spread across his cheeks as he blushed a deep red. “I will.”

The warmth of his hand at the small of her back made her feel cared for. She wasn’t sure why having him show his possession of her on such a visceral level brought her spirits up, even when it wasn’t what it seemed.

Next they hit the western store for boots. He helped her pick out a nice part of Ariat boots with soft rawhide. The pair hugged her feet, molding to the shape of her foot so well, she felt like she was walking in slippers. “These are fabulous, Joel. Thank you for helping me pick them out.”

“You’re welcome, darlin’. I have a pair similar in my closet I wear out dancing because they are so comfortable.”

“Do you go to the club a lot?”

“I wouldn’t say a lot. I don’t go every weekend or anything.”

“What else do you like to do?”

“Huntin’, fishin’, four-wheelin’, muddin’. You know, outdoorsy things.”

“What’s muddin’?”

“You’ve never been muddin’?”

She laughed and punched his arm. “If I had, I wouldn’t have asked you what it is, now would I?”

“Well hell, darlin’. We’ll get the boys together after work this evenin’ and show you what a good time muddin’ is! We usually do it on the weekend when we don’t have so much work, but it’s fun in the dark, too. We get the big ass lights on the back of the truck, turn them on and have a great time.”

“So what is it?”

“We get our trucks out in the big mud bog down near the fishin’ hole and race around in it. It’s a blast! You get mud in places you never thought you’d see mud.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“Let’s head back to the ranch. I need to do a little work today if we are gonna get everyone to cut out early tonight. Mom and Dad will probably go, too. Hell, they might even invite all the guests. We sometimes get people settin’ up their lawn chairs out there just to watch. Some of the guys from town come out too if they know we are doin’ it, just to join in.” Joel helped her into his truck before he went around to the driver’s side. “This is gonna be fun. We haven’t been muddin’ in several weeks. It’s been too busy at the ranch.”

“Are you sure it’ll be okay?”

“It’ll be great. It’s been kind of slow at the ranch this week so Mom and Dad shouldn’t have a problem with it.”

He started the truck and backed out of the spot at the western wear store.

Several minutes later, he punched the code into the gate at the front of the ranch. “Why do you lock the gate?”

“Mostly to keep unwanted visitors out. We have a pool and some of the local kids want to come by and swim. We don’t have a lifeguard, so for liability issues, we keep the place locked. It also keeps out the people wandering around looking for ranches to check out. We’ve had people poach our cattle before.”

“Wow, really?”

“Yeah. We have the longhorns who roam the ranch, but we also have the beef cattle we use to sell for meat.”

They pulled up in the front of the main lodge as Nina stepped outside. She waved and started for the truck. “I’m going to the barn,” he said once they stood in front of it.

“Chicken.”

“Yep. I don’t want another lecture from my mother about our love life.” He reached over and kissed her. “I’ll see you after while. I’ll get the guys set up for muddin’ later. You just wear somethin’ you won’t mind gettin’ all dirty in.”

“Yes, Sir.”

His left eyebrow rose. “I like when you say that. We’ll work on it more later.” He kissed her again just as Nina reached the truck. “Later, Mom.”

“Where are you goin’?”

“To work.”

“You haven’t done anything all morning, young man. What’s makin’ you start now?”

He grinned and started to whistle as he made his way toward the barn without answering her.

“Where’d you two go? I didn’t see you at breakfast.”

“We went to the diner in town since we were late getting up.”

Nina grinned. “I’m glad you two are gettin’ along much better.”

“Not that you had anything to do with us not talking to each other yesterday and then getting into a big fight so we would make up.”

“Me?”

“Playing matchmaker, Nina?”

“I just want my son to be happy. You make him happy.” She shrugged. “I haven’t seen him in such a good mood in a long time.”

“We’ve come to a mutual agreement.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. We aren’t going to talk about anything past this week.”

“What happens after this week?”

“We don’t know at this point. We’re playing it by ear, so to speak.”

Nina tilted her head, giving Mesa a look like her mother would. “What do you want to happen?”

“I have a life in Los Angeles, Nina. Joel is a great guy and we get along fine, but I don’t think there is anything beyond this week for us.”

“I’m sorry to hear you say that, Mesa. I think you two are fabulous together, but I understand where you are coming from. Moving all the way here would be a huge mistake on your part. I mean what happens if things don’t work out between you and Joel?”

“I’ve been telling myself the same thing for the last couple of days. I’m glad you understand.”

“I really do, but let me tell you a story.”

“Okay.” Mesa took a seat on the picnic bench as Nina sat across from her.

“I wasn’t born and raised here.”

“But you’re Native American.”

“Yes, I am, but Texas is not where I came from. I met the boys’ father when I traveled with my own father to Washington on a business trip. He was high counsel in our tribe. The trip was to try to talk the government into giving us more money for schools and medicine. We didn’t have access to a clinic for the young girls to go for birth control and my father wanted me to talk to them as a teenager on the verge of womanhood with all the sexual urges of a budding young lady.”

“Wow.”

“Yep.”

“Did you meet Mr. Young there?”

“No. He worked for the government agency and was sent to the area to do a report on our needs after my father gave them his plea. He was a suit and a half when he walked into our home to talk to my father. I’d never seen such a man before except for those in Washington. The only people I’d seen were those of our hometown in New Mexico.”

“You two were so drawn to each other, he moved out here, bought the ranch, and moved you to it to raise your family.”