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

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

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

“Hereyou go, folks. Omelet for the lady. Baconand eggs for you, Joel. More coffee?”

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

Theyate in silence while the thoughts of going home soured her stomach. She didn’twant 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.

Afterthey finished their breakfast and quietly sipped their coffee, Joel asked, “Areyou finished? We can hit the small western wear store for a pair of bootsbefore we go back to the ranch.”

“Yes,I’m done.”

Shegrabbed 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 thechange.”

“Thanks,doll. See you around?”

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

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

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

“Iwill. Ma needs to come in here once in a while to get away from the house. Shespends 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!

“Arereservations 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.”

“Arethey buyin’ up more?”

“Yeah.One of our neighbors sold out.”

“Y’allhave 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 thewildlife.”

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

“Sure.Love you.”

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

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

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

Nextthey 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 inslippers. “These are fabulous, Joel. Thank you for helping me pick them out.”

“You’rewelcome, darlin’. I have a pair similar in my closet I wear out dancing becausethey are so comfortable.”

“Doyou go to the club a lot?”

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

“Whatelse do you like to do?”

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

“What’smuddin’?”

“You’venever been muddin’?”

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

“Wellhell, darlin’. We’ll get the boys together after work this evenin’and show you what a good time muddin’ is! We usuallydo 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 havea great time.”

“Sowhat is it?”

“Weget 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 neverthought you’d see mud.”

“Soundslike fun.”

“Let’shead back to the ranch. I need to do a little work today if we are gonna geteveryone 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. Someof the guys from town come out too if they know we are doin’ it, just to joinin.” 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’ inseveral weeks. It’s been too busy at the ranch.”

“Areyou sure it’ll be okay?”

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

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

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

“Mostlyto keep unwanted visitors out. We have a pool and some of the local kids wantto come by and swim. We don’t have a lifeguard, so for liability issues, wekeep the place locked. It also keeps out the people wandering around lookingfor 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 weuse to sell for meat.”

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

“Chicken.”

“Yep.I don’t want another lecture from my mother about our love life.” He reachedover 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 mindgettin’ all dirty in.”

“Yes,Sir.”

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

“Whereare you goin’?”

“Towork.”

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

Hegrinned and started to whistle as he made his way toward the barn withoutanswering her.

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

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

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

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

“Me?”

“Playingmatchmaker, Nina?”

“Ijust want my son to be happy. You make him happy.” She shrugged. “I haven’tseen him in such a good mood in a long time.”

“We’vecome to a mutual agreement.”

“Oh?”

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

“Whathappens after this week?”

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

Ninatilted her head, giving Mesa a look like her mother would. “What do you want tohappen?”

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

“I’vebeen telling myself the same thing for the last couple of days. I’m glad youunderstand.”

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

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

“Iwasn’t born and raised here.”

“Butyou’re Native American.”

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

“Wow.”

“Yep.”

“Didyou meet Mr. Young there?”

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