Nextcame the condiments, a bag of chips, and pink lemonade. Theperfect picnic type supper. He led Mesa back to two chairs at the familytable, hoping his brothers would behave. She seemed like a lady…a beautiful oneat that. Sure, he'd been with lots of beautiful women before. After all, thereputation around San Antonio, and Bandera especially, had the Young brothers ascatchable material for the mothers of the town. They had land—a worthycommodity in the hill country. Sure they had the reputation of being playboys,but it made them all the more chaseable to women.

“Whatwere you doing out in this neck of the woods, Mesa?” Joshua asked.

“Runningout of gas in the middle of nowhere.”

Theyall laughed as she blushed a pretty shade of pink. “Actually, I’ve beensearching for inspiration.”

“For?”Jeff questioned. As the oldest of the brothers, he always had a suspicious mindabout strangers hanging around the area. There were too many accidentshappening lately, accidents involving their cattle. They had to be careful. Toomany of the neighboring ranches were being bought out by big corporationswanting the land for housing developments.

“Inspirationfor my books. I’m a writer.”

“Whatdo you write?” Nina asked.

“Romancenovels.”

“Really?How very cool. I’m an avid reader of romance myself. Are you published?”

“Yes,ma’am. I have a pen name, though.”

“Whydon’t you write under your own name? Mesa is a beautiful name and verydifferent. I would think it would be a great pen name.”

“Ilove my first name. My mother wanted something special for me when I was born.My father is Italian and my mother said she is Mexican with a little Indianblood. I write under Mesa West.”

“Youhave the beautiful dark hair and sharp facial features of your ancestors, Mesa.Do not be ashamed of it.”

“Thankyou, Nina. You’ve made me very welcome in your home.”

“Youare welcome anytime. I hope you come and visit another time when you can staylonger.”

“Actually,I’m in the area because of a writer’s conference in San Antonio. If you haveroom here at the ranch, I’d love to stay a few days?”

“Ofcourse we do. I have a special room in the main house you can have all toyourself.”

“Whichroom, Mom? I’ll make sure it's ready for her. I imagine she’ll need to go backto town to get her clothes.”

“Yes,I will. Thank you, Joel. You’ve been more than kind.”

“Sowhat kind of books do you write?” Jacob asked.

Mesapressed her lips together as a deep blush stained her cheeks. Apparently, shethought it embarrassing to tell a bunch of cowboys she writes about them withsexy heroines. He would have to learn more about her writing while she stayedat the ranch. Having never read a romance novel, he really had no idea whatthey had in them.

“Shewrites about cowboys,” Joel said, earning himself raised eyebrows from hisbrothers. He shrugged his shoulders as he put a potato chip in his mouth. “What?I already asked her.”

“It’strue. I write about cowboys in modern day and historical settings.”

“Howhot?” Nina questioned, sitting forward in her chair. “Ilove the erotic stories.”

“Veryhot,” Mesa answered.

“Ifyou have some with you, make sure to bring them back. I would love to read someof yours. Cowboys are right up my alley.”

Theboys laughed as the subject changed to other topics including the buyouts ofthe other ranches.

“TheMitchells are selling,” his father said as he approached the table with a platein hand.

“Mesa,this is my father, James Young. Dad, this is Mesa.”

“It’snice to meet you, Mesa.”

“Youtoo, sir.”

“Shit,seriously? They’re selling?” Jeff cursed. “Excuse my language, Mom. Mesa. Howmany more are we gonna lose to these sharks?”

“Idon’t know, Jeff. They seem to be buying up the ranches who have been hit thehardest by the beef prices. The drought hasn’t helped either. Feed is scarce inthis country half the time anyway, but when it doesn’t rain, it’s worse.”

“We’vemanaged to stay ahead by doing the dude ranch thing, right, Dad?” Jonathanadded to the conversation.

“Sofar, yes. We’ve had a great clientele of guests to keep things going, but theprices are hurting even us.”

Joelknew their whole lives depended on this ranch. They couldn’t lose it. But thedevelopers driving the local ranchers out only spelled harder times for everyone.The hill country was home, had been since before he could walk. The fivethousand acres encompassing Thunder Ridge Ranch would be their legacy. Each of them. They all had a stake in the place and as faras he knew, they all planned to stay and ranch their own small section deededto each brother when they turned eighteen.

Hisparents bought the ranch when his mom had been carrying his younger brother,Jonathan. Little did she know there would be a total of nine before shefinished. Now, she wanted daughter-in-laws.

Hechuckled under his breath. Little did his mother know, none of them had anyaspirations of a bride at the moment. She wouldn’tcare, though. Fixing them up with decent women had become her pastime thesedays.

Therest of the conversation around the table went back and forth between who mightbe going out tonight to the rain pushing through the area earlier. Even thoughflash flooding could be a constant worry, they needed the life-giving essenceof the rain. The ground right now needed it badly.

“Ifyou want to head back into town after supper to get your things, I’ll make sureyour room is ready.”

“Thankyou, Joel.”

“Ifyou’re back in time, we’re having a bonfire later out near the pit. Most of theguests will be there.”

“Soundslike fun. I haven’t been to a bonfire in ages.”

“We’llget you countrified while you’re here if it kills us, city girl.”

Mesalaughed. The sound sent chills down his back as goose bumps spread across hisarms. The soft tinkle of her laughter reverberated along his nerves beforesettling in his groin. Not good. Getting mixed up with a guest on the ranchalways came back to bite a guy in the ass He’d caved into the urge once ortwice, much to his regret and his brothers’ enjoyment. Not to say he didn’t gethis shots in when they decided to play. “I can show you more of the ranchtomorrow so you can get some ideas of the life.”

Thefork disappeared between her plump lips. God,I never thought watching someone eat was sexy before. Her brown eyessparkled in the overhead lighting of the dining hall. He shook his head. Thoughtsof her in any kind of romantic situation would just lead to trouble.

“Iwould appreciate it. I have a vivid imagination but to have firsthand knowledgeis priceless. Makes it much easier to describe scenes whenyou have information.”

“Doyou know horses?” he asked, pushing his empty plate back.

“Afew. I don't have any of my own, but I’ve ridden before.”

“Wecan do some ranch work tomorrow if you like. Ride fences and the like.”

Hersmile lit up the room like a beacon for wayward ships at sea.

“Awesome.I haven’t been on a real working ranch before so this will be the bestexperience I could ask for.”

“Joel,you’ve got roundup tomorrow,” his dad interjected.

“Doyou think it would be okay for Mesa to go with us?”

“Ifshe doesn’t mind watching you and your brothers branding.Castration might be a bit much for her to watch.”

“Ohno, Mr. Young. I would love to watch!”

“Please,call me James.”

“Verywell, James. I think it would be a great experience for me to watch everything.”Her excitement almost bubbled over like a boiling pot.

“It’ssmelly, dirty, nasty work. The boys can tell you.”

Thegroup murmured their agreement, but she wasn’t to be dissuaded. If she wantedto watch branding, she'd watch branding, he decided. He was going to give herthe full experience for the time she would be in his care.

Mostof the guests had finished their meal and put their plates in the tub for thedirty dishes so the group of men picked up their plates too. Mesa followed withher own until she spied the chocolate mousse cake sitting on the side cupboardfor the guests. “May I?”