“Nah. Realistic, not arrogant. It’s easy to get swept up in something and not step back to look at the bigger picture until it’s too late.”

“Yeah, that’s it.” Travis laughed. “Or at least something like it. Anyway, what’s going on with you?”

“Not much. It’s business as usual around here. Although, how long it’ll stay that way, I don’t know.”

“What do you mean?”

“Libb’s talking about movingallthe horses to your place.”

Travis sighed. “I know. I’ve left Mav a couple of messages, but he’s not calling me back.”

“It’s not your fault.”

Travis laughed. “I know that, you know that – do you want to try telling him that?”

Ace laughed with him. “I’ve tried, believe me. It’s not as though he blames you. He blames himself and we all know it, but … Maybe it’ll work out for the best.”

“Maybe. If Libb’s not on the ranch anymore, Cash might finally be able to convince Mav that it’s time to come home. I got sick of waiting. I’ve been ready for a while. Cash is teetering on the brink but …”

“I know. I feel for Mav, I do. He won’t come home while Libb’s here on the ranch, but he hates thinking about the place without her.”

Travis blew out a sigh. “Something’s gotta give with those two at some point. They’re miserable without each other.”

“Yeah, but toward the end there, they were miserable with each other, too.”

“Are you saying that you think it’s really over this time?”

“No. I just don’t have the same absolute certainty that I used to that it’s only a matter of time. Time keeps rolling on by and nothing’s changing.”

“Yeah. Its’ going to take something more than just waiting this time.”

“You have any ideas?”

Travis chuckled. “None that I’d want to risk my life over.”

“That means something that’d piss Mav off big time?”

“Yeah. You know how pissy he gets about her working with vets. He didn’t like the idea of the riding program when she started it. If she’s going to move the horses up here, she’s going to be working with the guys who come to stay as well as theones who just come to ride for an hour a week. She’s going to be spending time with men who …”

“Shit! I didn’t think about that angle. You really are risking your life just by setting things up. If she were to start seeing one of those guys …”

Travis laughed. “If she does, I’m leaving town. No, scratch that, I’m leaving the country.”

Ace laughed with him. “It wouldn’t be your fault.”

“Again – we know that, but would you want to be the one to tell Mav?”

“Nope.”

“We’ll just have to see how it all plays out. At this point, my hope is that Libb leaving the ranch might be what it takes for Mav to decide to come home. Nothing’s going to happen between them until he’s back in the valley.”

“Yeah, but once he’s here something’s going to have to happen. Either they’ll figure it out, or they’ll have to find a way to be okay around each other.”

“See, I find that harder to imagine. It’d be like the planet had shifted on its axis. Mav and Libby not being together and being … what, polite to each other? Just friends? Nah. It’s never going to happen. They either get back together or they stay the hell out of each other’s way – there’s no middle ground for the two of them.”

Ace blew out a sigh. “You’re right.”

“Anyway, listen to us, gossiping like a pair of old ladies. We’ll have nothing left to talk about at the bakery.”