Page 4 of Jonathan

She had seen him disappointed in love. Her lips tightened as she recalled the woman who had breezed into town with her sophisticated ways and careless manner and had tried to persuade her son to give up his ranching.

Leonie adjusted a place setting and turned her sharp blue eyes, the exact shade of which she had passed to her son – and took in the fresh flowers that she insisted on being placed on the rich dark mahogany surface of the countertops.

She ran the ranch with loving care and with a firm hand. She loved that her hands were full each day with activities. Today there will be a tour of the vast grounds.

Their lush organic orchards, featuring oranges, plump, rich and sweet, peaches, juicy and delicious, lemons and apples that were out of this world and the delicious pies that had their trademark. Those pies were not only sold in markets in their small town but had been shipped far and wide and was netting them an enormous amount of profit.

It had been her idea, and her husband had been hesitant at first, but had given her the go ahead. To their surprise, it had taken off like a shot. She loved to bake and excelled at it. Now she had people in her huge, cavernous kitchen working for her.

She had an assistant to help through the paperwork and to assist with the many activities they had going on.

Her son did not care about the functions. His only concern was the running of the ranch. The responsibilities and they were enormous ones! Had been placed squarely on his broad shoulders with no complaints. He worked too hard. Up before dawn and only coming home in the dead of night and just to be at it again the next day.

He took his responsibilities seriously, making certain that everything was as it should be. She could not fault him for it. But she could only pray as a loving mother that he would find something more. Like a family of his own.

Standing in the middle of the room, she turned in a tight circle to take in the elegant setting. The ranch was too big for two people and for a minute, she allowed the despondency and longing for the patter of small feet to wrap around her like a sodden blanket.

The footsteps outside the door had her shaking the melancholia away and when the doors were pushed open to admit the object of her thoughts, that smile widened into pleasure.

“I had no idea you were expected.”

“You wanted us to have breakfast so we could discuss the gala this weekend.” Shoving back his hat, he took her hands and bent to kiss her proffered cheek.

“And to tell you that I have ten minutes, max.”

“Then let’s not waste any of it.” Linking their hands, she led the way to the small dining table where the place had been set for two. A uniformed maid materialized with a pot of coffee and placed it before them.

“Thanks Lacie. We’ll have the eggs and sausages, and I know Gaston made some fresh bread earlier.” She looked at her son. “I know you don’t eat too much, this early, but please indulge me.”

He merely nodded and poured the coffee into two cups. And tamped down his impatience.

He loved his mother dearly, but sincerely wished she would go ahead with these plans without his input. He had a hell of a lot to cover today, what with the new shipments going off and branding time which would take up a chunk of the day. There was also…

“You look tired, darling.” The concern in her voice had him lifting his head to look at her.

“Why, thanks, mother.” Injecting a teasing note in his deep voice, he handed her the cup of steaming coffee.

“That was not a criticism, just an observation.” She stirred sweetener in aware that her son was wincing. He and her husband had always wondered how on earth she could doctor a perfectly good brew.

But she had never learned to tolerate taking it black. She was originally from Ireland, Dublin to be precise and tea was her preferred beverage. Taking a tentative sip, she nodded and turned her gaze on her only child. His skin was tanned from hours out in the sun, making his blue eyes appear even darker.

His ash blonde hair, another inheritance from her, needed trimming. It tended to curl and was mashed down somewhat by the hat. He was a handsome man, she thought, feeling the familiar thrill running through her.

That she had produced such a man like him had always baffled her. He was topping six foot three, even taller than his dad had been and had the lean whipcord strength of someone who spent all his life doing manual tasks. Shrugging away her thoughts, she proceeded to give him details.

Chapter 2

The plane ride had been a little turbulent, with the pilot and flight attendants reassuring them every few hours. The connecting flight on the tiny plane had her heart lodging in her throat. Now she was on the ground and entirely grateful to be there.

Instead of taking advantage of the car service that was part of the package, she had chosen to rent a vehicle. She wanted the freedom to come and go as she pleased. And she wanted to take in the scenery. Driving from the airport, she was treated to the dazzling bursts of color.

She was not a fan of small towns but had to admit that it was an enchanting view. On both sides, there were quaint cottage type buildings as the town center gave way to the rural. There were actual cows grazing and it seems like every fenced yard had a horse or two in some sort of corral.

She had read up on the place and knew that McCarthy Fields was owned almost entirely by one family. The McCarthys. The family had been here for hundreds of years and their hands in almost everything.

Touching the button to ease the top down, she relished the cooling summer breeze on her skin. Her hair was short so she did not have to worry about damage and split ends caused by the breeze.

A laugh escaped her, long and loud as she zipped along the narrow road. The houses gave way to quaint shops, department stores and tiny restaurants that had cute names flowing in cursive writings.

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