Page 38 of Blazing Hot Nights
His hand stayed on my shoulder, and the heat was soothing me after the long drive. “Doesn’t look like it, angel. You just have different options now.”
I tipped my head in agreement. “If I can sell the pasture, I’ll have enough to transform the ranch. I’ll be able to hire a few more hands and a cook. It will allow me to concentrate on falling in love with the land and the work again.”
“Are you excited about it?”
“I’m nervously excited?”
“That was a question.”
“Right now, I still feel defeated. I also feel relieved. I’m sad, but at the same time, I’m excited about the reincarnation of Heavenly Lane. I guess I’m still warring with myself about the decisions I had to make while knowing my choices were few.”
His fingers squeezed my arm and then his hand fell away. “You’ve earned the right to feel all of those things. How did Tex and Dawn feel about it?”
I laughed at the thought of Tex’s yammering once I laid out the plans for them to see. “Tex is all in. He started sharing his ideas immediately. Dawn is a little bit more cautious about the changes. She’s always that way, though, so I don’t take it personally. Beau’s decision to stay or go is weighing on her heavily too. Dawn doesn’t want to get her hopes up if I can’t sell the pasture and make this happen. If Beau leaves, I suspect she will too. Just to get away from the memories of the man she loved but could never have.”
“You’ll sell the pasture. I can promise you that. As for Beau, I have it on good authority he’s not going anywhere. Dawn’s home is Heavenly Lane, and Beau’s is Bison Ridge. Every single one of us knows it.”
All week, I had been holding in my fear of losing Dawn, but his words relieved my worry. “That’s good, at least. You can’t afford to lose Beau any more than I can afford to lose Dawn. Do you think those two will ever figure themselves out?”
Blaze chuckled and winked a beautiful brown eye at me. “Someday they will. I just hope Beau doesn’t blow his chance. Women will only be patient just so long before they start looking in someone else’s pasture.”
“Truth,” I agreed. If only he knew how true that was. I was the perfect case in point. I could lecture Dawn all I wanted about having a crush for years without acting on it, but that just made me a hypocrite. He opened his mouth to respond, but I jumped back in first. “I know you’ve wanted that pasture, and it just makes sense. It’s in a place that doesn’t help me within the parameters of a dude ranch. Without a large herd to water and graze, I won’t need it anymore. You do.”
“Win-win,” he said, straightening in the seat.
“I hope so, but I understand that you also have other obligations and people to deal with.”
“I do, but I’ll make it happen, Heaven.”
I rolled my shoulder a couple of times. “I’ll be glad when we get there,” I said, the horizon glowing brighter the closer we got to our destination.
“Me too,” he agreed, checking the trailer in the side mirror. “This is one red dog I want off my hands sooner rather than later.”
“Maybe we should call her the white dog,” I suggested, chuckling. “I’m still surprised you’re giving her and the cow away. How is your daddy going to feel about that?”
Blaze turned from the window to look me up and down. “My father is aware of the transfer and is agreeable. He doesn’t want the media circus on his property any more than we do. Besides, I’m not giving them away. I’m preserving the beliefs of another nation. I don’t see that as anything but honorable. In my opinion, that doesn’t require payment.”
I nodded, since I couldn’t take my hand off the wheel. “I agree. I wasn’t trying to upset you. I just know my daddy would have had words for me if I was doing the same thing with cattle. Of course, your ranch is always in a better financial position than mine ever was.”
“The way I look at it is, I didn’t pay for the red dog. When I bought the cow, I didn’t know she was pregnant. As far as the cow goes, once the red dog has weaned, the tribe has offered her back to me.”
“Are you going to take her back?”
“Absolutely not. I bought the bison at auction from a ranch that was shutting down. I got twelve bison for the price of two, or so I thought at the time. I ended up getting sixteen, and that’s prosperity I won’t hoard for myself. I assured the tribe they could keep the cow and release her into their herd or use her for meat and her hide with my blessing. Considering what the white man took from their nation, that is the very least I can do. If that red dog leads them into a time of faith, peace, and prosperity, then I need no more payment than that. Sometimes, we just have to follow our gut on these things. My gut is telling me that this trip rights a few wrongs.”
I palmed the portable hand knob I had attached to his steering wheel as we neared a town and I had to slow the rig. “I know Ash would never show it, but I would guess he’s proud of what you’re doing, Blaze. He’s your father, and while he taught you the business, he also taught you how to understand humanity. He taught you to respect the different cultures that make us who we are as the human race. I appreciate you letting me come along to be part of it.”
His warm hand settled on my shoulder again. “I’m glad for the company. Long trips down the highway in the dark alone can be daunting. My mind tends to wander to places I don’t want to go anymore.”
“Mine too. That’s why I’m glad I made the decisions I made this past week. My conscience was far more relaxed on this drive. Speaking of which,” I said, pointing my chin at the sign for a small town. “Where do I go?” I slowed the truck for the speed limit reduction and released a tired sigh. I was glad for the distraction. The conversation needed to happen, but doing it while driving a prized bison down the highway was hard on my nerves.
“I think we should find someplace to pull over so I can drive the rest of the way.” He punched at the screen on his GPS. “We’re only about fifteen miles out, but those miles are all dirt roads. I’m not saying you can’t drive, but with that trailer behind us it will be harder with only one hand.”
“Hey, you’re not insulting me or my driving abilities by saying you want to take over. I’ve been going for two hours, and my arm is tired. Find me a place to pull over. If it has a bathroom, I’ll buy you breakfast after we drop off the red dog.”
His laughter was natural and unencumbered by the heaviness of our earlier conversation. “You got it, angel. One bathroom coming right up.”
Blaze directed me toward a gas station then leaned back against the seat. “Thank you, Heaven, for offering us the pasture first. I know how hard this must be for you.”
