Life After Wife (Three Magic Words Trilogy, #3)(47)

“What can I get you folks? Breakfast is already over so you’ll have to order from the lunch menu,” a middle-aged woman said from behind the counter.

“I want a banana split with whipped cream and nuts,” Elijah said.

“Make that two,” Sophie added. It was a heck of a lot of calories and fat grams, but if she was going to work three square miles of land, she’d soon shake it all off. Besides, today was celebration day. They’d had an awesome sale and hired two more hands to help and Gus had retired. The latter threatened tears, but she kept them at bay. She’d be happy for Gus, not sad. He deserved a few years to sit in his rocking chair on the porch between the honey-do things his wife had in store.

Elijah paid the lady with a bill and told her to keep the change. He led Sophie back to a booth and dropped her hand when they sat down on opposite sides. “So what do you think?”

“I’ll have to walk twenty miles to work off all the calories I’m about to eat, and that’s not even taking into account that enormous omelet and toast I had this morning,” she said.

“Not that. The motorcycle,” he said.

“I loved it Elijah. It’s…it’s…there’re no words to describe it. It’s freedom and laughter and butterfly wings all tied up together with a red bow,” she gushed.

He laughed. “I’ve never heard it called that. I guess I’ll keep it if you like it that much.”

Her eyes popped open so wide that they hurt. “You were going to sell it?”

“Thought about it, but if you like it we’ll keep it for Sunday afternoon rides so you can have your freedom and butterflies.” He chuckled again.

“Thank you, but if you ever decide to sell it, I’ll buy the rascal. Just name your price,” she said.

The waitress set two banana splits on the table. Sophie picked up the plastic spoon and dipped into the end with the chocolate topping. “Mmmm,” she said.

Elijah did the same. “Good!”

“Not as good as the ride but still wonderful,” she said between bites.

“When we finish, you want a longer ride?”

A brilliant smile lit up her face. “Where to?”

“Ever been to Fort Griffin?”

“Not since I went there as a kid on a school field trip.”

“It’s about a forty-five-minute drive up there. I heard that they were rebuilding the old jail and putting up a general store.”

“Aunt Maud said that someone was plowing a bunch of money into the old place, keeping it as historical as possible.”

“Guess we’d best go check on it and see if it meets our approval.”

She giggled. “As if the historical society cares what we think. I didn’t get a letter asking if I agreed with them rebuilding the old jail. Did you?”

“Of course I did. It had the official state seal of Texas on it and the whole nine yards. Could be that I’m a decorated war vet and they want my opinion on such things whereas you are just a ranchin’ woman,” he teased.

Sophie shook her spoon at him. “Do not underestimate the powers of a cattle woman.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said.

“What did you do in the war, Elijah?”

“That would be Eli, ma’am. And I could tell you but then…” He left the age-old line hanging.

“I like Elijah better, and you’d better bring an army if you ever want to kill me. One man ain’t big enough.” She flirted back at him and it felt good.

“Oh?” He raised both dark eyebrows.

“That’s right, buster. I’m a tough woman like Aunt Maud. She bequeathed me half her ranch and all her sass. So stand aside if you think you can run over me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, not if she left you all her mean! Uncle Jesse used to say that she was ninety percent bluff and only ten percent mean, but no one wanted to test her mettle because that ten percent was deadly if she had to drag it out.”

Sophie leaned across the table and whispered, “He was a very smart man, and I got all of mine now plus hers.”

“Well then, sassy woman, eat your ice cream before it all melts, and we’ll go stomp around the old fort and work off the calories. You like to hike?”

Sophie shrugged. “I like outside.”

“You never been hiking?” he asked.

She shrugged again. “What’s the formal definition of ‘hiking’? I’ve been out walking in the pastures and sometimes in the woods.”

“I’ll take you on a real hike sometime and you can see for yourself. How about fishing?”

She nodded. “Boring! Went with my dad when I was a kid a couple of times.”

“Out to a farm pond?”

“That’s right.”

“I’ll take you real fishing, in a boat out on a lake with the sun and wind.”

“Promise?”

“Sure, next Sunday we’ll ride the bike up to Breckenridge to the lake and rent a boat. You know how to cook catfish or bass?”

She shook her head. “Love it but never cooked it.”

“Then I’ll do the cookin’ if we catch anything.”

She pushed the clear plastic boat to the middle of the table. “My eyes were bigger than my stomach. I should’ve ordered a sundae. Help me finish the last scoop. Butterscotch is my least favorite of the three toppings.”