Saddle Up(44)

For the first time, Miranda noticed the purple shadows under her grandmother’s eyes. “Have you had any offers yet?”

“Not a single one, not worth considering anyway. One of the neighboring ranches inquired about leasing some of the pastureland though. I’m still thinking about it. It seems wasteful not to be putting it to any use. More coffee?” Jo-Jo filled her cup before she could reply, adding a generous amount of real cream and two heaping spoonfuls of sugar.

“Thanks.” Miranda took a sip while endeavoring to corral her wild thoughts. Her grandmother had just given her the perfect opening. Maybe her involvement with the horses wasn’t just about making a film. Maybe she was meant to do much more.

“Jo-Jo,” she asked, “how much grazing pasture do you have here?”

“After letting all the leases go back, I still own four whole sections—prime land with creek access on two sides.”

“How many acres is that?” Miranda asked, her pulse speeding.

“A little over twenty-five hundred. That’s equivalent to four square miles, with plenty of water. Water is a priceless commodity around these parts. That’s why I’m not dropping my price.”

“What if you could put the land to good use without it being a huge burden on you? Would you consider keeping the place?”

“I couldn’t afford to keep it unless I could generate some income.”

“How do you feel about mustangs?” Miranda asked. “I know it sounds crazy, but the BLM is desperate to get those horses off their hands.”

Jo-Jo shook her head sadly. “I know your heart’s in the right place, but I don’t know the first thing about wild horses, and I couldn’t do it alone even if I wanted to.”

“What if you weren’t alone? What if I wanted to help you?”

“Sweetheart, it would be a dream come true to have you here with me, but I don’t understand why you’d want to mess with wild mustangs. Seems like nothing but a whole lot of trouble to me.”

“Didn’t you just say that cows are harder to manage than horses?” Miranda countered. “Maybe we could even train some of them. There are several prisons that do that and offer them up for adoption.”

Jo-Jo looked doubly skeptical. “Randa, honey, you don’t know the first thing about breaking a domestic horse, let alone a wild one.”

“I know that, Jo-Jo. We’d have to bring someone on to do the training. I’d never be foolish enough to try something like that on my own, but I have connections now. The West family has been dealing with these horses for thirty years…and Keith has worked with them too.”

“Keith?” Jo-Jo asked.

“He was a wrangler I met while working on the film. He saved me from a rattlesnake. And a mountain lion. I also nearly froze to death that night.” She grinned. “But I’ve never had a better time in my whole life.”

Jo-Jo laughed. “Sounds a little like the first date I had with your grandpa.”

“Tell me about it,” Miranda said.

“Bud had been coming around for a good while, helping out on the ranch. He kept eyeballing me when he thought I wasn’t looking, but never could seem to find his tongue. The first time he ever spoke to me directly was the day he showed up with two saddled horses. ‘Wanna ride?’ he says.

“‘Sure. I’ll ride,’ I answer. I go inside and change into my jeans and boots, and there he is, just waitin’. Doesn’t say another word for two hours as we ride up into the mountains. Then he suddenly pulls up. ‘You like steak?’

“‘Yes. Who doesn’t?’ I reply. Then I noticed the little clearing with a fire pit all set up to go—neatly stacked wood, a cooler full of food, a cast-iron fry pan, coffeepot, and a box of Bisquick. I almost fell off the horse when I realized the man who’d barely spoken more than five words to me had ridden all the way up that mountain hours before just to set up for our ‘date.’ I suspected right then that he was the man I’d marry.”

“When did you know for certain?” Miranda asked. Was it really possible to fall in love with someone so quickly?

“About two hours later, when he asked me, but it was the kiss that sealed the deal. Honey, he wasn’t a talker, but that sure wasn’t because he didn’t know how to use his tongue.”

“Jo-Jo!” Miranda cried, cheeks flaming.

“Why do you look so scandalized? I was young once too. And I never stopped liking those kisses either. The secret to a happy marriage starts with great kisses. I never had any complaints in that department…or in any other.”

“Just like that? You just knew he was the one for you?”

Miranda could hardly imagine making that kind of life-changing decision after knowing someone such a short time. She and Keith had shared something special too, but how could she know if it was enough to build on? She wondered where he was at the moment, and what he was doing. It seemed the harder she tried not think about him, the more her mind seemed to go there.

“That I did,” Jo-Jo continued. “You gotta understand, with men, actions speak much louder than words, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. We got married as soon as I turned eighteen. We were together fifty years, and I never regretted a day.” Her eyes twinkled and then misted. “I still miss the ol’ codger.” She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and sniffed. “Enough of the waterworks. Now tell me about this Keith of yours. Did you spend the night with him?”