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“You will be welcome,” Isabella assured him.
Bull noticed she never mentioned Don Luis. He was worried her uncle might not fade into the woodwork as fast as Isabella hoped he would.
A tap on the door drew their attention. Noah McCoy stood there with an older woman and a young Hispanic man. “Excuse me, Aron. Do you have any plans for the Lear in the next few days? I’ve got some loose ends to tie up in Oklahoma concerning Blue Dawn’s adoption.”
Isabella looked curious and Lance satisfied her unspoken query. “My sister Skye is married to Noah. They adopted a baby not too long ago.”
“Wow, that’s wonderful,” she smiled, “Blue Dawn is a beautiful name.”
“Thank you, we’re very proud of her,” Noah acknowledged Isabella’s compliment.
“Take the Lear if you need it,” Aron addressed his brother. “I don’t have anything going on.” He stood once more. “Let me make some introductions here.” Bull stood also. “Noah, I know you’ve met Bull Redford. Sophia, we used to compete on the circuit together. He’s one of the best stock contractors in the business. This lovely lady with him is Isabella Cortez, she’s a breeder of some of the best cattle in Mexico. Miss Isabella, Noah is my younger brother and this is his mother, Sophia Esteban. With them is Mateo Garcia, one of our ranch hands.”
Sophia’s eyes lit up with her smile. “I am very familiar with the Cortez family of Terra Dura. Her family has been considered one of Mexico’s first families for years.”
Bull was surprised to see Sophia bow a bit in deference.
Mateo acknowledged her also. “Your father was my hero. The legend of Terra Dura is known far and wide, Senorita.” The handsome young Mexican kissed Isabella’s hand and Bull frowned. He didn’t like this.
“If there is anything we can do for you while you’re here, you must tell us,” Sophia continued. “To know you have connections to our family is inspiring.”
Isabella hugged Sophia. “Meeting you is my pleasure. Have you spent much time in Mexico?”
She smiled a little sadly. “Yes, many years. I have some happy memories and some very sad ones. Regardless of the time that has passed, I still have many contacts in Mexico. Countless friends.”
“Mother has a whole network of co-conspirators in Mexico,” Noah teased with a shake of his head, “from ladies of the evening to men of the cloth.”
“Shush, Son.” She tapped Noah on the shoulder. “Those friends might come in handy one day, but Miss Cortez is special. Her family is known for their philanthropy, she represents the heart of the Mexican people.”
“Senorita, if there is ever any way I can serve you, I am at your disposal. Always.”
When Mateo put in his two cents and kissed Isabella’s hand again, Bull decided it was time for them to go. “Well, I hate to break up this party, but Isabella and I have things to do. Is Canyon in his shop today?”
Aron seemed amused at Bull. “You never did play well with others, did you, old man?”
The group moved out of the office and toward the front entrance. Aron bid them adieu and left by another way to return to the main house. Isabella walked next to Sophia and they whispered of a shop the older woman had opened in Kerrville, right next to Lance’s wife’s flower shop, she said, “You’ll have to stop by one day, we’ll all do lunch.”
“I would like that very much,” Isabella agreed, warmed by her reception at Tebow. As they stepped out into the sun, even more people arrived, a man and a woman riding in an old-fashioned horse-drawn wagon. “Oh, how quaint.”
“Another dang McCoy, this place is overrun with them,” Bull teased as he grabbed the harness to one of the horses pulling the wagon. “Joseph, Cady, this is my friend, Isabella Cortez. Isabella, this is the daredevil McCoy and his very patient wife.”
“How do you do?” Isabella smiled at the couple. The man looked very much like Aron, while his wife was a beautiful woman of color.
Noah stepped forward to assist Cady to the ground. Once he did, Isabella could see that Cady was quite pregnant. “Where are you two headed?”
“Down to the river for a picnic. I’d invite you all to join us, but I don’t have enough ham sandwiches to spare.” Joseph eased up to Bull. “I see you took my advice in a most spectacular fashion. Good work, Redford.”
Bull felt his cheeks pinken, remembering Joseph’s words to him the day they watched the heifer be bred. You just haven’t met the right woman, Redford. Don’t judge them all by your ex. “It’s not like that, we’re in business together.”
Isabella tensed. It’s not like that? Last night he’d said he loved her. Today he called her ‘friend’ and ‘business partner’.
Noah and his mother said their goodbyes and Mateo gave her one last admiring look. While Joseph and Lance stood talking to Bull, Cady came to her. “Welcome to Tebow. You are a long way from home.”
Isabella nodded. “Yes, I am from Aguascalientes, a city in central Mexico.”
“Lola misses you and Bonita thinks you are lost.”
“Awww.” Tears came to Isabella’s eyes. “I miss them too.” And then it hit her. “What?” Her mouth went agape. “Are you a bruja?”
