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“Ah. Slater Highwater. Yes, he runs the Last Stand Saloon. Must be about the party Wednesday.”
“Highwater?” She hadn’t heard his last name before. “Any relation—”
“Yes. His brother.” Sydney grinned. “And yes, it’s an interesting family. You’ll meet them there, at the party.”
She’d been wishing she’d never agreed to go to this thing. “I…don’t know. I don’t have any party-type clothes. Here, I mean,” she added hastily, not wanting to admit she didn’t have any, period. She had one dress suit she kept for interviews, a simple black thing she’d bought for its permanent style, but that was the extent of her up-dressing wardrobe. She had nothing at all party worthy.
Sydney took a step back, looking her up and down. “You’re too tall for my things, but Ariel might be a good fit. We’ll find you something. Meet us here at five or so, and we’ll get you set up before we head out at seven. And don’t forget, as soon as you’re done with this assignment, I want to talk to you about that work for me.”
“I won’t forget.” She wasn’t likely to forget the chance to do some work for something the size ofThe World in a Gift.
“And here’s the other half of this gorgeous pair, so I’ll leave you to it.”
Sydney was gone practically before Kaitlyn could take a breath. And she knew she must look a bit besieged, because Ry was grinning at her as Sydney walked away. “Feel like a tornado just went by?” he asked.
“Is she always like that?”
“Pretty much. Although Keller’s calmed her down a bit.”
“Then she must have been overwhelming before.”
“She’s just what my brother needed,” he said, and there was no mistaking the complete satisfaction in his voice.
They walked down to the stall where Two was now housed. His mom, Ry told her, was out in the big corral, far enough away and with some other mares for company. The colt would be turned out later today in the smaller corral on the other side of the barn, for some playtime.
“We’re all working with him,” Ry said. “The more people he gets used to messing with him now, the better later.”
The youngster seemed to be adjusting, and appeared both interested and playful with them. He’d made her laugh with his antics, suddenly taking off to run full tilt around the small enclosure, looking all legs and elbows to her. Then Ry patiently showed her how to saddle up the equally if not more patient Latte, and they got ready to ride.
It turned out to be one of the best days she’d ever had in her life. They’d headed out with no particular destination in mind. But when they reached a place that looked familiar, and she realized it was a vista she’d seen replicated on the governor’s saddle—he’d been born here in the Hill Country—she’d simply had to take a photo of it.
“Side by side with an image of the saddle,” she’d murmured, framing the shot in her mind before she even had the camera out of the saddlebag.
It had taken her a few moments to get in just the right position, and several shots before she was satisfied. Only then did she realize Ry had never said a word, had simply waited. And when she’d started to apologize for the delay and for getting lost in the idea of showing the reality next to his vision, she suddenly stopped herself. Because he was looking at her with total understanding.
“Good,” he said softly. And she didn’t know if he meant the idea, or that she hadn’t apologized.
They’d ridden on, to some places they’d been before, and some new ones. Past peacefully grazing cattle, over the stream swollen from a storm up country last night then out to Chance’s place, where Tri greeted them with calm alertness and Chance was working with another, clearly edgier dog on leash.
“The peace here must be good for them,” she said as she stayed in place, watching Chance calm the animal. The other man nodded approval at her words, or perhaps her care at making no quick moves. She was introduced to the dog now known as Bowie, and the animal eventually tolerated a stroke from her hand.
Then, at Ry’s nod, she broached again the subject of some photographs, with the idea of broadening the reach of the fundraising forThey Also Serve. Chance gave her a steady, assessing look, and crazily all she could think was that this man should be the one who flustered her, with that warrior’s gaze. But no, contrary as she was, it had to be his brother who rattled her cage.
And suddenly the cage simile she often used seemed a little too appropriate. Because here, in this fabled area, on this ranch, with this family, she felt as if she truly had been living in a cage until now.
“You, I think I could stand,” Chance said.
As they were riding away from the cabin a few minutes later, Ry gave her a sideways look. “You have no idea what a tribute that was.”
“I think maybe I do,” she said, “because I felt…honored.”
The smile he gave her then, instead of flustering her, made her feel a burst of warmth somewhere deep inside.
She paused several more times when something intriguing, from a rock formation to the hawk circling overhead, caught her eye and demanded her lens. Each time Ry waited, patiently, although he’d looked at her rather intently when she wanted the perfect shot of a view between two hills that seemed to frame a big oak whose shape reminded her of the hanging tree over east in Kyle. Backlit by the lowering sun, the contorted tree was an amazing image.
And each time, she consciously made the choice to simply thank him instead of apologizing for taking up his time.
“I get it,” was all he said, and she knew he did. And that was another pleasure she’d never experienced before.
