boy in a black Stetson and cowboy boots. He wore a holster around his hips and was holding a cap gun in one hand. Alex decided she was looking at the most adorable boy on the planet.
“Hi! I’m Johnny Lundgren. Are you Jenny?” Her granddaughter’s green eyes widened in astonishment before she nodded. “Do you want to have breakfast with me?”
She turned to Alex. “Would that be okay with you, Nana?”
“Of course.” She moved to the door. “Hi, Johnny. I’m Alex.”
“I know. You’re her grandmother.”
Alex couldn’t help smiling. He had amazing confidence for his age. “That’s right. Last night Buck told us you’re Mr. Lundgren’s son.”
“Yep.”
“We’re very pleased to meet you.” She shook his hand. “We understand you have a pony named Goldie.”
“Yep. I’ll show you to her after breakfast. Do you want to see me ride her?”
“Yes. I want to ride, too.”
“Okay. We’ll go after we eat. I like Fruit Loops. What about you?”
Jenny thought for a minute. “Do they have Boo Berry?”
“I think so, but it makes your mouth blue.”
“I know.” Both children laughed at the same time. A small miracle had occurred with her granddaughter. Buck Summerhayes wasn’t the only male around the ranch who had charm. “Come on in, Johnny. We’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
“Thanks.”
“Where did you get your cap gun?”
“In Jackson. Maybe your nana will buy one for you.”
Jenny turned to her. “Would you?”
“We’ll see. First we need to get dressed.”
“Okay.”
Alex hustled Jenny into the bedroom. They took turns quickly showering, and then both dived into their suitcases for jeans and tops. She guessed that Buck was behind this and knew what he was doing. Here Alex had been hoping there’d be a girl for Jenny to play with, but Johnny Lundgren was so cute and interesting that he had her granddaughter mesmerized. Better strike while the iron was hot.
In fewer than twenty minutes, they’d freshened up and brushed their hair. “I think we’re ready.” They joined Johnny and the three of them stepped out of the cabin. The Teton mountain range rose majestically in the distance. The sight of it in the sunshine took Alex’s breath away. You would never have known there’d been a storm last night.
“There’s the big mountain!” Jenny cried, pointing to it. You couldn’t miss it.
“Yep. That’s the Grand Teton.”
“What does Teton mean?” The question didn’t surprise her. Her granddaughter was the most observant, curious person Alex had ever known.
Johnny looked puzzled. “I’ll have to ask Dad.”
“Have you ever seen anything more beautiful, sweetheart?”
“I didn’t know it was so tall!”
Alex looked all around. There were a few other cabins besides their own, and they were all surrounded by sagebrush. A distance away, she could see the main ranch house—a big rustic two-story affair with a copse of trees to the side. It was the type of home the man on the horse in the Great American Cowboy ad might live in. Alex was being fanciful, but this ranch was the kind of place dreams were made of.
The children moved ahead of her as they walked along the road.
Johnny turned to Jenny. “Do you want to camp out on the mountain?”
“Have you done it?”
“A couple of times.”
“Is it scary?”
“Only once, when we got caught in a storm.”
“I don’t like storms.”
“It was okay. Dad was with me. We stayed in our tent and drank hot chocolate until it was over.”
Alex caught up to them. “That sounds fun.”
Jenny’s expression sobered. “I don’t have a dad anymore.”
“I know.”
Her blond head lifted. “You do?”
“Yep. I know all about you. Your daddy was a marine like mine, and they both got killed in the war.”
“But I thought you said you went hiking with your dad.”
“I meant my new dad.”
After a pause, Jenny said, “Your mom got married again?”
“Yep. To Carson.”
“Do you like him?”
“He’s my favorite person in the whole world besides my dad.”
Alex knew what her granddaughter was thinking. Frank wasn’t her favorite person in the world, but she didn’t say it out loud, for which Alex was grateful.
Suddenly a lovely blonde woman in a blouse and jeans came walking around the side of the building where Alex could see half a dozen vehicles of different kinds were parked. “There you are, Johnny. I was just coming to look for you.”
“I’m afraid it’s our fault.” Alex smiled at her. “Jenny and I needed to get showered and dressed while he waited for us. You must be Johnny’s mother.”
“Yes. I’m Tracy Lundgren and you have to be Alex Wilson. Welcome to the ranch.” They shook hands.
“Thank you. Your son makes a wonderful guide. We’re thrilled to be here.”
“No more than we are to have you.” She walked over to Jenny. “Buck told us you just had your seventh birthday. Johnny’s turning seven next week. It’s an amazing coincidence. You’ll have to come to his party. We’re going to go into Jackson to the Funorama. They have all kinds of slides and games, and you can eat all the pizza you want.”
Johnny eyed Jenny. “Do you like pizza?”
She nodded. “It’s my favorite food.”
“Mine, too.”
“I like pepperoni.”
“Me, too.”
Alex and Tracy exchanged amused glances. Johnny’s mother was probably in her late twenties and seemed so friendly. Christy would have liked her. Alex’s heart ached for what her daughter was missing, but today
