nodded. “Now, if we have an emergency or the weather is bad, the McAllister brothers are here in a heartbeat. They own a big ranch to the south of town and have their hands full but they’ve never let us down. Shea moved here because of Jesse, the middle brother, who’s also a pilot. He’s flown air rescue for so many animals that wouldn’t have made it if not for him.”
“Safe Haven owns a plane?”
“No,” she said, drawing out the word with a laugh. “Until this spring the coffers were so empty it’s a miracle this place held together. We went nonprofit and were lucky enough to get some serious funding.” A small impish smile lifted her lips. “It doesn’t hurt that the former director just married a man with a sizable charitable foundation.”
“Ah.” Lucas had no trouble smiling back. She was different from the women he usually dealt with inside the organization.
Like Melanie, they were volunteers. They were also members of Denver’s elite. They had money, influence, time on their hands and, most of them, a legitimate interest in prison reform. No question the wheels would move a lot slower without their support. But their generosity had clear limitations. They gladly opened their checkbooks, made phone calls to people who mattered, talked up the cause at their fancy cocktail parties, but their hands always managed to stay clean.
Melanie swept the hair away from her face and blinked at him. “I guess we should get to the reason you’re here.”
“I assume you know the basics. I emailed some material about our group and what we’re trying to accomplish.”
“Yes,” she said, nodding thoughtfully. “If I understand correctly, the program is a collaborative effort between the state and the prison system. A portion of the wild horses gathered by the government each year are sent to the prison farms, and the inmates train the animals, which are then auctioned off, with the money that’s raised going back to the prison.”
“In a nutshell, yes.”
“The program is self-supporting and appears to be very successful.” She paused. “I did glance at the material you sent, but I’m not as prepared as I should be and for that I apologize. But why would a private group like PRN be involved?”
“Various state laws and budgets dictate who gets what. We’d like to see the program spread around.” Lucas liked that she was interested and didn’t hesitate to ask questions. Hell, he liked her. “Tell you what...apology accepted.” He held back a smile at her raised brows. “But only if you have dinner with me.”
3
“DINNER?” SHE JUST LAUGHED. “You do realize that most people in your position—i.e., you wanting something from us—would say, ‘No apology necessary. I appreciate your time.’”
“Okay.” A smile tugged at his mouth. “Should I try again? I can do that. Trouble is, I’m starving. Haven’t eaten since I left Wyoming this morning. I don’t think well on an empty stomach.”
“I see.” A nervous tingling sensation started low in her belly. It was his eyes. The way he was looking at her... Was he flirting? She couldn’t think with him watching her like that. “Well, you did help Levi, so I guess I should feed you.”
His expression shifted, as if he’d mentally taken a giant step back. “Unless you have plans, I figured we can talk and eat at the same time.” He shrugged. “Or not. I can wait.”
She felt her composure falter. Had she just scared him with a wrong signal? He was merely being practical, and she was being an idiot. Dinner made sense. It didn’t mean he wanted her company. “There’s a diner in town.”
“Is the food good?”
“Fortunately, yes, since that’s the only option. Well, the Food Mart has a deli counter, some ready-made items. They even have a few tables and chairs if you want to eat there.” Oh, that was a stupid suggestion. It would be crowded with people she knew—most of them nosy.
“I like the deli idea.”
“Be warned, it’s not a real deli. Not like you’d find in Denver.”
Lucas smiled. “I grew up in a town similar to Blackfoot Falls.”
“How big?”
“Maybe three thousand people in the entire county.”
“Same here. A few people live in town, but mostly ranching families and hired hands make up the population. They’re spread out for miles.”
“Yep. I understand.”
“So you know what that means....”
He gave the matter a moment’s thought and then sighed. “Everyone who walks into the Food Mart will want to know who I am and what we’re talking about.”
“Some might even pull up a chair.”
“Yeah.” He rubbed his jaw. “We’re not gonna do that.”
“No. Bad idea.”
“What about picking up food and eating outside? I bet you know a few good picnic spots.”
“Um, a picnic?” That didn’t sound at all businesslike. She grabbed her water and took a hearty sip.
“Okay. I see that was a miss. Guess it’s the diner.”
“No, no, it’s not a...” She sighed. “You know what.... A picnic sounds great, no interruptions,” she said, trying to recall what food she still had stashed in the old cabin. “We might not have to pick up anything from town.” She stood. “Take a walk with me.”
He quickly got to his feet and opened the door for her. “Where are we going?”
“Just over there,” she said, stepping outside and gesturing to the tiny hovel of a cabin. “The former director used to live there.”
Lucas frowned. “I’d be claustrophobic.”
“It has a loft that was used for a bedroom. But you’re right—I couldn’t have done it. Plus, it doubled as an office. That would’ve been okay, but not living there, too.” She nodded at the large cabin to the right of the gravel path. “The new place has three bedrooms and two baths. The electrician still has to come out, but it’s very nice. Now we just need a director.”
“Any bites?”
“Kathy and Levi were the front-runners. But their children moved south with their families. Kathy misses them. She and Levi will be making a move themselves eventually. And frankly, with Levi’s recent health problems, this place would be too much.”
“What about you?”
The question surprised her. She turned to look at him. He was awfully close. Close enough for her to see his pupils dilate. She took a quick breath. “Believe it or not, teaching keeps me quite busy.”
“It’s kind of a shame.... You seem like a good fit. But then, you’re also the kind of teacher these kids need.”
