of genuine, handmade ostrich-skin Western boots. When I wear them, I have to fight the urge to don a rhinestone jacket and break into a country ballad.”
“Oh, no. Not another urban cowboy. You should take me shopping with you, and I’ll point out when you look ridiculous.”
“While you snicker behind my back?”
“Never. I’d snicker to your face.”
“That’s helpful. So where to next?”
“I’m through with my scheduled calls, but I do have one more stop to make. I promised my favorite cowboy I’d bring him a special feed mix for his steer.”
“Your favorite, huh? Now you’ve gone and made me jealous.”
“You should be. Jeffrey is too cute for words. Of course, he’s also only eleven years old and the steer is one he’s raising for his 4-H project.”
“So where do Jeffrey and his steer live?”
“About a mile down the road we turned off on to get here. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring the feed with me, which means I have to go back home to pick it up.”
“Where do you live?”
“About twelve miles from here, almost to the downtown area of Oak Grove, but near Abe’s repair shop. You can drop me there if you don’t mind. I have no idea what happened to Corky, but Abe surely has the new battery installed by now.”
“Unfortunately, I have bad news. It seems the battery is only the beginning of your problems. Abe is making a few additional repairs.”
“When did you hear that?”
“R.J. called while you were tending Benjy. The truck may not be ready until tomorrow.”
She grimaced, took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. “What else have you heard and why do I suddenly see dollar signs dancing in front of my eyes?”
Leif explained the situation, including R.J.’s taking charge.
“That sounds just like R.J. Always ready to jump in and help.”
Unless you happened to be a son he’d abandoned. Then you could live in hell and he wouldn’t bother to send you a glass of cold water. “How many miles does your truck have on it?”
“Just over 150,000.”
“Sounds as if it might be time to put it out to pasture.”
“Easier said than done. I’m emotionally attached.”
“To a truck?”
“Don’t laugh. It got me through four years of undergrad work, four years of veterinary school and a one-year internship with a clinic in Oklahoma specializing in equine insemination and breeding. Getting rid of it would be like dumping an old friend.”
Impressive. Joni was committed to a worn-out truck. Leif had never kept a vehicle long enough to need new tires. His record with relationships was worse.
But with that much schooling under her belt, apparently Joni Griffin was not as young as he’d assumed.
“Your old friend is not as dependable as he once was,” Leif said. “Maybe you should start looking for a nice retirement home for lovable metal scrap.”
“There’s also a money issue,” Joni admitted. “My school loans devour a huge chunk of my salary every month. I was hoping to make a dent in them before I had to purchase a new truck.”
“I could help you get a low-interest vehicle loan.”
The comment surprised him. He was not one to jump into women’s financial issues. Not that he wasn’t generous. He just didn’t like ties that might bind.
“Thanks, but no thanks,” Joni said, quickly letting him off the hook. “Blake has already offered to front me the money if I need a loan. I’ll take him up on it if I have to—after I pay R.J. back for this round of repairs. Who knows? Abe and his mechanics may do such a good job that the truck will run for another fifty thousand miles.”
“Good luck with that. So, moving on, I have a proposition you can’t refuse,” Leif said.
“I can if it involves loans or getting rid of my truck.”
“Nope. It involves food, reputed to be as good as it gets.”
“You’ve got my interest.”
“Adam is grilling steaks, Hadley is making her specialty potatoes and Mattie Mae—whoever she is—is baking pecan pies.”
“My mouth is watering already.”
“Perfect since R.J. insists I bring you to dinner. And I’m sure I can use a little moral support around that table.”
“Something tells me you can hold your own. Tell R.J. how much I appreciate the offer, but this should be Effie’s special night with her newly found grandfather and a chance for you to connect with R.J., as well. I don’t want to butt in.”
“Trust me—you wouldn’t be butting in. This is not going to be the return of the prodigal son. Besides, Effie will love talking veterinary work with you.”
“I’d have to go home and shower first and then someone would have to take me home after dinner. That’s a lot of extra driving.”
“Not so much. I’ll take you home to shower and pick up the special feed, go with you to deliver it and then we’ll show up at the Dry Gulch just in time for dinner.”
“That’s really not necessary, Leif. I’ve already taken you away from your daughter too long.”
“I don’t appear to be missed. Effie’s horseback riding with Hadley and may not make it back to the house until dark. And you have to eat.”
“I have to admit it’s hard to turn down Mattie Mae’s pies,” Joni admitted.
“Then it’s settled. All I need are directions to your house and an explanation of how Mattie Mae fits into the Dry Gulch family.”
“She’s R.J.’s housekeeper, cook and longtime friend. She and her husband owned the neighboring ranch until he died a few years ago—or at least that’s what I’ve been told. Now she lives in a small house in town, just across the street from the Oak Grove post office.”
“The way R.J. talked I thought she lived at the ranch.”
“No, she has her own home, but she spends some nights at the ranch. She has a bedroom suite on the second floor with her own bathroom.”
“So she’s not a romantic interest?”
“Not according to Hadley.”
“It doesn’t really matter,” Leif said. “I was just curious as to whether or not R.J. was still chasing skirts. So which way to your place?”
“Go
