“You’re thinking about leaving? Are you crazy?” Lexi asked.
“Maybe.” Miranda gave a dry laugh. “You know I’ve never felt that I belonged here, Lex. All this time I thought Hollywood was what I wanted, but this documentary has changed everything. It’s what I want to do, what I need to do.”
“So you really are serious about quitting?”
“I think so, but I haven’t made any definite decisions yet. I’m going to Montana this weekend to think things over. Where better than the ranch? Besides, I miss Jo-Jo. I haven’t seen her since my grandfather’s funeral.”
“When are you coming back?”
“I don’t know if I am or not, but if you’re worried about the lease, I have enough saved to cover my half until you find a new roomie.”
“Keep your money. I don’t want it. You’re probably gonna need all of it to edit your film—provided you can even find a place to work on it out there in the middle of nowhere.”
“I already have,” Miranda said. “MSU in Bozeman has a program in Natural History Filmmaking. I’m sure I can arrange to use their equipment.”
“Uh. Huh. I get it now.” Lexi gave a knowing nod.
“Get what?” Miranda asked.
“The reason you’re doing this. This isn’t just about the documentary, is it?”
“Of course it is,” Miranda replied. “Why else would I do it?”
“I don’t know.” Lexi pursed her lips. “Maybe to be closer to a certain cowboy? Didn’t you say he was from Wyoming?”
“He is,” Miranda replied. “But he could be anywhere now. This really has nothing to do with him.”
“Sure it doesn’t.” Lexi wrapped her arms around Miranda. “You’ll be just fine, sweets. Go find your horse whisperer and be happy.”
Miranda replied with a teary smile. Why did Lexi always seem to see straight through her? “Thank you, Lexi. Maybe I’ll do that.”
Chapter 16
Silver Star, Montana
“Randa Jo Sutton! You are a sight for these sore old eyes!” Miranda felt almost assaulted by the strength of her grandmother’s hug. “Need some help with your bags?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Miranda said. “I’ll ask Marvin to get them later.”
“Marvin’s not here anymore.”
“He’s not? But he’s been at Circle S as long as I can remember. I thought you were keeping him on until you sold. Where did he go?”
Jo-Jo grimaced. “Don’t know. Don’t care.”
“What do you mean?” Miranda could hardly suppress her shock. “What happened?”
“I had to let him go. Bud was the only man who could ever keep that misogynistic old bastard in his place. Once Bud passed, Marvin seemed to think he could run roughshod over me. Oh, I knew he’d always kept a flask handy, but he seemed to think he could do as he damned well pleased without Bud around. He even got a wild notion that he could take Bud’s place.”
Miranda frowned. “Are you saying he came on to you?”
“Sure did. Why so shocked? He’s only five years younger than me.”
“It’s not that! It’s just seems really weird. So what did you do?”
“I had to give him the boot, or better said, a knee to the groin. It’s been just me, all by my lonesome, ever since.”
Miranda laid a hand on her grandmother’s arm. “Jo-Jo, why didn’t you call me?”
“What for?” Jo-Jo asked.
“To come and help you. I hate that you didn’t.”
“Don’t worry about me, sweetheart. I could handle ol’ Marvin. It’s the workload I just can’t handle anymore.”
Miranda followed her grandmother into the house.
“Are you hungry?” Jo-Jo asked.
“Not really, but I’m sure I will be by supper time.”
Miranda salivated at the memory of her grandmother’s cooking. No one could cook like Jo-Jo. Of course, no one probably should. Jo-Jo slathered real butter and cream on virtually everything. The doctor had even warned that it would worsen Gramp’s heart disease, but he’d waved off the warning, saying he’d rather eat what he liked and die a happy man.
“Why has it been so long since you’ve come out to see me?” Jo-Jo asked. The question, posed with a mildly reproving look, made Miranda feel guilty, as was intended.
“Just really busy, Jo-Jo,” she replied. “Incredibly busy with school and then work, but it looks like I may have some time on my hands now.”
“Really? How’s that?”
Miranda sighed. “I’m thinking about leaving my job.”
“You are? Now that reeks of a story. C’mon to the kitchen. I’ll put on a pot of coffee while you tell me all about it.”
For the next two hours, Miranda sat in her favorite spot in the whole house, Jo-Jo’s kitchen, sipping coffee and munching on her favorite childhood snack—Ritz crackers and Velveeta cheese.
“My entire life has revolved around certain goals, but I don’t feel the same way about it as I did before. I thought I wanted to work in L.A., but it isn’t at all what I thought it would be.”
“If you were so unhappy, you should be glad to be free,” Jo-Jo said.