*
Keith spent the afternoon driving the property with the BLM agent, Bill Watson. After riding the fence he’d repaired, they returned to find Miranda waiting.
“So, what’s the verdict?” she asked.
“There’s plenty of fresh water, the fence is high enough, and all the wire appears tight,” Bill said.
“My grandparents ran four hundred head of cattle at one time, so we’re pretty well equipped,” Miranda replied. “We were also careful to check all the posts. Keith did a lot of work on them for us.”
“Well, everything looks good from our end,” Bill said.
The look of worry eased from Miranda’s face. “So we can take the horses?”
“Sure enough. Can you take them this week?” Bill asked. “I know it’s a holiday and all, but we’re in pretty desperate straits.”
Miranda looked to Keith. “What do you think? Are we ready?”
Keith replied, “I think the sooner the better. Let them get the lay of the land while they can still see it. Most of the snow from the prior storm is already melted, but there’s more forecasted.”
“I admit it surprised the heck out of me that you were willing to take them on this close to winter,” Bill said, “but we sure do appreciate it.”
“We don’t usually get a real heavy snow load here in the valley,” Miranda said. “And, fortunately, what we get doesn’t stay long. Can you get a driver to bring them this close to the holiday?” she asked.
“We’ll get a driver, no worries there,” Bill reassured her.
“Would you like to come in and warm up?” she asked. “I already put a pot of coffee on.”
Bill hesitated. “Thanks, but no. Got a lot of paperwork to do before I can get those horses transferred. I’ll call as soon as we have it all lined up.” He offered his hand. “Look forward to working with you.”
“Me too.” Miranda shook his hand heartily. “I’ll be waiting for that call.”
Bill tipped his hat in a parting gesture. As soon as he got in his truck, Miranda turned to Keith. “Thank you so much, Keith. We never could have done it without you.”
He flashed a wolfish grin. “You can thank me properly later.”
She frowned and shifted her weight. “About that…Jo-Jo thinks we should cool things down while my aunt and uncle are here.” She added with an apologetic look, “I won’t be bringing you breakfast in bed for a while.”
“That’s mighty disappointing. It’s become my favorite meal…or, better said, you have.”
She swatted his shoulder. “None of that kind of talk either. You’ll get us both in really hot water. We already have a couple of strikes against us.”
“What do you mean?”
“They don’t like that I’ve come to live here.”
“That so? Then they’re sure to be real happy about me.”
“I don’t think Jo-Jo said too much about you.”
His brows met in a frown. “So I’m to be presented as just a hired hand, as far as they’re concerned?”
“That’s probably what they’ll think you are, especially since she fired Marvin, the guy who used to work here. Do you mind just leaving it at that?” she asked. “It would be a whole lot easier all around. And it’s only for a few days.”
“I don’t like it, but I suppose I could be bribed.” He cupped her head, tilting it back to kiss her. One kiss stretched into two, and then three, until their mouths just merged for long, breathless, thoughtless minutes. Lost to time and place, they were still standing on the front porch locked in that embrace when Jo-Jo’s Expedition pulled into the drive.
“Crap! They’re here.” Miranda jerked back with a curse. “Do you think they saw us?”
“I think they’d be blind if they didn’t. Busted twice?” He chuckled. “We’re not very good at covert ops.”
She scowled back at him. “This isn’t anything to make light of, Keith. Things are about to get damned awkward.”
When the vehicle came to a stop, Miranda marshaled a smile and sallied forward. Keith followed, hanging back a few steps as Miranda greeted the new arrivals. “Aunt Judith! Uncle Robert! How great to see you.”
The couple who climbed out of the truck greeted her with less enthusiasm. Her aunt was a fairly attractive woman in her forties, with the same red-gold hair as Miranda’s, but cropped short to her chin. Her uncle was a trim middle-aged man with a bored air. Miranda’s aunt Judith stepped forward with an air kiss to her niece’s cheek. “Miranda. What a surprise to find you here.”
“What brought you out to the ranch?” her uncle inquired. “Last we knew you were studying cinematography out in California.”
“I was,” Miranda replied, “but I graduated almost two years ago.”
“No job prospects out in Hollyweird?” he asked with a hint of a smirk.
Keith could almost see Miranda bristle. “I had a job with a well-known production company, but I left it to work on an independent film project.”