Johnson, is staying with him. We thought you two should get together. I said I'd ask."
"Uh...I don't know," she said, stomping down her first reaction to say, "No." Gramps had always pushed her towards anyone who wasn't Adam. He had done it all during her high school years. "What's he like?"
"He's twenty-three, a good-looking chap. Marv thinks a lot of him."
Marv was as conniving as her grandfather. The two were always planning other people's lives. Well, she could play that game, also. "Let's make a deal. You take your medicine and I'll go out with Peter." Right now, she didn't want to go out with anyone, but a date wouldn’t hurt her.
"Saturday night?" he asked.
That soon? "Sure. Why not?"
"That's my girl," he beamed, proud of her as always. Jo basked in his praise, happy to make him happy.
He pointed to the garden. "Peas are ready to pick."
"Oh...good," she said, used to her grandfather's abrupt subject changes once he got what he wanted. Immediately putting Peter out of her mind, she took a deep breath of the sparkling air, sweet-scented with the aroma of fresh cut alfalfa. "Mmmm...best perfume made doesn't smell as good as that. It's great to be home. I missed Oregon."
"It's good to have you here."
Arching her back, she stretched, hands out-flung in relief. "Seems like I've been imprisoned for years. The worst thing about town is you can't see further than the next door neighbor. I've missed our endless views and long sunsets more than anything else." And I missed riding to my favorite lookout point...and maybe seeing Adam.
"I know," Gramps agreed, his wrinkled face breaking into an understanding smile. "Cabin fever."
"I hope I can tolerate working in town when I get a job."
"Marry a rancher."
Instantly she pictured Adam as she had last seen him, his handsome face lit with a smile. That could never be. With a pang of regret, she fought to clear the image and finally succeeded. "You're supposed to pick the man, not the occupation, Gramps," she admonished dryly.
"Go for both." He chuckled at her expression, making Jo glad he did not realize what had caused it.
They released Paca in the grassy pasture and walked back to the old two-storied wood-frame house. The only light on was in Karen's room, and Jo grabbed a glass of milk and a slice of bread to eat before climbing up the stairs. Her watch showed it was ten past eleven.
"I'm home, Dad," she called as she reached the top and heard his relieved reply. Now he could sleep.
Twenty minutes later, showered, wrapped in her housecoat, and holding a bottle of antiseptic, she entered her nineteen-year-old sister's room. She needed help reaching the scratches on her back.
From the catwalk-like porch outside his bedroom, Adam watched the lights go on in Jo's room. He sighed with relief, knowing she was safely home, then turned to look out over the broad valley, past the trees tipped with silver moonlight. The moon beams highlighted everything they touched, leaving dark shadows elsewhere.
He could see most of the Grande Rounde valley from his ranch, including the Davies' place. It enabled him to keep track of Jo. A lot of good that did him.
He felt lonely up here, very lonely. He wondered if his brother and mother realized how terribly lonely he was. He had shouldered the weight of their ranch after his father's death, struggling to keep it going, investing in stocks and bonds whenever he could to build a cushion for the future. It had paid off monetarily for him, but that did nothing to ease the loneliness.
He could imagine Jo's grandfather down there in the dark, staring malevolently up at him. Gramps would do anything to keep Jo away from him. Say anything.
Adam shook his head in despair. By now she carried around so much misinformation, it would take a miracle to reach her.
Picking up a pair of strong field glasses, Adam scanned the roads, following a set pattern so as to not miss any. He did not linger upon the two cars parked along an open stretch. He
"Uh...I don't know," she said, stomping down her first reaction to say, "No." Gramps had always pushed her towards anyone who wasn't Adam. He had done it all during her high school years. "What's he like?"
"He's twenty-three, a good-looking chap. Marv thinks a lot of him."
Marv was as conniving as her grandfather. The two were always planning other people's lives. Well, she could play that game, also. "Let's make a deal. You take your medicine and I'll go out with Peter." Right now, she didn't want to go out with anyone, but a date wouldn’t hurt her.
"Saturday night?" he asked.
That soon? "Sure. Why not?"
"That's my girl," he beamed, proud of her as always. Jo basked in his praise, happy to make him happy.
He pointed to the garden. "Peas are ready to pick."
"Oh...good," she said, used to her grandfather's abrupt subject changes once he got what he wanted. Immediately putting Peter out of her mind, she took a deep breath of the sparkling air, sweet-scented with the aroma of fresh cut alfalfa. "Mmmm...best perfume made doesn't smell as good as that. It's great to be home. I missed Oregon."
"It's good to have you here."
Arching her back, she stretched, hands out-flung in relief. "Seems like I've been imprisoned for years. The worst thing about town is you can't see further than the next door neighbor. I've missed our endless views and long sunsets more than anything else." And I missed riding to my favorite lookout point...and maybe seeing Adam.
"I know," Gramps agreed, his wrinkled face breaking into an understanding smile. "Cabin fever."
"I hope I can tolerate working in town when I get a job."
"Marry a rancher."
Instantly she pictured Adam as she had last seen him, his handsome face lit with a smile. That could never be. With a pang of regret, she fought to clear the image and finally succeeded. "You're supposed to pick the man, not the occupation, Gramps," she admonished dryly.
"Go for both." He chuckled at her expression, making Jo glad he did not realize what had caused it.
They released Paca in the grassy pasture and walked back to the old two-storied wood-frame house. The only light on was in Karen's room, and Jo grabbed a glass of milk and a slice of bread to eat before climbing up the stairs. Her watch showed it was ten past eleven.
"I'm home, Dad," she called as she reached the top and heard his relieved reply. Now he could sleep.
Twenty minutes later, showered, wrapped in her housecoat, and holding a bottle of antiseptic, she entered her nineteen-year-old sister's room. She needed help reaching the scratches on her back.
From the catwalk-like porch outside his bedroom, Adam watched the lights go on in Jo's room. He sighed with relief, knowing she was safely home, then turned to look out over the broad valley, past the trees tipped with silver moonlight. The moon beams highlighted everything they touched, leaving dark shadows elsewhere.
He could see most of the Grande Rounde valley from his ranch, including the Davies' place. It enabled him to keep track of Jo. A lot of good that did him.
He felt lonely up here, very lonely. He wondered if his brother and mother realized how terribly lonely he was. He had shouldered the weight of their ranch after his father's death, struggling to keep it going, investing in stocks and bonds whenever he could to build a cushion for the future. It had paid off monetarily for him, but that did nothing to ease the loneliness.
He could imagine Jo's grandfather down there in the dark, staring malevolently up at him. Gramps would do anything to keep Jo away from him. Say anything.
Adam shook his head in despair. By now she carried around so much misinformation, it would take a miracle to reach her.
Picking up a pair of strong field glasses, Adam scanned the roads, following a set pattern so as to not miss any. He did not linger upon the two cars parked along an open stretch. He
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