I don't think that will be necessary. The extension on the lease gives me time to make the project work."
Luc drained his cup and poured more coffee from the red ceramic pot sitting on a trivet. "More time isn’t the answer."
“What is?” Callie asked.
“Take the resources you would have sunk into The Mansion and go up to Santa Fe or Taos. Or even back down to Albuquerque. Start a business that has a chance of surviving. Because what you propose for the valley sure as hell doesn’t."
Frustration over his refusal to see anything but his own agenda sent a tremor through Callie’s body that had nothing at all to do with the strange chemistry between the two of them but instead echoed the anger generated at their first meeting. If she didn't get out of here, that fury would erupt and destroy any illusions the older Morenos had about the "young lady" who sat at their table. She couldn’t afford to jeopardize the progress she’d made.
With a deep breath she rose. "I will go, Sheriff, not up North but back to Blue Sky and The Mansion. To my home." As much to strengthen her own shaky resolve as to make a point with him, she whispered, "I'm here for the duration. No matter how long or short that may turn out to be." She gave Dorotea a smile. "Lunch was wonderful, Mrs. Moreno. Thanks for inviting me."
"We regret you must leave so soon," Fernando said. "Please come again."
"I’m grateful for the extension, Sir. Perhaps before long I’ll be able to prove to you — and to your son — that the decision was a wise and profitable one."
Luc went to his mother, who said something in Spanish. He kissed her cheek. "Sorry, Mamá. I'll try to be more of a credit to you in the future."
He clasped his father around the shoulders. "You'll have the new papers in a day or two."
"Thank you, Lucero. Despite your opposition to my decision, my heart tells me we are doing the right thing."
Luc's smile held a tinge of regret. " Sí , Papá. Only remember what you told me about following your heart."
Callie and Luc made the return trip from the hilly north country of the Moreno rancho in near silence. Through the passenger window she watched the changing scenery. The mountains looming in the distance gave way to sandstone mesas and crumbling canyons tortured by time and weather, exposing layers of purple, pale pink and beige streaked with black that Callie thought might be iron or other metallic stains.
These, too, had eroded into hillsides hemmed with tumbled rock and dotted with the same piñon, juniper and sage that dappled the flat desert land. Above it all, a cloudless sky hung like an azure bowl, its color deepest blue overhead and fading to a pale greenish blue where it met the horizon. The vast open spaces, unbroken by anything manmade except the road, calmed her. She could have drifted off except that Luc chose that moment to shatter the silence and her serenity.
"So," Luc said finally. "You should be happy. You got your extension."
"To your unrelenting displeasure."
"The land belongs to my father. As head of the family, only he has the responsibility and right to decide. All I can do is give my opinion and hope he listens. This time, he followed some instinct I can't begin to understand."
"He called it a matter of honor. As a man of the law, you must be familiar with the concept."
"Earlier, you wanted me to forget I was a lawman. Now you acknowledge my position because it suits your purpose. You can't expect to have it both ways."
"Sure I can," she said with a smile, "if it gives my project the chance it deserves."
He flashed a grin capable of melting stone. As Callie had been repeatedly reminded, she was less than rocklike these days.
"Sounds like you're used to getting what you want," he said.
"Whenever possible."
His laughter quickened her pulse, leading her to wonder where plain, old-fashioned common sense had gone. And where her determination to remain unaffected by his charm had fled. How does he do that?
"I
Luc drained his cup and poured more coffee from the red ceramic pot sitting on a trivet. "More time isn’t the answer."
“What is?” Callie asked.
“Take the resources you would have sunk into The Mansion and go up to Santa Fe or Taos. Or even back down to Albuquerque. Start a business that has a chance of surviving. Because what you propose for the valley sure as hell doesn’t."
Frustration over his refusal to see anything but his own agenda sent a tremor through Callie’s body that had nothing at all to do with the strange chemistry between the two of them but instead echoed the anger generated at their first meeting. If she didn't get out of here, that fury would erupt and destroy any illusions the older Morenos had about the "young lady" who sat at their table. She couldn’t afford to jeopardize the progress she’d made.
With a deep breath she rose. "I will go, Sheriff, not up North but back to Blue Sky and The Mansion. To my home." As much to strengthen her own shaky resolve as to make a point with him, she whispered, "I'm here for the duration. No matter how long or short that may turn out to be." She gave Dorotea a smile. "Lunch was wonderful, Mrs. Moreno. Thanks for inviting me."
"We regret you must leave so soon," Fernando said. "Please come again."
"I’m grateful for the extension, Sir. Perhaps before long I’ll be able to prove to you — and to your son — that the decision was a wise and profitable one."
Luc went to his mother, who said something in Spanish. He kissed her cheek. "Sorry, Mamá. I'll try to be more of a credit to you in the future."
He clasped his father around the shoulders. "You'll have the new papers in a day or two."
"Thank you, Lucero. Despite your opposition to my decision, my heart tells me we are doing the right thing."
Luc's smile held a tinge of regret. " Sí , Papá. Only remember what you told me about following your heart."
Callie and Luc made the return trip from the hilly north country of the Moreno rancho in near silence. Through the passenger window she watched the changing scenery. The mountains looming in the distance gave way to sandstone mesas and crumbling canyons tortured by time and weather, exposing layers of purple, pale pink and beige streaked with black that Callie thought might be iron or other metallic stains.
These, too, had eroded into hillsides hemmed with tumbled rock and dotted with the same piñon, juniper and sage that dappled the flat desert land. Above it all, a cloudless sky hung like an azure bowl, its color deepest blue overhead and fading to a pale greenish blue where it met the horizon. The vast open spaces, unbroken by anything manmade except the road, calmed her. She could have drifted off except that Luc chose that moment to shatter the silence and her serenity.
"So," Luc said finally. "You should be happy. You got your extension."
"To your unrelenting displeasure."
"The land belongs to my father. As head of the family, only he has the responsibility and right to decide. All I can do is give my opinion and hope he listens. This time, he followed some instinct I can't begin to understand."
"He called it a matter of honor. As a man of the law, you must be familiar with the concept."
"Earlier, you wanted me to forget I was a lawman. Now you acknowledge my position because it suits your purpose. You can't expect to have it both ways."
"Sure I can," she said with a smile, "if it gives my project the chance it deserves."
He flashed a grin capable of melting stone. As Callie had been repeatedly reminded, she was less than rocklike these days.
"Sounds like you're used to getting what you want," he said.
"Whenever possible."
His laughter quickened her pulse, leading her to wonder where plain, old-fashioned common sense had gone. And where her determination to remain unaffected by his charm had fled. How does he do that?
"I
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