Her Heart for the Asking (Book 1 - TEXAS HEARTS) by Lisa Mondello Page A

Alice, thought it would do Mandy a world of
good to visit and have the two young girls play together while Hank
visited with his mother. 
    "That snapshot was taken the day you met my
Sara," Alice said, taking the photo from her.
    "How is Sara doing?"
    "Like you, she hasn't been home in a
while.  In fact, she hasn't been back home since that summer
before you left."
    "That's too bad.  I was hoping to see
her."
    Alice's face brightened.  "I have her
address in California.  I'm sure she'd love it if you dropped
her a letter now and then.  Even though she doesn't say it, I
think she's homesick for Texas."
    "I'd like that.  Sometimes you don't
know just how homesick you are until you come home."
    "Ain't that the truth?"
    Mandy placed the picture down carefully on
the mantel.
    "It's so good to have to you back home,"
Alice said, picking up her bucket and brushes again. 
    She left Mandy alone to look at the
pictures.  She heard the high pitched whinny of a pony out in
the paddock filter in from the open window.  There was a
slight breeze today, but she knew it would do little to salve being
in the hot sun. 
    As she made her way down the row of
pictures, her hand stilled on an old photograph.  It was taken
the same day Mandy had met Sara on the reservation.  Her uncle
looked so handsome when he was a young man.  She'd forgotten
just how much.  She remembered sitting on his lap as Aunt
Corrine snapped the shot of them with Hank's mother. 
    Mandy had only met Regina Promise the one
time.  She remembered her as being very old, but very kind,
like Hank.  Looking at the picture now, she didn't seem that
old at all.  Worn perhaps, from a hard life, but she was
beautiful with her thick dark hair and eyes.  Mandy stared at
the picture for a long time until she heard the sound of whistling
in the barnyard.
    Beau . 
    Sighing, she dropped the picture back in
place, and took the next one, immediately wishing she hadn't. 
Why on earth would Aunt Corrine keep this picture?
    Deep longing swept through her as she stared
down at a young Beau Gentry sitting on the porch steps.  His
arm was lazily draped around Mandy's shoulders.  She stared up
at him like the star-crossed, lovesick teenager she was.  Her
hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, making her look even
younger.  She was wearing a pair of faded shorts that were too
tight, but she liked the way Beau's eyes lit up when he saw her in
them. 
    Uncle Hank on the other hand, did nothing
but scowl when she wore them.  She couldn't help but laugh at
the memory.  At every opportunity, he'd tell her there was
enough testosterone running wild on the ranch.  She didn't
have to give the hands any more reason to make fools of
themselves.
    But not Beau.  Oh, he'd made a fool of
himself, all right.  But she never cared.  He'd tell her
repeatedly that she was the prettiest thing his eyes had ever
seen. 
    And like a fool she was, she believed
him.
    * * *
    "Now ain't she the prettiest thing you ever
did see?" Beau said, leaning the full weight of his body against
the fence.
    "Nothing more beautiful," Hank
agreed. 
    And she was, Beau thought with awe. 
Though he could certainly think of at least one other filly who'd
spun his head by her sheer beauty.
    "Be careful.  This little girl's a
spitfire," Hank warned.  "Gotta handle her with kid
gloves.  Even then I think she'd just as soon stomp you in the
ground just for looking at her."
    "That's the way I love 'em," Beau said,
securing his hat firmly on his head as he opened the gate to the
paddock.  "The feistier the better.  Makes it all worth
it in the end."
    "You going to test her out?" Mitch
asked.
    "If she'll have me."
    Hank nodded knowingly.  "Lady like this
needs to be taken real slow," he said.  "You can't tie her
down or try to make her think you're the one in control.  She
won't give it up before she's ready."
    The screen door slammed hard and Beau turned
to see Mandy standing on the porch peering out to where