before it could ring a second time, ignoring the bubbling laughter from her roommate.
'Good morning,' she said cheerfully, her heart pounding against her ribs.
'Good morning,' Lije echoed. Diana breathed a silent sigh of relief. He had called!
'I'm dressed and ready. Just namethe time,' she told him.
'I'm going to be tied up this morning, Diana. A friend and business acquaintance of mine just came into town. I won't be able to keep our date today.'
'I see.' Diana exhaled slowly, the eagerness dying in her voice.
'No, you don't see,' Lije mocked her resigned voice, 'It's not an excuse. As a matter of fact, I want you to join us for lunch, here at the hotel. Will you?'
'Yes,' she murmured breathlessly, feeling like a condemned man who had just been granted a reprieve.
'I'll meet you in the lobby at twelve-thirty.'
'I'll be there,' she assured him.
There was only one dress in her suitcase, a straight nylon-blend shift with long sleeves. The paisley design of dark blue and red orange made a striking combination with the silver-blonde of her hair which she wore down and swirling about her neck and shoulders. It took a great deal of will power not to go down to the lobby until the appointed time, since she was ready nearly an hour early.
When she finally walked out of the lift into the lobby, Diana saw Lije talking to a tall, dark-haired man with features as forceful as his own. The instant Lije saw her, he excused himself and walked over to greet her. His eyes made a slow sweeping appraisal of her appearance, quickly reflecting approval and admiration. Her chest swelled with pride at the way he took her arm and led her back to the other man.
'Diana, this is Cord Harris,' Lije introduced. 'He owns a ranch over near McCloud, Texas. Cord, this is Diana Mills. '
The man was the same height or taller than Lije. His firm jaw was accented by high cheekbones and eyes that matched the colour of his hair. There was a smile of approvalin his gaze as he shook her hand and glanced briefly at Lije.
'My wife will be joining us shortly,' he explained. 'Our son required a change of clothes before he was presentable for lunch. She shouldn't be long.'
On cue, a woman stepped out of the lift and walked towards them carrying a dark-haired and dark-eyed one-year-old. The little boy let out a squeal and held out his hands for his father, who gathered him into his arms with a goodly mount of parental pride. There was a loving exchange of glances between the husband and wife that brought a twinge of envy to Diana. Unconsciously her eyes sought Lije at the same moment that he looked at her. There was a flicker of unrest in the grey depths before he turned away.
'This is my wife, Stacy, and our son, Joshua,' Cord introduced Diana to his family.
An open, friendly smile brought a pair of dimples into view as Stacy offered her hand to Diana. Shining chestnut gold hair cascaded down the front of an olive green suit that reflected the flecks of green in the warm hazel eyes. Diana liked her immediately and she sensed Stacy's reciprocation. Then Lije was at her side, guiding her into the restaurant.
The men dominated the conversation at the table, but Diana didn't mind. She was able to glean from their talk that Cord Harris raised 'quarter' horses on his ranch and that he was interested in breeding some of his mares with Lije's stallion. Diana assumed he meant the bay Lije used in the steer wrestling until Cord referred to Red as an excellent example of the stallion's potency.
'You wouldn't consider selling Malpais?' Cord asked, expecting the negative answer he received from Lije.
'No, he's part of the future of my ranch,' Lije assured him firmly. 'I have a couple of his yearlings and two-year-olds that I'd part with, but not Malpais.'
'I'd like to look them over,' Cord stated.
'Just contact Jim.'
'I'll do that.'
'These ranchers will talk cattle and horses all day long and into the night.' Stacy mined an indulgent smile on her
'Good morning,' she said cheerfully, her heart pounding against her ribs.
'Good morning,' Lije echoed. Diana breathed a silent sigh of relief. He had called!
'I'm dressed and ready. Just namethe time,' she told him.
'I'm going to be tied up this morning, Diana. A friend and business acquaintance of mine just came into town. I won't be able to keep our date today.'
'I see.' Diana exhaled slowly, the eagerness dying in her voice.
'No, you don't see,' Lije mocked her resigned voice, 'It's not an excuse. As a matter of fact, I want you to join us for lunch, here at the hotel. Will you?'
'Yes,' she murmured breathlessly, feeling like a condemned man who had just been granted a reprieve.
'I'll meet you in the lobby at twelve-thirty.'
'I'll be there,' she assured him.
There was only one dress in her suitcase, a straight nylon-blend shift with long sleeves. The paisley design of dark blue and red orange made a striking combination with the silver-blonde of her hair which she wore down and swirling about her neck and shoulders. It took a great deal of will power not to go down to the lobby until the appointed time, since she was ready nearly an hour early.
When she finally walked out of the lift into the lobby, Diana saw Lije talking to a tall, dark-haired man with features as forceful as his own. The instant Lije saw her, he excused himself and walked over to greet her. His eyes made a slow sweeping appraisal of her appearance, quickly reflecting approval and admiration. Her chest swelled with pride at the way he took her arm and led her back to the other man.
'Diana, this is Cord Harris,' Lije introduced. 'He owns a ranch over near McCloud, Texas. Cord, this is Diana Mills. '
The man was the same height or taller than Lije. His firm jaw was accented by high cheekbones and eyes that matched the colour of his hair. There was a smile of approvalin his gaze as he shook her hand and glanced briefly at Lije.
'My wife will be joining us shortly,' he explained. 'Our son required a change of clothes before he was presentable for lunch. She shouldn't be long.'
On cue, a woman stepped out of the lift and walked towards them carrying a dark-haired and dark-eyed one-year-old. The little boy let out a squeal and held out his hands for his father, who gathered him into his arms with a goodly mount of parental pride. There was a loving exchange of glances between the husband and wife that brought a twinge of envy to Diana. Unconsciously her eyes sought Lije at the same moment that he looked at her. There was a flicker of unrest in the grey depths before he turned away.
'This is my wife, Stacy, and our son, Joshua,' Cord introduced Diana to his family.
An open, friendly smile brought a pair of dimples into view as Stacy offered her hand to Diana. Shining chestnut gold hair cascaded down the front of an olive green suit that reflected the flecks of green in the warm hazel eyes. Diana liked her immediately and she sensed Stacy's reciprocation. Then Lije was at her side, guiding her into the restaurant.
The men dominated the conversation at the table, but Diana didn't mind. She was able to glean from their talk that Cord Harris raised 'quarter' horses on his ranch and that he was interested in breeding some of his mares with Lije's stallion. Diana assumed he meant the bay Lije used in the steer wrestling until Cord referred to Red as an excellent example of the stallion's potency.
'You wouldn't consider selling Malpais?' Cord asked, expecting the negative answer he received from Lije.
'No, he's part of the future of my ranch,' Lije assured him firmly. 'I have a couple of his yearlings and two-year-olds that I'd part with, but not Malpais.'
'I'd like to look them over,' Cord stated.
'Just contact Jim.'
'I'll do that.'
'These ranchers will talk cattle and horses all day long and into the night.' Stacy mined an indulgent smile on her
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