husband.
'It's more interesting than discussing clothes, hairstyles and babies,' he mocked her in return.
'If those are your interests, Stacy,' Lije joined in, 'you and Diana will have a lot in common. She's a model"
'Which hardly qualifies me as an expert,' Diana laughed, but she was immediately drawn into a conversation by Stacy that dissipated the last of her reticence.
Three-quarters of an hour later Lije and Cord rose from the table. Cord leaned down and brushed his wife's cheek with a kiss and rumpled his son's dark hair. Diana glanced hesitantly at Lije, wishing she could arouse the look of adoration that had been in Cord's eyes for his wife. A crinkling smile made lines at the corner of the grey eyes.
'I'll see you tonight at the rodeo,' said Lije. It should have been a question, but he made it sound like an order.
'I'll be there,' Diana answered warmly. His hand touched her shoulder as he passed her chair, following Cord out of the restaurant.
'The three of you make a very handsome family,' Diana commented with a trace of envy at the brown-haired girl who was about the same age as she was.
'We're unbelievably happy,' Stacy sighed, gazing in the direction her husband had just taken. 'I was only half a person until I met Cord.'
'How did you meet?' Diana asked. 'You don't really have a southern drawl or a Texas twang.'
'I'm from the East, New York,' Stacy laughed. 'I came west after my father died and rented a cabin on Cord's ranch. For a while it was "east is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet". We had a very stormy courtship. But all's well that ends well. How long have you known Lije?'
'Not long.'
'I only met him myself last year at Cord's annual "quarter" horse sale. He bought three of our brood mares. Of course, Cord has known him for several years. In some ways Lije reminds me a great deal of Cord. They're both proud, strong men who very capably shape their own destiny.' Stacy glanced quizzically at Diana's silent figure. 'Before, I've always had the impression that Lije was rather cold and remote, like an eagle circling high in the sky looking on life from afar, but today there was more warmth to him. Because of you?'
'I don't think so.'
'Are you in love with him?' Stacy probed gently.
Diana glanced at her sharply, her blue eyes guarded so that they wouldn't reveal how many times in the last twelve hours she had asked herself the same question.
'I know the symptoms,' Stacy continued, taking Joshua out of his high chair and wiping his mouth. 'It's easier to recognize them in a stranger than it is in yourself. I like Lije and I like you. I couldn't think of a better wish than for the two of you to find the same deep, fulfilling love that Cord and I did.'
'You almost make me think it's possible,' Diana sighed.
'Anything is possible, Diana, if your love is strong enough,' Diana assured her. Her hazel eyes twinkled merrily. 'There is one piece of advice I'd like to give. Neither Cord nor I guessed that the other felt the same way. We almost parted because of it. Don't be afraid to tell him you love him if you do.' Stacy paused, her expression growing more solemn.
'I'll try to remember that.'
'Gracious!' Stacy exclaimed with a beaming smile. 'How did we ever get so serious all of a sudden? Tell me about your work. It must be really interesting being a model. My father was a photographer.'
And the subject of Lije Masters was left behind.
Chapter Five
DIANA leaned on the stable door. The last wave of nausea was subsiding, leaving her legs trembling and unsteady. The vivid picture of Lije being tossed from the bull and under its hooves was still firmly implanted in her mind's eye. She had stayed in the stands long enough to see him get to his feet completely unharmed before she fled from the arena to the stables.
The clip-clop of a horse's hooves sounded behind her, and Diana knew without turning that it was Lije. All the nagging doubts that she really loved him had
'It's more interesting than discussing clothes, hairstyles and babies,' he mocked her in return.
'If those are your interests, Stacy,' Lije joined in, 'you and Diana will have a lot in common. She's a model"
'Which hardly qualifies me as an expert,' Diana laughed, but she was immediately drawn into a conversation by Stacy that dissipated the last of her reticence.
Three-quarters of an hour later Lije and Cord rose from the table. Cord leaned down and brushed his wife's cheek with a kiss and rumpled his son's dark hair. Diana glanced hesitantly at Lije, wishing she could arouse the look of adoration that had been in Cord's eyes for his wife. A crinkling smile made lines at the corner of the grey eyes.
'I'll see you tonight at the rodeo,' said Lije. It should have been a question, but he made it sound like an order.
'I'll be there,' Diana answered warmly. His hand touched her shoulder as he passed her chair, following Cord out of the restaurant.
'The three of you make a very handsome family,' Diana commented with a trace of envy at the brown-haired girl who was about the same age as she was.
'We're unbelievably happy,' Stacy sighed, gazing in the direction her husband had just taken. 'I was only half a person until I met Cord.'
'How did you meet?' Diana asked. 'You don't really have a southern drawl or a Texas twang.'
'I'm from the East, New York,' Stacy laughed. 'I came west after my father died and rented a cabin on Cord's ranch. For a while it was "east is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet". We had a very stormy courtship. But all's well that ends well. How long have you known Lije?'
'Not long.'
'I only met him myself last year at Cord's annual "quarter" horse sale. He bought three of our brood mares. Of course, Cord has known him for several years. In some ways Lije reminds me a great deal of Cord. They're both proud, strong men who very capably shape their own destiny.' Stacy glanced quizzically at Diana's silent figure. 'Before, I've always had the impression that Lije was rather cold and remote, like an eagle circling high in the sky looking on life from afar, but today there was more warmth to him. Because of you?'
'I don't think so.'
'Are you in love with him?' Stacy probed gently.
Diana glanced at her sharply, her blue eyes guarded so that they wouldn't reveal how many times in the last twelve hours she had asked herself the same question.
'I know the symptoms,' Stacy continued, taking Joshua out of his high chair and wiping his mouth. 'It's easier to recognize them in a stranger than it is in yourself. I like Lije and I like you. I couldn't think of a better wish than for the two of you to find the same deep, fulfilling love that Cord and I did.'
'You almost make me think it's possible,' Diana sighed.
'Anything is possible, Diana, if your love is strong enough,' Diana assured her. Her hazel eyes twinkled merrily. 'There is one piece of advice I'd like to give. Neither Cord nor I guessed that the other felt the same way. We almost parted because of it. Don't be afraid to tell him you love him if you do.' Stacy paused, her expression growing more solemn.
'I'll try to remember that.'
'Gracious!' Stacy exclaimed with a beaming smile. 'How did we ever get so serious all of a sudden? Tell me about your work. It must be really interesting being a model. My father was a photographer.'
And the subject of Lije Masters was left behind.
Chapter Five
DIANA leaned on the stable door. The last wave of nausea was subsiding, leaving her legs trembling and unsteady. The vivid picture of Lije being tossed from the bull and under its hooves was still firmly implanted in her mind's eye. She had stayed in the stands long enough to see him get to his feet completely unharmed before she fled from the arena to the stables.
The clip-clop of a horse's hooves sounded behind her, and Diana knew without turning that it was Lije. All the nagging doubts that she really loved him had
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