morning came for the Harrises' arrival, Diana's enthusiasm had her hearing the drone of an airplane motor half a dozen times before the red Cessna aircraft actually flew over the ranch. She raced out of the house to intercept Lije, who was just crawling into the jeep to go out to meet them.
'Can I come with you?' she asked breathlessly. Her face was aglow with excitement.
'Hop in.' The grey eyes smiled as Diana quickly took the seat beside him.
They rattled over the track leading to the flat stretch of pasture where a lonely red windsock marked the landing area. Diana could barely conceal her impatience as the plane slowly taxied to where she and Lije were parked. She quickly followed Lije when he hopped out from behind the wheel and walked to meet the man and woman stepping out of the plane.
Stacy's twinkling brown eyes sought Diana out immediately. As she gave her a quick hug, Stacy whispered, 'I feel like a matchmaker. Congratulations, although I think I'm supposed to say that to the bridegroom.'
'Thank you.' The warm feeling of friendliness brought a sparkle of happy tears to Diana's eyes. 'I'm glad you could come.'
'Cord is very thoughtful that way,' Stacy glanced at her husband talking to Lije before smiling back at Diana. 'He knew this trip would break the monotony of ranch life for you as well as me, although I'm already getting homesick for little Josh.'
All the way back to the ranch yard, the two women chattered about the little boy while the men sat in front wrapped up in ranch talk. When Lije stopped the jeep near the corrals, Cord turned around to look at Stacy.
'I want you to see the stallion Lije has, Stacy. Malpais is a fabulous animal,' said Cord.
'I'll have Jim bring him out of his paddock so you can have a closer look, Stacy,' Lije offered, signalling to Jim Two Pony just walking out to greet them.
The big, barrel-chested bay was led out for their inspection. Diana watched with envy as Stacy led the discussion in admiring the muscular haunches that could spring the horse into full speed in one bounding leap and the beautifully formed head with its dignified, intelligent brown eyes. Diana wished she was as well versed in the finer points of the quarter horse as Stacy was. But then it was quite obvious that Stacy was a horsewoman, while she, Diana thought with a wry smile, was a housewoman.
The stallion was led back to his enclosure and the yearlings were paraded for Cord one at a time. Diana watched the proceedings, not understanding why three were singled out over what seemed to her equally beautiful horses. When Cord and Lije became engaged in a purely business discussion, Stacy suggested that she and Diana walk over to the corral to look at the older horses.
'That's a beautiful chocolate-coloured mare!' Stacy exclaimed excitedly.
'Which one?' Diana asked. She couldn't tell a mare from a stallion and all the horses looked brown to her.
'That one there,' Stacy pointed, 'with the star on her forehead and the white front foot. She's a dainty little horse. Cord, come and look at this mare!'
The two men walked over to where the women stood near the corral. Diana had finally been able to determine which horse Stacy was talking about and admitted silently that it was a pretty horse with soft, intelligent brown eyes. Lije opened the corral gate and walked over to the mare, taking her by the halter and leading her to the railing where Stacy waited.
'How old is she?' Cord's keen eyes trailed over the horse.
'A coming four-year-old,' Lije answered. 'Would you like to ride her, Stacy?'
'Would I ever?' Stacy laughed as Lije turned to ask Jim to saddle the horse. The brunette turned her laughing gaze to include Diana and Cord. 'I have a horse of my own, but Cord won't let me ride him. I've been trying to find another horse that's spirited enough for me and gentle enough for him to approve.'
'She looks like an ideal ladies' mount,' Cord agreed as he watched the mare standing quietly as Jim tightened the
'Can I come with you?' she asked breathlessly. Her face was aglow with excitement.
'Hop in.' The grey eyes smiled as Diana quickly took the seat beside him.
They rattled over the track leading to the flat stretch of pasture where a lonely red windsock marked the landing area. Diana could barely conceal her impatience as the plane slowly taxied to where she and Lije were parked. She quickly followed Lije when he hopped out from behind the wheel and walked to meet the man and woman stepping out of the plane.
Stacy's twinkling brown eyes sought Diana out immediately. As she gave her a quick hug, Stacy whispered, 'I feel like a matchmaker. Congratulations, although I think I'm supposed to say that to the bridegroom.'
'Thank you.' The warm feeling of friendliness brought a sparkle of happy tears to Diana's eyes. 'I'm glad you could come.'
'Cord is very thoughtful that way,' Stacy glanced at her husband talking to Lije before smiling back at Diana. 'He knew this trip would break the monotony of ranch life for you as well as me, although I'm already getting homesick for little Josh.'
All the way back to the ranch yard, the two women chattered about the little boy while the men sat in front wrapped up in ranch talk. When Lije stopped the jeep near the corrals, Cord turned around to look at Stacy.
'I want you to see the stallion Lije has, Stacy. Malpais is a fabulous animal,' said Cord.
'I'll have Jim bring him out of his paddock so you can have a closer look, Stacy,' Lije offered, signalling to Jim Two Pony just walking out to greet them.
The big, barrel-chested bay was led out for their inspection. Diana watched with envy as Stacy led the discussion in admiring the muscular haunches that could spring the horse into full speed in one bounding leap and the beautifully formed head with its dignified, intelligent brown eyes. Diana wished she was as well versed in the finer points of the quarter horse as Stacy was. But then it was quite obvious that Stacy was a horsewoman, while she, Diana thought with a wry smile, was a housewoman.
The stallion was led back to his enclosure and the yearlings were paraded for Cord one at a time. Diana watched the proceedings, not understanding why three were singled out over what seemed to her equally beautiful horses. When Cord and Lije became engaged in a purely business discussion, Stacy suggested that she and Diana walk over to the corral to look at the older horses.
'That's a beautiful chocolate-coloured mare!' Stacy exclaimed excitedly.
'Which one?' Diana asked. She couldn't tell a mare from a stallion and all the horses looked brown to her.
'That one there,' Stacy pointed, 'with the star on her forehead and the white front foot. She's a dainty little horse. Cord, come and look at this mare!'
The two men walked over to where the women stood near the corral. Diana had finally been able to determine which horse Stacy was talking about and admitted silently that it was a pretty horse with soft, intelligent brown eyes. Lije opened the corral gate and walked over to the mare, taking her by the halter and leading her to the railing where Stacy waited.
'How old is she?' Cord's keen eyes trailed over the horse.
'A coming four-year-old,' Lije answered. 'Would you like to ride her, Stacy?'
'Would I ever?' Stacy laughed as Lije turned to ask Jim to saddle the horse. The brunette turned her laughing gaze to include Diana and Cord. 'I have a horse of my own, but Cord won't let me ride him. I've been trying to find another horse that's spirited enough for me and gentle enough for him to approve.'
'She looks like an ideal ladies' mount,' Cord agreed as he watched the mare standing quietly as Jim tightened the
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