Rob appeared to know where he was going and after several miles of congested traffic, he pulled into a huge parking lot off the main drag. It was a massive dinner theater with horseback riders doing tricks and acting out the War Between the States. She hadn’t been there since her church youth group saw it years ago.
After being seated in stadium seats at a long table, she turned to Rob, practically vibrating with excitement. “Oh, Rob, this is perfect! It’s been probably fifteen years since I’ve been here. What made you think of this?”
“I picked up a tourist magazine at the gas station last week and saw an ad for it. I figured it would be a great way to get to know about Southern culture, and well, there are going to be horses. What could be better than that?”
She leaned in and gave him a kiss. “Great choice. I hope you like it.”
They watched a bluegrass band perform as they ate their meal with their hands. The house lights dimmed and spotlights shone on the dirt-covered arena in front of them as the show began. Horses and riders dressed in Confederate and Union garb moved in a choreographed dance, shifting and changing positions to simulate an infantry battle. She stole a glance at Rob and saw that he sat mesmerized by the performance.
The scene shifted to a Wild West show, complete with trick riding, roping, and staged gun battles. The finale involved a female rider standing on horseback and leaping through a ring of flames. MJ, Rob and everyone around them sat opened-mouthed and ended standing and applauding wildly as the rider did acrobatic moves from horseback at a full gallop.
Afterward, they stopped at a picturesque diner shaped like a trolley and had coffee. “I loved the dinner and show, Rob. I’d forgotten how many interesting attractions there are out here.”
“Thanks for sharing it with me. It was cool to watch the performance with the horses. Did you ride much when you were a kid?”
She smiled. “Not really. I was a bookworm, and loved sitting on the porch reading, imagining different worlds. I had several friends who rode and showed horses, but we lived in town, and having a horse would have been more expensive than my family could manage. I envy you growing up on a ranch and having animals around. I’d have loved to have a dog, but with Dad traveling so much and Mom working, my parents thought it wouldn’t be fair to the dog. I love having Maverick and learning to be responsible for him. It’s a lot of work, but so worth it.”
“Horses and cows are a lot of work, too but are rewarding in other ways. If you’re interested, I’d love to teach you to ride. It’s amazing to see the mountains from horseback. From what Tyler tells me, there are a lot of great horse trails around Ridgeview. I’d love to explore them with you.”
“I’d like that.”
He reached over and grabbed her hand. “There are so many things I want to explore with you. I hope we get the chance.”
“Why wouldn’t we?” She searched his face for a clue about what could cut their time together short.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I worry you’ll tire of me. I’m not all that exciting, and the life of a rancher isn’t exactly glamorous.”
She made a noise with her tongue and lips. “Are you under the impression I’m a woman who needs glamour? Really?” She shook her head.
He looked abashed. “Okay, maybe not, but I worry you’ll want somebody more interesting than me.”
Okay, now he was making her mad. “I love you, Rob. I don’t say that lightly. I don’t fall in love with every guy who comes along and then dump him when things get challenging.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply you were…” He paused, as if looking for the right word.
“Fickle? Flighty? Superficial?”
“No! I know you aren’t any of those things. I worry about me being lacking. Not being interesting enough.”
“I don’t want to play games, Rob. I know you’re hardworking and dedicated. I like those things about you. I had fun tonight, but I don’t have to be entertained all the time. I work hard too, at a job I love. I can understand you want the same for yourself. Don’t you think I respect that?”
“I guess I didn’t think about it that way. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you. It’s just hard for me to believe that a woman like you can fall for an ordinary guy like me.”
She shook her head. “Get over it, Rob. I have fallen for you, and I hope you get used to the idea.”
He sat silent for a few moments, as if thinking deeply. Then he reached out and caressed the edge of her jaw with his finger. “Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart. There’s nothing I want more than to get used to that idea.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Thanksgiving dawned cloudy and cold, but MJ was up long before daylight. She rolled out of bed just after five and dressed quietly so as not to wake Rob. Maverick raised his head to watch her dress and followed her out of the room and into the kitchen. She slipped into a jacket and walked with him into the backyard where he sniffed, peed, and finally pooped in one of the flower beds.
“C’mon, boy,” she called before he could do another sniffing lap around the yard. “I’ve got work to do.” She filled his food bowl before turning to her list. Timing was everything when making
