Page 28 of A Taste of Whiskey
“Only your father. Let’s sit down.”
“Dad knows where my thinking spot is?” she asked as they sat down.
“Who do you think showed me? You know how much your father loves you. Do you think that man would ever let you go out at dawn without knowing where you were heading?”
“Wait. Are you saying he’s known about it since I first discovered it?”
“I’m afraid so.” She patted Sasha’s hand. “Nothing happens on this ranch without your daddy knowing about it.”
“Buthow? I would have seen him following me, or at least heard him.”
“Your father might be a big man, but he’s as stealthy and as clever as the day is long. He armed himself with binoculars and a thermos of coffee, and he’d watch you sneak out, saddle up, and take your rascally self into these hills.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I wasn’t sneaking out to meet a boy.”
“If that’d been the case, you’d have definitely known he was there.” Her mother put her arm around her, hugging her against her side. “Want to tell me why you’ve been making yourself scarce around the ranch lately?”
“I’m just busy.”
“It’s not like you to be too busy to eat a meal or two with everyone. Do you need some help with the horses?”
“No. I have plenty of time for the horses.” She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. “I guess I’ve needed a little space.”
“I can understand that. Working where you live can be difficult, and around here, you don’t get much privacy.”
“Apparently I get even less than I thought.” Sasha bumped her mother with her shoulder. “Does Dadstillfollow me?”
“No. But I can’t vouch for your brothers.” She laughed softly.
Sasha could only smile and shake her head. “Did you ever want to get away from the ranch?”
“Sure, or at least I thought I did. When I went to college, I thought I was all about finally being free. Out from under your grandfather’s thumb and from the endless chores. But after the first couple of months of school, I missed home.”
Sasha remembered feeling that way when she’d gone to college, too.
“I’m a ranch girl at heart,” her mother said. “There’s something about this land that gets in your blood. I couldn’t wait to come back, and when I did, fate stepped in, and I met your father.”
Her parents had met at the Roadhouse, when her mother had been celebrating her college graduation, and her father, who was from Peaceful Harbor, Maryland, had been on a cross-country bike trip with his brother Biggs. He’d fallen hard, and instead of returning to Maryland, he’d gotten a job on the ranch working for Sasha’s grandfather while her mother went to graduate school. A few years later, her parents had married, and eventually they’d expanded the ranch and her father had started the Dark Knights.
“I’d’ve followed that man to the moon if that’s what he wanted. But, honey, that wasme. It doesn’t have to be you. There’s a big world out there. We love that you’re here with us, but if you’re feeling restless or stifled in your career, you don’t have to stay just because we’re family.”
“I know. I don’t feel that way. I love working here, and you give me free rein to do what’s best for the horses. I don’t have any complaints.”
“Good. I try not to pry into your personal life, but is that where the stress is coming from? Is there a new beau on the horizon who has you a little off-kilter?” she asked hopefully.
If Ezra were any other guy, Sasha could talk with her mother about it, but she knew better than to go there. “No.There’s no new guy in my life.”
“Okay, well, isthatthe problem? Because I might have some suggestions. Birdie tells me that dating apps are quite popular these days, and there’s that cute young man who works at the feed store.”
“Mom, please stop.” She was going to kill Birdie.
“I was just trying to help, but don’t worry, honey. You’re a beautiful, smart girl. You’ll meet Mr. Right when you’re good and ready, and I might have a great opportunity for you to do so.”
“I don’t need to be set up.”
“This isn’t a setup. There’s a networking dinner at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs next month that’s going to have some very important people in attendance, and they’ve asked us to speak about the ranch. It’s a great opportunity to spread the word and even bring in some donations. You know how your father avoids dressy functions, and this one is five hundred dollars a plate. I was hoping you could go and tell them about the rescue and the work we do with the horses.”
“Sure, I’d be happy to.” She enjoyed talking about the rescue, and it would be nice to get away. “Is it black tie?”
