Page 17 of The Texas Sterling Collection
Rod grinned. “We’ve shared morning coffee…what…five or six times? And did it take until this morning for you to realize you liked it? I buy a dark roast.”
I leaned against the counter next to the sink. “I like a dark roast.”
“Me too.” Rod motioned toward the table.
“Another thing in common between us.” I strolled over to the table, sat, and checked if Rod followed. His expression puzzled me. Uncertainty? What did I say now?
Rod grabbed two mugs from the cabinet. “Did you and Walt do anything interesting this weekend?” He filled the mugs and brought them to the table.
“I hung around the ranch.” I sipped my coffee. “I like caring for the horses, so I gave them extra attention. And I saddled up Sarge for a long Saturday afternoon ride.” I held my mug up in a salute. “Excellent coffee as usual.”
“Sarge? Is he your horse?” Rod's faraway expression confused me. He must have partied all weekend.
“Are you okay?” I snapped my fingers. “Where did your far-off expression take you?”
Rod shook his head. “Sorry. I went where no man should go.”
“Ah…hoping a Scotsman will beam you up or something,” I waggled my eyebrows. “I understand those guys don’t wear anything under their kilts.”Shit. What made me say that? I must be more careful with my teasing, or he'll think I'm coming on to him. I'm not, am I?
“Shut up,” Rod chuckled through the words. “Horses?”
Rod’s blush endeared me. It didn’t take much to make him blush. I'll have fun with that. “Yes, Sarge is my horse. We have three other horses. A label with ROD is pinned to the stall door of one.”
“You pinned me to his stall door? Like an early twentieth-century pinup or something?” Rod drew his lower lip between his teeth.
I decided to play along. “Yeah, but I didn’t have a picture of you, so I photoshopped your head onto the body of the guy who plays Thor in the movies. I hope that’s okay.”
Talk about a blush. Rod turned crimson. I hated to laugh but couldn’t help it. “I’m kidding. I have no idea what Photoshop means or how to alter photos. And I don’t remember the actor who played Thor. I pinned an index card with your name on it to the stall of the horse I picked for you.”
“You picked a horse? For me?”
“Yeah…well…you acted excited about a ride, so I picked out your horse.”
“But we only talked about it once.”
Rod’s grin gave me the warm fuzzies. “And you don’t think I remember our chats? Don’t your students always remember what you say?”
Rod gave me a sideways glance. “You’re kidding, right? They remember things said in a chat room or on social media, and they can tell you what the latest phone app is or how many likes they receive on a social media posting. Remembering my lectures does not fit into those categories, so no. You remembering things I mention is impressive.”
I didn’t explainwhyI remembered things he said. Remembering delved into dangerous committed relationship territory. A territory framed with razor wire to keep me out. I smiled and sipped my coffee. “So, how about you? Enjoyable weekend?”
“You bet.” Rod nodded. “I drove down to my place in the Hill Country.”
“Oh? Where?” I heard about the Texas Hill Country area north and west of San Antonio but never went myself.
“Kerrville. Several friends from WBCC retired in the area and convinced me to find a place. Retirement is still a few years away, but I came across a foreclosure in an established neighborhood outside of Kerrville I couldn’t resist.”
“Does the property have acreage?”
Rod shook his head. “The house is on a one-acre lot, as are many of the homes in the neighborhood. The area is wooded, and my lot includes about thirty live oak trees.”
“The house must be quite spacious, like a country estate.”
Rod chuckled and shook his head. “No estate." Rod leaned forward on the table. “The house is unique, though. Two bedrooms. Two and a half bathrooms. A small home office. Vaulted ceilings in the living room, den, and kitchen. A pass-through fireplace between the den and the living room. And an open atrium in the center.”
“You must spend a lot of time doing yard work.”
Rod shook his head. “When I bought the house, I contracted a yard service. They take care of the property so I don’t spend my weekends doing yardwork. The backyard is fenced, so I plan to have a dog someday. And I have a deck accessible from the den. Perfect for entertaining or lounging in the evening. I bought the property two years ago and never regretted the decision.”
