Chapter 2

Two days later, Heath appeared at breakfast in a suit and tie, causing raised eyebrows everywhere, especially from Nick.

"Well, look at you," Nick said. "Guess you're not planning to be fixing fences in that get-up."

"I'm picking up Melanie on the train, remember?" Heath said as he sat down and dug into breakfast.

Jarrod was also in a suit, but because he was planning to go into his office and reacquaint himself with whatever cases were waiting for him. It would be his first trip in since he got home. He couldn't remember what cases were waiting there, but he was hoping reviewing some files would jog things. "You'll be taking the buggy, then," he said.

"I hope you don't need it," Heath said.

Jarrod took a sip of coffee, shaking his head. "No, I'll just take Jingo in."

"I'll have to see what Melanie is planning. I don't know a thing about why she's here, or who she's planning to see, or where she's planning to stay."

Victoria said, "You may certainly invite her to stay here if you'd like."

"I'll see what her plans are," Heath said.

"Well, I would love to see her," Audra said. "We had such a good time together while she was here. I was pretty surprised when she left as early as she did."

"She had other plans," Heath said. "When you come from back east and you're touring the west, you keep to a schedule, I guess."

Jarrod frowned to himself. Something began to itch at the back of his mind, something that made him uneasy about Melanie and the last time she was here. He had no idea why, and that made him even more uneasy.

"Can we expect you for dinner?" Victoria asked Heath.

"I guess so," Heath said. "Though I'm not sure what Melanie has in mind."

"Do bring her home if you can," Audra said. "I would love to see her again."

"Jarrod?" Victoria asked. "Will you be home for dinner?"

"Better let me leave that open," Jarrod said. "I don't know what I'll have at the office until I get there. If I'm not home by about seven, go on without me."

"Nick, Audra, I guess you will both be here for dinner?"

"Oh, yes, I want to see Melanie again," Audra said.

"And I want the chance to meet her," Nick said.

"Well, then, it's settled," Victoria said. "Heath, you'd better be very persuasive and bring her here for dinner."

Heath smiled. "I will do my best."

XXXXXXX

Heath paced the platform at the train station, checking his watch too often. His hands were shaking, and he was surprised about it. He really shouldn't have felt this nervous about seeing Melanie again, but he was. He didn't know why he was. It was driving him crazy.

When they parted company several months earlier, there were no promises to stay in touch, no promises to even see one another again. What had happened between them was very casual – far more casual than Audra seemed to think it was. At least to him it was casual. Could it have been more important to Melanie?

No, he'd have heard from her before now if she had been taking things more seriously. So why was she getting back in touch now? And why a perfumed letter?

Heath kept checking his watch. The train was running late. Why was it the train was always running late when you were waiting for it?

He finally heard the whistle sounding, out of sight but not too far away. His hands started to shake even more. Cut it out, he kept telling himself. She's just a girl you danced with one night.

The train came into view around a bend, and the whistle sounded again. In just a minute, it was pulling to a stop in the station. Heath cleared his throat when it came to a stop. He looked up and down as the conductors climbed down and started to help passengers get off.

What if I don't recognize her? Heath asked himself.

He recognized her. A conductor was helping her down to the platform twenty feet or so away. He also took her bag from her and put it on the platform. She smiled at the conductor and stepped onto the platform. Then she looked around and saw Heath.

She looked just like Heath remembered, petite and sparkling all over. She beamed as Heath came to her, and she leaned forward, inviting him to kiss her on the cheek, which he did. "Oh, Heath, it's so good to see you again."

"It's good to see you, too, Melanie," he said, picking up her bag. "It was a big surprise, getting your letter."

"Oh, I'll bet it was. Did you like the perfume touch?"

"Well – "

She laughed. "I wanted to make sure you'd open it."

Heath offered his arm, and she took it. "I've got a buggy waiting over here. Would you like to stop for a cup of coffee or something to eat before we go out to the ranch?"

"Coffee would hit the spot."

"You can tell me all about your trip out here this time."

"Actually, it's not a 'this time.' I never did go back east."

Heath was startled. "Really? It's been, what, three or four months?"

"Well, it's been quite a tour of the west. I'll tell you all about it over coffee."

They went to a small café for coffee and conversation. Heath thought she looked even more beautiful than she had before – she wore a blue traveling dress with a softer blue hat and white gloves. Her dark hair peaked out from under her hat and her dark eyes sparkled. Yes, he remembered now why dancing with her had been such a happy experience.

"I didn't got back east because I added a few more places to my itinerary," she explained. "I just love it out here. I didn't want to go home."

"How did your parents feel about that?" Heath asked.

"Not very good, but they let me have my way. I'm their only daughter, so they dote on me. I get away with murder."

Heath chuckled. "So where have you gone?"

"Oh, when I left here, I actually started to go back east. Got so far as St. Louis and decided I wanted to see more, so I've been to Kansas City and then to Denver and Sacramento and San Francisco."

"You came from Carson City. How did you come to end up there?"

She almost blushed. "A gentleman I met in Sacramento had business opportunities there and talked me into going with him to look things over. I looked him over and decided he was no gentleman. That was two weeks ago. I dodged him until I could come back here. I wanted to see a real gentleman again before I go home to Baltimore."

Heath smiled. "Have you made arrangements to stay anywhere?"

"No, not yet."

"Mother asked me to see if you would like to stay with us."

"Oh, I would love to. I will only be staying for three nights, then I'll catch the train to go home to Baltimore, and I'd love to spend it seeing more of the ranch and talking with Audra."

"Audra's looking forward to talking with you, too."

XXXXXXXXX

Was she ever.

Heath had scarcely ushered Melanie through the front door before Audra had her by both hands and they were chattering all the way to the settee in the living room. Victoria and Heath were left in the foyer, looking at each other with raised eyebrows and then resigned grins.

Victoria shook her head and said, "She must get it from her father."

Heath laughed. "We didn't see Jarrod in town, so I don't know when he'll be home. I guess Nick is still out on the range."

Victoria nodded. "He hasn't been in all day, but I expect he'll turn up somewhere between four and six. He's anxious to meet Melanie."

"She's anxious to meet him. But she's more anxious to spend some time riding on the ranch."

"Will she stay with us?"

Heath nodded. "She's only spending three nights before she heads back to Baltimore. No time to organize a dance."

"Well, I'm sure you can keep her entertained."

"If I can't, Audra can."

The girls were still talking a mile a minute. Victoria and Heath only caught a couple sentences – something about new fabric in from New York that Audra had bought and something about Nick being here this time and something about that fellow in Carson City that Melanie soured on. The topics were flying by so fast that Heath had to shake his head and go for the liquor table. Maybe a slight buzz would slow things down for him.

"I'll join you," Victoria said.