“Damn, Mandisa. Sounds like an episode ofDallasup inthere.”
Mandisa couldn’t hold her laughter. Kandi’s way with words had long since been a source of amusement forher.
“So it sounds like the cowboy is showing you a good time.” Mandisa could hear a slight touch of uncertainty in Kandi’s voice, turning her statement into aquestion.
“Yeah, he is. He and his people have been really gracious hosts.” Mandisa was telling the absolute truth. In little more than a week’s time, Mandisa had been made to feel like she belonged on theland.
If she wasn’t spending time with Slade, she was with Mama Indy, watching the woman make one fabulous recipe after another. The old woman seemed happy to have someone to share stories with about Slade and Aaron growing up and getting into so much trouble together. She’d even taken to sharing some of her secret ingredients with Mandisa. Emphasis on the some. Mandisa still hadn’t managed to find out what the hell that woman was putting in her coffee to make it so damngood.
If Mama Indy was too busy to entertain her, even the broody Aaron was eager to step in and share some of his time. He’d shown her around some of the more remote parts of the land that Slade hadn’t gotten around toyet.
One day she’d followed him around the ranch like a lost puppy when Slade had been summoned to his offices for work. When they’d come back to the house for lunch and he’d removed his hat, giving her a closer look at his beautiful midnight hair, she’d given him a few tips about helping to manage some of the split ends she couldsee.
He hadn’t the slightest idea what she was talking about. So she’d mixed up a natural egg-and-mayonnaise deep conditioner and applied it to his hair. He’d growled the entire time she washed, then conditioned, then rinsed his hair. However, when he saw the results, the smooth shine that gleamed when the light hit his strands, a small smile broke free on hislips.
These people were becoming an expected and welcomed part of her life. Thinking of the soon-approaching end date brought a twinge of sadness to her. Needing to lift her spirits, she brought the discussion around to safer topics. “How’s Sweet Sadie’sdoing?”
“As well as always,” Kandi answered quickly. “Why? Don’t you trustme?”
“Of course I do.” Mandisa never would have left if she didn’t. Kandi was the only person she’d trust with her mama’s stores. “I still have to ask, though. This is the first time I’ve been away, Kandi. I miss the stores. I miss you. Just want to make certain everything’sokay.”
Kandi’s brief silence made Mandisa worry. She never wanted her friend and work partner to think Mandisa didn’t trust her. But as a responsible owner, she couldn’t just turn off being concerned about the welfare of her businesseither.
“Everything’s fine, Mandisa. The stores are doing great, and the staff and I are okay. Don’t worry yourself.” Kandi was quiet again. Not long enough to worry Mandisa, but still long enough for her to notice the loquacious woman wasn’t carrying their conversation as she usually would. “I just called to make sure you’re giving this a chance, Mandisa. That you’re not sabotaging yourself out of having a goodtime.”
“Have I really been that bad,Kandi?”
Mandisa knew the answer to her own question. Of course she’d been that bad. She’d worked herself into exhaustion making her mother’s business a success. Kandi had hounded her endlessly to step away from it all before the pressure took its toll. But her warning fell on Mandisa’s deaf ears until Slade walked into thepicture.
“Never mind,” Mandisa replied. “Don’t answer that. I promise you’d be proud of me, Kandi. I haven’t thought of work once since I’ve been here. I’ve been spending so much time with Slade and his family, work hasn’t even entered into theequation.”
“Good,” Kandi answered. “That’s all I wanted to know, that you’re having a good time. I’ll chat with you next week. Go have some more fun forme.”
Kandi ended the call, leaving Mandisa to think on her words. Mandisa was absolutely having fun—too much fun. This was a working vacation, yet she hadn’t done any work since she’d stepped on thisland.
Yes, she and Slade had agreed to take time out to acquaint her with him and his beautiful home. However, she did come here with a purpose—to get needed capital for her business. To finance her mother’sdream.
Mandisa had been so busy falling in love with Slade’s land, and deeper in lust with him, she’d completely dismissed her responsibilities to hercompany.
A woman should never set her dreams aside for a man, Mandisa. As soon as she does, she loses herself and becomes nothing more than an extension ofhim.
Mama Sadie had drilled that into her head fromchildhood.
If I’d done that when your daddy walked out on me, I’d have had nothing. Where would the two of us be if I’d followed his dreams instead of my own? Don’t let a man, or that silly emotion love, make you stupid, little girl. Always have yourown.
Unable to shake her mother’s teachings, even when they felt counter-intuitive, she threw her legs over the side of the bed and walked to the closet to pull out some clothes. She dressed in a pair of black slacks and a button-down shirt and added a pair of wedged booties to finish theoutfit.
She walked downstairs into the kitchen, finding Slade, Mama Indy, and Aaron already at the table. They each stared at her with incredulous gazes. She assumed they were each attempting to figure out what kind of crazy she’d succumbed to, wearing any type of high heels on a horseranch.
“Going someplace, darlin’?” Slade’s question filled the silentroom.
“Yeah, and I was hoping you’d accompany metoo.”
“Really? Where’d you have inmind?”
She smoothed her hand over her slacks, removing wrinkles that weren’t there. A stalling tactic she’d learned when dealing with her late mother’s disapprovingstare.
“Your labs,” Mandisa answered. “I was hoping you’d show me around your facilitiestoday.”
Slade flinched just the slightest bit as he took a sip from his coffee mug. He shared a strange look with Aaron and Mama Indy, one Mandisa hadn’t yet catalogued, before he returned his gaze toher.
“If you’re sure you want to visit Venus’ labs, I can certainly make that happen for you. Just give me a few minutes to change out of my denims and into more appropriateattire.”
He wiped his mouth with the napkin resting on his lap and then he stood. Without another word, he walked out of the room, leaving a chilly draft behind him that made hershiver.
She rubbed her arms with her hands, trying to get some of the earlier warmth back in them as her eyes collided with those of the two-remaining people at the table. There was something unspoken between the two of them, something neither of them seemed inclined to make Mandisa awareof.
Too concerned with keeping things on track, Mandisa pulled her eyes away and focused on the food before her. She loaded up her plate and dugin.
There was nothing like a healthy plate of food to keep one’s head down and mouth too busy to speak. If she was fortunate, she could keep shoveling food into her mouth until Slade returned. If she did, there’d be no need to worry about why she suddenly felt as if Mama Indy and Aaron, two people she’d become so fond of in such a short time, were disappointed in her. And more importantly, why that disappointmentmattered.
