“Okay.” She sat up a little straighter. “Your hopes and dreams.”
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, barely moving his head as he did. “Fine. I have some money saved from my time in the rodeo, but I can’t just do nothing all day. So I like working at Lone Star and the orchards, but I think I’d like my own place.”
“Like a ranch?”
“I can’t run a ranch, no.” Ty shook his head. “Nothing like a whole ranch. I was thinking more along the lines of a hobby farm. I have a few friends who have their own farms. They feed their animals, and grow big gardens, and sell their excess alfalfa. I think—well, I think I could do that. Maybe.”
“Why wouldn’t you be able to?”
“Because running a farm is a lot of physical labor,” he said. “Andsometimes, after a really busy day ofwalking, I need to ice my hip and take a lot of painkillers.” He looked over to her fully, lightning and thunder in his expression.
“Sure, but you could hire in help.”
Ty sighed. “Yeah.” The truck slowed again, and Winnie switched her attention out the windshield instead of scrutinizing Ty. “I just know I can’t live in that apartment forever. Heck, I’d like to be out by summertime.”
“Really? That soon?”
Ty came to a stop and nodded. “Eagle Bear Lake. I’m going to turn around and back in.” He started doing that while Winnie gazed at the rippling water in front of her. “The name is kind of interesting, because there was a pair of eagles who used to nest here, like, forty years ago. So it used to be called just Eagle Lake. Then, someone saw a bear, and now it’s Eagle Bear Lake.”
Winnie smiled at him. “It’s simple. I like it.” She exhaled, wondering if they could just picnic from the front seats of the truck. “It’s really windy, cowboy.”
“I have a couple of blankets.” He stopped talking as he got the truck where he wanted it, got out and collected the picnic basket, and then opened her door. “Ready?”
“Yes, sir.” She dropped to the ground beside him, and she stayed out of the way as he lowered the tailgate, slid their lunch inside, and then unfolded a single-step step-stool. He gripped the side of the truck as he put his right foot on it, and he half-pulled, half-pushed himself up the step.
He grunted as he did it, but Winnie stayed silent and still. Ty made it into the bed of the truck, and he knelt down to help her up. Nerves ran through her body, because while Winnie took her evening walks, they were more like strolls.
She managed it, and then found that Ty had created a nest in the back of his truck. A nest of blankets and pillows, and she sank onto a perfectly purple one with a wide smile. “This is great.”
He toed the basket over to her and sat down beside her. “Okay,let’s see what we’ve got in this thing.” He took the red-checkered cloth off and spread it over her legs.
She grinned harder.
“Chicken croissant,” he said, handing her a golden crescent croissant in a zipper bag. “Red grapes. Sliced caramel apples.”
He handed her each item as he pulled it out of the basket, and when he gave her an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie as big as her face, she asked, “Where did you get all of this?”
“I made it,” he said simply.
Winnie stared at him as he settled next to her and opened his chicken croissant sandwich. “You made it?” She looked down at the cookie. “All of it?”
“I mean, I bought the grapes,” he said. “And the apple—but I cut that up myself.”
“When?” she asked. “I mean, we were out until forever last night.”
Ty grinned at her. “Forever? I kept you out untilforever?” He shook his head and lifted his sandwich. “And you don’t sound happy about it.” He took a bite of his croissant, his grin making him so stinking handsome.
“I’m happy about it,” Winnie said, looking down at her lap covered with that red-checkered cloth. She picked up her baggie of sliced caramel apples. “I had a great time last night.”
“Good,” Ty said. “Because so did I. Good enough to make chicken salad and cookies this morning, stop by the grocery store for a picnic basket, andstillmake it to church on time.”
Winnie lifted her gaze to meet his, and Ty leaned toward her. She pulled in a breath and let her eyes drift closed. Ty’s soft beard brushed her cheek as he pressed his to hers.
“You sure are pretty, Winnie,” he whispered. “Sorry I made the game so hard, but thanks for coming on this picnic with me.”
He retreated then, leaving Winnie’s body buzzing with want. He sighed and popped a grape into his mouth. “I love this lake,” he said. “It’s out of the way, and there’s no services, so not many people use it.”
Winnie bit her apple slice in half and looked out at the lake too. “It can’t be very deep.”
