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building, and in the center was a large,
carved wood front door painted red. The brightness was eye catching
and oddly sat well with the tan and white wood cladding and large
stone chimney.
    “Isn’t it beautiful here? I wasn’t
expecting such intensity of color and light, and the air is crisp
and clean.” Sakura shared her awe of where they’d found themselves
after days of driving. They were a long way from Japan in landscape
and culture, but she was drawn to her surroundings.
    “None of the travel books we
brought with us do the state justice. I’m not a camping type of
person, but I bet spending nights beneath the stars would be an
incredible experience.”
    “I read somewhere Montana is called
the Place of Big Sky or something like that, and they were right.
Everything appeared clear and bright while the sun was shining, and
even now at dusk it’s beautiful. I can’t wait to see it when the
moon and stars are spread across the darkness.” She wasn’t into
stargazing, although it may be because back home there wasn’t much
to see. Maybe there was out in the rural areas, but not
Osaka.
    As they started up the stairs
leading to the porch, the front door opened and Matt met them with
a grin.
    “Good evening, ladies. You settle
in all right?”
    Sakura took what he said as genuine
politeness. The hug and kiss he gave her ensured she knew she
mattered more to him than as a mere friend.
    “Montana, the Big W, it’s all
incredibly inspiring and big, really big. We were excited about the
adventure and it’s much more than either of us imagined.” She put
her hand on his shoulder in a bid to get closer to him as he
further tightened his arms around her and held her close. Right
then, being held in his arms was where she wanted to be
most.
    “You two have done what many
Americans never get a chance to do, drive around and see their
country up close. The land around here is beautiful and hardly
developed compared to other sections of the country. It should give
you a good glimpse of something different from what you’ve seen
already.”
    He waved them on ahead. “Go on
inside. To the left is the living room where we’re relaxing with a
drink before dinner. What would you two like? We have everything,
including but not limited to water, soda, wine or beer.”
    “I’ll have some water,” Sakura
requested with a smile. Even though he hadn’t touched her
intimately, seeing him made her feel good. The brief touch
confirmed yet again that she’d made the right decision in coming to
the U.S. They made their way to the others and felt at
ease.
    Except for Molly, Sakura preferred
to keep a slight distance from people she worked with. She didn’t
want to do that while at the Big W Ranch. There were no formalities
here, no cultural rules to remember and exist under, and she hoped
none appeared. As far as she was concerned, the days were for
business, after that was something else. Something much more
personal.
    Dinner turned out to be a group
effort and they ate outside on a patio beneath the expansive
darkening sky.
    Jon made a green salad, Ted handled
the steaks, and Matt was in charge of grilling the asparagus once
the steaks had been removed. While she’d read about the American
fascination with barbecuing, neither she nor Molly had ever tried
it before. After listening to them talk and seeing the seriously
extensive setup, they were interested to see how it was done and
how the end product tasted.
    By the time the meal was finished
she knew why it was a national fascination. The meal was delicious
and filling. Once they’d finished eating, a chill started to settle
over them and they cleared the table. Moving inside, they settled
in the living room and started to talk shop.
    “We’ll have another barbecue
tomorrow with the ranch hands that are here. Later you can then
meet the group currently out moving the last of the herd to the
eastern pasture. It will leave the northern field free for the
newborns after