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heart just flutters whenever I lay eyes on you.” Dramatically clutching her heart, Colby fell onto her bed.
    Ginny, giggling, gave up her matchmaking. “All right, all right,” she surrendered. “But it wouldn’t be bad having a niece or nephew to play with. I’ll be an old lady by the time Paul gets roped.”
    “So I’m to be the sacrifice. No thank you, young lady.” Colby wrinkled her nose. “I’m perfectly happy being an old maid. Gotta get out of here or I’ll never get there in time.” She glanced down at her watch. “It’s already past time.”

    Ginny clutched at her hand, eyes serious. “I really would like to have a friend, Colby. I get lonesome in the summertime. We’re so far from everybody. . . .” She trailed off, hating to complain when Colby worked so hard.
    Colby gave her a quick hug. “I know, honey. Paul and I get so busy we forget you’re here by yourself doing all the cooking and cleaning. I’ll see what I can do.”
    “Thanks.” Ginny hugged her tightly. “You look great tonight. Is Joe going to be there?” There was a hopeful note in her voice.
    “Joe? Joe Vargas? Ginny, don’t you dare try to saddle that poor man with me. He’d be lost.” Laughing, Colby caught up her purse and hurried out to the pickup truck.
    Paul was there to open the rusty, dented door. “Drive carefully, Colby, the tires are completely bald,” he cautioned. “Gone. Totally worn out.”
    “Everything is,” she commented as again and again she tried to coax the truck into starting. When it finally turned over they both cheered. “Good old truck, still hanging in there.” She patted the dash in appreciation and, waving at Paul and Ginny, took off in a cloud of dust. Bouncing high with every rut and hole, springs protesting, she cranked up the radio and happily sang all the way into town.
    She found a parking space in the side lot and slid out of the battered cab. It was pushing close to nine. Chances were good Joclyn Everett would think she’d been stood up. Colby was simply too tired to care. With a sigh and a hasty prayer De La Cruz wouldn’t be in the bar with his multitude of female groupies, Colby pushed open the door. It wasn’t hard to spot Joclyn in spite of the crowd. Her simple white dress shouted money, her makeup and hair were perfection. In a group of cowhands she stuck out like a sore thumb and she was looking distinctly uncomfortable. Colby could imagine the hard time she’d been given, the joshing, the come-ons, the snide catty remarks only women make to one another. Colby made up for it the only way she knew how. “Joclyn!” She waved across the room. “I was hoping you’d wait for me. Joe, get out of my way, will you?” she added as a tall dark-haired man swept her up in a bear hug.
    “Ah, Colby, when are you going to marry me?” hecomplained, kissing her soundly as he held her dangling with her feet several inches from the floor.
    She slugged him good-naturedly. “One of these times I’m going to drag a preacher in here and you’ll head for the hills.” As he put her down, she wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. “And stop kissing me in public.”
    “You want to go somewhere more private?” he offered, waggling his eyebrows.
    Everyone in the bar laughed at Joe’s antics and greeted her as she pushed past the cowhand to weave her way through the mass of people. “Sorry I’m so late.” Colby flung herself into a chair.
    “I was afraid you weren’t coming after Louise admitted how rude she’d been,” Joclyn ventured, looking more uncomfortable than ever.
    “Colby!” Another man swept off his hat as he dropped into the chair beside her. “You’re a hard woman to track down.”
    “Hi, Lance. This is Joclyn Everett, Sean’s wife. Joclyn, Lance Ryker. Lance, we’re in the middle of a business discussion, or,” Colby corrected with a rueful grin, “at the beginning.”
    “I bought Diablo—I finally swung the deal. You promised me you’d