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quickly. She placed the dishes in the sink, knowing that her hands had suddenly lost the ability to perform simple tasks. Yet it appeared that every nerve ending in her fingers was on fire.
    “When I left town I didn’t expect food,” Adam said as Rosa walked him to the door.
    “Next time, maybe I’ll make you a real meal.”
    “Next time?” He raised his eyebrows.
    “Yeah,” she said. “As soon as you get over your dislike of me.”
     
    The natural progression from being a model to life after the runway was either to open an agency or become a photographer. Rosa opted for the camera. She loved taking pictures and had quite a portfolio. Looking through the lens and selecting exactly which slice of life she wanted to preserve gave her power.
    Montana was perfect for the camera. Like the sky the state was so famous for, the land went on forever, too. Rosa sat astride a horse. The groom at the stable had called the filly Leah. Rosa hadn’t been on a horse in a while and tomorrow she would pay for the exercise today. Lifting the camera that hung around her neck, she scanned the land before her. The mountains in the distance were spectacular. They were farther away than they looked and she used a telephoto lens to pan their height.
    Sliding off the horse, she tethered it to her belt using a slipknot in case something spooked it and she took off. At least she wouldn’t take Rosa with her. It was a technique her brother Digger had taught her one rainy afternoon. She didn’t think she’d have a use for it. She just liked the way the knot would come apart by pulling either end.
    Raising the camera, she focused and took a shot. Moving about, she continued taking picture after picture. It was early morning, before breakfast. The daylight changed by the minute. Like the Grand Canyon’s changing of color throughout the day, the morning light here provided a panorama of color just as spectacular. And what she could do with it on her computer screen might not be art, but it was pleasing to her eye.
    Rosa took a shot and stopped. She heard something. It was a horse. The cadence was rhythmic and coming toward her. Squinting in the morning light, she tried to see who was approaching. For a moment she thought it was Adam. Then she recognized Bailey Osborne. The tiny flip of her heart somersaulted to her stomach. Had she hoped it was Adam? And then become disappointed to find it was someone else?
    Bailey pulled up in front of her and dismounted with the agility of a man half his age.
    “You’re a morning person,” he stated.
    “After a lifetime of having to be at some place before the day woke up, I suppose sleeping late is something my body hasn’t learned to do.”
    “That’s great. I love seeing the sunrise.” He looked toward the horizon. “It’s the best part of the day. Clears your mind and gets you ready to do what’s gotta be done. And”—he paused—“it’s one of the few times I get away from Adam.”
    “He’s very worried about you,” Rosa told him.
    “I know. He thinks I’m going to die on him.” He tapped on his chest. “Bad ticker. I suppose everyone has to die someday, but I’m planning on beating the clock for a lot more years.” He smiled at her, giving her a grin that was so like his son’s.
    “So, are you playing games with Adam?”
    “Games?” He frowned.
    “Not taking your medicine. Riding alone. Things like that.”
    “I’m not an invalid. And I do take my medicine. I just kinda wait for him to show up to do it. It gives us time to talk.”
    “I see,” Rosa said. It was time he wanted with Adam. She raised her camera and looked for a good shot.
    “You’re a model and a photographer?” he questioned.
    Rosa faced him, still looking through the viewfinder. “Not really,” she said, snapping a picture. “There’s a lot of time between takes when you’re on assignment. I picked up a camera one day and starting taking snapshots to show my family. I enjoyed it enough to keep