The drive from Dallas to Little River gave him too much free time to think about her and those lips. He heaved a sigh of relief when his house came into view in the distance. It was good to be home. It felt like he had been away forever instead of just two weeks. He parked his truck next to a blue car, and pulled his duffle bags out of the pickup bed. Someone must have got a new car while he was gone. He surprised to find it quiet around the house. It was never quiet on the Moon Star Ranch. Usually Juan and Hector were drinking beer around a campfire at this hour, but the lights were out in the bunkhouse. He went to the front door and unlocked it. It is good to be home, he thought, pushing the door open.

Jade went to the master bathroom and turned on the water in the tub, then sprinkled lavender bath salts in the water. She slipped out of her towel fully aware of the aches in her muscles. Yawning deeply she stepped into the steaming fragrant water. She had worked all day replacing the wallpaper in the upstairs bathroom and then she had cleaned the bunkhouse. Every muscle in her body throbbed. She put the wash cloth over her eyes and laid her head back on the rim of the tub. In minutes she was relaxed and the twinges were almost gone.

Toby put his bags down on the floor in the living room, and pulled his boots off, sniffing the air as he did so. His house smelled like wildflowers with a trace of lemon? Something about the living room was different too. Toby flipped on the light and looked around. Was he in the right house? Everything was spotless and different. The walls were now painted and the wood furniture had been stained a dark cherry. Corley wasn’t kidding when he had said he would take care of the house while he was gone. He did a complete renovation.

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