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“You’re Walker Paints,” Jessie said upon being introduced.

“I am,” Damaris said, obviously pleased. “Although I can’t take all the credit. It’s a family-run business and my brothers and I run it together. And you rescue mustangs and raise Spanish mustangs.”

Jessie laughed. “I sure do. Come on, let’s go get something to eat and drink and we can talk horses.”

Nate was left standing there with Asher and Maggie. His gaze followed Damaris until she was out of sight. All he could think about was how soon he could kiss her again.

“Yo, Nate,” Asher said. “What do you think?”

“About what?”

Asher laughed. “I asked if you could take me to New Mexico to place a dog with a veteran.”

Asher was a veteran who ran a nonprofit that put together shelter animals and veterans. Many of the vets had fallen through the cracks, not qualifying for a service animal but who often needed a companion at the least. Although the animals were primarily companions, many of them had a bit of training as service animals. Asher’s own dog was a stray he’d adopted and who he’d trained as a service dog, although she wasn’t certified.

“Sorry. I didn’t hear you. Just let me know when and I’ll arrange it.”

“Thanks. You were too busy watching Damaris leave. At least, it better have been Damaris you were watching and not my wife.”

“Don’t worry, it was.” Not that Jessie wasn’t something to look at, but Nate was so stuck on Damaris that he couldn’t really focus on anyone else. “The women looked like they were going to get along.”

“I imagine so. Girls and their horses.”

“Amen, brother.”

*

Jessie and Damaris talked for quite a while about horses, dogs, men, ranching, and various other topics. After some time Asher and Nate came over and dragged them away, but not before they’d exchanged phone numbers and a promise to get together soon.

“You really hit it off with Jessie,” Nate said. “I figured you would.”

“Yes, she’s great. I guess you know both she and Asher pretty well since Asher is Levi’s brother.”

“Yeah. I also fly Asher and some of his dogs to different cities to match them with other veterans. Most of the people he matches the dogs with live in Texas, but if it’s very far we fly them free of charge.”

“That’s very kind of you.”

“It’s nice of Levi. He takes care of the costs. Just his way of helping out his brother’s nonprofit.”

“You know all the Devil’s Rock Airport owners well, don’t you?” She knew Travis Sullivan, but she didn’t know the other two Devil’s Rock owners, Zack Bannister and Levi Chapman.

“Sure. Travis brought me in since he needed a copilot and not too long after that I became permanent. Haven’t I told you this stuff before?”

“I don’t think so. I knew you came here because you knew Travis but we’ve never talked that much about your work. I mean, I realize you fly airplanes, both jets and smaller planes, and that you teach flying students. But I don’t know any details.” She should. They’d been friends for how long? And she barely knew anything about his work.

She knew he loved flying, but anyone who’d talked to Nate for five minutes could figure that out. He liked cold beer, hot salsa, and pretty women. Again, that wasn’t a secret. She knew he had family in Corpus Christi, Texas. His mom and dad lived there. He had a brother and sister who lived elsewhere. He was the oldest. And she knew some other random things about him. But she was beginning to realize that there was a lot more to Nate than she knew.

“Why are you staring at me?”

“I just realized there’s a lot I don’t know about you.”

“Not really.” He spread his hands wide. “What you see is what you get.”

“I don’t think so. I think there’s a lot beneath the surface that you don’t talk about. At least, not to me.”

“Ask me anything. But why don’t we save it until later? Right now I have something to show you.” He took her hand and led her outside saying ‘later’ to anyone who got in their way.

“Where are we going?”