Page 34 of Wyoming Heart

“Jake’s a cool guy. You could do a lot worse.”

“I guess I could,” she said with a sigh. “But I don’t feel that way about him.” She glanced at Bart. “Is it getting serious, between your cousin and Ida?”

“No idea. He says she has hidden qualities.”

She looked up and pursed her lips. “Oh, I’ll just bet she does.”

The way she said it had Bart doubled over with laughter. Just as he started to answer her, Cort walked in the door with Ida.

CHAPTER SIX

MINA’SHEARTRANWILD. She put both hands around her cup of black coffee and held on tight. She didn’t care if Cort dated that wild woman. He didn’t belong to her. He was arrogant and domineering and she wouldn’t have wanted him even if he’d been interested in her.

But her eyes went involuntarily to the woman, who was gorgeous in just an ordinary checked blouse and blue jeans. Mina would have given a lot to be that pretty. But the woman had the morals of a cat, she reminded herself. Just like Mina’s mother.

Cort spotted Bart and his friend at the back table and made a beeline for them with Ida at his side.

Mina’s teeth clenched so hard that she worried she might have broken one.

“Mind if we join you?” Cort asked easily. “We’re on our way to the hardware. I need a new pair of gloves.”

“But I’m starving, so he offered to feed me,” Ida added with an affectionate glance at Cort, who returned it with interest.

“Sure,” Bart said, and didn’t look at Mina because he knew what her expression would be. “Have a seat. We’ve just finished, but tables are at a premium right now,” he added with a grin, noting that they were all full. “Looks like everybody in Wyoming knows where the best food is.”

“No joke,” Cort said, pulling out a chair for Ida before he sat down. “This place has a great cook.”

“So does the Sheraton in Billings,” Bart noted with a grin at Mina. “Jake McGuire’s taking her up there for a steak Saturday.”

“That’s a long drive,” Ida noted.

“Oh, he’s got a private jet,” Bart said easily. “It’s no distance when you’re flying.”

That was something Cort already knew. His own ranch had a jet, along with two prop planes they used for roundup, and pilots who flew the family anywhere they needed to go on business. Or pleasure.

“That must be nice,” Ida said with a shy glance at Mina. “Everyone says Mr. McGuire has a good heart.”

“He does,” Mina said tautly. She didn’t say another word. Ida grimaced and Cort glared.

Bart, sensing disaster pending, looked pointedly at his watch. “We have to go. I’ve got a man coming over to look at one of my young bulls.” Actually he didn’t, but he was going to call somebody to do that, so Cort wouldn’t catch him in a fib. He stood up and waited for Mina to join him.

“I’ll see you back at the house,” Bart told Cort.

Cort stared at Ida and smiled. “Okay. But don’t wait up,” he added, his voice deep and sensuous as he looked at Ida.

“I won’t,” Bart said. He took Mina’s arm and almost herded her out of the restaurant.

“OKAY,WHATWASthat all about?” Ida asked when the others had gone.

He chuckled. “Just heading off trouble.”

“Mina’s not forward,” she said, her eyes curious. “She’d never chase you.”

“I’m making sure. Do you mind?” he added.

She smiled sadly. “No, of course not.”

“Why do you think she’s going places with McGuire?” he asked shortly.