She burst out laughing. He was so different than shed imagined. He was good company and a lot of fun, and best of all, he didnt seem to mind that she couldnt walk five feet without falling over something.
Like it? he asked when shed finished most of the taco salad and was sipping her huge glass of ice water as if it was the last drop on earth.
Love it! she enthused. I could get addicted to this food.
Thats nice to hear. He finished his soft drink and leaned back in his chair, one lean hand toying with his napkin while he studied her at his leisure. Im still trying to figure out how a woman who looks like you do manages to stay single.
I havent really wanted to get married, she confessed. She smiled at him shyly. She wanted to add that until recently, shed looked more like a violet than a rose. Shed bought some new clothes and had her hair styled and shed even taken a brief modeling course to learn how to move and walk. But she couldnt tell Nate that. She didnt want him to think she was a phony. It was just that he wouldnt have looked twice at the woman shed been. Nobody ever hadexcept Harry.
His eyes narrowed as he listened to her. So she didnt have marriage in mind. Good. Neither did he. And looking the way she did, thered been men. He was almost sure of it, despite her old-maid shyness. That could be an act, of course. Hed seen some performances in recent years, despite his lack of looks. He had money. It made him a target for all sorts of women, but especially for the pretty, fortune-hunting variety. God knew, there had been plenty of those around. The dude ranch drew them in droves. Hed always enjoyed the game while it lasted, but he was looking especially forward to playing it with Christy. She was a dish and he wanted her feverishly. Going slow was the hardest thing hed ever done, but she seemed to want a slow pace, and he didnt want to spoil things.
Have you always taught school? he asked.
She nodded. Ever since I graduated from college. I dont know if you ever really graduate, though, she added on a laugh. You have to constantly take refresher courses and upgrade your education. I dont mind it. I like learning new things, new techniques. Its quite a challenge to get young minds to enjoy being taught.
I can imagine.
You must have studied geology, she said when a short silence fell between them.
He nodded. I always loved rocks. The feel of them, the history of them, the colors, the forms. He smiled at her over his glass. I was a rock hound even when I was a kid. As I grew older, mining sort of stood out as a possible profession. Its hard to ignore mines in this part of the country. Tombstone was started as a mining town, and Bisbee with its Lavendar Pit mine was known all over the country for copper mining in its heyday. Even today, seventy percent of all the copper mined in the U.S. comes out of Tucson and Pima County, Arizona. This is the greatest place around for finding profitable minerals, and I dont mean just gold and silver.
I guess everyone in the world has heard about the Lost Dutchmans Mine in the Superstition Mountains, she agreed.
Yes. And thats far east of here. But there are rumors that another kind of gold can be found in Colossal Cave, and thats just outside Tucson. Its the biggest dry cave in the country, you know. Outlaws once used it as a hideout, you see, he said, leaning forward to whisper conspiratorially. And they say the golds still hidden in there!
Wow! She smiled with excited delight. Could we go there and look?
And here I thought you werent a mercenary girl, he chided, and the cynicism in his eyes almost gave him away.
Its the adventure of it, not the prize, she replied, blissfully unaware of the undercurrents. Id rather find an old six-shooter or some Apache arrowheads than the gold, if you want the truth.
Ive got a whole collection of Apache arrowheads, he told her. And if you like, Ill run you over to Cochise Stronghold one day while youre here. Cochise and his band used to camp there. He and his people fought the U.S. Cavalry to a standstill and legend and the historical people say hes buried in an unmarked grave on the site. The Indian agent, Tom Jeffords, who was his friend, was the only white man who was privileged to know the old chiefs burial place.
What is it like there? Desert? she asked.
No! he denied, shaking his head. Its way back in a canyon with plenty of trees and good water and mountains behind. Its a beautiful spot.
Imagine that. She sighed, staring at him. You know, before I came out here, I thought the desert was just a lot of sand stretching to the horizon. But its not like that at all. Its full of creosote and cholla, ocotillo and prickly pear cactus, and cottonwood and mesquite. And the birds! The red-winged blackbird is so beautiful.
Not to mention the cactus wren, the roadrunner, and the owls, he agreed, smiling back at her. Yes, theres life out there. Other kinds, too. Lizards and snakes, coyotes, wolves, deer, game birds
How long have your people lived in Arizona? she interrupted.