This work of adult fiction, loosely based on characters portrayed by Russell Crowe, includes adult language and experiences; you have been warned. No copyright infringement on the original work is intended.  Copyright Reagan Kavanagh & Diana Walker 2005.

REAGAN

“So how was the Grand Tour?” Trust Dee to cut to the chase. “I didn’t think you were going to make it home in time. Are you still coming over later today?”

“Of course we’re still coming. You and I always spend holidays together, and we have to make up for Memorial Day so put the Margaritas in the freezer.” I had called her as soon as we’d dropped our luggage in the foyer on arriving home from the airport. She laughed.

“In answer to your obvious next question, bring baked beans.”

“You don’t want me to bring anything else? You still without a man in your life?”

Dee and I often changed subjects on a dime, confusing the hell out of everyone else though it worked well for us.

“Only baked beans. Some things never change. Why? Are you going to try to set me up again?”

“Maybe. I was thinking that if Max had protective coloration, then you couldn’t be quite as sarcastic to him as I know you’d like to be.”

“I reserve the right to my sarcasm …just bring Max this time, and I promise I’ll be good. The hostess has to be on her best behavior. I can meet the protective coloration later. Now give me a few seconds while I go into my long-suffering sigh.” I had to laugh simply because once I got up to speed with her sense of humor, Dee is the funniest person I’ve ever known. And yes, I did know that she would be nice to Maximus because her mother raised her to be a lady, as did mine, no matter how much she might want to put his goolies in a vise. She had not gotten over the pregnancy scare quite as easily as I had. Of course, Maximus was still an unknown quantity to her, and she did not have the luxury of being on the receiving end of the “Maximus charm.”

Today would probably change that once and for all.

DIANA

Everyone has their holiday family; they’re the people you know you’re going to be with on holidays. It doesn’t matter if it’s Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Anzac Day, Queen’s birthday; if it’s a holiday, you’re either at their house, or they’re at yours. It’s a given.

Fourth of July was always at my house, and even though I live outside a small town, I’ve had some city folks move in near me. These new neighbors – the city folks - do not understand that during the dry season open flame, even for barbecues, and especially fireworks, do not fit with open grasslands, particularly not with horses in the vicinity. I was naïve regarding fireworks when I moved out here but learned very quickly when I moved Rabbit onto the place. So, the Fourth of July celebration has to be at my house so I can be sure the horses are in their stalls early, and, in case of a grass fire, I can get them out. God forbid, the Fourth falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or Monday because then I have to stay home the entire weekend. Of course, this year, it was on a Monday. Whatever happened to shooting off fireworks ON the Fourth and not a week on either side of it?

This year I had another reason for wanting to have the Fourth at my house. I wanted to meet this Max character on my own turf. I wanted him to feel beholden to me, and I also wanted my responsibilities as a hostess to help kick in my professional instincts for holding my tongue. I would not be a pushover and not speak my mind, but I would be nice. I wanted to get the measure of this guy. Normally, I’m predisposed to like the men in Reags’ life, but this one was starting out in a hole because of that pregnancy issue and would have to show me something in order to dig his way out. But, if she likes him, he tickles me pink. And clearly, she likes him.

I’m a hidebound traditionalist. The Fourth of July always starts out with those carbon snakes unfurling on the porch after I lay out the extra water hoses so I can reach across the entire front of the house to the road and get the extra pasture hoses hooked up for easy fire fighting, if needed. In the 14 years I have lived here, I haven’t needed them, but I was taking no chances. I was still schlepping hoses when Reags and Max showed up. I knew it wasn’t one of the neighbors’ pick ups coming down the pavement because it growled rather than ca-chugged. Whoa …NICE CAR! Not practical for hauling feed or hay, but it’s still a damned nice car. Knowing Reags, I should have expected them to be early, but here I was still in my summer barn uniform (sleeveless shirt, denim shorts and canvas slip on shoes, none of which match in color) …not showered but not reeking, though only because it was a relatively cool day in Texas, barely 85^o at noon. Well, at least now I have help with moving the hoses.

The car pulled slowly into the drive. Shit. I should have trimmed the crepe myrtles that line the drive. I hope the branches don't scratch that Bentley. That would be expensive to fix but would put Max and I even. He scratched Reags; my trees scratch his car. Right wheel drive; he must have picked it up in England. That might make it tough for him to maneuver down the driveway …apparently not. I waved as Max got out of the car and watched him walk around to open the door for Reags. Tight jeans, muscular legs, nice …never mind. I never checked out packages until I started hanging out with Reags; I have been at it less time than she has, and I am still pretty obvious about it, whereas she has it down to a science. Hunter green button-down shirt, open at the collar and the sleeves rolled up. At least when Rabbit slimes him with horse snot, it won’t show too badly. Congratulations, Max. You now have a barn shirt whether you intended that or not. Obviously, he isn’t intending to get in with the horses. Surely, Reags told him this is a working horse farm. He handed her out of the car, and they walked toward me, Reags carrying her earthenware casserole of baked beans. I walked over and hugged her, and she introduced us.

“Dee, this is Max Espan. Max, this is Diana Walker.” I stuck my hand out to shake his.

“Please, call me Diana.” He took my hand and smiled as we greeted each other.

“Reagan speaks so fondly of you that it is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Well, as far as I can tell he isn’t sucking up. Surely, he knows that I know all about the pregnancy fiasco, and he needs to be sucking up right now. Maybe he’s expecting me to be a bigger person and let him start out on a level playing field without holding his past sin against him. From everything Reags has told me about him, there was only that one, momentary blip. Granted, the blip lasted too damned long, but he did show remorse. Men show remorse by getting drunk …I’d heard about that, too. I could at least smile at him, albeit grudgingly.

“Come on in. Reags, you know where the bar is, and the beer’s in the refrigerator. And guess what? You’re going to be a happy camper because the market is finally carrying what looks like the closest we’re going to get to VB. It uses the VB colors on the can, it calls it bitter ale, and the taste is close. I hate that Foster’s wants only the one face for international sales, so they won’t call it VB. I’m going to need you guys to help me finish moving hoses around after I shower. With three of us working, no one will get too hot.” Hmmm. Maximus had smiled slightly when I mentioned VB. Well, he’s lived in England, so he’s probably familiar with it. Perhaps I should comment that Reags and I are familiar with VB because of our connections with Australians through our work, and we both love it. I won't explain right now, though; the shower is much more important.

I am normally a more prepared hostess, but Reags is family. I guess at this point that makes Max family as well. He had better get used to my informality.

REAGAN

Maximus had a confused look on his face when I hung up the phone after talking to Dee.

“What is baked beans?”

“Beans on toast, in a pot. Surely you’ve heard about that from Terry.”

“Ah, yes. A delicacy he prepared for me, and one on which I could gladly have passed.”

“Maximus, mine are a lot better than Terry’s, and I know that without ever having tasted his. I promise you’ll like mine.” He let that drop and switched subjects on me.

“Cara, are you entirely sure that I am included in the invitation to Diana's home on this day? I know that you have told her of our misunderstanding, and I would not be offended if she prefers I not join the two of you.”

“Maximus, give it a rest. Yes, she knows about the pregnancy scare, and, yes, she was royally pissed at you. She may still be. However, she also knows that those differences have been resolved, and she’s willing to give you a second chance. I promise, if she does decide to bite your head off, it will be quick and relatively painless. You may not even know it happened. She’s been in Human Resources forever and is very good at weasel-wording things. I’ve watched her insult people, and they never even knew they had been chewed out …they never had a clue as to what she was really saying unless they thought seriously about it. She criticizes what they did and in no uncertain terms, so they get that part. She rarely criticizes the person. The personal evisceration they have to think on. Another reason I know that you’re invited is that you and I are now a couple; if she accepts me, she accepts you. If for any reason she doesn’t accept you, something will give, and it will not be you. And besides, this is the perfect time for you two to meet …on such short notice, neither of you has time to formulate a good battle plan. And, Maximus, for the record, I have the same concerns about meeting Terry Thorne as you do about meeting Dee.” That got his attention, and he nodded slowly.

“I accept that, and I promise you – when you do meet him – that if he does not accept you, something will also give, and it will not be you.” Okay, we had that out of the way. Now he was looking at me again, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

“Why are you not concerned about meeting Dean O'Reilly?” That one was dead easy.

“Because I haven’t had occasion to hear the ice in Dean’s voice that I have in Terry Thorne’s.” There was a sudden, almost pained, look in his eyes.

“On the day that you called and left the message for me …was Thorne rude to you?” I took a deep breath.

“No, he wasn’t, but when a man’s voice goes from warm, helpful, and cordial to being able to hear the chunks break off the iceberg, you know he’s pissed, no matter how polite his words may be.” Now it was Maximus’ turn to sigh.

“I fear I am responsible for his tone with you that day. I had been scheduled to make a negotiation trip to the Middle East the preceding week. Thorne relieved me of duty and went in my place; he felt I was unfocussed and asked why. Because of his own history, he knew without my telling him that the root of my despair had to be a woman, and he asked me your name; I told him.” I felt my temper flare.

“Does he know precisely why you were so …unfocussed?”

MAXIMUS

Clearly, I had upset her. The flush moving up her neck and the backs of her cheeks told me her temper was about to erupt. The simple truth would have to suffice. I had learnt from both Terry and Dino that while one may say the words to oneself, one need not give voice to them. What I would not say was that I had not given Terry specifics at that time.

“No, I did not provide specifics. It was enough that he felt that you were the cause of my distress. I have since told him that all is well between us so, with luck, there will be no further unpleasantness between you the two of you.” She seemed to soften slightly before replying.

“Maximus, there are a number of people involved in this relationship other than just the two of us, and they all have negative opinions of one or the other of us as a result of our misunderstanding. How do we fix this? Since Dee hasn’t a clue as to who you truly are, we need to approach this very cautiously.”

“For the present, we must insure that she does not meet either Terry or Dino. Once she trusts me sufficiently that we may tell her of my true origin, hopefully that will change.”

“Maximus, we could tell her today, and she would take it in stride. She’s the most pragmatic and open-minded woman I have ever known. It would certainly put some of your attitudes and behaviors into context for her.”

“No, absolutely not. I will not tell her on the first occasion of meeting her. I did not confide in you immediately, and I will not confide in her. I know that you have more confidence in her than do I, and that is precisely why I refuse; your love for your friend colours your judgment in this matter. I need time to make my own assessment of her trustworthiness. If she is as you say, open minded and pragmatic, we may then work toward bringing those closest to us together, but not until I have had an opportunity to know her myself. I can do no less because the protection and safety of all of us rests squarely on my shoulders in this particular matter.” Fortunately, she agreed with my logic and three hours later, we were on our way to Dee's. I much prefer devising offensive strategies, but on this day I was forced into a purely defensive posture.

DIANA

This is a lousy way to meet Reagan’s man for the first time. In less than five minutes, I’ve run off and left him without a hostess, had him fetching his own drinks, and I’ve assigned him a job. Oh well. He’s a big boy. He looks like he can haul hoses around without too much trouble. We’ll find out just how much of a gentleman he really is.

Okie and Holly came with me as I emerged from the bedroom. Reags had told me how her Goldens had snapped to for Max; bet he doesn’t get that from my two. They ran over to greet Reags, leaving the newcomer for a longer, more leisurely inspection. Having bounced all over Reags, Holly greeted Max with her usual Labrador Leap of Joy, and while Okie seemed mollified that Max carried the scent of Reags’ dogs on him, he still circled warily before deciding to go into charming mode. Okie sat down, making sure all four of his white stockings showed and gave Max his most soulful Basenji look. This should be entertaining …Alpha Male, meet Alpha Male.

“Max, Holly is the Labrador, and Okie is a Basenji. Be careful with him; he isn’t as easily handled as Reag’s Goldens. Do you know much about Basenjis?”

“I have seen them in Africa …they hunt lions, do they not?” Damn. Does the man always speak this formally, or have I put him off so much that he’s just gone formal on me? I’ll need to ask Reags about that later.

“Yep, they do. You do know Basenjis. When were you in Africa, and what took you there?” Was that an ‘oh, shit’ look that just flashed through those eyes? Please, don’t tell me he’s another Fed and need-to-know just got breached.

“I served there for a time when I was in the Army.”

“Oh, good. Then you know about being prepared. Well, this is not so much an order as it is a request. I still need to move and attach hoses so in case the city-slicker neighbors start a fire, I am ready. Would you mind helping me? I have 200 feet of hose to uncoil. After that we can play with the snakes.”

Max cocked everything he could – eyebrow, head, shoulder, body, looking around like reptiles would come out of the woodwork. I gather he has never seen carbon snakes before. “I would be happy to help with the hoses, Diana. I will also take this opportunity to meet your horses. However, I am not fond of playing with serpents.” Obviously, the man had no experience with that particular type of fireworks.

Reags volunteered to stay in the air conditioning to entertain the dogs. I know that even though she never gives her own dogs people food, there would be one hamburger patty and one hot dog missing when we got back and two very happy dogs firmly ensconced in the kitchen with Reags.

MAXIMUS

I took the opportunity to size up my future ally as Diana and I walked to the back paddock. If we could not become friends, it was my hope that we could at least be allies in our affection for a woman for whom we both cared deeply. I am never sure of my relationships with women in this time, still tending to judge their moods and behaviours by those of my time, a time when gender roles were more rigidly proscribed and rarely broken. Perhaps I should comment that as I did not understand women in my time, it is no wonder that I fail to do so now. Nevertheless, our silence was companionable as we walked.

Diana is slightly shorter than my Cassandra, with well-muscled arms and legs, no doubt from her riding and barn chores. Fifty-pound bags of horse feed are likely the lightest things she moves each day. Her chin length, blonde streaked hair is imminently practical for her professional and personal life. In my time with Thorne and O'Reilly, I have met with women like her, those who have chosen to take on men in the professional world and have thus had to hide their femininity for the greater part. Most were extremely accomplished in their fields and seemed to be happy in their lives. I respect them in this time but have not been able to reconcile this reality with my history.

Our strides had come to match the other’s in the short hike to the fence, hers lengthening to mine with no apparent effort. With a naturalness that comes only with intimate knowledge, she stepped down on the bottom rung of the gate, sliding the latch with an unconscious wiggling motion. This idiosyncrasy of her gate is but one of the many small repairs that are always necessary on a working farm; it is also one repair that is never accomplished.

Diana ushered me through the wide gate, securing it behind us. Her horses began ambling over from where they were grazing, anxious to see what their caretaker might have in store for them. She spoke as she watched them come toward us.

“Be careful of the App. That's Rabbit. He believes clean shirts are the bane of the equine world. He also enjoys nibbling on your arm with his lips until the urge to take a hunk out of you overcomes his good nature. The big mare is a sweetheart but at 19 hands, she just doesn't know where she is in relation to your feet.” Having been stepped on by horses on numerous occasions, I heeded her warning. “Let me get everyone into their stalls before we start laying the hoses out, or we will have more supervisors than we will need.”

I nodded my agreement as I looked about the barn. You can tell much about a person by the way their barn is organized. Diana’s barn is tidier than the house, but that is both appropriate and common among horse owners. Horses will find ways to become entangled in anything available; humans are more able to avoid obstacles. Dogs make toys of things that are left within their reach; I felt sure Diana’s dogs were no different than Cassandra’s nor, indeed, those I had kept in an earlier time. The aisle way is dirt, but neatly raked. The tack room has a recessed door with a locking hasp, thus ensuring no horse can inadvertently push open the door. The stalls are bedded in hay, unusual in this time. Each stall has its own light, with additional fluorescent lighting in the aisle way. I believe the veterinarian would be pleased with the amount of light available in a late night call.

The hoses were coiled at the side of the barn aisle way giving the horses the entire passage for their movement. Horses are creatures of habit, in that while they appeared confused regarding the time of day, they filed to their stalls in an orderly fashion, with one exception. That exception was the Leopard Appaloosa called Rabbit; he wandered past his stall and came to me. As Diana closed doors to the stalls of those preceding him, he took the opportunity to turn his attention to me, snuffling at my chest and hands, no doubt looking for a treat. Diana continued closing stall doors, pausing to pat a nose here, stroke a neck there, tug an ear on another, something different for each horse while turning on the box fans to provide the horses a breeze in this hot climate. I returned my attention to Rabbit.

“I have nothing for you this day,” I assured him scratching behind his ears and down his neck. Diana walked up to his other side, her love for this stately gentleman showing clearly on her face, which had softened as she moved to his side.

“He actually prefers men. What a bloke!” Diana reached up and grabbed a handful of mane, turning his head to guide him into his stall. He planted his feet to maintain his resistance, but it was only token, a ritual these two had developed over many years of companionship and trust. I thought to my rituals with my own horses. Each rider and horse has their own – endearing to them, appearing silly and sometimes dangerous to outsiders.

“He has lost all his manners, the same way my last old guy had before he died. I sometimes wonder if the other horses give him a bad time because he doesn't have to behave while they do.”

“How did he die?”

“The way we would all like to – in his sleep.” Not wishing to cause Diana further painful memories, I shifted my attention.

“When is the mare due?” I asked as we began connecting hoses and stretching them to their full length.

“Pretty Woman is due in April. If it is a colt, he is getting registered as Surly Bastard or Tax Write Off. A filly? I have no idea what we will name her.” She laughed at her own joke, perhaps assuming I would have no knowledge of the references.

“Thanks for your help, Max. I know I haven't been much of a hostess so far, but Reags is family and you, I guess, are coming along for the ride. I have never stood on ceremony, but today is a little more informal than usual. You seem like a pretty formal type of guy; I hope I haven't put you off too much.”

“Not at all. I am becoming more accustomed to America's informal ways.”

“I can think of only one place more informal than Texas and that is LA. That's where I grew up. I can put on a bash and soirée if needed, but it isn't my style.” I smiled, having little doubt she could accomplish any social function required of her.

“I have found that I am not terribly comfortable in formal settings though they are required at times.” She seemed to think on that for a moment before speaking again.

“Well, chores are done. Now we can go play with the serpents.” I liked the way she felt free to make a joke with me. I know that at times I appear to have “a stick up my arse,” or so Terry says.

“Max, snakes are not so bad. They are a controlled fireworks. They are bits of carbon that you put on cement, put a lighted wooden match on the top and watch it unfurl in a cylindrical shape like a snake. It's the only fireworks that is relatively safe. You still get the acrid smell from the powder, and it's kinda like blowing something up but on a very small scale. It satisfies my violent urges for the year.” She tugged on the gate after we passed through, and she latched it. “Sorry, it's just habit. Even if everyone is up.”

Within moments we were back on the wrap-around porch playing with serpents. Watching the two women retreat into childhood rituals was reassuring in a way, as we all hold remnants of our childhood. They giggled watching the carbon unravel, sometimes placing an index finger under the curly part to assist the snake in forming.

I was recruited to judge the longest snake. This appeared to be a serious contest. If I found against Cassandra, what penalty would I pay on our return home? If I found against Diana, would I ever return to her good graces? Fortunately, a strong breeze blew across the porch and blew both snakes apart before I had to pronounce the winner. There would have been only one loser – me.

“Why does the wind always kick up so we never know who wins?” Cassandra asked of the skies.

“The Snake God knows how competitive we are and doesn't want the fireworks to start too early in the day!” Diana's reply was laughing as she opened the front door, and they moved inside to undertake dinner preparations. Reagan gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before joining Diana in the kitchen. Might I take that as her approval of my behaviour thus far with her friend?

I was left alone on the porch to my own devices, and my own curiosity overtook my natural reticence. I had to try one of these snakes. I squatted down on my haunches as Reagan and Diana had done, blocking the wind. I struck one of the wooden matches and placed it squarely on the snake. No success as the match extinguished. My next match met with success as I placed the hottest part of the flame just above the half-inch piece of carbon that had so delighted the two women. Once the snake ignited, I had an odd sense of accomplishment. Or perhaps I, too, was transported back to my own boyhood accomplishments. I do know I smiled with joy.

“I knew you couldn't keep from lighting one!” Diana was standing in the doorway, and Cassandra’s head was just above hers.

“He only needed to work out how to make it happen. He just didn't want an audience,” my lady replied.

A lovely, small interlude in a momentous day.

DIANA

“Reags, if you’ll grab the beer, we’re ready for dinner.” Max stood behind my chair and scooted it in once I sat and did the same for Reags. Geeze, why does he have to have such formal manners on such an informal holiday? Still, I can see why Reags is impressed. Okay, dinner conversation time.

“So, tell me about the Grand Tour. Max, do you still have family in Spain?”

“Sadly, the last of my family died some years past.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Where did you visit while you were in Spain? And of course, you visited the Coliseum while you were in Rome.” What the hell is going on here? I’d swear I just saw that flash across his eyes again.

“We flew to Madrid and spent some time there. Reagan knew of a restaurant that I had somehow missed, and we dined there one night. We visited the Prado, and then drove to Toledo and went through El Greco’s palace. I had not been there, nor had I been to the Toledo Steel Museum.”

“Which restaurant and what do they serve?”

“La Botin. It was originally a way station for caravan traffic almost a thousand years ago, and the restaurant is on the site of that station. Their specialities are roast suckling pig and grilled baby lamb …both delicious. If you have not been there, I highly recommend a visit. I also took her south and west toward the Portuguese border where my ancestral ….” I cut him off.

“Ancestral?”

“ …lands are located. We camped out beside a river where my friends and I had spent a great deal of time when I was a boy.” He never missed a beat, so I let him finish his sentence.

“Tell me more about the ancestral part.” He smiled.

“Unfortunately, the lands are no longer mine to claim. We lost them in the civil wars. However, the current owner was kind enough to give us free rein of the land, and we passed a lovely few days.”

“Reags? You went camping? Tell me about that. Did you manage not to break a fingernail?” We all laughed, so apparently he knew that breaking a nail sent her into high dudgeon. Better still, he seemed able to cope with the aforementioned dudgeon.

“Hey, give me a break here! I’ve been camping before. I set up the tent, gathered wood for the fire, and was ready to cook when Max got back with dinner.” Reags defended herself, and I laughed.

“When Max got back with dinner? What was for dinner? And please, don’t give me more information than I can handle.”

“Rabbit …Max went bow hunting and came back with a buck and a doe.”

“Excuse me …around this house we have to call them bunnies. Rabbit is a horse.” Max actually laughed.

“I called them wild hares …rabbits were her interpretation.” Okay, I could run with this.

“Thumper? You ate Thumper?” Max gave me the lazy smile that Reags had told me just melted icebergs, or at least it had melted her heart. I have to admit, it was a really nice smile. He answered that one, and he obviously knew who Thumper was.

“Two Thumpers, as a matter of fact.”

“Max, why would the current landowner let you on his land and allow you to hunt into the bargain? Here in Texas, we’re really careful about whom we allow on our land, and hunting rights are highly prized and protected. Nose around on someone else's deer lease, and you could get shot.”

“Europeans are very sensitive to ancestral lands, and if one can provide proof of ancestry – which I could – they will usually permit one to visit for a short time. The closest town is named after my ancestral family, thus proof was easily offered.”

“Espan …Max, I don’t know much about Spanish history, but Espan sounds as if your family once owned the entire country. I know a whole lot more about German history but tell me a bit about Spanish.”

“Espan was not the original family name, and the land was originally granted to one of my ancestors in reward for exemplary military service.”

“Sounds as if your family has been gone from Spain for quite a while. And there isn’t even a hint of Spanish accent in your voice.”

“I was educated in the British school system from a very early age. I suppose the accent was trained out of me.” I wonder when he got that low rumble that’s in his voice – age 13? God, it sounds just like the rumble of that damned car, and they’re both sexy. Lord, but I hope Reags doesn’t read that thought in my mind, but that’s a possibility because she reads me so very well.

“Your accent sounds to me like it’s straight out of the old Globe. I gather you brought the Bentley over from England because of the right-hand drive. Have you not found someone to convert it yet?” He thought about that for a minute.

“I had not considered having it converted, though it would be easier to drive here if I had it done. Perhaps I will look into the possibility.” I looked at Reags.

“Tell me truthfully …how many near misses has he had because of that right-hand drive?”

“Actually, none when I’ve been with him.” Max laughed again.

“There are none of which she is aware ….” We all laughed at that until we were rudely interrupted by Okie’s jumping onto the far end of the dining table partly because there were hamburgers up here and partly because he …could.

Reags immediately grabbed for the plate of burgers, Max was frozen in place at the idea that a dog would behave so rudely, and I basically climbed over him to get to Okie. As I lurched past his shoulders, almost shoving his face into his potato salad, I managed to gasp out an explanation.

“Don’t mind him. He does this at least once during every dinner if he’s in the house!” I scooped Okie up, right hand under his chest, my left under his rump and set him on the floor. “Guard your plate, Max …he’ll go for it next. Maybe we should have eaten at the bar.” I looked at Reags for affirmation, but she was no damned help at all; she was laughing so hard she was crying. It didn’t bother her at all because she’s used to the little man doing this. Max laughed and shook his head before speaking.

“Ah, well …when in Rome ….” They picked up our plates and the serving dishes and adjourned to the bar to finish dinner. Max impressed me again when he picked up Reags’ plate and mine along with his own, as she had her hands occupied with the serving dishes, and I was carting Okie outside. When I returned from disposing of Okie, I looked at the two of them, now seated at the bar.

“Okay, where were we when we were so rudely interrupted? Oh, yeah, moving on to Rome. Now as for the Italian part, did you camp out there, too?” Reags rolled her eyes at me.

“No, once we left Spain, we went first class all the way.” Lucky girl. I turned to Max.

“When I went to Europe, I did it student poor, and I love hearing about the five-star hotels.”

“Then perhaps one day you might go with us.”

“Really? Or are you just saying that to be nice?” He had truly surprised me with the offer. He shook his head slightly.

“Diana, I am never just being nice. It would be a pleasure to have you join Reagan and myself on a trip to Europe.” Now that really unnerved me. Max continued speaking; it wasn’t easy to get this man sidetracked.

“I, too, have traveled the Continent on a Spartan budget. When the three of us go together, we will make sure to have at least a three room suite so that you may enjoy the hotel to the fullest.”

“Right, a suite …so I can spend my nights listening to you two on the other side of the lounge. I’ll get a room across the hall or on another floor.” That got me a scowl.

“No, Diana, you will not. You will be in the suite with us. If you travel with me, you are under my protection, and I will be close enough to hear you should you experience any difficulty.”

“No, Max, I will not be in your suite or under your protection. While I haven’t traveled in Europe in a very long time, I have traveled all over the States, and I am perfectly fine on my own.” Wait! How did I get from wanting to rip his balls off to traveling all over Europe with them in less than four hours …and now we’re arguing over where I’m going to sleep if this trip ever comes off? Reags came to the rescue before this pissing contest could escalate any further.

“Dee, you know Spanish men are very protective of women. Remember Sergio?”

“How could I forget the soccer player and his over protective nature? If you remember, that was one of the reasons we broke up. He couldn't take the hours I worked; I couldn’t stand having to report in.”

“If you travel with us, we will all be in a suite …the same suite.” Reags was taking on Max's unwillingness to get off point.

“Why don’t we defer the sleeping arrangement discussion until this trip is a little more immediate. Deal?” I suggested. I stuck out my hand to Max. He took it.

“Deal,” from Max. But I held onto his hand for a moment longer.

“But Max, don’t ever start protecting me unless I ask you to do so. Nothing drives me crazier faster than that. I’m not ‘the little woman.’ Not yours, not anyone's. I’ve stood my ground against generals, and while I defer to their rank, there were things that they understood were not negotiable, and they backed off.” He had smiled when I mentioned generals and held up his hands.

“Very well. We shall table the issue for the present and resume negotiations at a more appropriate time.”

“Speaking of appropriate times. I don’t know there ever will be an appropriate time because I’ve only heard Reags’ side of the story as to what really happened.”

“What do you mean ‘what happened’?” He was still going to make me work for it.

“I’ve been calling it the pregnancy scare, but I think there’s probably more to it than that. I’ve heard Reags’ side of it, and no offense intended here, Reags, but I’d like to hear it from Max’s perspective.” Reags smiled.

“I’ve been wondering how long it was going to take you to get around to asking Max for his side of the story.” That got her a frown from Max. I was getting the feeling this man was not accustomed to dealing with women; wonder what sort of marriage he’d had? He looked at her, then back at me before speaking.

“Tell me what you know of Reagan’s position.”

“There was a possibility that she could have been pregnant. There was a discussion of marriage, and you slammed out on her. You two got it worked out, but it took you a long damned time to come back, and I got caught in the middle.” I sat there in silence; I’m good at out-waiting people.

“Perhaps it would help you to know a bit of my heritage.”

“That’s one place to start.”

“Diana, my family is ancient. My values and morés are different than many. Much of what drives me as a man is the history of my family and its origins. My ancestral lands were given to my family by one of Rome’s emperors …tradition is important to me.”

“What the hell does tradition have to do with pregnancy? I would think “tradition” would have kept you around if she was pregnant.” He looked at Reags as if for consent, but for what? She nodded, and he spoke again.

“Tradition tried, and lost in that moment.”

“That tells me nothing.” He sighed. Apparently this was rougher going than he’d anticipated.

“When Reagan realised we’d not used a form of contraception, her immediate fear was that she might have fallen pregnant. She said as much. I was delighted at the possibility and told her that if that were the case, we would be married immediately. It was she who spurned me, Diana, not the other way round. I left because she refused me, and I could not think what else to do.” I sat there blinking, looking at two successful, intelligent idiots.

“You thought you were pregnant, he offered to marry you, and you told him to take a hike? Are you out of your mind? Were you expecting ME to help you raise the little bugger? You know I don’t do young of any species!” My fingers felt like they were working the rush hour at DFW, pointing planes to their gates.

“It wasn’t that I didn’t want to marry him, Dee, I just wasn’t ready to marry him right then!”

“Wait. You had your chance months ago. It’s his turn.”

“Before I left, I asked that if she were to prove to be with child, that I would appreciate a call advising me of that fact. I did not want to risk having her terminating the pregnancy. I told her it would be my wish to support her through her pregnancy and, following the birth of the babe, I would take and raise it myself. She did not respond, and I …, I dressed and left.”

I looked at both of them. “Are there any other salient facts that either of you has left out of this equation?” as I rubbed my forehead with two fingers.

Before I could say anything else, we heard the pop of the first of the neighbor kids’ firecrackers. I was on my feet immediately.

“I need to throw the horses some more hay and check on them now that the fireworks are starting.” I didn't realize Max was following me out the kitchen door until I saw him climbing the fence beside me. I always go over the fence there rather than wrestling that little used gate.

“What are you doing, Max? Trying to avoid washing the dishes?”

“I thought I could throw hay or fill buckets for you while you check on the young ones.”

Max had to climb up the stair steps of hay bales to get a bale, and I appreciated the fact that he didn’t destroy my steps, as getting to the bales eight feet up later would have been tough without the bale steps. He also didn’t go for the easy bale, and that impressed me. He’d obviously been around barns and horses because this was nothing new for him.

“Max, where did you get your horse sense?” He turned to look at me as he grabbed the bale with his bare hands. Only someone accustomed to working a farm would do that without gloves. Okay, another point in his favor.

“We had horses on our farm when I was a child.”

“Were they working horses?” There was that slow smile again.

“Some of them were.”

“Damn it, Max, just answer the question.”

“I thought I had.”

“Not much of a conversationalist, are you?”

“That depends. But as you are curious, we bred Andalusians.”

Humph. “Well, that answers that question. Are they as easy to work with as I’ve heard?”

“Probably easier. They are very intelligent and equally gentle. I put my son on my stallion when he was less than three-years-old.”

“God, Max, not by himself!”

“Of course not. He was in the saddle in front of me.” His smile was wistful, far away. “I think he loved them as much as I did.” As he spoke, he was pulling another hay bale off the top of the stack and throwing it down. I’d been standing below with hay hooks to hand up to him, but he’d already reached in between the wires and tossed the bale to the floor. I hung the hooks back on the stall grating and picked up the wire cutters to cut the baling wire as Max climbed down from the stack. I turned to see him uncouple the long hoses, pick up the barn hose, and turn on the water to refill the water buckets. I tossed a flake of hay to each horse before I walked down to the faucet, waiting for his nod to tell me to turn it off.

“Have you ridden much since moving to Dallas?”

“Not as much as I would like. Because of the travel required by my work, I have been unable to ride consistently.”

“Want to go out to the barn with Reags and me some Saturday?”

“I would enjoy that, if my presence would not intrude on your time together.”

“I’m normally schooling Jack when I’m out there, and if your dad trained as well as bred, you know what that’s like. I'm focused on Jack and me. She is in a lesson. Reags and I don’t spend any time together.”

“Not that the lessons have done much good as of this time.” I chuckled that Max had made a joke though I have no idea what he was laughing at. To be on the safe side and in case he was laughing at Reags, I decided to defend her.

“Hey, she is just starting! You started riding when you were so young that you don't remember flopping around until you got your balance. And as a kid, you thought the flopping was fun until you got hurt falling off. Then you learned to ride. Learning as a kid you never had to go through all the frustrations an adult does.”

“I am glad to hear you defend Reagan, though it is not necessary. She is dear to both of us. She is honest about her lack of skill on horseback.”

“You know, she is normally out here in the paddock even before she says hello to the dogs. Not getting to spend time out here today must be killing her. Reags is really trying for us to get to know each other.” He turned, and for the first time I got the full impact of those piercing blue-green eyes.

“Before we three spend more time together, would you permit me to spend a luncheon with you to further our acquaintance?”

His question astonished me. How many times had good friends had trouble over some guy?

“Only if you clear it with Reags first. There is no way I am having her misunderstand this lunch. You already have had one misunderstanding, and I will not be the cause of a second. But, yes, with her permission, I would enjoy having lunch with you. We, you and I, need to forge a friendship for her sake.”

“I will inform Reagan of our plans. It would be my pleasure to further our understanding of each other.”

“And it will be my pleasure to find out if you are all talk about your riding so please check your schedule. I don't have anything planned for the next few weeks. Your schedule is the driver on this.”

Max had finished filling all the buckets and gotten his fair share of fondling horse heads. He had impressed me with his ability to read when Rabbit was finished lipping and needing to use his teeth. He had casually moved his arm out of reach, frustrating Rabbit no end. Whether he could actually stay on a horse was yet to be seen, but he did know how to tend to them.

“Have you guys been to bed yet? Getting in last night the jet lag must be getting to you.”

“I am used to little sleep. My military service trained me to survive on little rest. In my current work, sleep is also a luxury at times. I assume you know Reagan has odd sleep patterns.”

“She still gets up at two AM when she can't sleep?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Max seemed uncomfortable revealing that piece of information. Maybe the fact that I now know that he knows that intimate detail about her was verging on TMI for him. He did look tired, though he was making a good effort not to show it.

“When we get back to the house, why don't you guys get a nap. It is still a couple of hours before the town fireworks start. I promise I will wake you only if I need firefighting help.”

“Thank you. A few hours of sleep would do both of us good. It is early morning in Europe. I believe slower forms of travel have their advantages as shipboard travel allows an adjustment to time zone changes.” With that one simple acknowledgment, I could see his body start to slump a fraction of an inch. He had been going on grit alone.

“Perhaps, but then Reags would have missed two holidays in a row. Not a good thing where she and I are concerned. And you would have missed meeting an unruly dog.” Somehow his laugh didn't sound very sincere. He is probably used to exceptionally well-trained military dogs. Maybe he can take on the job of training Okie for obedience. Yeah, right. Anyone who knew the first thing about dog training could barely contain their laughter when I had jokingly said that to them. They normally got about 10 feet away before bursting into full-fledged belly laughs.

“Max, Okie seems to like you. He didn't growl once, not even when I carted him outside. Would you consider trying to put some obedience training on him?”

From the lift of the eyebrow, obviously the answer was no. Ah, well. Probably for the best. I would hate to see such a proud man humbled. It is good when a man knows his limits.

REAGAN

From where I was standing in the kitchen I saw Maximus’ shoulders slump slightly, as if he was relaxing and wondered what Dee had said to enable that behavior. I knew if he was anywhere close to being as tired as I was, he desperately needed a nap. Fortunately, Dee’s guest room is always ready for guests. The question was whether or not we had enough energy to climb up onto that tall, antique bed or would I need to beg her to let us just collapse on the floor of her library. She’s the only person I know who actually has a real, honest-to-God library in her home, built-in bookcases from floor to ceiling, French doors, and a window-seat on the outside wall. No, that wouldn’t work because I’d never be able to find Max; his hunter green shirt would blend right into her hunter green carpet. Okay, guest room it would have to be, assuming I could convince Maximus to actually relax enough some place other than my house to take a nap. God bless her, she bailed me out. As they came in the back door, she was talking to him.

“Ya’ll just go on to the guest room and take a nap. I’ll wake you before the fireworks start.” Maximus looked at me.

“Do you wish to take a brief rest?”

“Oh, God, yes. I’d kill for a nap right now!” He held out his hand for mine, and of course, Dee had to have the last word before the guest room door closed behind us.

“Hey, no nookie! You need to rest!” He was mildly incensed to think that Dee would think him capable of even entertaining the notion of having carnal knowledge of me when in another's home, and said so.

“She was pulling your leg, Maximus. Better get used to that.”

“I see. And does she often do this?”

“Constantly, as do I to her. The fact that she would say it to you is a good indication of the fact that she’s made up her mind to accept you. She doesn’t kid people that she doesn’t like; she won’t waste the energy.” I was unbuttoning my blouse as I was talking, and stopped when I got the look from him. “What?” He frowned slightly.

“Do you intend to disrobe?”

“Well, yes, I usually do when I take a nap.”

“Yes, but usually you are at home when you take a nap.” I sighed.

“This is the home of my dearest friend. I’m as comfortable here as I am in my own house. Besides, I’m only stripping down to my bra and knickers. If it would make you feel better, check in the middle bureau drawer behind you. T shirts. I'll put one on. You don’t have to be nude, Maximus, just strip down to your jockeys. You could also find a T shirt to fit you.” I watched the thoughts play across his face and saw when he had decided underwear would be fine for our nap. He stood and watched me until I had undressed down to the aforementioned bra and knickers, sighed, and then took off his own shirt and jeans and got into bed beside me. He lay there for a moment with his hands behind his head before speaking.

“I have asked Diana to have lunch with me one day.” I turned to face him.

“That’s great! When? Where are you taking her?” He looked at me.

“You do not object?”

“Why should I? You aren’t planning on seducing her, are you?” That got me another look.

“Of course not! How could you voice such a thought?”

“With the greatest of ease. Besides, I know you would never entertain the idea, and she’d castrate you if you tried.” Okay, clearly I needed to mollify his wounded ego.

“I know she’s probably grilled you pretty hard today, but Maximus, the mere fact that she’s asking so many questions says that she truly does want to be friends. She’s trying to get to know you. She wouldn’t do that if she wasn’t prepared to at least try and like you.”

“Are all women like this?”

“No. Remember that she’s been in HR all her professional life. She’s accustomed to asking questions, and at the end, she puts all the snapshots together to see if they make a complete picture. How are you coming along with getting more comfortable with her?”

“I think I am making progress.”

“That’s good because she’s going to figure out who you really are any time now. I think the only reason she hasn’t today is because she’s been preoccupied all day with the fireworks scaring the horses.”

“Are you suggesting we tell her now?”

“Not right this moment, but Maximus, Proof of Life is her favorite movie; she watches it at least once a month. I watched her fall in love with Terry Thorne when we first saw it. The next time she puts it in, she’s going to figure it out. If she doesn’t watch it again before she has lunch with you, she’ll hear the penny drop then …do you want to have that conversation with her in a restaurant? You did a nice little dance earlier with not giving her your “Old Roman” roots, but you came damned close to giving her enough information to figure you out …and when she figures you out, she’s got the rest of the group figured out, too.” He took a deep breath and lay back into the pillows.

“That means I must be very cautious if she does not figure it out before we leave today.”

“Yeah …and you’d better pray that she doesn’t watch Proof of Life again between now and the time you take her to lunch.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Obviously, that was all I was going to get out of him at the moment. I turned on my side and was asleep in less than five minutes. It seemed like only moments before I heard her knock on the door.

DIANA

“You guys awake?” I heard Reags’ sleepy response.

“Well, we are now.”

“Are you decent?”

“Close enough for government work.” I balanced the tray I was carrying in one hand and opened the door with the other. “Whoa! I wasn’t expecting a bare chest!” I almost laughed as Max pulled the sheet up to his chin. I put the tray on the end of the bed and climbed up with them, bracing my back against the footboard and grinned at them.

“Okay, does this qualify for a ménage a trois?” Reags wiggled her fingers at me after pointing to one of the glasses on the tray that also held coleslaw, potato salad, brisket, and a plate of cheese, and I handed her a glass. It was a miracle that I hadn’t managed to upset the glasses when I crawled up onto the bed.

“I made caffeinated iced tea just for you guys. Scooch up, here are plates, so dig in. Don’t expect dinner in bed all the time.” Max was forced to drop the sheet in order to take one of the plates. It really was a nice chest. I’d never in my life met a man who was this modest, particularly one who had this much to show off. I looked at them.

“What time are you guys on?” Max looked at his watch.

“It is one-thirty in the morning in Zurich.”

“Wait. I thought you guys came in from Rome.” I got a smile from him.

“We went from Rome to Zurich for a few days.”

“Man, this really was a grand tour. What’s in Zurich?” They looked at each other and smiled. I had to stifle my gag reflex at the cow-eyed look.

“Oh, geeze. Well! While you two were napping I got the chairs and cooler set up outside, and the beer’s cold. Finish eating and get dressed. I’ll meet you outside.” Max’s reply stopped me.

“Actually, I had to meet with my bankers. As that was necessary, we decided to spend a few days there.” I kept my mouth shut as I left them to dress and leaned against the closed door. It was a breakthrough; the man had volunteered information even though the news had stunned me. Bankers? The man has Swiss bankers? He had said it with such ease, as if everyone had Swiss bankers. I guess I can check off another thing on my list of things to do before I die – meet someone who has Swiss bankers. I heard the rumble of his voice and moved away from the door.

MAXIMUS

“Is she always so full of energy?”

“On occasion. This time I think she’s trying to impress you and make up for having been late getting the chores done this morning and leaving us adrift when we first got here.”

“Ah. I see.” Cassandra put her plate on the tray and left the bed.

“Better get dressed. If we’re not outside in five minutes, she’ll be back …and you’re still flaunting your bare chest!” I believe the last time I dressed with such haste was when I was still in the army, and the encampment was under attack.

DIANA

I had let them sleep until the last possible moment. They deserved it. Jet lag can be such a killer. I normally pop an antihistamine/decongestant and sleep all the way on trans-Atlantic crossings. Trans-Pacific crossings require a second dose.

I made a cruise down the barn aisle making sure the pop, boom of the neighborhood fireworks weren't bothering the younger horses; Pretty Woman and Rabbit were old hands at the noise. Gillie, the three-year-old filly, showed some distress, sweating and blowing, so I stopped to talk to her and saw Reags and Max climb over the fence. Their walk looked much livelier as they sauntered arm in arm across the paddock to the lawn chairs on the far side of the barn.

“I'm in the barn getting Gillie calmed down,” I called as they popped open beers. “Can someone open me a VB, and I'll be right there.”

Reags asked, “Has it started yet?”

“The town's hasn't, but you missed some dandy Roman candles from the city neighbors. And the lights on the sheriff's car when he came to shut them down.”

We settled companionably into our chairs, taking pulls on our beers as the first starburst lit the sky. The second was a lovely fire fall (I mean, how can you have a waterfall with gunpowder?) with multi color bursts within it. Some of the fireworks were designed to ignite at low altitude; we could not see those as the tree line at the back of my property hid them. For such a small town we do have a great Fourth of July fireworks show.

I glanced across the chairs to see Max had taken Reags hand as they watched. A particularly bright flare showed me that Max had winced. I guessed he had been in at least one night firefight in his military days. I could only hope that this display did not bring back too many stressful memories for him. If it did, Reags could handle it; she had treated a few PTSD survivors when she was a resident. It is too bad that on a day that was meant to honor veterans as well as our country, the very means of celebration, the fireworks, could hurt them.

Ten minutes into the display, Max got up and went into the barn. I leaned over to Reags and asked, “Is he OK? Could Max be having flashbacks?”

“I think he’s fine, but why don't you check on him?”

I craned my neck around to see a perfectly peaceful sight. Rabbit had his head and neck hanging out his portrait stall door with his chin resting on Max's shoulder, Max's arm coming up to rub circles on the old gentleman's ear. Max was still watching the fireworks out the barn door while Rabbit dozed.

“Yes, I think he is fine. I think they both are.”

NOTES