A Ranch to Keep

Her temper flared. “Mark, if it was your childhood home, wouldn’t it be hard for you to sell it? Wouldn’t you need to go through it, pack things up and say goodbye?”

“You’re right, Samantha. I’m sorry. It’s just that this is a new side of you. I’m used to my practical, efficient Samantha, not this new conflicted one.”

“Well, maybe it’s a good thing I can still surprise you, right?”

“If you say so. You know me, I’m not too good with surprises. I’m too much of a planner, just like you are...er...were.”

She gave his arm a smack, laughing. “Enough! I haven’t changed, truly. I just have a ranch...which feels really weird to say, by the way. I’m still me, just with a bit more property.”

“Well, I’ll miss you this weekend, but I get why you need to go, I think.”

“Come with me.” She blushed as soon as the words were out. Why was she acting like a spineless, needy girlfriend? He’d already declined once.

He stopped, looked down and suddenly his face was clouded and troubled, and Samantha felt even worse. Now she’d made him feel obligated. The last thing she ever wanted was for someone to feel obligated to spend time with her.

“Mark, I know you’re busy,” she assured him. “Forget it.”

“I wish I could go with you, Kiddo.” He took her hand as they walked and gave it a squeeze. “I have a lot of work to do, especially since my star employee is disappearing into the mountains again.”

“No, really, Mark, I get it. It’s fine.”

“And then Sunday I’m flying to New York, remember? I’ve got those meetings there until Tuesday night.”

“That’s right. I’d forgotten. No worries, I’ll just go play cowgirl on my own.”

“That’s my girl.” He leaned over and planted a kiss on the top of her head. “That’s another thing I appreciate about you. You get it. You get what it’s like to do my job and you don’t resent the time I spend at it. In fact, you’re the only person I’ve ever met who probably works even more than I do.”

She stopped them and put her arms up around his neck. “I’m glad you appreciate all my excellent, understanding-girlfriend qualities.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed his mouth, feeling his lips warm and familiar under hers. Instead of kissing her back he looked down at her with a sheepish grin.

“So, perfect girlfriend, can I ask for just a little more understanding?”

She smiled. “Don’t push your luck.”

He gently smoothed back her hair, looking down at her seriously. “I am really, really beat. I know we talked about me staying over tonight, but would you mind if I just went to my place? I think what I need more than anything is a good night’s sleep. In my own bed.”

Ouch. Samantha took a step back and fixed a smile on her face. She understood him intellectually, of course. There were nights when she was really tired and wanted to curl up alone in her bed, but she hadn’t expected that from Mark. Not tonight at least, after she’d been gone for almost a week. And the previous week he’d been away at a big meeting, and the week before that he’d been really busy as well.

Karma, her guilty conscience suggested. This dry spell was the universe’s retribution for lusting after her gorgeous cowboy neighbor. She shooed the thought out of her head. Maybe Mark was right. Maybe she was spending too much time with superstitious Jenna.

“Sure, I get it,” she told him. She took his hand and started walking toward the cabs that often waited at the foot of Market Street. “Rain check, okay?”

He pulled her close and leaned his cheek into her hair as they walked. “Absolutely.”

A thought struck her. “Mark? Since I’m the most perfect, understanding girlfriend, can I ask you to be the most understanding boss?”

“Uh-oh,” he teased. “What now? More time off?”

“A half day on Friday so I can leave at noon and beat the traffic out of town?” She gazed adoringly up at him, batting her eyelashes in a mock plea.

Mark smiled. “Don’t you have to get everyone ready for the pitch next week?”

“We were ready last week. You know I’d never leave something so important until the last minute!”

“Don’t we have a conference call at two? You know I’ll need you on that.”

“Two hours will get me through Sacramento and I can avoid the worst traffic jams. At two I can pull over and take the call from wherever I am.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that. Just make sure you have reception.”

“Mark, I’m a big girl, remember? The one who’s landed you three huge accounts in the past six months? Not to mention a bunch of smaller clients, too. Trust me, I’ll make sure I have reception.”

“Okay, sorry. Didn’t mean to patronize. And you know I’m grateful for all those accounts.” Mark stopped and pulled her close, pressing her against his torso. “As well as everything else you do for me.”

“Does this mean you’re changing your mind about tonight?” she murmured as he bent down to kiss her.

“Sadly for me, no. Believe me, I want to, but it’s a busy week and I need my sleep.”

A cab pulled up to the curb near them. “Do you want to take that one?” he asked. Cabs were few and far between in San Francisco.

“Hang on,” Samantha said and went to the car window. “Can you wait a second, please?” she asked. “Start the meter and I’ll be right there.” The driver nodded his head and set the meter. Samantha turned back to Mark.

“Hey, I feel bad that I’m leaving again this weekend. Do you want to get together sometime in the next couple days before I go?”

“If I have time,” he answered. “Check calendars?”

They pulled out their phones in the familiar ritual, but there was no shared free time in their schedules.

“I think we should take a vacation together,” Samantha said. “Let’s just get away somewhere warm and relaxing where we don’t have to compare calendars like this.”

“Sounds great,” Mark answered, with a half smile.

Samantha looked up sharply, disappointment growing. “Don’t sound so enthusiastic.”

“No, Kiddo...don’t take it like that! I’m just tired. A vacation would be nice. But we’re both so busy right now. Maybe we can talk about it in a couple of months.”

Samantha sighed. She admired Mark’s work ethic, but it meant she was going to have to work harder to improve their relationship while closer to home. “You’re right. We are really busy. But what about if, in the future, we schedule each other in first? Then make our other plans?”