“The entire place will be remodeled,” he said as they walked through a small eating area and into the kitchen. He showed her how he planned to push out walls and connect the main house with what had once been the detached garage and bunkhouse. That area would be more rustic, with bunk beds and shared baths, while in the existing house the attic would be expanded into bedrooms with private baths and a back stairs that led to the main hall that could be used for dining or dancing or general recreation.

“If things work out, I’ll expand the stables in the next year or two,” he said, leading her down a short hallway and past the door to Dave’s room. She felt a sliver of pain pierce her heart again but ignored it as he opened the door to the master bedroom, an expansive room big enough for a king-size bed and an armchair or two. A stone fireplace, dusty and missing a few rocks, filled one corner and a mouse scurried quickly into a hole in the mortar. Long horns were still displayed above a thick mantel, and from one of the exposed beams of the ceiling a wagon-wheel chandelier hung from a wrought-iron chain.

“In time this’ll be my living quarters,” he said with a crooked smile. “I was going to make it the only guest suite in the place, but decided I didn’t want to bunk with the hands.” He walked to a window and cranked it open. A soft summer breeze slipped into the room, carrying with it the scent of roses and honeysuckle.

“It’ll be nice.” She was already envisioning the room as it would be. With a few dollars and a lot of elbow grease, the hardwood floors would gleam, clearpaned windows would give a view of the garden and beyond, to the fenced fields where the hills rose sharply and trees dotted the fence line. In her mind’s eye she saw volumes filling the now empty bookcase near the fireplace and warm coals glowing in the grate on a cold winter’s night.

“Why did you decide to settle in Oregon?” she asked as Luke opened a door that led from the bedroom to the backyard.

“Ralph and I had a deal. I worked for him for ten years and he kept half of my salary—invested it in some of his real estate. I was supposed to end up with a small spread of his outside Dallas, but he really wanted to get rid of this place, which is quite a bit larger.” Luke eyed the craggy hillsides. “I needed an excuse to get out of Texas. This was it.” He turned his attention back to her and she felt the weight of his gaze, hot and steady, against her skin.

“Why did you want to leave Texas?”