Gage slid in to sit near her, closer than she’d expected him to. To converse? Or to prove his point about her not being indifferent? Glancing over at him, she had to concede that she couldn’t read the nuances of his expression anymore. Or perhaps he’d cultivated a greater skill in keeping his thoughts to himself since she’d known him. No doubt that was a formidable asset in his business dealings.

“So how long are you in town for?” she asked as she unfolded a linen napkin and laid it over her lap. She might as well dig for answers from the only Mesa Falls Ranch owner she knew personally. “You mentioned staying in Montana beyond tonight, but the last I knew your full-time residence was in Palo Alto.”

He’d only just purchased that property when she’d met him. They’d talked about moving in together before things fell apart on the ill-fated trip to New Zealand to meet his family.

“It has been my home base ever since I purchased it.” He tore the baguette in half and offered her a piece, but she shook her head. “But Weston is looking for someone else to oversee the ranch full-time.”

Sitting so close to him called forth old memories. His aftershave was the same; since they’d broken up, the scent had sometimes tempted her in her dreams.

Dropping a few raspberries into her chilled water, she tried to refocus on their conversation, needing to learn what she could from him.

“Is Weston leaving the group?” she asked, mentally reviewing what she knew about the six partners. Weston Rivera was the younger of the Rivera brothers, both of whom owned a stake in the ranch. Weston had diverse investments around the country—mostly in fast-growth start-ups that had made him a very rich man. Miles Rivera ran their family’s ranch in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in central California.

“No. But now that we’re beginning to attract tabloid attention—” he paused to give her a meaningful look “—Weston doesn’t want to be solely responsible for overseeing the security and privacy of the guests.”

Either that, or he wanted help ensuring the ranch owners’ secrets were kept on lockdown. She was willing to bet the latter.

“So you’re moving here more permanently?” She couldn’t envision Gage retreating from the world in this remote corner of western Montana.

He might not have gone into politics like his father wanted, and he definitely didn’t fit the same spit-shined image his father projected, but he had inherited his family’s comfort in social situations. More than that, he was good with people, and seemed to enjoy working in team settings, not on isolated ranches.

“For now, yes.” He stabbed a fat strawberry with his dessert fork. “We’ll see how the year unfolds with all the media interest in Alonzo.”