“It sounds lovely,” she said. “I’ve never been inside a casino in my life. Although I’d really love to see the reservation.”

“I read up on it,” he said. And he had, during a business event nearby. “It’s home to the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes. Lots of history there.”

“I suppose it’s too early for any of the pow wows,” she said wistfully.

“Afraid so. They come later in the year.”

“When?” she asked huskily.

“Well, tomorrow’s Easter,” he began.

She nodded. “I go to church on Easter.”

He didn’t, but he wasn’t going to make an issue of it. “How about next Saturday?” he asked. He hesitated and his face tautened. “If you don’t have anything going with Jake McGuire that day.”

“I don’t,” she said quickly. It was much later that Jake was flying her to New York, but she wasn’t mentioning that. It was flattering to have Cort pay her any attention at all, especially since it was common knowledge that he was taking Ida Merridan around. “Ida won’t mind…?” she blurted out.

He chuckled. “We’re friends. Just friends. So. Next Saturday?”

She grinned. “Okay.”

“I’ll pick you up about nine in the morning and we’ll make a day of it. How’s that?”

She just nodded, her face almost glowing with delight. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. No woman had ever looked at him in that particular way. It made him glow inside. He smiled and couldn’t stop.

“Okay, then. It’s a date.”

“WELL, YOU ARE BEAMING,” Bart teased as she was getting ready to drive home.

“Your cousin is taking me over to the Wind River Reservation next Saturday,” she said.

He frowned. “Mina, I don’t want to interfere. But Cort, well, he’s something of a rounder.”

“I know,” she said gently. She made an awkward gesture with her shoulder. “I know he is. But it’s been so long since…well, I’ve never had a real date.”

“You went out with Jake McGuire,” he reminded her with a smile. “Twice, in fact.”

“Yes, but I don’t… I’m not…he isn’t…” She scrambled for words.

“But you aren’t attracted to Jake, and you are to Cort,” he translated.

She went scarlet, aware that Cort was glancing in their direction and smiling at her. She was visibly disconcerted.

“Just take it easy, okay?” he asked, and he smiled. “He’s a good man. But he likes woman a tad too much.”

She laughed. “I like him a lot. But I’m not blind.”

He laughed, too, but without humor. He had to hide how worried he really was. Cort was dangerous to a green girl, and that’s what Mina was. Well, if worse came to worst, at least he’d be there to pick up the pieces.

MINA WENT TO church the next morning and sat next to Bill McAllister and her new full-time hire, Jerry Fender. They stood talking to the minister when she walked out, but they left him to join her as she went to her car.