on the lips. “You just missed the three mental dwarfs.”
“No, I didn’t. I had the displeasure of running into all three of them outside. Funny thing was, when I got past them, I heard the two strangers ask Dan who I was.”
“Really?”
“And he said I was nothing.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say nothing.”
He laughed.
“Maybe Bob and Ben weren’t aware of Efrem’s presence in your life.”
She turned to face the older man. “Why would they be? And what difference does it make?”
Uncle Stanley and Efrem shared a glance.
“Oh, nothing,” Uncle Stanley said.
“See? Even he thinks I’m nothing,” a chagrinned Efrem said.
Even without understanding the shared look, she laughed. “You’re far from nothing, Efrem.”
He grinned. “Glad someone thinks so.”
* * * *
Running late due to his stop at the lawyer’s office, Efrem trotted down the hall toward his office.
“Ef! You’re late. We need you on the mainframe.”
“Efrem. I know. Why?”
“I’m just the messenger.”
He turned around and headed for the mainframe. He pushed open the door to chaos.
“What’s the problem?”
“Thank God you’re here.”
“This router is running hot.”
“That’s not the source of the problem. We need to move the rack away from the corner.”
The chatter continued, differing opinions flew across the room, differing solutions crowded the conversations.
Inside his head, Efrem smiled. Electronic chaos was a way of life. His way of life. And he loved it. Almost as much as he loved Lisa.
Whoa! The thought struck him between the eyes. Glancing around the room, at the two engineers and three technicians throwing around theories and solutions, he saw his whole adult life. He’d been so buried in his work he hadn’t had a real life. But Lisa changed all that. His life had been full, but now was overflowing. He’d never seen a horse, never mind ridden one, until Lisa. Now he was a champion of the little black foal of Raven’s. He could tell when a horse had a sore foot. Or fetlock. Something like that. He knew how to feed the pregnant mares—excuse me, breeding mares.
But he was still at home here, in a ridiculously cold room with no windows, filled with equipment whirring and blinking and flashing every change and exchange of data. He loved it. Every last bit of it.
And he’d give it all up in a heartbeat for her.
“Hey, Efrem. You with us, man?”
He shook his head. “Yeah, I’m here. Did you check the fan on that router?”
* * * *
Jerry Price stood in front of her desk, hat in hand.
“How could the water be fouled?” she asked rhetorically. “It’s a closed system.”
“Not sure, ma’am. But it is. There’s a faint smell of petroleum or fuel.”
“Is there a fuel line leaking somewhere?”
“Uh, it’s electric as far as I know.”
She rubbed her forehead. First the downed fences, now fuel in the electric water system in the brood mare barn. What next?
“We’ll have to drain the system and flush it out. When we fill it back up we’ll see if the fuel smell returns.”
“That will take hours.”
“Yeah, it will.” She pulled herself out of her granddad’s chair. “So let’s get started.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Lisa, Jerry. Just Lisa.”
“Yes, ma—Lisa.”
She smiled and led the way to the brood mare barn. Jerry was an old-fashioned gentleman. Like Efrem.
Efrem had incorporated good manners into his being. He opened doors for her without thinking, held her chair, took a stubborn jar of peanut butter from her, twisted open the lid she’d been struggling with, and handed it back to her, without blinking an eye.
For heaven’s sake, the man wouldn’t come until she did! And come she did. Several times almost every time they were together. His body was magnificent. His looks were devastating, but he was so much more than a good - looking man. He wanted to support her. Not with money but love. He wanted to take care of her, help her with
“No, I didn’t. I had the displeasure of running into all three of them outside. Funny thing was, when I got past them, I heard the two strangers ask Dan who I was.”
“Really?”
“And he said I was nothing.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say nothing.”
He laughed.
“Maybe Bob and Ben weren’t aware of Efrem’s presence in your life.”
She turned to face the older man. “Why would they be? And what difference does it make?”
Uncle Stanley and Efrem shared a glance.
“Oh, nothing,” Uncle Stanley said.
“See? Even he thinks I’m nothing,” a chagrinned Efrem said.
Even without understanding the shared look, she laughed. “You’re far from nothing, Efrem.”
He grinned. “Glad someone thinks so.”
* * * *
Running late due to his stop at the lawyer’s office, Efrem trotted down the hall toward his office.
“Ef! You’re late. We need you on the mainframe.”
“Efrem. I know. Why?”
“I’m just the messenger.”
He turned around and headed for the mainframe. He pushed open the door to chaos.
“What’s the problem?”
“Thank God you’re here.”
“This router is running hot.”
“That’s not the source of the problem. We need to move the rack away from the corner.”
The chatter continued, differing opinions flew across the room, differing solutions crowded the conversations.
Inside his head, Efrem smiled. Electronic chaos was a way of life. His way of life. And he loved it. Almost as much as he loved Lisa.
Whoa! The thought struck him between the eyes. Glancing around the room, at the two engineers and three technicians throwing around theories and solutions, he saw his whole adult life. He’d been so buried in his work he hadn’t had a real life. But Lisa changed all that. His life had been full, but now was overflowing. He’d never seen a horse, never mind ridden one, until Lisa. Now he was a champion of the little black foal of Raven’s. He could tell when a horse had a sore foot. Or fetlock. Something like that. He knew how to feed the pregnant mares—excuse me, breeding mares.
But he was still at home here, in a ridiculously cold room with no windows, filled with equipment whirring and blinking and flashing every change and exchange of data. He loved it. Every last bit of it.
And he’d give it all up in a heartbeat for her.
“Hey, Efrem. You with us, man?”
He shook his head. “Yeah, I’m here. Did you check the fan on that router?”
* * * *
Jerry Price stood in front of her desk, hat in hand.
“How could the water be fouled?” she asked rhetorically. “It’s a closed system.”
“Not sure, ma’am. But it is. There’s a faint smell of petroleum or fuel.”
“Is there a fuel line leaking somewhere?”
“Uh, it’s electric as far as I know.”
She rubbed her forehead. First the downed fences, now fuel in the electric water system in the brood mare barn. What next?
“We’ll have to drain the system and flush it out. When we fill it back up we’ll see if the fuel smell returns.”
“That will take hours.”
“Yeah, it will.” She pulled herself out of her granddad’s chair. “So let’s get started.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Lisa, Jerry. Just Lisa.”
“Yes, ma—Lisa.”
She smiled and led the way to the brood mare barn. Jerry was an old-fashioned gentleman. Like Efrem.
Efrem had incorporated good manners into his being. He opened doors for her without thinking, held her chair, took a stubborn jar of peanut butter from her, twisted open the lid she’d been struggling with, and handed it back to her, without blinking an eye.
For heaven’s sake, the man wouldn’t come until she did! And come she did. Several times almost every time they were together. His body was magnificent. His looks were devastating, but he was so much more than a good - looking man. He wanted to support her. Not with money but love. He wanted to take care of her, help her with
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