Read Online Hayburner (A Gail McCarthy Mystery) by Laura Crum - Free Book Online

grow. But I was getting to the end of it. I was ready to be involved with a man again. One man. But which one?
    Fixing my eyes on the back of Clay's head, I tried to picture him as my boyfriend. It wasn't hard. Then I thought of Blue. I could picture being with him, too. Try as I might, my mind couldn't find a way to weigh them both up and make a nice, logical choice.
    Not to mention, I thought, with an inward eye roll, I had problems enough making that first step into commitment and intimacy. My instinct to protect myself by remaining autonomous and invulnerable went very deep. I had trouble just being comfortable in a relationship, let alone deciding which one to be in.
    Still, some part of my being was calling out that it was time to quit stalling around and take the step. I just didn't know which direction to go.
    As the horses emerged from the steep, shady eucalyptus forest into a wide meadow, I rode Freddy up alongside Blackjack.
    "Eucalyptus groves are interesting, aren't they?" I said conversationally.
    Clay nodded.
    "Ecological purists don't like them," I went on, "because they're not native and they're allopathic-they kill the native plants. But I grew up with eucalyptus trees, and I'm fond of them. They have such a wild feeling, and they're always talking. It's really something to be in a eucalyptus grove in a storm."
    "I bet," Clay said with a smile, clearly uninterested.
    I tried a new subject. "Do you take this horse out riding much?" I patted Freddy's neck.
    "Once every couple of weeks, if that. I like to cruise him around back here, but I don't really have the time. It's handy to have him though. Both Bart and I like to go camping and fishing and Bart likes to go hunting. Whenever either of us wants to take a trip, we just bring both horses along. Freddy's good to ride and this one," he looked down at Blackjack, "will carry a pack rig." He grinned over at me. "As you can imagine, Freddy doesn't care to have a pack rig strapped to him, let alone have pack bags hung on his back."
    "I can imagine." We rode along quietly for a while; I could see the roofs of the boarding stable ahead.
    Clay looked at me. "Would you like to come over to dinner tonight?"
      Caught by surprise, I hesitated and then said, "Sure. That would be nice."
    Clay hesitated a moment, too. "It's with my mom and Bart," he said at last. "My mom's having us for Sunday dinner. I'd really be happy if you wanted to come."
    "All right," I said slowly. Having dinner with Bart and Mrs. Bishop wasn't exactly my idea of fun, but I had to admit I was curious. "What time?" I asked.
    "Oh, come by my place around five," Clay said. "We can have a drink first."
    "All right," I told him. "I'll be there."

SEVEN
    Five hours and two emergency calls later, I was back at the Bishop Ranch. I'd tended to colicked horses at opposite ends of the county, then rushed home to feed my animals, take a shower, and change clothes in the brief window of time remaining. Now I was about to present myself at Clay's door, dressed and ready.
    I'd agonized a bit over my outfit; just how formal were the Bishops likely to be at a family Sunday dinner? In the end, I went with a pair of narrow black linen pants, a simple black cotton-knit shell, and a cream-colored silk blouse unbuttoned and tied at the waist as a jacket. My freshwater pearls and black espadrilles completed the effect. Surely, I told myself, I was appropriate for any sort of dinner party on a warm October evening. As a final nod to possible formality, I tied my hair neatly back with a bit of black velvet at the nape of my neck. Good enough for tea with the queen of England.
    Clay's expression when he opened the door left me no doubt that I was dressed appropriately enough. "Gail, you look wonderful." Stepping forward, he kissed me lightly on the cheek.
    I smiled, pleased by his appreciation. "How about that drink you promised me? I might need a drink, if I'm going to meet your mother."
    "Haven't you met Mom before?" Clay