Free Love on the Buchanan Ranch (A Romance Story) by Elizabeth Nelson

worried?”
     
    “I don’t know Stacey,” he said, and then hanging himself as far as Stacey was concerned he said, “Does she have the money?”
     
    “No, do you have this man’s number, so I can call him myself?” she asked.
     
    “Uh...No, I actually remember now that he said he would call me back.”
     
    “I hope you’re not involved in anything illegal, Lu. I’d hate to see you lose your license and everything you’ve worked for,” Stacey told him before hanging up.
     
    She didn’t feel like she had really gotten anywhere. She decided to ask Victoria if she still had the letter they sent, and if so, they should take it to the police. She wouldn’t have a problem either sending them to question Lucious. As far as lawyers go, Stacey had always found him to be among the slimier ones. His involvement hadn’t surprised her at all. Stacey was no detective, and Edward had given her enough headaches over the years. It was high time to let someone else deal with it.
     
    The rest of the week went by smoothly. Victoria hadn’t heard anything more from the men about the money. She had told Stacey she had thrown away the letter when she’d moved. Without that evidence, Stacey figured the police wouldn’t do much, so they settled on taking a wait-and-see approach.
     
    Business at the diner was steady, and Stacey’s first meeting with Ted regarding profits went very well. He told her how pleased Mr. Buchanan was with what he was hearing about the place, and that he would be doubly happy that Stacey had also been able to make it turn a profit.
     
    Stacey saw Owen a few more times that week too. He came in daily for breakfast, and although he still wasn’t any more talkative, he did offer her a smile each time he came in, and would tip his hat towards her before he left. The butterflies she felt in her stomach each time made her feel like a silly schoolgirl, but she told herself it was harmless. In the meantime, she had heard from Nate to finalize their plans for Friday and she had found herself wishing she were going to the dinner with his brother instead.
     
    Stacey had gone into the city on Thursday afternoon and bought herself a new dress for the dinner. Nate had told her that it was a formal event, held at the home of one of the wealthiest oil barons in Texas. Stacey wanted to make a good impression, especially if she hoped to garner publicity for the diner. She picked out a dark blue cocktail dress that fit snugly in the bodice and flared out at the waist. The skirt was cut in a scallop pattern and adorned with lace that fell just above her knee. She chose a pair of black heels and hose and a small black leather clutch purse to go with it. She planned to wear the diamond and sapphire necklace and earrings that Edward had bought her for their fifth wedding anniversary to top it all off. The jewelry was part of a small collection she had chosen to keep rather than to sell when she had cleaned out the estate.
     
    She left work early on Friday to get ready. Victoria and Edith made her promise to report back about what everyone there was wearing, and who had shown up with whom. Vicki didn’t know who was who in town yet, but Edith had been around here for almost 70 years, and she loved to gossip.
     
    By the time Nate arrived in his big, black car, Stacey was ready to go.
     
    “Wow,” was what he said when she opened the door. “You look beautiful, Stacey.”
     
    “Thank you,” she said, happy that her efforts had not gone unnoticed.
     
    “You’ll be the belle of the ball,” he told her as he held out his arm for her to take.
     
    “You look very nice too,” she said, honestly. Nate was wearing a black tuxedo, with another bolero tie. This one was adorned with a gold slider, and his hatband matched it as well. His boots were black and shiny, and when he took off his hat to slide into the car Stacey noticed there wasn’t a hair out of place.
     
    They drove further out into the country until