“But just today, right?” Gracie smiled at her.
“Absolutely,” Beth replied. “Come tomorrow, I make no promises.”
“Good to know. Hey.” Gracie pointed. “There’s one of Lauren Roberts’s food trucks. Didn’t you say you wanted to talk to her about a donation?”
“Yes, I did.” Beth looked at the side of the truck and grinned. Gracie Diaz was really good to spend time with. Even though Beth’s heart was aching and her mind spinning with way too many thoughts and unanswered questions, she was able to enjoy herself. “Besides, tacos for lunch sounds good, doesn’t it?”
Lauren was a fabulous chef and her food trucks were making a real impact on Royal. Luckily, Lauren herself was working the taco truck. When Beth got to the front of the line to order, she grinned up at the woman.
Lauren’s shoulder-length dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She wore a pale blue T-shirt and jeans, and the two women working with her looked pretty much the same.
“Hi, Lauren. Can we get two taco plates and a couple bottles of water?”
She smiled. “Sure. How’s it going, Beth? Gracie.”
“Fine,” Gracie answered. “We’re out gathering donations for the TCC masquerade ball in October.”
Lauren slid a suspicious glance at Beth as she made change from the twenty Beth had handed her. “And?”
“And...” Beth went on to say. “I was thinking you might want to donate one of your food trucks for a night. Say someone has a party and you could cater it...”
Lauren worked while she thought about that, and the scents wafting from the truck were making Beth even hungrier. The fact that there were two other women working the stove and the prep area was something else Beth liked about Lauren’s business. She hired women to work for her, paid a great wage and gave them experience they could take anywhere.
“It would be great advertising for you,” Gracie put in. “Plus it’s for a good cause. The children’s wing of the hospital.”
“Oh, I know...” Lauren looked over Beth’s head at the line gathering up behind her. “But to be honest, giving away catering for a party could get out of hand quickly. I don’t know if I can afford to donate enough food for a party of sixty or something.”
“She’s got a good point,” Gracie said, and lifted one shoulder in a shrug, as she looked to Beth.
“Okay, what if we put a limit on what people can get?” Beth could see this being a really sought after prize, so she would just have to make Lauren see how brilliant it was. “What if we say you will donate catering for a party of ten? Can you do that?”
Lauren took the two taco plates from the woman working beside her and handed them down to Beth and Gracie. Then she got the water and passed it over, as well. “Ten?” She thought about it for a second, then nodded. “I can do that. They can even have their choice of food for the party.”
“Excellent! Thank you so much, Lauren.”
“You’re welcome. Enjoy your lunch.”
“We will.” Beth nodded at Gracie and they moved aside to let the line surge forward. Finding an empty bench on the shady side of the bank building, they sat and toasted each other with icy water, tacos and Spanish rice.
Deliberately Beth kept her thoughts from straying to Camden Guthrie. Her confrontation with him would come soon enough.
Six
At Cam’s ranch, he and Tony were checking out the land he was going to lease his old friend. He could have just given him the land or even sold it to him outright. But this way was better—taxwise, for Tony’s growing business.
“It’s been a long time since I was on a horse,” Tony admitted ruefully. “I’ll be lucky to walk tomorrow.”
Cam laughed. Tugging his Stetson down lower over his eyes, he braced his hands on the pommel of his saddle and stared out at the property. “Horseback is the best way to see the land,” he said with satisfaction. Then he shot a quick grin at his pal. “Besides, you’re a Texan man, have some pride.”
“Oh, I’ve got plenty of pride,” Tony assured him. “just not on the back of a horse.” He winced as he shifted position in the saddle. “Not anymore, at least.” He tipped his head to one side. “Looks like you kept riding even when you were in California.”
“Oh, yeah.” He and Julie had lived in Orange County, not exactly a horse-friendly place. Too much asphalt. Too many houses, cars and people. Since he’d missed the feel of being out in the open, just him and his mount, Cam had found a stable in Irvine Ranch that allowed him to board a horse and explore what had once been the largest privately held ranch in California.
Of course, the Irvine family had sold off huge sections of their holdings over the years, but there were still hills and valleys that were unspoiled and just right for what he’d needed.
But being back in Texas fed Cam’s soul in a way he hadn’t known he needed. With the afternoon sun blasting down on
them from a clear blue sky, it was a picture-perfect Texas day, even if the heat would soon be murderous in the middle of summer.