Lance took Lucy out to the flats near the old Spieler Mine, now a conservation area. It was a favorite place of his, and he wanted to share it with her. Why? Because he liked her company, and he didn’t know any other women who would enjoy this sort of outing on a freezing cold afternoon. Are those the only reasons?

           In the far distance, soft hills rose gently, without dramatic topography, high crests, or startling colors, were broken only by outcroppings of shale and exceptionally tall sagebrush. Following a faint trail, he led the way to a gulley, well out of the bitter wind, and they made themselves comfortable on a natural seat of slate. “This is where I like to come and observe the local residents.”

           “Like jackrabbits? I love watching them dart here and there through the brush.”

           “We might hear a few horned larks and black-throated sparrows, too. And if we’re very lucky, we’ll see sage grouse.”

           “Lucky?”

           “The population is falling because of overhunting and pollution. Environmental groups are petitioning for them to be listed as an endangered species.”

           “Have you ever seen coyotes or mountain lions out here?”

           “I have. They come for the antelope, mule deer, and rodents.”

           “Alice and I spotted them closer in to Blake’s Folly, but that was way back when we were in our teens. It’s pretty rare to see them now.”

           They sat for a long while. In the air was a heady tang of dried vegetation, and the broad sky was a delicate blue. Stalks shivered, grasses rattled percussively, and distant whirlwinds curled, lingered briefly, then settled.

           “Look. Over there.” He pointed to the west where the white rumps of two buck antelopes flashed against the scratchy landscape.

           “How nice.” She even looked like she was enjoying herself.

           “You’re not bored, just sitting here?”

           She turned to him, her eyes happy. “Why would I be bored? Do you know how many times I’ve sat in some desolate place with Alice, just staring at a crack under a rock? Then, after endless hours, a head will appear, then a whole huge snake slides out to warm itself in the sun. Do you know how rewarding seeing something like that is? How exciting?”

           Touched, he looked away. Stared out at the yellow and beige landscape most would call monotonous. “What do you think of this sort of scenery?” He half expected the usual snide comment.

           “I think it’s gorgeous,” she said simply.

           “You mean that?”

           “Why would I lie? What would be the purpose of it, Bud?”

           “I suppose you could be trying to be polite.”

           The corners of her mouth twitched. “You caught me doing that yet?”

           He had to chuckle. “Always a first time.”

           “Just let me know when that time comes around, okay?”

           “I guess I just have to get used to being with an honest person.”

           “What’s there to get used to?”

           “Being able to count on someone.” And realized how grateful he felt, for her presence, her steadiness, and her camaraderie.

 

A Room in Blake's Folly by J. Arlene Culiner

If only the walls could speak…

In one hundred and fifty years, Blake's Folly, a silver boomtown notorious for its brothels, scarlet ladies, silver barons, speakeasies, and divorce ranches, has become a semi-ghost town. Although the old Mizpah Saloon is still in business, its upper floor is sheathed in dust.

But in a room at a long corridor's end, an adventurer, a beautiful dance girl, and a rejected wife were once caught in a love triangle, and their secret has touched three generations.


Trailer: https://youtu.be/Wt3VkYUTVNk

Purchase Links: https://books2read.com/BlakesFollyRomance
Author links: https://linktr.ee/j.arleneculiner

 

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