Welcome to the Havenheart Ranch,” Slade boasted proudly as he helped Mandisa out of the SUV. Once she was on her feet, she turned around in a circle to take in the scenery around her.

Mandisa was instantly uncomfortable at the sight of his home. She was expecting a plush apartment somewhere. Something that felt rich, pretty, and superficial, reminding her of who he truly was and why she was there with him. What she met instead were endless peaks of proud hills and bottomless valleys that cradled calm water. A ranch filled with reddish-brown earth, verdant grass, golden blades of hay, and other ranch-type elements a city girl like her only saw on television show backdrops.

She turned again in the circular driveway to face his home, again divested of her assumptions when a modest two-story house sat where she’d assumed a sprawling mansion would be. His house wasn’t small. She’d wager there were at least four or five bedrooms in it, just from her current view. However, it looked like something out of a common suburban neighborhood, with nothing gaudy or attention-grabbing about it.

Everything from the warm beige and brown earth tones of the exterior to the colorful garden along its perimeter invited its guests to relax and take refuge inside. The soothing scenery instantly put Mandisa on edge. She immediately distrusted anything in this man’s world that encouraged her to let her guard down.

Never trust when things are too nice. Nice is an illusion.

“What do you think?” Slade’s question pulled her from her musings. She was just about to answer when the front door to the house opened, and a short, middle-aged African-American woman whose smile and eyes were marked with wisdom and knowledge ambled out onto the porch. She was petite, but Mandisa could detect the cloak of confidence she wore as she stood at the top of the front porch stairs with her hands mounted firmly on her hips.

“Is that my Slade?” she asked, her smile brightening, curving her lips even deeper than before.

Slade grabbed Mandisa’s hand and pulled her toward the porch. “Sho’ is, Mama Indy, and I brought a friend.”

Slade hopped up the few stairs and only released Mandisa’s hand to wrap both arms around the older woman, swooping her up into a giant hug that lifted her off her feet.

“You silly man, g’on put me down.” It was obvious to anyone witnessing the scene that the woman Slade referred to as Mama Indy had no real fire in her reprimand.

Slade gently settled the elder woman back on the porch, placing a sweet peck on her brown cheek. “You miss me, Mama Indy?”

She laughed. “‘Course I did.” She patted his arm lovingly before she turned her sights on Mandisa. “Now who is this pretty young lady with the beautiful smile?”

It wasn’t until Mandisa played the woman’s words over quickly in her own head that Mandisa realized her lips were, indeed, curving into a happy smile. How could Mandisa not smile? The scene between the two people before her was so tender and loving, not unlike the many Mandisa had shared with her own mother.

“This is Mandisa Avery. We met in New York, and she’s here to spend a little time with me and possibly do a little business.” Slade turned to Mandisa, stepping slightly to the side. “Mandisa, this is my former nanny and my surrogate mother, Mrs. Indira Price. She’s one of two women responsible for raising me.”

By the twinkle in his eye, Mandisa could feel Slade’s sincerity when he spoke of the matron. Mandisa offered her a hand in greeting, only to have it shoved away. In a split second, she found herself enclosed in strong, thin arms that held her in place as the elder woman rocked Mandisa in her arms.

“You’re a friend of my Slade’s. Makes you family. Family gets hugs.”

A little thrown by the woman’s friendliness—New Yorkers didn’t share personal space with strangers; they had to ease into that sort of physical affection—Mandisa fell into the unexpected comfort of her captor’s arms.

“I’m a friend of Slade’s. How come you never greet me with hugs?” The warm spell of the embrace was broken when Aaron spoke from behind them.

“’Cause you’re trouble, and I don’t invite trouble into my home.”

Aaron waved a dismissive hand as he walked up to the porch and dropped a loud smack of a kiss on the matron’s waiting cheek. “You know you love me, old woman.”

“Call me old again, and I’ll take my shotgun to your hide.”

Aaron threw both his hands in the air and backed away slowly into the house, leaving the three of them alone on the porch.

“Y’all chil’en come on inside and get some of this here food I cooked up.”

Mandisa hadn’t even thought about food, but the moment they all shuffled into the house, the distinct smell of blended spices and bacon—oh, God, real bacon—and something baked and buttery called to Mandisa through the air.

“You hungry, darlin’?” Slade’s question barely registered as Mandisa looked at a full spread of enticing food waiting at the breakfast table.

“If I wasn’t before, I am now.” Mandisa followed Slade’s lead and moved over to the slush sink to wash her hands. Hands now clean and dry, Mandisa sat down, taking her eyes briefly away from the food to see Aaron pulling his napkin from the table and spreading it across his lap.

“Can’t wait to dig in to this food, Mama Indy. You got any of your special blend coffee around?” Aaron picked up his fork as he spoke, filling his plate with eggs and thick-cut bacon, the kind you couldn’t buy in a pack but had to have sliced from a slab at a butcher. Mandisa’s mouth watered. Bacon was her weakness. Her mother used to make slab bacon on Sunday mornings before church. It was salty, and tasty, and everything that was perfect about a good cut of bacon.

When Aaron went to stuff his fork into the mound of food he’d shoveled onto his plate and attempted to lift it to his mouth, Indira stood with her arms crossed and her eyebrow lifted. The silent cue was all Aaron needed to drop his fork back onto the plate and fold his hands patiently in front of him.

“Now let us bow our heads.” Indira led them into a brief prayer of thanks, and then silence ensued. The only noise from any of them was the minor clang of the metal cutlery touching the ceramic dishes.

When Indira placed another plate of warm, freshly made biscuits in front of Mandisa and motioned for her to take another, Mandisa had to put up her hands in surrender.

“I can’t, Mrs. Price. There’s just no room.”

“You call me Mama Indy. None of this Mrs. Price stuff,” she rebuffed. “At least have a cup of my coffee before these boys drink it all.”

Mandisa smiled and nodded, conceding to the offer of coffee. She really didn’t have room for another morsel of food, but she’d take a few sips of the coffee to appease this treasure of a woman.

Mandisa added cream and sugar to her cup and grabbed the handle of the ceramic mug. When she lifted the cup halfway to her lips she felt the weight of Slade and Aaron’s gazes locked on her.

“Is there something wrong? Do I have food on my face?”

The two shook their heads in tandem and waited silently. Too full to concern herself with their weird stares, she shook her head and took the first sip of the coffee.

Mandisa wasn’t much of a coffee drinker. She’d occasionally order one of those iced designer coffees that she couldn’t pronounce from the local chain, but even her uncultured palate recognized she was sampling greatness.

“Dear God, that’s good.” She pulled her lips unwillingly from the cup at the demand of her lungs and their miserable need for the breath she was holding. The flavor was rich, yet smooth. There wasn’t a hint of the usual bitterness she experienced when she purchased a cup of coffee. “For the love of all that is holy.” Mandisa paused a minute to take another sip. “What is in this? There’s gotta be some sort of controlled substance in this. It’s like crack. I can’t stop drinking it.”

The scene in the car where Slade was bartering with Aaron, using Indira’s “special blend” as a boon, made so much more sense now. This nectar of the gods masquerading as coffee was addictive.

Mandisa heard laughter filling the room. She presumed it was coming from the two men sitting at the table with her, but she couldn’t truly be certain because her nose was almost completely in the mug as she tipped it high to get every drop she possibly could.

When Mandisa finally put the cup down, Indira appeared again, asking if she wanted more. “I do, but I really can’t. Will there be any later?”

“For you? Anytime you want it.” She offered Mandisa another warm smile and motioned for Mandisa to follow her. “Let’s leave the cleaning to these two while I show you to your room.”

Halfway in a food coma, Mandisa didn’t resist when Indira moved her along the halls and up the stairs until she was standing in the middle of a large bedroom equipped with a fireplace and four-poster bed to boot.

Damn, do Texans do everything big?

“This is the guestroom closest to the master suite. Slade requested I get it ready for you. If you need anything and I’m not around, you can just walk down to the end of the hall, and you’ll find him.”

“You don’t live here with Slade, Mrs…Mama Indy?”

The older woman gave her a dismissive wave. “Chile, no! Slade is a grown man. He doesn’t need his mama up under him. I live in a guesthouse on the east bank of the property. Aaron is Slade’s foreman. He picks me up every morning on his way to the horses and drives me home at the end of the day. He lives on property too.”

Mandisa attempted to answer, and a huge yawn escaped her mouth. “Please forgive me,” Mandisa managed to utter at the tail end of the long sigh. “I guess the nap I caught on the plane wasn’t enough.”

“G’on and get yourself together for bed. I’ll bring you lunch if you want it. If not, you can join us for supper around six in the evening.”

Before Mandisa could nod her acknowledgement, Indira was on her way out the door, and Mandisa was looking for her bags. Once she was showered and settled into the plush mattress of the bed, the warmth she’d felt from the food and fellowship downstairs started to recede, and a slow chill began to build inside her.

She was in a lovely room, at her host’s request, receiving the royal treatment from his family/staff, and here she was feeling hollow and displeased as she curled up in this bed alone. Maybe he did only bring you here for work. Maybe whatever you two were doing in New York was a one-off.

“God woman, how ungrateful and flaky can you be? You said you didn’t want him thinking he could sex you out of your company. Now you’re mad because he seems to be honoring that? Get it together.”

She balled up her fist and punched the innocent pillow next to her, getting in another shot when she heard a knock at the door.

“It’s Slade. Can I come in?”

She scooted up in the bed, crossing her legs Indian style beneath the comforter as she gave Slade permission to enter the room.

“I won’t keep you long,” he murmured as he walked over to the side of the bed, sitting gently beside her as he reached for her hand. “I just wanted to make certain you were settled in.”

“I am. Your home is lovely.” Her words were quick, and for some reason she couldn’t find the strength to look him in the eyes. He knew her, saw too much of her whenever she gazed at him. She didn’t want him to see how disappointed she was that he didn’t want her, just her company. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

She felt his soft touch travel from her hand, up the length of her arm, until his fingers were lifting her chin and she couldn’t hide from his questioning eyes any longer.

“I’ve set up a visit at Venus’ labs here in Austin. Thought you’d enjoy getting to see some of our facilities.”

And so it begins.

“If we get out there by early afternoon, we can make it back in time for supper.”

He’s not wasting any time getting down to business.

“One of our chemists will be on hand to answer any of your questions about the facility and its capabilities.”

She held her hands palm side up with fingers spread in a halting motion. “Can we take a pause for minute, Slade!” She winced at the shrill sound of her voice. She didn’t think she’d intended for it to sound so harsh. But, damn, could she get a minute to breathe before he was shuffling her off to his lab?

However unintended, the sharpness of her tone broke through, and he dropped his fingers from her chin. A tight line appeared at the center of his brow as he peered down at her. “Mandisa? What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry,” Mandisa began slowly. She closed her eyes to get her bearings back. She wanted to tell him he was pissing her off by rushing her into business matters she wasn’t ready to address. She wanted to explain that the idea of focusing on business so soon after experiencing the warmth of his family tainted the wonderful feeling the morning’s events had left her with. But when she thought about all those things she felt, all those things she wanted to reveal to him, she was left raw and exposed.

He’s already putting his plan in motion. Don’t show him a weakness he can exploit.

“I’m just a little tired after the trip and the meal. Could we maybe take a rain check on the tour today? Maybe in a day or two when I’m a little less tired and more focused, we can head out?”

Slade watched her carefully, as if assessing the truth in her words. Too afraid he’d pick up on the real reason behind her outburst, she snuggled down into the covers and closed her eyes.

After a moment or two of silence, Slade’s weight shift on the bed and the warmth of his lips pressed against her cheek.

“Whenever you’re ready, darlin’. Just get some rest.”

A few moments later, she heard the quiet click of the door signaling his departure. She released a long breath of relief and let disappointment flood her. Yeah, she’d known there was going to be some business occurring on this trip, but she’d also hoped for some pleasure too. Unfortunately, between being placed in a separate room and Slade’s desire to jump right into the business flow of things, it didn’t look like there’d be much pleasure on this trip at all.