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“Yes. Here are the next two cards, labeled 1-3. Notice the arrow is different again, as well as the direction of the slash over the vowel.”
Learning Mandarin was a complete revelation to Luckey. By the time she’d taken him through twenty sets of cards, his head was spinning.
“In a few weeks you’ll be able to tell me which tone pair matches a new word I give you. I’ll send a disk home to help you with the meanings and pronunciation.”
He looked up from the cards she’d handed him. “Are you saying our lesson is over? I’ve only been here an hour.”
She laughed. “We can’t do any more until you’ve had time to memorize the tones. Those cards are yours.”
He put them in his pocket. “In that case let’s go to my house and I’ll barbecue us some hamburgers for dinner. It’ll be my way to repay you for this lesson.” He’d made certain he had all the ingredients on hand in case she said yes.
“I don’t want repayment, but I won’t say no to dinner.”
Hallelujah. He got to his feet. “How early do you have to be at work in the morning?”
“Eight o’clock.”
“Then let’s leave now so we can enjoy a little time together before I have to bring you back.”
She stood up. “I’ll run upstairs to get that disk and meet you at your car.”
“You didn’t bring it down because you didn’t think I would make it this far. Admit it.”
Ally eyed him directly. “I didn’t think any such thing. I simply forgot it. If you’re fishing for compliments, I can tell you this much—I’m impressed you didn’t throw the cards across the room and tell me you needed to leave because of some work-related thing you’d forgotten about.”
“You’ll never get rid of me that fast,” he warned her.
They walked through the house to the foyer. After she hurried up the stairs, he went outside and leaned against his car while he waited for her. Before long she joined him. On their way into town, she flicked him a glance. “I’ve never asked where you live.”
“Sunset Valley.”
“It’s not that far from here.” She sounded pleasantly surprised.
“Which has turned out to be a nice perk for me, now that I’ll be taking lessons from you on a daily basis.”
Ally smiled and gave him a sideways look that said she didn’t believe he’d last as a student of hers. “How long have you lived in Sunset Valley?” she asked.
“After the divorce, I bought a home there with property for my horse. But before I signed the papers, I drove the route to work. It only took me twelve minutes. That’s what sold me.”
A soft laugh escaped her lips. “You’re as bad as I am. Before I applied for the position at the university, I timed the drive from the ranch. Only ten minutes. But I have to admit that depending on the kind of day I sometimes have, plus the evening traffic, it can seem like a hundred miles. Still, as much as I loved China, there’s no place like home.”
“I hear you.”
Tonight he was taking her to his house. There was only one danger. He was so crazy about her, he might not let her leave.
Chapter Six
Ally was so excited to be going to Luckey’s home, she was almost sick to her stomach. When they pulled into the driveway, the Santa Fe adobe house came as a surprise. Long beams extended outside the exterior walls in true pueblo style. She let out a little squeal. “Oh, my gosh, I love it!” His choice of home told her a lot about his taste and his idea of beauty.
“Come inside. I’ll show you around.”
The first thing she noticed when they walked through the door of the one-story home were the gorgeous handwoven Santa Fe style rugs scattered throughout the rooms. There were three bedrooms and a den. French doors from the dining room opened onto a charming patio. She loved the tiled kitchen, but her favorite space was the living room, with its floor-to-ceiling fireplace and little niches. The beams overhead added an authentic rustic feel.
“I love the curviness of this style.”
“I’m glad you like it. If you want to freshen up in the guest bathroom, I’ll go out to the patio and start the coals for the barbecue. After studying those tone pairs, I’m famished.” She was already learning he didn’t need an excuse to be hungry.
Seeing his home with the stamp of his personality on it had caused her to forget everything else. Ally pulled the disk from her purse and put it on the end table next to the couch. After washing her hands, she wandered out to the patio. She could see the barn and corral in the distance, but it was already beginning to get dark.
