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She gave him the full tour of the house, showing him all six bedrooms, the office, which she had taken over, the kitchen, with barstools up to the counter and a table, and then the formal dining room. “There’s even another TV room upstairs. I don’t know what my father called it, but that’s what makes sense to me.”
She took him out back, showing him the porch swing and the view of the mountains. “I love it here. My mom hated it when she moved here.”
“How long was your mom here?”
“I didn’t ask, but I got the impression it was under six months.” She shook her head. “I don’t think she gave her marriage much of a chance, but I do know she’s very happy with my father you met today, Brad.”
“What was your bio-dad’s name?”
“Alexander Thomas Tobias, so I’m Alexis Thomasina. Isn’t that awful?”
He chuckled. “I don’t know that your name would win any beauty contests…I love the name Alexis, but Thomasina?”
“He’d already agreed to let Mom raise me alone with only some financial support, so she felt that she should give me a name that would show where I came from.” She shrugged. “Sure could have done without the Thomasina.”
He sat down on the porch swing and patted the spot between them. He was ready for that kiss that they’d skipped at the church. “Do we have plans for the rest of the day?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, we’re free to do as we want. I plan to make a simple supper in a few hours, but other than that, we can just vegetate. I need it because the last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind that I never thought I’d get out of.”
He draped his arm over her shoulders, and she moved a bit closer to him, feeling comforted and protected by him. “I think it’ll be nice to have an evening to just get to know each other.”
“The only plan I made is for you to meet with Joe on Monday, and probably take a tour of the ranch. He wanted to make sure you could ride first.”
Kyle laughed. “I’ve been riding longer than I’ve been walking.”
She grinned. “I have a feeling that will make Joe very happy. He said after he retires, he’ll still be available to consult with.”
“Good.” Kyle felt like he’d need extra time. “Now tell me about Alexis. What was she like three weeks ago before she inherited the biggest ranch I’ve ever seen.”
“I was working in a call center, and they were talking about promoting me to a manager. I got my degree in management from the University of Texas at Arlington. I had a little apartment close to where I grew up, and I’d lived there for a few years.”
“Wow,” he said. “I didn’t realize I was married to a college graduate.”
She laughed at that. “And you’re still more qualified to run this ranch than I am.”
Kyle felt panicked every time she mentioned him running the ranch. Surely, he would need help with everything he did. “I hope I’m ready. What do you like to do in your spare time?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I love to read. I’m one of those weirdos who actually enjoys reading history texts just for fun. I also read business books for fun.”
“Sounds like you’re the life of the party.”
She laughed. “Sure. Everyone wants to party with the girl with her nose in a book.”
“I do,” he said. “We didn’t have our first kiss at the wedding. Not really. Is now too soon?”
She smiled, shaking her head. “Now would be wonderful.”
He lowered his head to hers, and this time his lips didn’t skirt away as soon as she felt them. No, he planted a real kiss on her mouth, and she wrapped her arms around him, enjoying it immensely. When he lifted his head, his eyes were a bit dazed. “You pack a wallop, Mrs. Stifter.”
“As do you, Mr. Stifter.”
He kissed her again, and this time she didn’t want him to let go. They were married after all.
Chapter Four
They spent the day getting to know one another, with Kyle asking questions about the ranch Alexis simply couldn’t answer. Finally, he asked if they could just go walk around, or even take his truck over the dirt roads that seemed to go everywhere.
“I’m not up to that kind of walk, but I’d be happy to drive and see what we see. I haven’t even met most of the men yet because I’ve been working on the house.”
