"Oh, I'd love to come here and fish sometime. Would you mind?"
He gazed down the creek, his expression unreadable. "As long as you eat what you catch. I don't believe in catch-and-release except if the fish is simply too small. We Americans have a nasty habit of playing with our food - like a cat. If you hunt, it should be for food, not pleasure."
She couldn't agree with him more, but it was an unusual viewpoint for a man. She stretched and walked around, gradually gaining feeling in her legs. That might have been a mistake. Every muscle complained so painfully that she wished the numbness would return. She tried to work the muscles in her lower back with her fingertips, but the effort was worse than the benefit.
Suddenly strong fingers began working her shoulder muscles, delightfully descending to the muscles on either side of her spine. She moaned.
"Oh, that feels so good. You can't imagine how sore I am."
"Do you want to go back?"
"How long have we been out?"
"About three hours."
Three more hours back? How could she endure the ride? She tried to smile cheerfully as she looked at him over one shoulder. "Aren't you getting hungry? I'll be fine after we rest for a little bit."
"Sure." The fingers ceased their massage and he took her arm, leading her to a dry rock. "Why don't you rest here a few minutes and I'll do the serving for once."
"But I can..."
His hand pressed down on her shoulder. "So can I. I got along before I hired you and I think I can manage one meal now."
She stretched out on the rock, its warmth penetrating her shirt and further relaxing her muscles. Closing her eyes against the bright sunlight, she absorbed its warmth. She breathed deeply of the clear air and listened to the sound of the creek darting over rocks - swirling against its banks. Somewhere in the distance, a Meadowlark called, its melodic song adding sweetness to the smell of wild roses. It was spring again - at last.
"Are you asleep?"
She opened her eyes and squinted up at him through the sunlight. Languidly lifting a hand, she shaded her eyes and smiled at him.
"No. I'm enjoying this immensely, though." She took the sandwich he offered and grinned. "Is this what you do out here all day long?"
The lips twitched and a brow quirked. "Do you want to swap jobs?"
She laughed. "Only if this is all I have to do."
He squatted beside her and scanned the horizon soberly. "If you figure out a way to do this all day and still make the ranch turn a profit, you could make a fortune teaching your method at seminars."