Chapter 18

After a time they left the Interstate for a two-lane country road.

"All of this is ranchland," Cruz told her.

With one hand he indicated the vast acres of pasture rolling away from the road. Much of it was dotted with trees. And while some stretches of land had no livestock visible, others were filled with cattle ambling slowly along, stopping now and then to graze. Here and there Shea saw tall metal cylinders that she knew were stock tanks that held water for the herds.

When they made another turn onto a graveled road, Shea caught her breath in wonder. On either side of the gravel, lined up like sentinels, were live oaks, sweetgum and mimosa trees. It was obvious they'd been there before someone cut through to make the driveway. Through the trees she could see pastures, dotted with more trees and cattle. It was like a scene from a western novel.

But then the house came into view and she wanted to weep at its elegance. It was old, probably hadn't been well-maintained but the gracef