That afternoon, after JV had unpacked everything she planned to, she felt unsettled. She couldn't focus on her work. Besides, it would be rude to lock herself in the bedroom and ignore her hosts. Not sure what the proper protocol was, she decided she should treat the Karhyn like anyone else. She'd show her the respect her position demanded, but treat her like a friend. She hoped, if things worked out with Steve, that she and Rebecca could be friends. It would be a little awkward to live so close and not at least be civil.

After straightening her things she went in search of the other woman. She found her in the front room, a notebook computer on her lap.

"Hey," Rebecca said, looking up from the screen as JV entered the room. 

"Hey, what's up?"

"Not much, just doing a little window shopping. I'm going to need some new winter clothes and there's not much to choose from in town." 

"I haven't seen much of town yet," JV sat on the end of the sofa nearest Rebecca's recliner. "But I didn't notice anywhere to get clothes."

"There are a couple places, but the selection is limited. If you want more to choose from, you have to go into Show Low, past that into Phoenix, or order it online."

"Ah," JV fell silent for a moment, "how far is it to Show Low?"

"It's not too bad, only about an hour, but it’s on the other side of Springerville from here, so it's about an hour and a half from here, in good weather.

JV's eyes widened, "How often do you make the trip?" 

Rebecca shrugged, "Once a month or so, less if I can manage." 

"Don't you hate being so far away from everything?" 

"Not really. It's a tradeoff. We have to drive for shopping, but we can shift and run whenever we like. We have our privacy and a level of security out here I never felt that I had in a more urban area." 

JV tilted her head to one side as she thought about it, "I experienced that in Austin." 

Rebecca closed the laptop and set it on the table beside her chair. "I'm starving, how about you?" She pushed herself up and headed for the kitchen.

"I could eat." JV followed. 

"I've got some cookies we can have for a snack while I get dinner started." Rebecca pulled a couple of plates from the cabinet, handing one to JV. 

"I can't keep on like this," she took the plate and set it on the counter in front of her. 

"Like what?" Rebecca looked confused.

"I can't let you wait on me, especially if I'm going to be here very long." She looked away for a second, then back at the woman in front of her. "It feels like an imposition, you've got to let me help some."

"But you're a guest." 

"I know, but it makes me uncomfortable. I'd like to be friends, not treated like a stranger," She smiled, hopeful. 

Rebecca looked at her a moment, "All right, how do you want go about it? When?" 

"Now, instead of you starting dinner, we do it together." 

"Works for me, but first, cookies. Do you want milk with yours?" 

"I'm good." 

"I need milk." Rebecca poured herself a glass and they took their cookies to the table.

* * *

It didn't take long to get used to the routine of ranch life, and JV soon realized that she and Rebecca were never completely alone. There was always one of the men nearby, even if it was just someone working outside, near the house. After the first day or so, she noticed Bobby seemed to spend his afternoons in front of the house, working on the old pickup parked beside the one he and Rebecca had been in at the motel. 

"Is something wrong with it?" JV asked that afternoon, watching the man through the big picture window in the living room.

"It started giving us trouble last week. He's trying to get it running smooth again." 

"It must be a pain to be down to just one vehicle."

Rebecca laughed, "We're not down to one vehicle, there’s several more at the barn. But generally, we only take the newest one into town, unless it's to do something messy, like pick up feed."

She scowled and turned to look at the other woman, "If you don't use the truck up here, why's he working on it here?" 

"To cover me," Rebecca smiled at the shocked look on JV's face. "It's been a couple years, but my family wasn't happy about my mating with Nick. We had someone show up and try to force me to go back. Because of that, there's always someone around, in the house with me or close by, just in case."

"What if you want to be alone?" JV was horrified at the idea. The thought of someone around all the time made her skin crawl.

"It's not as bad as it sounds. Steve and Bobby are like family, but if I want to be alone, or need some space, I ask for it. They can protect me without smothering me. In fact, they're pretty good at it."

JV shook her head, not knowing if she could handle constantly having someone else so close.