"Turn left down this street and the diner will be two blocks on your right." Renne gave directions, almost like she never left this town. Having lived here for five years had given Renne the opportunity to know these streets inside and out, like the back of her hand. 

        "Right here?" He pointed to the worn down looking building on their right. The yellow paint on the wooden planks was fading, and the parking lot spaces, that were not occupied with cars, was decorated with weeds. Despite it sketchy outside appearance, the parking lot was nearly full. 

       "Yep, this is it." Renne let go of Swayde's hand to unbuckle her seat belt as Swayde backed her truck into a spot. Before Swayde could even say anything, Renne added, "It is much better than it looks, I promise. I have been here nearly every hour that it is open and it is still always busy." She hopped down from the cab of her truck, following Swayde across the parking lot. 

        Reaching for the handle on the old, paint faded white wooden door, Swayde opened the door, a bell welcoming their arrival. 

         "Hey, y'all, welcome to Teena's." A teenager greeted, a smile on her face. 

       The atmosphere was fairly loud, but not as loud as to be expected judging by the packed space. Tables and chairs were pushed into every nook and cranny; it was clear that when Teena's opened nearly 40 years earlier, they had not expected it to become as popular as it had. 

        "Just two?" The high-school aged hostess asked, giving Renne a look after she nodded in response. "Wait, you own that huge ranch out yonder, right? The one that helps delinquents and special needs kids, right?" 

        "Yeah, Healing Hearts is my ranch." Renne smiled, proudly. "How did you hear about it?" Renne and Swayde followed the kind greeter to a table at the back of the small diner. 

        "My cousin, Gracie, used to take lessons there. They live in Colorado, now, though."

       "Jerry and Laurie's daughter? They are one of my best friends, actually. Swayde and I actually visited them in Colorado a few months ago." Renne was exuberant. 

       "Small world. Please tell them Keri says hi." The young brunette smiled as she set down the menus on the table. 

       "Likewise. Thank you, Keri." Renne smiled, sitting in the chair that Swayde pulled out for her. 

       "Your server will be right over. Y'all enjoy your meal." She replied before heading back to her hostess stand. 

      "This is the first time in five years that I have been here that I haven't had to wait to be seated." Renne looked around, trying to see if she saw any familiar faces. She folded her hands over her closed menu on the table, already knowing what she was going to order. 

        "That's impressive. What do you usually get here?" Swayde asked, analyzing the menu. 

       "Number thirteen, the philly steak and cheese sub. They put mushrooms on it, but it's super good. I always get the homemade fries as well." 

        "That sounds pretty good. What's the 'Sub from Italy'?" Swayde read off the "hot sandwiches" page on the menu. 

        "It's basically an Italian sub: turkey, ham, pepperoni, banana peppers, jalapenos, and onions with Italian dressing and cheese- either cheddar or pepper jack.  It's delicious." Renne rattled off. 

       "You really know the menu well." Swayde grinned over the top of his menu. 

       "I worked here for a while when I first moved here." She stated, looking up to see Swayde's reaction.

        His smile faded, but only slightly. "I didn't know that." The mention of Renne having worked here just reminded Swayde how little he knew about the five years that she lived in Montana. Instead of allowing it to affect his mood, Swayde simply made a mental note to ask her more about it all later. 

       "Hey, y'all, my name is Vicki, and I will be your server today. What can I get y'all to drink?" The brunette smiled widely, pen on the pad, ready to take their order.

         "Sweet tea." Both Renne and Swayde said.

        "Also, I think we are both ready to order our food, as well." Renne added, glancing at Swayde to make sure he was ready.

         "Alright. What can I get for y'all?" Vicki looked at Renne first, eagerly awaiting her order. 

        "I will take a number 13 with the homemade fries, please." Renne handed Vicki her menu. 

        "And for you, sir?" 

         "I will take the sub from Italy, please, with the pepper jack cheese." Swayde grinned, handing his menu to their waitress. 

          "Good choice. Would you like the homemade fries with that as well?" 

         "Yes ma'am." Swayde nodded.

          "Alright. I will grab y'alls sweet tea, and put this order in." Vicki announced, walking away from the table. 

           "Thank you for again for coming here with me, Swayde." Renne grinned across the table to her boyfriend. "It's fun to have someone to show around town, and go see the cool sights with." And to help ward off Matt, but she didn't want to say that out loud. 

        "Of course." Swayde grinned, removing his cowboy hat, resting it, crown side down on the top of the table as he rubbed his hands over his jeans. "So, if you don't mind, I have a couple questions about the ranch, and your company in general." 

         "Go for it. Ask away." Renne responded, just as Vicki returned to the table with two sweet teas in her hand. After Renne thanked her, Vicki announced that the couple's sandwiches would be right out, leaving the table. 

        "So, do you own everything? Like the barn, the house, the land, the horses, everything? And does Matt have any financial stake in the company?" Swayde dove right into his slew of questions. Picturing her large house in his mind, and seeing Healing Hearts in all it's expensive glory, it was clear that he had underestimated just how successful the business really was, and began to wonder how much money Renne really had, though knowing wasn't his business and wouldn't change his opinion of her. 

        Renne took a long sip of her sweet tea before answering. "The house, barn, and horses is mine. I also own five acres around the house, and five acres around the barn. The rest of the land and livestock is Matt's. When I first started this business, his parents and himself helped pay for everything, but the ranch has paid for itself at least three times over, so I was able to pay Matt and his parents back for everything, and then some. So, yes, Matt does have some financial pull in the company, but not as much as I have, considering that I own the company." Swirling her sweet tea around in her glass with her straw, Renne added, "Matt has always loved that house, so I will probably sell him the house, and use that money to buy more of the land off of him. I want everything that makes the ranch function to be all mine. I don't want him to have anything to do with the ranch anymore, financially, that is. Unfortunately, since I cannot be here in Montana full time, Matt will have to run Healing Hearts here, until I can work things out otherwise and hire someone else." 

          Swayde was trying to wrap his mind around everything that Renne was telling him. Her business was very impressive, and he still hadn't seen the inside of the barns, or the lessons in action, but it was definitely something that he looked forward to. "I see. Well, I know that you will make the right decision. I am so proud of you for all you have accomplished." 

        "Thank you, babe." Renne smiled; not trying to make herself sound prideful, or conceited, but she was proud of herself, too. Healing Hearts had been the only good thing that had resulted in her and Swayde breaking up all those years ago. Over the years, she had asked herself if her and Swayde had stayed together, how much longer would she have had to wait to start her own business and her own ranch? 

       That was the past, however; now all that Renne could focus on was moving her ranch's headquarters back home to Alpine Ridge in Wyoming, where her heart truly laid.