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Ellie sighed and looked away. It was turning into the same old tiresome argument. Reba couldn’t see the dangers she did. There were too many things that could happen to her brothers on the ranch. And too many memories for her. Next, Reba would ask what she planned to do. Other than move to the city, she didn’t have an answer. Getting the boys off the ranch came first. After that, she’d worry about how to support herself. If she could qualify for National Finals, she might make enough money to see her way clear. For a while.
“I guess I’d better get the trailer hooked up,” she said without looking at her friend. “It’s past time to get on the road.”
“Nate’s probably wonderin’ where I’ve got off to,” Reba said, letting the subject drop, and turned for the door. “You take care until Phoenix. We’ll see you there.”
“You bet.”
When Reba had gone, Ellie opened the closet door to reach for a towel. Catching her reflection in the full-length mirror on the inside of the door, she stared at the image looking back at her and grimaced.
“No wonder Chace Brannigan was gawking at you last night,” she announced to the rumpled figure before her. Turning sideways, she grabbed at the back of the excess pajama fabric to pull it tight across her body and scrutinized the effect.
With a disgusted grunt, she released the material. What did she care if she didn’t have the kind of curves men panted over?
She quickly changed into her clothes from the night before and grabbed a clean set, ready to hit the showers and eager to get on the road. But when she pushed open the camper door, the first thing she saw was the cowboy who’d rescued her the night before. He was obviously headed for the showers, a towel draped around his neck.
When he didn’t look her way, she breathed a sigh of relief and ducked into the camper. Ignoring the clippity-clop of her heart, she waited until she felt safe to leave.
She wasn’t interested in a cowboy, couldn’t be, even if he was the current leading saddle bronc rider in the country and sexy as sin, to boot. She knew all about his kind. She’d met too many “my way or no way” cowboys. Hadn’t she proven she could do it alone? Besides, rodeoers ended up on ranches. She wanted desperately to leave the past and that kind of life behind. Nothing would stop her. And she didn’t need anyone’s help. The sooner she got on the road, the sooner she could put some distance between herself and one particular, bossy cowboy.
Chapter Two
Bleary-eyed from too little sleep, Chace let the stinging spray of the primitive shower near the arena clear the fog from his brain. To his disgust, his sharper mind left him with vivid memories of the night before.
“Hell,” he muttered when his body began to spring to life. He’d spent half the night listening for the clang of a bell and the other half considering a cold shower. There were other remedies for his problem. One idea, which included hauling a particular petite package into his arms, he promptly discarded. Reviewing every millisecond of his latest ride in his mind would be safer. And damn sure more productive.
Dressed again and whistling an off-key tune, he started for his truck. As soon as Ray returned with a thermos of coffee, they’d be on the road. With barely a month to go until the official end of the season, Chace was eager to get to Phoenix. After that, only a few more rodeos until National Finals. Then, if everything went well, he could retire. The money he hoped to win would keep the Triple B Ranch in the black and put an end to worrying about losing it. That, and stop his youngest brother’s plans to turn the family spread into a dude ranch. Hell, he didn’t want strangers traipsing all over the place.
Once back home again, he could begin to make up for leaving Trey to deal with the ranch on his own. Maybe they’d even get lucky enough to entice their brother, Dev, to come home. Working together, they could keep it out of the wrong hands and make the place the successful ranch it had once been. Four generations of Brannigans had owned and worked the Triple B, and he and his brothers had fought to keep it after their father’s death. He knew he belonged there. He’d ducked his responsibilities for too long.
Wide awake, and with his hormones under control and well leashed, Chace didn’t bother to steer clear of Ellie’s camper. But he didn’t expect to find temptation in a tank top as she leaned over to hook her horse trailer to her pickup, offering him a much better glimpse than the pajama top had the previous night.
“Hell and damnation,” he grumbled, knowing that’s exactly what he was in for if she didn’t straighten up and change the view.
To his relief, she moved, but only to the opposite side of the trailer hitch, giving him an eyeful of worn denim stretched tight across the best-looking little backside he’d seen in a long time. It was even better without the pajama horses galloping across it. The sight pulled a tortured groan from him. If he had any sense, he’d turn around and walk back to his truck and forget all about it. But his feet wouldn’t move away any faster than his eyes.
As he watched her wrestle with the coupling, he clenched his hands into fists. He had to do something besides stand there with his tongue hanging out like a panting dog. When she gave the bumper an angry kick, he moved into action.
“I’ll get it,” he growled.
Her head jerked up, her eyes wide but narrowing as he closed the gap between them. “I can do it,” she announced, giving him her back and bending over again.
Beads of sweat popped out on his forehead when he stopped behind her. All he had to do was take hold of those mind-blowing curves and pull her up against him. He placed his hands on her hips, but forced himself to scoot her aside. “Let me do it.”
“It’s my rig,” she said in a tight voice from behind him while he gave the hitch a nudge.
“And it’ll be your smashed fingers,” he replied, snapping the ball cover in place. He turned to find her slipping into a faded chambray shirt and noticed her hands tremble as she fought the buttons.
Anger? He hoped not. He wanted to have the same effect on her that she had on him. It would serve her right.
With her head down and her face hidden from view, her fingers fumbled with the last button. “I’ve been managing my own truck and trailer for almost ten years, since I was old enough to drive. I’ve hooked them up thousands of times.”
He detected a tremor in her voice, but when her head came up and she looked at him, he saw the flash of defiance in her eyes. Damn, she was one stubborn woman.
“Look, Brannigan, I appreciate what you did for me last night, but I don’t need your help. I can take care of myself. Just let me get loaded and on the road.” She did a quick pivot and marched to untie her horse from the back of a nearby truck.
He moved out of her way and leaned back against the side of the trailer, watching in silence as she loaded her horse into her trailer with the skill of a seasoned professional. Maybe she didn’t need his help now, but without it the night before, no telling what she would have done. Her gentle handling of her horse proved she wasn’t as tough as she might want him to believe. And the stubborn tilt of her chin as she stomped past him to the cab of her truck didn’t erase the memory of the terror he’d seen in her eyes the previous night. It only aggravated him.
He stalked to the truck’s door, reaching it as she slammed it shut with such force it could have registered on the Richter Scale. Planting his hands on the edge where the window was rolled down, he leaned in, his face inches from hers. “You may not want my help, but you sure as hell need it.”
A red flush flooded her cheeks, and her chin went up another notch. “Get your face out of my truck,” she said in a haughty tone.
“Now look here, little bit, I got rid—”
“Don’t!” The crimson shade of her face went deathly pale. Tears glistened in her dark eyes, and she squeezed them shut. “Don’t ever call me that.”
Reaching in, he cradled her cheek in his hand. “Aw, hon, I didn’t mean to—”
“Leave me alone,” she whispered. “Please.” When her lids fluttered open, she turned her head, slipping away from him, and she reached for the ignition. Gunning the motor, she slammed the truck into gear, spewing dirt behind her tires and nearly taking his head and hand with her.
Chace stood staring after her. What the hell had he done? Was his touch so repulsive to her? No, it hadn’t been that. He’d felt her lean into his palm, felt her tremble in his hand. Then dammit, why would she shake him off like water on a wet dog?
He made his way to his own truck and trailer, cursing himself for caring when she obviously wasn’t interested. He’d forget about her by the time he got to Phoenix.
But once on the road, he found it harder than he’d thought to rid himself of her reaction to his touch and his body’s response. Five hundred miles later, with Ray jabbering away the entire trip, Chace wished he’d asked her where she’d be riding next. He had a few questions, when and if he caught up with her. And he’d damn well get some answers.
Ellie pulled her rig in behind the arena near Phoenix just after noon on Friday. She’d made good time, but a week on the road, even though she hadn’t rushed, left her exhausted. Sometimes it was more tiring than the competing.
Each weekend she competed somewhere, earning or not earning enough to place among the top fifteen money winners by the end of the season. Only those placing qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, held the first week of each December. As soon as she finished in Phoenix, she’d head for Austin to do the same thing again. And again, until she hopefully made it to Finals. There would be a month break before that first week in December, but she wasn’t looking forward to it. This time she couldn’t avoid going home.
Home. Ellie sighed and climbed out of her pickup to check on Sky Dancer, thinking of that long month in Oklahoma looming ahead. The thought brought back the old panic and guilt. But she didn’t have a choice. She loved her two brothers and wanted to see them both happy. And safe. Alive and not old before their time. It would take getting them off the ranch to do that. And that meant selling the place, no matter what they thought they wanted. She knew best. Now that she had a prospective buyer, she only had to convince Matt and Brett to sign the papers.
After securing her camper with the new lock she’d had installed, she took Sky Dancer out of the trailer. Her boots kicked up dust in the dry grass as she worked. Rain had been scarce in the area, but from previous experience she knew the arena was well tended. She could concentrate on her riding.
She saddled and bridled Sky Dancer to give him some exercise and herself a welcome break from being behind the wheel. Seeing Reba and Nate’s truck and trailer pull into the lot, she reminded herself to stop on the way back to say howdy. Rodeoers were like a close-knit family. But after spending over half her life competing, she wanted a change—new faces, new experiences. That was for the future. All she wanted for the moment was to relax and ease the knots from her shoulders. Her ride tonight wouldn’t be worth spit if she couldn’t loosen up.
When she’d put enough distance between herself and the parking area, she urged Sky Dancer into a gallop. It should have done the trick, but she couldn’t get a particular cowboy out of her mind. The touch of his hand on her cheek had brought a comfort she’d almost forgotten existed, until she’d realized how weak and vulnerable it made her. She couldn’t allow it. She’d been on her own since raising her brothers— a job she’d finished without help from anyone. She couldn’t start needing someone now, not when she was so close.
By the time she returned to the campgrounds, it was well past two. Hoping to catch Reba, she guided Sky Dancer to the Tuckers’ trailer.
Before she could dismount, Reba appeared in the doorway. “You made good time.”
“How was Laura?”
“Busy.” Reba wiped her hands on her jeans and frowned. “Timmy and little Sally were stayin’ with friends, and the new baby was colicky. Wouldn’t even let me hold him.”
Ellie felt her friend’s disappointment. “Next time he’ll be better.”
With a hopeful smile Reba dug into her pockets and sighed when her hands came up empty. “I’m out of ice, and I always have a glass of cold tea ready for Nate ’fore he heads out for the evenin’. Would you mind gettin’ me a bag at the concession stand?”
“Not at all,” Ellie replied.
“Let me fetch some money.” Reba ducked back inside.
While Ellie waited, the area filled with a variety of vehicles, and she waved to the people she recognized. When a hand rested on her thigh, she nearly bolted from her saddle, spooking Sky Dancer and forcing her to concentrate on calming him.
“Get the door fixed?” a deep, familiar voice asked.
Her heartbeat accelerated as she turned to look down at Chace Branningan. “Are you following me?”
His grin was enough to melt the polar ice cap. “Nope. Didn’t know we were destined to run into each other so soon.”
“Disappointed?” she asked, and watched an assortment of emotions cross his face.
Pure devilment won out to dance in his eyes. “Miss me?”
Ellie wasn’t about to admit she’d thought of little else other than him and the sale of the ranch over the six days she’d spent on the road. “I completely forgot we met.”
The light in his eyes flashed, and he shot her a devilish grin. “Yeah. I know the feeling.”
“A ten-pound bag shouldn’t be more than—” Reba’s voice halted, and Ellie turned in the saddle to look at her. Her gray-eyed gaze drifted to Chace and back again to Ellie, and her mouth turned up in a Cheshire Cat smile. “I’ll get the ice.”
“No,” Ellie said in a rush and turned to scowl at Chace. “Mr. Brannigan was just leaving.” Having Reba see them together, no matter how innocent, was a bad idea. No telling what the woman might get in her head.
“Haven’t seen you for a while, Chace,” Reba said, her grin widening. “I didn’t know you two knew each other.
He looked at Ellie and offered another knee-weakening grin before turning back to Reba. “I had the pleasure of meeting her last week in Cedar Rapids.”
“Really? In that case, why don’t I fix us all lunch tomorrow and you can get better acquainted. Say at noon?”
With a grin, he touched the brim of his hat. “That sounds mighty fine.”
Ellie shot her friend a murderous look. He was the last person she wanted to spend time with. “I’ll be there if I can make it,” she hedged. “Keep your money, Reba. I’ll get the ice.”
Without a glance at Chace, she nudged her horse toward the concession stand. Behind her, she could hear his soft chuckle, and she tightened her grip on the reins. Her day had taken a turn for the worst when he’d shown up. She hadn’t expected to see him again, and with the season nearly over, the thought had both cheered and disappointed her. That alone was enough to worry her.
Her wait in line at the concession stand was blessedly short, and she added two candy bars, knowing Reba’s penchant for chocolate.
Balancing the bag of ice on the saddle horn in front of her with one hand and holding the reins in the other, she wove her way through the gathering groups toward the Tuckers’ trailer. She called a greeting over her shoulder to one of the other barrel racers, wishing her luck, and turned back when Sky Dancer came to a sudden halt.
Chace stood at the horse’s head, holding the bridle and murmuring to the animal. Ellie opened her mouth to tell him to get lost, but when he looked at her, the words escaped her.
“Trying to avoid me?”
She knew she lacked the subtlety of most women, and his question brought the heat of embarrassment to her cheeks. “N-no, of course not.”
Smoothing his hand along the horse’s neck, Chace moved closer, never taking his eyes from hers. “What did I do to scare you off?”
Lifting her chin, she gripped the saddle horn and squeezed the ice, barely noticing the chill. It wasn’t him that scared her, but what he did to her. She’d never met a man who could scramble her senses with a simple smile. And she’d met plenty of men, rodeo being a predominantly male sport. But no matter how much Chace made her nerves tingle and her mind go blank with just a look, he wasn’t the man for her. She’d sworn off cowboys long ago. If she ever settled down, it wouldn’t be with a vagabond rodeoer.
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“But you don’t like me much.” His frown was formidable but didn’t mask his puzzlement.
The confusion in his eyes tugged at her heart. “I really don’t know you, so how can I tell?”
“We can fix that.”
The air around her thickened, and her heart pounded. He hadn’t moved, but somehow he seemed closer. There was nothing worse than a cowboy who couldn’t take a hint, she reminded herself. And she’d done more than hint at him. She hated being rude, but he brought out the worst in her, stirring her up and leaving her with no choice.
Her hands shaking, she gathered the reins to leave, and the ice started to topple. Before she could react, Chace made a grab for it and settled it in the crook of his arm.
When she reached down to snatch it away, he took her hand and placed it on the horn, covering it with his. “If you weren’t in such an all-fired hurry to get away from me…”
Ellie held her breath, ready to deny she wanted to avoid him, but with his hand on hers she couldn’t find the words.
Letting go, he drew back and smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t know what it is, little bit, but I intend to find out.”
Opening her mouth to ask him what he meant, she froze at the sound of the nickname he’d called her again and squeezed her eyes shut. A vision of her dad lifting her onto a pony flashed through her mind. She swallowed, forcing back the memory that still caused a deep pain. It would only lead to more memories she couldn’t deal with. “I told you not to call me that.”
His hand returned to hers. “It slipped out. But you are—”
“Don’t.” She opened her eyes to see him studying her.
“You don’t like anybody pointing out that you’re on the small side?”
She shook her head. “It’s not that. Call me shrimp, call me shorty, call me tiny. Just don’t call me…that.”
Chace tipped his head to one side before removing his hand. “Okay. If you promise to be there tomorrow for lunch at Reba’s.”
She bit back a scathing retort at his persistence. “You don’t give up, do you?”
He shrugged and looked off in the distance. “You were the one who said you didn’t know me well enough to know if you liked me. I don’t see any reason why we can’t be friends.”
Ellie knew of plenty. One in particular. A big one. But she couldn’t tell him that it was because of the heat he caused to pool in the area of her body closest to the saddle horn. “I guess there isn’t,” she fibbed.
“Good. Give it your best tonight.” He handed her the ice and touched Sky Dancer on his rump, sending them on their way.
Sky Dancer shied as they circled the back of Reba’s trailer. Ellie quickly regained control, but wondered if he’d needed a longer run.
“I was beginning to worry.”
J. R. Staton was walking toward her, and she breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her real estate agent. Handing him the ice, she offered a smile. “Give this to Reba while I tie up, would you?”
“I’ve had a new offer for the ranch,” he said before turning to walk around the corner of the trailer, out of sight.
Ellie made quick work of sliding off her horse and making sure he was tethered, then she looked around to make sure Chace wasn’t anywhere in sight. She didn’t want to have to deal with him right now. This was far more important.
Talking about the sale, especially if it involved more money for her brothers, was much better than thinking about a wandering cowboy who turned her insides into a blazing bonfire.
