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“You’re upset,” she said in that same, smooth voice. “Let me talk to him.”
Too busy trying to figure out his reaction to her touch, Tanner nodded. He watched her approach Shawn and heard her lowered voice as she spoke to the boy. Tanner shook his head, amazed to see Shawn nodding at whatever she was saying. Lately, agreement from Shawn was rare. Tanner was even more surprised when his nephew walked to the pickup and got in it without an argument.
“He’ll be okay,” Jules said when she returned. Her lips curved into a smile. “Try talking to him tomorrow when you’re both calmer.”
The warmth of her smile muddled his mind. And it wasn’t from the one beer he’d shared with Dusty. The woman had an intoxicating effect on him that he couldn’t seem to shake.
“What did you say to him?”
She shrugged and glanced toward his pickup, where Shawn waited. “I told him that it’s late and we’re all tired. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day to discuss things.”
“That’s it?” he asked.
Her smile was sweet but tired as she nodded, then turned away. He watched her walk to a late-model sedan, knowing he was a fool for letting her distract him. Shawn and qualifying for National Finals Rodeo were his only concerns. But he hadn’t counted on meeting a woman like her. He was sorry he probably wouldn’t see her again.
Chapter Two
Jules regarded the opulence of the Grand Ballroom in Oklahoma City’s Waterford Hotel, then reached for a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. She turned to Beth. “This is beautiful. I’m glad you invited me. I’m finally beginning to feel like I’m on vacation.”
“I wish I weren’t so busy,” Beth answered with a regretful smile. “As soon as Doc Waters gets back, we can spend more time together and have a real vacation.”
“Don’t worry about it. Just getting away from everything is good.” Taking a sip of her drink, Jules wrinkled her nose at the bubbles and surveyed the crowd. Strains of music from a small orchestra drifted softly throughout the room, while an occasional peal of feminine laughter could be heard above the buzz of conversation. “I didn’t know you traveled in such impressive social circles.”
Beth tipped her head back and laughed. “Thank Michael for that. Being the soon-to-be-wife of a professor does have its perks. Now that Oklahoma State has opened a campus here in Oklahoma City, things are really happening.” Leaning closer to Jules, she lowered her voice. “Everyone is nice, but still, I’m glad you’re here to share it with me.”
Even though she didn’t know anyone, Jules enjoyed watching the people. Jewels sparkled and dresses shimmered. Having grown up in a home considered wealthy, she was aware of the power of money and pleased to know this was a fund-raising event for the local arts council. Her parents, who had always been known for their philanthropy, would be happy to learn she was attending something worthy.
“Where is Michael, anyway?” she asked, still perusing the room.
Beth craned her neck to search. “He’s here somewhere.” She chuckled and shook her head. “He probably bumped into someone and is deep in conversation, while the two of us stand here like a couple of lost souls.”
Seeing a group in obviously expensive, custom-tailored tuxedos, Jules scanned the knot of men for Beth’s fiancé. The back of one particular figure caught her attention and she gave a small, involuntary gasp.
“Is something wrong?” Beth asked.
Jules shook her head and silently laughed at herself. Of course it wasn’t who she imagined. How ridiculous! But the resemblance was uncanny. Her gaze took in the black hair and traveled down the wide expanse of exquisitely tailored broad shoulders. Lowering her blatant scrutiny, she checked out his shoes. Black, shiny patent leather. Not cowboy boots. Not even close. She breathed a sigh of relief.
“I just thought that man over there was—”
He turned around, causing Jules to swallow a second gasp. What was Tanner O’Brien doing at an arts council fund-raiser? And looking so magnificent?
Slipping her arm through Beth’s, she turned her in the opposite direction and led her away. “Maybe we should look for Michael.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Wrong?” she asked, doing her best to look and sound innocent. “There’s nothing wrong at all. I just think we should find Michael.”
“But you said something about a man.” Beth started to turn back in the direction they’d come from.
“Oh, yes, well…” Jules steered her through the maze of people in the ballroom. Hoping they’d gone far enough to lose themselves in the crowd, she stopped and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, while she scolded herself for being so silly. Tanner O’Brien was nothing to be afraid of. She needn’t go running off at the mere sight of him like a schoolgirl with a crush.
“Evening, ladies.”
Jules swung around at the sound of the smooth drawl and found herself gazing into a pair of ice-blue eyes. Eyes she thought she’d be safe from encountering again so soon, if at all.
Beth thankfully took over. “Why, Tanner, what a surprise! I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you’d be off riding a bronc somewhere.”
“Just doing my civic duty.” He grinned at Beth, and then his gaze traveled back to Jules, running slowly from her eyes downward.
Jules felt the heat of a blush and hoped it didn’t show. Forcing her best smile, she greeted him. “Hello, Mr. O’Brien.” Somehow she needed to calm the butterflies he’d set to fluttering in her stomach. His wide grin forced her to do some quick thinking. “I almost didn’t recognize you out of uniform. He cleans up real good, doesn’t he, Beth?”
Tanner’s smile froze on his face, and then he laughed. “Will you excuse us, Beth?” he said, taking Jules by the arm. “This little lady owes me a dance for that remark.”
“No, really, I can’t—” Jules protested.
Beth was no help. “Of course you can, Jules. You two have a lot in common.”
“What’s that?” Tanner asked.
“We do?” Jules asked at the same time.
“Tell him about how you help troubled kids, Jules,” Beth said. “Oh, and about horses, too. Now go on, you two. I think I’ve spotted Michael.”
Jules silently groaned and let Tanner lead her through the crowd to the other end of the ballroom. Of course Beth would locate her fiancé too late to get her out of this predicament. She’d just have to get through it as best she could.
On the dance floor, amid the other couples moving to the music, Tanner drew her into his arms. She swallowed hard at the warmth of his body so close to hers and prayed he didn’t notice her accelerated heartbeat.
“Relax, darlin’,” he whispered. “I don’t bite. Although you do deserve to be bitten for that sharp tongue of yours.”
Searching her mind for a retort, Jules found herself without one. Months of speech therapy wouldn’t help in this situation, not when her mind had gone completely empty. Even her years of experience before judges weren’t helping.
It took her a moment to feel stable enough to reply. “I’d think the Texas two-step would be more your style.”
Tanner’s chuckle reached down to her toes. “Texas two-step? Don’t let anybody in this room hear you say that, darlin’. You’d start a lynch mob, and that neck of yours is too pretty for a rope.”
She looked up to see his gaze caressing her bare shoulders. Good gracious, she thought as her knees weakened. What that man could do with a look!
Gathering her courage, she smiled. “You know what we Kansans say about people in Oklahoma.”
“Yep. Dumb Okies,” he replied with another toe-tingling chuckle. “Must be why we have so many rich and famous people in the state. But I get the idea that doesn’t impress you much.”
She dared to meet his gaze. “I know there are things money can’t buy.”
One black eyebrow lifted. “What hasn’t money bought you, darlin’? I’m sure you haven’t lived a life without cold, hard cash.”
His comment made her uncomfortable. She had seen what not having enough money could do to some people and how those who had it could help. Her parents, for example. But she wasn’t willing to discuss it with him.
“How lucrative is bronc riding?” she asked, turning the tables on him.
His broad shoulders moved in a shrug under her hand. “All depends on how good you are.”
“And how good are you?”
A spark of fire lit his eyes. “Good, darlin’. Real good.”
She couldn’t read what she saw in his eyes. Was it the gleam of a need for danger? Or was it something else?
“About the other night…” she began.
“Thanks for helping us out.” The hard set to his jaw told her he thought she’d interfered when she shouldn’t have, but he quickly relaxed. “Tell me a little about what Beth said, how you work with troubled kids.”
She wasn’t sure this was the time or place, but she had opened the door herself almost a week ago after the rodeo. It was worth a try. “I’ve seen so many children slip through the cracks,” she said, “and I feel that most of them can be helped. All it takes is the right person finding something they’re passionate about and helping them on their way. Sometimes that means taking them out of their environment and putting them into one that’s more beneficial, or helping their own family make the current one better. Most of all they need someone who will listen and give them the compassion and understanding they need.”
“That’s mighty intuitive of you. How does being a lawyer help?”
She looked up to see him studying her. Taking a deep breath, she let it out with a sigh. “You’d be surprised how often it doesn’t, so now I do double duty. In my spare time, I’m what’s called a court-appointed child advocate and work with one child at a time, making him or her my total focus, not just the focus of the law.”
“Then you’re already fully involved in this?”
Nodding, she smiled. “I have been for nearly a year and a half.”
When the music stopped, so did their dance. Jules felt a twinge of disappointment when he returned her to Michael and Beth with a friendly, “Have a nice evening, darlin’,” and walked away. Tanner O’Brien stirred just enough curiosity for her to hope they’d run into each other again. Not to mention a few other stirrings she tried not to think about. This was not the time to let attraction get the better of her. But she found herself too often searching for him the rest of the evening, to no avail.
JULES LOOKED OUT the window of Beth’s Jeep to see Oklahoma City disappear behind them and the open countryside fill the landscape. “Where did you say we’re going?”
“I got a call early this morning for some help with a heifer having a breech birth. Not fun, but nothing out of the ordinary.”
Jules turned to look at her. “I don’t have to watch, do I?”
“Not unless you want to.” Beth gave her a quick grin before returning her attention to the road. “I thought you might want to visit a real cattle ranch.”
“We do raise cattle in Kansas, Beth. Or have you forgotten? You sound as if I was raised in New York City.”
“I don’t recall you paying much attention to the farms and ranches around home.”
“I spent a lot of time at your place when we were kids,” Jules reminded her. “I know horses, even if I can’t ride anymore, and it’s not like I’ve never seen livestock. I have many memories of the two of us feeding and watering the chickens, gathering eggs and a lot of other things.”
Beth’s laughter rang out. “Chickens aren’t exactly livestock. And I spent more time with you at your house or out having fun.”
“And getting into trouble,” Jules said, laughing. She had wonderful memories of the times she and Beth had spent together when they were young. Until she’d met Beth, her life had revolved around horses. Then the accident had happened and she’d met Beth. She still remembered their first meeting in the hospital, and even though Beth had been released long before she had, Beth visited nearly every day and encouraged her throughout her therapy.
Jules’s eyes stung with tears at the memory. “If it hadn’t been for you, I might not have made it.”
“You’d have done fine.” Beth’s smile was soft. “It might have taken a little more time, but sooner or later you’d have come through it. You’ve always been strong.”
“Maybe,” Jules answered, uncertain. But whether or not the notion was true, she’d always be grateful for their friendship.
The countryside rolled by, broken only by the occasional farm or ranch. The air was clear and fresh, still cool, but warming with the morning sun. All in all, it was a picture postcard of rural serenity. When they took a turn onto a narrow dirt lane, Jules looked up to read the carved sign above the wooden arch above them. Rocking O.
“Is this a big ranch?” she asked Beth as the Jeep tires spewed dust behind them.
“Not as big as some, but not small, either,” Beth answered with a shrug. “Successful, though.”
“And they raise cattle?”
Beth’s eyes slid to her and back to the road again. “A few horses. I’m sure if you’d like to try—”
“Chickens?” Jules asked.
Beth laughed and brought the Jeep to a stop in front of a sprawling, two-story, white farmhouse. “I’m not sure,” she said, switching off the engine. “You can ask Bridey, if you’re really interested.”
Jules admired the house, with a lawn that resembled green velvet and the many old trees that provided shade in just the right places. A quick glance around the rest of the ranch told her that whoever kept it looking so well did so with love.
A woman she guessed to be in her early sixties emerged from the house and walked toward them. Beth climbed out of the Jeep and reached for her bag behind the seat. “Morning, Bridey,” she called.
“Mornin’, Beth,” the woman greeted her, hurrying to help her with her things. “They’re in the barn. They were there most of the night.”
Nodding, Beth started to walk away, then snapped her fingers and spun around. “I nearly forgot,” she told Bridey with a grin. “Would you mind showing my friend, Jules, around the ranch?”
A beautiful smile lit the woman’s round face. “I’d be happy to. You just see what you can do to get that calf out into the world.”
If it hadn’t been for the woman’s smile, Jules would have stayed in the Jeep, but the warmth in it, and in the bright blue eyes, drew her out of the vehicle. “Hello,” she said, walking around the hood and offering her hand. “I’m Jules Vandeveer. Beth and I have been friends since we were kids.”
The woman wiped her hands on a yellow gingham apron before taking her hand. “Bridey Harcourt. I figure you don’t want to go into the barn with Beth for a reason. No harm in that. Can’t say I blame you, either.”
“This is a lovely ranch,” Jules said as Bridey led her to an area enclosed by a tall, white post and rail fence leading from a matching white barn with green trim.
“My brother built it when he was first married. He’s gone now, but his boy has kept it looking nice. Takes some work, though.”
“I’m sure it does.” Up ahead, Jules noticed a young teen bouncing on the back of a horse inside the fenced area.
“That’s my great nephew,” Bridey explained, the pride showing on her face. “One of these days he’ll win Nationals, just like his uncle will soon.”
“Nationals?”
Bridey answered without looking at her, her attention on the boy. “National Finals Rodeo.”
Jules watched the youngster bounce a few seconds longer, before he flew in the air and landed with a thud in the dirt. Her heart hit her throat as a gasp escaped her, and she stood frozen, fearing the worst.
“He’s all right, miss,” the woman said, a twinkle in her eyes. “Getting thrown off Temptation is a daily occurrence for him.”
Jules wasn’t so sure until she saw him push himself to his knees and stand. She had a better view of him as he brushed himself off, and she was surprised when she recognized him as the teenager who’d been with Tanner. She’d wondered at the time if he had a mother. And if Tanner had a wife. She hadn’t mentioned the incident to Beth, so she had no way of knowing. Even after dancing with him, she hadn’t asked about a wife, knowing Beth wouldn’t have encouraged the dancing if he had. And Beth had definitely encouraged it.
“Shawn, come over here and meet Beth’s friend,” Bridey called to him.
The boy looked up. Even from the distance, Jules could see the scowl on his face. With obvious reluctance, he walked toward them, a decided swagger in his gait. He stopped just short of the fence and glared at Jules. She knew that posture well, but it didn’t bother her. Usually it was nothing more than a cover for shyness.
“Miss Vandeveer, this is my grandnephew, Shawnee O’Brien. Shawn—”
