gonna be.” He pushed the sun-kissed strands of hair from her face and then ran his thumb over her lips.
Lacy stirred, her long lashes fluttering open. “ What happened ?”
“You fainted. That’s what happened. ”
She sat up slowly . “I was listening to you rant and it suddenly sank in what could have happened if ...” She glanced toward the pasture, her going even paler .
He helped her to her feet and t hen he bent to retrieve his hat. “Just consider yourself damned lucky that I got to you before Bluster did.” If anything had happened to her...
She offered a wan smile. “You’re not exactly a knight on a white horse, but in this instance I’ll gladly settle for a cowboy with a bad disposition.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Burk called out as he hoisted himself over the fence next to Lacy and Cade. “I’m still in one piece. No holes.” He started past them. “You two just go on about your arguing.”
“We weren’t arguing,” Lacy replied as she brushed bits of grass from her clothes.
“ Only wh en you two were kissing,” he replied with a chuckle as he walked away.
Cade frowned. He had been so distracted by Lacy and those damned kissable lips of hers that he’d completely forgotten about Burk. Granted, his friend could take care of himself. That wasn’t the point. This constant distraction was making him careless, something he couldn’t afford to be.
“Thanks for the help with Bluster ,” he called after his fiend.
Burk waved and kept on walking. “Anytime.”
He turned back to Lacy. “It’s a good thing Bluster didn’t kill you or I would’ve had to put him down.” Several years before, one of his bulls had taken the life of a young rider and he still carried the guilt of it.
“You mean kill it?”
“Yeah, and he’s my best bull. I wouldn’t have been too happy about having to do that.”
Her posture grew visibly rigid. “Well, it’s a good thing your precious Bluster didn’t kill me. How would I have rested in peace knowing my death caused harm to that...that foam slathering cow!”
“Bull,” Cade corrected.
With a snort of displeasure, Lacy left him standing there and stomped off toward the barn, cursing him and all cowboys in general as she went .
Lacy threw open the barn door, nearly knocking Burk over in the process.
“Whoa, there , little lady .” He closed the barn door behind her. “Take it easy. You’re gonna spook the horses.”
“Sorry.”
“You can’t be that anxious to start working. What’s up?”
“Cade is what’s up.” She rubbed her temples and sighed. “I’m sorry. This isn’t turning out to be a very good day or week for that matter.” She was still shaken from the passionate kiss she and Cade had shared.
For a brief moment, she had felt wanted. Needed. And that was a dangerous thing to allow to happen. Sooner or later, those you care about go away and leave you to pick up the pieces alone . Just like when her parents died, and then her grandfather. And now, her grandmother was leaving her, too.
“Don’t judge him too harshly,” he said, his words cutting into her thoughts.
She looked up at him in amazement. “How can you put up with his mood swings? One minute he’s happy and having fun and the next he’s ready to fight.”
“You saw Cade having fun?”
She nodded. “Yesterday when we went for a ride in my car.”
He shook his head. “Well, if that don’t beat all. I haven’t seen Cade having anything close to fun since...”
“Since his wife died?”
“Yeah.” Burk glanced toward the door, then back at her. “He wasn’t always that way, like a rattler with its rattle going. Life’s been hard on him the past few years.”
“Life’s hard on a lot of people,” she replied softly, thinking of her grandmother. The woman who now looked at life through empty eyes.
Stop it, Lacy!
Lacy stirred, her long lashes fluttering open. “ What happened ?”
“You fainted. That’s what happened. ”
She sat up slowly . “I was listening to you rant and it suddenly sank in what could have happened if ...” She glanced toward the pasture, her going even paler .
He helped her to her feet and t hen he bent to retrieve his hat. “Just consider yourself damned lucky that I got to you before Bluster did.” If anything had happened to her...
She offered a wan smile. “You’re not exactly a knight on a white horse, but in this instance I’ll gladly settle for a cowboy with a bad disposition.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Burk called out as he hoisted himself over the fence next to Lacy and Cade. “I’m still in one piece. No holes.” He started past them. “You two just go on about your arguing.”
“We weren’t arguing,” Lacy replied as she brushed bits of grass from her clothes.
“ Only wh en you two were kissing,” he replied with a chuckle as he walked away.
Cade frowned. He had been so distracted by Lacy and those damned kissable lips of hers that he’d completely forgotten about Burk. Granted, his friend could take care of himself. That wasn’t the point. This constant distraction was making him careless, something he couldn’t afford to be.
“Thanks for the help with Bluster ,” he called after his fiend.
Burk waved and kept on walking. “Anytime.”
He turned back to Lacy. “It’s a good thing Bluster didn’t kill you or I would’ve had to put him down.” Several years before, one of his bulls had taken the life of a young rider and he still carried the guilt of it.
“You mean kill it?”
“Yeah, and he’s my best bull. I wouldn’t have been too happy about having to do that.”
Her posture grew visibly rigid. “Well, it’s a good thing your precious Bluster didn’t kill me. How would I have rested in peace knowing my death caused harm to that...that foam slathering cow!”
“Bull,” Cade corrected.
With a snort of displeasure, Lacy left him standing there and stomped off toward the barn, cursing him and all cowboys in general as she went .
Lacy threw open the barn door, nearly knocking Burk over in the process.
“Whoa, there , little lady .” He closed the barn door behind her. “Take it easy. You’re gonna spook the horses.”
“Sorry.”
“You can’t be that anxious to start working. What’s up?”
“Cade is what’s up.” She rubbed her temples and sighed. “I’m sorry. This isn’t turning out to be a very good day or week for that matter.” She was still shaken from the passionate kiss she and Cade had shared.
For a brief moment, she had felt wanted. Needed. And that was a dangerous thing to allow to happen. Sooner or later, those you care about go away and leave you to pick up the pieces alone . Just like when her parents died, and then her grandfather. And now, her grandmother was leaving her, too.
“Don’t judge him too harshly,” he said, his words cutting into her thoughts.
She looked up at him in amazement. “How can you put up with his mood swings? One minute he’s happy and having fun and the next he’s ready to fight.”
“You saw Cade having fun?”
She nodded. “Yesterday when we went for a ride in my car.”
He shook his head. “Well, if that don’t beat all. I haven’t seen Cade having anything close to fun since...”
“Since his wife died?”
“Yeah.” Burk glanced toward the door, then back at her. “He wasn’t always that way, like a rattler with its rattle going. Life’s been hard on him the past few years.”
“Life’s hard on a lot of people,” she replied softly, thinking of her grandmother. The woman who now looked at life through empty eyes.
Stop it, Lacy!
Similar Books
