her life, but not much as adults, and almost always in a crowd. A crowd of family. She’d never had a dinner conversation with him. She’d never been the focus of his attention, the way Abby was Russ’s.
Except for last Saturday night, and that hadn’t been pleasant. He’d wanted to skin her alive, not chat her up.
What about tonight? Would he talk to her the way Russ was talking to Abby? She hoped so.
“Elizabeth? Are you not hungry? We need to start shopping again if we’re going to get finished,” Abby said some minutes later.
“Oh! Yes, of course.” She looked down at her plate and realized she’d only nibbled a few French fries. Picking up half her sandwich, she put it on Russ’s plate. “You’d better eat that, Russ, because I won’t have time for it.”
She had to find something to wear that would ensure that Toby would notice her.
T OBY TOLD HIMSELF he shouldn’t be excited about the evening, but he was. Instead of having Elizabeth with him as part of a crowd, it would just be the four of them. And he was pretty sure Russ was interested inAbby. Not that he blamed him. Abby was a pretty, young woman and well-suited to his cousin.
So he’d have Elizabeth to himself. He’d have to be careful and not stay too focused on her. She wouldn’t like it. But he could show her around and talk to her, just the two of them, without fighting. Last Saturday night had been a fight.
Tonight would be a pleasure.
He spent part of the afternoon cleaning out his truck. Then he showered and shaved again, polished his dress boots and put on clean clothes.
He ran into Lonnie before he could escape.
“Wow! You’re all spiffed up. Is this to celebrate my win tonight?”
“Nope, and you’d better not be too cocky. You haven’t won yet,” he reminded his friend.
“You are coming to watch, aren’t you?” Lonnie asked, sudden anxiety on his face. “You’ve been here every night this week.”
“I’ll be there. Some cousins came into town and we’re going to dinner. Then all of us are coming back here to root you on.”
“Whew, good. You had me worried there for a minute.” Lonnie started to walk away. Then he stopped and asked, “Are any of those cousins of the female persuasion?”
Toby didn’t want to answer that question because he knew what was coming next. “Uh, yeah.”
“Hey, if I win, we’ll party afterwards, okay?”
“We’ll see. They’ve been shopping all day and they might be too tired.”
“How old are your cousins?” Lonnie asked, staring at him.
Another question he didn’t want to answer. And he didn’t. Waving his hand, he hurried toward his truck. He didn’t want to share Elizabeth with all the cowboys he knew. They’d all want to join them once they saw her.
He was picking them up at the hotel. Since there was no parking in front, Russ had told him they’d meet him downstairs. He pulled into the driveway, hoping they didn’t keep him waiting. He caught sight of Russ at once, with Abby beside him. Then he saw Elizabeth.
She was standing apart from Abby and Russ, talking to a man in a suit. Dressed all in turquoise, from her tight-fitting western pants to her long-sleeved shirt; the color alone with her auburn hair would’ve made her stand out. But the snug fit would draw a man’s attention, too. She’d left the top three shirt buttons undone, which left an intriguing hint of what was underneath the silk. To top it all, her hair, usually worn in a sedate plait or pulled back in a ponytail, was riotously curling down her back and about her face. She looked like a cowboy’s goddess.
And Toby didn’t like it at all.
Taking her to the rodeo like that would be like taking a mountain of cheese into a mouse stronghold and hoping to go unnoticed.
Russ saw him and waved. Then he took Abby’s arm and stepped over to Elizabeth, pointing out Toby’s arrival.
The man in the business suit seemed reluctant to let Elizabeth go. Not that Toby was surprised. It was
Except for last Saturday night, and that hadn’t been pleasant. He’d wanted to skin her alive, not chat her up.
What about tonight? Would he talk to her the way Russ was talking to Abby? She hoped so.
“Elizabeth? Are you not hungry? We need to start shopping again if we’re going to get finished,” Abby said some minutes later.
“Oh! Yes, of course.” She looked down at her plate and realized she’d only nibbled a few French fries. Picking up half her sandwich, she put it on Russ’s plate. “You’d better eat that, Russ, because I won’t have time for it.”
She had to find something to wear that would ensure that Toby would notice her.
T OBY TOLD HIMSELF he shouldn’t be excited about the evening, but he was. Instead of having Elizabeth with him as part of a crowd, it would just be the four of them. And he was pretty sure Russ was interested inAbby. Not that he blamed him. Abby was a pretty, young woman and well-suited to his cousin.
So he’d have Elizabeth to himself. He’d have to be careful and not stay too focused on her. She wouldn’t like it. But he could show her around and talk to her, just the two of them, without fighting. Last Saturday night had been a fight.
Tonight would be a pleasure.
He spent part of the afternoon cleaning out his truck. Then he showered and shaved again, polished his dress boots and put on clean clothes.
He ran into Lonnie before he could escape.
“Wow! You’re all spiffed up. Is this to celebrate my win tonight?”
“Nope, and you’d better not be too cocky. You haven’t won yet,” he reminded his friend.
“You are coming to watch, aren’t you?” Lonnie asked, sudden anxiety on his face. “You’ve been here every night this week.”
“I’ll be there. Some cousins came into town and we’re going to dinner. Then all of us are coming back here to root you on.”
“Whew, good. You had me worried there for a minute.” Lonnie started to walk away. Then he stopped and asked, “Are any of those cousins of the female persuasion?”
Toby didn’t want to answer that question because he knew what was coming next. “Uh, yeah.”
“Hey, if I win, we’ll party afterwards, okay?”
“We’ll see. They’ve been shopping all day and they might be too tired.”
“How old are your cousins?” Lonnie asked, staring at him.
Another question he didn’t want to answer. And he didn’t. Waving his hand, he hurried toward his truck. He didn’t want to share Elizabeth with all the cowboys he knew. They’d all want to join them once they saw her.
He was picking them up at the hotel. Since there was no parking in front, Russ had told him they’d meet him downstairs. He pulled into the driveway, hoping they didn’t keep him waiting. He caught sight of Russ at once, with Abby beside him. Then he saw Elizabeth.
She was standing apart from Abby and Russ, talking to a man in a suit. Dressed all in turquoise, from her tight-fitting western pants to her long-sleeved shirt; the color alone with her auburn hair would’ve made her stand out. But the snug fit would draw a man’s attention, too. She’d left the top three shirt buttons undone, which left an intriguing hint of what was underneath the silk. To top it all, her hair, usually worn in a sedate plait or pulled back in a ponytail, was riotously curling down her back and about her face. She looked like a cowboy’s goddess.
And Toby didn’t like it at all.
Taking her to the rodeo like that would be like taking a mountain of cheese into a mouse stronghold and hoping to go unnoticed.
Russ saw him and waved. Then he took Abby’s arm and stepped over to Elizabeth, pointing out Toby’s arrival.
The man in the business suit seemed reluctant to let Elizabeth go. Not that Toby was surprised. It was
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