she couldn’t think of a word to say.
You’re making me crazy, Cougar. I’ve been attracted to you since I was old enough to know the meaning of the word. Why do you have to look so sexy and be so dangerous?
“Long day?” she brilliantly came up with.
“Long. At least these bulls are accustomed to traveling.”
“You’ve really gotten into stock contracting, haven’t you?” She tried to lean back, but her body refused to relax. Her skin jumped and hummed, and she couldn’t keep enough air in her lungs.
“It’s working out.”
“Do you enjoy it?”
“Yeah, I do.” He smiled, revealing perfect white teeth in contrast to his deeply tanned face. “Those years of working for your father taught me a lot about handling livestock.”
Except for those few minutes a year ago. “What about your father?” she asked.
“He’s doing good. Mom and he are in Arizona for some kind of powwow.”
“I’ve been meaning to thank him. When your dad retired, mine finally admitted he couldn’t run the ranch without his foreman—and that maybe his kids really were capable of taking over the operation.”
“That’s what you’re doing? Running the ranch?”
Despite the wear on her emotions, she’d been meeting Cougar’s black eyes while fighting the desire to touch him. Now she looked down at her right leg. “Not really. I’m addicted to competing. At least I was until I did a number on this. Fortunately, my brothers aren’t the incompetents I accused them of being all the time we were growing up.”
“ You didn’t mess up your leg. One of my bulls did.”
There. The truth laid out between them.
“All right. Your bull. Rampage. He’s aptly named.”
“He’s here.”
The heat he’d pumped into her by breathing flowed out to be replaced by ice. She didn’t remember lifting her head, but now that she had, she couldn’t tear her gaze off those high cheekbones and broad nose. “Oh.”
“I wanted you to know. Reporters might pick up on it. The announcer’s probably going to say something.”
“I know, but thanks for the reminder.”
“That’s not the only reason I came looking for you.”
Through the years, she’d seen countless mares backed into corners by countless stallions. She’d led bulls to cows and watched the sometimes-violent servicing. Why those images came to mind right now escaped her—or at least she told herself she had no explanation for the comparison since Cougar hadn’t moved except to stretch out his strong legs.
“Why did you?” she asked.
“To see how you’re doing. And to apologize.”
Quit looking at me like that! As if you want to throw me onto the ground and bury yourself in me.
Forcefully reminding herself that she was putting her own spin on his gaze, she shook her head. “You didn’t open a gate and let Rampage out when he was having a bad-hair day in spades. You didn’t plow into my mare and send me flying.”
Now it was his turn to jerk his head. “I’ve relived the accident a thousand times. No matter how hard I try, I can’t make it come out different.”
Realizing she wasn’t the only one who hadn’t been able to let go of the past shocked her. But then, if she’d had to hold a frightened accident victim, the memory would have stayed with her too. “At least it’s behind us.”
He stood, the movement both weary and effortless. “Is it? We’ll know better once this rodeo is behind us.”
Us? She might have questioned his word choice if he hadn’t held out his hands. Not giving herself time to question what she was doing, she let him draw her to her feet.
“Funny how life turns out, isn’t it?” He continued to grip her fingers. “While we were growing up, we were pretty formal around each other. There you were, my dad’s boss’s daughter. I knew there’d be hell to pay from my old man if I was anything except respectful toward you. I understood my place.”
“Your what?” Why did his hands have to be so warm and strong,
You’re making me crazy, Cougar. I’ve been attracted to you since I was old enough to know the meaning of the word. Why do you have to look so sexy and be so dangerous?
“Long day?” she brilliantly came up with.
“Long. At least these bulls are accustomed to traveling.”
“You’ve really gotten into stock contracting, haven’t you?” She tried to lean back, but her body refused to relax. Her skin jumped and hummed, and she couldn’t keep enough air in her lungs.
“It’s working out.”
“Do you enjoy it?”
“Yeah, I do.” He smiled, revealing perfect white teeth in contrast to his deeply tanned face. “Those years of working for your father taught me a lot about handling livestock.”
Except for those few minutes a year ago. “What about your father?” she asked.
“He’s doing good. Mom and he are in Arizona for some kind of powwow.”
“I’ve been meaning to thank him. When your dad retired, mine finally admitted he couldn’t run the ranch without his foreman—and that maybe his kids really were capable of taking over the operation.”
“That’s what you’re doing? Running the ranch?”
Despite the wear on her emotions, she’d been meeting Cougar’s black eyes while fighting the desire to touch him. Now she looked down at her right leg. “Not really. I’m addicted to competing. At least I was until I did a number on this. Fortunately, my brothers aren’t the incompetents I accused them of being all the time we were growing up.”
“ You didn’t mess up your leg. One of my bulls did.”
There. The truth laid out between them.
“All right. Your bull. Rampage. He’s aptly named.”
“He’s here.”
The heat he’d pumped into her by breathing flowed out to be replaced by ice. She didn’t remember lifting her head, but now that she had, she couldn’t tear her gaze off those high cheekbones and broad nose. “Oh.”
“I wanted you to know. Reporters might pick up on it. The announcer’s probably going to say something.”
“I know, but thanks for the reminder.”
“That’s not the only reason I came looking for you.”
Through the years, she’d seen countless mares backed into corners by countless stallions. She’d led bulls to cows and watched the sometimes-violent servicing. Why those images came to mind right now escaped her—or at least she told herself she had no explanation for the comparison since Cougar hadn’t moved except to stretch out his strong legs.
“Why did you?” she asked.
“To see how you’re doing. And to apologize.”
Quit looking at me like that! As if you want to throw me onto the ground and bury yourself in me.
Forcefully reminding herself that she was putting her own spin on his gaze, she shook her head. “You didn’t open a gate and let Rampage out when he was having a bad-hair day in spades. You didn’t plow into my mare and send me flying.”
Now it was his turn to jerk his head. “I’ve relived the accident a thousand times. No matter how hard I try, I can’t make it come out different.”
Realizing she wasn’t the only one who hadn’t been able to let go of the past shocked her. But then, if she’d had to hold a frightened accident victim, the memory would have stayed with her too. “At least it’s behind us.”
He stood, the movement both weary and effortless. “Is it? We’ll know better once this rodeo is behind us.”
Us? She might have questioned his word choice if he hadn’t held out his hands. Not giving herself time to question what she was doing, she let him draw her to her feet.
“Funny how life turns out, isn’t it?” He continued to grip her fingers. “While we were growing up, we were pretty formal around each other. There you were, my dad’s boss’s daughter. I knew there’d be hell to pay from my old man if I was anything except respectful toward you. I understood my place.”
“Your what?” Why did his hands have to be so warm and strong,
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