suggested it earlier, but I wasn't aware there was any difficulty," he explained calmly with his usual perception of her thoughts. "When your grandfather indicated to me yesterday that you might be having some rough going, I had to wait until I'd checked with dad to be certain there was room available for you."
"We could have made it," Patty asserted.
"I've said it before," the ebony-dark head moved to the side in a despairing shake, "you are the hardest person in the world to help. You and that pride of yours keep looking for an ulterior motive where there is none. It's a straightforward offer to let you stay on the ranch until your horses recuperate and you can get back on tour."
He held her gaze for a long moment, transmitting some silent message that there wasnothing for her to worry about. Yet Patty couldn't shake off the feeling that there was. She broke free of the compelling blue eyes and glanced helplessly at her grandfather.
"Will you let them know I'll be there, Morgan?" Everett King requested, not reacting to the silent plea in her eyes. "The horses should be able to travel a week from Tuesday."
"I'll tell them to look for you, then," Morgan nodded, his gaze sliding again to her, "What about you, Patty? Should I tell them to expect you, too?"
Taking a deep breath, she tried to gain time, hoping that in the precious seconds, she would come up with another solution. Of course she didn't. There didn't seem to be any other.
"Yes," she agreed, exhaling tiredly and turning away.
"Goodbye, Patty," Morgan said to halt her departure. "I won't be seeing you for a couple of months or more." His mouth quirked into a mocking smile. "It will seem like a well-earned vacation for both of us."
Staring at his hard, strong face, Patty realized she had forgotten that. Morgan wouldn't be there to torment her with his mockery and laughter. As much as she disliked him, he had become something of a fixture in her life.
"Yes, it will seem like that, won't it?" she admitted aloud.
"Who knows?" The massive shoulders shrugged with his drawling voice. "I might even discover that I'll miss you, or at the very least, I'll miss our constant arguments."
Before she could retort that she wouldn't miss him at all, he was turning to her grandfather and bidding him goodbye and the opportunity to administer one last cutting barb had passed. There was a vague tightness in her throat as she watched him walk away. The peace and quiet would be wonderful, she told herself.
"I'm sorry, Patty," her grandfather spoke at last.
For an instant, she couldn'trememberwhy he was apologizing. "It's all right, gramps," she answered quietly. "I only wish there had been some other way we could have got by without accepting Morgan's offer."
"You still can't abide him, can you?"
"I never will!" Patty declared vehemently.
"He's a good man," Everett King pointed out, then turned toward the stalls. "I'm going to check on Landmark."
Most of the rodeo cowboys had left the day before, but when Morgan pulled out with his men and the rodeo stock, the arena grounds seemed like a deserted ghost town. Although Patty and her grandfather were kept busy caring for the injured horses, the loneliness crept in. It wasn't the hustle and bustle that she missed so much as it was an indefinable something else.
Tuesday morning, the day they were to leave, her spirits lightened considerably. She still didn't like the idea of going to Morgan's ranch. Considering the animosity she held toward him, she felt guilty accepting the hospitality of his parents.
Watching her grandfather load the last horse into the trailer, Patty stood back, trying to understand the conflicting emotions that had her looking forward to the journey and feeling guilty at the same time. The only answer that came to mind was that she was glad to escape the emptiness of the grounds, although being alone and separated from other people had never bothered her when she was growing up on her parents' ranch.
"All
"We could have made it," Patty asserted.
"I've said it before," the ebony-dark head moved to the side in a despairing shake, "you are the hardest person in the world to help. You and that pride of yours keep looking for an ulterior motive where there is none. It's a straightforward offer to let you stay on the ranch until your horses recuperate and you can get back on tour."
He held her gaze for a long moment, transmitting some silent message that there wasnothing for her to worry about. Yet Patty couldn't shake off the feeling that there was. She broke free of the compelling blue eyes and glanced helplessly at her grandfather.
"Will you let them know I'll be there, Morgan?" Everett King requested, not reacting to the silent plea in her eyes. "The horses should be able to travel a week from Tuesday."
"I'll tell them to look for you, then," Morgan nodded, his gaze sliding again to her, "What about you, Patty? Should I tell them to expect you, too?"
Taking a deep breath, she tried to gain time, hoping that in the precious seconds, she would come up with another solution. Of course she didn't. There didn't seem to be any other.
"Yes," she agreed, exhaling tiredly and turning away.
"Goodbye, Patty," Morgan said to halt her departure. "I won't be seeing you for a couple of months or more." His mouth quirked into a mocking smile. "It will seem like a well-earned vacation for both of us."
Staring at his hard, strong face, Patty realized she had forgotten that. Morgan wouldn't be there to torment her with his mockery and laughter. As much as she disliked him, he had become something of a fixture in her life.
"Yes, it will seem like that, won't it?" she admitted aloud.
"Who knows?" The massive shoulders shrugged with his drawling voice. "I might even discover that I'll miss you, or at the very least, I'll miss our constant arguments."
Before she could retort that she wouldn't miss him at all, he was turning to her grandfather and bidding him goodbye and the opportunity to administer one last cutting barb had passed. There was a vague tightness in her throat as she watched him walk away. The peace and quiet would be wonderful, she told herself.
"I'm sorry, Patty," her grandfather spoke at last.
For an instant, she couldn'trememberwhy he was apologizing. "It's all right, gramps," she answered quietly. "I only wish there had been some other way we could have got by without accepting Morgan's offer."
"You still can't abide him, can you?"
"I never will!" Patty declared vehemently.
"He's a good man," Everett King pointed out, then turned toward the stalls. "I'm going to check on Landmark."
Most of the rodeo cowboys had left the day before, but when Morgan pulled out with his men and the rodeo stock, the arena grounds seemed like a deserted ghost town. Although Patty and her grandfather were kept busy caring for the injured horses, the loneliness crept in. It wasn't the hustle and bustle that she missed so much as it was an indefinable something else.
Tuesday morning, the day they were to leave, her spirits lightened considerably. She still didn't like the idea of going to Morgan's ranch. Considering the animosity she held toward him, she felt guilty accepting the hospitality of his parents.
Watching her grandfather load the last horse into the trailer, Patty stood back, trying to understand the conflicting emotions that had her looking forward to the journey and feeling guilty at the same time. The only answer that came to mind was that she was glad to escape the emptiness of the grounds, although being alone and separated from other people had never bothered her when she was growing up on her parents' ranch.
"All
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