to come tomorrow, anyway, for your bronc busting. Guess we can count that out now, huh?”
Zach sighed. “I guess you’ll be the only one bringing home prize money this year, little brother.”
“Yeah, I guess so. I’m real sorry this happened, Zach.”
“Don’t be.”
“What was the twerp thinking?”
“Don’t know.” Zach winced as he shifted, his leg burning. “She had just screwed up her barrel race.”
“Yeah, I saw it. Damn shame. She looked good. Real good.”
“She sure did. What I saw of it, anyway.”
“You weren’t watching?”
“I was, but Angelina wouldn’t leave me alone. She kept cackling in my ear like a goddamned prairie chicken. Then she…”
“She what?”
“She kissed me.”
Chad’s jaw dropped. “Whoa.”
“You’re telling me. I don’t know what the hell she wants. She broke up with me . Not that I cared all that much. I feel like a heel for missing Dusty’s race.”
“Damn, bro, you’re really whipped aren’t you?”
Zach’s heart lurched, but he forced his face into what he hoped was a nonchalant expression. Him? Whipped? “I wouldn’t say that.”
Chad chuckled. “I would.”
“If only I understood her. Something’s bothering her, I just know it. And this whole thing with Diablo. Why in the hell is she so obsessed with that bull?”
“It might have something to do with the half mil purse you’ve got on his head,” Harper Bay said, entering the room. “Morning, Zach. How are you feeling?”
“Like shit.”
Harper grinned. “If it’s any consolation, you look like shit too.”
Zach ignored the insult and took a deep breath. “I’ve got a score to settle with you for letting the fool girl get on that bull, but that’ll have to wait. What were you saying about the half mil purse?”
“Look, I tried to stop her, but—”
“Later, damn it. What about the purse?”
Harper cleared his throat. “I think she needs money.”
Zach took a deep breath. He’d been thinking the same thing. Sharing a Holiday Inn room with her brother, no cell phone. “What makes you say that?”
“Just a hunch. That and the fact she sold me her barrel racing mare yesterday.”
Zach nearly jumped out of his bed, the jolt sending a sharp pain through his wound. “Damn. That hurt.”
“You need to simmer down, Zach,” Chad said. “You’re supposed to be taking it easy. You’d better cooperate if you want to get out of here this afternoon.”
“She sold you her mare?”
“Yeah. I talked with her after her race. Told her I was looking to buy a horse for Catie, and hers was the best I’d seen. Drove a hard bargain, too. She wouldn’t let the mare go until I offered seventy-five K.”
Zach shook his head. “Dusty loves animals. I can’t believe she’d sell one of her own.”
“Like I said”—Harper sat down in a chair by the bed—“I think she needs the money.”
“I need to see her,” Zach said. “Help me out of the damn bed, Chad.”
“See her?” Chad shook his head. “You’re not mad at her?”
“Are you crazy? I’m mad as shit. But something’s going on, and I want to see her.”
Chad’s gaze drifted to Zach’s bandage. “You can’t put weight on that leg.”
“Then I’ll fucking hop, damn it.” He grimaced as a dart shot through his thigh. “Now get over here and help me.”
“Zach…” Harper cleared his throat.
“What?”
“I think I should tell you. She doesn’t want to see you.”
“Excuse me?”
“I was just with her. She’s doing well.” Harper hedged and cracked his knuckles. “She’ll be leaving later today.”
“What the hell were you doing with her?” Zach demanded.
“Just visiting. Her brother’s with her now.”
“Well, I’m going to see her.”
“I think it would be best—” Harper began.
“I don’t give a bloody damn what you think, Bay. I want to see my woman!”
“Your woman?”
Zach winced. His woman? Where had that come from? He was mad at the little fool. Still,
Zach sighed. “I guess you’ll be the only one bringing home prize money this year, little brother.”
“Yeah, I guess so. I’m real sorry this happened, Zach.”
“Don’t be.”
“What was the twerp thinking?”
“Don’t know.” Zach winced as he shifted, his leg burning. “She had just screwed up her barrel race.”
“Yeah, I saw it. Damn shame. She looked good. Real good.”
“She sure did. What I saw of it, anyway.”
“You weren’t watching?”
“I was, but Angelina wouldn’t leave me alone. She kept cackling in my ear like a goddamned prairie chicken. Then she…”
“She what?”
“She kissed me.”
Chad’s jaw dropped. “Whoa.”
“You’re telling me. I don’t know what the hell she wants. She broke up with me . Not that I cared all that much. I feel like a heel for missing Dusty’s race.”
“Damn, bro, you’re really whipped aren’t you?”
Zach’s heart lurched, but he forced his face into what he hoped was a nonchalant expression. Him? Whipped? “I wouldn’t say that.”
Chad chuckled. “I would.”
“If only I understood her. Something’s bothering her, I just know it. And this whole thing with Diablo. Why in the hell is she so obsessed with that bull?”
“It might have something to do with the half mil purse you’ve got on his head,” Harper Bay said, entering the room. “Morning, Zach. How are you feeling?”
“Like shit.”
Harper grinned. “If it’s any consolation, you look like shit too.”
Zach ignored the insult and took a deep breath. “I’ve got a score to settle with you for letting the fool girl get on that bull, but that’ll have to wait. What were you saying about the half mil purse?”
“Look, I tried to stop her, but—”
“Later, damn it. What about the purse?”
Harper cleared his throat. “I think she needs money.”
Zach took a deep breath. He’d been thinking the same thing. Sharing a Holiday Inn room with her brother, no cell phone. “What makes you say that?”
“Just a hunch. That and the fact she sold me her barrel racing mare yesterday.”
Zach nearly jumped out of his bed, the jolt sending a sharp pain through his wound. “Damn. That hurt.”
“You need to simmer down, Zach,” Chad said. “You’re supposed to be taking it easy. You’d better cooperate if you want to get out of here this afternoon.”
“She sold you her mare?”
“Yeah. I talked with her after her race. Told her I was looking to buy a horse for Catie, and hers was the best I’d seen. Drove a hard bargain, too. She wouldn’t let the mare go until I offered seventy-five K.”
Zach shook his head. “Dusty loves animals. I can’t believe she’d sell one of her own.”
“Like I said”—Harper sat down in a chair by the bed—“I think she needs the money.”
“I need to see her,” Zach said. “Help me out of the damn bed, Chad.”
“See her?” Chad shook his head. “You’re not mad at her?”
“Are you crazy? I’m mad as shit. But something’s going on, and I want to see her.”
Chad’s gaze drifted to Zach’s bandage. “You can’t put weight on that leg.”
“Then I’ll fucking hop, damn it.” He grimaced as a dart shot through his thigh. “Now get over here and help me.”
“Zach…” Harper cleared his throat.
“What?”
“I think I should tell you. She doesn’t want to see you.”
“Excuse me?”
“I was just with her. She’s doing well.” Harper hedged and cracked his knuckles. “She’ll be leaving later today.”
“What the hell were you doing with her?” Zach demanded.
“Just visiting. Her brother’s with her now.”
“Well, I’m going to see her.”
“I think it would be best—” Harper began.
“I don’t give a bloody damn what you think, Bay. I want to see my woman!”
“Your woman?”
Zach winced. His woman? Where had that come from? He was mad at the little fool. Still,
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