come up with a low-fat
filet mignon, I’d be rich.”
Two young boys darted toward them. Brady released her hand and stepped aside. When
the kids had zoomed past, he moved close again and put his arm around her shoulder.
“Any horses?” she asked.
“I think we have enough for now. What do you think?”
“I agree. They get worked steadily, but they all have a couple of days off to rest.”
“Agreed. So I’ll concentrate on the bulls.”
She leaned against him, absorbing his heat. The sun was bright, the afternoon warm.
Smells from the livestock blended with barbecue and meat smokers. Conversation and
laughter surrounded them in a pleasing cacophony.
She would remember this, she told herself. Whatever happened, they would have had
this time together.
“Brady? Brady Jones?”
Brady stopped when he heard his name and turned toward the sound. Instinctively, Randi
stepped free of his embrace, prepared for flight. But she didn’t recognize the man
approaching.
“Travis!” Brady grinned and held out his hand. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t
you heading for a rodeo?”
Travis shrugged. He was good-looking, in a rugged sort of way, with sun-streaked brown
hair and brown eyes. He winked at Randi. “Ma’am,” he said, pulling off his cowboy
hat.
Brady turned to her and touched her arm. “Rita, this is an old friend of mine, Travis
Stockwell. We were on the rodeo circuit together. Travis, this is Rita Howard. She
works for me.”
“Hi,” Randi managed to say past the tightness in her throat, listening to Brady use
her alias.
“Nice to meet you.” Travis plopped his hat back on his head. “I got hitched,” he said.
Brady raised his eyebrows. “You’re married? What happened? You get struck by lightning?”
“Just about. I got hurt pretty bad at the last one and took some time off to heal.”
Travis smiled proudly. “While I was getting better, I met a woman. Her name is Peggy
and we’re married.”
Up until that point, Randi had only been half listening to the conversation. While
the two men chatted, she’d been scanning the crowd, trying to find the source of a
sudden prickling at the back of her neck.
Peggy? She blinked. She knew a Peggy. Peggy Saxon who worked in City Hall back in
Grand Springs. Her chest tightened.
Stop it! she ordered herself. They couldn’t be the same woman. There were thousands,
probably millions, of Peggys in the country.
Brady slapped Travis on the back. “I don’t believe it. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” Travis grinned. “I sure didn’t expect something like this to happen to me.”
He glanced at Randi and winked. “I was one of those guys who liked the rodeo circuit
and thought I’d be single till I died. But Peggy and the babies have changed me.”
Babies? Her heart froze. Randi felt as if she couldn’t move. Peggy Saxon had been
pregnant…very pregnant the last time she, Randi, had seen her.
“Babies?” Brady asked.
“It’s a long story.”
Randi forced herself to speak. “Where did you find this wonderful new family?”
“My hometown, Grand Springs. It’s a nice town in Colorado.” He looked at Brady. “You’d
like it there. Now, stay right here. I want to introduce you to my bride. If I can
find her.”
She had to get out of there, Randi ordered herself. She had to! Now! But it was impossible
to think, impossible to move or breathe. Oh, Lord, what if Travis recognized her?
What if Peggy walked up and saw her? Who else could it be but Peggy Saxon from Grand
Springs? The same woman who spoke to Randi every time she’d gone to visit her ex-fiancé,
Hal.
Images began to spin in front of her eyes. Run! a voice in her head screamed. She
decided she’d better listen.
She touched Brady’s arm. “I don’t want to be rude,” she said through stiff lips, “but
I’m not feeling well. I need to find a rest room.”
His eyes darkened with concern. “You look a
filet mignon, I’d be rich.”
Two young boys darted toward them. Brady released her hand and stepped aside. When
the kids had zoomed past, he moved close again and put his arm around her shoulder.
“Any horses?” she asked.
“I think we have enough for now. What do you think?”
“I agree. They get worked steadily, but they all have a couple of days off to rest.”
“Agreed. So I’ll concentrate on the bulls.”
She leaned against him, absorbing his heat. The sun was bright, the afternoon warm.
Smells from the livestock blended with barbecue and meat smokers. Conversation and
laughter surrounded them in a pleasing cacophony.
She would remember this, she told herself. Whatever happened, they would have had
this time together.
“Brady? Brady Jones?”
Brady stopped when he heard his name and turned toward the sound. Instinctively, Randi
stepped free of his embrace, prepared for flight. But she didn’t recognize the man
approaching.
“Travis!” Brady grinned and held out his hand. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t
you heading for a rodeo?”
Travis shrugged. He was good-looking, in a rugged sort of way, with sun-streaked brown
hair and brown eyes. He winked at Randi. “Ma’am,” he said, pulling off his cowboy
hat.
Brady turned to her and touched her arm. “Rita, this is an old friend of mine, Travis
Stockwell. We were on the rodeo circuit together. Travis, this is Rita Howard. She
works for me.”
“Hi,” Randi managed to say past the tightness in her throat, listening to Brady use
her alias.
“Nice to meet you.” Travis plopped his hat back on his head. “I got hitched,” he said.
Brady raised his eyebrows. “You’re married? What happened? You get struck by lightning?”
“Just about. I got hurt pretty bad at the last one and took some time off to heal.”
Travis smiled proudly. “While I was getting better, I met a woman. Her name is Peggy
and we’re married.”
Up until that point, Randi had only been half listening to the conversation. While
the two men chatted, she’d been scanning the crowd, trying to find the source of a
sudden prickling at the back of her neck.
Peggy? She blinked. She knew a Peggy. Peggy Saxon who worked in City Hall back in
Grand Springs. Her chest tightened.
Stop it! she ordered herself. They couldn’t be the same woman. There were thousands,
probably millions, of Peggys in the country.
Brady slapped Travis on the back. “I don’t believe it. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” Travis grinned. “I sure didn’t expect something like this to happen to me.”
He glanced at Randi and winked. “I was one of those guys who liked the rodeo circuit
and thought I’d be single till I died. But Peggy and the babies have changed me.”
Babies? Her heart froze. Randi felt as if she couldn’t move. Peggy Saxon had been
pregnant…very pregnant the last time she, Randi, had seen her.
“Babies?” Brady asked.
“It’s a long story.”
Randi forced herself to speak. “Where did you find this wonderful new family?”
“My hometown, Grand Springs. It’s a nice town in Colorado.” He looked at Brady. “You’d
like it there. Now, stay right here. I want to introduce you to my bride. If I can
find her.”
She had to get out of there, Randi ordered herself. She had to! Now! But it was impossible
to think, impossible to move or breathe. Oh, Lord, what if Travis recognized her?
What if Peggy walked up and saw her? Who else could it be but Peggy Saxon from Grand
Springs? The same woman who spoke to Randi every time she’d gone to visit her ex-fiancé,
Hal.
Images began to spin in front of her eyes. Run! a voice in her head screamed. She
decided she’d better listen.
She touched Brady’s arm. “I don’t want to be rude,” she said through stiff lips, “but
I’m not feeling well. I need to find a rest room.”
His eyes darkened with concern. “You look a
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