little pale. Go on. I’ll catch up with
you by that tent,” he said, pointing to a green-and-white striped tent at the entrance
to the food area. “Are you going to be all right?”
She nodded, then turned away. She walked toward the rest rooms, then ducked behind
a vendor stall selling earrings. From here she could see Brady talking to his friend.
A couple of minutes later a woman joined them. Randi bit back a groan. It was Peggy.
The three of them chatted for a bit, then they split up. Travis and Peggy headed in
one direction while Brady made his way to the tent.
Randi closed her eyes and tried to think. She’d never seen Travis Stockwell before,
so it was unlikely he knew her, either. Even if her running away from her wedding
had made the paper, it would have been in the back pages, and wasn’t something likely
to interest a rodeo cowboy.
Peggy was another matter. She would know Randi on sight and would be very intrigued
at the events surrounding the wedding. But she hadn’t acted as if she’d seen anything
unusual. Surely if Peggy had spotted her, she would have said something and Brady
would have reacted. Yet nothing about his body language indicated anything unusual.
After taking a couple of deep breaths to clear her head, she walked to the tent. Brady
waited for her. He frowned when he saw her. “You still look pale. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said, touching his arm. “I think it’s just a reaction to the crowd.
Really. I’m fine. What happened to your friend?”
“Travis and I are going to have a drink later. But only if you’re sure you’re going
to be all right. I don’t want to leave you alone otherwise.”
She searched his brown eyes, reading the caring there. Caring and affection, and nothing
else. Peggy hadn’t seen her. Randi’s secret was safe.
As she stared at Brady, she was filled with a strong desire to make love to him. She’d
done nothing to deserve this wonderful man in her life. If things had been different,
she would have wanted to be with him forever. But they weren’t. Sharing his bed would
imply a commitment she wasn’t ready to make. No, she was ready to make it, but he
wouldn’t want it, once he knew about her. He still hurt from being left at the altar.
How could he ever understand that Randi had done the same to Hal. Brady would hate
her. Maybe she should just come clean, she thought. And she would, she promised herself,
suddenly realizing it was time to stop running from him, as well. As soon as they
got back to the ranch, she would tell the truth about her past. She just wanted these
few days together, first. Sort of a last chance for them.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly. “I’m going to be just
fine,” she said. “Enjoy your drink with Travis. But first, I’m suddenly starving.”
“Rattler taco?”
She laughed. “You’re an amazing man, Brady Jones.”
He tugged on her braid, forcing her to look up at him. “That’s what all the girls
say.”
“Guess what?” she teased. “In this case, all the girls are right.”
* * *
The smoky bar reminded Brady of countless others he’d frequented when he’d been on
the rodeo circuit. Places with scarred floors and cold beer on draft. Whenever he
found himself in bars like this, or meeting with friends from the “good old days,”
he waited for a yearning to go back to his youth. When a good ride meant the difference
between money in his pocket or not, and the women had been pretty, starry-eyed and
willing. Not that he’d been all that eager to take them up on what they offered, he
thought with a grin.
But no matter how many old friends he met up with, or how many bars he stopped in,
the yearning for those days never came. They’d been lots of fun, a hell of a way to
see the country and grow up, but that time was over. Now his life was where it should
be. If he occasionally fought the demon of
you by that tent,” he said, pointing to a green-and-white striped tent at the entrance
to the food area. “Are you going to be all right?”
She nodded, then turned away. She walked toward the rest rooms, then ducked behind
a vendor stall selling earrings. From here she could see Brady talking to his friend.
A couple of minutes later a woman joined them. Randi bit back a groan. It was Peggy.
The three of them chatted for a bit, then they split up. Travis and Peggy headed in
one direction while Brady made his way to the tent.
Randi closed her eyes and tried to think. She’d never seen Travis Stockwell before,
so it was unlikely he knew her, either. Even if her running away from her wedding
had made the paper, it would have been in the back pages, and wasn’t something likely
to interest a rodeo cowboy.
Peggy was another matter. She would know Randi on sight and would be very intrigued
at the events surrounding the wedding. But she hadn’t acted as if she’d seen anything
unusual. Surely if Peggy had spotted her, she would have said something and Brady
would have reacted. Yet nothing about his body language indicated anything unusual.
After taking a couple of deep breaths to clear her head, she walked to the tent. Brady
waited for her. He frowned when he saw her. “You still look pale. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said, touching his arm. “I think it’s just a reaction to the crowd.
Really. I’m fine. What happened to your friend?”
“Travis and I are going to have a drink later. But only if you’re sure you’re going
to be all right. I don’t want to leave you alone otherwise.”
She searched his brown eyes, reading the caring there. Caring and affection, and nothing
else. Peggy hadn’t seen her. Randi’s secret was safe.
As she stared at Brady, she was filled with a strong desire to make love to him. She’d
done nothing to deserve this wonderful man in her life. If things had been different,
she would have wanted to be with him forever. But they weren’t. Sharing his bed would
imply a commitment she wasn’t ready to make. No, she was ready to make it, but he
wouldn’t want it, once he knew about her. He still hurt from being left at the altar.
How could he ever understand that Randi had done the same to Hal. Brady would hate
her. Maybe she should just come clean, she thought. And she would, she promised herself,
suddenly realizing it was time to stop running from him, as well. As soon as they
got back to the ranch, she would tell the truth about her past. She just wanted these
few days together, first. Sort of a last chance for them.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly. “I’m going to be just
fine,” she said. “Enjoy your drink with Travis. But first, I’m suddenly starving.”
“Rattler taco?”
She laughed. “You’re an amazing man, Brady Jones.”
He tugged on her braid, forcing her to look up at him. “That’s what all the girls
say.”
“Guess what?” she teased. “In this case, all the girls are right.”
* * *
The smoky bar reminded Brady of countless others he’d frequented when he’d been on
the rodeo circuit. Places with scarred floors and cold beer on draft. Whenever he
found himself in bars like this, or meeting with friends from the “good old days,”
he waited for a yearning to go back to his youth. When a good ride meant the difference
between money in his pocket or not, and the women had been pretty, starry-eyed and
willing. Not that he’d been all that eager to take them up on what they offered, he
thought with a grin.
But no matter how many old friends he met up with, or how many bars he stopped in,
the yearning for those days never came. They’d been lots of fun, a hell of a way to
see the country and grow up, but that time was over. Now his life was where it should
be. If he occasionally fought the demon of
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