shy. What would you have done, raided the refrigerator, rolled up the rugs and done a dance?”
“I don’t dance.”
“No? What was that you were doing on my lawn?” There was a note of amusement in his voice.
“Me, on your lawn?”
“Don’t deny it. I have the blade of grass to prove it. And the video.”
“Oh, Lord.” Her face flamed. “I didn’t know you were going to watch it. That was for Max.”
“Oh, yes, I watched it. Max insisted. I had no choice.” He chuckled. She tossed a quick glance in his direction. Yes, he was smiling. His mouth was turned up at the corners. Crinkly lines branched from the comers of his eyes The worry lines in his forehead were gone. He was even better looking than she’d first thought. And that was saying something. “It was more interesting than anything on our cable TV station,” he added.
Now was the time, she thought To tell him when the crew was arriving. While he was in a good mood. But before she could speak, a line of guests began to form in front of the barbecue. Plates in hand, they were laughing and talking and teasing Josh.
“Hey, Josh, what’s that I smell? Some kind of mustang cologne?” his brother-in-law asked, holding his nose.
“You want a steak in your face, Ray?” Josh asked with a menacing growl. “See what I told you?” he said to Bridget under his breath. “I’m the laughing stock.” But he didn’t sound too upset.
When Max came by, the boy grinned at Bridget but he didn’t take any meat. “I’m not hungry,” he told his dad.
“He looks a little pale,” Bridget noted, watching him with a little frown.
“Just excited,” Josh explained. “All his cousins are here today.”
“Hmm,” she said, watching him follow two bigger boys to a picnic table under a tree, marching along, trying to keep up.
After all the guests were served, Bridget took a steak, baked beans and potato salad and sat down at a long picnic table to eat In a few minutes Josh sat down across from her and introduced her to everyone at the table. If he’d wanted to avoid her, there were other tables, other places to sit. She sent him a grateful look across the table. He didn’t notice. He was shaking some steak sauce on his plate, acting as though introducing her to his friends and relatives was the most normal thing in the world to do. But the normal thing for him would have been to ignore her, pretend she wasn’t there.
A leather-faced rancher turned to Bridget “So, what do you think of the wild mustangs?”
Bridget took a deep breath. At least he hadn’t asked what she thought of Harmony.
“They’re beautiful. They seem to be living symbols of the Old West. Just watching them makes me feel like I’m part of the pioneer spirit” Bridget said, borrowing a few key words from the Wild Free-Roaming Horse Act of 1971.
“Well said.” The rancher smiled broadly. Then he turned to Josh. “How you coming with that buckskin you’ve been working with?”
Josh hesitated a moment What could he say? That he’d been so distracted by the woman sitting across the table from him he hadn’t been able to concentrate on breaking his horse? “Coming along,” he said. “Slowly. I’ve had some distractions.” He stared at her, so she would have no doubt he meant her. When she met his gaze, her cheeks turned as red as wild poppies. She turned her attention to the food on her plate, but he kept his eyes on her. And suddenly he realized how much fun he was having at this party he’d been dreading. And part of it was due to Bridget. No, all of it was due to her.
Her presence heightened his awareness of the warm sun, the smell of succulent meat cooking on the grill, the friendly laughter around the table. He was seeing everything through a stranger’s eyes. Her eyes. And appreciating everything he’d taken for granted. Because of her.
After lunch his brother-in-law organized a game of horseshoes. He asked Bridget if she wanted to play. She agreed, but
“I don’t dance.”
“No? What was that you were doing on my lawn?” There was a note of amusement in his voice.
“Me, on your lawn?”
“Don’t deny it. I have the blade of grass to prove it. And the video.”
“Oh, Lord.” Her face flamed. “I didn’t know you were going to watch it. That was for Max.”
“Oh, yes, I watched it. Max insisted. I had no choice.” He chuckled. She tossed a quick glance in his direction. Yes, he was smiling. His mouth was turned up at the corners. Crinkly lines branched from the comers of his eyes The worry lines in his forehead were gone. He was even better looking than she’d first thought. And that was saying something. “It was more interesting than anything on our cable TV station,” he added.
Now was the time, she thought To tell him when the crew was arriving. While he was in a good mood. But before she could speak, a line of guests began to form in front of the barbecue. Plates in hand, they were laughing and talking and teasing Josh.
“Hey, Josh, what’s that I smell? Some kind of mustang cologne?” his brother-in-law asked, holding his nose.
“You want a steak in your face, Ray?” Josh asked with a menacing growl. “See what I told you?” he said to Bridget under his breath. “I’m the laughing stock.” But he didn’t sound too upset.
When Max came by, the boy grinned at Bridget but he didn’t take any meat. “I’m not hungry,” he told his dad.
“He looks a little pale,” Bridget noted, watching him with a little frown.
“Just excited,” Josh explained. “All his cousins are here today.”
“Hmm,” she said, watching him follow two bigger boys to a picnic table under a tree, marching along, trying to keep up.
After all the guests were served, Bridget took a steak, baked beans and potato salad and sat down at a long picnic table to eat In a few minutes Josh sat down across from her and introduced her to everyone at the table. If he’d wanted to avoid her, there were other tables, other places to sit. She sent him a grateful look across the table. He didn’t notice. He was shaking some steak sauce on his plate, acting as though introducing her to his friends and relatives was the most normal thing in the world to do. But the normal thing for him would have been to ignore her, pretend she wasn’t there.
A leather-faced rancher turned to Bridget “So, what do you think of the wild mustangs?”
Bridget took a deep breath. At least he hadn’t asked what she thought of Harmony.
“They’re beautiful. They seem to be living symbols of the Old West. Just watching them makes me feel like I’m part of the pioneer spirit” Bridget said, borrowing a few key words from the Wild Free-Roaming Horse Act of 1971.
“Well said.” The rancher smiled broadly. Then he turned to Josh. “How you coming with that buckskin you’ve been working with?”
Josh hesitated a moment What could he say? That he’d been so distracted by the woman sitting across the table from him he hadn’t been able to concentrate on breaking his horse? “Coming along,” he said. “Slowly. I’ve had some distractions.” He stared at her, so she would have no doubt he meant her. When she met his gaze, her cheeks turned as red as wild poppies. She turned her attention to the food on her plate, but he kept his eyes on her. And suddenly he realized how much fun he was having at this party he’d been dreading. And part of it was due to Bridget. No, all of it was due to her.
Her presence heightened his awareness of the warm sun, the smell of succulent meat cooking on the grill, the friendly laughter around the table. He was seeing everything through a stranger’s eyes. Her eyes. And appreciating everything he’d taken for granted. Because of her.
After lunch his brother-in-law organized a game of horseshoes. He asked Bridget if she wanted to play. She agreed, but
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