A Cowboy's Heart (Hitting Rocks Cowboys) (3 page)

BOOK: A Cowboy's Heart (Hitting Rocks Cowboys)
12.79Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

She rolled her eyes at him. Between the dark lashes, they were as green as lime zest. He’d never seen eyes that exact color. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better. The truth is, she’s a great athlete.”

“So are you.” Connor discovered that Liz had a great mouth, too. Soft and full, not too wide, but he couldn’t afford to take his eyes off the road. “Didn’t you do a 13.70 at Bakersfield?”

“I doubt I’ll see a number that low again, but I can dream.”

He knew all about that. “Did you read anything else interesting?”

A sly smile broke the corner of her mouth. “There must be a hundred blogs devoted to Connor Bannock. Your fans stretch around the country and back. Jocko Mendez from the Southeastern circuit in Arkansas is your closest competition, but word is out that Las Vegas is betting on you. Have you ever read any of them?”

She tried to get him off the subject of her.

“I don’t have time.” He let out a sigh. “Do yourself a favor and forget about Dustine Hoffman’s stats. Concentrate on your routine with Sunflower. I watched you working with her the other morning. I’m impressed how well she body rates and changes leads between the first and second barrel.”

“But I hear a but. What aren’t you telling me?”

Liz was such a quick study, he needed to stay on his toes. “Am I that transparent?”

“Yes!”

He laughed. It was refreshing to be with someone who was too guileless to be anything but honest...unlike Reva, who’d harbored hurts and suspicions, then exploded at an unexpected moment.

“I notice you were working with wax reins, but they can be sticky. You have to really watch your hands with those. When they stick, you’re pulling your horse around the barrel when you should be guiding her.”

“Was that what I was doing the other morning?”

“No. I happened to notice it at your competition in Great Falls.”

“You did?”

“Liz—we’re not always at the same rodeos, but when we are, I make it a priority to watch my neighbor’s performance.”

She stirred in the seat. “I had no idea.”

“When we get to Las Vegas, try using a knot rein at practice. They still slide when needed, but you might like the feel of them better. It’s just a thought.”

“But valuable input, coming from you. I’ll try it.”

One eyebrow lifted. “You’re not offended?”

“By advice from
you?
What else did you see I can improve on?”

Connor decided she was like her dad, who didn’t have a resentful, paranoid bone in his body. “Not a thing.”

“Liar,” she said with a smile, but it soon faded when stronger than usual gusts of wind buffeted the trailer. “Whoa—”

“Another storm front is moving in, but we’re making good time so far. I’m glad we’ve reached Kemmerer. There’s an RV park a mile away where I made a reservation, just in case. We may have to spend the night in Wyoming after all. I don’t want to take chances with priceless cargo.”

“You’re right, of course. Our horses are precious.”

“I was referring to you,” he murmured.

Though she didn’t dare take him seriously, her heart jumped anyway. “You sounded like your grandfather just then. Between your father and Ralph, you’ve had remarkable role models in them and it shows.”

She saw his hands grip the steering wheel a little tighter. “You don’t know my history. I’m afraid Grandpa has about given up on me.”

There he went again. Something was going on where his grandfather was concerned, and she was curious. “Why would you say that? While he was hugging you, he had tears in his eyes, he’s so proud.”

“Those were tears of disappointment. I should have quit the circuit several years ago in order to help him and Jarod.”

Liz decided to take a risk. “Don’t tell me your cousin Ned got to you, too, before he was put in that mental health facility—”

She heard his breath catch and knew she’d hit a nerve. “Sadie told me he about destroyed Jarod’s confidence before they got back together. It sounds like he did a pretty good job on you, too. What did he tell you? That you didn’t have what it took to run the Bannock ranch? Or did he make digs that you were running away from your responsibilities by letting the rodeo take over your life since your father’s death?”

Connor stiffened. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You need to talk about it! Don’t forget your grandfather was a rodeo champion in his day. He’s in heaven watching you rack up the gold buckles.”

Snow started to pelt the windshield, but she hardly noticed. “No doubt Ned accused you of leaving the work to your brother. Ned Bannock caused more trouble than Sadie’s father ever did. Don’t you know how jealous he was of you?”

Liz was all wound up and couldn’t stop. “Ned never had your horsemanship and couldn’t keep up with you. You were given a special gift. After you won your first buckle, why do you think he quit competing in rodeos so quickly? All he could do was undermine you, so you would feel guilty. He probably had a coronary when you married Reva Stevens, who looks like a movie star.”

The windshield wipers were going full force while she kept on talking. “I’ll bet he loved baiting you when you were divorced. Ned always did like to kick a man when he was already down. Well, I’d say he did a pretty fantastic job on you to make you feel like your grandfather is disappointed in you. But you would be wrong!

“Ralph adores you! I ought to know. I’ve been friends with him for years. If he’s disappointed, then it’s because he’s afraid you’ve believed Ned. Shame on you, Connor!” Her rebuke rang in the cab.

By now, he’d turned into the RV campground and drove to the first place where they could stop. They were in a whiteout. But for the din of her voice, there was an eerie quiet. When she dared to look at him, his shoulders were shaking in silent laughter.

He turned in the seat, resting his head against the window where the snow was piling up and stared at her. “And here I thought you were a quiet little thing. But I should have known better after watching you on a horse. There’s a spitfire inside of you. Feel better now that you’ve gotten it off your chest?”

Heat washed over her body in waves. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me.”

His eyes played over her. “I don’t think you left a thing unsaid. In fact, you mentioned a few things I hadn’t even thought of that went straight to the gut.” She wanted to crawl in a hole. “Who would have thought Liz Henson from the Corkin ranch, who’s always in her own world, had so much insight?”

Always in her own world?

“I’m afraid Sadie and I spent a lot of time on the backs of our horses discussing Ned, who never left her alone. Worse, he never wasted a chance to berate his cousins in front of us and any audience who happened to be around. It wasn’t just Jarod he hated. He had plenty to say about you.

“When you trained Firebrand, a feral no one else could handle, he was furious at your success. Worse, every girl on the Montana circuit would have given her eyeteeth to go out with you and
he
knew it.”

“Not every girl,” he said in a quiet voice.

“You mean Sadie, but we both know why.”

“I meant
you,
Liz.”

“Me—?”

Connor cocked his head. “Don’t you remember the time I asked you if you wanted to celebrate with me after you won at the Missoula Stampede?”

Liz blinked. “I figured you asked me for Wade’s sake in order to set us up.”

“He has a girlfriend now.”

“I’m glad. He’s kind of shy. Though I’ve always liked him, I was never interested in him that way.”

“Ouch. Now you’ve wounded him
and
me.”

“What do you mean
you?
You were married.”

“Nope. Divorced. If you’d agreed, I would have told you I was single again, but you didn’t give me the time of day. Before you shut me down cold, I figured we were far enough away from home that old man Corkin wouldn’t find out the off-limits neighbors were getting friendly.”

Her heart thudded. “Even if I had known the change in your marital status, I wouldn’t have said yes. Being in love with the woman you married doesn’t go away because of a piece of paper. Jarod and Sadie were still head over heels in love after eight years, even after she wrote him that awful goodbye letter he actually believed, and all because of Ned!”

“That’s a fact.” Connor reached to shut off the engine. “I think your explanation for rejecting me has helped a little.”

“Give it up, Connor,” she teased with a chuckle.

“I’ll keep everything you told me in mind and cogitate on it.”

“You do that.”

“What do you say we go back to the trailer and enjoy some of your mom’s chili while we see how long this storm is going to last.”

* * *

W
HILE
SHE
WARMED
up their food, Connor put on his hat and jacket before walking back to check on the horses. The wet snow was coming down fast. The horses were better off inside their stalls where it was warm. He didn’t want them catching a cold and made sure they had what they needed before he headed for the trailer.

He shook off the snow before entering. When he saw her seated at the kitchen table, a sense of guilt swept over him. Not for the things she’d deduced about his troubled psyche, which were right on, but because he hadn’t given her life the same amount of thoughtful attention she’d given his. Most of the time he’d been too immersed in his own problems to think of others. He was the opposite of his grandparents.

They knew all about Sadie’s and Liz’s dreams, but they’d never divulged the essence of their conversations with Connor. His grandparents were saints who worried about everyone and did the little things that endeared them to friends and family. Take that charm bracelet. Connor had seen the loving expression on her face for Ralph. It came from the heart.

After hanging up his hat and jacket, he moved to the table. She immediately got to her feet to wait on him and pour him a mug of hot coffee. The one time he’d traveled with Reva in his trailer, to an event within California, she’d sat there waiting for him to take care of her. Even then, she’d insisted on staying nights at a hotel with room service.

She’d told him she really didn’t like the trailer. It was too claustrophobic for her. Reva liked to eat out. So did he, once in a while. He excused her because he knew it simply wasn’t her lifestyle. But the time came when just about everything he did or suggested didn’t appeal to her.

They didn’t grow together in their marriage. Through no true fault on either part, their physical attraction couldn’t take care of everything else that was wrong. Starting a family had been out of the question. But enough dredging up the past he preferred to forget.

After eight hours of driving it was still so pleasant being with Liz, he kept wondering when the spell would wear off and she’d turn into someone else.

“Eat while the chili’s hot. Mom made some rolls, too.” Liz passed the plate to him. He took three.

“Thank you. I’ve been salivating for this all day.”

“Me, too. How are our children by the way? Do you think they’re getting along all right in such close quarters?”

Connor chuckled at the charming way she’d put it. “They were both quiet.”

“They’ve never been stalled together. Sunflower is probably missing Polly and vice versa.”

“This is a new experience for Firebrand, too. I don’t know if they’re being shy or bored.”

“Wouldn’t it be interesting if horses had romantic feelings....”

When he looked into her eyes, they were smiling. “Since when did White Lodge’s newest vet delve into horse psychiatry?”

“Since the time Sadie told me about Chief, Jarod’s stallion. He had a harem when he ran wild in the mountains. That got me thinking.”

A burst of full-bodied laughter broke from him. “Maybe by the time the rodeo’s over, we’ll find out Firebrand and Sunflower have become inseparable.”

She grinned. “You have to admit it would be amazing. I’d write it up in the
Journal of American Veterinary Medicine.
At our last stop, I noticed Firebrand sniffing around Sunflower’s dung. Did you know feral horses like yours are fascinated by the dung piles of other horses?”

He tried not to laugh, but couldn’t help it. “I have to admit I didn’t.”

“It’s true. Dung and urine from other herds act as newspapers from one herd to another. Just what is communicated through urine and dung is unknown, but it may communicate how healthy the herd is, what mares are in season and even what types of food is available in the area.”

“Let’s be thankful her heat cycle ended after September. Otherwise, we’d know it by now.”

Liz laughed gently. “Never fear. When I compete at the wrong times, I give her a medication so there’s no problem. So...if these two get interested in each other, it won’t be because of hormones.”

Connor eyed her thoughtfully. “Just pure chemistry.”

“Wouldn’t
that
be something.” She sounded bemused.

“Indeed it would.” But his mind wasn’t on the horses. The woman seated across from him had drawn his attention. She wore her usual braid, but it lay forward over her shoulder, brushing against her flushed cheek while she drank her coffee. He could pick out the sun streaks in her light chestnut hair.

The collar of her tan Western blouse lay open at the throat. It came to him she had no idea how truly lovely she was. There was nothing artificial about her. If she wore makeup right now, he couldn’t tell. She didn’t need it.

“More chili?”

He handed her his bowl. “Please.”

“You don’t know how happy it will make Mom to hear you liked it.” She got up from the table, giving him a profile view. Liz had to be five foot seven, with a supple body filling out her blouse and jeans in all the right places. With those long legs, she made quite a sight astride her horse during a competition.

His thoughts flicked to Reva, who was five foot four and more voluptuous. But she didn’t move with the same grace as Liz, who was in fabulous shape from working and riding horses all her life.

Connor wouldn’t be a man if he hadn’t noticed, but it had always been at a distance. His grandfather had begged him to stay away from the Corkin ranch so there’d be no trouble. He had obeyed him, effectively putting Liz out of reach over the years.

BOOK: A Cowboy's Heart (Hitting Rocks Cowboys)
12.79Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

No Land's Man by Aasif Mandvi
Dance By Midnight by Phaedra Weldon
The Thinking Rocks by Butkus, C. Allan
Slow Burn by Julie Garwood
We Shall Not Sleep by Anne Perry
Girl In Pieces by Jordan Bell
Shogun by James Clavell
Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers