Rodeo Dust by Vannatter Shannon Taylor;

Author:Vannatter, Shannon Taylor;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2013-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

nine

As they walked across her condo parking lot, Clay claimed Rayna’s hand.

For a moment, Rayna had thought he would kiss her back at the church. And she’d wanted him to. Right there in the church office.

A weight had lifted from her world. How had Daddy borne the pressure of it all these years?

“Listen, you’re tired. You need to go to bed.”

“Exhausted and sleepy are two different things. I’m wide awake. Come inside?”

“I wish I could sleep on your couch, but that wouldn’t do. Maybe I’ll just stay till you fall asleep.”

Once inside, she curled up on the couch. “Want something to drink?”

“I’m fine, but you could probably use a tall drink of water.”

“I’m sure I look horrible.”

“You could never look any way but beautiful.”

Warmth spread over her. Maybe with her face all blotchy, he hadn’t noticed the blush.

“Think I’ll go freshen up.”

The bathroom mirror told the tale. Splotchy, puffy, and red. It was a bad, bad thing for a redhead to cry. Rayna pressed a cold cloth to her face and wiped away what was left of her makeup. Repairs wouldn’t work at this stage. Clay had already seen her at her worst. And he was still here. Could there be hope for their future?

As she entered the living room, he handed her the biggest tumbler she owned, filled with ice water.

“Thanks.” Drier than she realized, she took a long drink then set the remains on a coaster.

“You have a right to know what’s going on.”

“You don’t have to tell me anything. I only wanna help you.”

“What if I need to talk?”

“Don’t you think maybe you’ve done enough talking for one day?”

“Clay.” She touched his cheek. “I’m okay. Sit down.”

He sat in a sleek red chair, while she perched on the edge of the matching couch. “You don’t have to do this. Especially not tonight.”

“Lefty Shelton was my dad’s cousin.” She choked on his name.

“Maybe that’s enough for tonight.” Clay moved over beside her.

She leaned into his comforting arms. “My mother was a high school junior with plans to become an oncologist. Some friends invited her to the rodeo, and she met Lefty. They started dating, and she tried to convince him to get a real job, that the rodeo was too dangerous.”

“Let me guess. He wouldn’t give it up.”

Rayna nodded. “They dated through the rest of high school and split up when she left for college. Daddy had loved her from afar through her entire relationship with Lefty. They started dating in college, got married, and only saw Lefty at family gatherings. Mom quit college after I was diagnosed with asthma because Daddy didn’t trust anyone to take care of me, but he went on to med school. As time passed, tensions with Lefty eased, and my parents started going to the rodeo.”

Clay handed her the water, and she took a quick sip.

“One night, Lefty fell and the bull charged. I was there, sitting in my mother’s lap, feeling her terror. It’s burned into my brain.”

He held her tighter. “You don’t have to tell me any more.

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