The Man Who Had Everything by Christine Rimmer

Author:Christine Rimmer [Rimmer, Christine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Category
ISBN: 0373248377
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2007-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

She lost the barrel race.Got too close to the second barrel, knocked it clean over. And that was it. The five-second penalty for tipping a barrel took her right out of the running in a race where the difference between first and second place was in fractions of a second.

She gave Trixiebelle an apple and handed her over to Rufus, who said he’d see to getting her home. “Jim can take the other truck back and I’ll take yours.” He shook a gnarled finger at her. “You watch yourself now. Don’t go stealin’ some innocent cowboy’s heart…”

With teasing solemnity, she vowed, “You know I would never do any such thing.” The ranch hand snorted and waved her away and she went to find Grant, who’d saved her a place in the stands.

He threw an arm around her and pulled her close. “Hey, tough luck. At least we know you’re the best.”

She thought that she wouldn’t mind losing every race she entered, if it meant Grant would put his arm around her and tell her how great she was. “Truth is, I’m thinking my barrel racing days are over. I just don’t have the time to practice like I used to. After all, I’ve got a ranch to run—not to mention teaching the occasional resort-happy tenderfoot how to stay in the saddle.”

He looked at her admiringly. “You’re a good sport, Steph. Always have been.”

It wasn’t the kind of compliment the average woman could appreciate. But Steph recognized high praise when she heard it.

He sat right there at her side through the whole rodeo, from roping to calf wresting, bareback and bronc riding and bull riding, too. It was a dream of a day and she never wanted it to end.

They were back at his four-by-four at a little before five. “Take me to dinner,” she commanded.

“This is getting damn dangerous,” he said.

But he didn’t say no.

He drove to a friendly Italian place he liked in New Town, east of the historic area around Main. He said they’d never get seats anywhere in Old Town, where all the restaurants would be packed with tourists and folks down from the resort, looking for a little taste of Thunder Canyon hospitality.

They shared a bottle of Chianti and she told him more about her plans for improvements at Clifton’s Pride. He talked about the new golf course that a world-famous golf pro was designing for the resort, about his ideas for further expansion, about how much he loved the work he was doing.

She grinned across the table at him. “You don’t have to say how much you love your work. It’s right there in your eyes every time you mention it.”

He teased, “Are you telling me I’m boring you?”

“Uh-uh. Not in the least. I like to see you happy, with your eyes shining, all full of your big plans.”

He leaned close again. “You do, huh?”

“I do.” She raised her wineglass. He touched his against it.

When he set the glass down, he said, “This is nice.”

And she nodded.

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