The Man from Texas by Linda Style

Author:Linda Style
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2007-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A TALL MAN wearing a Stetson and a woman with long blond hair were waiting at the entrance to the rodeo grounds when Taylor and Jack arrived. The man, who Taylor guessed was Jack’s friend Cal, had one foot on the weathered wooden gate and an arm around the woman, who she figured was Jack’s sister, Lana. The man waved them over.

“Cal and Lana, this is Taylor,” Jack said. “Taylor, this is my sister, Lana, and her sidekick, the award-winning bronc-buster Caleb Carson.” Jack grinned widely, then with a wide sweep of an arm, he added, “And this is Ryan, the tiger.”

The boy, who must have been only five or six was bouncing around as if he’d eaten a ten-pound bag of sugar. “I bet you’re excited to see the rodeo,” Taylor said to him.

“I’m gonna ride when I get bigger,” he said proudly. “Just like Uncle Jack and Uncle Cal.”

Taylor looked at Jack, who shrugged. “Long time ago. I was too young to know I could break bones and end up in a wheelchair.” He ruffled the boy’s hair.

“Uncle Cal doesn’t break bones.”

“That’s because he’s good. If you’re not good, you break bones.”

Cal, Jack had explained on the way to the rodeo, was his best friend and happened to be dating Jack’s sister—and Ryan called him uncle because of Jack, not because he was dating Lana.

“We’ve got seats over here,” Lana said, pointing to the bleachers.

“You’re gonna ride, too, aren’t you, Uncle Jack?”

“Just once,” Jack said. “And you’ve all gotta keep your fingers crossed that I don’t crash and burn.”

“You won’t,” Ryan said, excitement shining in his big blue eyes. “You can sit next to me,” the boy told Taylor. “Cuz I can tell you what’s going on.”

Taylor laughed. “Great. It’s a deal.”

Lana nudged Taylor. “He likes to sit with strangers because they buy him junk food.”

“Ah, I got it. And here I was thinking it was my sparkling personality.”

Ryan ran off to talk to another child and Jack was preoccupied with Cal and various people who came by, apparently coordinating last-minute details for the benefit.

Lana led Taylor to their seats in the first row of bleachers, saving spots for Jack, Cal and Ryan. “Up here when you’re ready,” she called to the others.

As she and Lana sat watching, Taylor was struck by how handsome both men were, each in his own way. Jack with his dark, shiny hair and electric green eyes, Cal with his blond model good looks and dark hazel eyes that made his coloring appear almost bronze. The two men made quite the pair and, watching women’s heads turn as they walked by, Taylor suspected the two of them had a great time when they went out together. Double trouble.

Oddly, Cal and Lana looked more like brother and sister than Jack and Lana.

Cal pumped hands with Jack and then the two of them walked off, apparently toward their rides for the day. The earthy smell of animals, dirt, sweat and leather permeated the air. Excitement hummed through the crowd as they waited for the first rider out of the gate.

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