‘I just wanted to say what I feel,’ Leo said.
‘Well, you did that. So why don’t we all calm down and get acquainted?’
He turned to the young woman and introduced himself in his easygoing way.
‘Barton Hanworth, Four-Ten Ranch, just outside Stephenville, about five miles ahead.’
‘Selena Gates. On my way to Stephenville.’
‘Fine. We can get your—er—vehicle seen to when we’re there, and a vet for your horse.’
Selena tore her hair. ‘But how are we going to get there? Fly?’
‘Nope. I just made a call and help is on its way now. While we’re waiting for things to get sorted out you’ll stay with us a day or so.’
‘I will?’
‘Where else?’ he asked genially. ‘If I landed you in this fix, it’s for me to get you out.’
Selena shot a suspicious look at Leo. ‘But he says it wasn’t your fault.’
‘Well, I may have reacted just a little too late,’ Barton conceded, unable to meet Leo’s eye. ‘Fact is, if I’d slowed sooner—well anyway, you don’t want to take any notice of what my friend here says.’ He leaned towards her conspiratorially. ‘He’s a foreigner—talks funny.’
‘Thanks Barton,’ Leo grinned.
He was still giving most of his attention to Elliot, stroking the horse’s nose and murmuring in a way that the animal seemed to find calming. Selena watched him, saying nothing, seeing everything.
Whatever orders Barton had given must have been to the point, because in a short time things started happening. A truck appeared, drawing a slant-load gooseneck trailer, bearing the logo of the Four-Ten Ranch, and large enough for three horses.
Gently Selena led Elliot up the ramp. He was clearly limping now.
‘There’ll be a vet and a doctor waiting when we get home,’ Barton said. ‘Now, you get in the car with us, and we’ll be off.’
‘Thanks but I’ll stay with Elliot,’ she said.
Barton frowned. ‘It’s against the law for you to do that. Oh, what the hell?’ he retreated, seeing her stubborn expression. ‘It’s only five miles.’
‘I have to stay with Elliot,’ Selena explained. ‘He’ll be nervous in a new place without me. What about my van?’
‘Don’t you worry, that’s being attached now,’ Barton assured her.
‘Elliot doesn’t like going too fast,’ she said quickly.
‘I’ll make sure the driver knows that. Leo, you coming?’
‘No, I think I’ll stay here,’ he said.
‘I don’t need any help with Elliot,’ Selena said quickly.
‘It’s not Elliot I’m thinking of. You took a nasty bump on the head, and you shouldn’t be on your own.’
‘I’m all right.’
Leo climbed into the trailer and stood, arms folded, looking stubborn.
‘We can start the journey and get Elliot to a vet, or we can stand here talking until you give in. It’s up to you.’
He pulled the door closed as he spoke. Selena glared but didn’t argue further. She even allowed him to help her settle Elliot in one of the stalls.
She was angry with him, without being quite sure why. She knew he hadn’t been driving, and Barton Hanworth, who had been driving, was making handsome amends. But her nerves were jangled, she’d had the fright of her life, and all her agitation seemed to be homing in on this man who had the nerve to order her about, and was now talking to her in much the same soothing voice he’d used to calm Elliot. Crime of crimes!
‘We’ll be there soon,’ he said. ‘You can get some proper treatment.’
‘I don’t need mollycoddling,’ she said through gritted teeth.
‘Well, I would if I’d had a crash like you did.’
‘I guess some of us are just tougher than others,’ she said grumpily.
He left it there. She looked ill and he reckoned she was entitled to her bad temper. When she turned away to Elliot he watched, observing with wonder how she’d switched from bawling him out to being gentle and tender with the animal.
He was a quarter horse, not beautiful but solid and showing signs of a hard life. From the way she rested her cheek against his nose it was clear that he was perfect in her eyes.
At first glance she too wasn’t beautiful, except for her eyes which were large and green. Her skin had the peachy glow of health and outdoor living, and her face looked as though it might be engagingly mischievous at a better time. Also Leo’s observant eyes had noticed her movements with pleasure. She was as slim as a lathe, not elegant but tough and wiry, yet she moved with the instinctive grace of a dancer.
He tried to see her marvellous eyes again, without being obvious about it. With eyes like that a woman didn’t need anything else. They did it all for her.
‘My name’s Leo Calvani,’ he said, offering his hand.
She took it, and he immediately sensed the strength he’d guessed was there. He tightened his fingers a little, seeking to know more, but she withdrew her hand at once, having left it in his for no more than the minimum that courtesy demanded.
They started to move, slowly as Selena had insisted. After a few minutes he realised that she was studying him with curiosity. Not erotic curiosity, as he was used to. Or romantic fascination, which also came his way satisfyingly often.
Just curiosity. As though maybe he wasn’t as bad as she’d first thought, and she was prepared to make allowances.
But no more than that.
CHAPTER TWO
THE Four-Ten Ranch was ten thousand acres of prime land, populated by five thousand head of cattle, two hundred horses, fifty employees and a family of six.
Selena knew she was in the presence of very serious money when she climbed stiffly out of the horse trailer and saw the stables where Barton kept his prize horse-flesh. She knew humans who lived worse.
Everything moved like clockwork. As she walked in, leading Elliot, a man was pulling open the door of a large, comfortable stall. A vet was already there. So was a doctor, who would have drawn her aside, but Leo Calvani forestalled him with the quiet words, ‘Let her attend the horse first. She won’t settle down until she’s seen him OK.’
She gave him a brief look of gratitude for his understanding, and watched jealously as the vet passed expert hands over Elliot and gave a diagnosis that was roughly the same as Leo’s, with a little elaboration to justify his fee. An anti-inflammatory injection, some bandaging, and it was over.
‘Will he be fit for the rodeo next week?’ Selena asked anxiously.
‘We’ll see. He’s not a young horse any more.’
‘How about letting the doctor look at you now?’ Leo asked her.
She nodded and sat while the doctor examined her head. Beneath her apparent calm she was fighting despair. Her head was aching, her heart was aching and she was aching all over.
‘How are those animals I sold you two years back?’ Leo asked Barton. ‘Shaping up?’
‘Come and see for yourself.’
Together the two men walked along the stalls, and long, intelligent faces turned to watch them go by.
The five horses Barton