“What else, for example?” he drawled.
“Oh, the white star on Firebrand’s forehead and his dorsal stripe. And he’s a powerful size. Makes a female feel protected. Notice how she’s been scratching him on the rump with her teeth? She likes being around him.”
“He likes a good scratch.”
Her arched brows lifted. “Well, he’s getting one. Amazing she knew where he itched.”
“Lucky him. Who would have thought being stuck out in the back of beyond during a blizzard he would find such bliss?”
“It proves pure chemistry can work anywhere, but I think we’d better take them in. I want to check their gums and temperatures.”
“If they both have a fever, we’ll know romance is definitely in the air.”
As she walked ahead of him with Sunflower, her laughter rippled back to tease his senses. He followed her into the trailer. After they’d dried off the horses, she gave them a thorough checkup while he cleaned the floor and put out fresh water and hay.
They worked as a team. No unmet expectations. No trauma of any kind. No deadlines. All that lay ahead of them was the rest of the night together. Nothing could have suited him better.
“It’s still coming down, Liz. We’re going to have to stay here until morning. By then the highway will have been plowed and we’ll have a straight shot to Salt Lake. Depending on the weather tomorrow, we might make it to Las Vegas by nightfall.”
“I’m glad we’re not taking chances. Our horses need special handling at a time like this if we expect the very best from them in the arena.”
“Amen.”
She threw the light rugs over them. “They look good and are probably wishing we’d leave them alone. Okay, guys. Treat time.” She reached in her parka for some Uncle Jimmy’s Squeezy Buns. She gave a few to Connor to give his horse.
“Did you see that? Sunflower starts talking when she hears the wrapper being opened. I swear she’d drool if she could.”
Another chuckle came out of Connor, who fed Firebrand. After they’d finished their chores, he followed Liz out of the back. Just before he closed things up, he heard more nickering between both horses. Liz’s mouth curved into a mischievous smile. “I’d say all is well.”
Yup. Everybody was happy. It surprised him how much he was looking forward to more time alone with her.
The ringing of his cell phone broke the magic of the moment, preventing him from responding. He pulled it from the pocket of his jeans to check the caller ID.
Reva? He might have known. She knew how to choose her times.
Damn.
“Go ahead and take it while I clean up the kitchen.” She hurried around the end of the trailer. Liz couldn’t have known who was calling, but good manners stopped her from asking questions or lingering. Not that he’d been trying, but so far he hadn’t found anything wrong with her. Quite the opposite, in fact.
He could talk to his ex-wife now or call her back later. The choice was his. But in that moment, while he was deciding what he wanted to do, he realized more than ever how much his feelings had changed since they’d been divorced. The old Connor wouldn’t have let it ring a fifth time.
Before long she’d left him a text message.
Connor? Know u r on the road. Want u to know I’ll be in Las Vegas tomorrow.
No way. He had no desire to see her while he was there to compete. There was no time for her. He and Wade had their horses to exercise and take care of.
I took off work. Have reserved honeymoon suite at the Mirage. Hope to give our marriage another try.
Where was this coming from? Something new had to be going on in her life. Maybe she’d broken up with the television producer she’d been dating since their divorce. Some kind of change was in the works. He knew Reva. For them to reconnect, she’d have to leave Los Angeles, because ranching was his life. She hated ranch life. If he didn’t know anything else, he knew that.
She’d had two years to think about it. So had he, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted her back, even if she gave up her television career and agreed to live with him on the ranch. Two years had changed him, and would have changed her. It would mean starting over again.
He doubted she would ever get the show biz bug out of her system. Connor couldn’t blame her for that, any more than he could stamp the rodeo bug out of his blood. She was pursuing her dreams. With the right marriage she could go on doing it.
Key at front desk. Let yourself in. Middle of night doesn’t matter. Dying to see you, lover. Miss u more than ever.
Connor couldn’t honestly say the same. What was going on with her?
The snow kept falling.
Shielding his phone, he replied with his own text message.
Reva? May not make Las Vegas by tomorrow. Can’t stay at Mirage. Give u a call later.
The Mirage was home to the NFR steer wrestlers, but she knew he preferred staying in his own trailer. After he put the phone back in his pocket, he walked around to the entrance. Shaking more snow off everything, he stepped inside and hung his things up. No sign of Liz, which meant she was in the bathroom. She’d cleaned up the kitchen. Her appeal was growing on him in ways he hadn’t anticipated.
He washed his hands and poured himself another cup of coffee. While she was busy, he phoned Wade. He and Kim had made it to Evanston. So far, so good. They talked about the weather for a minute before hanging up.
He made one more call, to his grandfather, who sounded relieved to hear Connor’s voice. After assuring him that he and Liz were fine, Connor asked how Ralph’s day had gone. That was when he learned Ned would be coming home tomorrow for a supervised overnight visit. His first since being at the mental health facility.
Connor put his coffee down. “Does Jarod know?”
“Yes. I told him that he and Sadie ought to go out to the reservation while he’s here.”
“Good plan. You don’t want anything to go wrong that could set him off.”
“According to the doctor, Ned is making a turnaround. We’re all keeping our fingers crossed.”
“I will, too.”
“Bless you, son. What you need to do is keep concentrating on the competition. Tell me about the little princess.” That was what Ralph had always called Liz.
“She’s a great vet and terrific company.” All of it true. But he’d already found out she was a lot more than that.
“That’s what I needed to hear. I assured her father you were taking good care of her.”
“We’re taking good care of each other. Let him know Millie’s chili and rolls were a sensation.”
“I’ll tell him.” After a silence, “Son?” Connor heard him hesitate. “Reva called the house earlier. I told her you were already on your way to Las Vegas.”
He gripped his phone tighter. “She texted me.” Connor could hear the question his grandfather didn’t ask. It was the question Connor couldn’t answer.
Ralph never pried. That was what made him so lovable.
“I’ll call you tomorrow night, Grandpa. Maybe by then you can tell me how the visit went with Ned. Sleep well and don’t worry about a thing.”
“Ha! Just wait till one of your grandchildren tells you the same thing.”
That last comment stayed with him as he hung up the phone. Since the divorce, he couldn’t see himself having children, let alone grandchildren. Much