Could have fooled her. Though he was wearing a button-down shirt that wasn’t formfitting, she’d bet good money there was a nice set of solid abs lurking beneath the cloth.
Irritated at the direction of her thoughts, she took a giant bite of her Danish.
Jason sank onto the bench. “So, who has questions about being a rodeo cowboy?”
“How long have you been a cowboy?” Alice asked.
“For as long as I can remember. I started mutton busting when I was four years old.”
“What’s mutton busting?” Daron asked.
“It’s where you ride a big woolly sheep. You wrap your legs around the sheep’s body,” Jason explained, making a circle with his arms, “and hang on to the wool with your hands and see how long you can ride without falling off.”
“That sounds like fun,” Brent said, surprising Sloane so much she was sure her eyes widened. It was the first time Brent had said anything without being asked a direct question.
“It was. It’s how kids get interested in the rodeo.”
“Are we going to do mutton busting?” a boy named Enrique asked. There was such a light in his dark eyes and excitement in his question that Sloane hated to burst his bubble.
“Sorry, but no.”
“Why not?”
She glanced at Jason to find him watching her, also waiting for the answer to Enrique’s question.
“We don’t have sheep, for one.” Not to mention the safety equipment and the level of liability insurance that such an event would require. Or the money for any of those things.
The looks and sounds of disappointment rekindled her irritation, not at the kids but at Jason for bringing up the topic in the first place.
Okay, so he was just answering a question, but still. What kid could resist the idea of riding a big, fluffy sheep? Heck, she would have totally done that as a kid if the opportunity had been there.
“I’m sure you’re going to be doing a bunch of other fun stuff this weekend,” Jason said.
Sloane gradually relaxed again as she watched the continued exchange between Jason and the kids. He never acted as if any of their questions were stupid, and he didn’t talk down to them. It made her wonder if he had kids of his own. He didn’t wear a wedding band, but that didn’t mean anything. Some of the rodeo guys were probably like sailors with a girl in every port.
By the time her mom rang the bell signaling lunch was ready, Sloane had learned that Jason was from Idaho, he’d been competing as a professional since he was eighteen and he’d had six broken bones thanks to his career choice.
Angel herded the kids toward a couple of picnic tables next to the grilling station near the house.
“Are you eating with us?” Phoebe asked as she slipped her little hand into Jason’s.
He smiled down at the girl. “I don’t think they planned for the extra mouth to feed.”
Sloane huffed at that. “You’ve never met my mother and her penchant for making twice as much food as needed.”
“Please,” Phoebe said.
“Well, how can I say no to such a nice invitation?”
Phoebe’s lips stretched into a huge smile, and damn if Sloane didn’t have to fight to keep from doing the same thing.
Phoebe shot off toward the picnic area as if she hadn’t eaten both a hearty breakfast and a midmorning pastry.
Jason chuckled. “Sweet kids.”
“Yeah. And resilient.”
He gave her a questioning look.
“They all come from tough backgrounds. Some are from struggling, low-income homes. Several are in foster care for one reason or another. All of them have had to face more than they should at their age.”
“That’s sad.”
“It is. They seem to like you though.”
“And that annoys you.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.” He grinned at her as he grabbed a ham-and-cheese sandwich and a couple of her mom’s homemade oatmeal cookies.
“Sorry. I just don’t know you, and these kids’ safety is my responsibility.”
“So this has nothing to do with the fact that your sister is trying to set us up?”
“Well, there goes my hope that it was obvious only to me.”
“It’s not a bad idea. I’m a decent guy.”
“Perhaps you are, but you’re also going to be long gone by tomorrow night.” And her record of picking guys to date was far from stellar.
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
Well, that reaction was unexpected. She’d thought he might try to encourage her to live a little, have some harmless fun. She wasn’t a fuddy-duddy and wasn’t on the hunt for a forever kind of guy, but she also wasn’t hot on the idea of being with a guy who’d no doubt been with several women before her and would be with several afterward. She wasn’t judging that choice. It just wasn’t for her.
Of course, she often doubted a serious relationship was for her either. She’d seen at a young age what loving someone too much could do to a person. The one time she’d believed she might have a future with a guy, she’d been proven wrong in a way that still stung years later. The relationships since then had really ended before they started.
They walked toward one of the picnic tables. Though her father and Neil had ridden out partway through Jason’s Q and A with the campers, Ben was still keeping an eye on things from outside his saddle shop. And it was a safe bet that Adam was lurking nearby, too.
“I’m guessing your brothers have scared off a number of dates for you and Angel over the years.”
“They try, the annoying brats. But Angel and I can hold our own.”
“That does not surprise me.”
“You don’t even know us.”
“Call it gut instinct.”
They sat in silence long enough for each of them to eat their sandwiches. She listened to Daron at the opposite end of the table talking to a couple other boys about how he could ride a sheep all day and not fall off. He was so animated that she had to hide a smile behind her hand. Beside her, Jason chuckled.
“That one is full of personality,” Jason said.
“Yep.”
“What’s his story?”
“From a single-parent home, the youngest of six kids. They struggle to get by.” And how heartbreaking was it that Daron’s story was one of the happier ones?
She noticed Brent watching them silently from the other table. “I think someone is a fan.”
He glanced in the direction she nodded. “Hey, Brent, can you help me out? I have more cookies than I can eat. You want one?”
Brent slid off his seat and came to stand at the end of their table. Jason handed him one of the cookies that Sloane had no doubt Jason could eat with no problem.
“Do you have to be big to ride in the rodeo?” Brent asked.
“Not all the time. One of the toughest bull riders I know isn’t much bigger than you.”
Brent’s eyes widened.
“Okay, let’s not put wild ideas in the child’s head.” She could just see one of these kids going home and telling their family or guardians that a cowboy encouraged them to ride a two-thousand-pound animal with three-foot horns.
She expected Jason to leave after lunch, but he hung around for a game of horseshoes. He gave pointers to the kids on throwing technique and engaged in some good-natured ribbing that had them giggling. Part of her wanted to be annoyed, but she was too thankful to see the kids’ smiles and hear their laughter.
“You’re good with them,” she said when he came to stand next to her, echoing Angel’s earlier observation.
“I’ve had practice with my sister’s kids, six-year-old twins.”
“Boys or girls?”
“One o
f each.”
Well, that explained it. He was probably used to being the cool uncle, which was basically what he’d been today. All the fun stuff with none of the responsibility.
“I better get going,” he said. “Thanks for inviting me out.”
“You have Angel to thank for that.”
“Well, then, thanks for not chasing me off with a pitchfork.”
Phoebe ran up to them. “Are you leaving?”
Jason placed his hand gently atop Phoebe’s light brown hair. “Yeah, this cowboy’s got to go try to make some money.”
“Can we go to the rodeo again tonight?” Phoebe asked, drawing a chorus of agreement from the other kids.
Angel smiled as she picked up the last of the horseshoes. Sloane was going to get her sister back for creating this monster and making Sloane the bad guy.
“Not tonight.” At the groans of disappointment, she said, “We’ve got a hayride and a big cookout planned. My dad makes the best burgers in Texas.”
“And there’s a meteor shower,” Angel said. “We can lie out on blankets and watch them streak across the sky.”
Brent looked up at Jason, who must have seemed as tall as a skyscraper to the little guy. “Are you coming back tomorrow?”
Jason started to say something but stopped and looked at Sloane.
“I’m sure Jason has things to do.” Like drive right out of Blue Falls and on to the next rodeo in the next town in an endless string that would stretch out for the rest of the year, only stopping when winter arrived.
“I have time, if you don’t mind,” Jason said.
She ignored a little flutter of excitement in the center of her chest. It was the height of stupidity, especially when all her attention needed to be on the kids this weekend. But then she saw the naked look of hope on Brent’s face and she simply couldn’t deny him another chance to be near his new hero—even if she thought there were way better heroes for a little boy to idolize.
“Feel free to come by,” she said. “But we’re going to have a lesson on mucking out stalls.”
“I have lots of experience in that department.” Jason grinned.
Damn if that grin probably hadn’t charmed more than one woman out of her panties. If not for the camp this weekend, she wasn’t 100 percent sure that she would be able to resist.
Chapter Three
Through an incredible streak of luck—a good draw for him and some poor performances from others—Jason ended up placing higher in the rodeo than he’d expected after his first night’s performance. High enough that he gained a spot in the national standings. He was in such a good mood that after a hearty breakfast at the Primrose Café, he bought some flower bouquets on his way out to the Rocking Horse Ranch.
Sloane had been right, of course. He would be leaving town later today, so getting involved wasn’t a wise decision. But it didn’t keep him from thinking about her, or evidently wanting to buy her a bouquet of flowers. He’d been halfway back to his truck outside the florist shop when he wondered if she might not be a flowers kind of gal.
But all women liked flowers, right?
To be on the safe side and to keep himself from potentially looking like a fool, he went back in and bought more flowers. If he brought bouquets for every female in residence at the ranch, all bases were covered.
True to her word, Sloane was giving a lesson on mucking out stalls when he arrived. She paused for a split second when she saw him enter the barn. Was she surprised that he’d actually come back? He hoped it was a pleasant surprise.
The kids hadn’t noticed him yet so he leaned against one of the stalls, the flowers hidden behind his back, as he listened to her tell the kids that having horses was a big responsibility. They had to be fed, watered, brushed, their health maintained and, yes, their poop scooped.
A chorus of “Eew!” made him chuckle to himself as she used the pitchfork to lift a section of soiled hay and deposit it in the wheelbarrow.
Little Phoebe was the first to notice him. When the wide grin appeared on her face, she called out, “Jason!” and ran toward him, his heart expanded the way it did whenever he got to visit Caleb and Lily.
He squatted in time for Phoebe to wrap her arms around his neck in a hug.
“You came back.”
“I said I would.”
She pulled away and stepped to his side. “Why are you hiding flowers behind your back?”
“As a surprise for you.” He brought one of the smaller bouquets around to give to her.
Her smile would brighten the darkest day. He suddenly wondered what her story was and hoped it wasn’t too bad. Anything that took away that smile would be a crime.
Phoebe brought the flowers up to her nose and sniffed them. “They’re so pretty.”
“Is it okay if I give the other girls some flowers, too?”
Phoebe nodded. “They smell nicer than the horse poop.”
He barked out a laugh, especially when he caught Sloane rolling her eyes. “I agree with you there.”
Jason walked over to Alice and the other girls in the group, including Angel’s daughter, Julia, then handed them all miniature bouquets identical to Phoebe’s.
“Did you bring some for Angel and Sloane?” Alice asked.
“I did.” He extended a bouquet to Angel, who stood on the opposite side of the alley from Sloane and her pitchfork.
“Thanks.” She sniffed them. “Phoebe is right. They do smell better than horse poop.”
The word poop got all the kids to giggling again.
“Do you like my mom?” Julia asked as she eyed him.
“She’s very nice,” he said, gathering from the child’s question that perhaps Angel was single. He’d heard nothing about a husband or boyfriend the day before.
“Do you want to take her on a date? Boys bring girls flowers when they want to go out on dates.”
“Julia,” Angel said, gently scolding. She shifted her gaze across to her sister. “Jason doesn’t want to go on a date with Mommy.”
Sloane pointed accusingly at Angel with the hand holding the pitchfork.
He extended one of the last two bouquets toward Sloane. “Your aunt, however, is a different story.”
He couldn’t tell for sure because of the hat she wore and the fact that she was no doubt warm from cleaning the stall, but he thought color rose in Sloane’s fair cheeks. She seemed at a loss for how to respond, and he considered he’d made a mistake saying what he had. He’d put her on the spot, and after she’d made it clear the day before she wasn’t interested in someone who’d be leaving town even before the campers would.
But he didn’t have to leave yet. He could stick around a couple more days and still make it to the next rodeo in plenty of time. Considering what she’d said the day before, he should leave now. But he flat-out didn’t want to. He wanted to get to know Sloane Hartley better. Despite her eye rolls and distancing behavior, he suspected there was a lot more to her. Like why she held these camps for kids who came from difficult backgrounds.
Common sense tried to convince him he was making a mistake. After all, being distracted by her was most likely the cause of his poor ride two nights earlier. Until this year was over, he should steer clear of distractions—even really pretty ones.
Especially really pretty ones.
“Those are lovely,” said a voice from behind them.
He continued looking at Sloane a moment longer, but she didn’t make a move to take the bouquet he offered. Shot down, he turned to face her mom.
“I’m glad you think so because these are for you,” he said, lifting the final bouquet.
“Well, that was sweet of you,” Mrs. Hartley said as she stepped closer and accepted the flowers. “These will look great in my kitchen.” She slipped her arm through his.
“He’s a good one. A smart woman would snatch him up while he’s still available.” She looked up at him. “You are available, aren’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Sloane didn’t roll her eyes this time, but he imagined her thinking about doing exactly that. Instead, she turned back to the stall and continued her lesson.
Mrs. Hartley patted him on the arm. “Don’t let her thorny exterior scare you off.”
“It’ll take more than that. I wrestle ornery steers for a living.”
Mrs. Hartley smiled at that, patted his arm once again, then stepped away. “Let me take Sloane’s flowers and put them in water. I’ll be sure to put them someplace she can’t miss them.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“No need for the formality. Call me Diane.”
He nodded.
“And if you don’t have to leave, make sure you stay for dinner.”
“Thanks. I appreciate the invitation.” During the rodeo season, home-cooked meals were few and far between. No cowboy with any sense turned one down.
He had a funny feeling Sloane might not feel the same about the invitation. That just meant he had his work cut out for him to change her mind.
* * *
SLOANE SHOULD HAVE known something like this was coming after Neil and Ben both got married. There’d been enough teasing around the dinner table that she was next despite her efforts to guide the conversation in any other direction. But she refused to be pushed into a situation not of her own choosing. She loved her family, but that didn’t mean she’d let them have their way.
A part of her realized Jason was a bit of a pawn in the current situation, too, but he wasn’t helping matters by bringing her flowers, being adorable with the kids and charming her mother. That trifecta would totally work with most women. She wasn’t most women.
He came to stand next to the stall she’d just finished cleaning as Angel led the kids outside for another activity.
“How can I help?” he asked.
She exited the stall and closed the door, then pointed at the wheelbarrow beside him. “You can empty that.”
Dang it, he didn’t hesitate or question her. Instead, he grabbed the handles and headed out of the barn. He didn’t even ask where the manure pile was. Chances were good he grew up on a ranch though, so it wasn’t as if he was a city slicker with no clue what he was doing.
Her Texas Rodeo Cowboy Page 3
