Jesse shifted uneasily on the hard wooden seat in the bleachers as he watched her. Why was he able to read her so effortlessly? What gave him the power to figure out what she was thinking?
It had to be because Shea was so open. She didn’t try to hide what was on her mind. He allowed himself a slight smile as he watched her circle the ring. Shea never hesitated to tell him or anyone else just what she was thinking.
But the connection he felt went deeper than that. It far exceeded his usual approach. Whenever he was on a case, he made it a point to bore into his target’s mind, to think like the criminal he wanted to apprehend. To know them, as completely as possible.
Abruptly he tore his gaze away from Shea and looked blindly down at the program he held clenched in one hand. He wanted to know Shea, all right, but arresting her had nothing to do with it. And it had to stop.
Smoothing out the program, he looked at the schedule of events. He spotted Shea’s name in the program, but made himself ignore it. The barrel racers were first, then the bronc riders. There was something for kids called mutton busting next, then the ropers and the bull riders. He suspected that he’d learn far more about rodeos today than he ever intended to know.
When the loudspeaker above him crackled to life and a tinny voice announced the beginning of the barrel racing, he looked up with a start. The ring had been cleared and an aura of expectancy hovered over the crowds in the stands. Suddenly a buzzer sounded and a horse and rider exploded into the ring.
The young woman clinging to the back of the horse guided the animal around a barrel in front of the stands, then across the ring to the next barrel. After circling perilously close, they headed for the barrel at the far end of the ring. The horse brushed the barrel but quickly recovered, then they dashed at full speed the length of the ring and out the gate.
A time flashed on the screen. It was just a little over eighteen seconds, and Jesse had no idea if that was good or bad. The voice on the loudspeaker said, “That was Mandy Powell, with a time of eighteen point two three seconds. Let’s give Mandy a big hand.”
Several more riders competed, some doing better than Mandy, some worse. There was no sign of Shea. Jesse stared at the area near the gate, looking for a glimpse of her blue shirt. Just as he began to wonder if the rodeo had been a ruse and she had cleverly managed to ditch him, he saw her burst into the ring.
She leaned far over Demon’s neck, her face a blur in the horse’s mane. She flew around the first two barrels almost effortlessly, cutting the angles so close that she just missed brushing the barrels. When she raced for the last barrel, she crouched even lower over Demon’s neck.
The horse didn’t even break stride as he turned around the far barrel. And when they headed for the gate. Shea clinging to his back, the horse put his ears back and ran even faster.
When they were more than halfway to the gate, Shea sat up in the saddle and pulled up sharply on the reins. Demon flattened his ears, but he slowed down. As they left the ring, Jesse saw that the horse was limping slightly.
There was a disappointed groan from the crowd. The announcer said, “That was Shea McAllister, folks. I don’t know what happened, but she was on track for the fastest time so far. That’s too bad.”
Ignoring the murmur of the crowd around him, Jesse jumped up and edged his way out of the stands. Once he was on the ground, he ran around the ring to the area where the contestants entered.
Shea and Demon were off to the side. Shea was crouched down in front of her horse, examining his left front leg. Jesse shoved his way through the crowd until he was standing next to her.
“What happened?”
She looked up at him, her face pinched with worry. “I don’t know. I felt him alter his gait during the last dash. I can’t feel anything wrong in his leg, though.”
Several curious bystanders crowded around them, watching Shea. Seeing the fear and worry on her face, he grabbed the reins that dangled from Demon’s bridle and slung one arm over Shea’s shoulders.
“Let’s get him back to his stall. It’ll be easier to examine him there.”
She nodded mutely and allowed him to lead her away. For just a moment he thought she leaned into him, pressing herself closer. Then she straightened, but she didn’t move away from his arm.
By the time they reached his stall, he knew she’d regained her composure. Working quickly, she removed the saddle and bridle from Demon and snapped a lead rope into place on his halter.
“Let me hold that,” Jesse said gruffly.
She handed it to him without a word, then bent over the horse’s leg again. Her fingers probed and stroked over Demon’s joints, and finally she picked up his foot and stared at the bottom.
Slowly she replaced his foot on the ground, then stood up.
“Did you find anything?” Jesse asked.
She nodded. “It looks like his foot is bruised.”
“It wasn’t bruised before you started racing.” Jesse knew Shea would have checked.
“There must have been a stone under the dirt in the ring.” She ran her hand down Demon’s back. “They’re supposed to rake the dirt to get rid of all the stones. I guess they missed one.”
“You would have won, you know.”
“Probably.”
He watched her scratch the horse’s nose. “You don’t seem too concerned.”
She turned to him. “You think I would have been happy winning if it had hurt Demon even more?”
“Some people want to win no matter what.” He watched her carefully.
“I’m not some people.” Her voice was biting. “I like to win as much as the next person. Probably more. But a blue ribbon isn’t worth risking Demon.”
“You would only have had to let him go a few more feet,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said fiercely. “A few feet or a few inches, the end result could have been the same. Demon is worth more than one winning run. There’ll be other races.”
“It wouldn’t have done any permanent damage to let him race on a bruised foot.” He wasn’t sure why he was pushing her, but he sensed that her attitude about the race and her horse was important to understanding Shea.
“I didn’t know it was just a bruised foot. I’m not one of those winning is everything people,” she said, and he cringed at the scorn in her voice. “Maybe you are, Jesse. And if you are, then I guess you wouldn’t understand.”
“I do understand,” he said, grabbing her hand when she would have stormed out of the stall. “I would have done the same thing.”
She stared down at their hands, still joined together, but didn’t pull away. “Then why are you faulting me for doing just that?”
He shifted her hand in his, pressed their palms together. The ridges of her callouses rubbed against his skin, reminding him of her strength.
“I just want to understand you, Shea,” he said quietly, and he was appalled to find that it was the truth. And that it had nothing to do with the case. “I saw how determined you were to win, how much you loved what you were doing. And I saw how good you were. You were head and shoulders above the rest of the barrel racers. You should have won.”
“I’m older than most of them,” she said automatically. “There were a lot of teenagers here today, and I’ve been competing longer than most of those girls.” She looked up at him. “Yes, I want to win, Jesse. I’ll confess to being very competitive. But I couldn’t hurt Demon just to win Some things are more important than winning.”
His heart turned over in his chest as he watched her in the dim light of the stall. Her hair was disheveled and the blue shirt showed smudges of dirt from Demon’s legs. The worry had mostly disappeared from her eyes, but he saw the disappointment, deep in their blue depths.
“I was proud of you,” he murmured, and a flush of pleasure filled her face. “I wanted to stand up and cheer for you when you pulled up. It doesn’t matter what the scoreboard says, Shea. You were the winner here today.”
Her blue
eyes softened as she stared at him. “Thank you, Jesse,” she whispered. “I’m glad you understand.”
He understood far more than she realized, he thought with a jolt. And none of what he saw pointed toward Shea being a criminal. For the first time, he allowed himself to wonder if their informant had been wrong. If he had made a mistake. Because, for the first time, Jesse couldn’t think of Shea as a criminal. He could think of her only as a woman.
He swayed toward her, unable to take his eyes off her face. Her mouth softened and trembled, and her eyes began to drift closed. He needed to kiss her, needed to feel her in his arms. But just as he gripped her shoulders and moved closer, there was a noise outside the stall.
“I hope I’m not interrupting.”
Jesse jerked back and looked at the man standing on the other side of the stall door. His twinkling eyes said that he knew exactly what he’d been interrupting.
Shea looked over at Pat O’Connor and felt hot color flood her cheeks. What would the veterinarian from Cameron think? “Hi, Pat,” she said, her voice too bright. “I didn’t know you were the vet for this rodeo.”
“The regular guy was sick, and they called to ask if one of us could take over. Becca passed the job onto me.”
Shea could just imagine what Pat would tell his partner, Becca Farrell, when he returned to Cameron. “I’m glad you’re here,” she said, determined to act as businesslike as possible. “I think Demon just has a bruised foot, but I was going to call Becca when we got home. Now you can take a look at it.”
Pat eased into the stall and bent down next to the horse. Before looking at his foot, the vet examined Demon’s whole leg. Finally he lifted the foot and probed at it carefully.
After a while he stood up. “I think you’re nght, Shea. It looks like a stone bruise. I can’t find anything wrong with his leg otherwise. Give him a few days, and he should be as good as new.” Pat glanced over at Jesse, his curiosity evident.
“This is Jesse Coulton,” Shea said. “He’s the new hand on the Red Rock.”
“That so? Nice to meet you, Coulton.” Pat reached over and shook Jesse’s hand, his eyes full of speculation. “I’d heard that Shea hired someone.”
“I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time,” Jesse said coolly. Shea saw the shuttered look in his eyes and wondered what he was thinking. Was he mortified that he’d been caught almost kissing his boss? Was he angry at Pat for interrupting them? She couldn’t tell.
Pat turned back to her. “I’ll tell Becca what happened. She can stop by and take another look at him in a few days.”
“Thanks, Pat.” Shea felt Jesse’s tension behind her, and she willed Pat O’Connor to leave. He must have heard her unspoken words, because he turned to her and smiled.
“Take it easy, Shea.” He glanced over at Jesse. “Glad to meet you, Coulton. Maybe I’ll see you around town.”
“Never can tell.” Jesse’s voice was noncommittal.
After Pat walked away, Shea fiddled with Demon’s halter. She wasn’t sure why she didn’t want to face Jesse.
“I’m sorry,” he said after a moment.
“What do you mean?” She turned to look at him.
“For putting you in a compromising situation.”
Warmth bloomed inside her. “Isn’t that a bit old-fashioned ?”
“I’m your employee,” he said stiffly. “You were about to kiss me, for God’s sake. What’s O’Connor going to think?”
“I don’t care. I’m an adult, and so are you. What we do on our own time is nobody’s business except ours.”
“That’s naive, Shea. I work for you. Cameron is a small town. You know damn well that you’ll be the talk of the town.”
She lifted her chin. “It won’t be the first time, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I don’t care what people say.”
Jesse stared at her for a moment, then shook his head. “Why aren’t I surprised? I should have figured that’s what you’d say.” A teasing smile played around his mouth. “Maybe I don’t want my reputation tarnished. Did you ever think of that?”
She tilted her head and studied him, then slowly smiled. “I’d guess that your reputation was the last thing you worried about I think you care even less than me if people are talking about you.”
A startled look flew across his face, as if she had surprised him. He recovered quickly. “If I want another job, I have to worry about my reputation.”
“Are you telling me that you’re quitting?” She was shocked at the bitter disappointment that swept through her.
“Of course not,” he said quietly. “Do you think I’d leave you in the lurch?”
“You have no contract with me or the Red Rock,” she countered. “There’s nothing stopping you from looking for a better job.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Shea.” For a moment, his eyes hardened and he reminded her of the stranger who’d come to her ranch looking for a job, tough and faintly dangerous. Then he smiled and the fleeting impression was gone. “You took a chance on me, and I’ll stay as long as you need me.”
He looked over at Demon, then back at her. “Will he be all right alone? Do you want to look around the rodeo?”
The subject had been firmly changed, but that was fine with her. She had no desire right now to examine her feelings for Jesse. So she grinned at him and said, “I’d love to walk around the rodeo. Demon will be fine. I’ll give him some food, and he’ll be as happy as a mouse in a cheese factory.”
A few minutes later they emerged from the barn into the bright light of the spring day. Shea glanced up at Jesse, walking beside her, and wondered what he was thinking. Why had he wanted to come to the rodeo with her? The only explanation was that he wanted to spend time with her, get to know her.
She wouldn’t allow herself to think about that. She wasn’t ready for a relationship, especially not with a man who worked for her. Memories of Kyle Diggett and what he had done flashed through her mind, and she moved a step away from Jesse.
He turned to her, as if he sensed her withdrawal, and said, “What do you like to do at a rodeo?”
His eyes were friendly and his smile casual. There was no trace of the dangerous man she’d glimpsed just minutes ago. Forcing herself to smile, to act as casual as Jesse, she said, “I like to compete in the barrel racing. I don’t usually spend much time with the rest of the rodeo.”
His smile turned into a grin, genuine and pleased. “Then we can discover it together. What do you want to do first?”
They spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon wandering through the rodeo grounds, stopping occasionally to watch the events going on in the ring. Jesse stayed close, but he didn’t touch her again. It didn’t matter.
Awareness of him hummed through her, magnified every time they laughed at the same moment or looked at each other in perfect agreement. Every time his hand accidentally brushed hers, heat flooded her. When he put his hand at the small of her back to guide her, she began to tremble.
Letting Jesse come to the rodeo with her had definitely not been a good idea. She’d spent the day painfully aware of him, her body betraying her every time he’d so much as looked at her.
It was approaching time for dinner when she turned to him and said, “Ready to call it a day?”
“I’m ready whenever you are.”
“Let’s get going, then. I need to get back to the ranch.”
“There was nothing going on today, was there?” he asked.
“No, but I’m not usually gone this long.”
“Can’t bear to be away?” His voice was teasing, but she shook her head.
“No, I can’t. I’m afraid that Levi will try to do too much, or that Joe and Dusty will be doing work they have no business doing.”
“You need to get someone else to help you out, Shea.”
She shot him a look as they reached Demon’s stall. “That was supposed to be your job.”
“Are you sorry I came with you today?�
� The air was suddenly filled with tension.
“Of course not.” Tension ratcheted higher. “I had a wonderful time.” She hesitated. “I don’t remember when I had so much fun at a rodeo.”
“But now you need to get back.”
“Now I need to get back,” she echoed. “Would you grab the tack while I take Demon?”
She led the horse out of the stall, and watched as Jesse carried the saddle and bridle. In a few minutes, Demon was loaded into the horse trailer, the tack was properly stowed, and they were driving slowly out of the rodeo grounds.
“Are you sorry you came with me today? You wasted one of your days off.” She glanced at him as she spoke.
His eyes were full of heat. “I’m not sorry at all. And I wouldn’t say my day was wasted.” His gaze held hers, and she felt herself responding to the need in his eyes. “I learned a lot today.”
Chapter 7
His voice was deep in the silence of the truck, and heavy with meaning. Swallowing once, she dared a glance over at him. His gaze was full of unmistakable desire.
Blindly she turned her gaze to the road. She wasn’t ready for this, she thought wildly. She wasn’t ready for the need that churned inside her, the wanting. She wasn’t ready for the way Jesse made her feel.
The ride home seemed far longer than the trip to the rodeo. Silence swirled around them, a silence charged with rising tension. Jesse was sitting too close, his leg only inches away from hers. His arm rested on the seat behind her, his fingers a mere whisper away from her neck. Her skin jumped every time he shifted on the seat.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she saw the driveway to the Red Rock ahead. She took the turn too fast and skidded on the gravel driveway. Relief trembled through her when she pulled the truck to a stop outside the barn.
“Thanks for coming with me, Jesse. I hope you had a good time.” She held onto the steering wheel to hide the shaking of her hands.
“I’ll help you get Demon settled in for the night,” he said, ignoring her silent plea to disappear.
The Fugitive Bride Page 9
