While the rest of the crowd jumped up and cheered, Alec dropped his head and groaned. “That’s really fast, isn’t it?” Liz asked.
He nodded dismally.
“Can they beat it?”
“I don’t think so.”
His eyes locked on Rebecca and Star as they approached the arena. She was too far away for him to see her expression, but he remembered all too well those heart-hammering seconds inside the holding box. Tommy and Joaquin looked remarkably calm as they loaded into the other box.
Then again, nothing ever rattled Tommy.
“Do we have any locals out there?” the announcer’s voice thundered. “Then you’d better give it up for your hometown team. Representing the Flying W Dude Ranch here in Jackson, Wyoming, here comes Tommy Bateman and Rebecca Westin!”
The grandstands erupted in applause, but Alec sat frozen as he watched the steer emerge from the chute. Half a second later, Joaquin and Star exploded out of their boxes, charging across the arena at a full gallop. Tommy was all business–he gave his lasso only one quick swing over his head before he released it. It settled around the steer’s horns with textbook precision, and he immediately pulled Joaquin to the left.
“Wait for him,” Alec muttered.
Rebecca did. Tommy’s rope went taut, and the steer’s hind end whipped towards Star. Rebecca studied the steer’s movement and waited for him to take another stride before she released her own lasso.
It all happened in a fraction of a second, but Alec felt like he was seeing it in slow motion. Before the rope even caught the steer’s legs, Rebecca pulled Star to a stop and secured the end around her saddle horn. Tommy backed Joaquin with lightning speed, and the steer came to a dead, outstretched stop. The official on the ground threw his flag, and the timer on the screen stopped.
At 7.02 seconds.
Alec was the first one on his feet, cheering at the top of his lungs. The roar from the spectators was deafening as Tommy dismounted to untie the steer. Once they’d trotted out of the arena, the announcer’s voice crackled over the loudspeakers, stating that there would be a short break before the barrel racing competition.
“Damn,” Jeff said with a shake of his head. “I think this calls for a celebration.”
“I’ll get us some beers,” Alec chimed in, already rising to his feet. “What does everyone want?”
He took their orders and joined the mass exodus down the bleachers to the concession area. The line at the beer stand was a mile long, but he didn’t care. He reached the end of the queue and gazed up at the overhead screen, which was still showing slow-motion replays of Rebecca and Tommy’s winning ride.
Four hundredths of a second.
After a victory like that, he’d gladly stand here all day.
Alec was so lost in thought that he nearly jumped when a quiet voice spoke from behind him. “And why aren’t you out there?”
The tiny hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. It was a voice he recognized instantly, a voice he’d known his entire life.
Sure enough, when he turned his head, he was staring straight into the coal black eyes of Shania Thompson.
Chapter 10
At first, Alec was too surprised to respond. She looked like a local in fitted jeans, a white collared shirt, and turquoise boots. In fact, she looked exactly the way he remembered, even though he hadn’t seen her since…
Well, since he was twenty-four years old.
“Shania,” he managed to say.
She gave a coy smile. “Hi, Alec.”
Automatically he reached out and embraced her. “Why didn’t you call and tell me you were in town?”
“I wanted to,” she said, pulling back to look at him. “But I wasn’t sure whether I should.”
“You should’ve.”
Her smile widened, lighting up her entire face. “You look great. You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Neither have you.” He shook his head in disbelief. “So what are you doing up here?”
“Actually, I’ve been working on a project in Yellowstone for the past month.”
The past month.
The exact length of time he’d been plagued by insomnia.
Alec cleared his throat and tried to push the disconcerting notion from his mind. “On that disease outbreak?”
“Yeah.”
“I thought about you when I saw it on the news.”
Shania blushed and dropped her gaze. “It’s pretty bad. We’ve only ever seen it in deer, but now it’s spreading to elk and moose, and the population levels are dropping by almost…” She gave a little laugh. “Why am I telling you all of this?”
He chuckled, too. “I don’t know.”
A loud voice boomed behind them. “Hey, Casanova, you wanna move it up there?”
Only then did Alec notice that the line had moved forward without them. He gave an apologetic wave to the man who’d shouted and obediently closed the gap.
Shania’s expression grew serious as she stepped up beside him. “How’s your father?”
“He’s doing well. Remarkably well.”
“Wow. It’s been, what…nine years?”
He nodded.
“And you still have him at home?”
“I do.”
“I’m so glad to hear it.” She briefly touched his arm. “So what’s new with you? What have you been up to?”
“Besides working all the time?” He drew in a deep breath, knowing there was no way to soften his next statement. “Actually…I’m married now.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “When did that happen?”
“Two years ago.”
“The girl from Boston?”
“Yeah.”
To his relief, Shania’s smile seemed genuine. “Alec, I think that’s wonderful.”
“You do?”
“Of course I do. I’ve always hated the thought of you sitting in that farmhouse all by yourself.”
Her words struck a very raw nerve. Shania seemed to realize that and quickly changed the subject. “So, you never answered my question.”
“Which one?”
She nodded towards the arena. “Why aren’t you out there? You’re better than any of these guys.”
“I don’t know about that,” he replied. “I, um…I had to give it up when I hurt my shoulder.”
“I’m sorry. What happened?”
Alec lowered his voice. “I was shot.”
“You were shot? On accident?”
“Nope.”
Her mouth dropped open. “By who?”
“Some guy who was stalking Rebecca.”
“You’re joking.”
“I’m not.” He touched the area beneath his collarbone. “Got me right here at close range and severed an artery.”
Shania looked horrified. “You’re lucky you weren’t killed.”
Before Alec could respond, her spotted Tommy’s tall figure moving through the crowd. He tried to ignore the unexpected lurch in his stomach when he saw that Rebecca was with him.
“Did you want to meet my wife?” he asked.
Shania nodded. “I’d love to.”
He lifted his hand to get their attention, wondering if Tommy would recognize Shania. One look at his friend’s wide-eyed expression told him that he remembered everything. Rebecca, too, seemed puzzled as she approached them, although Alec had no idea why she would be.
“Great ride, you two,” he called.
His words seemed to break their trance. Rebecca smiled and wrapped her arm around his waist, while Tommy settled for a congratulatory handshake. Alec took a moment to gather his thoughts before he motioned to Shania.
“Tommy, you remember Shania.”
“Of course,” he said, giving a polite tip of his hat. “How have you been?”
“Great,” she replied with a shake of her head. “Goodness, you’ve certainly grown up.”
He chuckled and gave a modest shrug. Alec drew in a silent breath and secured his arm around Rebecca’s should
ers before he made the next introduction. “Bec, this is my friend Shania. Shania, my wife Rebecca.”
Shania extended her hand. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
Rebecca shook her hand, but her response seemed stiff. “You, too,” she said, turning her gaze back to Alec. “I need to get something out of your truck.”
“Oh.” He reached into his pocket and produced the keys. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” She glanced between them before she took a step back. “I’m up first in the barrel racing, so I should get going.”
Alec could feel Tommy’s eyes burning holes into his head as he watched Rebecca vanish into the crowd. “I need to get back, too,” Tommy chimed in. “Joaquin doesn’t like the stalls here very much.”
Alec was grateful for his friend’s perception. “See you at home, then?”
“Yeah.” He sent a crooked grin in Shania’s direction. “Good to see you again.”
Tommy, too, was gone as quickly as he’d appeared. Alec turned to Shania, only to find an amused expression on her face. “What?” he asked.
“Nothing. She’s just…not what I pictured.”
“What did you picture, exactly?”
“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I guess I just never imagined you with a redhead.”
At that, Alec chuckled. “Are you here with anyone?”
“Ha! That’s a joke, right?”
“I’m sitting with Rebecca’s family. I want you to meet them.”
Shania seemed surprised. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Besides,” he said as they reached the counter, “I can’t carry five beers by myself.”
“Ah. So in other words, you’re not giving me a choice?”
Her question was lighthearted, but he didn’t miss its double entente. “Nope,” he replied, hoping he matched her cheerful tone. “What would you like?”
“Alec, you don’t have to buy my drink.”
He raised a brow, and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Fine,” she conceded. “I’ll have a Stella.”
*
Rebecca’s concentration was shot.
More accurately, it was shot, crushed by a steam roller, resurrected, and shot again.
She and Star were circling the warm-up ring to prepare for the barrel racing competition. Normally Rebecca would be walking on air right now, fully charged for her upcoming ride. She’d been absolutely ecstatic when she and Tommy won the team roping competition by such a tiny margin. She was positive that nothing could bring her down from that high. It was amazing what three simple words could do.
My friend Shania.
His friend that he’d somehow never mentioned.
His friend who looked like she’d just stepped out of a Victoria’s Secret catalogue.
Rebecca groaned and shook her head. It was juvenile thinking, and she knew it. Still, she couldn’t help but feel hurt. Tommy knew who Shania was, but she didn’t. She didn’t miss the shocked expression on Tommy’s face when he saw her. And she certainly didn’t miss the easy rapport that Alec and Shania shared before they saw her approaching.
Sure, Shania might have been his friend…but it was obvious that she’d once been more than that, too.
“Rebecca Westin?”
She pulled Star to a stop. “Yes?”
The official signaled for her to approach the arena. “They’re ready to start.”
The last thing Rebecca felt like doing was galloping in circles in front of a thousand people. For half a second, she was almost tempted to withdraw from the competition.
No, she decided. That would be ridiculous. She’d be fine once she got out there.
She and Star trotted out of the gate and stopped at the entrance of the wide chute that led into the arena. The announcer and the rodeo clown were trading jokes, but she didn’t pay attention to their words. Her eyes drifted to the grandstands, which was an indistinguishable blur of faces and Stetson hats.
Where was Alec right now? Was he up there watching her ride…or was he still outside talking to his friend?
She was jolted back to the present by the sound of her name echoing from the loudspeakers. The official gave her a little nod to indicate that she was free to start. With a deep breath, she gathered the reins and sank her weight into her heels to steady her seat. Star pricked her ears and pranced in place, knowing what was to come.
When Rebecca released her hold on the reins, her horse leapt into a gallop. They blazed into the arena past the electronic eye, which automatically started their time for the event. She guided Star towards the barrel on their right and pulled her in a tight circle around it. They switched leads and powered forward to the next barrel, spinning in an even smaller circle.
Somewhere in the background, she heard the audience cheering, but she shoved the distraction from her mind. She pointed Star towards the final barrel, at the far end of the arena, squeezing her heels into the horse’s sides to increase their speed. They reached it and started their turn, but they were in too close. Rebecca gasped as her foot slammed into the barrel and toppled it onto its side.
Her groan was eclipsed only by that of the crowd’s. She turned Star for home, but there was no point in pressing the mare for more speed. They exited the arena the way they’d entered before Rebecca pulled her horse to a halt. Despite her disappointment, she gave Star a hearty pat on the neck.
The error had been hers, not her horse’s.
“That’s a real shame, folks,” the announcer was saying. “With the five-second penalty, they’ll finish with a total time of 23.74 seconds.”
Rebecca swung out of the saddle, trying not to think about her winning time last year that had been nearly seven seconds faster.
What an embarrassment. She should have withdrawn, after all.
Tommy gave a sympathetic frown when she led Star into the barn. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah,” she replied dismally. “Me, too.”
She placed Star in the stall beside Joaquin and removed her hat, pushing her sweaty hair off her forehead. “You wanna head up to the stands to watch the bulls?” Tommy asked.
Rebecca shook her head. “Go ahead if you want.”
He dropped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze. “Don’t beat yourself up, alright? It happens to the best of us. And we still kicked butt in team roping.”
She managed a half-hearted grin. “I know.”
He was halfway down the aisle when Rebecca spoke again. “Tommy?”
“Yeah?”
“Who is she?”
Instantly Tommy shook his head. “Sorry, Bec. I ain’t getting in the middle of this one.”
Chapter 11
Alec wasn’t sure what Rebecca’s family would think of Shania, but to his delight, they seemed to hit it off. Shania and Jeff already shared a common bond; both had majored in biology and were science fanatics. Allison was the type to befriend just about anybody, and even Liz opened up and made plenty of small talk between competitors.
The only thing that dampened their spirits was when Rebecca and Star knocked over the final barrel. “Does that mean they’re disqualified?” Shania asked.
Alec shook his head. “It’s just a time penalty, but it’s enough to take them out of the running.”
The sky was growing dark when the rodeo concluded and everyone stood to stretch. Jeff, Allison, and Liz said goodbye and filed out with the rest of the crowd, leaving Alec and Shania in their seats. He knew the parking lot would be a madhouse, so he was in no rush to hurry down there and sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
“So,” he said, resting his elbows on the bleachers behind them, “are you Doctor Thompson yet?”
Shania beamed. “I am.”
“Congratulations. What did you end up doing your dissertation on?”
“It’s a mouthful,” she warned, drawing in a deep breath. “Sociological patterns and behavioral abnormalities of Asian elephants in Sri Lanka.”
He raised a brow. “Sri La
nka?”
She nodded. “I spent about six months there while I was doing research. It was an incredible place.”
“I bet. Where else have you been?”
“All over. I was in the Galapagos for a while, then Madagascar. And I spent this past winter down in Brazil.”
Alec felt an insane rush of envy. “Sounds like quite the life.”
Shania shrugged. “I love my work, but the lifestyle is nothing glamorous. It’s a lot of tents and mosquito repellent and way too much canned food. I couldn’t even tell you the last time I slept in a real bed or ate a home-cooked meal.”
He fell silent as he watched the crowd filter through the exits. “So are you finished with your project in Yellowstone, then?”
“Yeah, we just wrapped up yesterday. I decided I might as well stay for the weekend.”
“And where are you off to next?”
She hugged her knees to her chest. “Actually, I don’t have any plans. Our next grant probably won’t be approved until later this summer, so for now I have some time off.”
The question tumbled out of Alec’s mouth before he could stop it. “Don’t suppose you’d want to spend that time on the ranch, would you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m really short-staffed right now. All of our female wranglers had things come up this summer. We’ve managed well enough through the early season, but for the next twelve weeks we’re booked solid. I’ve only got Rebecca and one new girl to work with the guests. It’s not enough.”
She raised her brows. “You’re asking me to come and work for you?”
Was he?
It was probably something he should discuss with Rebecca first, but the offer was already out there. “Yes,” he replied. “But you don’t have to. In fact, I can’t even believe I asked.”
“Are you kidding? I would love to.”
He was taken aback. “You would?”
“Of course I would. I miss being around horses. And I’d love to see what you’ve done with the place. It’d be great to see your father again, too.”
Alec managed to smile. “He’ll be glad to see you.”
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