ANOTHER SUNNY DAY (5 page)

"That's enough, men. It's time to hit the trail." Tyler brought the unofficial fan
club meeting to an abrupt end.

George came from the barn leading two horses. Tyler took the reins of a dainty snow-white mare and handed them to Sarah. "
Zena, meet Sunny." He nodded from one to the other solemnly. "Sunny, meet Zena. She's very well-mannered and will adapt to your abilities as a rider."

"We'll get along very well, won't we pretty lady?" Sarah stroked the dished face and small velvety nose of the little Arabian mare. "I've always loved horse
s, and I'm a very good rider."

"Oh? Have you taken lessons since your famous ride in Iowa?" he asked nonchalantly, hi
s eyes glinting mischievously.

"I didn't . . ." Fiercely she started to defend herself, then paused, silently cursing the position Sunny had put her in. Horseback riding was Sarah's most beloved pastime, and now
Sunny's reputation had preceded her to the point that Sarah was again put on the defensive. Well, riding was one thing at which she could shine, and she would enjoy proving herself to this "doubting Tyler."

"As a matter of fact, I took a correspondence course on the plane yesterday. We're having graduation ceremonies next week on the Wonder Horse at Safeway
. It's strictly BYOQ, though."

"Okay, I'll bite." The; corners of his laughing eyes crinkled as he tried unsuccessfully t
o look serious. "What's BYOQ?"

"Bring Your Own Quarter," she answered with an impudent wink, then fluidly swung into the saddle unassisted. "Let's go, cowboy. I'm waiting to see Texas—the h
ard way."

Tyler mounted his own large blood-bay gelding and watched skeptically as she handled the mare with the ease and skill of an experienced horsewoman. She was continuing to be full of s
urprises—all pleasant, so far!

CHAPTER FOUR

By the end of the day it was difficult to tell which part of her body hurt the worst. Grimly she decided it must be either her aching mouth, which had been stretched into what she hoped was a friendly smile for the last six hours, or her bottom, which felt like it had grown to the padded leather sad
dle seat sometime after lunch.

All in all things had gone better than she had anticipated. Although Sarah was a little out of practice, it had been like stepping back into her childhood to spend a whole day in the saddle with nothing more pressing on her mind than how to keep her hat (and possibly her wig) from being blown off her head by the gusty February wind.
Zena was a pure joy with smooth, easy gaits that ate up the miles and the gentle personality that was so characteristic of the Arabian breed.

As expected. the other riders had thronged around Sarah, asking the same old questions she had heard Sunny answer hundreds of times, such as how many gold records did she have and were they really gold, did she write her own songs, and what were Tim McGraw and Faith Hill really like? She tried to answer their questions honestly but with the same degree of flippancy that Sunny always used
when dealing with the public.

But as the day wore on and most of the riders had had an opportunity to satisfy their curiosity, they began to treat Sarah with polite indifference. Most of them were here to spend a few days escaping from the real world with its pressures and schedules. This was their once-a-year chance to forget tomorrow and have
some genuine Texas-style fun.

Sarah could not help but feel a pang of envy at not really belonging to this group of happy-go-lucky people. It wasn't that she wanted more attention because of her "star status." She would have been content just to be one of the riders, accepted for herself and not shown any of the preferential treatment that clear
ly branded her as an outsider.

The thought pushed into her mind that for this one week she was not down-to-earth Sarah but glow-in-the-dark Sunny, who would never, ever want to be just one of a crowd. It was odd how two people who shared so much could be so different.
Except in their taste in men.

Sarah automatically searched for the tall cowboy who was so easy to find among the rest . . . at least for her eyes. There was no doubt in her mind that Sunny, too, would be attracted to this virile, handsome man who without effort could stand out even against a backdrop as majestic as the beautiful countryside through which they were passing. But, then, Sunny was attracted to almost a
ny good-looking male in jeans.

On the other hand, Sarah was always discriminating and overly cautious about getting involved in any relationship. In fact, she had never met a man who so thoroughly shattered her defenses and stirred her emotions, a fact Tyler was completely unaware of and probably couldn't care less about. Sarah was unsure whether or not his ignorance was fortunate. She should be glad she would not have to worry about his taking advantage of these feelings that were so foreig
n to her, but then again . . .

"How's our rhinestone cowgirl holding up to the grind?" His deep voice interrupted her thoughts as he pu
lled his horse alongside hers.

"No problems so far," she fibbed, hoping he would attribute her flushed cheeks to the breeze "You and your men have done a good job of handling my fans. Most of them are really terrific, but a few came on a little strong."

"Wait until around midnight, after they've gotten a few more six packs under their belts," be warned. "Things sometimes get a little rowdy."

"'I hope to be fast asleep long before then." She shifted slightly in the saddle, searching fo
r a more comfortable position.

His perceptive gaze took in her movement, and he said with a twinkle. "We're almost to the camp. Jed should have dinner about ready. It gets dark early this time of year, and most of these people will hit the sack soon after they eat tonight. The first two days on the trail always seem to be
the hardest on urban cowboys."

"Saddles do take a certain amount of re
-acquaintance," she admitted, her full lips curving into a grin. "Horseback riding is like riding a bike: You never really forget how to do it, but the end result can be a little painful until your muscles cooperate."

He laughed, a rich, deep rumble that enveloped her warmly. She was glad when he made no move to ride away but stayed at her side for the rest of the day's journey. All day he had never been far from her, always within sight in case she needed him, but, then, that was part of his job. She reminded herself not to read too much into his nearness, but still she was happi
er now that he was beside her.

A parking lot of pickup trucks, vans, and campers in assorted sizes awaited the weary trail r
odeo. Although the riders enjoyed the "back to basics" feel of spending long hours in the saddle, most welcomed the luxury of a semisoft bed in a dry, warm camper. It was difficult for these modern-day pioneers to give up all the conveniences they were accustomed to, such as televisions, radios, and running water. There were some, however, who stubbornly refused comfort and insisted on roughing it all the way by spreading sleeping bags on the ground or bunking in the covered wagons that accompanied the trail riders.

Sarah didn't know what to expect as far as her sleeping arrangements were concerned, but again Tyler had done his job well. As they rode into camp he led her to what appeared to be a small mobile home. After dismounting he walked around to her horse and held up his hands to help her down. Gingerly she threw her leg over the
saddlehorn and slid out of the saddle into his waiting arms, trying to ignore the thrill that raced through her body at his touch. Handling her carefully so that their bodies didn't meet, he released her as soon as her boots hit the ground and turned abruptly toward the camper.

"Here's where you'll be staying," he said he unlocked the door and pulled down the fr
ont step. "It's not the . . ."

"I know, I know. It's not the Hilton," she teased as she stepped inside and looked around her in awe. It was truly a little home on wheels, and much plusher than she would ever have imagined. They were standing in a small living/dining area with what appeared to be a compact but well-equipped kitchen to the left. Thick padded carpet covered all the floors and was the same muted shade of
blue as the striped wallpaper.

"The bedroom and bathroom are to the right. There should be plenty of hot water and towels. Help yourself to everything here and let me know if there's anything else you need" He gestured as he spoke, never leaving the trailer's open doorway. "That control over there on the wall is for the heater. The kitchen is fairly well stocked, but Jed is an excellent cook in spite of what my men said earlier, and he provides us with all of our meals. You'll find
your luggage in the bedroom."

"It's reall
y very nice," Sarah commented.

"Well. I hope you'll be comfortabl
e here for the next few days."

"I'm sure I will be. I know you probably won't believe me, but I've stayed in many hotels that were a lot worse than this. And you know something else?" She grinned mischievously. "I've never stayed at a Hilton."

"Give me a break," he moaned. "I won't ever accuse you of high living again. I hope you won't be spoiled by staying here. Perhaps you'd rather sleep in the back of a pickup truck?" he suggested devilishly.

"Oh, no. I'll force m
yself to be comfortable here."

"I'll check in on you later." He chuckled. "But I've got some tired horses t
hat need my attention now."

It was already dark when she finished her shower. She felt much better but decided it was too much of an effort to get completely redressed.
Sunny's idea of nightwear for a trail ride probably bore no resemblance to anything that any of the other women would be wearing to bed, but Sarah had brought nothing of her own and had to make do with what had been packed.

The negligee was made of an antique white satin with deep ruffles of delicate lace around the plunging V neck and long full sleeves. The gown itself smoothly followed the curves of her body, but the robe was fuller and belted at the waist by a wide satin ribbon. It was really very becoming against her lightly tanned skin, but not exactly what Sarah would have chosen to
wear camping out in a trailer.

Since she didn't plan to put in any more appearances tonight, she also didn't see any need to put that hateful wig back on and left her hair piled up on her head, held loosely in place by several enameled combs. Tiny golden tendrils escaped to curl around her cheeks and neck. Her face felt pounds lighter with
Sunny's heavy makeup replaced by only a touch of mascara and a dash of lip gloss. Thank goodness she had already done her daily interview for the Houston television stations that were covering this trail ride, so no more performances would be expected of her today. Even Jed's cooking would have to wait until tomorrow, because she had no intention of leaving this trailer tonight.

As she was rummaging through the kitchen, trying to decide what to fix for herself, someone knocked at the door. Sarah considered pretending not to hear, but her visitor was persistent and knocked again. Swearing under her brea
th, she called, "Who's there?"

"It's me, Tyler. Are you okay?
"

"Yes, I'm fine. I already took a shower and was getting ready
to fix something for dinner."

"Jed's got everything ready, and he made e
nough for Sam Houston's army."

"I wasn't plan
ning to go out again tonight."

"Do you think you could open the door? I really fee
l stupid hollering like this."

Sarah felt a moment's panic as her hand flew to her untidy hair. She was not exactly dressed to receive visitors, but it would be very rude to keep him shouting through her closed door. Besides, she thought, Tyler had already seen much more of the "real her" than she would have liked, and it was a little late to be bashful now. If only she could stall him for a few minutes so she could comb her hair. . . but what did it really matter? With a sigh she opened the door
and greeted him with a smile.

"Uh . . ." He stared at her blankly. She couldn't possibly be aware of how bewitching she looked at that moment with her tousled hair glowing in the artificial light and her body clearly outlined through her thin clothing. He tried to tell himself that she had planned it this way, but there was an honest innocence in her expression that convinced him otherwise. "Did I interrupt anything?" he
asked, somewhat suspiciously.

"No, I was just looking for something simple to cook. The shower revived me, but I just couldn't fa
ce any more interviews today."

"I'll go get you a plate," he offered, anxious to leave before he made any other offers t
hat would embarrass them both.

"Are you sure it wouldn't be any trouble?" she asked, forgetting that Sunny would never have thought of such a question, but fortunately Tyler's mind was on something else.

"Not at all. It's part of my job to see that you're well fed."