Peace River (Rockland Ranch Series) (15 page)

             
Slowly Slade withdrew from the conversation too.  He was having trouble concentrating and when Rossen had to ask him the same question over again, he admitted to himself that for the first time in he didn’t even know how long, he really liked a girl.  He could smell her shampoo and it got him started thinking about her hair.  It was like a shining silvery-gold waterfall.  Blonde, but with silver highlights instead of brown, it caught the sun like spun gold.  For a week she’d kept it twisted back tight.  She’d admitted she was worried about being recognized, but since being at the Rockland’s she'd worn it down.  The first time he’d seen it down was that morning out on the track.

He had hardly
even believed it when she’d come around that corner like an enchanted nymph on a mythical winged horse.  The beauty of the girl on the magnificent horse in the sunrise had taken his breath away.  It was the first time he believed that he’d truly seen the person she was.  Alone and free from the expectations of society, she’d raced like a wild fairy in the dawn.  

             
Just now she was soft and warm against his side and he wished he dared pull her closer.  Why had he ever made that promise to keep it professional?  But then he hadn’t known how he would react to her nearness.  Perhaps it was a good thing after all. 

             
The drive to Salt Lake ended all too soon.  Slade was wishing it had been longer as they pulled up in front of the terminal and let Ruger and Marti out.  He was just about to get out and help when Rossen grinned and motioned him back. “Don’t move.  Let her sleep.” 

             
Even when they stopped for gas and switched drivers, somehow her head ended up on Slade’s shoulder again on the driver’s side of the car.  Slade didn’t have to see Rossen’s face in the dark to know he was smiling. 

              Their next rodeo was in Idaho.  They roped well, and stayed for the next go-round and won. Slade took second in the bulldoggin‘.  He hadn’t even tried to draw a bull or bronc.  He figured that would be a tender subject with Isabel and although he knew he’d have to deal with it soon if he wanted to continue to compete for all-around cowboy at the NFR, now wasn’t the time.

             
He’d told Isabel the new horse was a spare in case one of theirs came up lame and then he’d asked her if she would mind riding it to keep it legged up while he and Rossen worked theirs.  Her eyes had lit up and later that afternoon as they rode, he knew she was enjoying that part of her job.

             
They had three more rodeos back to back with long night drives in between and they came to appreciate having Isabel with them all the more.  She could tie up all the loose ends and even drove sometimes when both men were tired. 

             
She seemed to enjoy watching them perform in the rodeos, but she always left when they started the bull riding.  If one or both of them wasn’t helping one of their friends with their rides, they came and sat with her in the stands and walked her back to the trailer. 

             
Isabel was getting to know some of the people on the rodeo circuit who were Slade and Rossen’s friends.  Most of them were men, but there were a few women who were friends and a few who weren’t, but wished they were.  Jesse had come to be a given, and Isabel and Rossen had become expert at protecting Slade from her affections.  If they were in the stands, Slade would always sit in the middle or if they were in the trailer, he would sit at the table and then Isabel would slide in next to him so Jesse couldn’t.  One time Isabel said she even felt like she was guarding his horse’s stall door while Slade was inside working on its feet.  

             
Once after Jesse left Slade commented, “I almost wish we hadn’t told her you were working for us.  Maybe if she thought I was romantically involved, she’d leave me alone.” 

             
Rossen piped up, “Probly not, but I think it would work great with Angelique for me!  Come ‘mere and lay one on me, Isabel!  We better practice!”  His laugh was infectious and it appeared Isabel couldn’t help but join in giggling. 

             
She got an impish grin as she teased back, “I’m afraid you’ll have to teach me.  Where do we start?”

             
“Well, first ya have to learn to pucker up like this.”  Rossen proceeded to make the biggest lips he possibly could and then began chasing Isabel around the trailer.  She ran with a squeal and tried to duck behind Slade, but Rossen tackled her and began to give her pretend kisses making big zerbit noises on her face and tickling her.  She squirmed and squealed again for Slade to save her, but he was at a total loss for words as he looked on.  He was absolutely unsure of how to deal with this.  He didn’t know whether to help her, or help Rossen, or slug Rossen.  All of that must have been very apparent on his face when they finally quit giggling and Rossen helped her to her feet.  They stood up, took one look at Slade, and burst into laughter again.

             
Slade just continued working with his rope.  He wasn’t sure what to think of Rossen and Isabel horsing around like this at all. 

                                                        ****

              It was at this fourth rodeo in a row that Isabel met Leland Wilde.  She’d been watering their horses and as she walked along the alleyway between the stalls she noticed a horse that just didn’t seem right.  She turned off the hose and came back to find that indeed there was a problem.  The horse had been left in the stall with its halter on, and the halter had somehow caught on a piece of metal that had worked loose along the edge of the stall panel.  The metal had dug into side of the horse’s face and cut it deeply.  Although obviously in a lot of pain, it was holding still with its head at a funny angle. 

             
She looked around for help, but there was no one, so she quietly stepped into the stall and over to the horse, talking in a low gentle voice.  She tried in vain to slip the halter off, but it was pulled too tightly.  She stepped back out of the stall and hurried to the trailer, grabbed a utility knife out of the drawer and ran back.

             
It took her probably 20 minutes to saw through the webbing of the halter, being very careful not to get the blade anywhere near the horse’s skin.  It seemed to understand she was trying to help and was amazingly still through the entire ordeal.  She’d finally released it from the metal and was standing next to it inspecting the wound with the shredded halter in her hand when she heard an angry voice behind her, “Hey, what are you doing?  Get away from that horse!”

             
She calmly patted the horse and walked out of the stall as the man growled, “What are you doing in with my horse?”  The angry face that went with the angry voice wasn’t any happier when he saw what she’d done to his halter.  He calmed down when she told him what had happened and what she’d done to help.  The horse needed to be stitched up and the cowboy, who had introduced himself as Leland Wilde, changed gradually and became almost too friendly to Isabel as he readied the horse for transport. 

             
They were in the alleyway of the barn and Isabel was just leaving when Slade walked in.  He instantly tensed when he saw them and asked, “So . . . What’s going on?”  His voice was as angry as Leland’s had been at first.  “What are you up to, Wilde?”  Isabel couldn’t believe the tone she was hearing Slade use.  He strode between them, grasped Isabel firmly by the elbow and started to walk her back out of the barn.  Stunned, Isabel went with him, surprised even more when he turned back to Wilde and practically threatened, “She’s with us.  Stay away from her!”  With that he continued almost marching her out of the barn.  She didn’t want to create a scene, so she went with him, but his dictatorial manner infuriated her. 

             
Once out of hearing of Leland, she turned on Slade, jerked her arm out of his grip and snapped, “Don’t you dare treat me like this!  Who do you think you are?  Don’t you dare handle me like this!”  She was furious!  She had an abhorrence of physical domination after her childhood with Judd that left her angrier than she ever liked to be, and for Slade, of all people, to be one to try to push her around made her even madder.  She’d trusted him implicitly.  She wanted to completely tear into him, but thought better of it and spun on her heel and strode away.

                                                        **** 

              Rossen came down the trailer steps just in time to hear Isabel’s outburst and see her leave.  He’d known Slade long enough that he must have known Slade was mad too.  As Slade neared the trailer, Rossen asked, “What’s going on?”

             
Slade shook his head.  “I just found her in with the horses.  Leland Wilde was standing there with her.”  He knew Rossen understood immediately as he continued, “I guess I didn’t handle it too well.  I thought I was protecting her, but I should have known better than to try to force her.”  Slade was still mad, but in retrospect, he understood that physical force was probably the worst tack he could have taken with Isabel.  He hadn’t stopped to think, before getting her away from the jerk.

                                                        ****

              Isabel walked for more than an hour around the rodeo grounds.  She knew Slade and Rossen would’ve left to go warm up their horses by then and she didn’t even care.  As she walked she was calming down, but she was still angry with Slade. 

There was a little voice in the back of her head that was saying he was right to want her away from the cowboy
, and she’d felt that as soon as Leland walked up.  He was too slick and too self-important.  And the way he’d looked at her made her uncomfortable.  She’d had a sense he shouldn’t be trusted and had been in the process of excusing herself when Slade had walked up, but the fearful child in her, now turned adult, was still mad at the way Slade had treated her.

             
She steamed inwardly during the entire rodeo and was still ticked as she started back to the trailer alone when the bull rides started.  She heard a step behind her and it automatically made her tense.  It was a feeling she hadn’t had in a couple of weeks, and it made her feel guilty for still being mad at Slade.  She knew by now that he would never do anything that wasn’t in her best interest and that he must have had a good reason for behaving the way he did. At the sound behind her, she turned around and was relieved to realize it was Rossen, obviously come to see her safely home.

             
He fell into step beside her. “Still mad?” 

She smiled up at his candor.
  “Yes.”  At least she was honest.  “I didn’t realize I had such a short fuse.  But I’m feeling penitent too.  I know Slade was right.  I knew I needed to leave before Slade even walked up.  I just hate to be physically forced.  A holdover from my father, I suppose.”

             
They walked in silence toward the trailer.  Finally Rossen said, “Isabel, I don’t know how to put this delicately, but Slade had very good reason for being worried about your safety around Leland Wilde.  We don’t mean to be domineering, but you should stay away from him.  You aren’t safe alone with him.  Slade just cares a lot about you.  That’s all.  Try not to be mad.”

             
They’d reached the trailer and she nodded.  “I know.  I’m not mad any more.  You can tell him it’s safe to come home.  Thanks for walking me.  I’ll have something to eat when you get in.”  He went back to the arena and she went inside. 

             
Thirty minutes later Slade came in the door.  He closed it behind him, and she turned.  Their eyes met and held and after a moment, he asked, “You still torqued?”

His wording made her grin as she shook her head.  “No.  But thanks for asking.  Are you?”

“I wasn’t mad at you.”

She raised her eyebrows.  “I’m the one you dragged off.”

“I didn’t mean to drag you. I’m sorry.”

“Accepted.
  I’m sorry too.  I don’t deal well with being physically forced.”

“I gathered that.  I should have known.  It was stupid of me.  Wilde just lit me up—seeing him with you. 
We go back.  He should have known better than to even talk to you when you’re with us.  Without sounding like I’m ordering you around, it would be a good thing to steer clear of him.”

             
She nodded.  “I will, and I’m grateful you were watching out for me.”  She started to set food on the table. 

             
Taking a step closer, he said earnestly, “Isabel, you don’t understand.  But you need to. Leland Wilde is dangerous.  I don’t want to boss you, but you should stay away from him.”

             
She nodded almost penitently.  “I know.”

             
“What do you mean, you know.”  His face held concern.  “Has he hurt you?”

             
“No.  I just knew.”  She met his eyes again.  “I knew he was not to be trusted the same way I knew you could be.  I’m not sure what it is.  There’s just this little voice in my heart that knows.”  She gave him a small smile, shrugged and put dishes on the table.  “Women’s intuition.”