Randall Pride (9 page)

She was standing apart from Abby and Russ, talking to a man in a suit. Dressed all in turquoise, from her tight-fitting western pants to her long-sleeved shirt; the color alone with her auburn hair would’ve made her stand out. But the snug fit would draw a man’s attention, too. She’d left the top three shirt buttons undone, which left an intriguing hint of what was underneath the silk. To top it all, her hair, usually worn in a sedate plait or pulled back in a ponytail, was riotously curling down her back and about her face. She looked like a cowboy’s goddess.

And Toby didn’t like it at all.

Taking her to the rodeo like that would be like taking a mountain of cheese into a mouse stronghold and hoping to go unnoticed.

Russ saw him and waved. Then he took Abby’s arm and stepped over to Elizabeth, pointing out Toby’s arrival.

The man in the business suit seemed reluctant to let Elizabeth go. Not that Toby was surprised. It was a wonder the man hadn’t thrown her over his shoulder and run. Frustration filled Toby.

He opened the door across from him to let them know he was ready to go. Still, it took several minutes to get Elizabeth away from the stranger. At least Toby hoped he was a stranger.

Finally the threesome reached the truck. Then Elizabeth suggested Russ sit up front because he’d have more leg room. Toby figured he’d kill Russ in his sleep tonight if he did that. Toby wanted Elizabeth in the front seat beside him so he could question her about the man who’d hung onto her so tightly.

Finally Russ helped Abby into the back seat and followed her, leaving Elizabeth to the front seat.

Before she’d even closed the door, he demanded, “Who was that man?”

Her eyebrows slid up and she stared at him. “What man?”

“The one you were talking to. I didn’t know you knew anyone in Denver.”

“As it so happens, I know several people in Denver.” She paused and smiled at him. “Not that man, however. He stopped because he figured I was going to the rodeo and he wanted to ask me about it. He’s thinking about going.”

“Yeah,
now
he is,” Toby muttered under his breath.

“What did you say?” she asked.

“Nothing. You didn’t tell him your name, did you?”

“Of course not.”

She didn’t say anything else, and Toby wasn’t sure what to say. He was afraid if he commented on her appearance, he’d start drooling. Or sound angry. He was going to have a hell of a night trying to keep her safe from a lot of cowboys.

“I, uh, hope steaks are all right. I made us reservations at a steak house near the rodeo. It’s supposed to be good.”

“Great,” Russ responded. “These ladies believe in shopping til you drop and I carried all the packages. I’m starved.”

Over his shoulder, Toby glimpsed Abby lean toward Russ and pat his arm. “But you were so helpful, Russ. I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.”

Russ blushed under such praise.

Toby was green with envy. Elizabeth wouldn’t even look at him. “Did you shop a lot, too, Elizabeth?”

“Yes, I did. I bought the outfit I’m wearing tonight. Do you like it?”

Now, she’d done it. He knew she wasn’t going to be pleased with his words. “You look terrific, but, well, isn’t it a little sexy? I mean, there’ll be a lot of
cowboys out there tonight who might think you’re—I mean, it fits you well and—men like—”

“I think I get your drift, Mr. Randall. Just pull over and I’ll find a cab and go back to the hotel!” Elizabeth snapped, her cheeks red.

Toby kept driving, frantically trying to rephrase his words. But he was in such a hole with Elizabeth by that time, if he judged by her expression, that he figured that would be
Mission: Impossible.

He looked in the rearview mirror and realized the pair in the back seat were laughing. “What’s so funny?” he demanded, irritation in his voice.

Abby covered her mouth with her hand and looked away. Russ tried to stop laughing. “It’s just that, well, you’re usually so good with words, Tobe, and for a man who wanted to say the lady looked good, you sure put your foot in it.”

With a sigh, Toby admitted, “Yeah, I did, didn’t I? Elizabeth, you’re a vision and every man who sees you is going to want to follow you home. Is that better?”

“Yes,” she said, not looking at him, “though it does make me feel a little like a juicy bone.”

He couldn’t get it right tonight, that was for sure. Fortunately, the restaurant was nearby. He pulled into a parking space. His pleasant evening had gone to hell in a handbasket.

Elizabeth hid a smile as she slid out of the truck. At least she’d accomplished her goal. Toby had noticed the change in her appearance. She’d spent time in the beauty shop this afternoon in addition to shopping. She was glad it had been worth it.

The waiter escorted them to a booth in the restaurant, and she and Abby each slid into opposite sides, facing each other, leaving the guys the outside. Elizabeth knew that would mean that Toby would be sitting beside her. Shivers coursed through her body. “You’re being ridiculous!” she muttered.

“You say something?” Toby asked, leaning toward her after he was seated.

“No! This is a nice restaurant. Very…nice.” Her lame compliment wasn’t much, but she hoped it would distract Toby.

“I’m glad you like it. The steaks are good.”

As if the food mattered. She laughed silently. Was she on a fool’s errand? Toby obviously had no real
ization of her intent. He had no personal interest in her. She was just his cousin. She sighed.

Though Toby looked at her out of the corner of his eye, he turned to Russ and asked him a question about activities on the ranch.

And that was how the evening went. The food was good, but it didn’t matter. She could scarcely eat. She and Abby occasionally discussed the decor or something at school, but Toby and Russ talked ranching, occasionally switching to the possibility of Russ working with Bill.

Her new hairstyle, her clothes, neither did anything to catch Toby’s attention in a positive way.

As they left the restaurant, Abby leaned over to whisper, “Don’t give up.”

Elizabeth gave her a smile and resolved to hide her misery better. She didn’t want everyone to know how pitiful she was.

Toby took her arm and escorted her around the truck to the passenger side, even though Russ and Abby were with them. She looked up at him, surprised.

He didn’t say anything, but he continued to touch her while Russ and Abby crawled in the back seat. Then he helped her in and closed the door before rounding the truck to slide behind the wheel.

When they got to the rodeo and parked, Toby reached over and held her arm, stopping her from getting out.

“Look, Elizabeth, I know you don’t like me to tell
you what to do, but this isn’t home. The men here are—when they see you, they’re going to want to get to know you. Don’t go off with anyone. Stay close to me. Okay?”

She’d lived away from home for four years, while in college, and managed. She figured she could manage here. But it occurred to her that if she stayed next to Toby, it would keep other women from hitting on him. “Okay.”

He appeared dumbfounded. “Okay?”

“Of course, Toby. Whatever you say.”

He looked at the other two, then back at Elizabeth. “Is this Elizabeth Randall? Or have the gypsies stolen her and left a stranger in her place?”

“You’re acting like I have no sense!” Elizabeth protested.

“Yeah,” he agreed with a grin.

She couldn’t help smiling back, wishing she could throw her arms around his neck and kiss him. He released her arm and she opened the truck door and slid to the ground. By that time, he’d hurried around the truck to take her arm.

“Didn’t you believe me?” she asked.

“Just making sure.”

Once Russ and Abby were out, Toby warned Russ. “You’d better keep hold of Abby, too. It can get pretty hectic here.”

“No problem,” Russ assured Toby. He was already holding Abby’s hand. But he released it and
wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Okay, Abby?”

“Fine,” she assured him, beaming. No one looking at them would’ve disagreed.

“Good idea,” Toby muttered and wrapped his arm around Elizabeth, too, and she gave a silent prayer of thanks. Leaning into his warmth, she couldn’t have been happier.

Toby had been right. It was crowded and they were soon surrounded by people wanting to say hello. Women.

Elizabeth put her arm around Toby’s waist as woman after woman stopped them, wanting to talk to Toby, to touch him, to ask him questions.

One woman in particular pushed forward.

“Toby! I looked for you earlier to see about dinner. Where did you go?”

“Hi, Sally. My cousins came to town.” Toby introduced them to Sally Tompkins, a barrel racer. “We all went to dinner.”

“When are you leaving? I want a chance to talk you out of going. Can we visit after the show?” She reached out and stroked his chest.

Elizabeth wanted to slap her.

Toby cleared his throat and told her he couldn’t meet her. Besides, he wasn’t going to change his mind.

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he drew them toward the chutes so he could
wish Lonnie good luck. Elizabeth stepped forward to pet Cocoa. The horse nickered softly in recognition.

“Hey, so you’re a friend of Cocoa?” the lanky cowboy asked, his gaze traveling over her.

Elizabeth smiled. “Cocoa and I go way back.”

Toby had gotten distracted by several cowboys. Lonnie looked at him and then at Elizabeth. “Don’t tell me you’re his cousin.”

“Why, yes, I’m Elizabeth.”

“Man, Toby’s a lucky guy. I’m Lonnie. I’m riding Cocoa.”

“Yes. Toby said you’re doing very well.”

“I’d have to be an idiot not to do well with this guy,” he said, rubbing Cocoa’s nose. “I’m going to get Toby to train a horse for me.”

Elizabeth smiled and nodded.

“Hey, you want to celebrate after the show tonight? If I win, we’ll have a big blowout. If I don’t, we can still party. I’d like to get to know you better,” Lonnie said, stepping even closer to Elizabeth.

Suddenly Toby’s wide shoulders came between them. “Back off, Lonnie. We’ll probably go back to the hotel after the show. Elizabeth will be tired.”

Elizabeth started to protest on the general principle that she could make her own decisions, but Toby wrapped his arm around her again and introduced several other cowboys standing nearby. They offered extravagant compliments and several suggestions for what they’d like to do with her later, but Toby declined every invitation.

“Hey, Tobe, you’re not giving us a chance. Back off, man. She’s your cousin, not your girlfriend,” one cowboy protested.

“Her daddy will hold me responsible. You don’t want to mess with Chad Randall,” Toby assured him.

“Not if he’s kin to you,” the man responded under his breath.

Elizabeth smiled. Toby was a lot more fierce and protective than her father, she thought.

“We’d better go take our seats. They’re ready to start the grand parade.” Toby turned her in the direction of the stands and started walking.

“What about Russ and Abby?”

“They’re already there. They got tired of standing around while half the cowboys here lined up to be introduced to you.”

“Don’t be silly. There were only a couple. Not half as many as the women you attract.”

“Those are just friends saying hello.”

She stopped in her tracks. “Like Sally? Somehow I don’t think she’s just a ‘friend.’ Or at least, that’s not what she
wants
to be.”

Toby tugged her along, ignoring her words, but she saw the telltale blush on his cheeks. Aha!

“She and her husband recently divorced so she’s—a little lost.”

“But you’re not ready to settle down?” She wanted to know his reaction to the idea.

“Not with her.”

Well, that didn’t tell her much.

They reached the front-row box seats Toby had gotten for them. Russ and Abby were sitting in the second row of seats, just behind them.

“You guys can have the front row,” Toby offered with a frown.

“Naw, Abby says she’s afraid a bull will jump in her lap if she sits down there,” Russ said with a laugh.

Toby gestured to the chair for Elizabeth and she sat down. Then he settled beside her. When he turned around to talk to Russ, he put his arm on the back of her chair and she was once again surrounded by his warmth.

Throughout the rodeo, Toby kept his arm there, giving Elizabeth a running commentary of the action, whispering in her ear. He could’ve been speaking Chinese for all the attention she paid to his words. She was concentrating on his scent, his warmth, his strength.

“There’s Sally,” he announced, leaning forward in his chair to root his friend on. Which meant he took his arm from around her.

For that reason alone, Elizabeth wasn’t fond of Sally. Knowing the woman was free and interested in Toby really didn’t endear her to Elizabeth, but she clapped politely for Sally’s magnificent run. She didn’t mind if Sally won the barrel racing, as long as she didn’t win Toby.

Since his arm came around her again, Elizabeth
relaxed and even smiled when Toby commented on how well Sally had done.

“Has she been barrel racing long?” she asked.

“Ten years. She started when she was seventeen. It’s a hard life.”

“Yes, it must be.” Elizabeth felt sympathy for the other woman. She was grateful for the home she had and the family support.

He squeezed her shoulder. “You’re lucky.”

“So are you, but you came to the rodeo anyway. Why?”

He looked away. “I guess the excitement.”

“But now you don’t need the excitement anymore?” She’d wondered about both his decisions, the one sending him to the rodeo and the one bringing him home.

“I don’t know.”

Her heart clutched at the hint that he might return to the rodeo. “What do you mean? Surely you wouldn’t—”

He didn’t look at her. Or answer her question. “We’ll see.” He pointed out that Lonnie was up next. As if Lonnie mattered in the scheme of things.

Lonnie won the steer-wrestling and calf-roping events. When the evening ended, several cowboys came up to talk to Toby about his training a horse for Lonnie. Elizabeth praised Toby’s training methods. She’d rather have him on the ranch, training horses, than in the rodeo. At least on the ranch all these women wouldn’t be around.

Lonnie was excited about his wins and wanted them to join him in a celebration. Elizabeth looked at Abby, but her friend, standing arm in arm with Russ, answered her unspoken question with a negative nod.

“Thank you, Lonnie,” Elizabeth responded, “but I’m afraid we’re making an early start in the morning. We’d better go back to the hotel, but thank you for asking us.”

Several cowboys standing around argued with them, but Toby wasn’t one of them. Elizabeth decided he must be tired of escorting cousins and want to be on his own. Especially when he half promised to meet the others later.

“We can make our own way to the hotel, Toby, if you want to party with your friends,” she said stiffly as he led them back to his truck.

He frowned and slowed his pace. “What are you talking about?”

“You said—”

“I was just being polite. I don’t want to join them and they don’t care. They only wanted you to join them.” Then he took hold of her arm and pulled her toward the truck, as if they were in a hurry.

“They don’t know me!” she protested.

“No, but they want to. I told you how it would be with you dressing so sexy. They couldn’t keep their eyes off you.” He pulled out his keys and unlocked the truck door.

When they were all settled in the truck, Russ leaned forward. “You want to swing by your motel room
and check out? You could spend the night with me at the hotel.”

“Thanks, but we’d have to come back here to load up Cocoa. I’ll just stay where I am. What time are you willing to start in the morning?”

“Seven?” Russ offered and Abby groaned.

“Too early for you, sweetheart?” Russ hurriedly asked. “Maybe we could make it eight. I’ll tell you what, Toby, we’ll take a cab out here at eight. Then you won’t have to drive into downtown pulling the trailer. Would that make up for the late start?”

“I can get up,” Abby protested. “I didn’t mean—It’s just that sleeping in sounded good.”

“It’s only four or five hours home,” Toby said. “Sure we can wait to get started.” He stared at Elizabeth.

She shrugged. “Eight o’clock works for me. We can eat an early lunch in Casper and then drive on home. It will break up the trip.” She figured Abby would go with Russ when they picked up his truck, leaving her a couple of hours with Toby and no one else.

“Okay. Don’t eat breakfast until you meet me. I know a great place and I’ll treat.” Toby grinned at them. “They even have better pancakes than Red’s, but don’t tell him I said so.”

T
OBY WATCHED
the threesome go into the hotel. He knew what Russ was counting on. A goodnight kiss. He wished he’d had any hope of that from Elizabeth.
After cradling her against him all evening, his motor was revved.

But Elizabeth wouldn’t even have considered offering him the kind of kiss he wanted. He was her cousin. And tonight, he’d been testing himself, trying to determine if he was going to be able to live on the ranch with her, and still keep his passion for her a secret.

Maybe. As long as he didn’t test himself too much…or expect too much. Maybe he’d find someone he could enjoy. Build a future.

He played with that thought a little while as he drove back to the rodeo. Then he dismissed it. He couldn’t think of a future with another woman. At least not now.

But he could be with his family. That would have to be enough.

With that weighty decision made, he returned to the room he’d rented all week, carefully avoiding the cowboys who were milling around, celebrating the end of another week of rodeo. That life was no longer for him.

His day started early the next morning as he packed and then tended to Cocoa. To his surprise, Lonnie dragged himself from his bed to remind Toby again that he’d agreed to train a horse for him…at a hefty price.

“Sure you don’t want to give me a bargain?”

Toby grinned at his old friend. “One of my horses would be a bargain at any price.”

“True. Sure you don’t want to loan me Cocoa the rest of the way?”

“Nope, I can’t do that. I’d miss him too much.”

“Okay, okay,” Lonnie agreed, but he stood there watching Toby, not leaving.

“When are you packing up?” Toby asked, a subtle hint.

“In a little while. Your cousins goin’ back with you?”

“Yeah,” Toby said. “We’re going to breakfast and then hitting the road.”