Wishing on a Rodeo Moon (Women of Character) (4 page)

Tye
looked down at the computer screen.

"So
the only alternative I can see is to have you move in with me." Ben had
put a smiley face at the end of the message.

Tye
zeroed in on the words. "What?" she practically screeched.

Furiously,
she typed, "Whoa! Hold on, Ben. No way." Tye managed a laugh, and
typed again, "No way. I'll stay here until you find something else, but
find me something fast."

Tye left
the chat, mixed emotions snaking through her. She looked out the window at the
sun creeping across the pasture. This ranch looked so beautiful. She felt
enfolded by it, protected. When had she ever wanted to be protected from
anything in her life? But now she welcomed the feeling.

"It
looks like I'm stuck here, at least for a while." She would make the most
of it. Surely on a ranch as spacious as this one appeared to be, she could
easily keep out of Jake’s way. Jake, who had a new life, one that would
never involve her. They had both moved beyond a teenage love.

Tye
glared at the artificial limb where it lay on the table across the room. She
could wish it away, throw it in the corner, hope it would rot there forever,
but she knew it was a lifeline, the one thing that could make her independent,
her ticket to getting back into rodeo. An expensive ticket, but one she had to
invest in.

Her crutches
leaned against the wall by the refrigerator. First step: renew her acquaintance
with the leg that had been specially fitted for her.

#

Jake
rose early, took a swim in the pool and got ready for work. All the while he
thought about the events of last night. Tye had baffled him, telling him out of
the blue that she was leaving, then deciding to stay. His ploy might have made
her change her mind and stay the night, but he had seen the determined look in
her eye that told him she would be gone by daybreak, if humanly possible. This
was a new situation for Jake. None of his sisters had ever been so obstinate or
determined to go their own way. They had always turned to him and welcomed his
help.

Jake
recalled a time when Tye could be swayed by him. No more. She’d made that
abundantly clear last night. She’d been furious when he’d tried to
help her out the door. Jake couldn’t help staring at her amputated limb.
It had been covered by her jeans, but he had woken up in the middle of the
night thinking about it, remembering the accident. Would he ever get that scene
out of his mind? The bull half covering Tye. Both her legs pinned under its
weight. Tye lying so still and white.

Jake
watched the light brighten the morning sky, running a hand over the front of
his silk shirt and finding a button he had missed. Daybreak had come and gone,
and as far as he knew, she was still here.

With
thoughts of Tye on his mind, Jake glanced at his watch and then left the house
and strode to the barn. He’d fed the horses earlier, but had neglected to
close the gate leading from the barn to the pasture.

Now he
smoothed a hand through his hair for the hundredth time and glowered at the
ground. It didn’t sit well that he had tossed and turned most of the
night. He wouldn’t have been surprised to hear a vehicle arrive to pick
up Tye.

He came
to an abrupt halt at the barn door, surprised to see Tye in the barn. There was
no wheelchair, just her, standing there on her own. Another quick look at his
watch assured him it was barely six, but there she was, staring out over his
pasture, a relaxed, almost tranquil expression on her face. Jake swallowed hard
and shoved his hands into his pants pockets. Long ago he had dreamed of sharing
every morning with her. His mouth twisted. They both had been so young.

Jake
figured the gentlemanly thing would be to let her have some privacy. He should
turn and walk away. She probably wouldn't be happy to see him this morning.

"Good
morning, Tye," he said instead. As if he had startled her, she swiftly turned
her head. At least she didn't look nearly as tired. Even tired, she looked
damned good.

Tye
walked toward him, slim in worn jeans and a gray cotton T-shirt. Her gait was
somewhat awkward, but she wore a determined smile on her face, and he couldn't help
but stare at her blue, blue eyes. She had shown up yesterday looking bone tired
and sitting in a wheelchair. Today, with her prosthesis in place, he got the
message that she wanted to act as if everything was normal. As far as he was
concerned, normal was good. The way she was watching him, Jake had a feeling
this was a trial of sorts. Was she testing him, or anyone who came into contact
with her? Jake squashed the voice that warned him he’d made a mistake in
letting her come here.

"Good
morning, Jake. I wanted to see your stock. Mind if I look around?"

"No,
feel free. The horses are pretty friendly. They’re always interested in
carrots or treats."

"Are
they yours, Jake?"

"Yes.
A friend fell on some hard times and needed somewhere to park the horses. That
was three years ago. I ended up buying the trio."

Jake
watched Tye lean a moment against a fence post. He wondered about her leg, if
it bothered her, but something in her face warned him not to ask. He balled his
fists deeper in his pockets and said with determination, "Are you, do you
need any help?" Inwardly, he cursed his own awkwardness, cursing inwardly.
She narrowed her eyes but he ignored the warning. "If you find you need
anything or I've forgotten something, I'll be around later this afternoon. Look
around at whatever you like, Tye. I'll be leaving for work in the next
hour." He made himself walk away from her. Everything in him wanted to
stick around and talk to her, make sure she was okay. But her wary expression
told him she had to make the first move. Jake pushed the barn gate closed and
latched it.

"Jake?"

He
turned quickly, then cursed his eagerness. What was the matter with him?

"Do
you usually work on Saturdays?"

"Not
usually. In a little while I have to go in and check a few things and meet with
some people."

"I’m
not used to seeing you in a suit," she remarked.

Jake
smoothed his tie, feeling the cool breeze, seeing it lift several strands of
Tye’s hair. "I run a manufacturing company. I have a lot of business
meetings ― that's the reason for the suit." He couldn’t resist
adding, "I’m not the same man you knew, Tye."

"I
know what you do. I do remember your father's business." There was a
slight curve to Tye’s mouth, as if something amused her. Jake wondered at
the quick, almost assessing glance she ran over him. A ripple of awareness
moved between them as their gazes met. He slid a finger under his suddenly
tight collar. Did she think he was the same gullible kid with her? Holding back
from taking their kisses too far.

It
piqued Jake that Tye seemed to ignore him as she turned her gaze back to his
pasture. He wondered if she saw the same beauty in the flat, desolate expanse
as he did. He loved this land. It was his, something he had worked hard for. A
place of permanence he came back to at the end of a long day.

"I
really appreciate you stocking the fridge and the cupboards for me," she
told him softly, still not looking at him.

"No
problem, Tye. Ben helped me with suggestions about what you might like. I go
shopping once a week. Make a list if you need anything."

She
looked surprised, then disappointed. "Oh. I thought maybe you remembered
what I like." Quickly, she put up a hand to brush the hair from her eyes,
her laugh sounding forced. "Isn’t that silly? We wouldn’t
remember anything from that long ago."

Jake’s
smile felt frozen. He remembered that she liked strawberries piled with whipped
cream. He recalled the time he’d kissed the cream from her lips, then
deliberately sprayed some whipped cream on her neck and licked that sweetness
from her skin.

"Mama's
bringing my vehicle out sometime this week." Tye ran her fingertips over
the rough-cut wall boards. "By the way, I talked to Ben this
morning."

"Really?
Is he back in the country?"

"He
is. I contacted him via chat. I want to reassure you I won’t impose any
longer than necessary. Ben’s looking around for somewhere else for me to
rent." Tye looked Jake in the eye and blurted, "If it's okay, I'd
like to stay here until he comes up with something. I-I can’t go home right
now. I promise to stay out of your way."

"Yeah,
sure, no problem." Jake tried to keep his voice offhand, while something
inside him lifted. She wasn't leaving, at least not immediately. Then he felt
irritated with his thoughts. He wanted her to get well and leave: he had to
keep that firmly in mind. They weren’t in love anymore. Maybe they could
find a comfortable solution for her, or maybe she would realize on her own that
this arrangement could work. She could rest and get her life together. Once
things settled down for her, she could leave, and they could all go on as
before. Jake felt satisfied with that conclusion. He was only helping someone
in need. When she was on her feet once more, good riddance.

"I
have things to do," he said abruptly, exasperated with his own meandering.
He made himself walk away and left her standing by the barn. It was best for
both of them if they stayed out of each other’s way.

Tye
watched Jake walk toward the house, still unable to shake the sense of
unreality each time she saw him. She had had him pegged a certain way in her
mind, and to see him now, it felt as if she’d never left. She must have
been out of her mind that night, to think he was an angel sent especially for
her.

Once
Jake was out of sight, she determinedly walked away from the barn to the split
rail fence enclosing the pasture. If it killed her, she would learn to walk
normally with this fool artificial leg.

The barn
itself was in good repair. Tye found three horses out in the pasture. The first
two were beautiful bays, their coats the color of copper, with legs dark and
fine. The third horse, a deep, true black, was of a heavier build. Tye
immediately felt drawn to him. He reminded her of her favorite horse, Pongo, a
black-and-white paint horse.

The
black horse trotted over to the fence and poked his dark muzzle over the rail
next to Tye. Speaking softly, she leaned against the wood for support and
rubbed her palm down his sleek neck.

"You're
gorgeous," she told him, and an unexpected homesickness hit her. Because
of her stubbornness, she hadn't seen her horses in over three months.

The
horse dipped his head and, in the next moment, pushed against Tye's chest. The
unexpected movement made her take a step backward on her right leg. She lost
her balance and landed awkwardly on the ground. Hearing running footsteps, she
turned her head to see Jake coming toward her, alarm all over his face.

"Damn."
Tye tried to scramble up, but only managed to rise to one knee by the time Jake
reached her side. She held herself off the ground with her hands in the dirt,
looking up at him awkwardly, her face flushed, her shirt damp from her
exertions.

"Tye,
are you okay? I just happened to see you fall." Jake knelt down. The
concern on his face, combined with his dark hair tumbling over one eye, set off
an uneasy feeling in Tye. Attraction stirred dark and needy. Damn! She didn't
want to feel attracted to him. They couldn’t pick up where they’d
left off. Life didn’t work out that way as much as she wanted to turn
back the clock.

Tye felt
herself tense. Where had those thoughts come from?

He
helped her to her feet and, still slightly off center, she took a nosedive into
his shirt. Instantly, she panicked, trying to straighten as she slapped his
helpful hands away. Jake stepped back and released her upper arms, but not
before Tye felt a pulsing awareness that made her nerve endings jump. The
subtle scent of his freshly showered skin played around her nostrils. Soap and
shaving lotion.

What was
the matter with her? She couldn’t go back: there were too many years and
too many words between them.

Angry
with herself, she snapped, "I'm fine! Leave me alone. I don’t need
your help." Tye turned her head away from him, blinking hard as moisture
filmed her eyes. "I guess I'm a hazard around the barn," she
muttered, angry with her own awkwardness. She felt as inadequate as hell.

Jake
stepped back, and she heard him say, "I forgot to mention Tibald's got a
knack for rubbing against you. He's gotten the best of me a time or two."

Tye
again blinked rapidly, not daring to look at Jake as she slapped the dust from
her jeans with her palms. If he knew there were angry tears rimming her eyes,
he was smart enough not to mention it.

After a
moment, she ran her gaze up and down him, not bothering to hide her
disbelieving frown.

"Tibald.
That's his name? He's knocked you down?" she asked incredulously.

"Well,
knocked me backward," Jake admitted with a grin. Tye decided to ignore the
smile in his eyes telling her it was no big deal. The connection she felt was
too dangerous for her peace of mind. "Of course, you can't compare my two
hundred pounds to your one hundred," he added quickly.

"One
twenty-five," Tye told him automatically. Without her lower leg she was
minus five pounds, give or take.

Jake reached
up and affectionately rubbed the heel of his palm between the horse's eyes.
"There's not a bit of malice in him, but he's sometimes a goof ball."

Tye
stepped back to get a better look at the horse. "He reminds me of my Paint
horse," she said, giving voice to her earlier thoughts.

"Ben
said your horses are out at your mother's ranch?"

She
looked away. "Yes, Mama's got lots of pasture." Tye suddenly felt
uncomfortable with that explanation. "I-I let Mama assume responsibility
for my animals the entire time I’ve been in the hospital and
rehabilitation." She looked down, angry with herself. She had never asked
about them, nor offered Mama anything for their upkeep. Tye bit her lip at her
apathy. It wasn't like her to let other people shoulder her obligations.
"I have some things to sort out with her."