A Cowboy's Heart

Since his quickie divorce from Reva Stevens two years ago in Reno, he’d dated women, but he’d never taken any of them on the road with him. This was a first since the disastrous marriage in Las Vegas that had only lasted a year. His grandfather had never said anything, but Connor knew the older man hadn’t been happy about his impulsive marriage to the L.A. TV anchor.

They’d made their base at her condo in L.A. When he wasn’t spending time with her, he traveled the rodeo circuit and worked on the ranch. She stayed on the ranch with him for a week after their honeymoon, but ranch life didn’t hold her long. Both of them were too driven by ambition to put the other person first. The long separations took their toll, and divorce had seemed the only solution.

Though they hadn’t been able to make it work, Reva called him from time to time. He kept their conversations short. He missed her in his bed. That had never changed, but it was everything else.

Liz’s comment about being afraid of the future had resonated with him big-time.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed her reading something on her iPad. “Anything interesting?”

“Yes. I’ve been checking stats. Dustine Hoffman just won the barrel-racing event at the Tom Thumb Texas Stampede in 13.71 seconds. She’s everyone’s competition.”

He whistled. “That arena gives you faster time than the one in Las Vegas with its special soil.”

She rolled her eyes at him. Between the dark lashes, they were as green as lime zest. He’d never seen eyes that exact color. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better. The truth is, she’s a great athlete.”

“So are you.” Connor discovered that Liz had a great mouth, too. Soft and full, not too wide, but he couldn’t afford to take his eyes off the road. “Didn’t you do a 13.70 at Bakersfield?”

“I doubt I’ll see a number that low again, but I can dream.”

He knew all about that. “Did you read anything else interesting?”

A sly smile broke the corner of her mouth. “There must be a hundred blogs devoted to Connor Bannock. Your fans stretch around the country and back. Jocko Mendez from the Southeastern circuit in Arkansas is your closest competition, but word is out that Las Vegas is betting on you. Have you ever read any of them?”

She tried to get him off the subject of her.

“I don’t have time.” He let out a sigh. “Do yourself a favor and forget about Dustine Hoffman’s stats. Concentrate on your routine with Sunflower. I watched you working with her the other morning. I’m impressed how well she body rates and changes leads between the first and second barrel.”

“But I hear a but. What aren’t you telling me?”

Liz was such a quick study, he needed to stay on his toes. “Am I that transparent?”

“Yes!”

He laughed. It was refreshing to be with someone who was too guileless to be anything but honest...unlike Reva, who’d harbored hurts and suspicions, then exploded at an unexpected moment.

“I notice you were working with wax reins, but they can be sticky. You have to really watch your hands with those. When they stick, you’re pulling your horse around the barrel when you should be guiding her.”

“Was that what I was doing the other morning?”

“No. I happened to notice it at your competition in Great Falls.”

“You did?”

“Liz—we’re not always at the same rodeos, but when we are, I make it a priority to watch my neighbor’s performance.”

She stirred in the seat. “I had no idea.”

“When we get to Las Vegas, try using a knot rein at practice. They still slide when needed, but you might like the feel of them better. It’s just a thought.”

“But valuable input, coming from you. I’ll try it.”

One eyebrow lifted. “You’re not offended?”

“By advice from you? What else did you see I can improve on?”

Connor decided she was like her dad, who didn’t have a resentful, paranoid bone in his body. “Not a thing.”

“Liar,” she said with a smile, but it soon faded when stronger than usual gusts of wind buffeted the trailer. “Whoa—”

“Another storm front is moving in, but we’re making good time so far. I’m glad we’ve reached Kemmerer. There’s an RV park a mile away where I made a reservation, just in case. We may have to spend the night in Wyoming after all. I don’t want to take chances with priceless cargo.”

“You’re right, of course. Our horses are precious.”

“I was referring to you,” he murmured.

Though she didn’t dare take him seriously, her heart jumped anyway. “You sounded like your grandfather just then. Between your father and Ralph, you’ve had remarkable role models in them and it shows.”

She saw his hands grip the steering wheel a little tighter. “You don’t know my history. I’m afraid Grandpa has about given up on me.”

There he went again. Something was going on where his grandfather was concerned, and she was curious. “Why would you say that? While he was hugging you, he had tears in his eyes, he’s so proud.”

“Those were tears of disappointment. I should have quit the circuit several years ago in order to help him and Jarod.”

Liz decided to take a risk. “Don’t tell me your cousin Ned got to you, too, before he was put in that mental health facility—”

She heard his breath catch and knew she’d hit a nerve. “Sadie told me he about destroyed Jarod’s confidence before they got back together. It sounds like he did a pretty good job on you, too. What did he tell you? That you didn’t have what it took to run the Bannock ranch? Or did he make digs that you were running away from your responsibilities by letting the rodeo take over your life since your father’s death?”

Connor stiffened. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You need to talk about it! Don’t forget your grandfather was a rodeo champion in his day. He’s in heaven watching you rack up the gold buckles.”

Snow started to pelt the windshield, but she hardly noticed. “No doubt Ned accused you of leaving the work to your brother. Ned Bannock caused more trouble than Sadie’s father ever did. Don’t you know how jealous he was of you?”

Liz was all wound up and couldn’t stop. “Ned never had your horsemanship and couldn’t keep up with you. You were given a special gift. After you won your first buckle, why do you think he quit competing in rodeos so quickly? All he could do was undermine you, so you would feel guilty. He probably had a coronary when you married Reva Stevens, who looks like a movie star.”

The windshield wipers were going full force while she kept on talking. “I’ll bet he loved baiting you when you were divorced. Ned always did like to kick a man when he was already down. Well, I’d say he did a pretty fantastic job on you to make you feel like your grandfather is disappointed in you. But you would be wrong!

“Ralph adores you! I ought to know. I’ve been friends with him for years. If he’s disappointed, then it’s because he’s afraid you’ve believed Ned. Shame on you, Connor!” Her rebuke rang in the cab.

By now, he’d turned into the RV campground and drove to the first place where they could stop. They were in a whiteout. But for the din of her voice, there was an eerie quiet. When she dared to look at him, his shoulders were shaking in silent laughter.

He turned in the seat, resting his head against the window where the snow was piling up and stared at her. “And here I thought you were a quiet little thing. But I should have known better after watching you on a horse. There’s a spitfire inside of you. Feel better now that you’ve gotten it off your chest?”

Heat washed over her body in waves. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me.”

His eyes played over her. “I don’t think you left a thing unsaid. In fact, you mentioned a few things I hadn’t even thought of that went straight to the gut.” She wanted to crawl in a hole. “Who would have thought Liz Henson from the Corkin ranch, who’s always in her own world, had so much insight?”

Always in her own world?