A Secret The Size Of Texas

Veterinarian Lexi Lawson has her hands full—and not just when she’s delivering foals at the Langtry family’s ranch. Working there forces Lexi to confront Shane Langtry, the man who broke her heart. True, he seems different now—more generous, more grounded. But Lexi isn’t fooled: Shane lives for rodeo competition and nothing else. Besides, after what he did to her, there’s no way she’d take him back.

Long ago, when they were in love, Lexi hid a terrible secret from Shane—one she planned to keep forever. But when he learns the truth, she’s forced to choose between the past she left behind…and the future they might still find together.

“Listen, Shane.”

Lexi jabbed at his chest. “Regardless of how or what I feel, you cannot kiss me while I’m at work, even if you do own the place! Who knows who saw that kiss? I have a reputation to maintain, so I suggest you get your butt on that plane and focus on your next ride.”

“After you admit you still love me.” Shane leisurely leaned against the stall door.

Lexi closed the distance between them and carefully kept her tone low so no one would overhear. “You arrogant, egotistical— How can you think for one minute— We just started—”

“Yep, I knew it.” Shane slapped his thigh with his hat. “Some things never change, mi ángel de fuego.”

Taking her off guard, Lexi was surprised to hear Shane refer to her as his “angel of fire.” The last time she’d heard the nickname was before they broke up. Struggling to compose herself she stared at him, afraid to speak.

“Whenever you get riled up like this and can’t finish a thought, I know I’m right, and it kills you,” he said.

If he only knew how much it all really was killing her….

Dear Reader,

Blame It on the Rodeo brings me back to when I interned on a horse ranch in New Jersey many years ago. My job of assisting the breed manager was far from easy, but the rewards outweighed the mud, muck and, well, all those other horse hind-end things. When I wrote this book, I was sad to discover the place that taught me so much no longer exists. While the people and foals I grew to love have moved on to greener pastures, the memories of those days come to life again in this book and the entire Ramblewood series.

I would like to thank Ashleigh Orrock of Seaside Animal Care in Calabash, North Carolina, for inspiring my opening scene. A passing conversation during an emergency vet visit led to the first chapter of this book and began the bumpy trail ride of Lexi and Shane’s reconnection.

Blame It on the Rodeo is the third book in the Ramblewood, Texas series, where the Langtry men always manage to rile up the women they love more than a yellow jacket in an outhouse.

Feel free to stop in and visit me at www.amandarenee.com. I’d love to hear from you. Happy reading!

Amanda Renee

Blame It on

the Rodeo

Amanda Renee

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in the northeast, Amanda Renee currently resides on the Intracoastal Waterway in sunny South Carolina. Her dreams came true when she was discovered through Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest.

When not creating stories about love, laughter and things that go bump in the night, she enjoys the company of her schnoodle named Duffy, traveling, photography, playing guitar and anything involving horses. You can visit her at www.amandarenee.com.

For Susan Gibbs Woods

Friends Forever, Girlie–’Til we meet again in heaven

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Excerpt

Chapter One

“Let’s see if we can catch us a foal.”

Sliding her arm into the sterile shoulder-length glove, Lexi Lawson slipped the neck strap over her head and faced Little Miss Confetti.

“Easy, girl.” Billy Stevens led the white-and-black American Paint mare into the narrow wooden-and-metal crush and closed the front gate. The secured enclosure protected Lexi from the horse and the horse from itself during the procedure. Standing to the side, Billy whispered soothing words while gently rubbing Confetti’s muzzle.

“Welcome to your first embryo transfer lesson—so come on back here for a ringside seat.” Amused by Billy’s stunned expression, she continued, “Equine care starts at conception, and there’s more to horses than leg wraps and Coggins reports.” Lexi was pleased at how proficient her protégé had become at aiding her with the standard Equine Infectious Anemia tests and the subsequent paperwork.

A year and a half ago Lexi wouldn’t have considered Billy Stevens for an assistant. After escaping his abusive family, Billy ended up on the wrong side of the law when he and a few so-called friends stole some high-priced guitars from Ackerman’s Music in town. A month in county lockup left him scared straight and completely alone once he was released. Never ones to turn away a person in need, the Langtry family offered him a place to live on the Bridle Dance Ranch in exchange for honest, hard work.

Cole, the oldest of the four Langtry brothers, took a shine to Billy when he noticed his interest in horses ran deeper than a paycheck. Without confidence in himself, Billy didn’t believe he had a future in the veterinary field until Cole pointed him in Lexi’s direction and offered to help finance some college courses this past semester. A natural, Billy instinctively sensed when a horse was even the slightest bit off.

“We’ll be successful today,” Ashleigh assured them.

Billy bashfully squeezed past Ashleigh and the crush. Lexi suspected he had a case of puppy love for her vet tech, but he’d soon come to realize no matter how endearing he might be, Ashleigh wasn’t about to leave her husband for someone seven years her junior.

“Cole,” Lexi said over her shoulder. “Have one of the grooms on standby to bring in Moonglow.”

Before Cole answered, Shane Langtry cleared his throat in the doorway of the breeding area and casually leaned against the jamb.

“I’m headed out to pick up our first official rodeo student.” Shane straightened and strode over to the mare and stroked her cheek. Responding to his gentle touch, she snorted against his hand and bobbed her head.

Dressed in faded jeans and a formfitting, ab-enhancing fitted gray T-shirt, Shane shouldn’t make her breath catch, but damned if he didn’t, even after thirteen years. Lexi may have put his cheating ways in the past, but no one said working near the man responsible for the toughest decision of her life would be easy. Of course, she had the option to start over somewhere else, and she’d done just that for a spell.

After a year at Colorado State, Lexi transferred to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where she completed veterinary school and her equine internship. She’d been set to stay in the upstate area, but Joe Langtry’s call six months later with a job offer and the opportunity to branch out on her own was impossible to resist. The Langtry patriarch was a true Southern charmer who had a way with words, and the money sure didn’t hurt, either.

While it was an adjustment from the bone-chilling northern winters, once Lexi moved back to her family’s farm, she knew Ramblewood, Texas, would always be home. Regrets were a waste of time and Lexi wasn’t about to let a moment pass her by. Jumping into the swing of things with her old friends, she learned to adjust to having Shane in her life again, but it wasn’t until his brother Jesse’s wedding last November that she and Shane had started chipping away at the pain of the past. Some memories may have faded, but one still haunted her.

“You’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.” Lexi smiled up at Shane. “I wish you the best.”

Needing to concentrate on Little Miss Confetti, Lexi shifted her attention away from the roguish cowboy. After administering lidocaine to relax the mare’s hindquarters, Ashleigh wrapped its tail in pink, stretchy bandaging and loosely tied it to the crush’s back-gate support.

“Most important—everything must be sterile,” Lexi explained to Billy. In her peripheral vision, she noticed Shane still watching her, making her acutely aware how many people banked on her success today. “We don’t want any unnecessary risk of infection.”

“I still don’t understand,” Billy said. “Why are we using a surrogate if Confetti’s already pregnant?”

“She’s our top cutting-horse competitor,” Cole said. “Eleven months is too long to keep her out of the ring, and then we’d have to retrain and get her endurance levels up to par again. When she’s older and no longer competing, we’ll allow her to carry.”

“Plus we can get two foals from Confetti this year if we use a surrogate.” Lexi had read how some veterinarians were transferring up to six embryos a year from their donor mares by constantly manipulating their heat cycles. She didn’t agree with the practice and was glad the Langtrys were equally opposed to it. She only dared so much when it came to messing around with Mother Nature. “We also use surrogates if there’s an injury and the horse can’t carry to term, or if there are problems due to a previous pregnancy. There are many reasons, but we make sure overbreeding isn’t one of them.”

Billy’s eyes darted between the equipment and the mare. “Will this hurt her?”

“It may feel a little strange to her, but there’s no pain,” Lexi reassured him. “The process goes very quickly. Mystified Moonglow is our surrogate, but we had to prepare more than one mare in case she didn’t ovulate the prerequisite two days after Confetti. The ultrasound shows we’re right on schedule with both horses.”

Ashleigh placed a white tube in Lexi’s free hand. “This is a two-way catheter,” Lexi said, turning her wrist over. “Ashleigh will attach one channel to the embryo flush.”

Carefully inserting the catheter, Lexi inflated the bulb inside Confetti’s cervix to prevent the flush from flowing out while Ashleigh connected the saline solution with long tubing and elevated it on a modified IV stand above Confetti’s backside.

“Embryo collection is always done on day seven or eight after ovulation,” she explained. “At six days, it’s not quite viable, and once we reach the nine-day mark, the embryo is too large and we risk damaging it. Day eight is perfect, and once we know where it is in the petri dish, it will be visible to the naked eye.”

“I hope this works,” Cole said. “What’s the saying, third time’s the charm?”

“It’s also the last,” Lexi stated flatly. If she failed again, she would know this wasn’t meant to be, and she didn’t want to tempt fate.

“This isn’t foolproof. We’re looking at a fifty-to-seventy percent success rate. I’ve always collected them on the second go-round, if we missed the first, but Confetti’s been my problem child.”

Lexi released a small amount of fluid through the tube and into the horse. Opening the switch between the two channels, the solution flowed through the other side of the tubing and into a filter cup that Ashleigh held.

“The trick is to always have some fluid in the cup, never allowing it to drain all the way into the bucket,” Ashleigh added. “We don’t want the embryo to smack hard against the side of the cup on its way out.”

A few minutes later, Lexi removed the catheter and transferred the collection cup to the Langtrys’ lab area. None of her other patients had their own laboratories, but then none of them owned one of the state’s largest paint and quarter cutting horse ranches.

Lexi was grateful that Joe Langtry had spared no expense when he built the facility, because it allowed her greater opportunities to expand her knowledge while working in the field.

A bead of sweat traveled down between her shoulder blades in spite of the room’s cool climate-controlled air. Opening a grid-lined petri dish, Lexi meticulously poured the contents of the cup into it and turned on the microscope.

“We’re using the stereo microscope today.” She peered into the eyepiece and adjusted the focus knob. “Examining the cells in three dimensions allows me to grade the quality of the embryo.”

Slowly moving the dish under the microscope, she scanned the solution, grid by grid, hoping they wouldn’t come up empty again.

“We’re in luck, folks.” Lexi let out the breath she’d been holding since she arrived on the Bridle Dance Ranch that morning and smiled. “Cole, can you have someone return Confetti to her stall and move Moonglow into the crush? Ashleigh will prep her.

“Take a look.” Lexi slid over, making room for Billy, who hovered nearby. “We have a grade one embryo. See how the cells are compacted and all the same size? That’s what we always look for.”

A lot rode on this dream match between dam Little Miss Confetti and sire Dreamward Wink. The buyer, Blueford Thomas, was a longtime family friend, but Lexi had the feeling everyone was beginning to doubt her ability to get the job done, including Shane.

Seemingly satisfied, Shane turned and left the lab area without a word. Knowing full well this situation was different, Lexi couldn’t help but think of the day he’d walked out on her so long ago. Ironically, an unborn child was involved, too.

“Let’s transfer this baby into its new home for the next eleven months.”

* * *

SHANE CURSED HIMSELF on his way out of the stables. Damned if the sight of her didn’t still make his blood boil. It had taken a few years after she returned home for Lexi to warm up to Shane, but she still kept him at arm’s length. And who’d blame her? The one time he’d cheated on her led to a two-year nightmare he’d rather forget.

A couple days before Lexi came home for winter break from Colorado State, buckle bunny Sharon Vincent knocked on his door and claimed she was five months pregnant with his kid. Their one night in Oklahoma shortly after high school graduation came back to bite him in the ass. Sharon wasn’t just bad news when he met her, she was a hot mess and Shane didn’t have the good sense to resist. Claiming she was on the pill, he’d learned the hard way not to trust a woman in the birth control department.

Pressured by his family to do the right thing, he immediately married Sharon, breaking Lexi’s heart in the process. He’d never forget the afternoon he told Lexi the truth. Her hazel eyes flared at him like a cougar ready to attack. Only she didn’t say a word. He had no choice but to walk away from her and they’d kept their distance from one another until his father enticed her to return to town permanently. Shane knew it was for his benefit. Joe Langtry loved to control situations and Shane believed his father thought he and Lexi would one day take another stab at what they’d lost.

Shane married Sharon, and for their son Dylan’s sake he kept up the facade even though he didn’t love his wife. Shortly after Dylan’s first birthday, Tab Fanning, Shane’s biggest rodeo rival, rode into town and turned his world upside down when he claimed to be Dylan’s father.

Shane hadn’t wanted to believe the child he’d grown to love wasn’t his, and Sharon fed him lie after lie, swearing Dylan was his son. He convinced himself that it didn’t matter. He loved Dylan and at this point didn’t care who the father was, until a court-ordered paternity test proved otherwise. Shattered when Tab took Dylan away, Shane immediately sent Sharon packing.

Before walking out the door, Sharon admitted she had only wanted the Langtry money and had intended to get pregnant that lone night with Shane. Her fatal flaw was sleeping with one too many cowboys around the same time. It took every ounce of Shane’s strength and that of his brothers not to strangle her on the spot. From that day forward, Shane declared marriage and children off-limits.

Throwing himself into the rodeo and his work on the ranch kept his mind busy and there was no shortage of women to occupy his bed at night. His romantic relationship with Lexi was in the past but the memory of what they’d had plagued him.

They worked together, ran in the same circles and were usually found in the same places after the sun went down, but until Jesse’s wedding, Shane wouldn’t have even considered the possibility of a second chance. Maybe it was the clever way Miranda, Jesse’s wife, paired them together during the ceremony and reception. Or, maybe it was the sight of Lexi in her beaded sage bridesmaid gown. Whatever the reason, the moment she took his arm during the wedding procession, Shane knew where his heart belonged—where it had never left.

“There’s my elusive son,” his mother greeted him on the dirt path leading to the stables. “I haven’t seen you in two days. Thought I’d take a break from the ribbon-cutting preparations and see how Lexi made out.” Kay peered up at him. “Have you heard anything yet?”

“It was a success.” Shane tilted his hat back and grinned. “Had no doubt she’d get it this time.”

“This whole embryo-transfer thing fascinates me. In my day, horses did their mating the old-fashioned way. Speaking of which, how is it going between you and Lexi? I noticed you came in very late the other night. Does that mean you two had a good date?”

“I wouldn’t call dinner at the Ragin’ Cajun with eight other people a date, Mom.” Shane had hoped to get a little alone time with Lexi that night, but they were celebrating their friend Aaron’s birthday, and while Lexi had agreed to go with him, she made sure they were never truly alone. “I wish she would trust me more instead of always doing this group thing.”

“Give her time, honey.” Kay placed her hand over her son’s heart. “It wasn’t that long ago that you were chasing any female with a pulse, and some of them didn’t even have that qualification.”

“Ouch, Mom.” While he loved his mother for always telling him how it was, her words stung. “I haven’t been with anyone since the wedding and it’s not for a lack of available women.”

“Okay, I may love you unconditionally but that doesn’t mean I want to hear about your sex life.” Kay wrinkled her nose and feigned a shiver. “You keep those bits and your own bits to yourself. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Shane threw his arms around his mother and gave her a hug. Since his father, Joe, died last year of a sudden heart attack, he realized how short life was and how much he took for granted. He swore he wouldn’t repeat past mistakes, especially when it came to family. They meant the world to him and someday he hoped to convince Lexi she did, too.

Kay Langtry was the strongest woman Shane knew. His father’s will left Shane and his three brothers the business end of the ranch, while the land, houses and the winery were left to their mother. In honor of their father, and after a power struggle that almost tore the family apart, the brothers created an equine facility showcasing the spirit of the horse and the grand opening was next week. Kay ran the Dance of Hope hippotherapy facility and Shane and his brother Chase ran the Ride ’em High! Rodeo School. His brother Cole primarily focused on the Bridle Dance Ranch itself and the breeding programs with Lexi while his other brother Jesse had his own ranch to run.

Once more, his thoughts settled on the mahogany-haired bombshell inside the stables. Every day she was there and every night he tried to shake free the memories of how much he hurt her.

“Aren’t you going to be late picking up Hunter?” Kay looked up at her son.

“I’m leaving now.” Shane checked his watch. It took an hour and a half to drive to the airport and the flight arrived shortly after. “I love you, Mom.”

Giving his mother a peck on the cheek, he hopped into his black, topless and doorless Jeep and removed the keys from the visor. He accidentally popped the clutch and shot off with a cloud of dust in his wake. He’d hear about that one later from his mother. She hated when they spun out of the parking area.

After fighting traffic the entire way to the San Antonio airport, Shane surprisingly found a parking spot close to the entrance. Inside he scanned the incoming board for Hunter’s flight.

Flight 3492 11:48 a.m.—On Time

With twenty minutes to spare, he sauntered to the ticket counter and zeroed in on the fresh-faced blonde in a white long-sleeve blouse and dark, fitted vest.

“There’s supposed to be a gate pass waiting for me,” he drawled. “I’m picking up Hunter Rathbone.”

Her brown doe eyes met his and she smiled, a slightly imperfect, yet adorable grin with one tooth barely overlapping the other on the bottom row. Fumbling with the mouse, she inhaled nervously, causing her name tag to glint in the overhead fluorescent lights.

“I can check in to that for you.” There was a hint of shyness in her voice and Shane wondered if she was new to the job. Typing in some information on the computer, she asked, “May I see your identification?”

Removing his billfold from his front pocket, he removed his driver’s license and slid it across the counter. “Are you new here, Lily?”

When her fingers accidentally grazed his, she hesitated and stared down at his empty ring finger. Why do women do that? Tilting his head to catch her gaze, he watched Lily’s cheeks turn a deep crimson when she realized she’d been caught doing the typical wedding-ring check. “I started a few weeks ago.” Taking another deep breath, she tightened her grip on his license, pulled it toward her and verified his information.

“Do you like it?” Amused by her reaction, Shane decided to have a little fun and leaned on the counter, smiling easily when she swallowed hard and her pupils dilated.

“Yes—here’s your gate pass. You’ll need to go through security first then head to gate B8.” She handed him his license and a map of the airport, trying to avoid any further eye contact.

Shane nodded politely, returned his wallet to his pocket and glanced at the map. “Thanks, darling.” He confidently strode away from the counter knowing Lily was probably enjoying the view.

Yep, I still got it. He only wished Lexi thought so, too.

A couple he assumed were embarking on their honeymoon stood ahead of him at the security checkpoint, arms entwined, whispering I-love-you’s to each other every few seconds. Shane fought the rude comment that teetered on the tip of his tongue, knowing it came from the hard reminder of what he’d had and lost, and wanted back with only one person.

He turned his attention to the woman in the next aisle who was balancing toddler twin boys in matching overalls on either hip. The strain of the day already evident in her face, and he sincerely hoped she was meeting someone and not heading out on a flight of her own.

He tugged off his boots, placed them on the conveyer belt and emptied his pockets into the bin. After the obligatory pat-down that left him a little uncomfortable, he hopped on one foot while he pulled on his boots.

Exiting the checkpoint at the same time, the frazzled woman struggled with her children’s shoes, reminding Shane how difficult it could be to stuff a kicking foot into a tiny sneaker. Not much more than in her early twenties, she haphazardly tucked a lock of hair, which had escaped her loose ponytail, behind her ear.

“Steven, stay next to Mommy.” She kneeled in front of one child, jammed his pudgy foot into the shoe and fastened the Velcro closure while looking over her shoulder at her other restless child. “Steven, come here.”

The words were all it took for the child to giggle loudly and take off down the terminal. The woman stood to chase after him, catching her purse strap on the chair.

Shane ran after him, smiling at the boy’s duck-waddle steps. For a moment, he felt like he’d time-warped to the days when he thought Dylan was his son. The sudden ache in his heart caught him off guard when he swung the toddler into his arms. The woman quickly caught up with him, frustration creasing her brow.

“Thank you.” She reached out for the boy. “I can’t believe they made me take their shoes off. Really, thanks again.”

Before he responded, the woman went on her way down the terminal.

A few minutes passed once he arrived in the designated waiting area and the gate door opened. A flight attendant emerged with a lanky dark-haired, ice-blue-eyed preteen in tow. Shane approached them and gave Hunter a hug.

“It’s good to see you again.” Shane released him to get a better look at the soon-to-be man. “You’ve shot up these past few months.”

Shane had met Hunter Rathbone and his parents in Denver during a high school rodeo clinic he’d led in April. Hunter raved that Shane was his idol, and when Shane mentioned he was opening the Ride ’em High! Rodeo School, Hunter practically begged his parents on the spot to let him attend the school’s inaugural session. Shane kept the Rathbones apprised of the school’s progress and even flew out to a couple of Hunter’s events. He was drawn to the kid’s talent and natural ease in the saddle. The fact that Hunter and Dylan were close to the same age caused Shane to wonder more in recent months about the child he’d lost.

Hunter beamed. “I can’t believe I’m actually here with you. This is a dream of a lifetime.”

“Easy, kid, you have a whole lot of living to do.” Shane winked at the attractive flight attendant and handed her his license and gate pass. “Trust me when I say you have much better things to dream of when you get older.”

“I wasn’t sure if you were picking me up or if someone else from the school was. I’m so excited we’re staying in bunkhouses. Just like real cowboys.”

“You are a real cowboy.” Shane tousled the boy’s hair. “Half your class is coming in from out of state. You and one other are flying in, the rest are driving. And since you’re our first official student, I thought I should be the one to meet you.”

Shane wondered if he’d see Dylan’s name on the student manifest one day. An impossible pipe dream considering Tab probably knew more about the rodeo than he did. He hadn’t come across Dylan on the circuit yet, but with a bull-riding champion for a father, rodeo coursed through the boy’s blood. He’d heard Tab retired, married and had more children after he gained full custody of Dylan. As far as he knew, Dylan had a good life, and in the end, that’s what mattered most to Shane.

There were days he wondered if Dylan remembered their time together, and realized it was unlikely. Dylan had just turned a year old when Tab left with him, and after the way Shane had shoved Sharon out the door, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be remembered for treating the child’s mother that way. Not that she’d win any parent-of-the-year awards. Rumor had it she was down in Brazil trying her hand with another country’s cowboys.

“I hope you’re ready for a month of hard work?” Shane asked while they rode the escalator down to the baggage claim area.

“Tight!” Hunter said with enthusiasm. “I can’t wait to get started.”

“Tight?” Shane stopped walking and looked at Hunter’s feet. “Are your boots pinching or something?”

“Huh?” Hunter tilted his head and slowly looked from Shane to his feet. “What are you talking about?”

“You said tight. What’s tight?” Shane asked.

Hunter patted Shane on the back and urged him to walk forward before they caused a traffic jam at the bottom of the escalator. “How do I translate this for you, old man? Tight means the same as cool back in your day. You don’t hang with many kids, do you?”

“No, I don’t.” Old man? Shane’s ego took a bit of a hit at the comment. “And for the record, thirty-one’s not old.”

“In terms of a hundred being the oldest, no, you still have time. I’m sure I can teach you enough in the next month to survive the average kid. But since you’re practically old enough to be my dad, it may take a little work.”

“Oh, nice shot.” Shane arm nudged the teen. “We’ll see who teaches who this month.”

His anticipation of the next four weeks began to shift, nervousness replacing his usual confidence. Maybe teenagers weren’t so easy after all.

Chapter Two

“Surprise!”

“Oh, good Lord!” Miranda wobbled backward, her hands protectively on her round belly. “Don’t you people know never to startle a pregnant woman?”

“Now I told you to surprise her, not surprise the young’uns out of her.” Mable’s mocha cheeks flared with a hint of red. “We don’t need a repeat of last year, but Tess, honey, ready the shower curtain liner, just in case.” Originally, Double Trouble’s house manager, Mable became a surrogate mother of sorts when Miranda moved to town and purchased the ranch. Never having had children of her own, Mable doted on Miranda as if she were her own daughter. Since Miranda’s drunk of a mother had died a few years ago, Mable easily filled the void in her life.

Lexi doubted anyone would soon forget the day Vicki Slater went into labor shortly after her own baby shower ended. Miranda was right there to catch the bundle of joy in the middle of her living room. So indebted to her friend, Vicki named her daughter Randi Lynn, after Miranda.

Randi Lynn had celebrated her first birthday a few days ago and Miranda had a few weeks before she and Jesse welcomed twins. Once their honeymoon started, they immediately went to work in the baby-making department. But they weren’t the only children with a birthday this time of year. One was missing. Lexi tried to push the thought from her mind.

Lexi had liked Miranda from the day she pulled into town, determined to start a new life. She’d been down that road herself and anyone with the courage to make that kind of move had her vote. Jesse couldn’t have chosen a better bride—they were perfectly matched in their fire and passion.

Inside Cole and his wife Tess’s newly renovated cottage, Ramblewood’s women gathered, showering the latest mommy-to-be with gifts. And Jesse, the only male in the room, seemed to relish the attention. Tess and Cole’s adopted daughter, Ever, helped hand Miranda her presents, although Lexi sensed she wanted to tear into each one of them herself.

“I just thought of something,” Miranda said, straightening her back to rub it. “I didn’t see any cars when we pulled up. Where did you all park?”

Everyone laughed.

“That was an adventure of its own,” Mazie, Lexi’s younger sister, giggled.

“That son of mine almost lost a few of your guests along the way,” Kay said. “We had everyone park at the winery and Shane chauffeured them here in that blasted Jeep of his. Poor Bridgett almost flew out of it.”

On a quarter-of-a-million-acre ranch, it was a cinch to hide a few cars. Besides being Dance of Hope’s CEO, Kay oversaw the small ranch winery, and since it wasn’t open on Saturdays, it was the last place Miranda would venture.

Feeling wistful, Lexi looked around the cottage at the people she considered her extended family. Lexi’s parents had grown up with both Tess and Vicki’s parents, and then all their kids grew up together. Now a new generation had begun and the cycle would repeat. Minus one.

Everyone had been surprised when Shane offered to renovate the house for Cole as a peace offering for trying to block the Dance of Hope hippotherapy facility last year. When Shane and Chase battled Cole and Jesse for control of the ranch’s finances, Kay had been relegated to watching her family tear itself apart. Looking around now, Lexi admired the extensive attention to detail Shane had given the remodel.

Recently her friends’ lives had changed drastically. They were married and creating families of their own. She’d wanted the same for herself thirteen years ago, if Shane hadn’t cheated on her. Lexi tried not to dwell on the what-ifs, but the past still tormented her every day. Especially now that she and Shane were testing the waters again, even though she’d made it clear she wasn’t sure where it would lead.

“Honey, did you see Ever’s bedroom?”

“Mom...” Lexi shushed her mother. “Are you snooping?”

“No, I’m not snooping,” Judy said. “I merely observed the room across the hall when I came out of the bathroom. It’s adorable with purple ponies in tiaras painted on the walls. And did you see the mini hitching post out front for Ever’s horse? She’s one lucky little girl.”

Lexi watched the five-year-old across the room. She was sitting on Tess’s lap in a lilac party dress, her legs encased in braces up to her knees. Ever had a mild form of cerebral palsy, but physical therapy and daily hippotherapy sessions had increased her strength and ability to the point where she didn’t rely on her crutches much anymore. Surrounded by horses her entire life, Lexi was still in awe of the therapy that utilized the animals’ movements to treat people with injuries and physical disabilities.

“She certainly is,” Lexi agreed. “Cole told me the day may come when she won’t need the braces.”

“Isn’t Cole such a darling with her?” Judy asked. “All the Langtry men are angels except that Shane. He can’t keep it in his pants long enough to—”

“Mom, please.” Lexi held up her hand. “Let’s not go down this road again. Enjoy the party and stop trying to fight my battles from years ago.”

“Who’s talking years? I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. And just the other day, Charlotte Hargrove told me—”

Not wanting to hear any more, Lexi left her mother and walked down the hallway to the bathroom, allowing herself a glance in Ever’s room. Cutely decorated with its feminine frills, she remembered the animated way Shane had described the low wall-length banquette he’d built under the window so Ever could easily sit on it without assistance.

Inside the bathroom, she locked the door and rested against it. Light cornflower-blue paint decorated the upper half of the wall over white wainscoting. A tiny walker stood near the white pedestal sink. Grip bars of various heights lined the wall next to the tub so she could lift herself out without relying on someone to help her. Shane had thought of everything.

She had to hand it to him. And in his care for his little niece, Lexi knew Shane still missed Dylan, even though he refused to speak his name.

The walls suddenly seemed to close in on Lexi. Her chest tightened and she desperately needed the freedom of wide open spaces, preferably on the back of a horse. Ducking out the kitchen door, she walked to the side of the house, safely out of view.

Lexi slid to the ground and closed her eyes. Flashes from that Colorado hospital room flooded her vision and she wrapped her arms around herself. This time of year was the hardest and memories she’d rather forget invaded almost every thought.

“Lexi?” a voice called to her. “Are you all right?”

Her head shot up. Silhouetted against the sun, Shane sat astride Ransom. Shielding the light from her eyes, Lexi wasn’t able to see the other riders, but she quickly made out Dream Catcher’s unusual silver dappled legs and assumed their friend Clay Tanner was astride the horse. Considering the other horses she saw were under her care, the riders must be students.

“I’m fine,” she said. “I pulled a muscle earlier and it’s acting up—hardly worth mentioning. What are you doing here? I thought you’d want to be miles away from a house full of women and baby talk.”

“Shane finally let us out of the classroom,” one of the young students called out while the rest of them laughed.

Shane maneuvered his mount away from Lexi. “You’ll be in the arena tomorrow. I warned you this wasn’t all fun and games.” Nudging the horse forward with his legs he nodded at Lexi. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look awfully pale.”

“Thank you, but I’m good,” Lexi choked out. She wanted to forget the past and find some happiness in her life.

“See you later,” the students called out.

Lexi waved, closed her eyes and wondered if her son had the rodeo bug...wherever he was.

* * *

“WHO WAS THAT?” Hunter rode up alongside Shane.

“That was trouble with a capital T,” Shane grumbled. “Let me give you some advice, kid. Don’t get married.”

“You and Trouble were married?” Hunter asked. “Wow, she’s pretty.”

“No, Trouble and I weren’t married,” Shane said. “And her name’s Lexi. We could have been, though, if I hadn’t screwed things up.”

“What’d you do?”

“I got married.” Shane looked over his shoulder. “The trail narrows up ahead when we get closer to the stream. Let the horse do the work, they know these trails.”

Shane nudged his horse ahead of Hunter, ending the conversation. He didn’t want to remember what he’d lost with Lexi. The pain he’d caused reflected in her eyes whenever she looked at him, and the guilt he carried for breaking her heart was always present.

Lexi had remained close to his family, and he’d managed a friendship with her, but for the longest time, he’d vowed never to be alone with her. He didn’t think either one of their hearts could take it. But once things began to change between them in recent months, Shane had allowed himself to dream of the day she’d let her guard down enough to spend time alone with him, secretly vowing to make things right between them.

At the top of his game now, Shane had a school to run with Chase and a full schedule of rodeos to ride in. The world all-around title eluded him so far and he was determined to win it before Chase did. With the help of Jesse and Cole, who filled in when needed, along with the rest of their teaching staff, he and Chase still actively competed in the rodeo and against each other. Friendly in their competition, the boys were in a tight race to bring home the grand prize. Shane wanted that championship more than anything...well, almost.

Since they’d broken ground on the new facility, Shane had found himself in Lexi’s vicinity more often than not. It was all he could do to prevent her from distracting him in his quest to win that coveted belt buckle. Being able to say Ride ’em High! was owned by a world all-around champion would help make the school the best in the country. Their facility offered everything from rodeo clown bullfighting and rough-stock training to barrel racing and roping, and Shane wanted his students to walk away with the confidence and knowledge it took to best any competitor they came across. What better way to do that than with a champion as your instructor?

“How about a drink at Slater’s Mill later?” Shane asked his best friend, Clay Tanner, when they arrived back at the stables. “I need some adult time, if you know what I mean.”

“All right.” Clay removed his saddle. “You need help returning the women to their cars?”

“Nope, Chase has those honors.” Shane removed his straw Stetson and wiped his brow with the back of his arm. The last day of June meant it was the start of the sweltering season. They’d designed the new facility with an indoor arena, and divided it in half. Hippotherapy had one side of the building and the rodeo school had the other. It would allow horse and rider to work without the Texas sun exhausting them. But at Kay’s insistence, until the official ribbon-cutting next week, instructors and students had to ride outside. Classes would be taught at the picnic tables near the main corral.

A few hours later, Shane made his way back to the main house for a shower and a change of clothes. After double-checking that Chase was staying in as the bunkhouse den dad for the night, Shane headed out for a kid-free evening. Slater’s Mill usual Saturday night crowd gathered near the bar. Different ball games played on the screens while Elvis Watts and his band belted out a cover of “Red Solo Cup.” Lifting a longneck to his mouth, he stopped midswig when he noticed a familiar sexy number shake and shimmy on the dance floor in turquoise boots and jeans so tight they must have been painted on.

Making his way through the crowd, he two-stepped next to her. “Hey, sugar britches, how’s that pulled muscle?”

Lexi swung to face him, not losing rhythm with the music. “It was a polite way of saying none of your business, Shane. Don’t take it personally.”

Before he responded, she danced her way to the edge of the floor and dropped into the circular booth where the regulars congregated. The roster had changed over the past year. Shane’s cousin Brandon and his wife Vicki had a little one to tend to at home, but Brandon still popped in from time to time to help bartend for his dad, Charlie, who owned the honky-tonk. Since adopting Ever, Cole and Tess stayed home most nights. Jesse and Miranda had two of their own on the way. The crowd had dwindled down to Bridgett, a waitress in town, Lexi, Clay and Chase. Shane wondered which of them would be the next to jump ship. At this rate, he was willing to bet he’d be the last one standing.

Placing his empty on the bar, he looked down the row of men, most sitting by themselves. Men once like him, now past their prime and alone. Was this his future? A lonely old man at a bar, night after night?

Kendra Anderson, Lexi’s cousin, slipped in next to him and handed Charlie her orders.

“When do you go on break?” Shane asked the well-rounded waitress.

“In about twenty minutes.” Her red tank top strained and dipped in the right places, leaving little to the imagination. “Let me guess, you’re going to drill me about Lexi again?”

“I need your advice—” Shane halted at her laughter.

“Either marry her or forget her, but stop flounder-flopping about it already.”

“We have a special guest singer tonight,” Elvis boomed from the stage. “Let’s give a big round of applause for our hometown girl, Lexi Lawson.”

Lexi slinked across the stage with her arms in the air, rousing the crowd. She turned her back to the audience and picked up a vintage red Fender Telecaster, tuning it to her satisfaction. When she played a twangy, steady beat, the crowd roared, recognizing the tune. Facing her audience, she strode to the microphone, owning the stage. Looking right at him, she began singing Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble.”

Mesmerized for a moment, he felt like they were alone and she was singing only to him, even if it wasn’t the nicest of songs. Breaking her gaze, Shane threw a ten on the bar and headed for the door. Her voice was as intoxicating as she was beautiful, and if he stayed a second longer, he’d wind up making a fool of himself in front of the entire town.

* * *

THE CROWD SCREAMING at her feet and the blinding lights didn’t block out the sight of Shane leaving. Opening a bottle of water that Bridgett handed her from the side of the stage, Lexi knew she’d probably upset Shane when she directed the song to him. Over the past few years she had watched the man drift from one woman to the next while he never cared how hard it was on her. Lexi still wasn’t sure how much he’d legitimately changed, but she had noticed he wasn’t catting around like he used to.

A part of her saw the old Shane she’d fallen in love with start to reemerge, but despite his newfound loyalty to her, she also knew the man had tunnel vision when it came to winning the championship. Admittedly, Lexi wasn’t sure what kind of life she’d be able to build with Shane when she was a little jealous of the dream he chased. Truth was, she blamed their demise on the rodeo.

The band invited her to sing a few more songs, and when she finally stepped off the stage with an adrenaline rush and smile of satisfaction, she searched the bar, but Shane still wasn’t anywhere in sight. Not that it mattered. She was perfectly capable of having a nice evening out without Shane Langtry. She’d been doing it for years, but if she was honest with herself, she’d concede that she did enjoy having him around.

Bridgett leaned into her once she was back in the booth. “I assure you he left empty-handed tonight.”

“Bridge, I’m not his keeper.” Lexi pulled her hair up and off her shoulders. “He’s a free man.”

“Oh, please, Shane hasn’t been a free man since you two broke up after high school. Someday you two will get a clue,” Bridgett said.

Kendra set a folded note and two beers on the table and popped the tops off. “Compliments of the man in the tan shirt at the bar.”

The three women turned to look at the stranger. He lifted a hand to wave and tipped his hat as Lexi read his scribble.

“Did you read this?” Lexi asked.

Kendra shook her head.

Lexi’s eyes narrowed as she rose from the booth, grabbed both bottles and honed in on the man.

“Oh, dear, what’s she going to do?” Kendra asked. “Charlie’s going to be ticked off at whatever it is.”

“This isn’t going to be good,” Bridgett replied. “I’ll settle our tab because I have a feeling this night is about to end.”

Weaving in and out of the crowd, Lexi approached the tawny-haired, middle-aged man with a mustache in dire need of a trim. She lifted her hands in front of her, the longnecks dangling from her fingers.

“Did you send these to my table?”

He winked. “I sure did.”

“So you thought it was appropriate to ask—how was it you put it?” Lexi unfolded the note and read it aloud. “For a redhead-and-brunette sandwich? Honestly, if that’s the extent of your creativity, I think we’d be incredibly bored.”

“I, uh, I can teach you a few things.” The man leered at her chest, making his greasy hair all the more obvious.

“Really? I can teach you a few things, too.” Lexi winked in return.

“I bet you can.” He openly gave her body a once-over while making a disgusting clicking noise with his tongue. “Where do we start?”

“Lesson one.” Lexi held the beers above his crotch and poured out the contents, then slammed the bottles down on the bar. “Asking a woman and her friend for a threesome is just plain rude.”

“Dammit, Lexi!” Charlie yelled from behind the bar. “Stop pouring drinks on my customers.”

“Sorry, Charlie.” Lexi laughed and headed toward the door.

* * *

SHANE SAT IN his Jeep and listened to Lexi sing. Standing and staring at her in the middle of a crowded bar sure didn’t do his heart any favors. No, it was safer outside where he wouldn’t be tempted to rush the stage and kiss her in front of the entire town.

Lexi and Bridgett burst through Slater’s double doors laughing hysterically. Unnoticed, he watched them as they walked by. The two women climbed into Lexi’s black Mustang convertible and drove off, their laughter carrying across the parking lot. A man thundered out of the bar behind them, swearing at their car.

Shane ventured a guess at what had happened from the way the man wiped at his jeans. It wasn’t the first time Lexi dumped a drink on someone. He wondered what the poor sap had done to warrant such a response. She had a fiery temper when it came to men and he felt he was to blame for her defensive attitude. The country girl who left for college never returned. In her place was an extremely independent woman with walls so high, no one could possibly scale them—but he would damn sure try.

“What are you doing out here? I thought we were getting a drink.” Clay braced his arms on the roll bar above the Jeep’s passenger seat. “I saw Lexi and Bridgett peel out of here. You look unscathed, so who was her victim?”

“Some guy.” Shane shrugged. “Listen, I’m not up for another round in there tonight. Care to grab something at the Still ’n’ Grill instead?”

“When are you going to admit you’ve never gotten over her?” Clay laughed when Shane tried to take a swing at him. “Hey, I just call ’em as I see ’em. You’ve had two loves in your life. Lexi and the rodeo. Swallow your pride and tell her, because you’ve exhausted the entire female population in town. Literally and figuratively.”

“Okay, Mr. P.I.” Having a private investigator for a best friend made keeping a secret next to impossible. “Here’s a fact for you—she’s not in love with me.”

“Really? Because from where I stand, she never stopped loving you.” Clay looked across the parking lot toward Shelby Street. “Why don’t you go after her and end this insanity? My God, you’ve been celibate for how many months now and don’t tell me it’s because you suddenly have the urge to wait until marriage.”

“I’ve been busy building the school.”

“You’ve been busy pining over Lexi,” Clay flatly stated. “I’m not the only one who’s noticed. Just about all of Ramblewood was at Jesse and Miranda’s wedding and we all saw the look on both of your faces when you escorted Lexi down that aisle.”

“What do you want me do?” Shane threw his hands in the air. “Knock on her door and say, ‘Hey, Lex, I love you, let’s get married’? She’d annihilate me and you know it.”

“This isn’t an eight-second ride, Shane.” Clay laughed. “You don’t have to charge the woman like a bull out of the chute. But you could up the ante and do something special for her.”

“Like what?” The thought of surprising Lexi piqued Shane’s interest.

“You know her better than I do. You’ll come up with an idea.” Clay playfully punched Shane in the arm. “Come on, let’s head to the Still ’n’ Grill and we’ll try to come up with a plan over a beer.”

Shane doubted one or two surprises would convince Lexi to trust him again, but he’d do almost anything if it meant winning her heart.

Chapter Three

“First day of groundwork, men. I know it’s early but we have a lot to cover today before the ribbon cutting.” Shane led his fifteen students from the bunkhouse after a predawn workout and hearty breakfast they’d prepared together. “Some of you are more experienced than others and some of you don’t have any experience. That’s all right. There’s no ride limit, but I don’t want you to push yourself to the point of injury, either.”

“These are our saddle broncs,” Chase explained, taking over from Shane. “They’re larger than our barebacks. I want to reiterate to everyone that we have zero tolerance for animal abuse. If we even suspect it, you are out of here. We do not condone or authorize the use of cattle prods or sharpened spurs in any rough-stock event. Before you enter any chute here on the ranch, your rowels will be checked, so if they’re sharp, get them off.”

When Shane and Chase designed the monthlong intensive rodeo class, they did it with serious competitors in mind. They offered two monthlong sessions for junior-rodeo children in the summer and more personalized programs for people of all ages the remainder of the year.

Stressing safety first, Ride ’em High! was one of the few schools in the country with a weeklong classroom schedule. They decided to include a grueling conditioning program to ensure the students were in top physical condition. At the ranch’s small fitness center, a trainer met with the students every day and put them through rodeo boot camp to build their core muscles. When the kids left for home, the trainers recommended they join a local fitness center to maintain their strength and flexibility.

“Most of our competition broncs are six to seven years old,” Shane continued. “The ones we’re using today are older and not as feisty. We don’t make these horses buck. It’s a natural instinct and they’re bred to buck. A good portion of the horses you see in competition are there because no one could ride them. Some were untrainable, others are rescues.

“Hunter, you’re up.” Shane waved the boy to the front. “We’re starting off this morning with some saddle work.”

Shane proceeded to explain the difference between saddle bronc and bareback rigging, then introduced the local college kids, home for the summer, who had volunteered to check riggings and help the students.

A saddle had been set on a large barrel attached to a wide base for training purposes. Hunter climbed on and set his boots high in the stirrups. With pointed toes, he rocked his hips slightly and squared his shoulders with the saddle. He gripped the thick braided rein and held it out over the center of the saddle swells, his other hand up in the air as if he were swearing on a stack of bibles.

“Tuck your chin a little.” Shane pointed to the hole between the swells and the seat. “Look here the entire time. Visualize setting your spurs above the horse’s shoulders. Raise your legs and tighten your abs.”

Shane ran through the steps of riding a saddle bronc, amazed at the ease Hunter exhibited in every movement. Many of the kids reminded Shane of himself at that age. Determined, confident and willing to do anything to fulfill their dreams of turning pro. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was how it would have felt training Dylan.

“My abs are about to give out!” Hunter yelled through his last mock ride.

“You’re working your core.” Shane placed a hand on his shoulder to still him. “This is why we’re working you so hard on the stabilizing platform and the vertical leg raises. A weak core will get you thrown. Great job, Hunter. Who’s next?”

“This is one of the toughest events to master,” Chase said. “But I promise you, after this workout you will feel muscles you didn’t think you had and you’ll thank us for it.”

Everyone took their turn, including Chase, who admitted he liked the barrel for an alternative abdominal workout.

“You must synchronize every moment with the horse in order to get the most fluid ride possible.” Shane shrugged on his own vest. “And if you don’t mark your ride, you won’t receive a score. To mark, your heels must touch the horse’s shoulders at the first jump from the chute.”

Shane hopped the fence and made his way to the chute, where a horse waited. Measuring his hack rein over the back of the horse, he grabbed hold of the thick braided rope and slid into the saddle, placing his feet all the way into the stirrups. Lifting up his rein hand, he nodded and the gate opened.

On the saddle bronc, in the middle of the arena, was the only place he could completely forget about the past and concentrate on the moment.

* * *

LEXI AWOKE BEFORE the first rooster crowed. You wouldn’t find anyone sleeping in at the Lawsons’ house. Sixth-generation farmers, they were champing at the bit to start their day long before the sun came up. Lexi’s younger brother, Nash, maintained the petting zoo animals while their father, uncle and cousins tended the fields. Her mother and aunt ran the market and gift store.

Situated right off the interstate, the 130-acre farm dated back to 1820. The original barn had been converted into a retail market and gourmet kitchen in the early fifties, catering to tourists as they drove through the state. Lexi’s sister Mazie learned to cook in that kitchen, leading her to open the Bed & Biscuit in the center of town.

The Lawsons gave visitors the true farm experience, from the petting zoo to fresh picked produce, some of which the customers were allowed to harvest themselves. Strawberry and pumpkin season filled the fields with people, but the two-acre corn maze around Halloween drew the biggest crowds.

The horses were Lexi’s domain. Before showering, she headed down to the barn and fed the family’s handful of horses. Once she checked her schedule for the day, she saddled Autumn’s Secret and surveyed the property. Their morning and evening routine allowed Lexi to escape from the rest of the world.

Robert Smith Surtees wrote, “There is no secret so close as that between a rider and his horse.” The quote had inspired the name of her mare, which she helped foal on the Langtrys’ farm the first fall she returned from Cornell. Seeing how much Lexi was enamored with the horse, Joe Langtry bestowed the mare upon her—a little assurance she’d stay in town. She trained Autumn herself, and while man’s best friend worked for some, horses bore Lexi’s secrets, and she was confident they wouldn’t be shared.

Lexi swung by the Magpie for a cup of coffee since she had to wait for the Critter Care animal hospital to open its doors. Shorted on tetanus vaccines in yesterday’s shipment, she needed to borrow a few doses for the pregnant mares due to foal in the next six weeks. Lexi had had more problems of late with her supplier and needed Ashleigh to research a new one before the week’s end.

“I have a bone to pick with you,” Charlie Slater said from the corner table.

“Take a number,” Lexi replied while Bridgett waited for her to order, doing little to keep a straight face. “If Maggie’s made any banana nut muffins today, I’ll have one of those and a large coffee, extra hot in case I have to pour it on some unsuspecting patron.”

“If you’re going to chase my customers off, you can’t come around the Mill anymore.” Charlie never referred to his own last name when talking about his bar.

“Bridge, make mine to go.” Pulling a few bills out of her pocket, she handed them to her friend. “I’ll cover Charlie’s breakfast to make up for the one, possibly two, beers that rude boy might’ve ordered. Oh, wait, that’s right, he did order them—and wore them.”

“If you don’t tell Charlie what that guy wanted the other night, I will.” Bridgett gave Lexi her change. “You were justified.”

“I don’t want you buying my breakfast.” Charlie swiveled to face her. “I want you to stop assaulting people. One of these days, you’re going to start a riot. That man was furious.”

“Let him think what he wants.” Lexi shrugged. “I’m sure there was a time or two that I dumped a drink on someone for lesser reasons. Let it go.”

“If you say so.” Bridgett placed a muffin in a white paper bag and handed Lexi her order. “I’ll catch up with you at the ribbon cutting this afternoon.”

Lexi stopped by Charlie’s table on her way out. “People bought more drinks when I got on that stage than they did all night with Elvis playing the same drivel he plays every Saturday. I did you a favor, so the way I see it, we’re even. Trust me when I say, you don’t want his kind around there.”

A few minutes later Lexi pulled into the animal hospital’s parking lot. She knew Mazie probably saw her from the kitchen window of the Bed & Biscuit next door and would want to talk. When the old Victorian went up for sale a few years ago, Mazie realized its proximity to the animal hospital and the bark park would attract future clients by catering to their pets’ every need.

Checking her watch, Lexi knew fifteen minutes wasn’t enough time to visit with her sister. She loved Mazie, but her propensity to chat for hours wore thin when Lexi had a packed day ahead of her. Relieved when she saw Dr. Cerf park his SUV, she quickly picked up the vaccines and headed to Bridle Dance.

Lexi’s cell phone rang.

“Good morning, Mazie,” Lexi said without even looking at the caller ID.

“You should have stopped in. I’m pulling one of your favorites out of the oven right now. Spinach and mushroom frittata. Do you have time to turn around and have a little breakfast? We haven’t had a chance to really talk in a few weeks.”

“I’m sorry, my schedule is super tight today.” Lexi turned off the main road. “I have a lot to do before the ribbon cutting, but I promise we’ll catch up there. I love you, sis, but right now, I do have to go.”

Lexi dropped the phone on the seat next to her and rolled her shoulders to ease the stress she felt starting to build. She loved her job, but some days, the constant running between ranches wore thin.

The rearing bronze horse statues at the entrance to Bridle Dance glinted in the morning light. The fully expanded foliage of the pecan trees shaded the entire length of the dirt road, while puddles of water formed near their trunks from the ranch’s buried drip irrigation. Lexi’s father had helped Joe Langtry design the system to maintain constant water levels during the summer dry spells.

A white canopy stood off to the side of the new equine facility in preparation for the afternoon ceremony. The massive building with beige siding sat behind a series of corrals used for the rodeo school. The rear of the building incorporated secluded pastures for hippotherapy use. In front of the double carriage-house-inspired entrance, two statues were draped in dark cloth and tied at the bottom, waiting for their unveiling in a few hours.

Local cowboys gathered around the nearest round pen. “When are you going to marry me, Lexi?” one of them called out to her.

“When you’re old enough to shave,” she hollered back.

“I’m twenty-one. I’m legal.” The other men egged him on. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

“You boys go on.” Nicolino waved them off. “Good morning, Lexi. Will you be at the grand opening today? Ella was talking about you this morning, saying how long it’s been since she’s seen you.”

Shouts came from within one of the corrals. With a quick nod in her direction, Shane sat atop a bareback and raised his arm in the air to signal the chute gate to open. Bucking wildly, man and horse twisted and turned through the dust-filled eight-second ride. With all the flair and skill he’d exhibit in a competitive event, Shane grabbed his pickup man as he rode by and dismounted with the grace of a gymnast, bowing her way.

Lexi shook her head and redirected her attention to Nicolino. Starting out as a ranch hand fresh from Italy when Lexi was in grade school, the newcomer had barely spoken a word of English when Joe hired him. He’d grown to be a part of their family and married Kay’s niece Ella Slater, the eldest daughter of her brother Charlie. Five kids and two loyal decades later, Cole had promoted him to general operations manager in January. Raised in the butteri cowboy tradition, he opted to wear heavy cotton pants and a wide-brimmed hat instead of chaps and a Stetson. The mazzarella staff he carried was used to threaten unruly teenagers more than it was to herd the horses.

“I’ll be there.” Lexi looked in the stalls. “I have a couple of mares to vaccinate and some paperwork to fill out here, then I’ll return after making my rounds.”

“Don’t you want to stick around and see the show Shane’s putting on for you?” Nicolino feigned shock that she’d dare leave in the middle of such an event.

“Eh, you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.”

Nicolino’s laughter followed her through the open doors.

Rivaling the size of a football field, the country French stone-and-stucco facility featured Craftsman-style windows and timber archways. A ground-level covered walkway with exposed rafters encircled the building. A large second-story cupola was perched atop the center of the sand-colored structure and housed the ranch’s main office, while miniature cupolas lined the roof on either side, allowing extra light to filter through to the stalls below.

Joe Langtry had called the building his horse mansion. A better description didn’t exist in Lexi’s mind. Grooms and trainers hurried about, placing the finishing touches on everything before today’s events.

Lexi made her way down the exposed timber interior hallway. Horse stalls with full-height mahogany-stained doors and bars prevented cribbing or chewing. Otherwise the horses could gnaw on the wood and wear down their teeth or cause colic and stomach ulcers.

Not wanting to waste time today with so much to do, she plucked her phone from her pocket and called Billy. “Vaccination lesson today. Meet me in the office so I can show you the forms and then we’ll check on Crystal.”

Crystal was carrying Joe Langtry’s dream baby. Dam Tenny Bay and sire King’s Obsession were two of the highest earners in cutting horse competition. Bridle Dance didn’t own either horse, but Joe had arranged the match before his death last year. Determined to see the surrogacy all the way through, the Langtry family had continued with Joe’s plans and were anxiously anticipating the foal’s arrival. It was the very last project Joe set in motion, and eleven months later, the day was almost upon them.

A few hours later, Lexi gathered her bags and headed outside the stables. She loved a day without problems, especially when she finished ahead of schedule. She swung by the rodeo school and saw Kay Langtry resting her arms on the top rail of the round pen.

“You got it!” Kay shouted to one of the teens astride a bucking horse. “You boys look great out there.”

Shane stood outside the pen, Ever perched on a bale of hay next to him. “Ride ’em high like Uncle Shane!” the little girl shouted. Shane lifted her onto his shoulders, giving her a high ride of her own.

“He’s really good with her and the rest of the hippotherapy kids,” Kay commented, her mood pensive. “How different everything was a year ago.”

Lexi draped her arm across the older woman’s shoulders and rested her head against Kay’s. Joe’s heart attack shocked the entire community and the family infighting that ensued for months afterward had taken its toll on the Langtry matriarch, but Kay stuck with her husband’s wishes and built the nonprofit hippotherapy facility. Joe wanted a place where anyone who needed help could get it, paying only what they could afford. Converted bunkhouses accommodated families from out of town during long-term therapy. After a battle with Shane and Chase that would have torn most families apart forever, everything finally came to fruition.

“I can’t tell you how glad I’ll be when this day is over,” Kay confessed. “I know it sounds strange, but honestly, once that ribbon is cut on the front door, I’ll feel like this family will finally be at peace.”

A gangly boy approached Shane and handed Ever a bottle of water. Lifting her from his shoulder, Shane returned the little girl to her hay bale alongside some of the other hippotherapy kids while he watched the students and joined the boy at the rail.

Lexi smiled at his inherent teaching instincts. “I don’t think I’ve seen Shane this content before.”

“That Hunter Rathbone sure does dote on him.” Kay nodded in the direction of the boy next to Shane. “I can’t believe how much he acts like Shane at that age.”

Hunter stood on the second rail and waved his hat in the air to cheer on his classmate. His features no longer shadowed, Lexi saw a mop of dark brown hair, ice-blue eyes and a strong angular jaw with the hint of a cleft chin. She felt her stomach turn ever so slightly at the remarkable resemblance to Shane.

Lexi white-knuckled her grip on her satchel. “Where—where is he from?”

“Colorado,” Kay replied. “Shane calls him his Mini-Me.”

The ground beneath Lexi all but disappeared. Squatting down on the grass next to the pen, she feigned fumbling through her bag. Confident she’d regained her footing, she stood and tried to cover her bewilderment. “I must have left my camera in the truck. I—I thought the school would draw mostly a local crowd.”

“Next door or the next continent, I think Hunter would follow Shane wherever he taught,” Kay continued. “You should hear the child prattle on how Shane’s his hero. When Hunter heard about the school, he begged his parents to send him here. Good heavens, are you all right?”

“It must be the heat.” Lexi’s knees betrayed her and she found herself back on the ground. “I just need a cold shower and I’ll be fine.”

The events vividly replayed in her mind. Years ago, in late October, Shane surprised Lexi and whisked her away for a romantic weekend at the Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort, a stone’s throw from her college campus. They didn’t emerge from the cabin until Monday morning, and she barely made it to her first class. Perfect in every way imaginable, their getaway reassured Lexi that they could maintain their relationship while she continued school.

A few weeks later, when Lexi discovered she was pregnant, she rationalized that it had happened for a reason. Planning to have a family one day, Lexi wasn’t sure she wanted one now. When her doctor confirmed a July due date, she put faith in perfect timing. She’d be able to continue with college in the fall without missing any classes. Not wanting to discuss it with Shane over the phone, she decided to wait and tell him in person, during winter break. Only he had a surprise of his own.

Devastated by his infidelity, Lexi was scandalized by his quick decision to marry Sharon Vincent, so she immediately returned to school. Clearly showing by spring break, Lexi lied to her family and said she’d enrolled in an internship to avoid coming home. She hated the deception, but after hearing how happy Shane was with his son, Lexi didn’t want to ruin his new family. The entire town knew he didn’t have an ounce of love for Sharon but Shane tolerated her for Dylan’s sake and Lexi resolved that someday he’d learn to love his wife.

Determined to move forward with her career, Lexi painfully gave her baby up for adoption immediately following his birth, believing he’d have a better life with a strong, stable family. It was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. A mother should never have to give up her child, but it was a sacrifice she willingly made for her son’s future.

Not wanting to wonder if every child she saw on the street was hers, Lexi transferred to New York’s Cornell University.

A day hadn’t passed when she didn’t think of him, but she refused to doubt her decision. When she found out Dylan wasn’t Shane’s, the realization that they could have been a family if he hadn’t cheated on her drove her to pieces some nights.

On her visits home, she avoided him at all costs, fearing he would know what she’d done. No one questioned her attitude, since his betrayal was public knowledge, but the guilt she felt whenever someone told her how shattered Shane was and how much he’d changed from a family man, to being wild and reckless since Tab took Dylan away, almost killed her.

Not allowing herself another glance at the boy again, Lexi took Kay’s outstretched hand and managed to stand. This can’t be happening.

* * *

“SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH Lexi.” Shane started to walk toward his mother and Nicolino as they escorted Lexi to her car. “Ever, stay right there and don’t go near the rails. Hunter, will you watch her for a minute?”

“Come on, bro.” Chase beckoned to him from the arena. “Let’s show them how it’s done.”

“In a minute.” Shane headed in Lexi’s direction until he heard her car start and saw Nicolino pat her trunk, seemingly unconcerned as she drove out of the parking area.

A few hours in this heat was enough to wear anyone out and Shane reasoned Lexi had probably overdone it, rushing around trying to be Wonder Woman. The rising temperatures were getting to all of them and Shane decided to end class early so the kids could go down to the river for a swim and cool off before they demonstrated some of their techniques for the crowd later.

Opting to stay behind, Shane had successfully avoided spending any length of time around children since he lost Dylan. One-or two-day rodeo clinics meant attachments were impossible. When Cole and Tess adopted Ever, he became an instant uncle to a precocious four-year-old. By her fifth birthday in April she’d grown to be such a part of his life, he actually sought her out every day. It pained him to think he’d once stood in the way of her progress at the ranch. In eight months, her ability to walk doubled. And with a hippotherapy facility in her own backyard, she didn’t have to travel the three hours to therapy anymore.

Once Shane saw the children and adults come to Dance of Hope for therapy evaluation before the grand opening, he finally understood why this project was so dear to his father. It might be too late to apologize for trying to block the facility from being built, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t do everything in his power to make his family proud of him. He not only wanted their approval, but he also wanted Lexi’s.

With all the children on the ranch, thoughts of Dylan had hit him harder than they had in a decade. Shane wondered if the teen ever sat in the stands during his rodeo events. There were times he caught himself checking the rider roster for Tab’s name even though Shane knew he’d long since retired.

Plodding toward the small stand-alone office behind the main stables, Shane entered the air-conditioned building. A built-in table wrapped around the entire room and the computers were connected to the main office inside the barn, saving people from traipsing across the courtyard. Shane logged on to the system and opened the web browser.

Cole dropped paperwork into the inbox on the wall as he entered the office. “I’m surprised you didn’t go with everyone else down to the river.”

“Nah.” Shane typed Dylan Fanning into the search engine. “I have some things to finish up.”

“Don’t do it, Shane.” Cole stood behind him, staring down at the words on the screen. “Leave it in the past. You know he has a good life with Tab. Why are you dredging this up now?”

Because all these kids remind me of what might have been.

“Note to self, buy a laptop so I can have some privacy.” If he knew more about Dylan, he’d have some peace and closure. Anything was better than not knowing. At the very least Shane wanted to find out if he was riding in any of the junior rodeos.

“For the little you use the internet, I’d go with an iPad,” Cole said.

“You know you sound just like Dad?” Shane glanced up at his brother, wishing Cole would leave him alone. This wasn’t a moment he wanted to share with anyone.

“Dad would have told you to look it up on your phone. It’s capable of doing the same thing.”

Shane continued to stare at his brother incredulously. Turning back toward the screen, he let his finger hover above the enter key. Shane swore silently, knowing his brother was right. He pressed and held the delete key until all the letters in Dylan’s name disappeared. Annoyed with himself, he stormed from the office and went to check on Siempre, one of their newborn foals. Animals loved you unconditionally, no matter how much of an ass you made of yourself.

* * *

LATER THAT AFTERNOON Mayor Darren Fox stood before a microphone in front of the equine facility, Kay by his side. “Thank you for joining us today for this momentous event. I am pleased to introduce Kay Langtry, CEO of Dance of Hope.”

Applause spread throughout the ranch when Kay took her place at the microphone, the townsfolk gathered before her.

“Thank you.” Pulling a tissue from her pocket, Kay looked into the crowd. “Dance of Hope was my husband’s dream. A year ago, I stood by Joe’s side when he started designing this facility. And though he’s not with us today, I know he’s up there watching.

“No amount of words can describe my gratitude to everyone who’s participated in this venture. Cole, Jesse, Shane and Chase. My four boys carried out their father’s dream, adding the Ride ’em High! Rodeo School to the original plans. Your father would have been so proud of you, as I am today. I love you with all my heart.”

The Langtry brothers surrounded Kay, linking their arms in a protective circle around their mother.

Shane looked skyward. “I love you, Dad. This is for you.”

Each brother made a brief speech of his own, splitting off to stand beside the covered statues on either side of the facility’s entrance.

Jesse and Cole tugged on the cloth, revealing a life-size bronze statue of Ever atop Paco, her hippotherapy horse, with Joe by her side.

“To say our father was smitten with my daughter is an understatement,” Cole said. “She inspired him to help others and I’m grateful she had the opportunity to know her grandfather.” Holding up an enlarged framed copy of the inspiration photograph for the statue, Cole continued.

“My mother took this the first time dad met Ever. The photo sat on his desk and a day didn’t go by that he didn’t look at it. Together, we can look upon his memory as he saw it.”

Shane and Chase pulled away another cloth, uncovering a bucking horse with a younger version of Joe in the saddle, one arm in the air.

“Our father was a rancher by blood,” Shane said, “but a true rodeo cowboy at heart. Back in his day, he outrode the best of them and taught all of us and many of you how to get in that saddle and stay in it.” Holding up a photograph, he said, “This is our father’s last competitive ride. He held on for eight seconds then walked away from the sport. The next day Cole was born and the tradition was handed down to his children.”

The boys joined their mother at the entrance to the facility, the five of them reaching up to unveil the sign above the carriage house doors:

Dance of Hope & Ride ’em High!

In memory of Joseph Langtry

Lifting the oversize silver scissors, Kay cut the white ribbon spanning the facility’s doors. The crowd applauded when the doors swung wide. Leading the way, Kay walked into the stone entryway that divided the two companies and hung both photographs on the awaiting wall hooks.

She turned and opened her arms to the crowd. “Welcome, Ramblewood!”

After the facility tours, the waitstaff bustled in and out of the tent while people milled about the property. Shane swore he shook hands with more people this afternoon than in his entire life.

“You had a great dad,” Hunter said beside him. “I think I would have liked him.”

“He’d have liked you, too.” Shane ruffled the boy’s hair. “Let’s get something to eat.”

Shane had spotted Lexi in the crowd throughout the afternoon, glad to see she felt up to attending the ceremony. Usually composed and in control, she seemed a bit harried and hung near his immediate vicinity, yet still managed to keep her distance. He resisted the urge to check on her, as he was busy with the media. The Ramblewood Gazette took photographs while Nola West interviewed Chase for KWTT’s evening news.

“Allow me to introduce myself.” A man held out his hand to Shane. “I’m Ryan Hammershimer, from Keeping it Reel Pictures, and we’d like to build a reality show around you and your rodeo school.”

Shane laughed. “You want to give me a television show?” Wait until his brothers heard about this.

* * *

“WHAT ARE YOU doing?” Mazie peered over Lexi’s shoulder. “Are you taking pictures of that kid?”

“What kid?” Startled, Lexi quickly saved the photo of Hunter to her phone. “I—I’m trying to get a shot of those statues. They’re truly a work of art. I can’t believe they were commissioned this quickly.”

“What are you hiding?” Mazie insisted. “That was no picture of a statue. What’s up?”

“I’m not hiding anything, and even if I were, why would I tell you?” Lexi snapped.

“Well, thanks a lot.” Mazie turned her back on Lexi and started to walk away.

“I’m sorry Mazie, I didn’t mean that.” Lexi caught up to her sister and grabbed her arm. “I have a foal on my mind. I truly am sorry.”

“You need a vacation, sis,” Mazie said. “You can’t worry about work all the time.”

“This coming from someone who eats, sleeps and breathes the Bed & Biscuit.”

“That’s different and you know it. I happen to live there. You don’t live in a stable.” She turned to leave. “I’m going to get you something to eat, you look like you need some sustenance.”

Angling away from her sister, Lexi tried to move closer to Hunter without him noticing. When he laughed, her breath caught in her throat. He has my laugh. A mother dreamed of the day she heard her child’s laughter for the first time. Today she heard hers.

Lexi watched Shane and Hunter pose for a series of photos for a man she’d never seen before. The stranger looked out of place in perfectly creased jeans and a snap-front shirt that was probably fresh out of the package. Side by side, Hunter looked almost identical to Shane at that age. How could someone not question this child’s paternity, especially after knowing Shane’s reputation when it came to women?

Lexi had lived wondering about her son for too long. She wanted proof the boy in front of her was hers, but swore it wouldn’t change anything. She needed the confirmation for her own peace of mind and sanity. Nobody else needed to know. She turned and stumbled over one of the folding chairs as she tried to escape the confines of the crowd.

“Lexi?” A strong male hand lightly touched her shoulder. “Are you all right?”

Clay Tanner. It had to be fate, Lexi thought. “If I retain your services it’s illegal for you to disclose my case to anyone, right?”

“Private investigators don’t have that privilege in this state, but you wouldn’t have to worry.” Clay ushered Lexi outside the tent and away from prying ears. “You don’t have to hire me, Lex. Just tell me what you need and I assure you it will remain confidential.”

“Promise me, Clay,” Lexi pleaded. Her heart beat wildly in her chest. Her throat began to close, tears threatening to spill with one more blink of her eyes. “I need your help.”

“You have it. Sit down before you pass out and then you’ll really have some explaining to do.”

Lexi looked toward the facility and the people gathered around the Langtry family, Hunter still by Shane’s side.

“Tell me what you need.” Clay said.

Lexi breathlessly gripped her friend’s arm. “I need you to find out if Hunter’s my son.”

Chapter Four

“You think that boy is your son?” Clay led Lexi away from the crowd. “I think you better start from the beginning.”

“I can’t.” Lexi frantically looked over her shoulder to double-check no one was listening. “Not here. I can’t risk someone overhearing. Can we go to your place?”

Leaning into him for support, Clay protectively wrapped an arm around her and guided Lexi to her car. This was not the norm for her, Lexi thought. She prided herself on strength and perseverance no matter the obstacle. Yet twice in one day, she had found herself relying on someone else to walk her to her car. After reassuring him she was able to drive on her own, Lexi pulled out of the parking lot behind Clay’s pickup.

The twenty-minute drive to Clay’s gave Lexi far too much time to second-guess asking him for help. She figured shouting “Happy belated April Fool’s” wouldn’t fly with the detective. After keeping her secret hidden for the past thirteen years, she found the idea of unburdening it both terrifying and a relief.

Stopping behind Clay in the gravel driveway, Lexi death-gripped the steering wheel, uncertain she wanted to turn off the engine. A quick shift into Reverse seemed like a wiser option. Not giving her much of a choice, Clay strode to her car, reached across her and removed the keys from the ignition. Damn convertibles.

“I’m keeping these until I know you’re okay.” Clay sauntered to the porch. “Take your time, I’ll be up here.”

You can do this. Clay’s the only one who can help you.

Lexi put all her trust and faith in her longtime friend, reasoning the former Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent turned private investigator was a better choice than some stranger she found in the yellow pages. Trust and faith. A foreign concept that left a bad taste in her mouth. She trusted no one and the only thing she had faith in was her animals.

Blindly reaching for the handle, she swung the door wide, testing her footing for fear the earth would give way beneath her and swallow her whole. A part of her actually relished the idea of disappearing and not having to face the past. Slogging up the stairs, she joined Clay and slumped into one of the porch rockers.

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