RISKING HER HEART

Sloane Hartley is deeply rooted to her family’s ranch in Blue Falls, Texas. So she isn’t about to risk falling for a tempting tumbleweed like Jason Till. To Sloane, Jason is a handsome heartbreak waiting to happen. Like all rodeo cowboys. If she ever let herself love again, she certainly wouldn’t pick someone like him!

Jason only has eyes for one prize—the steer-wrestling championship. And he can’t afford any distractions. Certainly not a blonde beauty with trust issues like Sloane. She represents everything a cowboy on the circuit can’t have anyway—home, family, a real relationship. Everything he thought he didn’t need. But when he’s with Sloane, Jason can’t remember why winning at the rodeo seemed so important...

She was about to turn off her phone when a text arrived.

I’m interested in you.

It was scary how much his admission filled her with a warm, giddy feeling.

You’re a nice guy. I have fun with you. But we both know this isn’t going anywhere.

She paused a moment before typing a bit more. I can’t see you anymore.

Unexpectedly, tears formed in her eyes and she had to blink several times to keep them at bay.

Her heart leaped when the phone finally dinged again.

Have a good night, Sloane.

And just like that her heart sank all the way to her feet. Her hands actually shook as she typed, You too. And good luck tomorrow night.

Thanks.

She waited way too long to see if he sent any more messages. But none came.

Dear Reader,

It’s hard to believe that Her Texas Rodeo Cowboy is the sixteenth story I’ve set in my fictional town of Blue Falls, Texas. When I wrote the initial Teagues of Texas trilogy, I had no idea the town and its inhabitants would continue to grow for years to come. But I’m glad it has. Blue Falls is as real in my mind now as many places I’ve visited in the real world.

In this story, another of the adopted Hartley siblings finds an unexpected love. This time around it’s middle child and strong-willed Sloane, who has had more than her share of bad relationship experiences. So it’s understandable when she’s suspicious of her instant attraction to steer wrestler Jason Till.

She’s not the only one surprised by the instant attraction, one that doesn’t go away even when hundreds of miles separate them. Jason’s number-one goal is to win the National Finals in his event. At least that was his main goal until Sloane Hartley walked into his life.

To reach their happily-ever-after, they have to make some important decisions about what they really want from life. And it’s looking like the answer is each other.

Happy reading,

Trish

Her Texas Rodeo Cowboy

Trish Milburn

www.millsandboon.co.uk

TRISH MILBURN writes contemporary romance for the Harlequin Western Romance line. She’s a two-time Golden Heart® Award winner, a fan of walks in the woods and road trips, and a big geek girl, including being a dedicated Whovian and Browncoat. And from her earliest memories, she’s been a fan of Westerns, be they historical or contemporary. There’s nothing quite like a cowboy hero.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

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

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Jason Till applied the brakes on his truck at the crosswalk, allowing a group of older women holding bakery bags to cross the street. His stomach grumbled at the thought of fresh baked goods. He could almost taste the sugar. He’d not eaten since the fast-food breakfast sandwich early that morning in some small town off I-35. If he had a dollar for every time he’d grabbed a quick meal in such a place, he’d be stinking rich.

One of the women crossing the street smiled and gave him a big, friendly wave. He chuckled a little and waved back. Then he took his foot off the brake and slowly rolled on down Main Street, glancing briefly at the Welcome, Cowboys and Cowgirls sign that hung above the street, advertising the rodeo that would start in just a few hours.

He’d been to more small towns across the country than he could count, some of which had definitely seen better days. But Blue Falls, Texas, seemed to have a booming downtown judging by the number of people he noticed going in and out of the various businesses and walking along the sidewalks. He spotted everything from clothing shops to a bookstore to an old-fashioned hardware store that reminded him of the one he’d gone to as a little kid with his grandfather the few times he’d visited his mom’s parents in Alabama. And the bakery sat at the corner of a cross street, tempting him to make a pit stop.

His stomach rumbled, more insistent this time, but he drove on past in favor of getting to the fairgrounds and signing in for the competition. He’d grab something there. He had no doubt there would be at least one concession stand where he could pick up a burger or some barbecue. If he did well this weekend, he’d treat himself to the biggest cinnamon roll the Mehlerhaus Bakery had. He’d bet good money they had one damn near the size of a hubcap. This was Texas, after all.

As he pulled into the fairgrounds, he was surprised to see how many people were there already. Next to the area filled with pickups, RVs and horse trailers was a field covered with lines of open tents. Not the kind that people camped in but rather ones used for festival booths. Looked as if the people of Blue Falls were going all out for rodeo weekend.

From what he’d heard from other riders, Blue Falls had regular rodeos with a lot of the proceeds going to local charities and community improvement projects. But this weekend’s event was the first time organizers had offered a purse sizable enough to really attract extra notice from those trying to up their standings and move another step closer to competing at the Finals in Vegas in December. Which was his ultimate goal. After years of clawing his way to this point, he finally had a second shot at the Finals. He’d made it three years ago, barely, but had ended up in next-to-last place. This year might be his last viable chance, so he had to make the most of it. Choose the most advantageous rodeos to compete in, ride in each one as if it were the Finals and not let anything get in his way.

And a nice payday was always pretty darn attractive. After all, if he was going to spend his career staring at highways, the dirt of arena floors and the backsides of steers, he’d like to be paid well for it.

He found a spot next to the pickup Bo Whittaker had been driving since Jason wrestled his first steer on the pro circuit. Bo was a bareback rider who had a good five years on Jason’s own thirty, and he showed zero signs of retiring anytime soon. Bo was one of those guys Jason couldn’t imagine doing anything other than rodeo, much like his own family. Hanging out with Bo was a bit like being with his dad, who’d also been a bareback rider before he’d had to retire from competition due to injury. Except the age difference, of course, and the fact that Jason’s parents had been married since they were nineteen and Bo was a confirmed bachelor. Not that Bo didn’t like the ladies, because that also wasn’t in doubt.

Jason ran into the man himself as he was leaving the sign-in area. Bo held up a paper-wrapped sandwich half the size of his head.

“You gotta try one of these barbecue sandwiches,” Bo said. “I’d sell my own grandma for one of these.”

Jason laughed. “I have a feeling your grandma would have something to say about that.”

Bo nodded. “She’d probably whack me upside the head with her cane.”

Jason had met Bo’s grandma and could totally see that happening.

He took his friend’s advice and plunked down some cash for a huge pulled pork barbecue sandwich and a freshly squeezed lemonade. He took a bite while waiting for his change. His taste buds woke up from hibernation and sang a hymn glorifying the sandwich.

“Good stuff,” he said to the woman who returned with his change. “Used to beef in Texas, but this hits the spot.”

“My daddy was from West Tennessee and made a mean pork barbecue. I do my part to convert all these beef folk,” she said.

Jason smiled. “Good luck with that.”

He was pretty sure the state animal of Texas was a longhorn, and that wasn’t just because they loved football.

Trying not to gobble down his sandwich like some sort of ravenous beast, he wandered toward the arena. A few people were already seated in the grandstands—diehards who’d arrived early to pick their favorite spots.

He took another swig of his lemonade as he eyed the arena. Pretty typical for an outdoor facility in a small town—dirt that had been worked loose on top of the hardpan beneath, ad banners affixed along the perimeter fencing, stock pens behind the chutes, large arena lights that would attract thousands of bugs once night fell.

His gaze halted when he spotted a woman leading a group of eight kids from the barn area toward the stock pens. He could tell she was talking to them as she pointed toward the still-empty pens. Was she a teacher and this some sort of school trip?

When the woman turned toward the arena, he got a better look at her. Though her face was partly shaded by her light-colored cowgirl hat, he could tell she was pretty. A blond braid descended to just below her shoulders. Her jeans appeared to fit her long legs to nice effect.

He spotted Bo back toward the barns, and something about the idea of him approaching this woman and the trailing youngsters had Jason tossing his now-empty cup and sandwich wrapper into the trash barrel and heading toward them.

“See that area there?” she said to the kids as Jason drew close enough to hear her. “That’s where the cowboys wait their turn to ride in their events.”

“Are they scared?” one little boy asked.

“Maybe sometimes,” the woman said.

“Nah, we’re too crazy to be scared,” Jason said as he rested one arm along the top of the metal fencing that made up the stock pens.

The woman turned toward him, tipping back the front brim of her hat a bit. He had the urge to laugh at the way her eyebrows bunched together, but some sense of self-preservation told him that was a bad idea.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he said. “Saw you all over here and thought I’d say hello and ask if I can help you out.”

Her expression eased slightly. “We’re just doing a tour of the facilities before the rodeo gets under way.”

“Are you a rodeo cowboy?” a little girl he’d guess was maybe eight or nine years old asked.

“I am.” He extended his hand to the girl. “I’m Jason. What’s your name?”

The girl stared at his hand then up at the woman. When the blonde placed her palm against the child’s back and nodded once, the girl extended her tiny hand and shook his.

“Phoebe.”

Thinking maybe he looked intimidating to someone so much shorter than he was and being a stranger to boot, he was careful not to hold her hand too firmly.

“That’s a pretty name. Do you like rodeos?”

“We’ve never been to one,” another boy, this one a bit older, said.

Instead of asking more questions, Jason shifted his attention to the woman and noticed she was watching him as if sizing him up, determining if he was a threat to her young charges. He got the feeling she wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever was necessary to protect them.

“Do you have any questions?” he asked the boy without taking his eyes away from his protector.

“Sloane said there are different events. What do you do?”

Sloane. That must be the mystery blonde’s name. It fit her somehow, pretty but strong and no-nonsense. He had no idea how he was able to garner that much about her in only a handful of minutes, but his gut told him he was right.

He smiled just a hint and shifted his gaze to the boy. “I’m a steer wrestler.”

“That’s the one where you jump off the running horse and tackle a cow with horns?”

Jason chuckled. “Something like that.”

He figured a lesson on the differences between steers, cows, heifers and bulls was probably a bit too much detail for the youngsters.

The boy asked several more questions in quick succession, as if he were being tested to see how much rodeo knowledge he could stuff into his brain in a certain amount of time. When he started to ask another, Sloane held out her hand to halt him.

“That’s enough, Daron. We’ve taken up enough of Jason’s time,” she said.

“It’s okay,” Jason said, drawing her attention back to him. “I don’t mind.”

Especially if it kept Sloane around a little longer.

A second woman joined the group, accompanied by another little girl. These two, however, he could tell were related. The woman made eye contact with him for a moment, offered a smile, but then shot Sloane a questioning look.

Sloane motioned toward the new arrivals. “My sister, Angel, and niece, Julia.”

They didn’t look as if they were blood-related, not with Sloane being blond and fair and Angel of Native American descent, but the country was full of blended families.

He extended his hand to Angel. “Jason Till. Nice to meet you.”

Angel shook his hand. “You, too. Are you one of the riders?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“He’s a steer wrestler,” Daron said with so much enthusiasm that Jason couldn’t help but smile.

“We should get to our seats,” Sloane said.

“We’ve got plenty of time,” Angel replied.

He caught the look of surprise Sloane shot her sister, and if he wasn’t mistaken Angel reciprocated with one of mischief. Sloane, the surprised expression now totally gone as if it had never existed, turned to him.

“Thanks for taking the time to talk to the kids.”

“No problem.”

“Good luck tonight.”

“Thank you. I’ll do my best to put on a good show for these guys,” he said as he motioned toward the kids.

She said nothing else, just offered a quick smile and nod before she turned all of her attention to directing the kids toward the grandstands. Little Phoebe looked over her shoulder at him and offered a shy wave. He waved back, surprised by the way her smile lifted his mood. It wasn’t as if he was in a bad mood, but there was just something so sweet and pure about the little girl.

“I don’t suppose you have any free time this weekend, do you?”

The question caught him totally off guard. Was Angel about to ask him out? Not that she wasn’t pretty because she definitely was, but she wasn’t the sister who had captured his attention.

Before he could answer, she motioned toward Sloane and the kids. “My sister runs camps for underprivileged kids, where they come out and spend a weekend on our ranch. They get exposure to the animals, camp outside, learn about ranch life. This is the first time we’ve brought them to a rodeo, and it seems as if they’re interested in learning more. Thought maybe you could come out to the ranch and talk to them some more about what it’s like to be a rodeo cowboy.”

He’d never done anything like that before, but if he got to spend some more time with Sloane...well, it would sure beat hanging around the fairgrounds listening to tales of Bo’s latest romantic exploits.

“I could do that.”

“Great.” She rifled through her purse, then pulled out a business card and handed it to him. “Just text me when’s a good time for you and we’ll make it work.”

He gave her a nod and watched as she joined the others. When he saw the curious look on Sloane’s face, he bit his lip to keep from laughing. He knew that expression, having seen it from his own sister on more than one occasion. It promised payback like only a sibling could serve up.

When Sloane shifted her gaze to him, he tapped the brim of his hat with his index finger and offered what he hoped was a smile charming enough to relax her suspicion. When she merely turned away, he did laugh under his breath.

“I’m telling you, that one’s going to be a tough nut to crack,” Bo said as he joined Jason. “Lot easier ways to get some female company.”

“Maybe some things are worth working for,” he said as he gave Bo a backhanded slap to the chest, then headed toward the barn. He needed to get in the right headspace for the competition. After all, he had to put on a good show for the campers.

And if their camp counselor liked what she saw, all the better.

* * *

SLOANE HARTLEY STARED hard at her approaching sister. “You are up to something.”

Angel made a pffftt sound as she reached Sloane. “I think you have me confused with our brothers. They’re the ones always up to something.”

Sloane propped her hands on her hips. “I’ve always heard it’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for.”

“I’m not that quiet.”

“But you do fly under the radar.”

“Not hard when my siblings have such big personalities.”

“I feel as if I was just insulted.”

Angel gently patted Sloane’s cheek. “Not at all. I like your big personality. And Ben’s approaching bearable now that he’s a married man.”

Sloane paused her interrogation long enough to get all the campers and Julia settled in the bleachers. As usual, Julia was striking up instant friendships with the other kids, something their mother had noticed and pointed out as proof that there needed to be more grandchildren running around the Rocking Horse Ranch. Well, Neil and Ben were both married now, so Sloane figured the ball was in their procreation court. She sure wasn’t going to be a player in that game, at least not anytime soon. With her luck, never.

When she sank onto the bleacher seat next to her sister, she resisted glancing toward the barn to see if Jason the steer wrestler was still visible. Yes, the man was wicked good-looking, and she was afraid Angel had noticed Sloane’s awareness of that fact.

“So, spill. What were you talking to him about?”

“Him?” Angel asked, all faux innocence.

“You know exactly who I’m talking about.”

“You mean the handsome cowboy who couldn’t take his eyes off you?”

“You sound like Mom.”

Angel shrugged. “I call it like I see it.”

“Whatever. Maybe you should ask him out.”

“Nah. Not my type.”

“What is your type?”

Angel leaned back against the empty bleacher behind them. “I don’t know because I haven’t met him.”

Sure, Angel had a daughter, but that didn’t mean Julia’s father was the kind of guy Angel wanted to spend the rest of her life with. In fact, Sloane wasn’t sure that normally mild-mannered Angel wouldn’t coldcock Dave if she ever saw him again. If she didn’t, there was a long line of Hartleys willing to do it for her.

“Listen,” Angel said. “All I did was invite him out to the ranch to talk to the kids some more about rodeoing. I saw how interested they were in what he was saying.”

“You did what? Are you crazy? We don’t know the first thing about him. He could be a creep. Or have a rap sheet as long as my arm.”

Angel turned partway toward Sloane. “Did it strike you that either of those things is true?”

“How would I know? I barely spoke to the man.”

“Well, then, you can cure that when he’s your camp’s guest speaker.”

Sloane started to protest again but was interrupted by her younger sister.

“You know I’d never do anything to put these kids, including my daughter, in danger. If it was just going to be us there, I wouldn’t have invited him. But Dad and the guys will be close by. Not that I think the two of us couldn’t take Jason down by ourselves.”

“You got that right.” If anyone posed a threat to these kids, who already had enough to worry about in their young lives, she’d take them out. A boot to the kneecap could bring down the biggest man.

Though her instinct told her Angel was right, that this Jason guy was fairly harmless. Except, perhaps, to her peace of mind. The moment she’d met his dove-gray gaze, she’d been thrown off-kilter. That wasn’t a normal state of being for her. She’d come into contact with plenty of handsome men before, so what was it about Jason the steer wrestler that felt different?

Probably just that he’d seemed to pop up next to her out of thin air. She’d not exactly been startled, rather caught off guard. Just when she’d reined in her initial increased-pulse reaction to his looks, however, he’d gone and been nice to the kids. It was as if he was trying to increase his tally of “I’m an awesome guy” points as fast as he could, before she could even figure out who he was.

No need to worry about it though. As long as he entertained the kids, she was cool with him talking to them. But it didn’t matter how good-looking or charming he might be, she wasn’t interested in a cowboy only in town for a weekend. They came and went. She didn’t blame them. It was how they made their living or followed their passion. But if she ever ended up serious about a guy—and with her dating history, she wasn’t even sure she wanted that—it wasn’t going to be someone living that sort of nomadic lifestyle.

Her family had given her roots, and rodeo cowboys like Jason Till were about as rooted as a tumbleweed.

Chapter Two

From his seat in the saddle, Jason glanced toward the grandstands. He needed to concentrate on his ride, which was only moments away, but he couldn’t keep himself from trying to catch a glimpse of Sloane.

The sound of laughter drew his attention back to the area around the chutes. Bo was sitting atop one of the gates and he hadn’t missed where Jason had been looking.

“I thought you had some sense,” Bo said.

Jason snorted. “And you’re the authority on good sense?”

“Never claimed that.”

Jason shifted his focus to the business at hand as he rode into the box, the steer was loaded into the roping chute and his hazer, Travis Morgan, got into position on the other side of the chute. Jason took a slow, deep breath, visualizing the next few seconds, something he’d done countless times before. He pictured tonight as another step closer to a national championship. Then he gave the chute man a quick nod of his head. The chute opened and the steer took off, shadowed by Travis. The moment the barrier rope around the steer’s neck popped off, Jason gave chase. Maybe a couple of heartbeats passed as he leaned off the side of his horse, got his right arm in position on the steer and let his feet slide free of his stirrups. He dug his heels into the dirt, grabbed the left horn with one hand and the right horn in the crook of his other elbow. He pulled the steer off balance but the animal wasn’t going to make it easy. Jason’s boots furrowed the dirt as the steer tried to free itself. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he managed to throw the steer to the ground. Unfortunately, he ate a bit of dirt in the process.

He didn’t even have to look to know it wasn’t his best time ever. Cursing, he got to his feet and spit out the dirt as the steer trotted away down the arena. Despite the disappointing score, he took off his hat and waved to the cheering crowd. He wondered if Sloane and the kids were clapping, but he couldn’t see them beyond the glare of the arena lights.

“Tough one,” Travis said when they met up outside the arena.

“Yeah, wasn’t my night.” Even though he’d have bet money he was focused, had he actually still been distracted by thoughts of a certain blonde?

He considered seeking her out in the stands, but a hit of common sense kept his boots planted on the other side of the fence watching the rest of the bulldoggers. Bo was right. There were easier ways to enjoy some female company than seeking out someone who evidently wasn’t all that interested in him. Someone who wouldn’t distract him so much that he lost an opportunity to move up in the standings. Plus, he’d be gone from Blue Falls in a couple of days and on to New Mexico.

He tried not to think about the long drive and what life was like for normal people who had weekends and didn’t have a longer relationship with the interstate system than they’d ever had with a woman. His parents were lucky they’d both been rodeo competitors. Neither ever had to leave the other behind when they hit the road. But that had never worked for Jason. He’d dated a couple of barrel racers and the daughter of a stock contractor, but none of those relationships had lasted more than a couple of months.

Why the devil was he thinking about relationships all of a sudden?

Maybe it had to do with his parents’ upcoming anniversary and his sister’s question—she wanted to know if he could take time to attend a party if she hosted one. Shannon had sounded so hopeful despite the fact that she probably hadn’t intended to. Even though she had been the one to break with family tradition and not go into professional rodeo, she fully understood the importance of competing in as many events as possible, or at least enough with sizable prize money.

“You coming with us?” Travis asked as Jason removed the saddle from his horse. “Hear there’s a good band playing at the local dance hall.”

Jason shook his head. “Not tonight. Need some sleep.”

“Don’t tell me you’re turning into an old fart.”

“Just wait. You won’t be young and able to operate on no sleep forever.” In some professions, people were just getting started at thirty. But he’d been riding the circuit since he met the age requirement at eighteen.

Even though Travis was only seven years younger than Jason, sometimes that difference felt like three times what it was. He hadn’t been lying about wanting to get some sleep, but the truth was he just wasn’t in the mood to go drinking and dancing. Not when his mind refused to stop replaying his ride over and over, analyzing what he’d done wrong and how to make sure it didn’t happen again.

But as he lay down in yet another generic motel room an hour later and stared at the ceiling, sleep didn’t seem to be anywhere in the vicinity of Blue Falls. His thoughts abandoned his poor performance at the rodeo and drifted to Sloane... Was her last name Hartley like her sister’s, or was that Angel’s married name? Regardless of her surname, there was something that he couldn’t put his finger on that kept bringing Sloane to the front of his mind. And he didn’t think it was just because she was pretty.

Or maybe he was sleep deprived. For some reason he’d been sleeping like garbage lately. He’d been fixated so much on making this the year he got back to the Finals. Maybe he needed a brief break, a few hours to think about something else. Hopefully it would even help him ride better next time.

He rolled onto his side and turned on the bedside lamp. He picked up the business card Angel Hartley had given him and his phone. He’d take her up on her offer to go speak to the kids about rodeo, see if her sister’s attitude toward him was any warmer in the light of day. If nothing else, it would beat hanging around the fairgrounds all day dwelling on his mistakes.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he sent Angel a text. He was surprised by how quickly she replied, confirming that ten the next morning was perfect.

As he turned the light back off, he smiled. It was nice to have something to look forward to, something that wasn’t accompanied by the pressure to win.

* * *

“CAN WE RIDE real horses?” Daron asked as Sloane helped a little girl named Alice out of the saddle sitting atop a saddle rack in the barn’s alley.

“You’ll get to ride around the paddock with us helping you.” The thing she always feared the most was one of the kids getting hurt, and she took every precaution against that happening.

She held Alice’s little hand until she made her way to the ground via the hay bale steps.

“So, who wants to learn how to play horseshoes?”

“We actually have something else planned right now,” Angel said.

Sloane gave her sister a questioning look for a moment before she realized what she must mean.

“Is that right?”

The sound of an approaching truck engine caused a long-suffering sigh to escape Sloane. She got enough teasing from her brothers and not-so-subtle hints from her mother about finding a good man. She didn’t need it from her sister, too.

“I believe that’s our special guest now,” Angel said with way too much glee in her voice before heading out the door of the barn.

By the time Sloane gathered up the kids and ushered them outside, Jason was already out of his truck and talking to Angel. He held one of the recognizable bags from Mehlerhaus Bakery. When he spotted her, he lifted it as if she hadn’t been able to see it before.

“I brought breakfast,” he said.

Behind him, she saw the front door to the house open and out stepped her brothers. Normally, that protectiveness she saw in their stances would annoy the living daylights out of her, but this time it might actually prove amusing. She barely suppressed a smile.

“We ate hours ago. Some of us don’t sleep half the morning,” she said.

He’d probably been partying at the Blue Falls Music Hall until late. On rodeo nights, the place was filled to bursting with cowboys looking for a cold beer, a few spins around the dance floor and maybe a night with a pretty woman.

She couldn’t knock the place. She enjoyed an evening out dancing and hanging with friends as much as the next person. But for some reason the thought of Jason picking up a woman and spending the night with her, then a few hours later strolling onto her ranch to speak to these innocent kids rubbed her the wrong way.

He lowered the bag and shrugged. “It’s never too late for pastries.”

Angel grinned at Sloane. “I have to agree with him there.”

“Aren’t you two going to introduce us?” her oldest brother, Neil, asked as he descended the steps, followed by Ben and Adam.

“That’s Jason,” Daron piped up. “He’s a steer wrestler.”

“Is he, now?” Neil eyed Jason like he did every man who came within close proximity of either of his sisters.

Jason extended his hand for a shake. “Jason Till. Your sisters invited me out to talk to the kids about the rodeo.”

“Sister, singular,” Sloane said under her breath, drawing a curious look from Daron and a couple of the other kids.

Neil took Jason’s hand, and even from where she stood she could tell big bro had made sure Jason knew just how strong he was. A glance at Ben and Adam showed they were doing a pitiful job of hiding their amusement.

She rolled her eyes. Okay, the scene ceased being funny and strode right into annoying. She wasn’t a damsel in distress and she didn’t need her brothers’ protection. She didn’t have any statistics to back it up, but she sincerely doubted guys who posed a threat showed up with a bag of fresh pastries.

“All right,” she said. “Pastries for everyone.”

The kids squealed and jumped up and down, making her smile and ending the testosterone-off.

She motioned everyone to the campsite in a shady area beyond the barn. The circle of tents surrounded log benches and a fire pit. Flying from a small flagpole was a blue flag with white lettering that said Camp Rocking Horse and sported the outline of the ranch’s brand. The kids seated themselves on the logs, and Jason squatted in the center of the circle. She refused to notice how snug his jeans fit his backside in that position.

Yeah, right. She’d have to be dead for that to escape her notice.

“Okay, who likes cherries?” Jason asked.

Phoebe’s hand and that of another girl named Ginny shot into the air.

“Good thing I got two, huh?”

He handed those out, followed by a variety of other Danish and doughnuts. When only one child remained empty-handed, he shifted his attention to Brent, the quietest of the bunch. His story hurt Sloane’s heart, and she’d had to fight the urge to simply wrap the little boy in her arms and tell him everything would be okay. Of course, she couldn’t know that. She got these kids for a weekend, to give them a little light and fun in their lives, a different environment. But then they had to go back to their group homes or to families that had problems of one sort or another. She’d never counted on seeing them leave being so difficult.

“What do you like, little man?”

Brent shrugged.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“Okay,” Brent said in the small voice she’d only heard a few times.

Jason leaned in toward Brent a little. “The best one is still in here. It’s my favorite. Want to see what it is?”

Brent glanced toward her, and she gave him an encouraging smile. The boy returned his gaze to Jason and nodded.

Jason pulled a pastry from the bag and placed it on a napkin in his palm. “Behold, the cruller.”

He said it with such awe and reverence that one would think he was displaying Excalibur rather than a piece of fried dough.

Angel leaned in next to her and whispered. “He’s good with them.”

Sloane couldn’t disagree, but even that annoyed her for some reason.

After handing the cruller to Brent, Jason turned toward where Angel and Sloane stood.

“What about you ladies?” He glanced down into the bag. “I’ve still got glazed doughnuts and a couple of apple Danish.”

“Doughnut, please,” Angel said.

He gave the doughnut to Angel, then shifted his questioning gaze to Sloane.

“I’m good.”

Beside her, Angel made a frustrated sound. “She’ll take a Danish.”

When Jason extended the pastry toward her, she almost kept her arms crossed. But she realized she was being unnecessarily prickly and accepted his offering.

“Thanks.” When he placed the bakery bag down on an empty log bench, she pointed at it. “Aren’t you having something? It’s only fair since you’ve foisted a ton of sugar and calories off on the rest of us.”

He patted his stomach. “Oh, trust me. I had plenty on the way out here.”

Could have fooled her. Though he was wearing a button-down shirt that wasn’t formfitting, she’d bet good money there was a nice set of solid abs lurking beneath the cloth.

Irritated at the direction of her thoughts, she took a giant bite of her Danish.

Jason sank onto the bench. “So, who has questions about being a rodeo cowboy?”

“How long have you been a cowboy?” Alice asked.

“For as long as I can remember. I started mutton busting when I was four years old.”

“What’s mutton busting?” Daron asked.

“It’s where you ride a big woolly sheep. You wrap your legs around the sheep’s body,” Jason explained, making a circle with his arms, “and hang on to the wool with your hands and see how long you can ride without falling off.”

“That sounds like fun,” Brent said, surprising Sloane so much she was sure her eyes widened. It was the first time Brent had said anything without being asked a direct question.

“It was. It’s how kids get interested in the rodeo.”

“Are we going to do mutton busting?” a boy named Enrique asked. There was such a light in his dark eyes and excitement in his question that Sloane hated to burst his bubble.

“Sorry, but no.”

“Why not?”

She glanced at Jason to find him watching her, also waiting for the answer to Enrique’s question.

“We don’t have sheep, for one.” Not to mention the safety equipment and the level of liability insurance that such an event would require. Or the money for any of those things.

The looks and sounds of disappointment rekindled her irritation, not at the kids but at Jason for bringing up the topic in the first place.

Okay, so he was just answering a question, but still. What kid could resist the idea of riding a big, fluffy sheep? Heck, she would have totally done that as a kid if the opportunity had been there.

“I’m sure you’re going to be doing a bunch of other fun stuff this weekend,” Jason said.

Sloane gradually relaxed again as she watched the continued exchange between Jason and the kids. He never acted as if any of their questions were stupid, and he didn’t talk down to them. It made her wonder if he had kids of his own. He didn’t wear a wedding band, but that didn’t mean anything. Some of the rodeo guys were probably like sailors with a girl in every port.

By the time her mom rang the bell signaling lunch was ready, Sloane had learned that Jason was from Idaho, he’d been competing as a professional since he was eighteen and he’d had six broken bones thanks to his career choice.

Angel herded the kids toward a couple of picnic tables next to the grilling station near the house.

“Are you eating with us?” Phoebe asked as she slipped her little hand into Jason’s.

He smiled down at the girl. “I don’t think they planned for the extra mouth to feed.”

Sloane huffed at that. “You’ve never met my mother and her penchant for making twice as much food as needed.”

“Please,” Phoebe said.

“Well, how can I say no to such a nice invitation?”

Phoebe’s lips stretched into a huge smile, and damn if Sloane didn’t have to fight to keep from doing the same thing.

Phoebe shot off toward the picnic area as if she hadn’t eaten both a hearty breakfast and a midmorning pastry.

Jason chuckled. “Sweet kids.”

“Yeah. And resilient.”

He gave her a questioning look.

“They all come from tough backgrounds. Some are from struggling, low-income homes. Several are in foster care for one reason or another. All of them have had to face more than they should at their age.”

“That’s sad.”

“It is. They seem to like you though.”

“And that annoys you.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.” He grinned at her as he grabbed a ham-and-cheese sandwich and a couple of her mom’s homemade oatmeal cookies.

“Sorry. I just don’t know you, and these kids’ safety is my responsibility.”

“So this has nothing to do with the fact that your sister is trying to set us up?”

“Well, there goes my hope that it was obvious only to me.”

“It’s not a bad idea. I’m a decent guy.”

“Perhaps you are, but you’re also going to be long gone by tomorrow night.” And her record of picking guys to date was far from stellar.

He nodded. “Fair enough.”

Well, that reaction was unexpected. She’d thought he might try to encourage her to live a little, have some harmless fun. She wasn’t a fuddy-duddy and wasn’t on the hunt for a forever kind of guy, but she also wasn’t hot on the idea of being with a guy who’d no doubt been with several women before her and would be with several afterward. She wasn’t judging that choice. It just wasn’t for her.

Of course, she often doubted a serious relationship was for her either. She’d seen at a young age what loving someone too much could do to a person. The one time she’d believed she might have a future with a guy, she’d been proven wrong in a way that still stung years later. The relationships since then had really ended before they started.

They walked toward one of the picnic tables. Though her father and Neil had ridden out partway through Jason’s Q and A with the campers, Ben was still keeping an eye on things from outside his saddle shop. And it was a safe bet that Adam was lurking nearby, too.

“I’m guessing your brothers have scared off a number of dates for you and Angel over the years.”

“They try, the annoying brats. But Angel and I can hold our own.”

“That does not surprise me.”

“You don’t even know us.”

“Call it gut instinct.”

They sat in silence long enough for each of them to eat their sandwiches. She listened to Daron at the opposite end of the table talking to a couple other boys about how he could ride a sheep all day and not fall off. He was so animated that she had to hide a smile behind her hand. Beside her, Jason chuckled.

“That one is full of personality,” Jason said.

“Yep.”

“What’s his story?”

“From a single-parent home, the youngest of six kids. They struggle to get by.” And how heartbreaking was it that Daron’s story was one of the happier ones?

She noticed Brent watching them silently from the other table. “I think someone is a fan.”

He glanced in the direction she nodded. “Hey, Brent, can you help me out? I have more cookies than I can eat. You want one?”

Brent slid off his seat and came to stand at the end of their table. Jason handed him one of the cookies that Sloane had no doubt Jason could eat with no problem.

“Do you have to be big to ride in the rodeo?” Brent asked.

“Not all the time. One of the toughest bull riders I know isn’t much bigger than you.”

Brent’s eyes widened.

“Okay, let’s not put wild ideas in the child’s head.” She could just see one of these kids going home and telling their family or guardians that a cowboy encouraged them to ride a two-thousand-pound animal with three-foot horns.

She expected Jason to leave after lunch, but he hung around for a game of horseshoes. He gave pointers to the kids on throwing technique and engaged in some good-natured ribbing that had them giggling. Part of her wanted to be annoyed, but she was too thankful to see the kids’ smiles and hear their laughter.

“You’re good with them,” she said when he came to stand next to her, echoing Angel’s earlier observation.

“I’ve had practice with my sister’s kids, six-year-old twins.”

“Boys or girls?”

“One of each.”

Well, that explained it. He was probably used to being the cool uncle, which was basically what he’d been today. All the fun stuff with none of the responsibility.

“I better get going,” he said. “Thanks for inviting me out.”

“You have Angel to thank for that.”

“Well, then, thanks for not chasing me off with a pitchfork.”

Phoebe ran up to them. “Are you leaving?”

Jason placed his hand gently atop Phoebe’s light brown hair. “Yeah, this cowboy’s got to go try to make some money.”

“Can we go to the rodeo again tonight?” Phoebe asked, drawing a chorus of agreement from the other kids.

Angel smiled as she picked up the last of the horseshoes. Sloane was going to get her sister back for creating this monster and making Sloane the bad guy.

“Not tonight.” At the groans of disappointment, she said, “We’ve got a hayride and a big cookout planned. My dad makes the best burgers in Texas.”

“And there’s a meteor shower,” Angel said. “We can lie out on blankets and watch them streak across the sky.”

Brent looked up at Jason, who must have seemed as tall as a skyscraper to the little guy. “Are you coming back tomorrow?”

Jason started to say something but stopped and looked at Sloane.

“I’m sure Jason has things to do.” Like drive right out of Blue Falls and on to the next rodeo in the next town in an endless string that would stretch out for the rest of the year, only stopping when winter arrived.

“I have time, if you don’t mind,” Jason said.

She ignored a little flutter of excitement in the center of her chest. It was the height of stupidity, especially when all her attention needed to be on the kids this weekend. But then she saw the naked look of hope on Brent’s face and she simply couldn’t deny him another chance to be near his new hero—even if she thought there were way better heroes for a little boy to idolize.

“Feel free to come by,” she said. “But we’re going to have a lesson on mucking out stalls.”

“I have lots of experience in that department.” Jason grinned.

Damn if that grin probably hadn’t charmed more than one woman out of her panties. If not for the camp this weekend, she wasn’t 100 percent sure that she would be able to resist.

Chapter Three

Through an incredible streak of luck—a good draw for him and some poor performances from others—Jason ended up placing higher in the rodeo than he’d expected after his first night’s performance. High enough that he gained a spot in the national standings. He was in such a good mood that after a hearty breakfast at the Primrose Café, he bought some flower bouquets on his way out to the Rocking Horse Ranch.

Sloane had been right, of course. He would be leaving town later today, so getting involved wasn’t a wise decision. But it didn’t keep him from thinking about her, or evidently wanting to buy her a bouquet of flowers. He’d been halfway back to his truck outside the florist shop when he wondered if she might not be a flowers kind of gal.

But all women liked flowers, right?

To be on the safe side and to keep himself from potentially looking like a fool, he went back in and bought more flowers. If he brought bouquets for every female in residence at the ranch, all bases were covered.

True to her word, Sloane was giving a lesson on mucking out stalls when he arrived. She paused for a split second when she saw him enter the barn. Was she surprised that he’d actually come back? He hoped it was a pleasant surprise.

The kids hadn’t noticed him yet so he leaned against one of the stalls, the flowers hidden behind his back, as he listened to her tell the kids that having horses was a big responsibility. They had to be fed, watered, brushed, their health maintained and, yes, their poop scooped.

A chorus of “Eew!” made him chuckle to himself as she used the pitchfork to lift a section of soiled hay and deposit it in the wheelbarrow.

Little Phoebe was the first to notice him. When the wide grin appeared on her face, she called out, “Jason!” and ran toward him, his heart expanded the way it did whenever he got to visit Caleb and Lily.

He squatted in time for Phoebe to wrap her arms around his neck in a hug.

“You came back.”

“I said I would.”

She pulled away and stepped to his side. “Why are you hiding flowers behind your back?”

“As a surprise for you.” He brought one of the smaller bouquets around to give to her.

Her smile would brighten the darkest day. He suddenly wondered what her story was and hoped it wasn’t too bad. Anything that took away that smile would be a crime.

Phoebe brought the flowers up to her nose and sniffed them. “They’re so pretty.”

“Is it okay if I give the other girls some flowers, too?”

Phoebe nodded. “They smell nicer than the horse poop.”

He barked out a laugh, especially when he caught Sloane rolling her eyes. “I agree with you there.”

Jason walked over to Alice and the other girls in the group, including Angel’s daughter, Julia, then handed them all miniature bouquets identical to Phoebe’s.

“Did you bring some for Angel and Sloane?” Alice asked.

“I did.” He extended a bouquet to Angel, who stood on the opposite side of the alley from Sloane and her pitchfork.

“Thanks.” She sniffed them. “Phoebe is right. They do smell better than horse poop.”

The word poop got all the kids to giggling again.

“Do you like my mom?” Julia asked as she eyed him.

“She’s very nice,” he said, gathering from the child’s question that perhaps Angel was single. He’d heard nothing about a husband or boyfriend the day before.

“Do you want to take her on a date? Boys bring girls flowers when they want to go out on dates.”

“Julia,” Angel said, gently scolding. She shifted her gaze across to her sister. “Jason doesn’t want to go on a date with Mommy.”

Sloane pointed accusingly at Angel with the hand holding the pitchfork.

He extended one of the last two bouquets toward Sloane. “Your aunt, however, is a different story.”

He couldn’t tell for sure because of the hat she wore and the fact that she was no doubt warm from cleaning the stall, but he thought color rose in Sloane’s fair cheeks. She seemed at a loss for how to respond, and he considered he’d made a mistake saying what he had. He’d put her on the spot, and after she’d made it clear the day before she wasn’t interested in someone who’d be leaving town even before the campers would.

But he didn’t have to leave yet. He could stick around a couple more days and still make it to the next rodeo in plenty of time. Considering what she’d said the day before, he should leave now. But he flat-out didn’t want to. He wanted to get to know Sloane Hartley better. Despite her eye rolls and distancing behavior, he suspected there was a lot more to her. Like why she held these camps for kids who came from difficult backgrounds.

Common sense tried to convince him he was making a mistake. After all, being distracted by her was most likely the cause of his poor ride two nights earlier. Until this year was over, he should steer clear of distractions—even really pretty ones.

Especially really pretty ones.

“Those are lovely,” said a voice from behind them.

He continued looking at Sloane a moment longer, but she didn’t make a move to take the bouquet he offered. Shot down, he turned to face her mom.

“I’m glad you think so because these are for you,” he said, lifting the final bouquet.

“Well, that was sweet of you,” Mrs. Hartley said as she stepped closer and accepted the flowers. “These will look great in my kitchen.” She slipped her arm through his. “He’s a good one. A smart woman would snatch him up while he’s still available.” She looked up at him. “You are available, aren’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Sloane didn’t roll her eyes this time, but he imagined her thinking about doing exactly that. Instead, she turned back to the stall and continued her lesson.

Mrs. Hartley patted him on the arm. “Don’t let her thorny exterior scare you off.”

“It’ll take more than that. I wrestle ornery steers for a living.”

Mrs. Hartley smiled at that, patted his arm once again, then stepped away. “Let me take Sloane’s flowers and put them in water. I’ll be sure to put them someplace she can’t miss them.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“No need for the formality. Call me Diane.”

He nodded.

“And if you don’t have to leave, make sure you stay for dinner.”

“Thanks. I appreciate the invitation.” During the rodeo season, home-cooked meals were few and far between. No cowboy with any sense turned one down.

He had a funny feeling Sloane might not feel the same about the invitation. That just meant he had his work cut out for him to change her mind.

* * *

SLOANE SHOULD HAVE known something like this was coming after Neil and Ben both got married. There’d been enough teasing around the dinner table that she was next despite her efforts to guide the conversation in any other direction. But she refused to be pushed into a situation not of her own choosing. She loved her family, but that didn’t mean she’d let them have their way.

A part of her realized Jason was a bit of a pawn in the current situation, too, but he wasn’t helping matters by bringing her flowers, being adorable with the kids and charming her mother. That trifecta would totally work with most women. She wasn’t most women.

He came to stand next to the stall she’d just finished cleaning as Angel led the kids outside for another activity.

“How can I help?” he asked.

She exited the stall and closed the door, then pointed at the wheelbarrow beside him. “You can empty that.”

Dang it, he didn’t hesitate or question her. Instead, he grabbed the handles and headed out of the barn. He didn’t even ask where the manure pile was. Chances were good he grew up on a ranch though, so it wasn’t as if he was a city slicker with no clue what he was doing.

She waited until he was out of sight before she placed her hands on her hips, looked up into the rafters and took a deep breath. Just a little while longer and he would leave. He would take his long legs, infectious smile and nice-guy act right out of town on his way to the next rodeo.

But was it an act? She wasn’t sure, which bothered her. He’d said he wanted to go out with her, which gave him a motive to be nice. But damn if the pastries, the flowers and his kindness didn’t have a ring of truth.

But so had Blake’s words of love once upon a time, a claim that hadn’t been enough to keep him in Blue Falls and with her.

She blew out a breath and headed outside, where Angel had the kids lined up along the fence, telling them about the cattle on the opposite side. Before they’d ridden out to deliver scours vaccines to the pregnant cows, her dad and brothers had herded a dozen head of cattle into an area where the kids could see them while remaining safe.

“Does anyone know what kind of cattle these are?” Angel asked.

“Longhorns,” Daron called out.

“That’s right. Some of these guys can weigh up to or even more than two-thousand pounds.”

“Whoa!” Daron said, and was echoed by several other kids.

After Angel ended her lesson about the cattle, they had the kids wash their hands and then head to the picnic area again for the final meal of the camp. Just the riding lessons remained before the kids would be picked up and taken home.

Sloane watched as the kids went through the line to get their food—chicken tenders, potato salad and brownies today. Though she tried to keep her attention off Jason, it was way more difficult than she’d have liked. When he seated himself next to Brent, a suspicious flutter in her chest made her worry that her mom’s and Angel’s attempted matchmaking was getting to her.

No, she couldn’t let that happen. She was stronger than that.

And yet, when she got her food, she made her way to the spot opposite Jason and Brent. Okay, so curiosity about their topic of conversation got the better of her.

Jason didn’t even look up at her when she sat down. Instead, he kept his entire focus on the little boy beside him.

“Do you think I could be a rodeo cowboy?” Brent asked.

“I think you can be whatever you want as long as you’re willing to work hard for it. Can you do that?”

Brent nodded with more enthusiasm than she would have ever imagined he possessed. Somehow, Jason had encouraged the shy little boy to break out of his shell.

“I want to be a steer wrestler just like you.”

While Brent seemed excited, witnessing the exchange broke Sloane’s heart. He’d obviously formed a quick but strong attachment to Jason. She worried that Brent didn’t comprehend that after today he’d probably never see Jason again. And it might be years before Brent even got a chance to attend another rodeo, let alone have an opportunity to practice a skill like steer wrestling. She had a hard time picturing him ever being big enough to tackle such a dangerous profession. Her hope was that he was young enough that he’d probably go through at least another dozen answers to the question of what he wanted to be when he grew up. Memories of this camp, of Jason the steer wrestler, would fade.

She wondered if her own memories of Jason would fade, as well. When was the last time she’d had such a difficult time keeping her gaze from wandering to a guy? She refused to believe it had been Blake more than a decade ago. But her two short-lived relationships since then hadn’t involved any irresistible urges to watch someone’s every move. She supposed that should have been a clue they were duds in the making.

“Then I have no doubt you can do it,” Jason said and ruffled Brent’s hair, earning a big grin from the boy.

Sloane couldn’t help grinning, too. Of course that’s when Jason finally looked at her. But she didn’t hide her smile. He was so kind to the kids, especially Brent, who perhaps needed the attention the most.

When lunch was over, she could feel the excitement level of the kids rise by the moment. They were at the point of the weekend they’d been looking forward to—being able to ride an actual horse. Without being asked, Jason helped get the horse saddled and moved into the paddock. After some pointers and safety tips, Jason lifted little Alice into the saddle.

At first, Alice looked anxious and held on to the saddle horn with a white-knuckle death grip.

“It’s a long way up there, huh?” Jason asked.

Alice nodded.

“Don’t worry. We won’t let you fall.” He nodded to where Sloane stood next to Alice, ready to grab the little girl if anything unexpected happened.

Alice relaxed enough so that by the time her turn was over, she was smiling.

“You’re officially a cowgirl now,” Jason said as he lifted her out of the saddle and handed her over the fence to Angel and Mom, who had joined the group after cleaning up following lunch.

Alice beamed so much that Sloane thought if Jason ever retired from rodeo, he might have a future working with kids.

For the next hour, one kid after another was given their time in the saddle. Little Brent looked as if he’d died and gone to heaven. Daron whooped as if he’d conquered Everest, making everyone laugh. Last up was Phoebe. She’d shown the same excitement as the rest of the kids, until she got near the horse. She balked, no doubt at its size.

Jason crouched in front of her. “I bet you’ll be the best cowgirl yet,” he said so that none of the other girls could hear.

“I’m scared.”

Jason nodded. “I understand. It’s scary to be on an animal so much bigger than you. But Sloane and I are right here. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

Phoebe looked at the horse again, not totally willing to let go of her apprehension. “Okay.”

It wasn’t the most enthusiastic response, so Sloane took her time easing Phoebe into the saddle and settling her little feet in the stirrups. Then she gently squeezed the girl’s jeans-clad leg and gave her an encouraging smile. “You’re very brave.”

Jason led the horse slowly around the same path all the other kids had taken. All was going well and she could see Phoebe gradually relaxing when all of a sudden the horse whinnied and sidestepped. She’d been around horses long enough to realize the animal was about to rear.

Phoebe cried out in alarm in the same moment and released her grip on the saddle horn. Sloane acted on pure adrenaline-fueled instinct and grabbed Phoebe, pulling her free of the saddle. She held the girl close and took several quick steps away from the horse just as Jason shot her a meaningful look and gripped the bridle to lead the horse in the opposite direction.

Sloane didn’t have to hear the rattle to know what had spooked the horse. Her heart raced at the thought that Phoebe could have been thrown and injured, that the horse could have hurt any one of them in its fear of the rattlesnake, that Jason, leading the way, could have been bitten. But none of those things happened, and she had to focus on calming Phoebe.

“Shh,” she said. “It’s okay. The horse just got a little feisty. See, everything is fine now.” She turned so that Phoebe, who was attached to her like cling wrap, could see Jason rubbing the horse’s face to soothe him.

Jason noticed what she was doing and offered Phoebe a big smile and a wave. “You did great. All those barrel racers in the rodeo better watch out. You’ll give them a run for their money.”

Sloane wasn’t sure Phoebe would ever get on a horse again, but it was good of Jason to try to reassure the girl and get her mind off her fear. Sloane felt as if she could use some soothing herself, but she couldn’t allow her inner turmoil to show. Not with the kids all watching. She wanted them to go away from this weekend with a positive experience and something they could look back on with fondness.

Jason casually looked toward where the snake no doubt was, then gave a slight nod to her in the opposite direction. Unwilling to put Phoebe on the ground even if she thought the girl would go for it, she took a circular route back toward the area where the rest of the kids were sitting. As she drew close, she saw the hint of worry in her sister’s and mom’s eyes. They, too, were trying to hide it from the kids.

“Well, that was exciting,” Sloane said where everyone could hear. “I think Phoebe and the rest of you make a fine bunch of cowboys and cowgirls. Don’t you all agree?”

Claps and cheers filled the air, and Phoebe leaned back to look her in the eye. “Is the horse okay?”

Sloane pointed at Jason, who was leading the horse toward the back side of the barn. “Yep. I think he’s just tired.”

“Maybe he can take a nap now.”

“Maybe he can.” Sloane smiled, grateful the little girl’s fear was beginning to subside.

If only she could slow her own racing pulse as easily.

“Well, I think it’s time we all enjoy one more brownie,” her mom said. “Anybody agree with me?”

As expected, the kids were in complete agreement and followed Diane toward the house. Phoebe gave Sloane a hug before wriggling down to the ground and joining the others. Angel appeared as if she was about to ask Sloane a question, but Sloane motioned for her to go with the group.

She took a couple of deep breaths before she headed toward the barn. When she stepped into the shady interior, she found Jason with a gardening hoe in hand. He was watching the line of kids file into the house, obviously wanting them safely out of sight before he went back into the field to dispatch the rattler.

“I can do that,” she said. Though she normally shot the snakes, that wasn’t the best option with all the campers within earshot.

“I got it.” He looked at her. “I think you better sit down. You look like you’re about to faint.”

“That happens when a kid in my care almost takes a tumble out of the saddle.” She pressed her palm against the sudden sick feeling in her stomach.

She was barely aware of Jason moving before he pulled her close. “It’s okay. Phoebe’s fine. The horse is fine. The only one not going to be fine is that snake.”

Some part of Sloane’s brain was screaming, Danger! Abort! And the danger had nothing to do with the snake. Maybe the common sense telling her to pull away from Jason would engage later, but right now she gave it a boot to the backside and let him comfort her.

And tried really hard not to think about just how good it felt to be held in those strong, muscular arms.

Chapter Four

Sloane sure didn’t feel thorny as Jason held her in his arms. In fact, while he could tell she was fit and strong, there was still a feminine softness to her, a sweet scent despite the fact that she’d been out in the sun and around the barn and horses. Unfortunately, he was only able to enjoy the feel and smell of her for a few moments before she pulled away and stepped free of his touch.

Probably for the best.

A quick glance at her face didn’t show embarrassment or even anger. Rather, she acted as if they’d done nothing more than say a passing hello to each other.

“Thanks for taking care of the snake,” she said without making eye contact, reminding him of what he’d been about to do.

Jason turned and headed toward the rear exit of the barn.

“Jason.”

He stopped and glanced back at her.

“Just, uh... Thanks again.”

She didn’t elaborate, and he got the impression that maybe it might be difficult for her to even do so. Thinking he wouldn’t mind holding her any time she needed it, he gave her a quick nod and headed out in search of the rattlesnake. He was usually a live-and-let-live kind of guy, but the thought of that snake striking one of the kids... Well, it wasn’t going to happen if he could help it.

It took him a bit to find the rattler, but only a moment to dispatch him to the reptilian afterlife. He headed back to the barn, leaving the carcass for the buzzards.

When he reached the barn, Sloane was gone. That didn’t surprise him. Though he hadn’t known her long, he was still pretty certain she wasn’t one to show weakness very often. She probably saw accepting a hug from him as a character flaw. As he replaced the hoe where he’d found it, he wondered what made her so independent. While her sister seemed every bit as able to handle herself, there was an extra wall around Sloane.

As he exited the barn, he eyed his truck and considered leaving. Chances were if he took Mrs. Hartley up on her offer of dinner, things would just be awkward with Sloane after the impromptu hug in the barn. But he hadn’t been able to help himself. He’d understood why she’d been upset. Having one of her campers injured or bitten by a poisonous snake would have been really bad for a number of reasons, including the fact that it might have spelled the end for her camps. And it didn’t take Einstein to figure out they meant a lot to her. Why, he didn’t know, but the why didn’t really matter. It was a good thing she was doing, and he hoped she would be able to continue doing it.

The sound of horses approaching drew his attention to the right. Sloane’s dad and brothers rode into view and headed toward the barn. The oldest, Neil, saw him first, then scanned the rest of the area. As he came close, Neil’s gaze fixed on Jason.

“The kids are gone already?”

“No, they’re in the house. Your mom distracted them with a promise of more brownies.”

“Distracted them from what?” Ben, the second brother asked, a note of what could be interpreted as accusation in his voice.

Jason didn’t take offense. After all, he was plenty protective of Shannon, even if she was a couple years older than him. He gestured with his thumb back over his shoulder toward the paddock.

“Had a rattler make a visit, scared the horse we were using with the kids. But everyone is fine and the snake is no longer a problem.”

The looks of concern on their faces eased.

“Diane tells me you’re staying for dinner,” Mr. Hartley said.

Mrs. Hartley must have called or texted her husband.

“She did invite me, sir. Thinking maybe I ought to head out though.”

“Oh, no. If you don’t stay now, she’ll think one of us ran you off and we’ll never hear the end of it.” A spark of humor lit the man’s eyes as he took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Jason glanced at the other Hartley men and sensed not exactly an acceptance but an easing of potential hostility.

Ben shrugged. “He’s not wrong. Plus, Mom is a great cook.”

“I could tell that already.”

“That was nothing.” Adam laughed a little as he gave what seemed like a meaningful look to his brothers. “She really goes all out when she’s trying to impress company.”

“She doesn’t have to go to the trouble. My meals usually come from a drive-through window.”

“Don’t let her hear you say that,” Mr. Hartley said. “She’ll want to adopt you like she did this bunch.”

The slight nod toward his sons explained the obvious difference in heritage between Sloane and Angel. So all the Hartley siblings were adopted? Of course, it didn’t matter if they weren’t blood-related. Adopted siblings teased each other the same way he and Shannon did, the way Caleb and Lily were already doing even at their young age.

“Well, my mom might have something to say about that,” Jason said. “She’s kind of partial to me.”

At that moment, a van rolled up the driveway. As the driver parked next to Jason’s truck, the front door of the house opened and out came Sloane with the kids. The van must be their ride back to their homes. He wondered what they were going back to. He knew Daron’s situation but not those of the others. He glanced at sweet little Phoebe, Alice, all the other kids. Especially Brent, who even at this distance he could tell was already withdrawing again. Jason suddenly wanted to shield the kids from whatever hardships waited for them. He’d been lucky growing up, but he knew plenty of guys on the circuit who hadn’t been. He’d seen the results, too. The drinking, the divorces, the broken families.

Sure, there were also plenty of people who grew up in hard situations who overcame it and made something good of their lives. He just hoped these kids followed that path.

Phoebe broke away from the group, holding her little bouquet of flowers in a jar of water. When she got close, he saw how shiny her eyes were, filled with unshed tears.

“I wanted to say goodbye,” she said, looking up at him.

Jason sank to one knee. “I’m glad I got to meet you.”

Phoebe wrapped her arms around him, splashing a little water on his shirt. But he didn’t care about that. She could pour the whole jar down his back.

“I don’t want to leave,” she said, sniffling a little.

He wanted to reassure her, to tell her everything would be okay. But how could he do that when he didn’t even know what she was going back to?

“Hey, you became a cowgirl this weekend. Cowgirls are strong and can do whatever they set their minds to.” When she stepped back, he pointed toward Sloane and Angel. “You can grow up to be like them. Or maybe a barrel racer.”

“Then I could see you at rodeos.”

He couldn’t bring himself to tell her he’d be long retired before she was old enough to compete. “Maybe.”

Something made him hesitate while he was escorting her back to where the rest of the kids stood talking to Sloane, Angel, Julia and the van driver, a middle-aged woman he’d guess was some sort of caseworker. On impulse, he reached up and brought the leather thong necklace he wore over his head.

“You see this?” he said, indicating the little carved wooden horseshoe hanging from the leather. “It’s for good luck. I want you to have it.”

Her eyes widened as he put the necklace over her head. She lifted the little horseshoe to look at it. “Thank you.” And then she kissed him on the cheek and his heart melted.

“You’re welcome.” A glance at Sloane told him that it was time for Phoebe to go. He stood and offered her his hand. She put her much-smaller one in his and walked beside him back toward the others.

After saying several goodbyes to the kids, he noticed Brent hanging back and not speaking or making eye contact. It gave Jason a bad feeling in his stomach, a knot of concern wrapped in a layer of nausea.

“You okay, little man?” he asked Brent.

All the boy did was shrug. Jason experienced the strong urge to pick up the boy and keep him. Not only was that thought shocking but also totally unfeasible. Instead, he lowered himself to Brent’s level so he could make eye contact.

“You really impressed me this weekend. Remember all you learned here. I know you’re going to grow up and do great things. Don’t ever let anyone tell you different, okay?”

It was a weak one, but Brent did manage a nod. He looked toward the van then back at Jason. “I’m never going to see you again, am I?”

Jason felt as if he’d been sucker punched in the heart. How did Sloane go through this over and over?

“Never say never. Life has a funny way about it.” He wished he could tell the boy something more hopeful, more definite, but he wasn’t willing to outright lie to him.

As the kids climbed into the van and Angel helped the driver get everyone buckled in, Sloane came to stand next to him.

“This is the worst part of what you do, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” she said. “I can’t fix everything though. I had to come to grips with the fact that I can only do this small part, give them some good memories.”

He got the impression she wasn’t as okay with not being able to do more as she claimed.

Part of him didn’t want to know, but a stronger part made him ask, “Phoebe and Brent, what are their stories?”

Next to him, Sloane sighed. “Both in foster care. Phoebe’s parents died in a car crash when she was two, and there weren’t any members of her family willing to take her. Brent...” Sloane paused, and Jason would swear he could hear the lump in her throat. “His mother was a drug addict. She overdosed and died in their house when he was four. By the time the police found him, he’d been in the house with his mom for three days.”

Jason cursed. The boy’s words about never seeing Jason again took on a new, horrible significance. No wonder the kid was quiet and withdrawn. How much did he remember about what he’d gone through? Did it haunt him?

“How do you do this, sending them back?”

“No choice. All I can do is give them a break from their lives.”

He shifted his gaze from the van to Sloane. “You do more than that. You show them that a different life is possible.”

Sloane looked shocked at his words. He was equally surprised she hadn’t come to that conclusion herself.

“You’re pretty damn amazing, Sloane Hartley.”

* * *

JASON’S COMPLIMENT STUNNED Sloane so much that she found herself at a loss for how to respond. “Um...nothing really amazing about trying to help out where I can.”

“I disagree. The world is full of people who don’t care enough to do something like this.”

Part of her knew he was right, but she’d also crossed paths with plenty of people who were giving, too. She didn’t have to look any further than her adoptive parents.

Thankfully, the van making its departure drew Jason’s attention away. The combination of his words of praise and the way he’d been looking at her, as if she was some sort of saint, made her uncomfortable.

The kids had their faces pressed up against the windows, waving at them. Sloane made herself smile and wave back, maintaining the positivity for them right up to the last moment they could see her. Jason was right about one thing. It was damned hard to send the kids back after getting to know them, especially if she thought about what many of them would face when they returned home.

Best not to dwell on it, however. It wouldn’t make any difference in their lives and only serve to invite depression into her own. She’d been down that road and she never wanted to travel it again.

“Well, where you headed next?” she asked.

“According to your mom, dinner with your family.”

Of course her mom had invited him to dinner. That didn’t mean he had to accept.

“Don’t feel obligated. She’s always inviting people to dinner. She has this compulsive need to feed people.”

“I thought about leaving, but I was informed by your dad and brothers that if I bailed they would never hear the end of it.”

Inside her head, she growled. If everyone in her family was joining forces to set her up, she was going to have a sudden need to be elsewhere. She glanced toward the house and took a calming breath. The best way to handle the situation was probably to act as if she didn’t care. Maybe she could even convince herself of that.

“Well, you’re in for a treat. My mom is the best cook in Texas.”

“Lucky me.”

She didn’t look at Jason as she turned to go inside, unwilling to seek out the answer to whether his response was about more than his taste buds’ good fortune. As he followed her across the threshold of the front door, she headed for the kitchen, leaving Jason to navigate his own way through the sea of Hartleys.

Her mom looked up at her entry. “Where’s Jason?”

Sloane pretended she didn’t notice the unspoken question about whether Jason had already left. Instead, she made a vague gesture over her shoulder. “In the living room.”

Normally, she’d have some faith in the male members of her family to run off any potential suitors. But from what Jason had said, it sounded as if they were on board with her mom’s matchmaking efforts. And there was no mistaking that her inviting Jason to dinner was exactly that.

“Oh, good. He’s such a nice guy, so good with the kids.”

Play it cool. “Yeah, this was a good group. Easy to interact with them.” All of which was true, but she hoped it also made the point that Jason wasn’t anything special.

Except what if he was? She’d been envious of how easily he’d fit in with the kids, how quickly they’d come to adore him. She told herself that was a good thing, that the point was for the kids to have a good time. So what if she was the one who’d started the camps? The person who did most of the legwork? That she’d dreamed of making the camps a reality for years before she’d been able to launch them and still had hopes of expanding and helping even more kids?

She roped her runaway thoughts, remembering that she needed to be realistic. Someday she’d reach her lofty goals, but it was necessarily going to be a slow build because of the time, manpower and, most of all, money available. She wasn’t the most patient of people, so it was hard to think about how long it was going to take her to reach her goals. But she had to be thankful she was able to do anything at this point, especially with the financial hits the ranch had taken in the past year. She already struggled with the guilt of being a drain on the collective resources when her siblings were working on ways to bring in more streams of revenue.

“You okay?” her mom asked, making Sloane realize she’d gotten lost in her tangle of thoughts.

“Yeah, just thinking about ways to improve the camps.”

“Maybe convince Jason to help out with each of them. The kids seemed to love him.”

Sloane engaged her best pivot by saying, “I saw an article about an elephant sanctuary that sells paintings done by the elephants. It’s not so much that it’s good art but rather a way people can connect and get something unique while supporting a good cause. Maybe we could sell hoof paintings by the cows and horses, have them step in paint and then walk over the paper.”

“That might work.”

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