Page 16 of Catch Me, Cowboy
“Like I said, I like you, Ty. You were kind of like a grandson to me.” He grunted as the diggers went deep into the damp earth. “But if I have to choose, I choose Shelby.”
*
Shelby finished herlast horse before Gramps and Ty got back to the ranch. If her grandfather had been working alone, she would have waited for him and been late to roping practice. But since Ty was working with him, she went into the house, washed her face, re-braided her hair and put on a clean shirt, ignoring her dusty jeans and boots. Peace of mind on some fronts, not so much on others.
Late last night, after Ty had finished setting up the trailer and disappeared inside, she’d given into temptation and searched for the video of his career-ending wreck on YouTube. It wasn’t hard to find, and watching Ty get smashed by the horse as she went over backwards into the chute made Shelby feel sick. He was so damned lucky to be alive, and, after losing her mom to cancer when she was ten, and her friend, Harry Monroe, to a senseless highway accident only weeks ago, the realizations hit hard.
But he was alive. He’d lived through the wreck, he was here, and now she needed to get used to having him around. Her body had yet to get the message that, even though he was close, he was now off-limits—that what had been hers to touch was hers no more.
Time and exposure would help. She may never feel totally comfortable being close to Ty, but she could feel easier about it. More… normal.
That was the plan, anyway.
Clamping her straw hat on her head, Shelby headed out to the truck, loving the fact she didn’t have to bother with a trailer, since she always rode one of Wyatt’s horses at practice. Her trusty roping horse, Dapples, was twenty-five years old and permanently on pasture. His speed was gone and his arena days over. Shelby had thought her arena days were over, too, until Wyatt had called. Practice was helping, but she still had reservations about roping again.
You are tough. You can do this. Besides, how often did one get to compete with a world champion cowboy? One she’d made mud pies with?
He hated it when she brought that up.
Wyatt was already warming up when she got there. Ginger was tied at the rail, his bridle hanging from the saddle horn. Shelby slipped the bit into his mouth and he lowered his head so she could put the bridle over his ears. Well-trained, as were all Wyatt’s horses.
“Have you been practicing on the ground?” Wyatt asked as she rode into the arena to join him. He might be roping for fun, but he expected certain things from his partner.
“Some.”
“Turn that ‘some’ into ‘a lot’ before the rodeo.”
“Yes, sir.” The ropers creed was to never stop roping. She’d been putting in an hour on the dummy three times a week, but she’d up that. When she’d been competing, she’d practiced on the ground before school and on horseback after. Her hands had been callused and unladylike, despite her gloves, but she hadn’t cared because the guys she went out with also rodeoed and understood calluses.
Ty understood calluses. And he’d certainly known how to use his own callused hands to advantage…
Stop.
It turned out to be a good night practice-wise. She only missed once and even then managed to pick up one heel. A penalty, but still a score.
“You’re quite the dead-eye,” Wyatt said as they dismounted at the edge of the arena.
“I know. Crazy.”
“Why crazy?” he asked mildly.
Shelby shot her friend a look and figured there was no sense lying about matters. “I thought I’d be more distracted. Ty’s back.”
“Yeah, I know,” Wyatt said dryly. “We discussed that the last time we roped. Katie said you looked like you wanted to take her head off when she mentioned it at the chute.”
Shelby settled a hand on the back of her saddle. “No. I meanback, as in back on the ranch.”
Wyatt’s dark eyebrows shot up. “Why in the hell is he back on the ranch?”
Shelby appreciated the protective note in his voice, but she didn’t feel like defending herself to her roping partner. “Long story.”
“Bore me.”
For a moment their gazes clashed and finally Shelby gave in. “Gramps needs help. We have to fence the riparian and I have too many horse contracts to help him.”
“So he’s working for your grandpa.”
“And living on the ranch in a camp trailer.”
