Page 28 of Catch Me, Cowboy
Shelby laughed and leaned back as the server set down the beers between them. She was doing a decent job of pretending everything in her life was normal. Even Wyatt had refrained from giving her grief at their last roping practice—which he would have done had he thought she had an issue. He asked about Ty. Seemed okay with her offhand reply, which she’d practiced on the drive over.
“Here’s to a small amount of time off,” Cassie said.
Between Shelby’s roping and her full roster of horse contracts, she didn’t have much free time, and Cassie’s carpentry business was taking off.
“It’ll be a busy week. Jess and I are making some last minute specialty pieces for a couple of the store front rodeo displays and”—she sucked a breath in from between her teeth—“Dan asked me out.”
Shelby lifted her glass in a salute. “I’m glad.”
“I was so-o-o hoping you’d say that.” Cassie leaned back in her chair, her shoulders drooping in relief as she smiled at Shelby.
“I really like him, just not… that way.” She decided to leave out the part where she scared him a little. “He’s a great guy.”
“But he’s not Ty?”
Shelby set her beer down. “Why would you say that?”
Cassie leaned her forearms on the table. “Because I’m worried about you. Why on earth do you have him back on the ranch? Yes, I know he can handle your grandfather better than most… but was it the only solution?”
“No. I could have let Gramps hurt himself.”
Cassie frowned at her, unimpressed.
Shelby thought about diving into an explanation of her “total immersion” strategy, but instead she reached for her beer again. “It’s only for a matter of weeks. Once the fence is done, he’s gone.”
“You’re sure?”
“That’s what he said, and I can assure you he’s never told me anything just because I wanted to hear it.”
Cassie considered for a few seconds, and then gave a grudging nod. “I’ll give him that.”
“Truth hurts,” Shelby murmured. Really stung, in fact.
“Then I hope you’re equally truthful with him.”
“I am.” Now. And she felt a damned sight better now that she’d come clean.
“And with yourself…”
“You’re brutal,” Shelby muttered, “but yes. I’m truthful in all regards.”
They’d barely finished their beer when Cassie got a text and then dropped her phone in her purse. “I hate to break things up early, but my mom is having a plumbing emergency.” She rolled her eyes. “Sometimes it doesn’t pay to be handy.”
“But mostly it does.”
“Right.” Cassie started to open her purse again, but Shelby stopped her.
“Mine. Yours next time.”
“Thanks.”
They left the depot together, parting ways at the door. Shelby needed to get home anyway. She’d raced into town after her session with Evarado because she’d cancelled on Cassie the last time they were scheduled to meet for their weekly drink and didn’t want to cancel again.
As she turned into the driveway she could see someone leading a horse from the direction of the barn toward the corrals. Strange, to say the least.
She quickly parked the truck and jumped out, crossing to where Ty was putting Evarado back into his pen.
“How did he get out?”
