Page 57 of Catch Me, Cowboy
“He’s dead.”
“Details.”
The music started again, a catchy country two-step. “You want to dance?”
“No.” One corner of her mouth lifted wryly. “But ifyoudo, I think Tucker’s still around somewhere.”
“Saw that, did you?”
“I did.” Her mouth tilted into an expression that wasn’t quite a smile.
He leaned in and took both her lips and her breath. “I don’t want to dance with Tucker,” he said in a low voice.
“What do you want to do, Ty?”
“I want to get out of here.”
So did she. Shelby loved the yearly street dance and usually stayed until the end, but right now she was more than happy to slip away. This was not her normal rodeo weekend. Not only had she roped successfully for the first time in years, she was with a guy whom she loved, but didn’t know if she could live with.
She definitely didn’t feel like dancing.
They crossed the dark streets, the noise of the band fading as they made their way down a cross street, passing couples laughing and walking hand in hand. He waited until they reached a spot where there was no one around then pulled her down to sit next to him on a wood and iron bench. There was something in his expression that made her throat go a little dry. He looked… serious.
“I’ve got to tell you something.”
“Yeah?”
He took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers before setting it on his hard thigh. “Buck Creighton wants me to be part of a rodeo documentary.”
She stilled and his grip tightened on her fingers in response. “Wow.”
“Yeah. I know. He wants to chronicle my comeback along with the starting career of a newbie rider and a guy in the middle of his career.”
“Sounds like quite an opportunity.”
“It is, Shelb. I won’t lie.”
“Are you going to do it?”
“Depends.”
Shelby steeled herself, then did the only thing she could do. “Take this opportunity, Ty. Finish your career.”
Maybe she’d spoke too quickly, because he gave her a narrow-eyed look.
She frowned. “If you were ready to retire, you never would have gotten entry into this rodeo. You aren’t done. You shouldn’t be. You just rode for ninety-one.”
He was still watching her carefully. Reading her. Shelby lifted her chin, met his gaze dead on. She didn’t know why he rode, but he came back to it time and again. He’d been beat up, broken, crushed, and still he came back. It was ridiculous to stand in his way.
But this time she would not make him choose… she’d simply take away one of his options. She needed some time to work on the fear factor and he needed this opportunity.
“Trust me on this, Ty. It’s best for both us. I have some things I want to accomplish, too. When you come back to Marietta… I’ll be here.”
For a long moment, he continued to stare at her, his eyebrows pulled together in a deep frown. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again. Finally, he said, “You’re cutting me loose?”
“Not really,” she said softly. “No anger. No recriminations. But I have some stuff I have to work through.”
“Are you going to tell me about this stuff?”
