Vixen In Disguise. Kara Lennox

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      It was fine for a woman to want a career. He knew what it was like to be focused on a goal, to think about it night and day, to dream about reaching the top. Lord knew he’d spent a good deal of his life in that very state. Sure, there were frustrations along the way. Stress. Setbacks. Doubts. But his rodeo work had always brought him joy. His eyes were always on the goal, but he hadn’t been so obsessed that he hadn’t enjoyed the journey.

      Joy seemed to be missing from Anne’s life. She was on the verge of embarking on the path she’d been preparing for all these years, yet he sensed no anticipation, no excitement. She probably had her pick of law firms. She could go to any city she wanted, explore all kinds of different career possibilities. Yet all he sensed in her was sorrow.

      Maybe it was none of his business, but he couldn’t leave it at that. He’d seen what happened to people who weren’t living a life that made them happy. His mother was the perfect example. She’d been brilliant—could have been a Nobel prize-winning scientist. But she’d met Wade’s father at some medical conference and had opted for the life of a small-town doctor’s wife.

      The lack of intellectual stimulation had ultimately killed her. Oh, technically it was cancer, but Wade had recognized that she’d lost the will to live.

      One of the last things she’d told him was that he had to follow his dream, even if it wasn’t the same dream his family wanted for him. He’d held those words close to his heart, followed her advice and never regretted it.

      What he did regret was the way he’d left Cottonwood—angry, bitter, full of the bullheaded pride only a teenage boy can exhibit. Too damn proud to apologize for things he never should have said. He regretted the family rift, one he could have healed a long time ago if he’d tried.

      To Wade’s surprise he found his brother Jonathan in the den watching TV. Jonathan was a rancher down to his marrow, which meant early mornings. He was seldom up past nine o’clock in the evening.

      Wade considered sneaking on up to bed, then decided he might be passing up an opportunity. It was hard to talk to Jonathan because he was always so busy. The man hardly ever stood still.

      Wade stepped into the den and without a word plopped down on the couch and propped his booted feet on the coffee table. If Jonathan was in the mood to talk, he’d say something. If not, well, a few minutes of companionable silence wouldn’t hurt.

      Jonathan was watching an old John Wayne movie. Typical. Wade wasn’t a big fan of the Duke, but he watched, anyway.

      “Where you been?” Jonathan finally asked.

      “With Traveler.”

      “He doin’ any better?”

      “Swelling’s down. Doc Chandler says we can start physical therapy tomorrow.”

      “Good. If anyone can get your old horse back in top form, Chandler can.”

      “He’s not old.”

      “He’s thirteen.”

      “Lots of horses compete well into their teens.” A long pause. Then Jonathan asked, “Seen the new filly Larry’s been training?”

      “The black? Yeah, nice-looking animal.”

      “Rodeo potential?”

      Strange question, coming from Jonathan, who’d never made it a secret he thought rodeo was the biggest waste of time and livestock on earth.

      “Spirited,” Wade replied. “Lots of explosive power, probably be fast out of a chute. Good heart, seems eager to please.”

      “But?”

      “Easily distracted. Shies at anything.”

      “She’s still young. She might get over that.”

      “With the right training,” Wade agreed. Another pause. “You want to work with her?” Wade’s heart leaped at the chance to train such a fine-looking horse. If he could turn a mutt like Traveler into a champion, just imagine what he could do with—He stopped his runaway imagination, spotting the trap.

      “Ah, no, no thanks. I start working your stock, next thing you know I’ll be out castrating calves.”

      Jonathan abruptly shut off the television, silencing the Duke midsentence. “You ungrateful little—”

      “What? Just because I don’t want to work as an unpaid ranch hand? Why do you think I left here in the first place?”

      “If you’d listen once in a while instead of jumping to conclusions, you might not be such a hothead.”

      “Hothead?”

      “I thought if you worked with the mare, and you liked her, I might give her to you. I was not plotting to turn you into slave labor.”

      Well, that took the wind right out of Wade’s sails.

      “You might say thanks.”

      “Yeah, thanks.” Amazing how hard that one word was to push past his teeth. “I don’t need two horses, though.”

      “Traveler’s competition days might be over.” Wade’s jaw tensed, and he consciously relaxed it. “He’ll be fine.”

      Jonathan shrugged. “This time, maybe. But what about next year?”

      “I’ll worry about that when the time comes.” And maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t have to worry about it.

      “So where were you, really?” Jonathan asked. “I was at the barn till eleven-thirty. You weren’t with Traveler.”

      “It’s been a lot of years since anybody kept tabs on my activities.”

      “Just curious.”

      “I was with a woman.”

      Jonathan looked his younger brother up and down. “You work fast. You’ve been here, what, three days?”

      “We were just talking.”

      “Who? Or am I being too nosy?”

      “Too nosy.” He wasn’t ready to talk about his Annie to anyone yet. Especially not when she’d just shot him down so thoroughly.

      He wasn’t done with her, though. She might not know it yet, but she needed him, and not just for a weekend. Somebody had to put a smile back on that girl’s face—and keep it there.

      Chapter Three

      “Well, Anne, everything looks great,” Jeff Hardison said, closing the folder that held her chart. “Your weight’s almost back to normal, there’s no sign of infection, and you’ve even smiled at me once or twice.”

      She appreciated his vote of confidence. Jeff had seen her at her worst, and it was partly due to his conscientious СКАЧАТЬ