The Cowboy Next Door & Jenna's Cowboy Hero: The Cowboy Next Door / Jenna's Cowboy Hero. Brenda Minton

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СКАЧАТЬ She wished. But relaxing was probably going to happen when she managed to rope those horns. Never.

      She rode twenty feet out from the target and stopped. The mare responded to her leg pressure; just a squeeze and she came to a halt. Amazing.

      “You can get a little farther away,” Jay encouraged.

      “Umm, no.” Lacey smiled and lifted her arm. “I thought it would be easier, and lighter.”

      “Come on, Lacey, cowgirl up.” He winked.

      “Okay, here we go.” She did it the way she’d seen it in the movies and at rodeos, raising her arm and swinging the rope. It seemed to fly, to soar, and then it dropped.

      She never expected it to drop on the mare’s head.

      But it did. And the mare didn’t appreciate it. She sidestepped and jumped back. Lacey fell to the side a little and she felt the horse hunch beneath her, like something about to explode. Lacey had no intention of getting thrown, so she jumped. As she flew through the air, she knew she was hitting the ground face first.

      She hit the ground with a brain-jarring thud that rattled her teeth. The hard impact of the ground socked her in the gut and knocked the wind out of her. She tried to draw in a breath and couldn’t.

      “Lacey, are you okay?” Jay was at her side, kneeling and not hiding his smile the way she would have liked.

      “Can’t breathe,” she whispered.

      His smile dissolved. “Does anything feel broken?”

      She glared. “Everything.”

      “Let me help you sit up and you need to take slow, easy breaths. It knocked the wind out of you, but I think you’re okay.”

      “Easy for you to say.”

      Lacey rolled over and looked up at the sky, and then at Jay. He sat back on his heels and his lips quivered. Lacey laughed a little, but her head hurt and so did her back. Her whole body hurt.

      “I don’t think I did it.” She leaned back again, thinking maybe she’d stay on the ground.

      “I think maybe you’re not going to be George Strait anytime soon.”

      “He does rope, doesn’t he?”

      “Yep.”

      “I stink. Tell Duckie I’m sorry.”

      Jay’s smile dissolved. “Come on, let me help you up. You sound a little loopy and I want to make sure you’re okay.”

      “I don’t sound loopy. I’m fine.” She eased herself to a sitting position, aware of his arm around her back and that cinnamon-gum scent.

      If she turned he would be close, really close. And being near him upset her balance more than the fall she’d taken.

      “You’re not fine. That was a hard spill.”

      “Help me up.” She stood, slow and steady, and a little sore. “Nothing broke.”

      “Jay, is she okay?” Bill stood at the gate. Lacey smiled at Jay’s dad and saluted.

      “She’s fine.” Lacey answered. “My pride is hurt. I really thought roping would be easy.”

      “Come on out here so we can take a look at you.”

      Jay’s arm was around her, holding her close like she mattered. “Why in the world did you jump?” he asked.

      “I thought it would be better than being thrown.”

      Jay and his dad both laughed. Jay shook his head. “Did you really?”

      “Yes, I really did. And I was wrong. I can admit that.”

      “Next time grip her with your legs and hold steady on the reins. She spooked, but she wasn’t going to throw you.”

      “I’ll remember that. Stay on horse, don’t try to jump. Got it.”

      Jay’s arm tightened around her waist and he pulled her against his side. “Lacey, I haven’t smiled…”

      And then he was quiet and Lacey didn’t know why he didn’t smile. But she was glad it was time to go home.

      * * *

      Lacey’s phone rang late the next afternoon. She was stiff from the fall and from working all day. As she reached for the phone she grimaced a little. Bailey was sitting at the dining room table and she laughed. But she had promised not to mention the fall again.

      “Lacey, they’ve got Corry in custody.”

      Lacey closed her eyes. “Okay. What now?”

      “I’ll pick you up and take you to Springfield. Family Services has Rachel.”

      “Will they let me have her?”

      “We’re making phone calls.” Jay paused. “It’ll work out. I’ll be down there in a few minutes.”

      Lacey hung up and then turned to Bailey. “They have her in custody.”

      “Jay’s taking you to Springfield?”

      “He is.” Lacey tossed her cell phone in her purse. “I’m scared to death.”

      “Don’t be. This is going to work out. Call me when you get home, so I know you’re okay.”

      Lacey nodded. “I’ll call.”

      Five minutes later Jay’s black truck pulled up in front of the house. Lacey had popped a few ibuprofen and she met him at the front door. He stepped out of the truck, leaving his hat behind.

      He was the one there for her.

      No, not for her. She pushed that thought away, because it was dangerous to her heart. That thought didn’t even belong. It was like a kid’s activity book, one of these things doesn’t belong. The thing that didn’t belong was Jay Blackhorse in her life.

      This was about Corry in trouble, the baby and the police. Jay wasn’t in her life. He was…

      She wasn’t sure and now wasn’t the time to deal with suspicion, worrying that he had other motives for helping. She didn’t want to get caught up in questions, prodding her to ask why he was involved in her life and what he wanted.

      “Call me.” Bailey stood behind her. “And stop looking like the sky is falling. That isn’t you, Lacey. You’re my sunshine friend, not a dark cloud.”

      Lacey turned and smiled at Bailey, remembering a time when they were on opposite sides of this fence and Lacey had been the optimist. “You’re right.”

      “Ready to go?” Jay stood in her yard, Wrangler jeans, a button-down shirt and his puka-shell necklace. СКАЧАТЬ