Her Texas Rodeo Cowboy. Trish Milburn

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      “It is. They seem to like you though.”

      “And that annoys you.”

      “I didn’t say that.”

      “You didn’t have to.” He grinned at her as he grabbed a ham-and-cheese sandwich and a couple of her mom’s homemade oatmeal cookies.

      “Sorry. I just don’t know you, and these kids’ safety is my responsibility.”

      “So this has nothing to do with the fact that your sister is trying to set us up?”

      “Well, there goes my hope that it was obvious only to me.”

      “It’s not a bad idea. I’m a decent guy.”

      “Perhaps you are, but you’re also going to be long gone by tomorrow night.” And her record of picking guys to date was far from stellar.

      He nodded. “Fair enough.”

      Well, that reaction was unexpected. She’d thought he might try to encourage her to live a little, have some harmless fun. She wasn’t a fuddy-duddy and wasn’t on the hunt for a forever kind of guy, but she also wasn’t hot on the idea of being with a guy who’d no doubt been with several women before her and would be with several afterward. She wasn’t judging that choice. It just wasn’t for her.

      Of course, she often doubted a serious relationship was for her either. She’d seen at a young age what loving someone too much could do to a person. The one time she’d believed she might have a future with a guy, she’d been proven wrong in a way that still stung years later. The relationships since then had really ended before they started.

      They walked toward one of the picnic tables. Though her father and Neil had ridden out partway through Jason’s Q and A with the campers, Ben was still keeping an eye on things from outside his saddle shop. And it was a safe bet that Adam was lurking nearby, too.

      “I’m guessing your brothers have scared off a number of dates for you and Angel over the years.”

      “They try, the annoying brats. But Angel and I can hold our own.”

      “That does not surprise me.”

      “You don’t even know us.”

      “Call it gut instinct.”

      They sat in silence long enough for each of them to eat their sandwiches. She listened to Daron at the opposite end of the table talking to a couple other boys about how he could ride a sheep all day and not fall off. He was so animated that she had to hide a smile behind her hand. Beside her, Jason chuckled.

      “That one is full of personality,” Jason said.

      “Yep.”

      “What’s his story?”

      “From a single-parent home, the youngest of six kids. They struggle to get by.” And how heartbreaking was it that Daron’s story was one of the happier ones?

      She noticed Brent watching them silently from the other table. “I think someone is a fan.”

      He glanced in the direction she nodded. “Hey, Brent, can you help me out? I have more cookies than I can eat. You want one?”

      Brent slid off his seat and came to stand at the end of their table. Jason handed him one of the cookies that Sloane had no doubt Jason could eat with no problem.

      “Do you have to be big to ride in the rodeo?” Brent asked.

      “Not all the time. One of the toughest bull riders I know isn’t much bigger than you.”

      Brent’s eyes widened.

      “Okay, let’s not put wild ideas in the child’s head.” She could just see one of these kids going home and telling their family or guardians that a cowboy encouraged them to ride a two-thousand-pound animal with three-foot horns.

      She expected Jason to leave after lunch, but he hung around for a game of horseshoes. He gave pointers to the kids on throwing technique and engaged in some good-natured ribbing that had them giggling. Part of her wanted to be annoyed, but she was too thankful to see the kids’ smiles and hear their laughter.

      “You’re good with them,” she said when he came to stand next to her, echoing Angel’s earlier observation.

      “I’ve had practice with my sister’s kids, six-year-old twins.”

      “Boys or girls?”

      “One of each.”

      Well, that explained it. He was probably used to being the cool uncle, which was basically what he’d been today. All the fun stuff with none of the responsibility.

      “I better get going,” he said. “Thanks for inviting me out.”

      “You have Angel to thank for that.”

      “Well, then, thanks for not chasing me off with a pitchfork.”

      Phoebe ran up to them. “Are you leaving?”

      Jason placed his hand gently atop Phoebe’s light brown hair. “Yeah, this cowboy’s got to go try to make some money.”

      “Can we go to the rodeo again tonight?” Phoebe asked, drawing a chorus of agreement from the other kids.

      Angel smiled as she picked up the last of the horseshoes. Sloane was going to get her sister back for creating this monster and making Sloane the bad guy.

      “Not tonight.” At the groans of disappointment, she said, “We’ve got a hayride and a big cookout planned. My dad makes the best burgers in Texas.”

      “And there’s a meteor shower,” Angel said. “We can lie out on blankets and watch them streak across the sky.”

      Brent looked up at Jason, who must have seemed as tall as a skyscraper to the little guy. “Are you coming back tomorrow?”

      Jason started to say something but stopped and looked at Sloane.

      “I’m sure Jason has things to do.” Like drive right out of Blue Falls and on to the next rodeo in the next town in an endless string that would stretch out for the rest of the year, only stopping when winter arrived.

      “I have time, if you don’t mind,” Jason said.

      She ignored a little flutter of excitement in the center of her chest. It was the height of stupidity, especially when all her attention needed to be on the kids this weekend. But then she saw the naked look of hope on Brent’s face and she simply couldn’t deny him another chance to be near his new hero—even if she thought there were way better heroes for a little boy to idolize.

      “Feel free to come by,” she said. “But we’re going to have a lesson on mucking out stalls.”

      “I have lots of experience in that department.” Jason grinned.

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