Marry Me, Cowboy (Copper Mountain Rodeo) by Lilian Darcy Page A

crowds.
    “Hey, you came.” He clapped his father on the arms and gave his mom a big hug. She laughed like a girl as she hugged him back.
    “Well, we were here yesterday, too,” Dad said. “But your mom needed to get home before we managed to speak to you. You did great.”
    “Not doing so good today, so far,” he had to confess. “Steer got away from me, and left me with a twisted arm and a nice bruise brewing up.”
    “Oh, we missed your ride, today?” Mom said.
    “Not the saddle bronc. That’s still to come.”
    “Well, we’re proud of you anyhow,” she said, and looked at Dad, as if afraid he might argue.
    Which he well might.
    Despite the money Jamie sent, Dad still thought he was wasting his time on the rodeo circuit, and had wondered out loud a couple of times if Jamie would still have a workable body to bring back to the ranch when he finally tossed his chaps and spurs and came home. “If you’ve gotten yourself too banged up to help with the heavy work, how useful is that going to be?” he’d said, and RJ thought the same.
    Jamie had tried to talk to them about banged-up souls being worse than banged-up bodies, but they didn’t get it. Or wouldn’t admit it, if they did.
    Dad didn’t argue today. “Looking forward to the broncs,” he said. “That was a real nice ride you had yesterday, and I’m not the only one who thought so.”
    “Who says?”
    “Your aunt. Quite a few people were talking about you. Saying good things.”
    So Aunt Kate had put a few words in for him? She’d sacrificed a lot for Mom and Dad during their early years as parents, and Dad was grateful so he took notice of her opinion.
    “How about the girl yesterday?” Mom said. “I forget her name. The Austrian girl.”
    “Australian.”
    “Australian.” Mom slapped the side of her head. “When will I learn?” She frowned and looked unhappy with herself for a moment.
    “Don’t worry about it, Mom. Tegan, remember.”
    “Tegan. Unusual.”
    “More common in Australia, she says. You might just have caught her. She rode about ten minutes ago. She was the one in the purple plaid shirt.”
    “Lilac,” Mom said. “It was lilac, not purple. It was a pretty shirt.”
    “So you did see her?”
    “She had a good ride? It was the one we saw?” Dad said, making sure he had it straight. Lilac and purple were all the same to him.
    “Yes, she’s in the lead.” Jamie focused on the arena. “And that was the last girl now. Oh, and she’s only posted 16.87. Tegan’s won.”
    Mom clapped her hands. “That’s wonderful!”
    “I’d better go see her.”
    “Bring her out to the ranch again,” Dad invited him gruffly. “She’s a good rider. And not bad at fixing fence, either.”
    “Oh, no, bring her out? I don’t think so. She’s...” We’re just friends. It’s just a fling. It’s come from left field, for both of us. “I don’t think she’ll make it out there again,” he finally managed. “She’s flying back to Australia, after this.”
    The thought of that suddenly kicked him in the guts. He wouldn’t have believed, a week ago, that he could be feeling so bad about it.
    “Well, she wears pretty shirts,” Mom said, as if this was important. She was just like this, that was all. Artistic and creative. Or she would be, if she could ever stick to a project. She got lost in beauty and music, sometimes. “I’d like to tell her that the lilac was a beautiful color.”
    “So come with me, then,” Jamie invited, “and you can.”
    “She won’t think it’s an intrusion?” Mom asked. “I am so embarrassed about getting Australia and Austria mixed up.”
    “It’s fine, Mom.”
    “Well, all right, then.”
    “Good girl,” Dad muttered to her, and gave her his arm once more. They followed Jamie, greeting a few people along the way.
    Tegan hadn’t stayed to see the last few girls ride, but she must have known she’d done pretty well, and she was beaming as she unsaddled her mare. “Did you