stable handy." She closed her eyes in pleasure as he worked the conditioner into her hair. "Mm, maybe if this rodeo thing doesn't work out, you can work in a salon."
"A minute ago you were complaining I pulled your hair."
"I have no recollection of that." She rested her head against his shoulder, her back to his chest, and felt him catch his breath.
"Can't." His voice was gruff against her ear. "Noah."
"Mm-hm." He had a point, but this felt so right, so right.
"Grace."
"Hmm?"
"Would you have a problem with me making my home base in Vegas?"
She turned in his arms, curled her hand around the back of his neck and looked into his eyes. "No problem at all."
***
Liam rolled his shoulder, then rolled it again as he waited for the bronc event to start. He was riding first today. Damn, he hated riding first. He liked to watch the other riders, liked to get into the rhythm before he mounted.
He glanced toward the stands, and saw Grace, her blonde hair in a messy ponytail, the best he could do, and Noah on her lap. If he won today, he'd win a big purse and gain some more sponsors, and buy a house. A house with a yard, in a decent neighborhood, with room enough for Teresa, since Grace didn't want to leave her. Maybe a dog. And between rodeos, he'd live there with Grace and his son, and maybe some rodeos she'd go with him, watch him, cheer him on.
Maybe he'd buy a couple of rings, too. A pretty diamond one, and a plain gold one. Maybe he'd take her to a chapel, or maybe she'd want a nice wedding. He didn't know.
“Delaney! You’re up.”
Liam exchanged a look with Luke, and stepped up on the rail to mount the bronc. With his injured shoulder, he wouldn’t be able to hold onto the rail, so he took the nylon rein in his left hand, letting Luke snap the helmet on his head. He hated the damned helmet, but he was a father now, and had the responsibility for a kid. He couldn’t go risk a brain injury. He slipped onto the saddle, tucked his boots deep into the stirrups. His stomach was jittery, something it hadn’t been in a long time. He looked up at his brother, then focused on the horse and nodded.
The chute sprang open and he scraped his feet forward, above the horse’s shoulders. Good start. The horse, named Hummingbird, hit the ground with her front feet, hard, but he didn’t let her jar him. He brought his heels back along her withers as she leapt and twisted, wriggling beneath him like a worm on a hook. Each landing shot pain through the arm he held over his head, and he was losing his grip with his weaker left hand. Shit, and now he’d lost count in his head.
Hummingbird headed for the fence, and Liam dragged at the rein, but she was determined. His knee hit the rail, sending a jolt of pain up his leg, but he focused on moving his feet, on keeping them in the stirrups. He had to stay in the top eight to make the money he needed.
First, he needed to get the bronc away from the fence before she did some serious damage.
Suddenly, she twisted at the same time she hit with her front feet. He went over her head, the helmet ringing as it hit the metal fence. Automatically, he curled into a ball to protect himself, felt the brush of her hoof against his thigh, and prayed she wouldn’t come down on him.
Then he heard the buzzer go off. He dropped his head to the dirt and closed his eyes. That was going to knock his average on its ass.
He heard footsteps and pushed himself to a sitting position, using his left hand. Luke reached him first, but he waved off his brother’s concern, climbed to his knees and waved at the crowd, who cheered. He didn’t seek out Grace in the crowd, because, damn, his head hurt.
“You okay?” Luke grabbed his arm when he staggered.
“She rang my bell pretty good.”
“We’ll get the doc to look at you.” Luke signaled to someone and guided his brother through the gate.
Next thing he knew, he was sitting on a bench behind the chutes, near the holding pens, blinking up at
"A minute ago you were complaining I pulled your hair."
"I have no recollection of that." She rested her head against his shoulder, her back to his chest, and felt him catch his breath.
"Can't." His voice was gruff against her ear. "Noah."
"Mm-hm." He had a point, but this felt so right, so right.
"Grace."
"Hmm?"
"Would you have a problem with me making my home base in Vegas?"
She turned in his arms, curled her hand around the back of his neck and looked into his eyes. "No problem at all."
***
Liam rolled his shoulder, then rolled it again as he waited for the bronc event to start. He was riding first today. Damn, he hated riding first. He liked to watch the other riders, liked to get into the rhythm before he mounted.
He glanced toward the stands, and saw Grace, her blonde hair in a messy ponytail, the best he could do, and Noah on her lap. If he won today, he'd win a big purse and gain some more sponsors, and buy a house. A house with a yard, in a decent neighborhood, with room enough for Teresa, since Grace didn't want to leave her. Maybe a dog. And between rodeos, he'd live there with Grace and his son, and maybe some rodeos she'd go with him, watch him, cheer him on.
Maybe he'd buy a couple of rings, too. A pretty diamond one, and a plain gold one. Maybe he'd take her to a chapel, or maybe she'd want a nice wedding. He didn't know.
“Delaney! You’re up.”
Liam exchanged a look with Luke, and stepped up on the rail to mount the bronc. With his injured shoulder, he wouldn’t be able to hold onto the rail, so he took the nylon rein in his left hand, letting Luke snap the helmet on his head. He hated the damned helmet, but he was a father now, and had the responsibility for a kid. He couldn’t go risk a brain injury. He slipped onto the saddle, tucked his boots deep into the stirrups. His stomach was jittery, something it hadn’t been in a long time. He looked up at his brother, then focused on the horse and nodded.
The chute sprang open and he scraped his feet forward, above the horse’s shoulders. Good start. The horse, named Hummingbird, hit the ground with her front feet, hard, but he didn’t let her jar him. He brought his heels back along her withers as she leapt and twisted, wriggling beneath him like a worm on a hook. Each landing shot pain through the arm he held over his head, and he was losing his grip with his weaker left hand. Shit, and now he’d lost count in his head.
Hummingbird headed for the fence, and Liam dragged at the rein, but she was determined. His knee hit the rail, sending a jolt of pain up his leg, but he focused on moving his feet, on keeping them in the stirrups. He had to stay in the top eight to make the money he needed.
First, he needed to get the bronc away from the fence before she did some serious damage.
Suddenly, she twisted at the same time she hit with her front feet. He went over her head, the helmet ringing as it hit the metal fence. Automatically, he curled into a ball to protect himself, felt the brush of her hoof against his thigh, and prayed she wouldn’t come down on him.
Then he heard the buzzer go off. He dropped his head to the dirt and closed his eyes. That was going to knock his average on its ass.
He heard footsteps and pushed himself to a sitting position, using his left hand. Luke reached him first, but he waved off his brother’s concern, climbed to his knees and waved at the crowd, who cheered. He didn’t seek out Grace in the crowd, because, damn, his head hurt.
“You okay?” Luke grabbed his arm when he staggered.
“She rang my bell pretty good.”
“We’ll get the doc to look at you.” Luke signaled to someone and guided his brother through the gate.
Next thing he knew, he was sitting on a bench behind the chutes, near the holding pens, blinking up at
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