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Chapter One

"That horse nearly throwed you clean into the funeral parlor, boy"

Whoops of cowboy laughter cut through the dusty air

Ge bronc riders, waiting for a break in the conversation The rodeo announcer’s voice reverberated through the arena stands as he pu

"I didn’t break nothin’, but he shore loosened my jaw so’s I tasted soher

A baby-faced kid shoved a plug of tobacco in his cheek "I’d rather have a bucker like him than the last one I had Shoot That bronc couldn’ta tossed off a baby blanket"

Gemma jammed her hands in her jeans pockets and sauntered closer to prop a hip against the ate "Afternoon, boys"

Ihtened A couple of the younger fellas even removed their hats Aw Their mommas would’ve been proud at their show of respect

Still, it made Geh to be any one of these guys’ rinned at her "Hey, Miz Jansen You’re lookin’purty as a picture today"

The other young buckaroos nodded and gave her an appreciative appraisal She didn’t mind "Thanks"

"Ain’t seen you around the circuit for a while Everything okay?"

"You kno it goes Been busy takin’ care of ranch business"

"Ain’t doin’ all the work alone, are you?"

"Trying not to"

"Good to hear" Jesse frowned and scratched his chin with the back of his leather glove "Come to think of it… How come you ain’t been supplyin’ none of the ani the saood answer"

"If you don’t leamed "I’d sure like a chance to ride that ornery bronc of yours again"

"Which one?"

"Warpaint Man That roan could buck off ato be rode Maybe you’ll get a shot later in the year"

"Lookin’ forward to it" He gifted her with another inspection from beneath the briood, showin’ up them baby bunnies who’re trollin’ for buckles?"

What a char so full of shit

"No Actually, I’ Crow You seen him?"

Jesse pointed to a stoop-shouldered ate of a rusted-out International pickup "Ask Frank He keeps tabs on all the stock handlers"

"Thanks"

She skirted the rigging bags and saddles, avoiding the gigantic potholes in the makeshift road

When she reached the pickup, the old Indianinto his left eye "Help ya, ht She hadn’t been called that in a coon’s age "Yeah I’ Crow"

"You ain’t the only one Last I heard he was at the first aid station"

Gehtly know"

"Thanks"

He nodded

She paused to let the two fealia Once she reached the tiny roo as the first aid station, the only person inside was a bored looking EMT

"Has Cash Big Crow been in here?"

The man lifted one pierced brow "You’re the second person to ask me that No one’s been in here for a coupla hours Been a yawner today" He refocused on the girlie azine on the exam table

Damn Where could Cash be? Hopefully he hadn’t left

Ge clear of the motor home, which housed the rodeo headquarters She’d been in and out of that rig several tiive her a shot as a rough stock contractor

As er had a foothold in the Western way of life, it siradually been shut out of supplying stock for nearly every rodeo on the circuit She was beyond frustrated with the "old boy" system but she was too stubborn to quit

In the meantime, her ranch needed attention and she couldn’t concentrate on expanding her rodeo stock operation until she fixed the probleray clouds floated overhead, covering the sun, sending dark shadows skittering across the chalky vanilla-colored dirt She glanced at the paddock across fro on the white metal corrals

Her heart slammed She hadn’t seen hih she’d ainst his broad shoulders, the rest of his coal black hair relers showcased his tight ass The toes of his boots pointed out, as he was a little bowlegged She knew his face was a little worn, but handsome When she ithin twenty yards an anticipatory smile bloomed

The s woht into Cash’s outstretched ar a feht