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The reference to the inappropriate surroundings made him feel inept and somehow backwardly uncouth She alwaysher with his baser needs Iht to occur He had tried to coerce a willing submission from her, so it was hardly fair to condeth of will to resist him

“I’o and turned away to rub the back of his neck “I had no right”

Ty The light touch of her hand was on his arrance of her hair nearly ry with you To tell you the truth”—the lightness of amused self-reproach was in her voice—“I’d probably be hurt if you didn’t want towith me”

Turning his head to look at her, Ty wasrushed through him that was pure pain

“There is nothing wrong with you” His low voice was half strangled by emotion “You are perfect in every way Any man who doesn’t see that has to be blind” He covered the sliaze was earnestly intent “When I told you I loved you, I meant it, Tara This summer, will you come to Montana? I want you to meet my parents I want you to see my home”

“I’ll try to come,” she promised

“Don’t try Just come,” Ty insisted

But she didn’t

Four riders closed on the last of the cows being herded through the opened gate Tall grass waved in the golden-ripe light of late suate with distrust and stubbornly ignored the riders’ urgings to pass through it

Ty reined his horse alongside the reluctant animal and reached out to slap it on the ruap between the riders, created by Ty With a swing of its head, it bolted for the opening, tail high in defiance Ty hauled back on the reins and pivoted his horse on its hind legs to give chase

Another horse and rider were streaking after the fleeing cow, the slili pursuit out of the corner of his eye, but he had the angle on the animal With the sound of

hoofbeats ha in his ears, he shook out his loop and raced along a few more strides until his horse was in position for him to make the cast

As the loop went out straight and true, he sat back in the saddle and checked his horse, preparing for the second when the full weight of the cow hit the end of the rope A shadow or the hiss of the rope must have warned the cow of its i its head aside and the loop harmlessly slapped its chunky jaw and neck and slid emptily off its shoulders

Silently cursing the missed cast, Ty put his spurs into the horse’s side and sent it bounding after the cow again while he gathered in the rope By then, the ray horse and its rider had taken a dead aim on the cow and had maneuvered into position toaccuracy and settled over the cow’s head in picture-perfect style

Ty eased up on his horse and let it co trot There had been few opportunities to de the course of the summer work on the ranch It irritated him that he’d missed this chance And it didn’t irl, no ood she was