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“Sooner, with any luck,” Ty added, then directed his attention to Chase “Before I forget, I sent Ballard into town this s Keep an eye out for hiether with Sullivan about so problems”

“Will do” The corners of Chase’s ri connected with paperwork

Minutes later Ty and Jessy were traveling along the ranch road, leaving a cloud of dust plurassland on either side of the

Ty skith and easy contentment in her features “I wasn’t sure you would want to co”

Her smile was slow and easy “I’ there Besides”—alinted in her eyes—“if I’m around, she isn’t apt to make a play for you”

“I wouldn’t count on that” Out of habit, Ty loosely gripped both hands on the top of the steering wheel “I decided a long tio that Tara learned to flirt with every man she sees when she was still in the cradle Maybe it’s a Texas thing”

“When you were in college, were all the girls in Fort Worth like her?” Jessy asked curiously

“Now that you mention it, they weren’t,” he admitted “They had their moments But I suppose all women do”

Except for Jessy, he thought to hihtforward, too blunt spoken to ever attempt to practice such feminine tricks She was a rare woman and he knew it

Ahead, the dirt road leveled out Autoe of the long, smooth stretch of surface

Suddenly the wheel jerked under his hands Si and the pickup began a slight sideways skid Before Ty could straighten the truck out, another tire blew

In the next second, he had no control as a rear wheel slipped off the shoulder

“Look out!” Ty shouted to Jessy when he felt the truck tip in the beginnings of a roll

He heard her yell his naly in slow er The adrenaline rush of fear seemed to mute the thud and crunch of the rollover About the ti hurled one way, he was slammed another

After an eternity of seconds, the pickup rocked to a stop on its side Dust swirled in a thick cloud beyond the fractured windshield, engulfing the sideways on the seat partially wedged between the steering wheel and the door, trapped by the weight of Jessy’s body cruainst him