Ry wrote that down, too.As long as he was the messenger boy, he might as well do a complete job.
“She has to go over to Eb Whitlock’s, cause our arena still needs repairs, but you don’t have to put that in the note.Freddy knows that.”
“Okay.”Ry finished the note, smiling at Duane’s obvious enjoyment at having someone take dictation from him.
“See, they was waitin’ until somebody bought the place before they asked about gettin’ the arena fixed.‘Course, some of the guests been askin’ about the rodeo and all, but?—”
“The what?’Ry glanced up.
“We used to have us a rodeo a few times a year, with some easy events for the guests, if they wanted.”
Ry’s gut reaction was excitement.Rodeo!Then his business sense kicked in as he thought of the liability.“But now you don’t?”
Duane looked hopeful.“We can start again, once the arena’s in good shape.We kept thecorrientes, the steers we use just for ropin’.”He adjusted his hat and used his tongue to nudge the chewing tobacco to the other side of his lip.“We was hopin’ the new owner would take an interest.”
“Did anybody tell you the next owner will probably be me?”
“Well, I figured that.Figured it wouldn’t hurt none to speak up about the rodeo, neither.The hands like it.I like it, matter of fact.”
Ry felt gratified that Duane accepted him enough to tell him all this, but there was no way the True Love would continue holding rodeos.“Did any of the guests ever get hurt?”
“Their pride, mostly.I think we had one broken arm, and a few sprained ankles.That’s the guests I’m talkin’ about.We always made ‘em sign papers sayin’ it ain’t the ranch’s fault.”
“Mmm.”Such papers wouldn’t hold up a minute if someone died or became permanently injured.
“The hands git hurt all the time, but they ride hurt, anyways.They don’t know any other way of doin’ things.”
Ry nodded, almost in envy.What he really wanted, stupid as it sounded, was to trade places with one of those hands for a while.
“Ever thought about ridin’ a bull?”Duane asked.
Adrenaline shot through him.“You have Brahma bulls at this rodeo of yours?”
“A few.Some of the ranchers’ round here like to keep ‘em.Eb Whitlock’s got a big one that’s never been rode.He’s called Grateful Dead, ‘cause when you get outta the ring, you’re grateful you ain’t dead.”
Ry could almost taste the danger.And he was far too drawn to it.Better to switch topics.“Duane, where’s the best place to pick up some Western clothes?”
“I always like the Buckle Barn.The stuff’s not too fancy, but it works good.”
“In Tucson?”
“Why, no, it’s down the road a piece, in La Osa.”
“A shopping mall?”
Duane laughed so hard he almost swallowed his chaw.“I reckon not,” he said at last, gaining control of himself.“It’s a little town, La Osa is.‘Bout ten miles northwest.”
What the hell.Might as well go exploring.“Would it be possible to borrow a truck or something, so I can drive there?”
Duane scratched his chin.“Well, now, I can’t think of what you could take.My truck’s tore apart, waitin’ for the new carburetor Freddy’s bringin’ from town.Leigh’s left already, and she borrowed Freddy’s truck ‘cause hers needs a new fan belt, which Freddy’s also bringin’, and Freddy’s got the van.There’s the stove-up vehicles the hands drive, but I’d be real reluctant to put you in one of them.You could break down, easy.Now, if Freddy was to come back, you could?—”
“Did I hear my name?”Freddy appeared in the doorway, a leather purse over her shoulder and a plastic bag in one hand.For the trip to town, she’d worn denim shorts and a True Love Guest Ranch T-shirt.Her hair was caught up in a ponytail, and instead of a hat, she’d worn sunglasses, which were pushed to the top of her head now that she was indoors.Ry tried not to stare at the graceful curve of her thighs.With her face flushed from the heat and her informal outfit, she looked like a teenager — a very sexy teenager.
She flicked a glance his way and nodded.“Hello.”
“Hello.”He hoped his casual greeting fooled her.Had he imagined he’d be able to create an amiable working relationship with a woman who affected him the way Freddy did?One look into the sage-colored coolness of her eyes and he longed to replace that indifference with the hot passion he’d seen there the night before.His hand trembled slightly as he closed his briefcase.
“Here’s the fan belt and the carburetor,” Freddy said, handing Duane the plastic bag.“Let’s hope that’s all that has to be fixed for now.”
