“She’ll be there.”
“How do you know?” Cash asked.
“If she wants to talk to the rest of us, she realizes she needs your introductions and support.”
“You think?”
“I think she likes you, too, little brother.”
“What makes you say that?”
“She probably crossed a professional line by taking the risk of spending the night. She protected you as well as herself by quietly leaving. Sounds like she’s a brave and selfless woman. Worth pursuing if you ask me.”
“I guess I did ask. Thanks, Chase.”
“No problem.”
Was Chase right? Would Tracy still be there? If not for him, for his family?
As they neared Triple C Ranch-West, Cash asked his brother, “How much do you think Colt heard?”
“I heered ever’thing,” Colton piped up. “Dad, look! The pool. I swimmed with Cooper, Austin, and Abilene yes’day,” he told them, referring to the children of Chloe and Derek.
“That’s right, pardner. Youswamwith your cousins there yesterday. We’re almost home. I see your cousins up ahead of us on the back road in their new truck driving to the barbecue.”
“Yay!” Colt cheered and waved.
Cash made eye contact with Chase. “Will Colt repeat anything we said?”
“It’s a crap shoot.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Iwill introduce you to Cash Cooper, whenever he gets here,” Tracy said to the magazine editor.
For the barbecue, she’d changed into a patriotic mini dress. With narrow straps and a deep vee neck, American flags in the shape of hearts splashed the white background of the dress. Her new Elsa hat and cowboy boots complimented the red, white, and blue perfectly.
The magazine editor, Gerald Moles, was forty and single. Wearing a white shirt, black chinos, and black patent leather loafers without socks, he appeared dressed for a cocktail at a Colorado Springs bar rather than a barbecue on a dude ranch. Gerald drove a Tesla Model 3, which he was fond of saying was the most expensive electric vehicle in the Tesla line.
Beau and Ed, according to Cash, the wranglers with the best people skills, were in charge of arriving guests and showing them where to park. When the driveway had become full, they had started directing folks to a field adjacent to the house. Gerald had called Tracy, adamantly refusing to park his Tesla in adamn pasture. Tracy and Jacob had hurried to greet him with Donna tagging along. By the time Tracy reached the front of the house, Beau had left Ed in the field and was talking to Gerald in the driveway. Geraldhad squeezed his car in between an SUV and the front fence, near the gate. Tracy saw Beau shaking his head and indicating the Tesla was too close to the driver’s door of the SUV. She gritted her teeth at the way Gerald rudely disregarded Beau who pulled out his cell phone. Since Cash was nowhere in sight, Tracy figured Jeff or Sam would be informed about Gerald and the parking situation.
Once again, Tracy had felt humiliated by someone from the magazine. Donna snickered, seeming to think the whole thing was funny. What was wrong with these two people? Tracy thought Gerald Moles should have shown better manners than to openly antagonize the people on the ranch which Kirk Devereux had gone to such trouble and expense to feature in a future issue ofRanchers and Ranges. She was sure Mr. Devereux would have happily parked in the field and never said a word. Tracy had experienced an inward cringe when Gerald had hugged her. She’d quickly stepped back and Jacob had extended his hand. Gerald shook hands absentmindedly with a preoccupied nod at Donna. Tracy had mouthed the words,I’m sorry, to Beau. Then, along with Jacob and Donna, she had escorted Gerald to the barbecue.
Where was Cash?
A country band was playing on the stage, people were dancing, Sam and Jeff were manning the fire pit grill, Kellie and Cristen were in the outdoor kitchen, and Larry was overseeing the two kegs of beer. Tracy had no idea that the Fourth of July barbecue meant a hundred people. How did Cash manage it all? There were more than three times as many people in Cash’s backyard than lived in the community of Wild Horse. Tracy and Jacob stayed with Kellie’s sweet tea while Larry poured cups of beer for Donna and Gerald.
“Besides the staff and cowboys from Triple C-Central and West, family, friends, former and current guests, along with neighbors and friends are always welcome at the Coopers’ three summertime barbecues,” Larry said affably to Gerald and smiled.
Instead of focused and polite, Gerald nodded distractedly as if not fully present. Why?
Tracy wondered ifshewas still welcome to be here. Why had Cash ignored her before leaving the ranch? Was this how he treated a woman after she gave him her virginity? Maybe Cash feared she expected a commitment from him. Tracy admitted to herself she really liked the big’n bad rancher, but she certainly didn’t expect a commitment of any kind. The best she hoped for was his friendship. Nervous, she decided all she could do was what her grandmother told her before she’d left home;Always behave graciously like the classy young lady you are.
Tracy admonished herself as the thought occurred to her that Cash might think she was anything but classy after the way she’d ridden him in the so-called cowgirl position in his bed. If she hadn’t been holding her cup of sweet tea, Tracy would have been wringing her hands.
Or maybe Cash’s neck.
Looking from where she stood in the picnic area, it occurred to her Cash was giving her plenty of time and opportunity to leave his ranch. Would he be irritated to find her still here? Tracy pictured the crowded driveway and wondered if there was any possibility she could safely maneuver that rental car she wasn’t used to driving out of its parking spot.
