“I talked to Wyatt.” Who hadn’t completely nixed the idea of still using him. But he couldn’t guarantee anything either. “I’ll still be the Kelly Boots spokesman as long as they want me. They may go with someone who’s actively on the circuit after the finals. Depends on who’s available among other things. Nothing’s been decided yet about that.”
“You ought to be able to land some more endorsement deals. You are a two-time World Champion.”
“I put the word out so we’ll see what happens.” With the endorsements and with Ella.
*
Chase had beenracking his brain trying to think how to convince Ella he was serious about retiring—and for his own reasons, not because of her. He’d finished his last rodeo, though of course, Ella didn’t know that. Maybe he was simply going to have to be patient. Not one of his virtues.
Then he got a call from Sugar Lips’s owner. She was ready anytime for him to come pick her up.
He went looking for Damaris and, hearing that she was checking fence lines, he saddled Splash, one of his favorite paint geldings, and went looking for her. He found her in the far south pasture, cussing. “Why didn’t you ask for help?” he asked, dismounting. Mending a fence would hurt like hell with broken ribs.
“It’s not that bad,” she said with a grimace that put lie to her words. “I should be well by now,” she added, but she allowed him to finish for her. “What’s up?”
“I need your help.”
“What for?”
“I need to pick up Sugar Lips. It will take at least a couple of days. She’s in Perryton.”
“Perryton, Texas?”
“Yup.”
“I don’t even know where Perryton is.”
“Far north in the Texas Panhandle. I figure I’ll drive up, spend the night, then pick her up early the next morning and make it home in one day. It’s going to be a hell of a long drive back, since we’ll have to stop at least twice. If not three times, to let her walk around.”
“We?”
“That’s the favor. I want Ella to come with me.”
“Have you made up? Last I heard you hadn’t convinced her you wanted to retire.”
“That’s the point of the trip. But she won’t go if she knows it’s for me, or even that I’m going with her. So I want you to ask her to pick up a new paint in Perryton. Make up some reason why you or Marshall can’t do it. Don’t tell her I’m going. We’ll just let her find out when we’re getting ready to leave.”
Damaris whistled. “She’ll be pissed.”
“Probably. But this will give me two days and a night to talk to her when she can’t run away. And once she realizes that the horse we’re picking up is Sugar Lips she’ll understand how serious I am about retiring and raising bucking horses.”
Damaris smiled. “Very sneaky. I like it.”
“I figured you would.”
“All right. I’m in. I’ll talk to Marshall too so he doesn’t blow it.”
If this didn’t work Chase wasn’t sure what he’d do next. One thing was for sure. He would keep trying until he and Ella were back together.
*
Ella finished packingher small overnight bag for her unexpected trip. She still wasn’t sure why Damaris had been so adamant that she be the one to pick up their new paint mare. Usually Marshall or Damaris picked up the horses. But Damaris was her boss, and besides, she had no reason to argue. She liked driving, though this would be a long trip without even her dog for company. She’d waffled about bringing Dawn with her but she knew the dog would be happier at the ranch with Midnight than stuck in the car or a hotel for days.
She didn’t see the truck that hauled the Walker’s trailer so she decided it must be down at the equipment barn. She walked down there with her bag and sure enough, there was the big 4x4, red Ford pickup truck. With the horse trailer already attached.
And Chase—wearing a blue chambray shirt, jeans, and boots—was leaning against the driver’s door with his arms crossed over his chest, his cowboy hat on his head and a big ol’ shit-eating grin on his face.
Oh, shit.“Chase. I didn’t know you were home.”
