“Parts of it. Not all of it,” he said, thinking of the long lonely nights on the road, the bad food, the aches, pains, and broken bones.
“It’s your career.”
“For the time being. Doesn’t mean it will always be. I tried to tell you that but you wouldn’t listen.”
“I’m listening now.”
He smiled, thinking about the next day. “Get some sleep. We’ve got a long day tomorrow. Lots of time to talk.”
*
“I’ll drive,” Chasesaid in the morning. They’d gotten a little bit of a later start than they’d planned because they hadn’t been able to leave without making love one last time. So they grabbed coffee and a bagel on their way to the ranch.
“Fine. I’m not sure where it is. Do you have it in the GPS?”
“Yep.”
She was, she realized, happier than she’d been in weeks. That went a long way to convincing her that she’d done the right thing getting back together with Chase. Would there be problems? Of course. But whatever they were the two of them would have to work through them. She had faith they could.
She’d asked herself the age-old question:Am I better off with him or without him?And she’d decided with him was better. Much, much better.
The night before had been almost magical. She’d known she missed him but making love had been like coming home. So sweet. So right.
Chase turned off the highway onto a rural route and followed that for a while until they came to a gravel road that led to a big cast-iron fence with a logo of two B’s back to back. “That’s odd,” she said after they had driven for a while.
“What?”
“I see horses but I haven’t seen a paint. I guess they’re in a separate pasture.”
“He said he’d have the horse we’re picking up in the corral by the barn.”
By the time they got to the barn, Ella had seen a number of horses and not a one of them was a paint. “What’s going on, Chase?” The only horse in the corral was a white mare that looked like it was mostly quarter horse. “Where’s the horse we’re picking up?”
He didn’t answer but got out of the truck to greet the rancher coming out of the barn. He was probably mid-fifties, lean and weathered, with a big smile of greeting on his face. “Chase!” he said with an outstretched hand. “Good to see you.”
Chase shook his hand. “Good to see you too, Buck.” He motioned to Ella. “This is Ella Slade. She’s our new ranch manager. Ella, this is Buck Winston.”
He shook her hand enthusiastically. “Nice to meetcha, Ella. Buck’s Broncos at your service.” He laughed like he’d just told the funniest joke ever.
Broncos? What the hell?
Chase walked over to the corral and put a booted foot on the bottom rung of the metal tube fencing. “She looks good, Buck.”
“Fit as a fiddle,” he agreed, nodding. “I hate to let her go but she’ll make a hell of a broodmare. And you made the offer too sweet to resist. Are you planning to breed her this cycle?”
He nodded. “I’ve got a stallion lined up.”
“Good.” Buck gave a piercing whistle and the horse raised her head and began to amble toward him.
“Let me guess,” Ella said, finding her voice after listening to their conversation. “This is Sugar Lips.”
Chase grinned. “She is indeed.”
The mare had come to greet the rancher, nuzzling his pocket. “You know me too well,” he told her and offered her a sugar cube.
“I still can’t believe how docile she is,” Chase said.
“Everywhere except in the chute or when she’s got a rider on,” Buck agreed, chuckling.
“We’ve got a long drive ahead of us. Are you ready to get going, Ella?”
She gave him a look that promised retribution. Now everything made sense. Damaris insisting she go. And that Chase go with her. All that talk about barns meant he wasn’t just blowing smoke. He wanted to add another barn. One for his bucking horses. Because even though a lot of them would live in the pasture, they’d need stalls for some, and especially for the mares and foals.
But if he’d bought Sugar Lips and was talking about breeding her…did that mean he was retiring soon? Because of her? Or because he wanted to?
