bleacher space, then grinned back at them.
“See? Uncle Bryce saved us seats.”
Sandi’s gaze flew to the man seated next to Gina, his hand raised to the brim of his straw cowboy hat in greeting. Wouldn’t you know it. A huge arena holding hundreds upon hundreds and Gina had to find a spot next to him.
“
Uncle
Bryce?” whispered Devon, securing her hat with her hand and pressing in close to Sandi’s ear. “Woo-hoo, gal. You didn’t waste any time, did you?”
Sandi ignored her. Motioning to the open spaces, her eyes locked uncertainly on Bryce’s. “Are you saving these for anyone?”
“Just for three of the prettiest cowgirls I’ve seen tonight. Have a seat, ladies.”
Gina giggled and Devon poked Sandi in the back.
Reluctantly, she sat beside her daughter, and Devon squished in on Sandi’s other side. Wiggling to find a comfortable spot, she bumped Sandi and Gina even closer to Bryce.
What was Bryce doing here anyway? Wasn’t he supposed to be fishing? Self-consciously, she glanced at the sea ofspectators surrounding her. Most focused on the palominos with silver-studded tack galloping around the arena, cream-colored tails flying as their riders wove in and out of figure eights. Most paid attention to the spectacle in front of them—except an auburn-haired woman several rows down pointedly looking from Sandi to Bryce to Gina and back again.
Sandi reluctantly acknowledged her with a finger wave.
Cate Landreth. A teacher’s aide at the high school, historical society member and rumormonger extraordinaire. Had Cate been close enough to hear Gina’s shouted labeling of Bryce as “uncle”? She’d talked to Gina about that on the way home this afternoon. Explained that Bryce wasn’t her uncle. But she insisted he was like a brother to her daddy. And wasn’t daddy’s big brother, Lance, her
Uncle
Lance? And Scott,
Uncle
Scott? Nevertheless, she’d asked Gina not to call him that in public.
But she’d forgotten.
“Hi, Bryce.” Devon leaned across her, hand outstretched. “You remember me, don’t you?”
He studied her a moment, then recognition dawned and a smile broadened as he shook her hand. “Keith’s little sister, Devon. All grown up.”
“Hey, you’re good. I think I was about eight years old the last time you saw me.”
Bryce nodded thoughtfully. “That would be about right. Before Keith and I joined the army. But he always showed off pictures of his family. You resemble him, but a lot prettier.”
They chitchatted a few minutes, then Devon settled back into her seat and Bryce returned his gaze to the arena.
“He is so hot,” Devon breathed into Sandi’s ear as she discreetly fanned her face with her hand. “Forget what Mom says. Keith wouldn’t pick a jerk for a best friend.”
Sandi wasn’t so sure about that.
Gina climbed onto her lap and, as another woman slipped inon the far side of Devon, her sister-in-law shifted once again, pushing Sandi to within an inch of Bryce.
She glanced up to see him gazing at her, his forehead creased in a frown. Her face warmed. He probably thought she was making inappropriate advances. Keith’s wife on the prowl for husband number two.
In his dreams.
She gave Devon a discreet shove with her hip and gained another inch between her and the ex-military man.
Nevertheless, with Gina wiggling on her lap, occasionally her arm brushed his. And each time her breath caught. How could she concentrate on the performance with him next to her? Maybe she should leave Gina with Devon and go hide in the ladies’ room until the whole thing was over.
“He can’t keep his eyes off you.” Devon’s whisper came again. “Tell him how big and strong and masculine he looks tonight. Men love that. Feeds their egos. You’ll have him eating out of your hand.”
Sandi shifted and “accidentally” elbowed her sister-in-law, but nevertheless managed to cast a discreet look in Bryce’s direction. He wasn’t looking at her as Devon claimed. But
“See? Uncle Bryce saved us seats.”
Sandi’s gaze flew to the man seated next to Gina, his hand raised to the brim of his straw cowboy hat in greeting. Wouldn’t you know it. A huge arena holding hundreds upon hundreds and Gina had to find a spot next to him.
“
Uncle
Bryce?” whispered Devon, securing her hat with her hand and pressing in close to Sandi’s ear. “Woo-hoo, gal. You didn’t waste any time, did you?”
Sandi ignored her. Motioning to the open spaces, her eyes locked uncertainly on Bryce’s. “Are you saving these for anyone?”
“Just for three of the prettiest cowgirls I’ve seen tonight. Have a seat, ladies.”
Gina giggled and Devon poked Sandi in the back.
Reluctantly, she sat beside her daughter, and Devon squished in on Sandi’s other side. Wiggling to find a comfortable spot, she bumped Sandi and Gina even closer to Bryce.
What was Bryce doing here anyway? Wasn’t he supposed to be fishing? Self-consciously, she glanced at the sea ofspectators surrounding her. Most focused on the palominos with silver-studded tack galloping around the arena, cream-colored tails flying as their riders wove in and out of figure eights. Most paid attention to the spectacle in front of them—except an auburn-haired woman several rows down pointedly looking from Sandi to Bryce to Gina and back again.
Sandi reluctantly acknowledged her with a finger wave.
Cate Landreth. A teacher’s aide at the high school, historical society member and rumormonger extraordinaire. Had Cate been close enough to hear Gina’s shouted labeling of Bryce as “uncle”? She’d talked to Gina about that on the way home this afternoon. Explained that Bryce wasn’t her uncle. But she insisted he was like a brother to her daddy. And wasn’t daddy’s big brother, Lance, her
Uncle
Lance? And Scott,
Uncle
Scott? Nevertheless, she’d asked Gina not to call him that in public.
But she’d forgotten.
“Hi, Bryce.” Devon leaned across her, hand outstretched. “You remember me, don’t you?”
He studied her a moment, then recognition dawned and a smile broadened as he shook her hand. “Keith’s little sister, Devon. All grown up.”
“Hey, you’re good. I think I was about eight years old the last time you saw me.”
Bryce nodded thoughtfully. “That would be about right. Before Keith and I joined the army. But he always showed off pictures of his family. You resemble him, but a lot prettier.”
They chitchatted a few minutes, then Devon settled back into her seat and Bryce returned his gaze to the arena.
“He is so hot,” Devon breathed into Sandi’s ear as she discreetly fanned her face with her hand. “Forget what Mom says. Keith wouldn’t pick a jerk for a best friend.”
Sandi wasn’t so sure about that.
Gina climbed onto her lap and, as another woman slipped inon the far side of Devon, her sister-in-law shifted once again, pushing Sandi to within an inch of Bryce.
She glanced up to see him gazing at her, his forehead creased in a frown. Her face warmed. He probably thought she was making inappropriate advances. Keith’s wife on the prowl for husband number two.
In his dreams.
She gave Devon a discreet shove with her hip and gained another inch between her and the ex-military man.
Nevertheless, with Gina wiggling on her lap, occasionally her arm brushed his. And each time her breath caught. How could she concentrate on the performance with him next to her? Maybe she should leave Gina with Devon and go hide in the ladies’ room until the whole thing was over.
“He can’t keep his eyes off you.” Devon’s whisper came again. “Tell him how big and strong and masculine he looks tonight. Men love that. Feeds their egos. You’ll have him eating out of your hand.”
Sandi shifted and “accidentally” elbowed her sister-in-law, but nevertheless managed to cast a discreet look in Bryce’s direction. He wasn’t looking at her as Devon claimed. But
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