we’ll get an accurate tally and be ready to start making some plans.” The quick change from teasing to business was startling. Shannon envied him the ability.
“I’ll do the dishes and then come in.”
“If you want. But I can manage on my own if you have something else to do.”
She nodded, glad for the reprieve. She needed to spend some time alone, get herself under control lest she throw caution to the wind and give in to his blandishments.
“Then I’ll see you at breakfast,” she said, refusing to meet his eyes. She could only stand so much in one night. Maybe tomorrow things would settle back to normal.
Shannon heard the jingle of spurs outside while she was flipping hotcakes the next morning. Glancing out the window she saw Jase heading for the house. When had he gotten up?
“Morning,” he said, stepping inside.
“Take those spurs off. I don’t want this floor marked,” she commented, flipping another hotcake. She hadn’t heard him this morning.
“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned at her and tiptoed to the table. Sitting carefully, he removed the spurs, rising to put them by the door.
“You’re up early.” She turned back to the hotcakes, her heart beating double time. He looked gorgeous. His hair was slightly tousled when he took off his hat, the blue shirt that stretched across his broad chest gave a smoky tinge to his eyes. His faded jeans molded his thighs and hips like a longtime lover. She kept her eyes resolutely on the pan, afraid of where her thoughts were leading. Men should not be allowed out in public looking like that. It made a woman’s concentration extremely difficult.
“Enough?” she asked as she handed him a plate piled high with pancakes. She put a platter of sausage in the center of the table and turned to get the coffee.
“Enough to start,” he mumbled, already pouring syrup over the stack.
“You’ll get fat.” It gave her an excuse to trail her eyes over him. There wasn’t an ounce of spare flesh anywhere. He had a long long way to go to get fat. For an instant she remembered his hard chest as she’d seen it in the hospital. When her eyes came back up to him, she flushed at the daring in his gaze. His smile caused her to lose her breath, he was so masculine!
“What got you up so early?” Shannon asked as she sat opposite him and began eating her much smaller stack.
“Just checking on the horses we’re riding this morning. I wanted to make sure they were fed well before we left. Shadow’s ready to ride, getting antsy just standing around in the corral. I work him most days to keep him in top condition.”
“He’s a good cutting horse, is he?”
“He’s got the potential to be a great one.”
“Oh? I didn’t see you compete that event at the rodeo. I arrived shortly before the bronc riding event.”
“We won,” Jase said simply.
“Is that normal?”
“Yep. He’s one of the best cutting horses I’ve ever seen, a natural at it. But I have to keep working him. He’s the one that’s been making the big money so far. Using him, I hope to make the finals this year, go on to Las Vegas to compete for best all around.”
“Ambitious at the best of times. Bobby never came close, yet he thought he did all right in the standings.”
“Yeah, well, I want to go all the way.”
“Hard to do if you’re out six weeks.”
“When I’m ready to go again, I’ll enter twice as many rodeos as before, that way I can increase my points fast enough to have a shot at the finals.”
“As long as you’re good.”
“Oh, darlin’, I’m good.”
Shannon stared at him, the double meaning sinking in. She knew he’d be good at anything he did, including loving a woman. Blinking, she dragged her eyes away. She thought she had herself under control today.
“So we ride after breakfast?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“And your ribs?”
“When they start to hurt, we’ll come back.” He dismissed her concern.
“What do you want to
“I’ll do the dishes and then come in.”
“If you want. But I can manage on my own if you have something else to do.”
She nodded, glad for the reprieve. She needed to spend some time alone, get herself under control lest she throw caution to the wind and give in to his blandishments.
“Then I’ll see you at breakfast,” she said, refusing to meet his eyes. She could only stand so much in one night. Maybe tomorrow things would settle back to normal.
Shannon heard the jingle of spurs outside while she was flipping hotcakes the next morning. Glancing out the window she saw Jase heading for the house. When had he gotten up?
“Morning,” he said, stepping inside.
“Take those spurs off. I don’t want this floor marked,” she commented, flipping another hotcake. She hadn’t heard him this morning.
“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned at her and tiptoed to the table. Sitting carefully, he removed the spurs, rising to put them by the door.
“You’re up early.” She turned back to the hotcakes, her heart beating double time. He looked gorgeous. His hair was slightly tousled when he took off his hat, the blue shirt that stretched across his broad chest gave a smoky tinge to his eyes. His faded jeans molded his thighs and hips like a longtime lover. She kept her eyes resolutely on the pan, afraid of where her thoughts were leading. Men should not be allowed out in public looking like that. It made a woman’s concentration extremely difficult.
“Enough?” she asked as she handed him a plate piled high with pancakes. She put a platter of sausage in the center of the table and turned to get the coffee.
“Enough to start,” he mumbled, already pouring syrup over the stack.
“You’ll get fat.” It gave her an excuse to trail her eyes over him. There wasn’t an ounce of spare flesh anywhere. He had a long long way to go to get fat. For an instant she remembered his hard chest as she’d seen it in the hospital. When her eyes came back up to him, she flushed at the daring in his gaze. His smile caused her to lose her breath, he was so masculine!
“What got you up so early?” Shannon asked as she sat opposite him and began eating her much smaller stack.
“Just checking on the horses we’re riding this morning. I wanted to make sure they were fed well before we left. Shadow’s ready to ride, getting antsy just standing around in the corral. I work him most days to keep him in top condition.”
“He’s a good cutting horse, is he?”
“He’s got the potential to be a great one.”
“Oh? I didn’t see you compete that event at the rodeo. I arrived shortly before the bronc riding event.”
“We won,” Jase said simply.
“Is that normal?”
“Yep. He’s one of the best cutting horses I’ve ever seen, a natural at it. But I have to keep working him. He’s the one that’s been making the big money so far. Using him, I hope to make the finals this year, go on to Las Vegas to compete for best all around.”
“Ambitious at the best of times. Bobby never came close, yet he thought he did all right in the standings.”
“Yeah, well, I want to go all the way.”
“Hard to do if you’re out six weeks.”
“When I’m ready to go again, I’ll enter twice as many rodeos as before, that way I can increase my points fast enough to have a shot at the finals.”
“As long as you’re good.”
“Oh, darlin’, I’m good.”
Shannon stared at him, the double meaning sinking in. She knew he’d be good at anything he did, including loving a woman. Blinking, she dragged her eyes away. She thought she had herself under control today.
“So we ride after breakfast?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“And your ribs?”
“When they start to hurt, we’ll come back.” He dismissed her concern.
“What do you want to
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