The Bull Rider's Homecoming by Jeannie Watt Page B

no question as to who the hero of the dream had been. And now that she was close to him, it was almost as if it had really happened.
    She was having a morning-after moment.
    Get a grip. This is not a morning after.
    â€œAre you all right?”
    â€œHmm?” She innocently shifted her gaze to his handsome face.
    â€œI thought you might have forgotten something the way you were frowning.”
    â€œNo. Trust me. I’ve forgotten nothing.” It was all coming back in Technicolor detail. Unfortunately.
    He nodded and she smiled at him and hoped it didn’t look too strained. “I actually enjoy doing laundry when my washer doesn’t attack me.” It was true. There was something soothing about sorting and washing clothes.
    â€œLaundry isn’t my strong point. I never have been able to get the arena dirt out of my jeans.”
    â€œSame with Grady. He really grinds that stuff in.”
    â€œThe trick is to hit the ground on your feet after disembarking. Then your jeans don’t suffer.”
    Annie narrowed her eyes. “How often does that happen?”
    â€œEvery now and again.” He opened the gate and the twins led the old mares out of the corral. Annie helped with the bridles, and Trace threw the small saddles up. The girls then led the mares to the edge of the fence where they scrambled up and expertly leaped onto the horses’ backs.
    â€œThey seem at home in the saddle,” Trace said as they started riding down the path toward Lex’s training arena. Without Lex or Grady there to ride with them, the twins knew better than to ask to go out on the trail.
    â€œDo you horseback ride?” Trace asked as they followed the girls.
    â€œNot much.”
    â€œBull ride?”
    She smiled. “I stopped at calves.” She moved past the girls to open the gate and they rode into the railed enclosure.
    â€œTell us what to do,” Kristen said.
    â€œCircle with the rail on your right,” Annie called. She glanced over at Trace. He seemed almost shy around the girls, as if he wasn’t quite certain how to deal with them, but showed no inclination toward leaving. “If you have something else to do...”
    â€œI don’t.”
    Her eyebrows lifted at his instant response.
    â€œWell,” he said with a tilt of his head, “I don’t get to do a lot of talking here, except to the dogs. And I enjoyed talking to you last night.”
    An unexpected sensation of warmth flowed thought her. “Did you know you’d be isolated when you agreed to watch the place?”
    â€œI did. But I’ve never been in a situation where I had nothing to do. Usually I’m traveling and when I’m not, I lend a hand on the ranch where I stay and train during my time off—or I used to, anyway. The ranch sold, so here I am.”
    â€œReverse,” Annie called to the girls. The mares changed direction and Annie noticed that it was with very little effort on the part of her daughters. Katie hadn’t even moved her reins. The mares knew the voice commands—as well they should, given the amount of time the girls spent riding with Lex.
    â€œI know that you guys don’t get much time off in the bull-riding schedule. Other than for injury, I mean.” Grady had a couple of months off in the summer and then the series had begun again in August.
    â€œI like it that way. I’ve never been one to stay in one place for long.”
    â€œEven as a kid?”
    â€œNo,” he said softly without looking at her. “As a kid I stayed put for the most part. The only problem was that it wasn’t in places where I wanted to be.”
    â€œThat’s too bad.”
    â€œThat’s life.” He gestured at the arena when Kristen was looking at her over her shoulder.
    â€œTrot,” Annie called. The old mares broke into a slow jog and she glanced back at Trace. “I bet you can’t wait for that shoulder to heal and