The Texas Ranger's Bride (Lone Star Lawmen 1)

Trixie neighed when she saw Kellie, who rushed up to her and threw an arm around her neck. “You were wonderful, Trixie. Here.” She pulled a horsey treat out of her jeans pocket. The palomino gobbled it noisily. Kellie chuckled as she led her by a lead rope out the back of the facility to the trailer.

For the next half hour she went through her routine of removing the saddle and bridle, followed by a brushdown before loading her inside the trailer for the night. Earlier in the day Kellie had mucked out her stall, where she’d provided water and had put fresh hay in the net.

“Good night, Trixie. Dream of grassy meadows and sunshine.”

Her horse neighed in response before Kellie shut the door.

“That horse is half human.”

“Hey, Cody.” Her dark-haired buddy had parked next to her. “How’s Starburst?”

“I rode her for a while. She’s in good shape. Great job out there tonight. I’ve never seen you ride better. Frankly, after knowing what you’ve just been through, I don’t see how you stayed so focused.”

The determination to erase Cy from her mind had played a big factor.

She smiled at Cody. “I couldn’t do any of it without you, but I guess you know that. We’ve made some good money. Depending on what happens at Finals, we should both have enough to get started on our careers after the New Year.”

“That’s what Jenny and I are counting on. Want to celebrate with us tonight? We’re going to grab a bite and take in a movie.”

“Thanks, but I’m exhausted. I’ll follow you back to the RV campground and call it a night.”

They both started up their trucks and drove the short distance to the outskirts of Rapid City. After checking on her horse once more, she visited Starburst and gave her some horsey treats. Then she went into her trailer and took a shower. Once ready for bed, she phoned her parents. They celebrated her win by informing her they would fly to Greeley, Colorado, in two weeks to watch her performance. What would she do without her loving, supportive parents?

After she got off the phone, she posted a message on her blog to keep her fans informed of tonight’s performance. Once that was accomplished, she returned phone calls from Olivia and Sally, who told her Manny was competing at the rodeo in Greeley. Kellie would look forward to seeing them there and introducing Sally’s bull-rider-champion husband to her folks.

At last ready for bed, she got under the covers and turned on the radio. But the country-and-western station played the kind of music that talked of breakups and unhappiness. She turned to KBHB broadcasting from Sturgis, South Dakota. Lots of farm news and world news interspersed, but she wasn’t able to concentrate and finally shut it off.

In the dark of the night she couldn’t kid herself. She’d been hoping she’d hear from Cy all week. It hadn’t happened. Kellie hadn’t seen him since last Sunday night. They’d parted on such an ugly note, it had left her shaken. Was he deep into his new case?

When she couldn’t stand it any longer, she looked up Luckey’s number on her contacts list. The temptation to find out what he knew about Cy had been driving her crazy. Tonight she gave in to it and phoned him. The call went directly to his voice mail, but she held off from leaving a message and hung up. She was a fool. Luckey would know she’d called and would probably tell Cy. So much for going cold turkey. She eventually fell asleep, furious at herself for succumbing to the impulse.

The next morning Kellie got up and dressed. After eating a bowl of cereal, she planned to walk both her horses before they all started the drive to Wyoming. On her way out of the trailer, her cell rang. She checked the caller ID and felt a swift surge of adrenaline. It was Luckey. She answered on the third ring.

“Hi, Luckey.”

“Hi, yourself. I saw you called last night, but I didn’t get a chance to return it until now.”

“I shouldn’t have bothered you.”

“Surely you didn’t think I’d mind.”

Like Cy, he had those special qualities and charm that made him stand out. “No. I’ll be honest. Ranger Vance and I said goodbye last Sunday night. Since then I’ve been out on the circuit. But I couldn’t help overhearing part of a conversation he had with the captain. It had something to do with a case that could take him to Brownsville.” She moistened her lips nervously. “I’ve been a little worried because of all the tension on the border.”

“I’m on another assignment and can’t discuss any cases, but as far as I know all is well with him.”

“I guess I’m having a hard time letting this go. After he saved my life, naturally I don’t want to see him injured or worse.”

“It’s understandable considering he went undercover to protect you. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t come out of your experience unchanged. I’ll tell you a secret. When I applied to join the Rangers, there was a saying printed at the top. ‘Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.’ I thought about it long and hard before I submitted it.”

Kellie had to stifle a moan. “That explains the spirit of the Sons of the Forty.”

“It explains why you’re a rodeo star,” he replied. “Not everyone is driven by the same passion. Since the guys and I saw you at the Bandera Rodeo, we’re all planning on you winning the World Championship.”

“Thank you for those kind words. For everything,” she half whispered. “You’ve given me a lot to think about. Watch your back, Ranger.” She hung up to prevent further conversation.

Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it. Such a simple statement, yet such profound wisdom.

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