Still dressed in her paint-spattered work clothes, she tilted a can of Diet Coke to her lips. “Damn!” she muttered, lowering the can. “What I wouldn’t give for a beer!”
“Don’t even think about it, sis,” Tess said. “One sip, and you’d be on your way down that slippery slope. That’s why we don’t even keep the stuff in the house.”
Val pulled a face at her sister. Tess ignored her. Lexie giggled. From inside the house came the faint thump of Shane’s weight machine. He never missed his nightly workout. His last checkup at the clinic in Tucson had shown that he was making great progress. By now, he could drive around the ranch and backroads in his hand-operated ATV, and he’d ordered a custom saddle for riding. He was determined to live a full life. But he would never ride bulls again, and Lexie knew that sometimes that reality still hurt.
“I still miss Callie,” Lexie said. “I’d give anything if she could be here to see my wedding.”
“We all miss her,” Tess said. “But thanks to you, at least we know she was innocent of any crime.”
The sisters had ordered a simple marker of pink marble and laid it where Callie’s ashes were buried. Their stepmother had been far from perfect, but Callie had always acted with love toward her family.
Tess kicked off her dusty boots and stretched her long legs. “So what does everybody think of today’s big news?” she asked.
The call had come that morning from the PBR Director of Livestock. Whirlwind, who’d bucked off nearly every cowboy who settled on his back, would be going to the world finals in Las Vegas.
And there was even more good news. Shane had been hired by the sports network to sit in as a commentator. Lexie knew he was pleased. Even if he couldn’t ride, he could still be a part of the PBR family.
“We’ve all got to be there,” Tess said. “Even you, Val.”
Val’s expression froze. “Not me. I’ll stay home and tend the farm, thank you.”
“But why?” Tess asked.
“You know why. At least Lexie does.”
“Don’t be a wuss, Val,” Lexie said. “You’re bound to run into Casey sooner or later. You might as well get it over with.”
“No,” Val said, crushing the can in her fist. “Just no. I don’t even want to talk about it.”
Lexie took a deep breath. “Well, since you don’t want to talk about anything else, I have some news—something I haven’t shared with anybody but Shane.”
Her sisters stared at her. “What?” Tess asked.
Lexie grinned. “I’m pregnant!”