“That’s good to know, Collier because I’d like to continue to see you.”
***
“Where we goin’ Jace?” Luke asked when they got in the truck after loading Jesse in the trailer.
“We’re on our way to a friend’s house who has a few calves in a pasture. Jesse hasn’t done any calf-roping work for a few years but you’re an experienced rider so you shouldn’t have any trouble. I don’t want you to throw the calves or tie their legs. I want to see how well you do at riding full speed and throwing a rope over their neck. By the time you go home, we should have covered most of the rodeo events, even though you’re obviously not going to choose to become proficient at more than one.”
Jace delivered Luke home in the late afternoon. Dani laughed when she saw him. “Wow. That must have been some workout today. You look like you’ve been ‘rode hard and put away wet’ as the saying goes.”
Luke nodded. “It was great but I’m gonna take a shower and maybe go to bed before supper. I’m whipped. Oh yeah, Jace said hello. He probably would’ve come in but I think he has a date. He said he was going home to take a shower and get dressed.”
Dani pushed the door shut just a little too hard. “Something botherin’ you, Danielle?” her father asked with a slight grin.
“Nope, not a thing, Dad,” was her terse response.
CHAPTER 28
THEY HAD FINISHED their dinner and were contemplating dessert when Emily handed Jace an envelope. He opened it and found a blank check inside.
“I had no idea how much the band charges for two nights so I signed it and left it blank. You can fill it in when you find out. I assume it will be for their lodging and meals also.”
“You’re awfully trusting for someone who hasn’t known me long, Emily. I could put an exorbitant amount in here and fly to Paris or somewhere.”
Emily laughed at the reference to Paris. “Go ahead. While you’re there would you say hello to my mother?”
When she saw the confused look, she simply said, “That’s where she lives, Jace.”
‘Okay, Camille, now you’re getting your men mixed up. You’ll have to take notes about what you’ve shared with whom or you’re going to be in lots of trouble.’
She called the waiter over and ordered champagne. “We need a glass of bubbly to make this deal official, don’t you agree?”
He nodded, although champagne wouldn’t have been his first choice.
They enjoyed the rest of the evening which ended with attending an outdoor concert for a short time. He took her home and walked her to the door. As much as he hated to say good night, he was as tired as Luke had been.
She persuaded him to come inside for a few minutes. “I would love to stay and play,” he told her “but I have to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow and I’m pretty sure you’d wear me out if I stayed the night, Emily.”
She placed her hands on his face and murmured, “I would absolutely wear you out, Jace. At least, I’d give it my best shot. You look pretty strong to me; I think you could handle it, Cowboy.”
He’d almost decided to stay, regardless of what time he needed to be up in the morning. She was very convincing in all the right ways but before things became too heated, she backed off and told him he probably should leave if he needed to.
Jace walked to his truck totally confused by her mixed signals. Did she want to continue this or not? He was tired and his brain was running on empty. He went home and fell asleep.
***
Camille sat at her computer and wrote the latest about her dating life. She liked Jace a lot but not enough to actually have a relationship. She gave him the blank check to explain to her readers how easily they could get sucked in when a man they met and liked needed help…usually monetary help. She wrote about Collier, too but so far, he’d not asked for anything from her. She had to admit that Jace didn’t ask…she offered…but for the sake of readership, the article stated he asked for the money. She was only interested in saving her magazine and if she had to write some fiction, that was okay, too. ‘Is fiction the new term for outright lying, Camille?’ She shushed her inner thoughts by telling herself, the end justified the means.
***
She spent the next morning contacting and emailing a few men who were new to the dating site. As she flipped through their pictures and profiles, she was surprised to see a man she knew from Missouri. The profile said he now lived in Montana. That was something the team had not anticipated. It was believed the stipulation that all contacts be within a one-hundred mile radius would eliminate the chance anyone she knew would see her picture. Granted, the name was Emily Hasbro but if he recognized her photo…that could be disastrous. ‘Oh man, nothing is ever easy. And it was all going so smoothly.’ Maybe he wouldn’t contact her.
***
Cal and Lucy arrived on Saturday. Luke could hardly wait to show them what he’d learned. They accompanied him and Dani to Jace’s place, although Dani had been hesitant, saying she’d already heard what they did every day when Luke got home. Lucy convinced her to come along.
When Luke covered all the skills he’d learned in a few weeks, Cal and Lucy were duly impressed. Cal shook Jace’s hand. “You’ve done a good thing for our grandson, Jace. He’s a young cowboy, for sure. I’ve always believed if you’re going to try to be the best at something, you should learn from the best and from what Luke tells me, you have enough trophies to prove you were the best.”
Jace was humbled by the praise. “It was my pleasure. Luke is an attentive student and an all-around good kid. You can tell your son and daughter-in-law I would hope I had a son like him…if I ever had one. He’s taught me a few things too. It was a two-way street.”