Tempting Dusty (The Temptation Saga 1)
She closed her eyes. Not long enough. If she could only have made it for two more seconds…
Another failure.
She slept.
* * *
Runny scrambled eggs and a freaking knife in his thigh. Not Zach’s ideal breakfast. The coffee sucked, too. Spending the night in the hospital during the stock show and rodeo was not on his agenda for these two weeks. All because of one stubborn, beautiful woman. He was madder than old Diablo himself. Thank God she was all right, though. He’d gotten a positive report from his morning nurse.
“Never fear, coffee’s here!” Chad bellowed in his deep voice as he walked through the door, carrying two large Starbucks cups and an Einstein Bros Bagels bag. “Couldn’t abandon you to hospital food, brother.”
“You’re a goddamned saint, Chad,” Zach said, pushing his tray away. “Bring that stuff here. Please.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Been better.” Zach took a long slow drink of coffee.
“I called Ma. She’s on her way.”
“Hell, she doesn’t need to come out here for this.”
“She was going to come tomorrow, anyway, for your bronc busting. Guess we can count that out now, huh?”
Zach sighed. “I guess you’ll be the only one bringing home prize money this year, little brother.”
“Yeah, I guess so. I’m real sorry this happened, Zach.”
“Don’t be.”
“What was the twerp thinking?”
“Don’t know.” Zach winced as he shifted, his leg burning. “She had just screwed up her barrel race.”
“Yeah, I saw it. Damn shame. She looked good. Real good.”
“She sure did. What I saw of it, anyway.”
“You weren’t watching?”
“I was, but Angelina wouldn’t leave me alone. She kept cackling in my ear like a goddamned prairie chicken. Then she…”
“She what?”
“She kissed me.”
Chad’s jaw dropped. “Whoa.”
“You’re telling me. I don’t know what the hell she wants. She broke up with me. Not that I cared all that much. I feel like a heel for missing Dusty’s race.”
“Damn, bro, you’re really whipped aren’t you?”
Zach’s heart lurched, but he forced his face into what he hoped was a nonchalant expression. Him? Whipped? “I wouldn’t say that.”
Chad chuckled. “I would.”
“If only I understood her. Something’s bothering her, I just know it. And this whole thing with Diablo. Why in the hell is she so obsessed with that bull?”
“It might have something to do with the half mil purse you’ve got on his head,” Harper Bay said, entering the room. “Morning, Zach. How are you feeling?”