chuckle, and she tightened her grip on the reins. Her day had taken a turn for the worst when he’d shown up. She hadn’t expected to see him again, and with the season nearly over, the thought had both cheered and disappointed her. That alone was enough to worry her.
Her wait in line at the concession stand was blessedly short, and she added two candy bars, knowing Reba’s penchant for chocolate.
Balancing the bag of ice on the saddle horn in front of her with one hand and holding the reins in the other, she wove her way through the gathering groups toward the Tuckers’ trailer. She called a greeting over her shoulder to one of the other barrel racers, wishing her luck, and turned back when Sky Dancer came to a sudden halt.
Chace stood at the horse’s head, holding the bridle and murmuring to the animal. Ellie opened her mouth to tell him to get lost, but when he looked at her, the words escaped her.
“Trying to avoid me?”
She knew she lacked the subtlety of most women, and his question brought the heat of embarrassment to her cheeks. “N-no, of course not.”
Smoothing his hand along the horse’s neck, Chace moved closer, never taking his eyes from hers. “What did I do to scare you off?”
Lifting her chin, she gripped the saddle horn and squeezed the ice, barely noticing the chill. It wasn’t him that scared her, but what he did to her. She’d never met a man who could scramble her senses with a simple smile. And she’d met plenty of men, rodeo being a predominantly male sport. But no matter how much Chace made her nerves tingle and her mind go blank with just a look, he wasn’t the man for her. She’d sworn off cowboys long ago. If she ever settled down, it wouldn’t be with a vagabond rodeoer.
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“But you don’t like me much.” His frown was formidable but didn’t mask his puzzlement.
The confusion in his eyes tugged at her heart. “I really don’t know you, so how can I tell?”
“We can fix that.”
The air around her thickened, and her heart pounded. He hadn’t moved, but somehow he seemed closer. There was nothing worse than a cowboy who couldn’t take a hint, she reminded herself. And she’d done more than hint at him. She hated being rude, but he brought out the worst in her, stirring her up and leaving her with no choice.
Her hands shaking, she gathered the reins to leave, and the ice started to topple. Before she could react, Chace made a grab for it and settled it in the crook of his arm.
When she reached down to snatch it away, he took her hand and placed it on the horn, covering it with his. “If you weren’t in such an all-fired hurry to get away from me…”
Ellie held her breath, ready to deny she wanted to avoid him, but with his hand on hers she couldn’t find the words.
Letting go, he drew back and smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t know what it is, little bit, but I intend to find out.”
Opening her mouth to ask him what he meant, she froze at the sound of the nickname he’d called her again and squeezed her eyes shut. A vision of her dad lifting her onto a pony flashed through her mind. She swallowed, forcing back the memory that still caused a deep pain. It would only lead to more memories she couldn’t deal with. “I told you not to call me that.”
His hand returned to hers. “It slipped out. But you are—”
“Don’t.” She opened her eyes to see him studying her.
“You don’t like anybody pointing out that you’re on the small side?”
She shook her head. “It’s not that. Call me shrimp, call me shorty, call me tiny. Just don’t call me…that.”
Chace tipped his head to one side before removing his hand. “Okay. If you promise to be there tomorrow for lunch at Reba’s.”
She bit back a scathing retort at his persistence. “You don’t give up, do you?”
He shrugged and looked off in the distance. “You were the one who said you didn’t know me well enough to know if you liked me. I don’t see any reason why we can’t be friends.”
Ellie knew of plenty. One in particular. A big one. But she couldn’t tell him that it was because of the heat he caused to pool in the area of her body closest to the saddle horn. “I guess there isn’t,” she fibbed.
“Good. Give it your best tonight.” He handed her the ice and touched Sky Dancer on his rump, sending them on their way.
Sky Dancer shied as they circled the back of Reba’s trailer. Ellie quickly regained control, but wondered if he’d needed a longer run.
“I was beginning to worry.”
J. R. Staton was walking toward her, and she breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her real estate agent. Handing him the ice, she offered a smile. “Give this to Reba while I tie up, would you?”
“I’ve had a new offer for the ranch,” he said before turning to walk around the corner of the trailer, out of sight.
Ellie made quick work of sliding off her horse and making sure he was tethered, then she looked around to make sure Chace wasn’t anywhere in sight. She didn’t want to have to deal with him right now. This was far more important.
Talking about the sale, especially if it involved more money for her brothers, was much better than thinking about a wandering cowboy who turned her insides into a blazing bonfire.
The look on Reba’s face when Ellie approached with J.R. was enough to ice down any flames she’d been feeling. Reba didn’t like J.R. and took every opportunity to tell her so. J.R. wasn’t a cowboy—the one thing that raised him in Ellie’s estimation. She hadn’t expected to hear from him, much less see him, until the break before Finals. But now that he was here, she was eager to get the latest news.
“Thanks for gettin’ the ice,” Reba said, taking the bag and planting herself in the doorway.
“It’s nice to see you, Mrs. Tucker,” J.R. said with a pained smiled.
Reba sniffed as she settled more firmly against the doorjamb. “You’re a long way from home.”
Ellie bit back a groan. She could have saved them the awkwardness if she’d known J.R. planned to be in the area.
He met Ellie’s gaze and held it. “I have business in Phoenix, but I wanted to see Ellie first.” He glanced at Reba who stood frowning at him. “To discuss the sale of the ranch, of course.”
When Reba started to reply, Ellie rushed to trample anything she might say. “You said you had a new offer, J.R.?”
He nodded and focused his attention on her. “The buyer has decided the property may be worth more than first assumed. It’s a good offer. I encourage you to accept it.”
When he flashed her a smile, Ellie waited for the same sensations to overtake her that she felt when Chace Brannigan grinned at her. There wasn’t even a twinge. Uneasy with the revelation, she shoved it aside. “All I’m asking is a fair price.”
“We can discuss it further, on the way to your camper.”
Reba looked heavenward and shook her head, giving Ellie the opportunity to escape. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Reba.”
“Noon, for lunch,” her friend called after her, making it sound more like a command than a reminder.
“About the new offer,” Ellie said, as she and J.R. walked to her camper.
He named a figure. She didn’t know what to do. The amount he tossed out so cavalierly was still short of what she hoped to get. If there was the slightest chance that whoever wanted the ranch might go higher, she had to wait. The buyer had given two offers. Wasn’t the third time charmed?
“Maybe the buyer