couldn’t help noticing how the sunlight shining through the window hit her hair at an angle that gave the copper strands a golden tint. He felt a sudden tingling sensation right smack in his gut. He didn’t like the feeling. Since becoming partners with Durango and McKinnon nine months ago, he had placed his social life—and women—on hold.
“No, you didn’t,” she said, breaking into his thoughts and seemingly not the least put off by his cool tone.
He didn’t say anything for a while and then asked, “What do you know about Sid Roberts?”
She smiled. “Only what’s in the history books, as well as what my grandfather shared with me.”
He lifted a brow. “Your grandfather?”
“Yes, he was a huge Sid Roberts fan and even claimed to being a part of the rodeo circuit with him at one time. I know Mr. Roberts was a legend in his day. First as a rodeo star then as a renowned horse trainer.”
“Uncle Sid loved horses and passed that love on to me, my brother and sister. In my uncle’s memory, we have dedicated over three thousand acres of land on the south ridge of my property as a reserve. A great number of the wild horses that are being shipped to me are being turned loose to roam free here.”
“Why go to the trouble of relocating them here? Why not leave them in Nevada and let them run free there?”
He frowned. “Mainly because wild horses are taking up land that’s now needed for public use. Legislation is being considered that will allow for so many of them to be destroyed each year. Many of these wild horses are getting slaughtered for pet food.”
“That’s awful,” she murmured and he knew she was deliberately lowering her voice to keep out the anger she felt. It was the same with him every time he thought about it.
“Yes, it is. So I’ve established the foundation as a way to save as many of the wild horses as I can by bringing them here.”
He felt they had gotten off track, and had put on the back burner the subject they really needed to be discussing. “So what are we going to do, Alyssa, about our marriage?”
She frowned. “You make it sound like a real one when it’s not.”
“Then tell that to Toner. And maybe it’s time to accept that regardless of where we want to place the blame, legally we are man and wife.”
Alyssa opened her mouth to deny what he said, but couldn’t. He was right. They could sit and blame others but that wouldn’t solve their problem. “Okay, you have a full stomach, what do you suggest?”
“You’re not going to like it.”
“Probably not if it’s what I’m thinking.”
He sighed deeply. “Do we have a choice?”
She knew they didn’t but still... “There has to be another way.”
“According to Hightower, there isn’t. You heard him for yourself.”
“I say let’s fight it.”
“And I say let’s just do what we have to do and get it over with.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Fine, but there’s still the issue of where we’ll stay. Here or Waco.” Each knew how the other felt on the subject. Alyssa knew she was being hard-nosed. To handle his business properly, he would have to be on his ranch, whereas she could operate just about anywhere, as long as she had her computer and server.
“Alyssa?”
She glanced up at him. “Yes?”
“I’m sure you prefer handling your business from Waco, but is there any reason you can’t do it here if I help get things set up for you?” he asked, evidently thinking along the same lines as she had earlier.
She decided to be honest with him. “No.”
“All right. Then will you?” he asked. “My ranch isn’t all that bad. It’s pretty nice actually. And with the hours I work, I’d barely be home most of the time so it will be as if you have the place to yourself. I won’t be underfoot.”
She tilted her head to study him. In other words they really wouldn’t be under the same roof for thirty days—at least not all the time. In a way, she would prefer it that way. Being around Clint 24/7 would be too hard to handle. But she knew he was right. They had to do something and since it was easier for her to make the change why sweat it. That didn’t mean she had to like it. At least the two of them were working together and doing what needed to be done to get their lives back on track and end what had been the agency’s screwup and not theirs. But still...
“What about a steady girlfriend?” she decided to ask.
“Don’t have one, steady or otherwise. Don’t have the time.”
She lifted a brow. When did men stop making the time for women? She thought they lived for intimacy.
“What about you?” he asked her. “Is there a steady man in your life?”
She thought about the occasional calls she got from Kevin as he tried to make a comeback, as if she didn’t know that he and Kim were still messing around with each other. Kim took pleasure in making comments every once in a while to let her know she and Kevin were still seeing each other now and then. “No, like you, I don’t have the time.”
He nodded. “So, there’s really nothing holding us back to do what we need to do to get the matter resolved,” he said.
If only it were that simple, she wanted to say. Instead she said, “I need to sleep on it.” She preferred not to make a decision right then.
“Okay. In that case would you mind doing your sleeping at the ranch?” Clint asked. “That way, you can check out the place to see if it will work for you.”
She’d rather not stay at his ranch tonight but what he’d said made sense. She was used to living in the city. She wasn’t sure how she would handle being out in such a rural setting. “Okay, Clint. I’ll spend the night at your ranch and will give you my decision about things in the morning.”
He tilted his head and looked at her. “I can’t ask for any more than that.”
Chapter 3
“Can you ride a horse?”
Alyssa glanced over at Clint. Sunlight streaming in through the windshield seemed to highlight his features. It had been bad enough sitting across from him at the diner trying to eat. Now they were back in the close quarters of his truck and everything male about him was out in the forefront again. She moved her gaze from his face to the strong, sturdy hands that were gripping the steering wheel, and then lower to his lap where the denim of his jeans stretched tight across muscular thighs.
“Alyssa?”
She nearly jumped when he said her name again, reminding her that she hadn’t answered his question. “Yes and no.”
He
