walked to the side of the house, safely out of view.
Lexi slid to the ground and closed her eyes. Flashes from that Colorado hospital room flooded her vision and she wrapped her arms around herself. This time of year was the hardest and memories she’d rather forget invaded almost every thought.
“Lexi?” a voice called to her. “Are you all right?”
Her head shot up. Silhouetted against the sun, Shane sat astride Ransom. Shielding the light from her eyes, Lexi wasn’t able to see the other riders, but she quickly made out Dream Catcher’s unusual silver dappled legs and assumed their friend Clay Tanner was astride the horse. Considering the other horses she saw were under her care, the riders must be students.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I pulled a muscle earlier and it’s acting up—hardly worth mentioning. What are you doing here? I thought you’d want to be miles away from a house full of women and baby talk.”
“Shane finally let us out of the classroom,” one of the young students called out while the rest of them laughed.
Shane maneuvered his mount away from Lexi. “You’ll be in the arena tomorrow. I warned you this wasn’t all fun and games.” Nudging the horse forward with his legs he nodded at Lexi. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look awfully pale.”
“Thank you, but I’m good,” Lexi choked out. She wanted to forget the past and find some happiness in her life.
“See you later,” the students called out.
Lexi waved, closed her eyes and wondered if her son had the rodeo bug...wherever he was.
* * *
“WHO WAS THAT?” Hunter rode up alongside Shane.
“That was trouble with a capital T,” Shane grumbled. “Let me give you some advice, kid. Don’t get married.”
“You and Trouble were married?” Hunter asked. “Wow, she’s pretty.”
“No, Trouble and I weren’t married,” Shane said. “And her name’s Lexi. We could have been, though, if I hadn’t screwed things up.”
“What’d you do?”
“I got married.” Shane looked over his shoulder. “The trail narrows up ahead when we get closer to the stream. Let the horse do the work, they know these trails.”
Shane nudged his horse ahead of Hunter, ending the conversation. He didn’t want to remember what he’d lost with Lexi. The pain he’d caused reflected in her eyes whenever she looked at him, and the guilt he carried for breaking her heart was always present.
Lexi had remained close to his family, and he’d managed a friendship with her, but for the longest time, he’d vowed never to be alone with her. He didn’t think either one of their hearts could take it. But once things began to change between them in recent months, Shane had allowed himself to dream of the day she’d let her guard down enough to spend time alone with him, secretly vowing to make things right between them.
At the top of his game now, Shane had a school to run with Chase and a full schedule of rodeos to ride in. The world all-around title eluded him so far and he was determined to win it before Chase did. With the help of Jesse and Cole, who filled in when needed, along with the rest of their teaching staff, he and Chase still actively competed in the rodeo and against each other. Friendly in their competition, the boys were in a tight race to bring home the grand prize. Shane wanted that championship more than anything...well, almost.
Since they’d broken ground on the new facility, Shane had found himself in Lexi’s vicinity more often than not. It was all he could do to prevent her from distracting him in his quest to win that coveted belt buckle. Being able to say Ride ’em High! was owned by a world all-around champion would help make the school the best in the country. Their facility offered everything from rodeo clown bullfighting and rough-stock training to barrel racing and roping, and Shane wanted his students to walk away with the confidence and knowledge it took to best any competitor they came across. What better way to do that than with a champion as your instructor?
“How about a drink at Slater’s Mill later?” Shane asked his best friend, Clay Tanner, when they arrived back at the stables. “I need some adult time, if you know what I mean.”
“All right.” Clay removed his saddle. “You need help returning the women to their cars?”
“Nope, Chase has those honors.” Shane removed his straw Stetson and wiped his brow with the back of his arm. The last day of June meant it was the start of the sweltering season. They’d designed the new facility with an indoor arena, and divided it in half. Hippotherapy had one side of the building and the rodeo school had the other. It would allow horse and rider to work without the Texas sun exhausting them. But at Kay’s insistence, until the official ribbon-cutting next week, instructors and students had to ride outside. Classes would be taught at the picnic tables near the main corral.
A few hours later, Shane made his way back to the main house for a shower and a change of clothes. After double-checking that Chase was staying in as the bunkhouse den dad for the night, Shane headed out for a kid-free evening. Slater’s Mill usual Saturday night crowd gathered near the bar. Different ball games played on the screens while Elvis Watts and his band belted out a cover of “Red Solo Cup.” Lifting a longneck to his mouth, he stopped midswig when he noticed a familiar sexy number shake and shimmy on the dance floor in turquoise boots and jeans so tight they must have been painted on.
Making his way through the crowd, he two-stepped next to her. “Hey, sugar britches, how’s that pulled muscle?”
Lexi swung to face him, not losing rhythm with the music. “It was a polite way of saying none of your business, Shane. Don’t take it personally.”
Before he responded, she danced her way to the edge of the floor and dropped into the circular booth where the regulars congregated. The roster had changed over the past year. Shane’s cousin Brandon and his wife Vicki had a little one to tend to at home, but Brandon still popped in from time to time to help bartend for his dad, Charlie, who owned the honky-tonk. Since adopting Ever, Cole and Tess stayed home most nights. Jesse and Miranda had two of their own on the way. The crowd had dwindled down to Bridgett, a waitress in town, Lexi, Clay and Chase. Shane wondered which of them would be the next to jump ship. At this rate, he was willing to bet he’d be the last one standing.
Placing his empty on the bar, he looked down the row of men, most sitting by themselves. Men once like him, now past their prime and alone. Was this his future? A lonely old man at a bar, night after night?
Kendra Anderson, Lexi’s cousin, slipped in next to him and handed Charlie her orders.
“When do you go on break?” Shane asked the well-rounded waitress.
“In about twenty minutes.” Her red tank top strained and dipped in the right places, leaving little to the imagination. “Let me guess, you’re going to drill me about Lexi again?”
“I need your advice—” Shane halted at her laughter.
“Either marry her or forget her, but stop flounder-flopping about it already.”
“We have a special guest singer tonight,” Elvis boomed from the stage. “Let’s give a big round of applause for our hometown girl, Lexi Lawson.”
Lexi
