Page 12 of Cowboy Wolf's Secret Baby

“I guess you’re looking good for an old man,” Gideon teased.

“They’re looking at you. You are a handsome devil. It’s just that no one knows that once you put on your make-up. Besides, I’m only thirty-one. That’s not old at all.”

He had started competing in the rodeo when he was eighteen and had been competing nonstop for the last thirteen years. That was a lot of beatings he had taken over the years. Gideon must have read his mind.

“That is thirteen years of having your brain slammed around in your skull, bones broken, internal organs all shaken up, and constantly jerked around. And don’t forget when you were nearly killed.”

“I’m a shifter. I heal fast. You’ve had quite a few injuries over the years, too. I’ll never forget the look on that woman’s face when the bull caught you with his horns and literally threw you into the stands onto that woman’s lap.” Conner laughed.

“The look on her face was priceless,” Gideon said. “I guess that’s why I ended up marrying her.”

He had some time before his events so he watched the junior events. One of the young cowgirls looked very familiar. He couldn’t put his finger on it. Conner racked his brain. The girl had long, red hair, and he didn’t remember knowing anyone with red hair. It was really her face that nagged at him.

Shaking his head, he pushed any thoughts of her out of his mind. He must have simply seen her competing in the past.

Conner had a great night. He scored two first-place prizes and two second-place prizes. The adrenaline coursed through his veins, and he felt good. The cheering crowd, the snorting bulls, and the lights give him a natural high that no drug could ever match.

He took a swig of water as his eyes scanned the crowd. It was a great night. The stands were full. His eyes passed over a beautiful red-haired woman sitting in the crowd. Then, they jerked right back to her. Conner knew that he was staring, but he couldn’t help himself.

Her eyes flickered toward him and opened wide. She looked away and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Then, she looked back at him. He was sure that the woman recognized him.

“Where could I know her from?” he muttered to himself. “I don’t know anyone from Cheyenne.” He scratched his head and thought about it. “It must be from a meet and greet. She does have one of those faces that a person doesn’t forget easily.”

He convinced himself that had to be the answer, although that annoying familiar niggle in the back of his mind told him that there was something more. Maybe she’s someone I enjoyed the evening with.

Conner wasn’t a dog but every once in a while, he had an itch that needed to be scratched.

I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t forget her if we had been together.

Gideon walked over for a drink. “Congrats. You did great tonight, as always.”

“Not too bad for an old man, huh?”

“No. You still show all those young bucks and does up in the field.”

“Do you see that red-haired woman in the stands? She’s next to the first column on the third row.”

“Yeah.”

“She looks familiar, but I can’t, for the life of me, remember where I’ve seen her before.”

Gideon gave Conner a weird look. “That’s Beth.”

“Beth?”

“Your brain must have had a good shaking up,” Gideon said. “Anyway, her daughter, Taryn, is one of the junior cowgirls. She is the red-haired girl on the white Shagya Arabian horse.”

“That little girl handled that huge horse well. I was impressed,” Conner said.

“She is quite good,” Gideon said. “Well, I guess I best get back at it.”

Conner hesitated for a minute and then decided to hell with it. He knew that the woman was tracking him and wasn’t surprised when he sat down next to her.

“I know this sounds like a cheesy pickup line, but have we met before?”

Her face turned bright red and she gave a fake cough as though she didn’t know what to say. “Where would we have met?” she finally managed to squeak out and coughed. “Pardon me. The dust sometimes gets to me.”

“I understand. My friend tells me that your daughter is the barrel racer on that huge beast. She is very talented.”

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