Page 34 of Headstrong Cowboy
They broke apart, her mouth swollen and glistening in the moonlight.“You take my breath away, Chrysanthemum Bloom.”
“Ditto for me, Ryder Chamberlain.”
Their lips crashed together again, as if they couldn’t bear to be apart.Which, for Ryder, was getting more and more believable with every passing second.The second time they parted, Chrissy took a step back.He wanted to reach out and pull her close.Entice her into his truck so they could spend the whole night exploring each other’s bodies.How he wanted to learn what made her sigh.What made her laugh and what made her cry out with pleasure.
But he did none of that.Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Tomorrow night is the barbecue on Main Street.Will you go with me?”Chrissy asked.
This was the second time she’d asked him out, and Ryder couldn’t deny that he liked her assertiveness.The way she went after something she wanted.That he was what she wanted was something he was grateful for.“I’d love to.I’ll come and pick you up.”
“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that.It seems such a waste when you’re already in town.It’s easier for me to meet you there.”
Ryder didn’t want her to be the one always coming to him.He wanted to come to her.Wanted to open his door for her and help her in.He wanted to be able to reach out and take hold of her hand as they drove into town.He wanted to talk with her in the privacy of the cab of his truck.“Let me do this, please?”
He withstood Chrissy’s scrutiny, and as if she could tell that he wasn’t going to budge from his stance, she gave a short nod.“Okay, I’d like that.”
“Good.”He leaned forward and pressed his lips quickly against hers.“Now get inside before you freeze and then you won’t be able to compete.”
“No, I need to compete.See you tomorrow night.”
Ryder nodded and didn’t get in his truck until he saw her standing on the back porch, her hand on the door, ready to go back inside.Once he started the truck and gave a quick wave of goodbye, she did the same and then went into the house.
I need to compete.
The words stayed with him the whole drive back to the Graff.There was nothing untoward about them, except he thought she’d say she wanted to compete.Or she couldn’t wait to compete.There was no excitement about the upcoming rodeo.There was almost a sense of resignation that it was an obligation for her to compete.Which couldn’t be right.When he’d first seen her racing around Riley’s circuit, the fire in her eyes was a combination of determination and happiness, as if being on the back of the horse was everything she’d ever wanted.
When had it changed?
Why had it changed?
The questions dogged him all the way to his room, and when he sat on the bed to pull his boots off, it hit him—the prize money.
She needed the money.
Before he’d had consistent success, he’d lived from prize money check to prize money check.When the sponsorships came in and eased the financial strain a bit, he’d become more successful, as if the burden of needing to win had been lifted and the joy of winning became as natural to him as breathing.
Chrissy hadn’t competed for years and years.After he’d met her, and as hard as it had been, he’d looked up who were the current top barrel racers.From what he’d watched, Chrissy was right up there with her times, but practice and competing were two different beasts.
Nerves and the rush of competing affected people in different ways.Some people thrived on it and others found that it was too much.They’d given up on competing because it was too stressful, and they had little to no success because of their mixed emotions.
Had that happened to Chrissy?Was the reason she’d stopped competing because her nerves had gotten the better of her?
As soon as he thought it, he discarded it.He’d found old records that showed Chrissy had won a lot of competitions as a junior.She’d even won the Copper Mountain Rodeo when she was eighteen.That had been her last competition until now.
Ryder fell back on the bed.There was still so much they didn’t know about each other.So much he had to tell her and so much he wanted to ask her.He still didn’t know anything about her marriage.Why was that?Had something bad happened in it that she didn’t want to talk about it?Or was it something else?
It looked like both of them had secrets they didn’t want to share.
Chapter Seventeen
Chrissy smoothed downthe dress Tilly had picked out for her.The mint-green color looked good against her caramel-colored hair.She had to give it to her baby sister...she knew her fashion.If she moved to a large city again, Chrissy bet Tilly would get a job in a clothing store and she’d style all the customers to perfection.
Perhaps she should suggest that to Tilly, although she seemed settled in her current position.But there had been many a time in the past where they all thought Tilly had found her perfect job, only for their flaky sister to change her mind a few months later.She still never spoke about why she’d gone to Houston, simply saying that an opportunity had presented itself.Chrissy hadn’t been in Marietta when Tilly returned, just heard it from her mom, and like she’d done with her father’s calls, Chrissy hadn’t followed up to see if her sister had been okay—like she should’ve.
Maybe if Tilly did decide to leave her current job, then Chrissy could suggest working as a personal stylist.
“Do I know how to pick clothes or what?”Tilly came into the room with the earrings she’d gone to get.
