Page 49 of Silent Deception
It took six changes of clothes to decide on the right mix of color and not-trying-to-impress-you style. After she’d slipped into snug, boot-cut black Levi’s and a deep royal blue sweater, she went through three pairs of gold earrings before she found the right look.
When she met Ryan at her front door, his low whistle of appreciation boosted her anticipation—and her trepidation. Maybe it was a mistake to be going with him tonight, but what harm could come of it? An evening at a rodeo. A leisurely drive.
There was nothing to worry about at all.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
She’d started out bysitting a respectable distance away, but midway through the rodeo, Kristin leaned into Ryan to ward off the chilly night air and cradled her cup of hot cocoa and plate of fried chicken, thankful for their warmth.
They sat five rows up, just past the front of the chutes, and all around them, the crowd alternately cheered and moaned as the events rolled past. Saddle broncs. Team roping. The barrel racers in flashy sequined tops. Bareback broncs. Goat tying for the fledgling cowpokes.
During the intermission, she’d been spellbound by the kids riding calves out in the arena.
“A guy told me that the fried chicken concession here is the best in the whole region.” Ryan grinned at her. “You oughta eat that before I polish off yours, too.”
“Right now, it’s keeping my hands warm. Who knew it would be so cold tonight?”
He gave her a nudge. “The weather guy on the radio, for one.”
“Aah, but you didn’t bring a jacket, either,” she countered. She dug into the fried chicken and sighed blissfully. “This is fantastic. How many people would think of coming to a rodeo for something this good?”
He waved a hand toward the overflow crowd, most of them families with children of all ages. “Them, for starters. I bet a lot of these people come out every time there’s a rodeo in town—that line at the food booth still trails out into the parking lot.”
She savored another bite. “We were lucky we got here early.”
“Hang on to our seats, would you? I’m going behind the chutes to check on Garrett. He should be up pretty soon.”
She watched Ryan ease past the others sitting in their row, then make his way down the packed bleachers. His black Western shirt showcased his broad shoulders and his Levi’s nicely accented his narrow hips and long, long legs. He was the most appealing cowboy she’d seen all night, hands down.
Nothing to worry about if she came to this rodeo with him? She’d been dead wrong. Until now, whenever she’d seen him, there’d been other people around—Cody, Hayden, Max—and they’d served as a comfortable buffer that kept interaction superficial.
But tonight...oh, my.
On the way here, they’d slipped right into the same easy repartee they’d shared back in college, discussing everything from the Dallas Cowboys to the ongoing troubles in the Middle East, from the last Stephen King novel they’d each read, to a professor they’d both had for Statistics 101 in college. She’d forgotten how easy Ryan was to talk to...how the hours could just roll past and seem like minutes.
She’d also forgotten how much his wry, sideways glances affected her and how his deep voice seemed to sensitize her skin.
