Cassie's Hope (Riders Up) Read Online Free PDF Page A

too hard. Why? Others had shipped in horses from the east and west. He
usually ignored them by taking care of his own business.
    How could he ignore
the auburn ponytail, the green eyes, and the cockiness of the woman from
Chicago? He’d been behaving like an overzealous idiot, and he knew it. He
should walk away and be done with her.
    “There’s a rodeo in
town this weekend.” His words betrayed him. “Don’t suppose you’ve ever seen
one. I’d be willing to escort you, if you’d like to go.”
    Clint winced at the
shock registering in the woman’s eyes.
    “You got to be
kidding,” she said, “or brain dead.”
    Damn, there she
goes again. Clint recoiled from her venom.
    “I’ve seen more
rodeos than I care to remember. We raised rodeo horses along with thoroughbreds
and a few quarter horses when I was a kid. If the road didn’t lead to a second
rate track, it went to a fourth rate broken down rodeo. No thanks, Mr. Galahad.
I don’t want to go to a damn rodeo. And if I did, I wouldn’t need you along to
protect me.”
    Clint nodded and
spun on his heel. He tried to amble nonchalantly toward his pickup.
    What the hell got
into him to ever ask her about the rodeo? What the hell got into her? She’d
swat away an olive branch if he held one out to her. Well, no matter, he would
be going back to eastern Utah come Monday.
    Ms. High and Mighty
could cool her heels in Evanston until hell froze over for all he cared.
     
    - o -
     
    By the start of the
Saturday afternoon races, Cassie sat in the grandstands dressed in a clean pair
of jeans, a new blouse, boots and her Cubs hat and watched as people of all
stripes and ages cheered on their favorite horses and jockeys. Clearly, racing
at the Downs was a family affair; there were almost as many kids as adults. Gifts
were raffled away after every other race. Barbecued beef simmered in a large
pit area at the end of the stands. A country western band entertained before
the races began and would return for more at the conclusion of the last race. The
mood of the place was not unlike a Midwest county fair.
    The afternoon
proved entertaining and a decent change of pace from reading in her motel room.
Cassie won a little money betting thoroughbreds; she stayed away from wagering
on the quarter horses. Bumper cars on legs, her dad called them. They often ran
any which way but straight, and she found it impossible to handicap them, so
she didn’t.
    Between the sixth
and seventh race she went downstairs to use the ladies room and to fill up
again on popcorn and pop. Hurriedly rounding the corner leading to the ramp
back to her seat, she caught herself just before barreling into the wide back
of Clint Travers.
    She recoiled. Her
stomach tightened and her blood pressure rose. A tall blonde dressed in tight
black shorts and a white blouse knotted to show off plenty of midriff hung all
over Travers’ muscled shoulders. The two of them might as well be making out in
public. Didn’t they know there were little kids about? Cassie swore she saw the
blonde’s red lips slobbering across the back of his neck.
    “Excuse me, lady! I’d
like to get by and see another race yet today,” said a large man behind her
juggling hot dogs and drinks.
    “Oh. Excuse me,”
Cassie whispered, reddening. She turned quickly to escape any more accusing
eyes.
     
    - o -
     
    She wasn’t quite
quick enough. Clint Travers turned to see what the commotion was behind him and
groaned when he witnessed Cassie O’Hanlon dashing down the ramp scattering
popcorn all over the concrete floor. Damn, she had a butt that’d drive men
crazy.
    Very carefully he
reached behind him to remove Gretchen’s arms from around his neck. He knew she’d
had too much to drink while sitting in the hot sun. “Come on,” he said
patiently, “let’s see if we can find your husband. He’s got to be around here
somewhere. I’ve got other things to tend to and other places to be.”
    After finally
depositing the woman with