Wishing on a Rodeo Moon (Women of Character) Read Online Free PDF Page B

down. The
concern on his face, combined with his dark hair tumbling over one eye, set off
an uneasy feeling in Tye. Attraction stirred dark and needy. Damn! She didn't
want to feel attracted to him. They couldn’t pick up where they’d
left off. Life didn’t work out that way as much as she wanted to turn
back the clock.
    Tye felt
herself tense. Where had those thoughts come from?
    He
helped her to her feet and, still slightly off center, she took a nosedive into
his shirt. Instantly, she panicked, trying to straighten as she slapped his
helpful hands away. Jake stepped back and released her upper arms, but not
before Tye felt a pulsing awareness that made her nerve endings jump. The
subtle scent of his freshly showered skin played around her nostrils. Soap and
shaving lotion.
    What was
the matter with her? She couldn’t go back: there were too many years and
too many words between them.
    Angry
with herself, she snapped, "I'm fine! Leave me alone. I don’t need
your help." Tye turned her head away from him, blinking hard as moisture
filmed her eyes. "I guess I'm a hazard around the barn," she
muttered, angry with her own awkwardness. She felt as inadequate as hell.
    Jake
stepped back, and she heard him say, "I forgot to mention Tibald's got a
knack for rubbing against you. He's gotten the best of me a time or two."
    Tye
again blinked rapidly, not daring to look at Jake as she slapped the dust from
her jeans with her palms. If he knew there were angry tears rimming her eyes,
he was smart enough not to mention it.
    After a
moment, she ran her gaze up and down him, not bothering to hide her
disbelieving frown.
    "Tibald.
That's his name? He's knocked you down?" she asked incredulously.
    "Well,
knocked me backward," Jake admitted with a grin. Tye decided to ignore the
smile in his eyes telling her it was no big deal. The connection she felt was
too dangerous for her peace of mind. "Of course, you can't compare my two
hundred pounds to your one hundred," he added quickly.
    "One
twenty-five," Tye told him automatically. Without her lower leg she was
minus five pounds, give or take.
    Jake reached
up and affectionately rubbed the heel of his palm between the horse's eyes.
"There's not a bit of malice in him, but he's sometimes a goof ball."
    Tye
stepped back to get a better look at the horse. "He reminds me of my Paint
horse," she said, giving voice to her earlier thoughts.
    "Ben
said your horses are out at your mother's ranch?"
    She
looked away. "Yes, Mama's got lots of pasture." Tye suddenly felt
uncomfortable with that explanation. "I-I let Mama assume responsibility
for my animals the entire time I’ve been in the hospital and
rehabilitation." She looked down, angry with herself. She had never asked
about them, nor offered Mama anything for their upkeep. Tye bit her lip at her
apathy. It wasn't like her to let other people shoulder her obligations.
"I have some things to sort out with her."
    "I’m
sure you will. If you should decide to start riding, Tye, there's plenty of
room here for an extra horse."
    Tye
opened her mouth, then quickly closed it. Did he think she was ready to pick up
the pieces and begin to ride? "I’ll ride when I’m ready."
She swallowed hard. "That's very generous of you, but I won’t be
here that long. I wouldn’t impose on you, anyway," she ended
stiffly.
    As Jake
scrubbed a hand under the black's wide jaw, the animal stretched his nose out
and closed his eyes. "Old Tibald here is as mellow as they come, but he
can race like the wind if he's in the mood."
    Tye
stared at the back of Jake's head, her eyes unwillingly moving down the thick
column of his neck, where it went down into his white shirt. She wondered what
changes had occurred physically with Jake. He looked to be in superb shape.
    Frowning
heavily, still feeling slightly out of sync, Tye swung her hair off her
shoulders. "I'm probably jumping to assumptions here, but you strike me as
being too busy to have time for horses. Ben mentioned