Wyatt: Return of the Cowboy Read Online Free PDF Page B

that it doesn’t happen again.”
    Paige gave Wyatt credit for not rubbing his hand, which must be throbbing. “Are you okay?” She wheeled and confronted Ace, telling him, “Grow up,” in her best mom-has-spoken voice.
    Dinah laughed.
    So did Wyatt and Ace.
    Paige fumed. “Not funny.”
    “Sorry about your fall,” Ace told Wyatt. “You were making quite a name for yourself.”
    “Sorry about your dad. Colt mentioned he died a while ago.”
    “Thanks. Been nearly ten years.”
    Wyatt’s gaze traveled from the barn to the nearby arena to the half-constructed mare motel. “Paige told me you’re expanding your rodeo stock contracting business.”
    Exchanging smiles, Paige’s tentative and Dinah’s mischievous, the two women leaned against the pen railing, listening to the men talk.
    “We are,” Ace answered. “Planning on purchasing some new brood mares and a stallion before breeding season starts in May.”
    “You should check out Midnight.”
    “The Midnight Express? The horse that threw you?”
    “One and the same. I’ve kept track of his whereabouts since my fall. His owner got sick some time ago. Long story short, Midnight hasn’t been competed for nearly a year.”
    “I heard. Also that the owner didn’t survive his illness.”
    “Rumor is,” Wyatt continued, “there’s going to be a sale soon. All the old man’s rodeo livestock, including Midnight, will be auctioned off by his heirs.”
    Ace’s face lit with interest, and the two men continued discussing the horse Midnight, oblivious to Paige and Dinah.
    “Go figure,” Dinah said, bumping shoulders with Paige. “At each other’s throats one second, best friends the next.”
    “Yeah, go figure.”
    “Jealous?”
    “Of you? No way.”
    “Of Ace. Weren’t you always Wyatt’s best friend? Wait a minute. Why would you think I was referring to myself?” Dinah’s eyes widened. “You like Wyatt.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous.”
    Dinah saw right through Paige. “If you’re worried about me, forget it. Whatever Wyatt and I had ended when he left. He might have had a crush on me, but you and he had a special connection.” Dinah bumped shoulders with Paige again. “There’s a reason for that.”
    “We were close once.”
    “Closer than he and I ever were.” Dinah leaned in and whispered, “Tell him.”
    “Tell him what?” Paige feigned ignorance.
    “How you feel. Before he leaves. Who knows, maybe he’ll change his mind.”
    Wyatt stay? Paige didn’t think so. Not for her.
    “It isn’t like that between us,” she protested.
    “Really?” Dinah rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Could’ve fooled me.”
    Paige glanced in the same direction as Dinah and caught Wyatt watching her—her, not Dinah—with what could only be described as interest. The kind of interest a man shows when he’s…interested.
    Dinah beamed. “You go, girl.”
    * * *
    “I know Dinah wanted to be more help.”
    “Maybe she’ll find something in the files.” Wyatt shot Paige a dubious look as he aimed his truck in the direction of town. “But I’m not holding my breath.”
    Wyatt had questioned Dinah about the night of the accident. She hadn’t been playing dumb for his sake or out of fear, she really didn’t remember much of anything. She did offer to research the incident records and see if anything in them proved useful.
    “What are you going to do next?” Paige asked.
    “I’m not sure.” Wyatt released a long breath. “Don’t know why I’m trying. It’s not like my family’s happy to see me.”
    “Your mom is.”
    “And she had to sneak into the next room to take my call so Dad didn’t hear her.” The recollection of his conversation with his mother last night irritated him. “I told my brother I was staying in Roundup.”
    “Are you?”
    “Does it matter one way or the other?”
    Before she could answer, her cell phone chimed. “It’s your dad,” she said and answered the call. “Hello, Ted. Sure, I can do that, no