would,” Nate said absently. “It’s a great event, and everyone has fun.”
“I don’t think you’re capable of having fun.”
Nate frowned and came around the desk, brushing by his brother. “What are you talking about?”
Josh grabbed his arm. “A challenge. I dare you to hand me those papers, that microphone, and all the control. I’m not worried it won’t get done—I’m saying you won’t be able to stop yourself from interfering.”
“Josh, you’re making a point, fine, I get it. But not today.”
“Yes, today.”
Josh made a grab for the clipboard as Nate attached the papers. Nate resisted.
“You gonna turn down a challenge, big brother?” Josh asked softly, with an air of danger and a gleam in his eye.
Nate finally looked at his brother—really looked at him. And heard him. He thought of Emily’s conclusions about him trying to prove himself.
He didn’t have to prove how much he loved the ranch. Everyone knew.
“Okay,” he said suddenly, letting go of the clipboard. It banged against Josh’s chest from his pull.
Josh slowly smiled. “Really?”
“Really. I can let it go. I trust you.”
“I never doubted that,” Josh said, eyeing him.
Nate smiled. “Go on. Go have fun.”
After Josh had gone, Nate left the office, took a deep breath of the warm air, scented with hay and cattle and the smell of grilling sausages.
Brooke ran up to him. “Hey, I need—”
“Go talk to Josh. I’m taking the day off.”
“What? But Nate . . . you love the rodeo.” Her voice sounded bewildered.
He shrugged. “I’m not going anywhere. Now hurry! The first event starts in an hour, and there’s still a lot to do.”
She left, shaking her head and muttering, and Nate was trapped for another ten minutes, turning away everybody and their brother asking endless questions about the rodeo. He referred them all to Josh.
Then he saw Emily step out of the baking tent, and their eyes met and held. Her slow, sexy smile made his insides twist, and she did a little twirl in her yellow polka-dotted dress. When he saw her cowboy boots, a surge of hope took him by surprise. They were just boots, but they made him think . . . was she considering staying in Valentine Valley? Where was his worry about breaking up with her? It was no longer there, as if he’d let a lot of things go when he gave over control.
They met in the shade of the stands, and he kissed her long and hard.
She swayed in his arms and stared up at him in pleased surprise. “That was quite the greeting.”
“It’s those boots—I’ll never be able to resist you now.”
They heard Josh’s calm voice on the loudspeaker, and Emily studied Nate’s face.
“Is that your doing?” she asked slyly.
He grinned. “Nope, it’s his. Josh challenged me, and I never go back on a challenge.” He kissed her nose.
“What kind of challenge?”
“The kind where I’m a participant, not a coordinator.”
“Really?”
“Don’t sound so surprised,” he said dryly.
Josh ran by them at full speed. Nate didn’t even turn his head to see where he was going.
“So you’ll be forced to keep me company all day, and explain everything I’m watching.”
“Except when I’m competing with Dad. The team roping’s next. Dad’s the header, I’m the heeler.”
“So you rope each other?” She grinned.
“No, a steer,” he said, laughing. “Gotta catch him around the horns, then the hind legs. When he’s taut between us, time’s called.”
“Sounds exciting!”
“You can watch with my mom.” He lowered his voice. “Afterward, we’ll find somewhere more private to watch the events.”
She gave him a wicked smile and squeezed his arm against her.
He looked back at the barn. “The hayloft? We’ll be able to see over the competition fields from the window up there.”
“And we’ll be alone.”
“For a while anyway. Then I’ve got to show you how a man line dances at the big dance in the truck shed tonight.”
“The truck shed?” She covered her mouth as if hiding her laughter. “I knew about the dance of course—I made some beautiful flowers for the tables. But no offense, isn’t the truck shed where you house all the big equipment?”
“You bet. But the ladies have been getting it ready for a country dance, complete with lanterns hung like it’s the Old West.”
“Sounds romantic,” she warned. “You up for that, cowboy?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Chapter Twenty-three
Later that night, Emily invited the girls back up to her apartment to sample some of the goodies that she hadn’t ended up entering, and to celebrate her