stopping long enough to change back into boots and jeans. Telling her she belonged in the city, that she didn’t fit in on a ranch. Well, he could just go to blazes. She had as much right to be here as he did. She had a job here, just like he did. She had friends. She could even learn about cows, if she was of a mind to.
“Val, you’re back!”
Annie came racing toward her and all but threw herself into Val’s arms. Val stumbled back at the impact, but she couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face at the exuberant welcome. At least one member of the Sutton family knew her own heart and wasn’t afraid to let her emotions show.
“Hold still and let me get a good look at you,” Val instructed.
“I almost got thrown from a horse,” Annie said proudly. “Did you hear?”
“I heard.”
“Harlan Patrick saved me.”
“I heard that, too.”
“Daddy looked like he was going to faint. He was real scared.”
“I’m sure he was.”
“You know what, though?”
“What?”
“He said it was okay for me to ride again. He’s going to give me another lesson this afternoon. Want to watch?” she demanded excitedly. “I’m going to star in a rodeo just like Daddy one day.”
Val winced. She doubted Slade was privy to that particular bit of career planning on his daughter’s part. “Have you mentioned that to your father yet?”
“Not exactly. I figured I’d better get really good before I tell him. Otherwise, he’ll just say no.”
“A few weeks ago you wanted to be an Olympic diver. What happened to that?”
“I’m still diving,” Annie said, clearly perplexed. “Why can’t I do both?”
Val laughed. “I suppose you can, if that’s what you want. Of course, you’ve only been on a horse once. What makes you think you’ll really like being in the rodeo?”
“Because Daddy did,” she said simply.
“You know, kiddo, you don’t have to do everything your dad did.”
“But I want to,” Annie protested.
“Because you really enjoy it, or because you think it will make him love you more?”
She could see from the look on Annie’s face that she hadn’t expected anyone else to understand her motivations. Maybe she hadn’t even recognized them herself until Val put it into words.
“I want him to see that I’m really like him, not like my mom,” Annie said.
“The point is to be Annie,” Val said. “That’s what he’ll love you for. Not for trying to be someone else.”
Annie didn’t seem convinced by the logic. “Will you come watch me ride or not?”
“I’ll come,” Val said. That way there’d be two people standing by the corral railing with their hearts in their throats. “What time?”
“Not till five, ’cause Daddy has to finish work first.” She bounced up and down excitedly. “That means there’s time for us to go into town and have pizza, if you want to. Zack and Josh could meet us, maybe.”
“Why not?” Val agreed. “Check with your father first.”
Annie ran off, then came back waving money. “He said okay, but he’s paying.”
Since he wasn’t there to argue with, Val nodded. “Let’s go, then. Where are Zack and Josh?”
“At the vet clinic with Dani. She’s paying them to help out.”
“Then we’ll go by there.”
“Or I could call them on your cell phone,” Annie suggested. “I’ve never used one before.”
Val grinned at her enthusiasm. “It’s in my purse.”
Annie dragged out the phone, followed Val’s instructions, then beamed when the call went through. “Hey, Zack, guess what? I’m on Val’s cell phone and we’re in the car.”
Val couldn’t hear the boy’s response, but assumed from Annie’s expression that he was duly impressed. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if life could always be so uncomplicated? she thought to herself, listening to one side of the conversation. Instead, grown-ups carried all sorts of baggage that interfered with taking pleasure in the simple things.
Take Slade, for instance. He would never in a million years admit that being dumped by his ex-wife had scarred him so deeply he was afraid to love again, but that was exactly what was going on. If asked, he’d probably just say Suzanne had been a jerk and that their split had been for the best. Val thought she knew better. He’d really loved her. Otherwise her leaving wouldn’t have bothered him half as much as it clearly did after all this time. It wouldn’t have left him incapable of admitting how he felt about another woman. The idea that he had been capable of loving so deeply once gave her hope for