to rope that night, but Corrie had forced him, telling him that he was driving her crazy. Before he’d made his first catch, she’d called and said she thought the baby was coming. Fast. Less than an hour later Jed had called Matt to tell him that little Eva Corrina had made a safe entrance into the world shortly after he’d raced into the delivery room and mother and child were doing well. The father needed a stiff drink.
“Your times are getting better,” Craig said, studying the list he’d made during practice before entering the numbers into a spreadsheet he’d made. “But Madison is still consistently faster.” Craig was starting to take the Montoya-Madison rivalry personally. “Probably because he has both knees.”
“My knee is getting better,” Matt said automatically. It was definitely hurting less, thanks to the pain injections. He only planned to take them twice a week, so he could practice dismounting, throwing and tying, and Dr. McElroy was happy to comply. And since it was his knee, his future, and he’d researched the possible consequences, Matt didn’t feel one bit guilty. In fact, it felt good to have a few hours without pain.
“Good thing,” Craig said, typing away. “Just don’t push it. You still have a couple weeks before the Bitterroot.”
“Thanks, coach,” Matt said with a smile as he closed the dishwasher. He was going to miss Craig when Willa got that job.
* * *
LIV KNEW BETTER—knew that she didn’t want to face the truth—but in spite of that, she stayed after drill practice to watch the ropers. Matt was there, on a horse she didn’t recognize, which wasn’t surprising because he had so many practice horses.
He flew out of the chute, caught in less than five seconds and was off the horse without any sign of pain or favoring the leg. None of her business. No reason she should feel cold inside.
But she did.
Go home...
She turned on her heel and walked back to the warm-up arena where she spotted Matt dismounting the red roan next to a fancy trailer with living quarters.
“Nice job,” she said coldly. His head whipped around at the sound of her voice.
“Thanks.” He pulled the saddle off the horse and carried it to the tack room with only the barest trace of a limp.
“I thought you weren’t going to see McElroy.”
He didn’t play innocent. She’d give him credit for that.
“It’s really none of your business, Liv.”
Funny. She’d told herself that, but here she was. “What you’re doing is stupid.”
“Still none of your business.”
“I know, but...”
“But what, Liv?”
“Maybe I hate to see you doing this to yourself.”
“Why?”
How to fight the truth? “We’ve known each other a long time. Maybe I’ve come to kind of care what happens to you.” She felt her cheeks go warm at the half-baked admission.
“Kind of care?” Matt asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Never mind.”
She turned away, but before she took a step one of his hands settled onto her shoulder, stopping her. She could feel the strength in his fingers, even though his touch was light.
Just keep going.
His hand slid down to her upper arm, and gently, he turned her to face him.
“You’re making a mistake with your knees,” she said stubbornly.
“A lot of other guys have made this mistake and lived to tell the tale.”
“Why is roping so damned—” The rest of the sentence was lost as he pulled her closer, startling her, and his mouth settled over hers.
Liv stiffened at the unexpected contact, her hands automatically coming up to flatten against the front of his shirt, putting up a barrier even as a small part of her whispered, About time.
His lips were warm, his chest hard as his heart beat steadily beneath her palms, and Liv found herself leaning into the kiss, breathing in the scent of man and arena dust and thinking it was one heady combination. The familiar and the unfamiliar. The unfamiliar was definitely the better of the two.
Matt ended the kiss seconds later, his point—whatever that may be—made, and Liv simply stared up at him, stunned at what had just happened. Really? He thought he could just kiss her?
Apparently so, because he gave her an odd look, as if surprised at the heat that had flared between them, then lowered his head to kiss her again. This time, though, Liv was ready and when his lips touched hers, she took the sides of his face in her hands and kissed him back. Kissed him deeply, touching her tongue to his, tentatively at first, then more