its four corners spouted white steam to signal a successful ride.
Sponsor logos were everywhere—everything from western and outdoor gear to trucks to sports drinks. They blazed on the barriers that ringed the arena. There were logos on the gates and chute rails, on the shark cage, on walls, and even on people. Only the bulls were free of signage.
It was all about money. Lots of money.
Lexie sank into an aisle seat, letting the stillness of the place surround her—a place that, hours from now, would be exploding with noise. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, willing her nerves to stop jangling. She’d have a long wait before the ride that would test Whirlwind’s mettle and, possibly, determine the future of the ranch.
With Shane mounting her bull, anything could happen.
“Lexie? Is that you?” The deep baritone voice, familiar in a pleasant way, startled her. She turned in her seat to see a muscular man, dressed in the loose-fitting athletic gear of a bullfighter, striding down the aisle toward her.
“Casey!” Jumping to her feet, she ran to meet him, hesitated an instant, then flung herself into his open arms for a bear hug. “How did you find me?” she asked.
He let her go. “I saw your bull. Figured someone in your family must’ve brought him. I was hoping it might be you. When I asked around, somebody told me you’d gone in here.”
His broad, handsome face wore a welcoming grin. Casey Bose-man, Jack’s best friend and Val’s high school beau, was almost family. If Val had possessed the good sense to marry him instead of running off to Hollywood, he would be family. But it was too late to change the past.
“What are you doing in here by yourself?” he asked.
“Decompressing. It’s a madhouse out there.”
“It’ll get worse. Be prepared. Have you had lunch?”
She shook her head.
“I know where to find some great barbecue. Come on, I’ll treat you. We’ve got some catching up to do.”
She let him usher her back into the blinding daylight. Casey had been crushed when Val left without warning. Later on, he’d married a woman he’d met at a party, but the marriage had lasted less than a year—in part, Lexie suspected, because he’d never gotten over his lost love.
On the night of Jack’s death, Casey had been with him in the arena. He’d flung himself into the path of the bull, but hadn’t been able to stop the beast from crushing his best friend. Every time he stepped onto the dirt, Lexie knew that the tragedy must be in the back of his mind. And every time he saved a rider from danger, he undoubtedly wished it could have been Jack.
The last time Lexie had seen him was at Jack’s funeral, where he’d helped carry the casket. Casey had the kindest heart of anyone she knew—and it had been shattered twice, by members of her own family.
“I was sorry to hear about your dad, Lexie,” he said as they left the arena complex and headed down the midway. “Bert was a good man. I’d have come for the funeral, but I was working and couldn’t get away.”
“Val didn’t come.” Lexie knew what he was really asking. “She didn’t even send flowers.”
“You never found out what happened between them?”
“Dad never talked about it. But whatever it was, it must’ve been bitter. Val never came home again. Not even for his funeral.”
“Now that he’s gone, is there any chance that might change?” His voice held a faint note of hope.
“Val hasn’t mentioned it—not that we hear from her that often. But the ranch can’t compete with Hollywood. There’s nothing for her in Arizona.”
They walked in silence for a few minutes, both of them lost in thought. A couple of years ago Lexie, Tess, and Callie had driven into Tucson to see Val in a movie. She’d played the hero’s receptionist, her only spoken line, “Mr. Ames will see you now, sir.”
Val had appeared in a few other bit parts and done some commercial work. She hadn’t made it big in movieland. But she was still there, living her California life and waiting for her big break—a break that might never come. Meanwhile, knowing Val, the last thing she’d want would be to admit failure and come crawling home.
Lexie could only hope that Casey would understand.
“Here we are. What’s your pleasure?” Casey had stopped at a food truck parked next to some picnic tables. Mouthwatering aromas drifted through the windows. Lexie ordered brisket with beans, coleslaw, and