Whirlwind - Janet Dailey Page 0,5

Then, lengthening his loose, easy stride, he moved off down the line of holding pens.

The next time Lexie looked in that direction, Shane Tully was gone. At least he’d been polite, she told herself—in fact his manner had been downright winning. And he did have nice eyes. When he smiled, they almost sparkled.

But he’d taken advantage of her trusting nature, and she’d let him. When would she ever learn?

Ruben showed up a few minutes later. Short and square built, with the black eyes and sharp-boned features of his people, he’d been a bull rider himself in his youth, when the sport was far less glamourous than now. He still limped from injuries he’d suffered—broken bones badly set. But nobody knew more about cattle, especially bucking bulls, than Ruben Diego.

“I brought you some barbecue and fries.” He held out a grease-stained paper bag and a can of diet soda.

“Thanks.” Lexie still wasn’t hungry, but she knew better than to reject a kindness. She reached for the food, then had another thought. “If you don’t mind holding on to it a little longer, I could use a restroom before I eat. There’s one on the midway. I’ll be right back.”

Without waiting for a reply, she dashed off. The midway wasn’t far, and, as luck would have it, there was no line inside the women’s restroom. Lexie finished in the stall, washed her hands, and splashed her dusty face with water.

Drying her hands on her jeans, she stepped outside, then stopped as if she’d run into a wall. Her pulse slammed. Not a dozen feet away, half-screened by the passing crowd, she saw Shane, talking face-to-face with the drunk who’d tried to assault her.

Had they seen her? Thinking fast, she ducked around the corner of the building that housed the restrooms. Peering back the way she’d come, she could see the two men and catch most of their conversation.

As Lexie watched, Shane took several bills out of his wallet and handed them to the big man, who sported a fresh dressing on his nose.

“Count it if you want,” Shane said. “It’s all there, what we agreed on.”

“Well, it’s not enough,” the big man whined. “Breaking my damned nose wasn’t part of the plan. You were supposed to rescue the little bitch before I made a move.”

Shaking his head, Shane handed the man two more bills. “That should cover the damages. Now go and get lost. You never saw me, understand?”

As the two men separated and melted into the crowd, Lexie sagged against the brick wall. Her heart was pounding. Tears of fury blurred her vision. The drunk, Shane’s all-too-timely appearance, and their “friendly” conversation were all part of someone’s plan. She’d been set up and played like a twelve-string banjo—and she hated it.

But Lexie wasn’t just annoyed. She was puzzled, and a little scared. Last week she’d found a threatening note on her windshield. Today a charming cowboy had gone to a lot of trouble to win her confidence and pump her for information.

Was there a connection? Was someone trying to scare her, or was the danger real?

CHAPTER TWO

SHANE WANDERED DOWN THE MIDWAY, KILLING TIME AND FEELING lower than a snake’s belly. He’d done exactly what Brock wanted him to. Even though the staged rescue hadn’t gone as planned, he’d managed to break the ice with Lexie. He’d gotten a close look at Whirlwind and learned about conditions at her ranch. He’d even let her know that he had a buyer for the bull if her family was interested. After that, with her discovery that he was working for Brock, things had fallen apart fast. He’d be surprised if the woman ever spoke to him again.

Brock couldn’t fault him for effort. But right now, Shane didn’t like himself much. Lexie Champion wasn’t just pretty. She was honest, passionate, and smart. And he’d played her in a way that was downright insulting.

He glanced at the time on his cell phone, scrolled to Brock’s number and prepared to give his boss an accounting.

Brock picked up on the second ring. “So how did it go?” His deep, throaty voice would have done credit to a Star Wars villain.

“Not as good as we’d hoped,” Shane said. “The bull looks world-class. I’ll know more when I’ve seen him buck. But she’s not interested in selling.”

“That’s no surprise. Anything else I should know?”

Shane took a breath, knowing Brock wouldn’t be pleased with the next bit of news. “Just this. She guessed that I was fronting for you. And she