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Authors: Sara Walter Ellwood
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shook her head. “I guess I decided two minutes ago.”
Damn. She rushed to her office and clicked on the website for the university.She’d better get registered.
Chapter 5
Zack held onto Amanda’s hand and looked over the crowd gathered for the first game of the Colton Junior Cowboys and the Hamilton Broncos Wednesday evening. Football always drew a large crowd in this part of Texas. And the Pee Wee Flag Football League wasn’t an exception. The limited seating offered by rickety bleachers was filled to capacity and blankets and lawn chairs lined the sidelines. Every available space seemed to be filled.
If he hadn’t promised Mandy they would come to the game, he wouldn’t be here. That morning, Zack got the news that another rustling happened in a neighboring county. Herb Milroy was convinced the same thieves hitting up ranches in Forest County were involved.
Later in the day, Zack had been stuck at the office longer than his shift for a meeting with the Texas Rangers and FBI investigators involved in Leon Ferguson’s multiple murder case. When he’d gotten back to the ranch, one of the foremen cornered him with information that a strip of fencing between his share of the CW Ranch and a neighbor was down. His neighbor’s stud ended up on Zack’s side of the fence with his recently purchased thoroughbred mares. Lord only knew what damage to his mares that big paint stallion ended up doing.
As he tried to shake off the bad day, he looked over the spectators. The game had already started and the Junior Cowboys had scored the first touchdown.
Mandy tugged on his hand. “Hey, there’s Miz Tracy. She has plenty of room on her blanket. Let’s go sit with her.”
Before he could protest, Mandy let go of his hand and weaved her way around the other cheering spectators. She stopped beside the worn blanket on which Tracy lounged with her arms braced behind her and her long, bare legs crossed at the ankles. She’d kicked off her sandals and they lay beside her slender feet. The early evening sun played in the long hair flowing over her shoulders, picking out golden highlights from the brown. Tracy had no idea just how sexy she was with her lean body dressed in denim shorts and a t-shirt.
When Tracy looked over her shoulder at Amanda, he watched a winning smile light up her sculpted face. She said something to Mandy, but Zack was too far away to hear. However, as Amanda sat next to her, he assumed it must have been an invitation. A knot formed in his throat as Tracy put her arm around his daughter’s shoulders, hugging her close. Mandy smiled at Tracy and said something that made her laugh. Even from the distance, he heard the husky whisper of her laughter.
Tracy looked over the heads of those sitting behind her and greeted him with a tentative smile of invitation. Every brain cell still holding an ounce of reasoning screamed at him to grab his daughter and sit somewhere else. Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to have enough of those brain cells left.
Zack sat on the blanket beside Mandy and looked out over the field as a kid from the opposing team ran the football until a Cowboy deflagged him, downing the ball.
He looked at Tracy and smiled. “Hi. Thanks for the seat.”
“You’re welcome.” Tracy pulled her legs up to sit in an identical pose to his six-year-old. Something Mandy called crisscross applesauce . He knew it as Indian style, but he supposed these days everything had to be politically correct. “You making an official appearance? Or are you here to watch someone in particular?”
“I guess it’s an official appearance, and I promised to bring Mandy. She wanted to see Bobby play.” Zack suddenly found himself tongue-tied. Looking for something else to say, he asked, “Your parents aren’t here?”
“Nope, they decided to take a drive down to Fort Hood for a few days to visit the general in charge. Dad’s friends with him.” She shrugged and a clump of her dark hair fell
Damn. She rushed to her office and clicked on the website for the university.She’d better get registered.
Chapter 5
Zack held onto Amanda’s hand and looked over the crowd gathered for the first game of the Colton Junior Cowboys and the Hamilton Broncos Wednesday evening. Football always drew a large crowd in this part of Texas. And the Pee Wee Flag Football League wasn’t an exception. The limited seating offered by rickety bleachers was filled to capacity and blankets and lawn chairs lined the sidelines. Every available space seemed to be filled.
If he hadn’t promised Mandy they would come to the game, he wouldn’t be here. That morning, Zack got the news that another rustling happened in a neighboring county. Herb Milroy was convinced the same thieves hitting up ranches in Forest County were involved.
Later in the day, Zack had been stuck at the office longer than his shift for a meeting with the Texas Rangers and FBI investigators involved in Leon Ferguson’s multiple murder case. When he’d gotten back to the ranch, one of the foremen cornered him with information that a strip of fencing between his share of the CW Ranch and a neighbor was down. His neighbor’s stud ended up on Zack’s side of the fence with his recently purchased thoroughbred mares. Lord only knew what damage to his mares that big paint stallion ended up doing.
As he tried to shake off the bad day, he looked over the spectators. The game had already started and the Junior Cowboys had scored the first touchdown.
Mandy tugged on his hand. “Hey, there’s Miz Tracy. She has plenty of room on her blanket. Let’s go sit with her.”
Before he could protest, Mandy let go of his hand and weaved her way around the other cheering spectators. She stopped beside the worn blanket on which Tracy lounged with her arms braced behind her and her long, bare legs crossed at the ankles. She’d kicked off her sandals and they lay beside her slender feet. The early evening sun played in the long hair flowing over her shoulders, picking out golden highlights from the brown. Tracy had no idea just how sexy she was with her lean body dressed in denim shorts and a t-shirt.
When Tracy looked over her shoulder at Amanda, he watched a winning smile light up her sculpted face. She said something to Mandy, but Zack was too far away to hear. However, as Amanda sat next to her, he assumed it must have been an invitation. A knot formed in his throat as Tracy put her arm around his daughter’s shoulders, hugging her close. Mandy smiled at Tracy and said something that made her laugh. Even from the distance, he heard the husky whisper of her laughter.
Tracy looked over the heads of those sitting behind her and greeted him with a tentative smile of invitation. Every brain cell still holding an ounce of reasoning screamed at him to grab his daughter and sit somewhere else. Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to have enough of those brain cells left.
Zack sat on the blanket beside Mandy and looked out over the field as a kid from the opposing team ran the football until a Cowboy deflagged him, downing the ball.
He looked at Tracy and smiled. “Hi. Thanks for the seat.”
“You’re welcome.” Tracy pulled her legs up to sit in an identical pose to his six-year-old. Something Mandy called crisscross applesauce . He knew it as Indian style, but he supposed these days everything had to be politically correct. “You making an official appearance? Or are you here to watch someone in particular?”
“I guess it’s an official appearance, and I promised to bring Mandy. She wanted to see Bobby play.” Zack suddenly found himself tongue-tied. Looking for something else to say, he asked, “Your parents aren’t here?”
“Nope, they decided to take a drive down to Fort Hood for a few days to visit the general in charge. Dad’s friends with him.” She shrugged and a clump of her dark hair fell
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