vanished in those fleeting seconds when he had been in danger. She could feel his eyes resting on her. Squaring her shoulders, she turned to face him. He studied her thoroughly, taking in the pallor in her fair complexion and the fear that still shadowed her eyes. She was looking at his white shirt stained with dirt from the arena floor.
'I don't make a very good rodeo fan,' she laughed nervously. 'My heart is in my throat too often. Are you all right?'
'A few bruises and pulled muscles.' Lije dismounted and led the horse into the stall. 'It's all a part of rodeo.'
'Like Lefty's broken arms,' Diana concluded for him. 'Have you ever been hurt seriously?'
'Cracked some ribs a couple of times. I broke my wrist once.' He unsaddled the bay and carried the saddle to its rack. His hand came up and touched the bump on his nose. 'I broke this once, too. But on the whole, I've been lucky.'
Diana shuddered, visualizing the horror of seeing Lije being carried from the arena on a stretcher. 'I couldn't shrug it off that easily,' she said. 'I'm not that brave.'
'You didn't panic until after it was over, I noticed,' Lije smiled. 'I saw you in the stands when I stood up. You were afraid, but you waited until you found out I was all right before you collapsed. Bravery is fighting back fear until there isn't any more reason to be afraid. You did fine, Diana. '
There was comfort in his words even if she didn't look at it the same way he did. She had been terrified. Her whole world had been on the verge of collapsing.
'Don't think about it any more,' he ordered grimly, his gaze seeing through her mask of composure. 'You'll only make it seem all out of proportion.'
'I know you're right,' she agreed weakly.
'While I'm brushing down Red, you look out at those stars and see if you can find the Little Dipper without me there to distract you,' Lije mocked, changing his tactics and winking at her.
It had the desired effect of changing her thoughts to the night before when the stars had brought her into his arms. The night was deceptively clear, making the stars appear so close that she could reach out and touch them. The cold spell was over and the air was pleasantly warm. After Lije's teasing and affectionate words, it was easy for Diana to give herself up to the magic of the evening. When Lije finished grooming the horses, she was even able to point with pride to the Little Dipper with its brilliant North Star.
'I'll have you navigating by the stars in no time,' Lije laughed, pulling her down on to a bale of hay next to the stable door. 'Have you ever slept outside underneath the stars? Jim and I used to do it every summer, except when it rained.' He was leaning back against the building, gazing out into the night. Diana leaned back, too, but she was covertly studying the faraway expression on his face. Contentment was blended with a hint of wistfulness. 'I miss the scent of pine that was always in the wind at the ranch. And the taste of piñon nuts that Jim and I used to spend hours gathering.'
'It all sounds like a new world to me,' Diana mused.
'A ranch isn't without dangers, too. There's always rattlesnakes, the odd mountain lion, the risk of getting lost if you don't know the area, or thrown from your horse and injured.'
'At least, you don't invite injury like you do in the rodeo,' Diana answered defiantly, but Lije just chuckled.
'I'm very careful.' His arm curled around her shoulders and drew her against his chest. She snuggled comfortably against him, relaxing under the soothing caress of his hand in the silken fineness of her hair.
'How did your meeting go with Cord?' she murmured.
'I thinkhe'll probably buy a couple of yearling fillies I have,' Lije answered softly. 'That will really help along with the stud fees to service four of his mares. I have a Hereford bull all picked out to improve the blood line of my cattle. With Cord's money and what I've earned so far this season, it will just about cover the cost of
'I don't make a very good rodeo fan,' she laughed nervously. 'My heart is in my throat too often. Are you all right?'
'A few bruises and pulled muscles.' Lije dismounted and led the horse into the stall. 'It's all a part of rodeo.'
'Like Lefty's broken arms,' Diana concluded for him. 'Have you ever been hurt seriously?'
'Cracked some ribs a couple of times. I broke my wrist once.' He unsaddled the bay and carried the saddle to its rack. His hand came up and touched the bump on his nose. 'I broke this once, too. But on the whole, I've been lucky.'
Diana shuddered, visualizing the horror of seeing Lije being carried from the arena on a stretcher. 'I couldn't shrug it off that easily,' she said. 'I'm not that brave.'
'You didn't panic until after it was over, I noticed,' Lije smiled. 'I saw you in the stands when I stood up. You were afraid, but you waited until you found out I was all right before you collapsed. Bravery is fighting back fear until there isn't any more reason to be afraid. You did fine, Diana. '
There was comfort in his words even if she didn't look at it the same way he did. She had been terrified. Her whole world had been on the verge of collapsing.
'Don't think about it any more,' he ordered grimly, his gaze seeing through her mask of composure. 'You'll only make it seem all out of proportion.'
'I know you're right,' she agreed weakly.
'While I'm brushing down Red, you look out at those stars and see if you can find the Little Dipper without me there to distract you,' Lije mocked, changing his tactics and winking at her.
It had the desired effect of changing her thoughts to the night before when the stars had brought her into his arms. The night was deceptively clear, making the stars appear so close that she could reach out and touch them. The cold spell was over and the air was pleasantly warm. After Lije's teasing and affectionate words, it was easy for Diana to give herself up to the magic of the evening. When Lije finished grooming the horses, she was even able to point with pride to the Little Dipper with its brilliant North Star.
'I'll have you navigating by the stars in no time,' Lije laughed, pulling her down on to a bale of hay next to the stable door. 'Have you ever slept outside underneath the stars? Jim and I used to do it every summer, except when it rained.' He was leaning back against the building, gazing out into the night. Diana leaned back, too, but she was covertly studying the faraway expression on his face. Contentment was blended with a hint of wistfulness. 'I miss the scent of pine that was always in the wind at the ranch. And the taste of piñon nuts that Jim and I used to spend hours gathering.'
'It all sounds like a new world to me,' Diana mused.
'A ranch isn't without dangers, too. There's always rattlesnakes, the odd mountain lion, the risk of getting lost if you don't know the area, or thrown from your horse and injured.'
'At least, you don't invite injury like you do in the rodeo,' Diana answered defiantly, but Lije just chuckled.
'I'm very careful.' His arm curled around her shoulders and drew her against his chest. She snuggled comfortably against him, relaxing under the soothing caress of his hand in the silken fineness of her hair.
'How did your meeting go with Cord?' she murmured.
'I thinkhe'll probably buy a couple of yearling fillies I have,' Lije answered softly. 'That will really help along with the stud fees to service four of his mares. I have a Hereford bull all picked out to improve the blood line of my cattle. With Cord's money and what I've earned so far this season, it will just about cover the cost of
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