condition, and she'd hoped to keep it hidden for a while. She glanced at her watch and managed to make out the time. Jack would be waiting for her. Inhaling a few deep breaths, she prayed for a calm spirit.
Buzz fell into step beside her. "You okay, Shannon?"
Great. The big boss himself would find out all too soon that she had feet of clay. "A little tired. Um, where's the mess hall? I'm supposed to meet Jack."
"I'll show you. A little worn out?"
She seized the excuse he offered. "Exhausted. I didn't get much sleep last night even though I'd been up over twenty-four hours. I never asked you how you happened to pick me for the assignment," she said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity."
He smiled. "You came highly recommended. Grady sang your praises. He told me he'd never seen anyone with your natural instinct with animals and that he could always count on you to show up at his office after school. A couple of other people recommended you too. Jack's dad for one."
"The senator? I'm surprised he even remembered me."
"He said you used to take care of his collies when he brought them in to the vet's office."
"His border collies. Great animals." She struggled to remember their names, but the memory eluded her. "I didn't even know he knew my name.
"The senator doesn't miss a trick."
"Have you known Jack a long time?"
"A fair spell. He was a teenage rodeo star when I was running a rodeo in Phoenix. He's a good trainer. I can't say the same about some of our other contestants."
Shannon grimaced. "Why'd you letTucker Larue enter?"
Buzz shrugged. "He met the requirements. I can't pick and choose favorites and have a fair contest."
Maybe she could get some information out of Buzz. He didn't seem to be holding anything back. "Tucker doesn't seem to like Jack. I saw them snarling at one another in the west paddock yesterday."
Buzz raised his brows. "You've noticed, eh? The two have clashed at more rodeos than I can count. Larue has a competitive streak too. If he loses, he makes sure the winner suffers in some way."
It was so clear now, six years after she'd first met him, that she'd been dazzled by Tucker's shiny belt buckles, snakeskin boots, and Stetson hat. She'd been fair game for a slick operator. She only prayed her girls didn't have to suffer for her stupidity.
"Here we are," Buzz said. "I see Jack is already at the far left corner. Looks like he wants some privacy." Amusement lingered in his voice.
"We, ah, have business to discuss."
"Sure, sure." He patted her hand. "If you need anything, you let me know, Shannon."
"Thanks, Buzz." She headed for the back table. Buzz was a great guy. She'd thought she didn't have a shot at this job, but he'd given her a chance. She was as weak as cactus tea by the time she got to where Jack waited. With her legs about to give out, she sank onto the bench. "Sorry I'm late. Have you been waiting long?"
He stretched out his long, jean-clad legs. "About five minutes. I wasn't sure you'd show."
She blinked her blurry eyes a few times. Thankfully, her vision was beginning to come back to normal. "I said I would."
Jack's gaze stayed on her. "I thought maybe you'd decided to see a lawyer first."
She met his gaze with her chin up. "It may be too complicated to do anything but consult an attorney," she said.
He frowned. "Are you okay? You look pale and upset."
"I didn't sleep last night." If she told him about her open door at midnight and finding Felipe when she arrived, he would use it against her and say the ranch wasn't safe for Faith.
She dug her sandwich out of her bag to gain some time to think. There was no easy way out of this situation. She knew he would have a suggestion though. Men like Jack always did. Men who took control of a situation, who cut the Gordian knot with one thrust of the sword. Men who thought they knew the best answer to any question. She could sense his eyes on her, looking for any sign of weakness. She forced her gaze up to lock with his.
His
Buzz fell into step beside her. "You okay, Shannon?"
Great. The big boss himself would find out all too soon that she had feet of clay. "A little tired. Um, where's the mess hall? I'm supposed to meet Jack."
"I'll show you. A little worn out?"
She seized the excuse he offered. "Exhausted. I didn't get much sleep last night even though I'd been up over twenty-four hours. I never asked you how you happened to pick me for the assignment," she said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity."
He smiled. "You came highly recommended. Grady sang your praises. He told me he'd never seen anyone with your natural instinct with animals and that he could always count on you to show up at his office after school. A couple of other people recommended you too. Jack's dad for one."
"The senator? I'm surprised he even remembered me."
"He said you used to take care of his collies when he brought them in to the vet's office."
"His border collies. Great animals." She struggled to remember their names, but the memory eluded her. "I didn't even know he knew my name.
"The senator doesn't miss a trick."
"Have you known Jack a long time?"
"A fair spell. He was a teenage rodeo star when I was running a rodeo in Phoenix. He's a good trainer. I can't say the same about some of our other contestants."
Shannon grimaced. "Why'd you letTucker Larue enter?"
Buzz shrugged. "He met the requirements. I can't pick and choose favorites and have a fair contest."
Maybe she could get some information out of Buzz. He didn't seem to be holding anything back. "Tucker doesn't seem to like Jack. I saw them snarling at one another in the west paddock yesterday."
Buzz raised his brows. "You've noticed, eh? The two have clashed at more rodeos than I can count. Larue has a competitive streak too. If he loses, he makes sure the winner suffers in some way."
It was so clear now, six years after she'd first met him, that she'd been dazzled by Tucker's shiny belt buckles, snakeskin boots, and Stetson hat. She'd been fair game for a slick operator. She only prayed her girls didn't have to suffer for her stupidity.
"Here we are," Buzz said. "I see Jack is already at the far left corner. Looks like he wants some privacy." Amusement lingered in his voice.
"We, ah, have business to discuss."
"Sure, sure." He patted her hand. "If you need anything, you let me know, Shannon."
"Thanks, Buzz." She headed for the back table. Buzz was a great guy. She'd thought she didn't have a shot at this job, but he'd given her a chance. She was as weak as cactus tea by the time she got to where Jack waited. With her legs about to give out, she sank onto the bench. "Sorry I'm late. Have you been waiting long?"
He stretched out his long, jean-clad legs. "About five minutes. I wasn't sure you'd show."
She blinked her blurry eyes a few times. Thankfully, her vision was beginning to come back to normal. "I said I would."
Jack's gaze stayed on her. "I thought maybe you'd decided to see a lawyer first."
She met his gaze with her chin up. "It may be too complicated to do anything but consult an attorney," she said.
He frowned. "Are you okay? You look pale and upset."
"I didn't sleep last night." If she told him about her open door at midnight and finding Felipe when she arrived, he would use it against her and say the ranch wasn't safe for Faith.
She dug her sandwich out of her bag to gain some time to think. There was no easy way out of this situation. She knew he would have a suggestion though. Men like Jack always did. Men who took control of a situation, who cut the Gordian knot with one thrust of the sword. Men who thought they knew the best answer to any question. She could sense his eyes on her, looking for any sign of weakness. She forced her gaze up to lock with his.
His
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