different. But there are millions of stars out there. Don’t be afraid to latch on to one that’s shooting in a different direction. It might just take you where you really want to go.”
* * *
The frigid air hit her like an impenetrable wall of ice, but Charity tucked her chin into her wool scarf and trudged toward the barn. There weren’t any stars there, but that didn’t matter. The only star she wanted to latch on to was in Vegas. That’s where she’d set her sights, and the few setbacks she’d had of late weren’t going to dissuade her.
She couldn’t give up.
But Vegas and auditions were a long way off. Right now the only thing that concerned her was getting to Mike’s before the streak of morning sunlight on the horizon widened.
She hadn’t told Lauren and Sam where she was going. If she had, a whole new series of questions and speculations about her brief encounter with Mike would have popped up. Instead she’d told them she wanted to go for a ride. They’d both thought she was out of her mind to go out so early in the morning, but she wouldn’t be swayed. In the end, Sam told her to take any one of the horses in the barn.
But the barn was empty.
And even if she did have a horse to ride, she didn’t have the foggiest idea where Mike lived. Obviously the morning was not turning out as she’d planned.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Sure didn’t expect you up at the crack of dawn.”
Charity spun around at the unexpected sound of a stranger’s voice. The man was old and bent, but she saw a ton of charm hidden behind his scraggly whiskers.
“I’m Charity Wilde,” she said, smiling. “You must be Crosby.”
“Yeah, that’s me all right. Just call me Cros. I’m not big on lots of syllables. And this here’s Rufus,” he said, patting the Border collie who’d dropped to his haunches at his master’s side. “Used to be Jack’s dog till all them kids took over the house and drove Rufus crazy. He hangs out with me now.”
Crosby scratched his grizzled cheek. “We’re out for our mornin‘ constitutional. What’s your excuse for being out here?”
“I wanted to go for a ride.”
“Jack turned the horses out before headin‘ to Sheridan. Must have left an hour or so ago to pick up Beau from the airport. Don’t know why that kid had to go away to college. A man can learn a hell of a lot more stickin’ around this place.”
“I heard there weren’t enough girls around and that’s why he chose to go away.”
“Yeah, I heard that, too.” Crosby cocked his head and his bushy white brows knit together as he studied her. “You gonna stick around?”
“Just a few days.”
“Too bad. I ain’t never been big on crowds but wouldn’t hurt to have another woman or two in this part of the country. Give us old farts somethin‘ better to look at than cows or each other.”
Charity found herself smiling. “Gets lonely out here, huh?”
“I ain’t got time to get lonely. Pastor Flynn comes by every night to check on me and sticks around for hours. You’d swear the feller didn’t have a home of his own.” He scratched his whiskers again. “You run into the good pastor yet?”
“Last night. Actually I thought I’d pay him a visit this morning.”
A wily grin touched his rheumy eyes. “Well, you ain’t gonna find him out here. He hangs his hat a mile or so up the road. I’d give you a ride but I ain’t allowed to drive no more. Can’t get on the back of a gall-darn horse, either. Sure is a pain in the butt gettin‘ old.”
Charity linked her arm through Crosby’s. “What if I walk with you a ways and you point out the direction I should go to find Mike’s place?”
“No need for you to waste your time with me.” He pulled away from her arm and hobbled slowly toward the tack room. “Grab one of them saddles and bridles in there, we’ll round you up a horse, and I’ll head you toward Mike’s.” His eyes narrowed. “You a good rider or a so-so one?”
“I
* * *
The frigid air hit her like an impenetrable wall of ice, but Charity tucked her chin into her wool scarf and trudged toward the barn. There weren’t any stars there, but that didn’t matter. The only star she wanted to latch on to was in Vegas. That’s where she’d set her sights, and the few setbacks she’d had of late weren’t going to dissuade her.
She couldn’t give up.
But Vegas and auditions were a long way off. Right now the only thing that concerned her was getting to Mike’s before the streak of morning sunlight on the horizon widened.
She hadn’t told Lauren and Sam where she was going. If she had, a whole new series of questions and speculations about her brief encounter with Mike would have popped up. Instead she’d told them she wanted to go for a ride. They’d both thought she was out of her mind to go out so early in the morning, but she wouldn’t be swayed. In the end, Sam told her to take any one of the horses in the barn.
But the barn was empty.
And even if she did have a horse to ride, she didn’t have the foggiest idea where Mike lived. Obviously the morning was not turning out as she’d planned.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Sure didn’t expect you up at the crack of dawn.”
Charity spun around at the unexpected sound of a stranger’s voice. The man was old and bent, but she saw a ton of charm hidden behind his scraggly whiskers.
“I’m Charity Wilde,” she said, smiling. “You must be Crosby.”
“Yeah, that’s me all right. Just call me Cros. I’m not big on lots of syllables. And this here’s Rufus,” he said, patting the Border collie who’d dropped to his haunches at his master’s side. “Used to be Jack’s dog till all them kids took over the house and drove Rufus crazy. He hangs out with me now.”
Crosby scratched his grizzled cheek. “We’re out for our mornin‘ constitutional. What’s your excuse for being out here?”
“I wanted to go for a ride.”
“Jack turned the horses out before headin‘ to Sheridan. Must have left an hour or so ago to pick up Beau from the airport. Don’t know why that kid had to go away to college. A man can learn a hell of a lot more stickin’ around this place.”
“I heard there weren’t enough girls around and that’s why he chose to go away.”
“Yeah, I heard that, too.” Crosby cocked his head and his bushy white brows knit together as he studied her. “You gonna stick around?”
“Just a few days.”
“Too bad. I ain’t never been big on crowds but wouldn’t hurt to have another woman or two in this part of the country. Give us old farts somethin‘ better to look at than cows or each other.”
Charity found herself smiling. “Gets lonely out here, huh?”
“I ain’t got time to get lonely. Pastor Flynn comes by every night to check on me and sticks around for hours. You’d swear the feller didn’t have a home of his own.” He scratched his whiskers again. “You run into the good pastor yet?”
“Last night. Actually I thought I’d pay him a visit this morning.”
A wily grin touched his rheumy eyes. “Well, you ain’t gonna find him out here. He hangs his hat a mile or so up the road. I’d give you a ride but I ain’t allowed to drive no more. Can’t get on the back of a gall-darn horse, either. Sure is a pain in the butt gettin‘ old.”
Charity linked her arm through Crosby’s. “What if I walk with you a ways and you point out the direction I should go to find Mike’s place?”
“No need for you to waste your time with me.” He pulled away from her arm and hobbled slowly toward the tack room. “Grab one of them saddles and bridles in there, we’ll round you up a horse, and I’ll head you toward Mike’s.” His eyes narrowed. “You a good rider or a so-so one?”
“I
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