Read Online The Rancher's Dance by Allison Leigh - Free Book Online Page B

figured the older one was his father and the younger was the Nick that Beck had mentioned. Thanks to Shelby’s chatter during the much-too-brief hour that Lucy had gotten to spend with her yesterday afternoon, she’d learned that Nick was Shelby’s big brother.
    But Sarah just gave Lucy a look, and she exhaled. “Idon’t know what to think of him, okay?” Except that he didn’t make her feel old and past her prime.
    Not at all.
    A wicked smile was toying around Sarah’s lips. “Which means you are thinking something at least.”
    Lucy rolled her eyes. “I just got out of one relationship. I’m hardly interested in starting up something new. Consider me currently off men.” Because she’d had to or face their wrath, she’d already admitted to them that Lars had chosen someone else over her. Although, as with her parents, she hadn’t tied that particular point with her sprained knee. Nor had she admitted that her career was hanging by a thread. “Off all men might be overdoing it, but when it comes to Beckett Ventura, it’s probably just as well,” Sarah murmured. “That is one seriously grieving man. Half the single ladies—and a few attached ones, so I’ve heard—have thrown themselves at him and he never even blinks.”
    Lucy hesitated. Her gaze kept straying toward him. He was seated at a table on the other side of the room and she didn’t have a clear view. “Do you know what happened?”
    â€œWith his wife?” Sarah shook her head sadly. “A coworker of mine had Shelby in her kindergarten class last year. Evidently his wife died of cancer a few years ago. Shelby was only three. Deirdre told me it sounded as if Beck moved his family, lock, stock and barrel away from their home only a few months later.”
    He might have moved, but from what Lucy could tell, he hadn’t moved on.
    â€œAnyway, if you’re looking to get over Lars, our Mr. Ventura is probably not the way to go,” Sarah murmured.
    â€œSpeaking of…have you heard from Lars since you left?” Angeline asked.
    Lucy shook her head. “Nope. According to my friend Isabella—she’s the wardrobe supervisor—” she added for Mallory’s benefit “—he’s very busy with the lovely Natalia.” She grimaced.
    â€œLars was an ass,” J.D. said bluntly, jumping back into the conversation. She pointed the tip of her fork in Lucy’s direction. “And not worth a minute of your grief. Best thing for you is to jump back on the horse.” Her lips twitched. “So to speak.”
    â€œIs sex all you ever think about?” Angeline asked blandly.
    J.D. just smiled and shrugged. “Do you disagree with me?”
    Which had everyone rolling into more laughter when Angeline had to admit that she didn’t.
    Shaking her head at all of them, Lucy pushed up from her seat and brushed down the folds of her gauzy sundress. She didn’t want to think about sex. Mostly because her thoughts, irritatingly enough, went immediately in the direction of the grieving Beck. “I’ll be back.”
    Turning sideways, she worked her way through the tables toward the restroom in the rear of the room. She could see Beck’s table as she went, though his gaze never turned her way.
    She wondered where Shelby was. She wondered if Beck would manage to find a smile now that his son was home for a visit. She wondered why she couldn’t stop wondering about the man.
    There was a line at the ladies’ room, and by the time she returned to her table, the crowd around it had suddenly doubled. Girls’ night out had been duly crashed by a horde of husbands.
    Not that Lucy could spot a speck of unhappiness on anyone’s face. And once the hugs and the kisses were out ofthe way as the husbands welcomed her back to town, more tables were dragged together, more chairs were crowded in, more drinks