Page 9 of Worth the Trouble

She turned to him, surprise flickering in her eyes. “Um, yeah. I really do.”

He smiled and her focus dipped to his mouth. Was she as enamored by him as he was by her? Boy, he hoped so. He dipped his chin so he was closer, and she was forced to meet his gaze. A pretty blush spread across her nose and into her cheeks. “What do you like about it?”

At that, she scrunched her nose and looked away.

“Let me guess, it’s not the commanding a boardroom that gets you all warm and fuzzy. It’s something else.”

Cece grinned and returned her eyes to his.

Score.

“I like solving problems and honestly, I’m good at it.”

“I don’t doubt it.” This was probably the most he’d spoken to someone he wasn’t related to, and he was surprised at how easy it was becoming.

“What about you? What do you do?” She made a point of staring at his boots and then swept her gaze up to his hat before flicking the brim. “Let me guess. You’re a cowboy.”

One side of his mouth quirked upward. “In a manner of speaking.”

She arched a brow. “What does that mean? I don’t think you can be half a cowboy.”

He laughed and the sound nearly startled him. How long had it been since he laughed like that? Shaking his head, he grinned at her. Jason loved the way she looked at him. It was awe and intrigue. Curiosity and perhaps something more. “No, I’m not half anything. I’ve competed in the rodeo with my brother off and on for several years. But we focus more on training young men to enter the arena.”

“Really? That sounds so interesting.”

He shrugged noncommittally. It didn’t draw him like it used to, but saying as much would put a damper on the flow of their conversation.

At that moment someone parked their truck and trailer on the side of the street. There was some shuffling in the trailer, and Cece gasped. He turned to what she was looking at and understanding dawned. Through a small window, they could both see a horse peeking outside.

The truck tilted as the driver exited. He paused and gave Jason a double take. “Jason?”

“Chet.” Jason nodded back.

“How’s it going, man?” He closed the distance between them and they shook hands. “It’s been, what, two years?”

“Sounds about right,” Jason answered.

Chet turned to Cece and he gave her a warm smile.

“Cece, this is Chet. A friend from the rodeo circuit.”

She held out her hand and Chet accepted. “Nice to meet you.”

Chet jerked his chin toward a nearby building. “Just picking something up before heading out of town for a competition. It’s too bad we can’t catch up.”

“Is that your horse? It’s gorgeous,” Cece blurted.

He glanced toward the trailer and gave her a nod. “She is. Thanks.”

“Mind if I—” She inched closer.

Jason took her in with another new sense of awe. This was no country girl. She was city bred through and through. And yet here she was, drawn to the very creatures Jason loved the most.

Chet turned and moved with her. “Be my guest. She loves everyone.”

Metal screeching shattered the quiet night air and he winced. Chet unlocked and opened the trailer then gestured with a wave of his hand. “Her name is Lola.” The horse was a beautiful, warm chestnut color. She was a show horse trained for dressage. Jason had seen her compete, and she was one of the best he’d seen.

Cece showed no fear as she reached out toward Lola. “Hey, pretty girl,” she crooned. When Lola nudged into her touch, Cece went still and her eyes connected with Jason. It was a shared moment between two people who each had a love of animals, nothing more. He’d like to see how she’d do with a more skittish creature. The woman had a knack for calming him and that was by simply being in her presence. He wouldn’t be surprised if animals could sense that she meant no harm just like he did.