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“Aren’t you scared when you do your trick ridin’?” he asked, studying her eyes and thinking they were more aqua than green. “You stand on horses while their gallopin’, then hang off ‘em with your head inches from the ground.”
“But that’s controlled and rehearsed. I’m talking about other things, like what I’m doing outside the ring.”
“Which is?”
“Buying a horse, but back to you…what you do is so hard on your body, and you break bones! Let’s face it, you get thrown off every time you get on.”
“That’s the job,” he said with a grin. “Can I ask why you’re horse shoppin’?”
“I want to get into barrel racing, like—seriously get into it.”
“Here are your teas,” Dan announced, placing the cocktails in front of her.
“Thanks. Bye Rick. Nice to talk to you, and good luck. I hope you win today and end up show champion. Then you’ll be well on your way to that national title. Dan, you can put the drinks on Duke’s tab.”
“Duke Elwood?” the bartender interjected.
“Is there more than one Duke?” she shot back.
“Bailey, he’s not here.”
“But he’ll be walking through that door any minute.”
“I can’t put anything on his tab without—”
“For Pete’s sake. If he doesn’t show up I’ll pay for them before I leave,” she said testily, then picked up the glasses and strode back to her table.
“Damn! That girl…” Dan muttered. “She did this once before.”
“Did what?”
“Told me to put her drinks on Duke’s tab then left before he showed up. I had to run after her. She was mad as hell, but she paid me in the parkin’ lot.”
“When was this?”
“A few weeks back.”
“But there was no show here then.”
“Nope, she said she was just passin’ through.”
“Maybe I was right and she actuallyisdatin’ him and waitin’ for that ring,” Rick remarked, raising his eyebrows.
“She’ll be waitin’ a long time,” Dan murmured, leaning forward and almost whispering. “I know for a fact Duke’s got a girl in Dallas. A former Cowboy Cheerleader. She’s the daughter of some oil tycoon and things are serious.”
“How do you know?”
“I have a friend who’s a member of the Dallas Petroleum Club, and he heard —”
“TheDallas Petroleum Club?”
“Yep, and he heard this guy talkin’ about his daughter, and how she’d be marryin’ Duke Elwood.”
“Wow, you have some impressive friends,” Rick exclaimed, rolling his eyes. “It doesn’t get much ritzier than the Petroleum Club.”
“Only one impressive friend,” Dan remarked with a smile, “but if there is anything goin’ on between Duke and Bailey, I’m pretty sure it’s about to go to hell in a hand basket. Bailey can’t compete with an oil Princess, and knowing Marge Elwood, Duke will only walk down the aisle with royalty.”
“I guess bein’ the only son of a man who owns a slew of car dealerships would make Duke a great catch.”
