Cooper stuck out his hand. “Welcome to the neighborhood, Dallas.”
After a few words about keeping in touch, Dallas headed for his truck. He spent so much time on the road for his next chance to ride bulls, he’d stopped thinking about a place to call home. He lived out of his pickup or in hotel rooms. The house he’d rented in Barren was the only anchor he’d had in years, certainly since he’d left his parents’ home in Denver to make his mark in the world of professional rodeo. And people still called his rental the Whittaker house. But he was meeting neighbors, making friends here, and his long-lost brother was nearby...good people, except for those who criticized Lizzie. And yeah, he still thought of her as Lizzie.
He could almost think about sinking roots in this flat Kansas ground.
Too bad Dallas didn’t intend to stay.
He still had places to go. A gold buckle to win. He didn’t want anything to tie him down.
AS SOON AS she realized Dallas was home from Denver the next morning, Elizabeth carried a peace offering to his house. After her talk with Jordan, she’d wondered if she was being fair to her son, and that had just made her think about Dallas. She’d had to work up her nerve to cross the yard, and when he opened the door, he gaped at her, his eyes hooded, his posture taut. She hadn’t seen him since before his trip. She shouldn’t expect him to welcome her now.
She handed him a slip of paper, which Dallas glanced at. “Who’s this?”
“The man you were looking for,” she said. “His number. How were your parents?”
“Not that good. You mean the guy who mows the lawn at city hall? Handled the fair too?”
Dallas didn’t seem particularly receptive, and Elizabeth had one foot on the top step to leave. Maybe he was holding a grudge. “I had to do some digging to find his phone contacts. I don’t know whether he can be of help.”
“Thanks for making the effort.” Dallas folded and unfolded the note. “But the fairgrounds are out, so I may not need a permit.”
She could hear the disappointment in his voice. “What will you do, then?”
“Try to find another arena.” Then, as if he’d changed his mind about her unannounced visit, he said, “Come in. I want to show you something too.”
Elizabeth hesitated. She had never been inside the house, even when the Whittakers lived there, and what else was there to say? As promised, she’d brought him that name. If she were lucky, Bernice wouldn’t be watching from her window, which had a clear view of both homes, but Elizabeth had already exposed herself on the walk between her house and his. “I can’t. I was on my way out when I realized you were home,” she said, then felt the need to explain. “I’m working today. In town.”
Dallas crossed his arms. “Glad to hear you’re getting out more. What’s the job?”
A new sense of pride made her smile. “I’m helping at Olivia’s shop—she’s leaving the country soon so I’m to pick up the slack while she’s gone.” She glanced toward Bernice’s house, then took another backward step.
“I see.” Dallas had followed her gaze. He caught her arm just before Elizabeth would have fallen down the stairs. “You really think people have their faces pressed to the glass?”
“In this case, I’m sure she would.” Elizabeth cleared her throat. “Dallas, I’m sorry. After I asked you about Jack—if you’d told him about our dinner—it didn’t take long for me to see the truth. Bernice Caldwell often has lunch, even dinner, at the Bon Appetit, so she talks to Jack all the time. She probably saw you pick up the food then come to my door later with the bags from the restaurant, put two and two together, and had to spread the news.”
He continued to stare at her, but the hard look had faded from his eyes. In fact, they held both sympathy and a glint of challenge. She should pull her arm free.
Dallas said, “I’m also sorry. I shouldn’t have shoved my rodeo career in your face.” He held the door open for her. “Five minutes, in and out. Even Bernice can’t be sitting at her window every second of the day.”
Curiosity and his light grasp drew her inside to the cool dimness of the entryway. She looked around, then followed him into the living room. And stopped. There wasn’t a lot there.
“I rented a furniture package, the basics.” He gestured at the plain, masculine-looking sofa, matching chair, end tables and a coffee table with a glass top. The dining room they saw next was empty, so no wonder he didn’t eat there, but his kitchen held a small bistro set with two French-style chairs. Elizabeth wouldn’t think about the second-floor rooms. Maybe he slept on his couch. Dallas motioned her to one of the seats, then took some papers off the table.
Elizabeth watched the concentration on his face as he scribbled something. Then, with a satisfied nod, he handed her a list. “My riders so far,” he said. “Just added another. Cooper Ransom. Too bad the fairgrounds are a no-go.” He looked into her eyes. “I’m curious. What did you say to that guy I asked you to find?”
“I told him I needed my lawn mowed and I’d give him a call.” Her gaze wandered toward the other room, the front door. “It’s too bad the fairgrounds didn’t work out.” She stood and gave back the list of local ranchers she’d barely glanced at. “Now I do have to go—”
He charmed her with the smile she hadn’t seen in too long, and some of the awkwardness that had been between them seemed to dissipate. “I haven’t shown you my new mower yet.” Teasing, he waggled his eyebrows. “Leased for the summer,” he said, which only reminded her of his temporary status in her hometown. “It’s a beauty, and you don’t need that guy.
