she comes down?”
“Of course. Be careful, Jenna. I know you love to get around those bulls entirely too much.” Louisa shook her finger at her. “You may be fooling Logan, but I know what you've been up to. Since I bake cookies for the hands, they tell me everything I need to know.”
“Tattletales.” Jenna smiled, clutching the note. “Yes, I love the bulls. I have since the day Logan let me help him with Tango. Do you remember him?”
“I do, the little black bull that you used to brush with the currycomb.”
“That’s right. He grew to be a big rascal. I used to ride him when no one was looking,” Jenna confessed on her way out the door.
“If Logan had known, he’d have had a fit.” Louisa called. “And he'd croak if he knew you were doing it now. So be careful!
“I know, that’s why I haven't told him. And I'll be careful, don't worry. The guys are going to help me with some pointers today.” Jenna laughed as she hurried away, opening the note as she went. As soon as she was past the porch, she darted under a tree to sit on a bench next to Louisa’s mountain laurels. With shaking fingers, she opened the note. This was new. Jenna couldn’t remember him writing to her before, other than cards. Holding her breath, she read…
Jenna, I know I told you we’d talk, and we will. But there’s one thing that won’t wait. I need to apologize for what happened. It was a mistake. I was totally out of line. When I see you, we’ll straighten all of this out. Be careful on the road if you take the new truck for a spin.
Logan
A mistake? Did he mean the kiss? For just a second, she wanted to wad up the paper and throw it as far as she could. Instead, she folded it delicately and slipped it in her back pocket. “We’ll see about that, Logan. We’ll just see about that.”
* * *
A little while later…
Dixie covered her eyes as she headed toward the stock pens. Why did the morning sun have to be so viciously bright? She wondered as she took in the sounds and smells of a spring morning on Gray Wolf Ranch. She’d heard a lot about this place from Jenna, but this was her first time to visit. She hadn't expected so much hustle and bustle, but she loved it. They’d met in high school, although Dixie was two years older than Jenna. Their love for horses had drawn them together. Both had been members of The Rodeo Club and Horsewomen, organizations that promoted the cowboy lifestyle and kept the spirit of the Old West alive.
“Jenna!” she called, then paused to listen.
“She’s over there!” A young ranch hand pointed, giving Dixie a wink.
“I think I might like it here,” she mumbled, turning around to watch the jean clad guy walk off in a pair of chaps that gave her all kinds of ideas.
“Easy.” A deep male voice said, “No, hold the rope like this, Jenna.”
Dixie followed the noise and was shocked to find Jenna on top of a big spotted bull in a chute. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Oh, hey,” Jenna waved, lifting her hand, causing the big animal to shift his weight, making the fence creak. “I’m about to take this big boy for a ride!”
Moving closer to the fence, she stepped up on the bottom plank to get a better view. What she saw made her gasp. Three or four men were laying out bats of hay, actually carpeting the ground, making a veritable cushiony blanket – just in case…
The gate flew open and the bull erupted into the open space. With a spin and a whirl, the hulking beast went one way and Jenna flew off the other, landing with a soft thud in the hay. Instantly the four cowboys were by her side and all Dixie could hear was giggles.
“I want to do it again!”
“Oh, my lands,” Dixie whispered. “She’s lost her mind.”
Over the next two hours, Dixie watched as two of the cowboys coached Jenna through another ten rides on the bull. They taught her how to fall, how to hold her arm up for balance, and the older of the duo, Cecil, explained it