“A hundred bucks,cuz.And judging by that spectacular toss over the rail, I'd say you earned it."Wyatt tucked the money into his pocket. "It was pretty spectacular, wasn't it? And it worked. It got the attention of our pretty little medic."Jesse,Amy,and Zane stopped dead in their tracks.Amy laughed. "You did all that to get Lee's attention?""Nothing else I've tried has worked. I was desperate."Jesse shook his head in disbelief. "Did you ever think about just buying her a beer at the Fortune Saloon? I'd think that would be a whole lot simpler than risking broken bones leaping off a bull.""But not nearly as memorable.The next time she sees me at the saloon, she'll know my name."Zane threw back his head and roared. "So will every shrink from here to Helena. You have to be certifiably nuts to do all that just for the sake of a pretty face.""Hey." Wyatt slapped his cousin on the back. "Whatever works.'"Zane pulled out a roll of bills. "Ten says she's already written you off as someone to avoid at all costs."Wyatt's smile brightened. "Chump change. If you want to bet me, make it a hundred.""You got it." Zane pulled a hundred from the roll and handed it to Jesse. "Now match it, cuz. I was going to bet that you can't persuade Marilee Trainor to even speak to you again. But just to make things interesting, I'm betting that you can't get her to have dinner with you tonight.""Dinner? Tonight? Now you're pushing the limits,cuz. She's already refused me.""Put up or shut up."Wyatt arched a brow. "You want me to kiss and tell?""I don't say anything about kissing. I don't care what you do,after you get her to have dinner with you.That's the bet. So if you're ready to admit defeat, just give me the hundred now.""Uh-oh." Wyatt stopped dead in his tracks. "Is that a dare?"Amy stood between them,shaking her head. "You sound like two little kids."Wyatt shot her a wicked grin. "Didn't you know that all men are just boys at heart?"He reached into his pocket and handed Zane a bill before he strolled away.Over his shoulder he called, "I'll catch you back at the ranch. You can pay me then."He left his cousins laughing and shaking their heads.”

“Hey." Jesse leaned on a rail to watch as Wyatt bent to his task. "When did you get back?"Wyatt barely paused. "Not sure. Time passes,you know?""Yeah." Jesse arched a brow. "Something eating you,cuz?""I'm fine.""Yeah.I can see that." Jesse turned to Zane and rolled his eyes. "We're heading up to the north range. Want to ride along?""I'm fine here.""Well,yeah,you're doing a great job on that stall.But when you're through shoveling manure,what're you planning on doing the rest of the day?"Instead of te laugh he was expecting, Wyatt swore. Loudly. Fiercely."I guess that means you'd like to be alone." Jesse shoved his hands into his back pockets. "Speaking from experience as an old married man,I'd say this also means that you and the lovely Lee have had a lovers' spat."In response Wyatt dug the pitchfork into a pile of dung and tossed it Jesse's way.Jesse ducked,avoiding most of the mess, except for a few bits of straw that clung to his hair.From a safe distance Zane gave a roar of laughter. "I think that means he isn't seeking your sage device, O Ancient One.""Your loss,cuz.I could have told you that what women really want is for you to admire their minds. Even when they don't make any sense at all." Jesse picked out the pieces of straw and tossed them aside before turning to Zane. "Come on.We've got a herd to deal with. Let's leave Mr. Happy to work out his problems in this pile of...horse manure."Laughing,the two strolled out of the barn.Wyatt swore gain and continued shoveling until every stall sparkled. Then he moved on to the cow barns, working his way through a mountain of frustration.”

“It's hard to imagine you working as a waitress in some college-town bar, Aunt Cora. Were you wearing Coot's overalls back then?"The older woman put a hand to her hip. "I'll have you know I was once considered quite a babe."While the others were grinning, Cal rushed to her defense. "Still are to me, Cora."Then,realizing what he'd just said, his face reddened.His discomfort wasn't lost on the others.Amy and Marilee exchanged meaningful looks, while Jesse,Wyatt, and Zane jumped at the chance to start teasing him."Careful,Cal." Jesse winked at his cousins. "Next thing you know,Aunt Cora will invite you to her studio to pose for a portrait."Wyatt chuckled. "Just remember to keep your boots on,Cal.”

“Do you remember the time we tied a lasso to a tree limb and decided to swing across the creek like Tarzan?" Wyatt tipped up his frosty bottle and took a long pull."Yeah." Zane was already laughing. "As usual,you two decided that I'd be the one to try it out first.That way,if it broke,I'd be the one tossed into the creek.""It stands to reason." Jesse chuckled. "You were the youngest. That's just the price you had to pay to hang out with us.""And," Wyatt added, "you were always willing to go along with whatever we decided." Zane shook his head. "Not when I used it to fly across the creek.""And not when I followed him," Wyatt said with a laugh. "But Jesse, assured that it was safe,grabbed hold and was flying through the air when the branch snapped."Amy looked over at her husband. "You landed in the creek?""Yeah? On the day after one of our biggest storms,with the water spilling over its banks and rushing so fast it carried me downstream half a mile or more."She put a hand to her mouth to cover her shock and saw Cora do the same.Wyatt laughed. "He was lucky Zane and I had our horses tethered nearby.We chased along the banks of the creek until we could get far enough ahead to toss him a tree branch to catch. By the time we hauled him out,he looked like a drowned rat and was spitting mad.""I had a right to be.I swallowed half the creek."Zane laughed. "But think how lucky we were that it happened to you instead of me. At least you could swim."Marilee's eyes rounded. "They had you test the rope when they knew you couldn't swim?"Wyatt was laughing even harder. "We figured it was one way for him to learn.""How old were you?"They thought a minute before Wyatt answered. "I was eight,so that would make Jesse ten and Zane seven.""You could have all drowned.""Yeah.Looking back,we were lucky to have surrived so many foolish adventures. But," Wyatt added, "I wouldn't have missed a single one of them."of them”

“Wyatt." She tore it open and stood there, drinking him in.Just the sight of him had her heart doing a happy dance in her chest."Don't throw me out." He lifted a hand. "I come in peace.With food."When she didn't say a word he added, "Pizza.With all your favorite toppings.Sausage, mushrooms, green...""Well,then." To hide the unexpected tears that sprang to her eyes,she turned away quickly. "Since you went to so much trouble,you may as well come in.""It was no trouble.I just rode a hundred miles on my Harley,fought my way through the smoke screen at the Fortune Saloon,had to fend off Daffy's attempts to have her way with me, and discovered that I'd left my wallet back at the ranch,which meant I had to sign away my life before Vi would turn over this pizza,wine,and dessert. But hey, no trouble at all.It's the sort of thing I do nearly every day."He followed her to the kitchen, where he set down the pizza box and a brown bag.He glanced over at the stove. "Are you going to lift that kettle, or did I interrupt you making a recording of you whistling along with it in harmony?"Despite her tears,she found herself laughing hysterically at his silly banter.Oh,how she'd missed it.He set the kettle aside.The sudden silence was shocking.Because she had her back to him, he fought the urge to touch her.Instead he studied the way her shoulders were shaking. Troubled,he realized he'd made her cry."Sorry." Deflated,his tone lowered. "I guess this was a bad idea.""Wyatt."He paused."It was a good idea.A very good idea."She turned,and he saw the tears coursing down her cheeks."Oh,God,Marilee,I'm sorry.I didn't mean to make you...""I'm not crying." She brushed furiously at the tears. "I mean I was,but then you made me laugh and...""This is how you laugh?" He caught her by the shoulders and held her a little away. "Woman,I didn't realize just how weird you are. Wait a minute.Do you think being weird might be contagious? Maybe I ought to get out of here before I turn weird,too."The more she laughed,the harder the tears fell.Through a torrent of tears she wrapped her arms around his waist and held on, burying her face in his neck. "You can't leave.I won't let you."He tipped up her face,wiping her tears with his thumbs. "You mean that? You really don't want me to go?""I don't.I really want you to stay, Wyatt.""For dinner?""And more.""Dessert?""And more."His smile was quick and dangerous. "I'm beginning to like the 'and more.'"She smiled through her tears. "Me,too.""Maybe we could have the 'and more' as an appetizer, before the pizza."Her laughter bubbled up and over, wrapping itself around his heart. "Oh, how I've missed your silly sense of humor.""You have?""I have.I've missed everything about you.""Everything?" He leaned close to nibble her ear,sending a series of delicious shivers along her spine."Everything."Catching his hand,she led him to the bedroom. "I worked very hard today making up the bed with fresh linens. Want to be the first to mess it up?"He looked from the bed to her and then back again. "Oh,yeah."He drew her close and brushed her mouth with his. Just a soft,butterfly kiss, but she felt it all the way to her toes. "I mean I want to really, really mess it up.""Me,t..."And then there was no need for words.”

“This can't happen again, Wyatt. We're done. It's over."A palm slapped against the door, right next to her head, so hard she jumped."I don't think so.""If you think I can spend the next thirteen days seeing you, hearing you, smelling you"--he inhaled deeply and growled a little--"without touching you, you're very, very mistaken.""It's not over, Faith. It's just begun."~Wyatt”