Cowboy Untamed. Vicki Thompson Lewis

her advice about the piece created a warm glow that she carried with her as she returned to her wheel. But her plan to keep her emotional distance wasn’t working worth a damn. That could be a problem.

       4

      BY THE END of the day Grady had met five of the co-op members and made good progress on Rosie’s sculpture. He needed another two days to finish it so he could take it to the ranch when he went there for supper. He’d sworn the other artists to secrecy and everyone had agreed to warn him if by some chance Rosie stopped in at the Art Barn.

      He didn’t think she would. The last week of classes for Thunder Mountain Academy was always a busy time and she’d be needed out there. His surprise should stay safe until he presented it to her. He’d get Cade to help him set it up while Rosie was busy in the kitchen. They could always move it later if she wanted it in a different spot.

      Right now, though, he knew it must be about time to feed those cats and he wanted to help. Working all day had felt good and he wasn’t as desperate to make something happen with Sapphire as he had been when he’d first arrived. Or so he thought until he walked into the kitchen.

      She had the phone to her ear and her back to him as she pulled bowls out of the cupboard. His timing had been excellent for watching her unobserved. He paused to admire how her embroidered jeans hugged her ass. His palms itched to feel her muscles flex the way he had last night in the shadows at Scruffy’s.

      That remembered sensation triggered a replay of others—the warmth of her lush body, the heat of her mouth and the sound of her moans. They’d been so damned close to making the leap. He didn’t want to get that close again unless he felt fairly certain they’d go the distance.

      He’d outgrown the teasing phase of a sexual relationship a long time ago. Yeah, a certain amount of dancing around was fun, but eventually, he liked to know where he stood. With Sapphire he still wasn’t sure. She was giving him mixed signals.

      “I’m glad the gig’s working out for you, sis.” She opened the bin and reached for the scoop.

      He rapped on the doorframe so he wouldn’t scare her. When she turned, he entered the kitchen and took the scoop out of her hand. Then he waved her off and began dishing food into the bowls so she could finish her conversation.

      “The event is looking good.” She leaned against the counter and watched him work. “Having Grady Magee on board doesn’t hurt.” She listened for a moment. “There is? What’s it of?” She held eye contact with him. “That sounds really cool. I’ll tell him how much you like it. I’d better go. Time to feed the kitties. Love you!” She disconnected. “Thanks for doing that.”

      “I figured it was about time for the evening meal.”

      “You figured right.” She put the phone on the counter. “That was my sister, Amethyst. Do you remember her?”

      “Sure. She had the lead in the school musical one year.” Amethyst had been the flashier of the two. Plenty of guys had lusted after Sapphire’s younger sister, especially after she’d belted out “Santa Baby” during a Christmas choral program.

      Sapphire laughed. “Everybody remembers Amethyst. You didn’t ever date her, did you? She went out with so many guys that I lost track.”

      “No, we didn’t date.” Thank God. He and Sapphire had enough obstacles without adding the weirdness of having dated her sister. “What’s she up to these days?”

      “Professional singer. She followed my dad’s musical lead.”

      “Does he still have that jazz band?”

      “The members have shifted around and the name’s changed a couple of times, but yep—he loves it.”

      “That’s cool. And your mom’s still teaching art?”

      “Absolutely. I asked her to be part of this co-op but she really doesn’t have time. Maybe when she retires.”

      He enjoyed watching the love shine in her eyes as she talked. “Creative family you have there.”

      “Yeah, I feel lucky. Anyway, Amethyst mentioned that one of your sculptures is in the lobby of the Jackson Hole resort where she’s performing for the next two weeks.”

      “I have a couple over there. Which one?”

      “It’s the waterfall fountain that goes into a pool at the bottom with a doe and buck drinking. She said it’s huge.”

      “Twenty-two feet eight inches, to be exact.”

      “Wow.”

      He filled the last bowl and closed the bin. “I took it up there in sections and finished the welding on the spot.”

      “That must have caused quite a stir among the resort guests.”

      “It did. I offered to complete it in the middle of the night but the management thought it would be more dramatic if people could see the final construction phase. It was great PR but I’d still rather work in the privacy of my studio.”

      “Is our evening event going to be a problem for you?”

      He gazed at her. “It’s not my favorite way to create, but like I said last night, I wasn’t concerned about the how. Only the who.”

      “I know.” Her quick swallow betrayed her uneasiness.

      “Forget I said that.”

      She gave him a rueful glance. “Not likely. But right now it’s feeding time. We’ve tried to keep a regular schedule they can count on. It’s part of building trust.”

      “Makes sense.” He pondered that as he helped her carry out the bowls. Trust was an issue between them, too. Whether she didn’t trust him or herself wasn’t clear, but either way, she expected bad things to happen if they gave in to this attraction.

      “You can put the bowls down now. They’re waiting.”

      “Right.” While he’d been lost in thought, she’d stood waiting as the cats milled around at their feet. “Sorry.”

      “It’s just good to put all the bowls down together so they each have one.”

      “Makes sense. But Fred’s not here. Do we wait for him?”

      “No. He’ll be along. Sometimes he hangs back.”

      “Okay.” He lined up the ones he carried, dropped to his knees and sat back on his heels. “Sorry for holding up the show. I got distracted.”

      “I’ve noticed that doesn’t happen when you’re working on a sculpture. You’re incredibly focused.”

      He couldn’t resist the opening she’d given him. “That’s one of two activities that get my undivided attention.”

      “And the other is football?”

      Kidding around was a good sign they were making progress. “Guess again.”

      Her breathing quickened. “You’re too sexy for your own good, Grady.”

      “Too sexy for you?” He glanced over at her.

      “I didn’t say that.” She kept her attention on the tree line as she watched for Fred, but her cheeks had turned a pretty shade of pink.

      His pulse hammered. Maybe he’d built up a little trust, after all. “Any chance I can cash in that rain check so we can have dinner tonight?”

      “I think— Oh, my goodness. Who’s that?”

      A large gray cat left the shelter of the woods and bounded toward them.

      “You don’t recognize it?”

      “Nope. And he’s not acting like a feral.”

      “How