Cowgirl in High Heels. Jeannie Watt

      “Tonight, but there’s no guarantee that Lonnie’s going to be able to catch him immediately.”

      “He can try.”

      “That he can.” Ryan walked toward her, rope in hand. She cocked her head.

      “Were you roping?”

      “Yes.” It seemed best to keep answers short and sweet, and then maybe she’d go back to her house.

      “Like for exercise?”

      A smile formed before he could stop it. “I guess.”

      She studied him for a moment, obviously trying to get a read. “Do you do a lot of roping on the ranch?”

      “During branding, yeah.” He stopped a few feet away from her, letting the rigid coils of the rope bounce on the side of his leg. “But that’s not why I’m practicing. I rodeo during the summers.”

      “I’ve never met anyone who rodeos.” She smiled that cool smile of hers. “I’ve never met anyone who uses the word rodeo as a verb.”

      “I guess that’s because you’re from the other side of the Mississippi.” He bounced the rope off his leg again, the coils making a soft clacking sound, impatient to get back to his place, away from her. He debated about announcing that he’d be gone for the next couple days, but decided not to take a chance on her messing things up. She wasn’t there to take over ranch operations. She was there to get a feel for how it was run. His absences were part of the package. “I didn’t get a chance to write my bullet points yet.”

      “Let me know when you do.” Spoken like a boss.

      “I will. And I’ll have Lonnie keep an eye out for Hiss. Now, if there’s nothing else, I haven’t eaten yet and I’d kind of like to.”

      “Of course,” she said briskly as she took a step back. But there was something in her expression that he hadn’t expected to see there. A touch of disappointment. A touch of...loneliness?

      Welcome to rural life, lady.