ANOTHER SUNNY DAY (18 page)

"You mean people from the trail rides are getting married right here and now?"

"Sure, why not? These long days and nights of togetherness do have a way of bringing people closer," he said as his dark eyebrows arched expressively. "But, on the other hand, I'm sure several new divorces will be filed next week because of the unacceptable extracurricular activities of some of the riders."

"I've never believed in love at first sight," she said skeptically. "Don't you think knowing someone just a week is rushing it a little?" She watched his face carefully. His answer was very important to her.

"I guess it'
s sort of like believing in UFOs," he replied with a thoughtful smile. "Until it happens to you, you never can be absolutely sure, can you?" Then with a shrug of his broad shoulders he added, "But in the case of most of these weddings it was lust at first sight. People just sort of get caught up in all the excitement and take their romances a little too seriously. Most of them won't last until next year's trail ride;"

Even though he had been talking about other people, his meaning had come through to her loud and clear. He was as much as telling her that their relationship, while undeniably sweet, would also be short. This clarification of his intentions should have relieved her fears about possible future repercussions, but for some reason she felt let down. "Why would they do it if the odds are so badly stacked against them?"

"I suppose everyone has at one time or another been a blindly optimistic romantic."

"Even you?"

"Sure. Even me." He grinned, almost sheepishly. "Besides not all of these marriages end in divorce court. Some last until that great roundup in the sky. I've heard of people who have met on a trail ride or somewhere a little more normal and then decided it would be fun to tie the knot out here on the prairie in front of God, their friends, and their horses—and who never once considered divorce."

"When you put it that way, I suppose it does sound romantic," she agreed. "Okay, then. Let's go to a wedding. But am I dressed properly for this uncivil ceremony?" she asked, the twinkle returning to her eyes.

"At weddings like these you can't go wrong. If anything, you might even be a little overdressed." Then as he wrapped his arm loosely but possessively around her slim waist, he bent to whisper in her ear, "The public has never seen you look your best, and as long as I'm around they never will!"

The warm tickle of his breath against her skin sent shivers of delight through her veins. Hopeless romantic or not, under different circumstances it would not have been difficult to let herself fall in love with this man. But he would never know, and neither would she, how well they would suit each other. As with most of the other newly matched couples on this trail ride, the odds would be against them.

Together Sarah and Tyler strolled over to the site of one of the wedding ceremonies. The bride and groom were suitably attired in dress shirts, jeans that were partially covered by leather chaps, and cowboy hats decorated with flowers on hers and one tall turkey feather on his. The bridesmaids and all the members of the wedding party were on horseback, with the exception of the preacher, who stood on an overturned wooden crate.

After the vows the bride fumbled with a blue garter that had been hidden beneath her chaps, struggling to stretch it over her cowboy boots before flinging it into the crowd. A determined cowboy several feet in front of Tyler and Sarah caught it in midair as his friends cheered and hooted, and his girlfriend looked on in obvious delight.

"They should have played
Happy Trails to You
instead of the
Wedding March
," Tyler whispered irreverently in her ear, returning the smile to her lips.

"There she is now. Oh, Miss Day, would you mind having your picture taken with Buford?" a man asked as he approached her with a portable television camera balanced on his shoulder.

"Of course not. Who is Buford?" she asked politely, looking around her for the mystery man.

"This is Buford," another man said as he led a very large, very fierce-looking Brahma bull toward her. At her sudden expression of surprised concern he quickly added, "Don't worry, he's very tame. He's been around people all his life, and so far nobody's been brave enough to tell him he's not a puppy dog."

The crowd that had gathered laughed a little nervously. Sarah didn't want to seem to be a bad sport, so with a slight lift of her chin she approached the huge animal. In greeting Buford lifted his wide head, touched her cheek with a very wet black nose, and snorted noisily. The crowd laughed again, and the camera kept rolling as the owner proudly stated, "I knew he'd like you. He's really very picky about who he kisses."

Sarah took it all in good humor as she wiped off her cheek with one hand and patted the bull's sleek silver gray hump with the other. "I don't usually let a bull kiss me on a first date, but in Buford's case I'll make an exception," she said, laughing. "What happened to his other horn," she asked referring to the fact that only one pearly gray horn grew out from the right side of his big head.

"He broke it off when he was doing one of his tricks. He wears a falsy when he does professional appearances," his owner explained with a straight face.

Sarah wasn't sure whether or not he was telling the truth, so when she and Tyler were once again heading for the
chuckwagon, she asked him, and he assured her that the bull did indeed wear a false horn occasionally.

"I guess all entertainers have their vanities," she joked.

"Did Willie tell you why cows wear bells around their necks?" Tyler asked with a twinkle.

Sarah looked at him suspiciously. She knew that if Willie had said it, it must be strange, but she played along. "No, why?"

"Because their horns don't work," Tyler answered gleefully as Sarah groaned and shook her head.

"I've got to get back to the city. I almost laughed at that one," she retorted as she returned to her trailer so she could wash up before supper.

"Chow's ready. Come and get it," Jed called, banging on the old triangle that hung from his chuckwagon.

Tyler took her arm in an outwardly impersonal gesture, but the gentle squeeze of his fingers told her that his feelings were anything but dispassionate.

This was certainly not the first barbecue Sarah had eaten, but it was a real challenge to try to enjoy the tender, juicy meat that was generously covered with thick spicy sauce with dozens of curious eyes focused on her. She finally gave up on the ribs entirely and just ate the brisket, which was not as messy. As she was wiping her hands on what was at least her third napkin, an attractive young man she remembered seeing on the trail ride since last Monday came up to her and thrust a crumpled sheet of paper in front of her.

"Excuse me, Miss Day," he murmured shyly. "My name's Dillon Landry, and all week long I've been trying to get up enough nerve to give you this, and it looks like if I don't do it right now, I might not have another chance." He sounded breathless after that rush of words, but his sincere, unconfident voice touched her tender heart.

"What is it?" she asked kindly as she took the paper and opened it, trying to smooth out the wrinkles.

"I write songs. Well, that is, I try to write songs, but I can't get anyone to even look at them. And this one I wrote especially for you. If you should ever want to sing it, I'd be proud to let you have it."

"Would you mind singing it for me?" she questioned gently. "It's difficult to appreciate a song on a cold reading."

"Well, I don't know," he protested doubtfully. "I haven't got my guitar." But no sooner had he spok
en than someone handed him a guitar.

"There's never a shortage of guitars on a trail ride," Tyler whispered in her ear. "I know this guy. I've heard him sing before, and he's really good"

And he was. Sarah listened attentively as the young man crooned the words in a soft southern drawl, bringing the guitar strings to life beneath his agile fingers.

"
Heaven help me now.

I'm
lovin' you and how.

I've never felt thi
s way;

Y
ou brighten up my day;

C
an't tear myself away.

So Heaven help me now.
"

He repeated the chorus and with a final strum waited expectantly for her response.

When she lifted her eyes, he was startled to see that they were filled with tears. "I'm sorry," he apologized with a crestfallen look on his youthful face. "I didn't realize it was that bad."

"No, no." She shook her head, trying not to break down. "It was very good. And you have a beautiful voice."

"But I didn't mean to make you cry," he moaned.

"You didn't," she tried to reassure him. "I must have gotten a bite of jalapeno pepper by mistake, and it made my eyes water," she lied. "If you're interested, I think I could get you an audition with Mack, my manager. If I know him, he'll probably want to see what else you have and maybe set up a demo record."

"Oh, Miss Day! I can't tell you how great that would be," he exclaimed in astonishment. "Thank you so much. You're really terrific."

"Write your name and telephone number on this piece of paper, and I'll get Mack to call you tomorrow," she promised, handing him back his song. She would give Mack the information, but she would keep that crumpled piece of paper forever. It was like a summary of her week with Tyler and the love she felt for him. Unfortunately her story wouldn't end like the song.

"I really appreciate this." He beamed as he handed the paper back to her.

"It's a tough business," she said, not wanting him to let his hopes get out of hand. "There are thousands of people with beautiful voices and loads of talent that haven't made it. The competition is pretty stiff, but with a little luck an
d a lot of persistence, you've got what it takes."

"Thanks again," he said, barely containing his excitement as he rushed off to tell his friends the good news.

"That was real nice of you," Tyler said warmly.

"It was nothing." She shrugged it off. "His song was really good, and if I didn't think he had a chance, I wouldn't waste Mack's time."

"I know of one young man who won't get any sleep tonight, thinking about tomorrow's phone call," he said, then added in a voice too low for anyone else to hear. "And I know of another not so young man who hopes he won't get any sleep tonight either."

"You're incorrigible," she said, but a merry twinkle in her eyes communicated her approval. She would have to get through the next few hours before she could again be in his arms.

But later, to her surprise, she discovered she was having fun. The country and western band was excellent and the dancing lively as she changed partners too many times to count. She had plenty of opportunities to show off her skill at the
Cotton-Eye Joe
and the
Texas Two-Step
. However, Tyler could be counted on to claim her for every slow dance Ignoring, for once, their audience, the handsome pair moved as one, their bodies molded together, their steps perfectly matched.

"I feel like I'm cheating on my wife, holding you in public like this." His warm breath tickled her ear. "And I'm not even married. This is the most fun I've ever had with my boots on," he teased.

"It's getting pretty late. It doesn't look like this party is going to break up before dawn." She shivered in delight as he dared to brush a kiss across her temple. "Do you think we would be noticed if we slipped away now?"

"You go first, and then in a few minutes, when I'm sure no one will put two and two together, I'll leave, circle around by the horses, and meet you at your trailer." Suddenly he chuckled. "Now I really feel like I'm cheating on my wife. Here I am setting up a clandestine meeting with a beautiful, desirable woman and almost feeling guilty about it."

"I'll try not to leave any lipstick marks on your collar," she said as her body rubbed sensually against his as they kept time to the music. She, too, felt as if she was competing against another woman, but actually it was a compilation of three women: herself. Sunny, and Tyler's ex-fiancée, and the combination was proving to be too much of a challenge. She clung to him for a moment longer, and then as the song ended she moved away with studied casualness.

The musicians were taking a break, which gave her an opportunity to pass almost unnoticed through the crowd. At the edge of the floodlights she paused for one last lingering look at Tyler's smiling, trusting face with the lock of black hair falling across his forehead. He lifted his head at that moment, and meeting her eyes across the distance, he spoke to her with a wink more intimate than many kisses she had received from other men. She hoped he knew what a very special man he was and that the woman he finally chose to marry would appreciate and
cherish him. Unfortunately, owing to the incredibly bad timing of that rascal Fate, Sarah would never have the opportunity to qualify for that position.

She was
so deep in thought as she approached the trailer that she didn't even notice that the lights were on until she tried to unlock the door and discovered that it was already unlocked. Cautiously site stepped into the trailer, ready to flee at the first sign of danger.