Calder Storm Read Free Page A

grandfather had walked to push him as hard as they dared without pushing too far and breaking his spirit. It was all preparation for the day when he would take control of the Triple C.
    It had been no easy job to carve out a ranch the size of some eastern states back in the days of the Old West, and in these modern times, it would be no easy job to keep it. Some in Trey’s place might have shrunk from the pressure of that job, but he had always viewed it as a challenge he was eager to tackle. Maybe that was due to the way Chase had put it to him, or the belief he sensed that his mother and grandfather had in him that he could do it.
    At the age of twenty-four, Trey shouldered responsibility with the ease of one accustomed to its weight. It hadn’t dulled the gleam in his dark eyes, the gleam that said there still lived in him the boy he had once been, reckless and a little wild. For the most part, Trey kept that side of himself reined in, but it was still there.
    â€œYou should have heard Gramps carrying on last night, reminiscing about some of the crazy shenanigans that went on during past bucking-horse sales.” That gleam in Trey’s dark eyes now became an impish twinkle as he addressed his mother. “He even told me about the time you took Uncle Mike’s place in the chutes and rode the bronc he’d drawn. Gramps said the gasp that came from the crowd nearly sucked up all the arena dust when your hat flew off and all that blond hair tumbled loose.”
    Laredo turned a laughing look at her, both amused and curious. “Is that true?”
    â€œI did it on a dare,” Jessy admitted with neither regret nor pride, regarding it as simply a foolish escapade of youth. “My brothers goaded me into it.”
    â€œAccording to Gramps, you stayed on for the full eight seconds and probably would have scored the highest ride of the day if the judges hadn’t disqualified you.”
    â€œThat was a long time ago,” Jessy said, dismissing the incident. To ensure that it stayed that way, she asked, “What took you so long getting to the hotel?”
    â€œJohnny and Tank wanted to scope out where they’re pitching their tents,” Trey said, then explained with a grin, “You know Johnny—he isn’t about to spend a dime for something if he can figure out a way to get it for nothing.” A pair of short, sharp honks of the pickup’s horn drew Trey’s glance to his compatriots parked a few spaces away. “Do you get the feeling they want me to hurry up?” Despite the careless toss of the question, he obligingly swung toward the motel entrance, striking out with long strides to take the lead while adding over his shoulder, “They’re anxious to get out to the fairgrounds and find out what their draw is for tonight.”
    â€œTank doesn’t usually ride the bulls,” Jessy said with some surprise.
    Trey stopped to explain. “Johnny talked him into it. The riders get paid a few bucks just for climbing on board, and Johnny convinced Tank he had a fifty-fifty chance of drawing a bull that couldn’t buck worth a damn. ’Course, ever since Tank found out that a contractor is unloading his rodeo stock at this year’s sale, including two bulls selected for the National Rodeo Finals a couple years ago, he’s been sweating his draw.”
    â€œWith cause, I’d say,” Laredo remarked dryly.
    â€œDamn right.” Trey flashed the older man a look of grinning agreement as he reached for the door and gave it an outward pull. He came to a dead stop one second before he walked into a brunette on her way out. Having shifted to one side to allow Jessy to precede him, Laredo had a clear view of the near collision. He saw the startled looks that were exchanged, one male and one female, and sensed a primitive current of something more that shimmered between them like a living thing.
    Recovering, the brunette murmured a