Cowgirl Up Read Free

stockings and a blaze, they received more than their fair share of
attention. Since she didn’t care for the spotlight, it became a prickly thorn
in her side. Not to mention Legacy didn’t play well with others. He bit, he
kicked. Basically, he judged a person by his present mood and most of the time
they came up short.
    His
behavior had worsened lately. The blame rested on her shoulders. Since the
funeral, she’d been on a roller coaster of emotions, mostly heartache and
loneliness, and Legacy picked up on each and every one. As much as she lectured
herself to pull it together, she couldn’t quite shake the constant companion of
sadness.
    Time heals all wounds.
    How
many times had she heard that particular quote? As many times as her mother
said ‘if only.’
    “Damn
lucky to get a baby out of Another Victory Gallop. I’d still love to hear that
story.”
    So
would a lot of others who barraged her with questions, both media and fellow
competitors. Too bad she didn’t feel like talking.
    She
took another bite and chewed slowly, refusing to give in to Cody’s curiosity.
    The
click of horseshoes caught her attention. Turning her head, Trinity spotted
Lacey leading her paint mare, Candy, down the aisle before opening the door,
and placing her in the stall next to Legacy. The stud immediately plastered his
nose to the bars separating them and nickered. Candy ignored him, turned
around, and started pulling hay from the net tied in the corner.
    Lacey
might be a couple of years younger than Trinity, but they meshed well. Both
were in the business for the long haul, but not at the expense of their mounts.
Their horses came first, something that most riders believed, but not all.
She’d been Legacy tested and approved at the first event, which said everything
in Trinity’s book. Add in the fact Lacey didn’t yap all the time, knew how to
keep a secret, and had a good heart, Trinity counted her as one of the few
close friends she possessed.
    Cody
chuckled and nodded his head. “Spoken like a true stud.”
    Lacey
stepped out of the stall and secured the door behind her. She glanced over at
them, then gave a lopsided grin. “Legacy keeps trying, but Candy isn’t the
least interested.” She chuckled and leaned back against the row of stalls.
“Haven’t seen you in a while, Cody. Whatcha been up to?”
    “After
I burned out steer wrestling in high school, I decided it was time to get
serious. Went to vet school after a stint in the military first.”
    Trinity
blinked. She hadn’t heard that juicy tidbit before. Especially the military
part. She eyed him in another light. He carried himself differently than she
remembered. More fluid, confident, and flowing. His gaze flicked here and there
as if constantly checking out his surroundings. Definitely not what she
remembered of his actions way back when. Oh sure, he’d always been cocky, but
this spoke of something else. More confidence and ability than just conceit
because the women flocked to him with his link to money and good looks. Pain
flashed and departed in his eyes so quickly, Trinity wasn’t sure she even saw
it. Still, she opted to avoid the whole topic of service. From what little she
knew about war, none of it made for great memories.
    “Good
for you. I always thought you would go in partnership with your father.” Cody’s
family owned a large ranch where his father raised both bucking bulls and
horses to provide for the many rodeos around the country each year. Cody had
been born into the profession, although he made sure to enjoy himself along the
way. More than once she caught him flirting with a woman, then sneaking off for
some alone time after the events were finished for the night. A bona-fide
playboy, that’s for sure.
    Absently
she wondered if the term still stuck.
    Truth
be told, she wished she were in the lucky woman’s shoes each night, absorbing
all of Cody’s attention, as she had a crush on him almost from the first time
she laid eyes on