Vicki Lewis Thompson - Cowboy Untamed

He took it in stride, as if this happened to him quite a bit. Sapphire didn’t doubt it. She couldn’t recall his being followed by a pack of female admirers back in high school, but he’d filled out since then. And he’d taken up sculpting.

She’d bet his career choice affected how women perceived him. It certainly had influenced her. In high school he’d been a cute cowboy like all the others who attended school there. He still had cowboy charisma going on but he’d added a layer of intrigue with his career in the arts. No wonder Arlene had been struck mute.

But Sapphire had picked up another tidbit thanks to Arlene’s fan-girl moment. He hadn’t known his dad. In talking about his mother and Rosie, he’d skipped over any mention of his father. He’d quickly dismissed the subject just now, too. Come to think of it, Grady and Liam wouldn’t have lived at Thunder Mountain Ranch if their father had been around to help out.

In a way she wished she hadn’t learned that. It made him more vulnerable, more human and endearing. Because he hadn’t elaborated, she didn’t think the story was a pretty one. He admired his mother because she’d stuck by her kids and had raised them by herself, apparently, until the car accident had left her with nowhere to turn. That meant grandparents hadn’t been on hand, either.

Yeah, she really didn’t want to know that about him. Staying emotionally detached from a guy who looked like Grady and had the talent of an angel was difficult enough without finding out that he was fatherless, too. Herb Padgett, Rosie’s husband, would have taken that role to some extent and maybe Grady’s new stepdad had belatedly become a father figure. But during Grady’s early years he’d missed out on having a dad for games of catch or afternoons spent at the nearest fishing hole.

“Coffee’s ready. Who wants a cup?” Grady held up the pot.

“Me, please.” Arlene stuck out her mug. “Thank you so much for making it. Have you ever heated water for coffee with a welding torch? I knew a guy who used to do that all the time, made me so nervous. I told him a million times not to do it but he thought it was a cool idea. In my opinion—”

“Fortunately, I don’t do that.” Grady held up the pot. “Sapphire? Coffee?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

He poured it and tossed her a wink when Arlene started in on unsafe-welding-torch stories again. “If you ladies will excuse me, I’m gonna take my coffee and get back to work.”

“Me, too,” Arlene said. “I’ll walk you down there.”

“That would be great.” Grady gave Sapphire a quick smile before leaving with Arlene.

Her voice drifted back as they started down the barn aisle. “Can I peek in on your project?”

“Not yet, ma’am.” Grady sounded polite but firm. “If you don’t mind, this is a very personal sculpture, so I’d like to make a lot more progress before I show it to anyone.”

“Oh, sure, sure. I totally understand.” Arlene must have realized she was being pushy. “I’ll just stop off here at my stall, then. See you later!”

Nicely handled, Sapphire thought. Knowing he’d trusted her enough to seek 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.

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