“What is it? Is something wrong?” Sam asked.
“No, I’m fine. I just thought I saw … But never mind, I was wrong,” Jasmine lied, grateful that Sam hadn’t spotted the pair. What would Darrin and Simone be doing here in Las Vegas? Did their presence have something to do with her, or with their mother? Clearly, Simone had recognized her. She could only hope that Darrin’s scheming wife hadn’t recognized Sam as well.
One thing was almost certain. The conniving pair hadn’t come to Las Vegas on a holiday. Until she could discover what they were up to, it would be safest to keep Sam in the dark. When she knew more, she could decide when and how much to tell him.
She was already keeping one secret from Sam. Now she had chosen to keep one more.
Standing behind the fence at the practice arena, Cheyenne made her Thursday morning call to her mother. Rachel answered on the first ring as if she’d been waiting with the phone in her hand.
“Hello, dear. Are you all right?” Her natural voice had a sharp tone, which made her sound almost angry, but Cheyenne was accustomed to that.
“I’m fine, Mom. Just watching the cowboys exercise their horses. I’m learning a lot about what makes a good cow horse.”
“And what about that young man who offered to help you? Is he behaving like a gentleman?”
“Of course, he is.” Cheyenne sighed. Last night after dinner with some of his cowboy friends and their girls, Hayden had escorted her back to her floor. His behavior in the elevator had been anything but gentlemanly, giving her a preview of what she could expect if she welcomed him into her room.
Why not? she’d asked herself. She was almost twenty-one, and it wasn’t like she was a virgin. Why not now, with someone who was handsome, well-spoken, and obviously knew what he was doing. She might even let herself fall in love.
She had invited him into the room. He’d lowered her to the bed and gotten as far as unfastening her jeans. But when his hand had invaded her panties, she’d felt the first trickle of panic. Instinctively, she’d begun to push awayfrom him, then to struggle. Hayden had chuckled and continued, evidently taking her resistance as play.
The sound of Roper arriving at his room across the hall had put an end to the drama. Hayden had stood, tucked in his shirt, and zipped his jeans. “To be continued,” he’d said, grinning. Then, after making sure the coast was clear, he’d left.
“Cheyenne, are you still there?” Her mother’s voice on the phone jerked her back to the present.
“Sorry, Mom, I got distracted. Do you plan to be here tomorrow?”
“I wouldn’t miss the chance to see Roper ride. Stetson will be driving. He knows the way.”
“What about Dad?”
“I’ve hired a young man from church to stay with him and take care of the animals. He should be fine.”
Cheyenne and Roper had agreed not to tell their mother about the incident on the freeway or the trouble with the horses. Rachel would only worry and probably wear herself out praying.
“Since you’re getting here a day early, we’ll have time for some sightseeing,” Cheyenne said, changing the subject. “There’s a lot to see in Las Vegas—the big hotels on the strip, the shops, the shows, and the casinos. You can even drop some change in the slots, maybe win some money. It’ll be fun.”
Rachel gasped. “Not on your life! I’ve heard what goes on in those palaces of sin. I wouldn’t be caught dead in one. Las Vegas is the domain of the devil. I plan to stay in our room and watch TV or read until time for the big reining event. And I hope you’ll stay with me. I get nervous, alone in a big city. Is your brother all right?”
“I suppose so. He’s been so busy with the horses that I’ve barely seen him.”
“Well, I made him promise to keep an eye on you. I may need to give him a call about that.”
“Oh, please don’t bother, Mom. He’s got so much weighing on his mind. And I’m too old to need a babysitter. Call me when you get into town tomorrow.”
Cheyenne ended the call before her mother could argue and turned her attention back to the practice arena, where several riders were giving their mounts a gentle workout to keep them loosened up for tonight’s $250,000 cutting-horse challenge. True to his word, Hayden had given her behind-the-scenes access to the riders and their superb horses. It hadn’t escaped her notice that all of the riders were men. Competing on their level would be a challenge. She might have to start with women’s events. But she’d never lacked for drive or discipline. She wouldn’t be satisfied with anything but her best.
There were several women finalists in the Run for a Million and even more women in an event called Reined Cow Horse, in which riders and their horses competed in reining and then in controlling a single cow. Cheyenne was intrigued. But to compete would require an exquisitely trained horse, and she’d have to master both reining and cutting skills. For now, cutting would be enough.
Clearing her thoughts, she focused on the riders—how they sat their mounts and how they used subtle pressure from their legs to communicate with their horses.
Hayden’s paint gelding, Steely Dan, was a beautiful animal, smart and responsive. And Hayden was an impressive rider. Watching the pair, Cheyenne could understand why Hayden had such high hopes.
The memory of last night flashed through her mind. But this was no time to think about what had gone wrong and why. Today, everything was about winning tonight’s $250,000 prize and the prestige that went with it.
Now Cheyenne’s eyes shifted to Buck Tolson. He sat his rangy buckskin horse with the confidence of a man who has nothing to prove, his posture easy, his narrowed gaze detached, as if no one else in the arena was of any consequence.
Hayden had introduced her to several of the cowboys in the competition. Most of them had already known who she was, and they’d been friendly. Buck Tolson had not been among them.