“That’s what she said, all right. He’s a wild one, but worth taming, if you know what I mean.”
Lucy wasn’t sure she wanted to know. And she was about to say there was nothing personal between them when the band let loose with a foot-stompin’ version of “I’ll Fly Away.”
Ms. Jo went to clapping and Mabel did, too—thankfully she’d let go of Lucy’s arm. Now that she was settled, she realized that the band consisted of Mr. Drewbaker Mackintosh playing a guitar. His pal Mr. Chili Crump was getting after it on a fiddle. There were a couple of other young cowboys playing guitars that she didn’t recognize. The lead singer, though, she thought worked for Sunrise Ranch.
With Mabel and Ms. Jo settled in enjoying the music, Lucy relaxed. She looked around and saw the boys lined up in two rows. B.J. was sitting beside Rowdy, looking at her. He lifted his hand and gave her a small wave.
She smiled at him, then went back to watching the band. She didn’t want Rowdy to catch her looking at him. The last thing she needed was for him to think she was staring at him. He sure did look nice in his crisp burgundy shirt and starched jeans. Her gaze wandered back to his direction when the band started playing George Strait’s “I Saw God Today.”
Ms. Jo caught her looking and grinned. “Don’t you just love Cowboy Church? A little traditional mixed with our cowboy culture. That George is telling the truth in this song. All you have to do is look around to see God’s working miracles everywhere.”
Lucy did not know exactly what to think of that statement. She had a feeling she was talking about more than the song itself.
When the band ended and the preacher stepped up to the podium, she had to force herself to concentrate and not let her mind wander across the aisle to Rowdy.
She’d opened up to him about Tim. It wasn’t something she talked about. But once she’d started telling him the whole ugly story, she couldn’t stop. Maybe it was simply because she’d made him think the kissing freak-out she’d had was his fault, when she’d known it really wasn’t. And maybe it was because she was attracted to him and he was attracted to her and he needed to know the boundaries. It was only fair.
She was facing things straight on now, or at least looking at life with her eyes wide-open. No more sleeping on the job for her. She did not need a man in her life. She didn’t need the headache of always looking over her shoulder. She had Tim to thank for that.
Her gaze slid to Rowdy again. His dark hair lay smooth at the nape of his neck and almost touched his collar— What was she doing?
Lucy yanked her gaze away and stared at the preacher. She concentrated on what he was saying.
“...Psalm 147 says, ‘He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.’”
Lucy couldn’t move; the words were so relevant for her. As if the Lord had been listening to her heart.
But it wasn’t that easy for wounds to heal.
Beating down walls was far easier than letting go. Her gaze shifted back to Rowdy, who had yet to glance her way as far as she could tell. She’d told him to leave her alone when it came to a relationship. Made it perfectly clear and he’d agreed on the spot. Her wounds were too deep to completely heal.
Just too deep...
* * *
Sunday after church, the arena was full as the boys practiced for the ranch rodeo. He wasn’t sure if Lucy would show up, given that she’d been kicked during the first practice and then there was the uncomfortable situation he’d put them in with the kiss. And then there was his past and her past and the fact that there was not going to be any meeting in the middle.