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“As big a pain as ever,” she said.
But suddenly an image from her visit to the Rafferty place two days ago shot through her mind yet again. Cody, soaking wet and glistening in the pre-spring Texas sun, grinning as he played—there was no other word for it—with the equally wet horse. It wasn’t just that he was quite a sight for feminine eyes, because he certainly was that. But there was something about that grin, the pure happiness in it…she couldn’t doubt he genuinely loved that horse.
And that had surprised her. She’d always thought he was so into his tech crap he didn’t have much left for the ranch life she loved.
She’d also found herself thinking as she’d watched the playful pair, she’d never seen him look so…light. Carefree. As if the rest of the time he wasn’t like that. As if the rest of the time he was shadowed somehow, despite the light green of his eyes and the blond of his hair.
They all carry the weight of losing Kyle, honey.
The words her mother had spoken long ago, just a couple of years after the dreaded news had come, when the child she’d been had asked why the Raffertys were never happy anymore, came back to her suddenly.
She’d had a hard time understanding, back then. She still had no idea what it was really like; imagining the tragedy of losing either of her parents even now was horrible, thinking what it would have been like at age nine was beyond her. Or at Lucas’s age, when he’d lost both parents at once in a car crash. She couldn’t even picture that much awfulness.
When Cody had broken the truce with that painted target on old Champ’s butt, she’d been a child, young enough and foolish enough to think that meant he was done with the grieving.
Now she knew better. Knew it was never done.
Geeze, I’m feeling sorry for him.
She gave herself a sharp inward shake. This had to stop. It was throwing her whole world off-kilter, all these crazy thoughts about her lifetime enemy. But then, there were all the new things, things she hadn’t known about him before, things no one had dared tell her for fear of setting her off. And that bothered her in a different way.
She smothered a sigh. Maybe she should have planned to start her season on the circuit a little earlier. If she hadn’t promised Mom to stay home through the Bluebonnet Festival…
Running now, Roth? From Cody the Coder, of all people?
Exasperation, aimed at herself, flooded through her. With more effort—much more—than it should have taken, she shoved him out of her mind, and turned back to what she should be paying attention to, her best friend’s visit.
Cody the Coder would, annoyingly, be there later.
*
Sunday evening, as they were all gathered for dinner around the Rafferty table, Mom looked at him over her last cup of coffee. “I saw Shane in town today, and he said that spot on their place erupted last Thursday.”
Cody felt a release of tension. They all knew that one spot on the Highwater ranch was the harbinger of the season, although nobody quite knew why. But if the bluebonnets were popping there, they’d be out in force everywhere a few days later. Which meant right about now.
“I noticed a few at the far end of the dogs’ enclosure a couple of days ago,” Ariel said with a smile.
“Then they’re definitely arriving,” Keller said. “I’ll ride out and take a look along your course in the morning. I need to head out that way anyway, see if I can track down that surly old cow and her calf.”
“Take Quinta,” Mom said, reaching down to pet her beloved Aussie. “If those two are to be found, she’ll do it.”
“I’ll do that,” Keller agreed, then looked back at Cody. “And I’ll let you know how it looks.”
“Excellent,” Cody said. “I’ve got a fence run to do over in Whiskey River tomorrow, at the Kelly ranch, so I’ll watch for them there, too.”
“Kelly as in Kelly Boots?” Chance asked as he set down his now-empty mug.
“And champion quarter horses.” Cody grinned. “I’m moving up in the world.”
“Indeed,” Keller said with a smile Cody would have sworn was proud. Which made him feel…he wasn’t sure what. Maybe a bit of what he felt when he thought of what Keller had done, what he’d given up to come home and help Mom hold this family together. It took him a moment to go on.
“If they pop and the weather holds, I’ll do the video run Tuesday morning.”
Mom nodded. “If it’s all right—and I vow I’ll stay out of your way—I’d love to come along and see how you do it. So I can talk it up better to the committee. Although I’d do that anyway, I’m so proud of my boy.”
It practically rang in her voice, the truth of her words. When he’d been a kid his response would have been something like, “Yeah, yeah, stop, you’re embarrassing me.” But that was before. Now, his reaction was different.
“Love you, too, Mom.” Then he grinned at her. “Sure, come along. You can help carry gear.”
