“Yeah, I’d like to know, too,” Zach said. “You grilled that poor girl to within an inch of her life on something that has no bearing on whether she’ll make a good rodeo queen.”
“Me?” Chad scoffed. “Dallas’s the one who insisted on the philosophy lesson.”
“Hey, I just wanted to see what they taught her at that fancy French university. I have to say, I’m impressed.”
“She was always a smart cookie, Dallas,” Zach said.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Dallas agreed. “Annie thinks the world of her.”
“I’d still like to know what you had up your ass,” Zach said to Chad. “You went way overboard.”
“It was a fair question,” Chad said. “None of those others went gallivanting around for four years.”
“True,” Zach said, “but they didn’t all grow up here either. A few of them just moved here, your g
irlfriend Amber, for instance.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
“You took her to the Bay party.”
“So? I brought Marnie, too. I’m sure as hell not dating my dog!”
“Always joking, aren’t you?” Dallas said. “When in hell are you going to get serious about someone?”
“Oh, hmmm.” Chad scratched his head, falsely contemplating. “I’d say around…the fifth of never.”
Dallas shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re missing, boy.”
“Boy?”
“Yeah, boy. You’re just an overgrown kid with a teenage libido. Having a woman you love to come home to is damn nice. Damn comforting. Ain’t it, Zach?”
“The man speaks the truth, Chad.”
“Shit, Zach. I expect this kind of big brother bullshit from Dallas, but you? We used to be pals.”
“We’re still pals. I’m just concerned.”
“Dallas didn’t marry Annie till he was thirty-six.”
“But Dallas was married to someone else before Annie.”
“A big mistake, too,” Dallas said, “but worth it. I wouldn’t know Annie otherwise.”
“I think I might be sick all over my score sheets,” Chad said. “Do we have any more of these damn interviews? If there’s a God in heaven, Catie was the last one.”
Zach laughed. “Sit yourself down and hold back your puke. We’ve got two more ladies to see.”
“Christ,” Chad muttered, and picked up his pen. “Bring the next one in then.”
Chapter Eleven
Sweat beaded on Catie’s brow. The summer evening was hot, and her nerves were shot. What really irked her was that now she wanted to win this stupid competition. She was proud to be part of this community, proud it was her home. Who’d have thought?
She stood, dressed in a denim prairie skirt and a fluffy white peasant blouse—Annie’s idea. Why not look a little different? she’d said—next to Amber, in line with the other thirteen contestants in the rodeo arena.
Amber wore a slim-fitting leather western style skirt and a sapphire silk western shirt. Her ostrich boots matched the shade of her shirt. Patti and all the others wore similar styles, very slimming and western. Catie felt a little like a frump. Why had she trusted Annie? The peasant look worked with Annie’s Italian gypsy looks, but Catie had a sleeker beauty, a more western look. Heck, she’d grown up on a ranch. She should be looking the part. And she had the height. A straight skirt looked great on her. What in God’s name had she been thinking?