pleasant enough, she was happy when he pushed his plate away. âI hope you donât mind if I turn in early. I have some briefs I need to review while Iâm here. I put your bags in one of the guest rooms down that way.â He inclined his head to the west wing of the house. âSecond door on the left.â
âThanks, Bob,â Monica said. âIâm going to try to get caught up on some reading myself.â With her mind still racing about Tomâs will, she decided another drink and then some mind-numbing reading would be the best medicine. She had an entire weekâs worth of Wall Street Journal to catch up on. Perfect bedtime material.
After Bob retired, Monica picked up the bottle of Chivas and a glass, but instead of heading straight to bed as sheâd planned, she found herself exploring the rest of the house, something she hadnât been comfortable doing with Bob shadowing her.
The first door she opened was a bedchamber decorated in navy and rust, shades similar to the ownerâs suite at the Hotel Rodeo. Could it be Tyâs old room? If sheâd had any doubt, the trophy case that occupied one entire wall confirmed that the room had indeed belonged to Ty.
Overcome with curiosity, she set the bottle down to approach the case. One full shelf was dedicated to football. The MVP trophy cup took her completely by surprise. She hadnât even known that Ty had played the game.
The rest of the case was filled with photographs, framed newspaper clippings, and at least a dozen gold belt buckles. Sipping the whiskey, she examined each of them, fondly caressing the cool metal. Given Tyâs laid-back manner, it surprised her to learn that he was such a serious competitor. He didnât seem to have the killer instinct that was so dominant in Evan. The two men couldnât be more different if they tried. Nevertheless, the buckles were evidence of the steel that lay beneath Tyâs carefree surface.
She poured another drink, wandering the room. Although she suppressed the urge to open dresser drawers, she couldnât deny the perverse instinct that drew her to Tyâs bed. Glass still in hand, she lay down in the middle of it, wondering anew about the young boy whoâd come to live here after losing his dad. The boy whoâd played football and then gone on to ride bulls. The young man whoâd dropped out of college to live on the rodeo circuit, then wooed and won a Texas beauty queen before almost drinking himself to death.
Had Ty successfully chained those demons? Or did they still haunt him?
Why did the hotel mean so much to him? Ty didnât just need money. If he was going to make a serious go of it, he needed a partner who knew the ropes in the world of big business. Knowing this, Tom had tried to convince her to help Ty. Now Bob was also applying not-so-subtle pressure. Would guilt finally compel her to partner with the one man in the world who could tear her heart in two?
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âYou go on in, Rosa,â Ty urged. âIâll bring the bags in later.â
âDo you want some breakfast?â Rosa asked.
âNo thanks,â Ty replied. She was accustomed to cooking for the ranch crew well before sunrise, which was still a good hour away, but living in Vegas had long ago killed that habit for Ty. âI just need to get some shut-eye after that long drive.â
Worn and weary, heâd be in no shape for a confrontation with Monica. His whole life was turning upside down, and he still hadnât figured out how he was going to deal with it all. Or with her. But he didnât want to think about it anymore. It was past time to quit thinking altogether.
Right now all he wanted to do was drag his tired ass to bed. A few hours of sleep was all he needed. After that heâd be ready to face whatever his future held.
Not wishing to wake anyone, he didnât bother with the lights but navigated using the glow of his cell phone, not