As the level of enthusiasm in the crowd escalated, Jericho climbed the fence and hopped down into the main area. He did so with such ease, Ivy’s heart sped with an undeniable attraction, one that hadn’t lessened with time. His strong jaw, the determined set of his lips, and the proud jut of his chin still made him one of God’s finest specimens of manhood.

Ivy gave herself a mental shake and focused on the steer. Nope. No how. No way. She wasn’t gonna give Jericho the satisfaction of even looking at him.

What was he doing back in South Park anyway? Did he have another outlaw he was hunting down? Someone else like Otis pretending to be an ordinary citizen? Even as the questions pushed forward like a bloodhound hot on a trail, she shoved away the thoughts. She didn’t want to think about Jericho Bliss again, didn’t want to care, didn’t even want to watch him compete.

But she couldn’t just walk away, could she? She had to stay at the fence and at least pretend to observe.

She tried for a nonchalant pose and expression, sitting on the railing as casually as possible, even though her insides had knotted as tight as a stake rope. She kept up a steady stream of conversation with Ty, mighty glad for the kid’s presence at her side and his ability to jabber on about everything and nothing at the same time.

When the steer was unleashed, Jericho was on its trail in the better half of a second, had his rope looped around its horns, and was dragging it down to the ground before she could take a full breath. In the next instant, he dismounted and landed so near the creature, he was grabbing the steer’s front legs and tying the hooey knot all in one motion. As he jumped to his feet and raised his arms, the crowd went wild with cheering.

Nobody needed to hear the official time to know Jericho Bliss had won the contest. He was amazing. Although she didn’t want to think about Jericho or admire him, she gave herself permission to appreciate his skills for just a few seconds. He deserved the accolades.

But even as she watched him tip his hat to the crowd, somehow his beautiful eyes found her. His gaze locked in on her, a gaze filled with such longing, it sent her heart tumbling in an avalanche to the bottom of her chest. The pain of the hard landing jarred the breath from her lungs, and she ripped her sights from him.