He did make it out of the truck in time to open the door for her. This morning, he could see that she was even prettier than he’d imagined—dark hair, which she wore in a soft pixie cut that framed her delicate features, sparkling brown eyes, and a generous smile. He liked her looks. And, as he remembered from last night, he liked her voice even more.

She’d had him at “I’ve got pepper spray . . .”

“Thanks again for your help,” she said, fastening her seat belt. “Let’s hope it doesn’t take too long to get my car out. I’m sure you have more important things to do.”

“Not right now. Let’s go.” Conner started the truck and headed down Main Street, toward the intersection with the highway. Travis and Rush, after some good-natured teasing, had given him leave to take all the time he needed. Their offer was more than generous. There’d be plenty of work for all the partners when he got home later this morning.

“My brother talked about you last night,” Megan said. “He’s a big fan of yours. But then, something tells me you have a lot of fans.”

“Not these days,” Conner said. “But it’s always fun to meet kids who remember who I was before I got hurt.”

“What happened? Did a bull hurt you?”

“My glove got caught in the rope on a dismount. The bull dragged me halfway around the arena before anybody could get me loose. Dislocated my shoulder and shattered my hip. It wasn’t the bull’s fault. He was just trying to get rid of me.”

“And, hey, you’re alive,” she said. “You’re here.”

“I am. I’ll never ride again, not even on a horse, but I count myself damned lucky to be in one piece.”

“Luck’s a funny thing. That injury could have saved you from something worse later on. You’ll never know.”

“Actually, it saved me for something better. I was living pretty wild—the parties, the women, the booze, you name it. After that day in the arena, the doctors patched me up and got me on my feet, but the medical bills took everything I had. I’d pretty much hit bottom when my old friend Travis called and invited me to be a partner in his ranch. It’s been the best thing that ever happened to me.”

He’d never told his story to a woman before, Conner realized. Until now, he’d only shared it with his partners. But something about Megan Carson, a woman he barely knew, made him want to come clean and bare his soul.

What if he’d revealed too much, mentioning his self-destructive past? What if he’d already scared her off?

Now what was he supposed to say?