“How’s the steak?” Zac asked, an hour later.
“Better than I expected,” Delaney confessed. It was surprisingly good, although she’d barely eaten a bite. She was too nerved up to be alone with Zac. It felt far too much like a date for her comfort, not that she even remembered what a date was anymore. She’d only tested those waters once since her divorce from Ty—if attending a conference with her vet, Kevin, counted. Sadly, the test had failed. Although Kevin was a nice enough guy, the chemistry was better with her B.O.B., so there was no point in repeating the experiment. But that didn’t keep her from covertly studying Zac.
His eyes were deep set and his nose was slightly crooked with a small hump just below the bridge. His jaw was square and strong and his mouth firm and uncompromising. She’d always thought Ty was the better looking of the two men, but maybe a good part of that was Ty’s warm and flirtatious nature. Zac, by contrast, was as hard and cool as a Remington bronze.
Was he really as cool as the statue? She recalled how warm his hand had felt on her back and gave a slight shiver. Why this sudden fascination with the man?
“I’ve lived in this area eight years and didn’t even know this place existed,” she said conversationally.
“Growing up around here means I know all the well-hidden secrets,” Zac said.
“All right, since you seem to know the people here better than I do, can you please explain to me what was happening at that auction tonight?” she asked. “Why weren’t they acknowledging my bids? My money’s as green as anyone else’s.”
“That might be the problem. You’ve got too much green to throw around,” Zac replied.
“Are you saying they feel threatened by me?”
“Maybe some regard you as an upstart,” he said. “You gotta understand that there’s generations of cattlemen round here that don’t cotton to outsiders coming in, let alone a single woman. On top of that, Ty was well thought of. There’s some who don’t like what you did to him. A reputation’s worth more than money to a lotta folks ’round here.”
“What happened between Ty and me is none of their damned business!”
She’d upheld her marriage vows while he’d made a fool of her to the whole world. She’d run the ranch while he was on the road. When the settlement had granted her half interest in Ty’s ranch, he’d expected her to sell it back, but she didn’t want or need his money. She wanted and needed to be taken seriously.
In her whole life, no one had ever taken her seriously. One casual look had most folks classifying her as just another bubbleheaded beauty queen. She’d done little in her early years to dispel that misconception. Although she’d made passing grades, she’d never paid half as much attention to her studies as her social life, but her biggest mistake had been dropping out of college to elope with a rodeo cowboy.
No one had taken her seriously after that.
So, instead of selling her share back to him, she’d enrolled at Oklahoma State. Four years later, she’d finally achieved something she could be proud of—a degree in animal husbandry. Eight years ago, her knowledge of cattle had been limited to the best cuts of beef to order at the finest restaurants, but things had changed. She had changed.
“I agree,” Zac continued, unperturbed. “But that attitude doesn’t endear you to folks who already don’t think a woman should be messing around with bulls.”
“Which camp are you in, Zac?” she asked.
His green gaze met hers. “What makes you think I’m in either one?”
“You bought my heifer. Why else would you have bid when you knew I wanted her?”
“I bid on her because it was obvious that you weren’t going to get her any other way.”
“Oh?” She swallowed that morsel and almost choked on it. “You didn’t want her for yourself?”
“I didn’t say that. She was the pick of the lot, but I wouldn’t have outbid you for her.”
“So that’s why you asked how high I was willing to go?”
“Yup.”
“I’ll write you a check right now.” She reached for her purse.
He stopped her, resting his big, calloused hand on hers. She licked her lips, painfully aware that her nerves lit up every time he touched her. Was she that hungry for a man? She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had sex without batteries. Although she ached to feel a man inside her again, she didn’t want the complications and pitfalls of a relationship.
“Don’t want your money,” he said low and husky. “I’d much rather have your goodwill and maybe a bull calf from that heifer later on down the road.”
“So you really did bring me here to talk about the heifer?” she asked, freeing her hand by reaching for her wineglass.
“Among other things,” he replied.
She regarded him narrowly. “What kind of things?”