It was decked out with every type of paraphernalia and decoration that related to ranching. In back of the podium hung the enormous banner that said Cattleman’s Association in flowing script. Although every male was in formal attire, most of the tuxedos were western cut, and a lot of the ties were the familiar bolo. Many of the women wore enough jewels to make a serious dent in the national debt. Dinner had been pleasant. They sat with Reenie and Matt and two couples they knew, and her brother had done a good job of getting Buck involved in the conversation. By the end of the meal, Buck was chatting easily with the two men—or as easily as he did anything with strangers. She wondered what had happened in his past to make him so reticent and withdrawn in new situations. He certainly hadn’t been the day they’d met on the highway, but she wondered if he hadn’t been playing a role then too. When the music started, he led her to the dance floor, moving gracefully with her in time to the music.
