He was making a colossal mess of everything. He was supposed to be gaining her trust, not scaring her off with talk of flings in haylofts.“What?” she asked.“I’m sorry,” he began. “I didn’t mean to—”The band went suddenly silent, and the arena plunged into darkness. An instantaneous whoop went up from the cowboys, and Sawyer reflexively pulled Niki to him, sheltering her in the dark.Lightning flashed through the open doorways at the far end of the arena, and thunder rumbled its way through the big building.“You okay?” he asked her, keeping his arms solidly around her cradling her between his bent knees. He heard a glass break nearby, and someone bumped against his shoulder. He turned his body, putting her between him and the bar.Lightning flashed again, and thunder cracked directly above them.“Last summer, they had a storm that blew down half the trees in Lyndon Valley,” she told him. “It closed the airport for three days.”“Exciting place, Colorado,” Sawyer replied.Voices around them rose and fell.
