by Leslie North
He studied his driver. Her jaw was clenched and jutting forward, her hands gripped the wheel tightly. She seemed tense and angry. Was she uncomfortable after what he’d revealed at dinner? Hell, she had to be. He was, which he supposed was where his irritation came from. Knowing that didn’t soothe it, though. He turned his attention to the road ahead.
“Is something wrong?” she asked after miles of silence went by. “I suppose you don’t like to be driven by women?”
“I don’t like to be driven by anybody—I’m used to looking after myself,” he grumbled and left it at that. He didn’t want to be rude…but it wouldn’t kill her to be a little nicer, either. He was the one doing the town and her a favor as far as he could see.
“Here it is,” she announced as they pulled into the driveway of an unassuming concrete building with a large antenna and satellite dishes nearby. “Ready?”
“This isn’t my first interview. Is it yours?” He couldn’t resist the poke at her because he was irritated with her that she was irritated with him.
She didn’t bother to answer but got out of the car and went in the building ahead of him. When she made the introduction to Mitch Connor, the DJ, who was conducting the interview, her PR personality was in place. No one would have suspected that they’d just endured thirty minutes of tense silence in the car.
“We’ll be in here,” Mitch said, leading them into a small room with three chairs and plenty of recording equipment.
Cal had been in lots of similar places and felt comfortable answering the usual questions about himself and his career. The interview started in a predictable pattern, but then the dynamic changed when Mitch turned to Amy.
“Amy, tell me why Darby Crossing chose a rodeo for the fundraiser. Aren’t you concerned that you’ll sink a lot of money into the event and it won’t pay off? Rodeo’s aren’t cheap to organize and put on. You could lose more than you gain if people don’t show up. You’re betting a lot on people coming just to see the big star you’ve lined up. And on that note…” The DJ dropped that little bomb in Amy’s lap and turned to Cal before she could answer. “I hear a rumor that you’re retiring from the rodeo circuit. Why would you decide on such a small event to go out on? That doesn’t seem your style.”
Cal’s eyes went to Amy’s face. The belligerence he’d seen earlier was gone, but she seemed at a loss with how to deal with the DJ’s unexpectedly harsh interrogation. For his part, Cal didn’t like how Mitch had broadsided both of them and was implying that Amy didn’t know what she was doing.
“Well, you know,” Cal added a little extra drawl to his voice, “there’s some truth to what you say. I am retiring after the rodeo in Darby Crossing. And that’s exactly why I’m making it my final event. This rodeo is going to help a great community—what better way to close out my career than by helping people, making a difference? When they pitched the idea to me, they made such a great case, were so thorough and prepared, that I just didn’t see how I could say no. I want to go out with a bang and from the plans I’ve seen for the charity rodeo, it’s going to be that. Why don’t we let Amy explain what all’s going to happen during the rodeo weekend?”
When the attention focused back on her, she’d gotten the wind back in her sails and talked freely about other competitors who would be at the rodeo and the community events planned to coincide with it, providing an entertaining visit for guests and giving the locals—including local businesses—a chance to show off their hospitality. By the time she was done, she’d painted the picture of a town coming together and the amazing plans that would rebuild the community center in such a positive light that the DJ promised to come cover the event personally.
When he and Amy finally walked out of the radio station, Cal felt bad about growling at her earlier. Maybe taking her to lunch would make up for it. And since they were in the next town, he hoped no one would think they were seeing the ghost of Luke Thorne when they looked at him.
“Lunch before we head back? I see a little place just up there.” He pointed to a diner, the kind to be found in most Texas towns. The burgers would be hand-packed and the fries seasoned with a kick.
“I guess we could.” She checked her watch and started walking toward the diner at his side.
Once they were seated and had Cokes in front of them, he opened the conversation. “I like to squish the elephant in the room, so let’s get to it. Why were you so irritated with me this morning?”
“Me?” She looked genuinely surprised. “You were the one who was so grumpy. You barely greeted me before complaining about me driving you to the interview.”
“A man likes to do things for himself.”
She shook her head with a half-sad smile on her face. “Now you sound like my husband, and that’s…”
She didn’t finish the sentence, but she didn’t need to. He got it. He reminded her too much of the man she’d loved, who’d been taken from her too young. If even part of what Cal had read about Luke online was true, the guy had been a paragon, probably the perfect husband, too.
“I’m sorry to take my…emotions out on you,” she said, “but the thought of facing…memories every day for the next month is daunting. I’ll try to do better.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, wishing he could make this easier for her, but knowing there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t change his face or who he was. He could change the conversation, though. “Hey, is the rodeo really such a risk for the town?” Cal had never considered the financial aspect of the rodeo. He spent most of his time at established, profitable events.
She sucked in a breath. “It is. And since I’m the one that argued for it, if it doesn’t go well, I’ll be in the hot seat.”
“You could lose your job?” he asked, realizing that she had a hell of a lot more riding on this than he did.
“Possibly. Worse than that, the town could lose a lot more and we still wouldn’t have a community center.” She hitched her shoulders up.
“So why take the chance?” Cal understood risk. Riding a bucking bronc always involved possible injury, but it was also how he earned his keep. What he didn’t see was why she’d taken the risk when there were other options to raise money.
“A rodeo is the only single fundraiser we could think of that could realistically generate the money needed. If it’s successful.” The waitress came and put plates in front of them. His was the burger and fries while Amy had a half turkey sandwich and a salad. She picked up her fork and waved it at him. “Which is why we’re going to do whatever it takes to make the weekend such a success that it becomes a town tradition.”
He liked the determination he saw in her, and so he raised his Coke in a toast. “To a successful rodeo.”
She tapped her glass to his and drank. “Thanks. And thanks for thinking on your feet quickly during the interview. Are you really retiring?”
“I plan to, but I’m not leaving the circuit completely,” he said, hesitating slightly. He hadn’t told many people this next part. “I’ve got an offer from Rodeo Sports Network to be a commentator.”
“You’re giving up riding?” She speared a forkful of lettuce and cucumber.
“I don’t get up as fast as I used to when I get tossed. It’s a career hazard. Working for the network is a good alternative.” Or so he’d told himself when he’d agree to a contract, a generous contract that would have him in a cushy booth and not on the back of a bronc. He knew it was time to make the change, but he wasn’t as enthusiastic as he should be about the offer.
“You don’t want to do something else with your life?” she asked.
“The rodeo’s my home.” The only other career path he’d ever considered was opening a school to train kids for the rodeo, but that required staying in one place, and Cal didn’t do that.
She rolled her eyes, but a smile was on her face. He liked to see her happy, and he was forming a little plan to prevent another morning like the one they’d had. It was a risk, but what the heck.
“Suppose you tell me about Luke,” he suggested, “so I can try not to be too much like him.”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s—” Her face had immediately blanked.
“Come on, give it a try,” he coaxed. It took another minute or two, but she finally gave in when she realized he was doing this to hopefully make things easier on her going forward.
“Well, he was the high school football star,” she said, “and went to college on a scholarship. That’s where I met him.”
“I’ve been all about horses and riding competitively my whole life. No football for me. Never touched one,” he said, earning a small smile from her. “What else?”
“Luke hated to cook,” she said it as though it were a confession, “even the simplest thing like eggs.”
“I don’t mind cooking and when I have a kitchen to use, I downright like it. I learned early in my career that if I didn’t cook for myself, I’d go hungry.”
“I bet that doesn’t sit well with you.” She was teasing him. That was a good sign.
“No ma’am. I like to eat.” He leaned closer and whispered. “I’m thinking of ordering a second burger, but I don’t want to look like a glutton.”
She laughed then, and he loved the sound. She had a beautiful laugh, which went with her beautiful smile, and her beautiful… He stopped himself from traveling too far down that path since she was his surprise half-brother’s widow, which made her the definition of hands off. But it shouldn’t prevent them from having fun while they worked together.
“He loved sitcoms,” she said, returning to his challenge, “the more ridiculous the better. He’d watch them for hours.”
“I can’t stand the laugh tracks.”
“Me either,” she agreed. “What do you watch?”
“I’m a drama guy. I like to watch it and read it.”
“Luke never read anything. As a matter of fact, I wrote more than one of his papers during college because he hadn’t done the reading.”
“I think people who don’t read are missing out. My usual picks are thrillers and detective stories. I like them to be dark and fast-moving.” Cal was never without a book. There was usually one in his truck and a couple in his suitcase. He’d even been known to read at the arena while waiting for his event. His fellow competitors ribbed him about that, but he didn’t care. Reading was part of the household he grew up in and he enjoyed it.
“You have unexpected depths,” Amy said and this time, he laughed. She took a drink of her Coke and seemed to consider her next words before she spoke. “I’m curious, and I’m only going to ask this once. And please tell me to mind my own business if you like.” He felt a prickle on the back of his neck. What the heck was she building toward? “Would you like to meet your mother and your half-brothers?”
Cal felt his face freeze. That had come out of left field.
Or had it? It would be natural to meet the family he never knew existed when he was in the same town as they were, he supposed.
“You don’t have to,” she said quickly. “I did tell Laura about you last night. I hope you don’t mind.”
He wanted to know if his mother expressed an interest in meeting him, but he didn’t ask. He’d lived thirty-two years without knowing her and wasn’t sure it was necessary now.
“And there’s Henry, my son,” Amy continued. “He’s six, in first grade and way excited about it. I guess you’d be his uncle.”
“I’ll meet them,” Cal said. He didn’t know why it mattered to him that he know her son, but it did. He knew Luke had left behind a child—had read that in the obituary—and now Cal found he couldn’t say no to the opportunity of coming face-to-face with the little guy.
If he had to be introduced to the rest of his biological family, that seemed fair, too. It was a small town after all, and it was better to meet them in private and on purpose versus running into them on the street where everyone would stare. From what he’d read, one of his brothers managed the ranch and the other was the sheriff. Cal wouldn’t be able to avoid them at the rodeo, not even if he tried.
“I’ll set it up,” she said, seeming pleased. “I can’t promise what their reactions will be, but they’re good people, so I hope…”
“I understand,” Cal said. It wasn’t going to be easy for any of them to make his acquaintance. Riding a bronco wasn’t easy either, and Cal had done that thousands of times.
4
Amy walked around the dining room table for the third time, straightening silverware and aligning glasses. She was nervous about what she’d put in motion. Asking Cal to meet the family was potentially disastrous, and she was still a little surprised he’d agreed so readily. Well, she thought, he’d agreed after a moment of somewhat stunned silence.
And then she’d had to go home, have a private talk with Laura, and then arrange a family conference after Henry went to bed to explain to the twins not only that they had a brother they didn’t know about but that she’d invited Cal to come to Sunday brunch, a Thorne family tradition. Stunned silence had greeted her from Brian and Jake as well, but they’d agreed it was best to meet Cal sooner rather than later.
“Mom, I can’t find my shirt with the bucking horse on it,” Henry called loudly from his room.
Laura met Amy’s eye with a slight smile. Amy knew her mother-in-law was tied up in knots about this, but also excited. She’d been cooking since dawn and there was a dizzying amount of food in the kitchen.
“At least Henry’s not intentionally hiding.” Laura shot a look through to the courtyard area at the back of the house where Jake and Brian had retreated ten minutes earlier.
“Laura, I…” She almost apologized again for forcing them all to go through this.
“I want to meet him,” Laura assured her. She seemed nervous but determined, and she’d dressed up in a shirtwaist dress in red cotton. “Go help Henry. Our guest will be here any minute.”
Amy went into her son’s room. His shirt drawer was pulled all the way out and he was rooting through his clothes. “I can’t find it. And it has to be that shirt because he’s a real rodeo rider, and I gotta look like a ranch kid.”
“You look like a ranch kid because you are a ranch kid, no matter what you wear,” Amy said as she started to re-fold the clothes. Henry loved everything about the ranch, which made the city girl in her a little nervous. She’d been okay until the broken leg over the winter. The doctor said it was healed and Henry could ride again, but she just didn’t know about that.
“How about this shirt?” Amy offered a plaid shirt that buttoned down the front. “It’s the kind of thing that Uncle Jake wears when he’s working around the ranch.”
Henry pursed his lips and seemed to consider it before finally agreeing. “Okay. That’ll work.”
“And clean pants, young man.” She gave him his clothes and sent him into the bathroom to change. “Comb your hair and wash your face while you’re in there,” she called.
She’d avoided explaining exactly who Cal was to Henry. She’d kept it simple and said he was a rodeo rider who’d come to help the town and they were being polite by asking him to have brunch with them. Of course, she knew the truth would come out. The family resemblance would be obvious even to a child. And Henry had photographs of his dad in his room. Would he make the connection on his own? It wasn’t worth the risk. But she was torn on exactly how to tell him—and when. What if she told him a new uncle was coming to meet him, and then Cal got cold feet and backed out at the last minute? Would Henry be hurt? But what if she didn’t say anything, Cal arrived, and Henry didn’t take the surprise well? Lord knew, she’d been shocked the first time she’d seen the man. Wasn’t it better to prepare him? But what would she say? Here’s your dead father’s half-brother that none of us knew existed? Maybe not quite that.
“Henry, come here for a minute,” she said when he came back into the room. She waited until he was looking right at her and she spoke slowly and clearly. “The man coming today is Uncle Jake and Uncl
e Brian’s older brother. He lives far away so this is the first time he’s come to the ranch. Do you understand?”
“Oh, so he’s family?” Her son’s simple assessment warmed her heart.
“That’s right,” she said, as the doorbell rang. “Ready?” She took her son’s hand and led him to the living room.
When Amy and Henry got there, she saw that Laura had answered the door but retreated several feet across the room. Her hand was clasped over her mouth and she was staring at Cal, who was turning his hat in his hands, appearing more awkward than a man that handsome should ever be.
“Cal, welcome to the ranch,” Amy said to smooth things over and get past this uncomfortable first meeting. Why had she thought this was a good idea? Because it is, she reminded herself. Like Henry said, Cal was family. “Henry, go get your uncles. They’re in the courtyard.” She gave her son a little push in that direction.
“Yes, of course. I’m sorry.” Laura seemed to recover herself. “Where are my manners? Welcome to the ranch, Cal. We’re so glad you could join us today. I’m Laura, your…”
“It’s nice to meet you, Laura,” Cal said quickly, helping his biological mother maneuver around the words that seemed to catch in her throat.
The stomping of boots on the wood floor drew their attention to Henry returning with his uncles.
“And these two are Brian and Jake.” Amy gestured to each one as she introduced them. They weren’t identical twins, but their expressions matched perfectly at that moment. Flickers of stunned pain passed over their faces. She understood so well where that came from. Her gaze shifted to Cal. His stance was rigid, and she felt sympathy for him, too. This wasn’t easy on anyone. “Brian and Jake, this is Cal Pierce.”
The men all nodded. Were they just going to stare at each other? But then Cal stepped forward and offered his hand to each and the usual polite pleasantries were exchanged. No one was comfortable, and Amy felt responsible for that. She had to do something to break the tension. She could offer people drinks or maybe take Cal on a tour of the ranch while the rest of the family recovered. Before she could suggest something, Henry focused the attention on himself.
