Roping A Cowboy (Blazing Eagle Ranch Book 2)

by Peyton Banks

  Stan glanced over his shoulder at Wade.

  “Joy is not her father,” Wade growled. He moved toward Mike, but Stan shoved him back.

  “Forget I said anything. I’m not trying to lose a good job over this. I was even hoping to stay on and become full-time. I’ve heard things, and wasn’t going to say anything, but then she started coming around.”

  Wade tried to push Stan out of the way, but the guy was solid muscle.

  “Get him out of here,” Wade snapped. He was not one to listen to gossip.

  “Maybe you should hear him out. If there is talk amongst the hands, we can put a stop to it.” Stan met Wade’s glare head-on. “Calm down, Wade. Listen to him.”

  Wade shook Stan’s hands off and took a step back. His breaths were coming fast, and he was strung tight. If there was gossip amongst the hands about Joy, then he was going to personally put an end to it.

  “Talk.”

  Mike’s eyes were wide as he pulled his hat off. He wiped his forehead with the back of his arm as he visibly swallowed hard before replacing his hat.

  “There ain’t much.” He nervously glanced at Wade. “I have a few buddies who still work over at Fox Run, and they said that Davis is willing to do whatever he needs to to get his land back.”

  Wade refused to believe Joy would do something as to what Mike was implying. He walked a few feet away and swiped a hand across his face. He grimaced at the rough bristles on his skin. He hadn’t shaved that morning.

  Wade turned back to Mike and waved a hand. “Just go.”

  “I’m not fired, am I?” Mike asked, worried.

  Wade couldn’t fire him over sharing gossip. From what he had seen from the short time he’d been working for them, he was dependable, a hard worker, and appeared to be a good man. Parker had a sixth sense about people, and wouldn’t have hired him on if he didn’t think Mike wasn’t a good fit for the ranch.

  “Stan and I can handle Sara. Go radio in to Carson and see what he needs help with.” Wade knew his younger brother was installing a cattle sweep and a few bale feeders for the cattle, and every extra hand would help get them up and working faster.

  “Yes, sir. I truly didn’t mean anything.” Mike spun on his heels and jogged over to one of the ATVs parked nearby.

  Now doubts were creeping into his head as he watched Mike drive away. He tried to push them down, but he couldn’t.

  The Whitakers had been after his father to sign back over their land. The deal dated back years, and Wade had never taken an interest in it before. If Jonah didn’t want to sell it back to them, then Hell would have to freeze over before he changed his mind.

  Wade and his brothers didn’t have any say so over the land until it was turned over to them. Jonah had the controlling hand over the ranch.

  Joy wouldn’t stoop so low as to try to get close to him to get her family land back.

  Would she?

  Wade shook those thoughts from his head. He knew Joy. She was many things, but a deceitful liar was not one of them.

  Mike didn’t really know Wade like that, so why would he lie?

  Who else was talking about Joy and their relationship?

  He would have to get to the bottom of this.

  “You going to be all right?” Stan’s voice broke through Wade’s thoughts.

  “Yeah.” Wade glanced back over at Sara, having forgotten about her for a brief moment. The poor cow was in pain. He could see it plain as day by her posture, and she wasn’t fighting being tied against the railings. Her breathing was becoming labored.

  Something was definitely wrong.

  Tires flying along the gravel had Wade and Stan rotating around to see the new arrival. A truck drove up and parked near them.

  The doctor was here. He exited his truck and grabbed a few things out of the back seat before walking toward them.

  Guy Hutson was a second-generation veterinarian. He was the primary physician for the animals on the farm, along with his father. The elder Hutson was no longer doing farm calls, and had turned it over to Guy.

  “How she doing?” Guy asked, coming over to them with a large black bag. He swung his stethoscope around his neck.

  “Not sure, Doc. I’ve never seen her like this,” Stan replied.

  Wade had to fight to keep his attention on the problem at hand. His anger was finally dispersing. It wouldn’t have been good if he’d put his hands on his employee and kicked his ass.

  Blowing out a deep breath, he focused on the conversation between Stan and Guy.

  “She appears to be in pain,” Wade mentioned.

  Guy smiled and walked into the corral with Sara.

  “Hey, girl. How’s it going?” Guy spoke to her in a calm voice.

  Sara was skittish, crying out, and tried to pull on the rope to break free.

  Guy dropped his bag on the ground and put his stethoscope in his ears to listen to Sara while murmuring quietly to her. She finally calmed down and stood still for the doctor. He knocked on her belly in different areas.

  Wade and Stan waited while the doctor assessed the troubled cow.

  “Well, don’t worry, fellas. She’ll be all right.” Guy removed his stethoscope from his ears and looked over at them. “It’s good that you called me when you did. She’s bloated.”

  “What?” Stan and Wade shared a concerned look.

  “She has gas trapped inside of her. It’s starting to push against her lungs, making it hard for her to breathe.” Guy moved over to his bag and opened it. Pulling out a few items, he returned to Sara. “I just need to release the gas, and then she should be right as rain.”

  Wade sighed, glad that the doctor could aid her.

  “Anything you can do to help her, we would appreciate it,” Wade replied.

  “This won’t take much.” Gus grinned. He held up a sharp instrument and began explaining what he would need to do.

  Wade trusted the doctor with the care of their animals.

  “I’ll have to puncture her side with this to create an escape for the gas. I’ll give her a shot of antibiotics, and she’ll be good by tonight.”

  Joy drove down the dirt road that led to her family’s home. She had an itch to do a little shopping, so she’d ran into town. Her favorite store, Lace and Dreams, a lingerie boutique ran by Mrs. Garret, had received a new shipment. Of course, Mrs. Garret had emailed Joy her current sales, and that was got her there.

  She had been unable to resist going in to check out the new items. While in Shady Springs, she’d even browsed some of the other shops, making a nice little afternoon of it.

  Joy grinned. She couldn’t wait for Wade to see her new, sexy items.

  He loved taking her out of her lingerie.

  She had to agree with the man. It always looked better on his floor.

  Joy arrived at the house and parked her pickup in her normal spot. Her brother’s truck was there. He must have stuck around later than normal. Knowing him, he was probably planning to stay for dinner before heading to his place.

  Glancing at the porch, she saw her father sitting in his favorite rocker. She killed the engine and got out. The dogs immediately came running for her.

  “Can I get my things out the truck first before y’all attack me?” Joy laughed. They yipped and barked, jumping on her. She had to pause and rub each and every one of their heads. “Okay, move.”

  Joy couldn’t help but giggle at them. They always acted as if they hadn’t seen her in years whenever she left for a few hours.

  They grew even more excited as she pulled her bags out of the truck. She slammed the door shut and turned toward the house. They jumped up, trying to sniff the bags as if looking to see if she had brought them anything.

  Normally she did, but this time, she hadn’t made a stop at the small pet store.

  Her father’s shrill whistle cut through the air. The dogs instantly calmed down and whined as they walked alongside her.

  “Let her get on the porch,” her father ordered.

 
; The dogs instantly backed away, running around the front, chasing after each other.

  Her father had a commanding tone that anyone would be stupid to go against. The dogs knew who their true master was.

  Joy shook her head and climbed the stairs.

  “Hey, Dad.” She smiled at her father and blew him a kiss. She had planned to make a beeline into the house so she could put her items away. She didn’t really want her father to know that she had shopped at Lace and Dreams.

  “Joy, come sit with me.” She immediately grew nervous.

  Licking her suddenly dry lips, she jerked her head into a nod and walked over to him. She sat on the other rocking chair and placed her bags by her feet where he wouldn’t see them.

  They rocked together in a strained silence. The dogs had run off somewhere behind the house, their barks echoing off in the distance.

  Her stomach was filled with dread. Without asking, she could tell something was wrong.

  What? She had no clue.

  Finally, her father broke the silence.

  “Your mother tells me you’re dating a fella,” Davis stated.

  Joy nodded. “I am.”

  “I don’t understand young folks nowadays. When I courted your mother, I came to the house and introduced myself to her father. There wasn’t any running around in secret. We had respect for our elders.”

  “Daddy,” she gasped. “You know I respect you.”

  Now she felt the lowest of low. She loved her father dearly, and hated seeing him upset.

  “Apparently, Wade Brooks doesn’t. I’m not surprised, seeing as who his father is.” Davis turned his gaze to her, and she sat back in her seat. He was pissed.

  “You knew?”

  “There are no secretes between your mother and I. She told me as soon as she found out. I waited to see if you would say anything, but it looks like I would have been waiting for the cows to come home.”

  Tears slid down her face. “I didn’t know how to tell you. Blame me. I wasn’t sure how you would react,” she admitted.

  Davis leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. He turned his gaze out onto the land before them.

  “He’s a Brooks, baby. You could date any other fella in this town, and you decided to get in bed with the enemy. The same family who refused to sell our land back.”

  “It wasn’t Wade. He’s not his father, and I’m not you.” She wiped the tears from her face. How many times had she heard the story of what the Brooks had done to her family? Not all the Brooks.

  Just one.

  Jonah.

  “All of that happened before either of us were born,” she continued.

  Her father stood from his chair and dragged a hand over his head. He focused his hardened eyes on her.

  “It doesn’t matter. You should be loyal to our family name. I’ve told you repeatedly what they did to our family.”

  Joy jumped up from her chair and blocked his exit to the front door.

  “I am loyal, but it’s not fair that I have to choose between people I love.” She paused. Her eyes widened, and she stared at her father, unable to believe the words that had just spilled from her lips.

  Love Wade?

  Did she?

  Her father’s shoulders slumped, and he stared off in the distance. “Love, eh?”

  “I guess I do have feelings for him. He really makes me happy, Daddy. We are so alike, and he’s good for me.”

  Admitting all of this to her father was like a weight being lifted from her shoulders. Now, all she would have to do was tell Wade how she felt about him.

  Her vision blurred as the tears continued to fill her eyes. She didn’t know why she was so emotional all of a sudden, but realizing she was in love with Wade was a life-changing moment.

  Davis turned back to Joy. Having seen her tears, he cursed and opened his arms. Davis Whitaker, Sr. never could handle his daughters’ tears.

  “Come here,” he murmured.

  Joy flew into his arms, where he held her tight. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to cry.

  “If he didn’t treat you well, he’d be having a little chat with my shotgun.” Davis pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

  “What’s going on out here?” her mother asked, coming out of the house.

  Junior was right behind her. Joy stepped back from their father and wiped her face.

  “Nothing,” she mumbled.

  “She finally came clean as to who she’s been sneaking with,” her father admitted, resting a hand on Joy’s shoulder.

  “Dating?” Junior slid his hands into his pockets, his lips curled up into a grin.

  Joy rolled her eyes at him. She was surprised how calm her father was acting. It was her brother she was worried about.

  “Who?” Junior asked.

  “A Brooks,” her father replied.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Junior whipped around on her. His eyes narrowed, and his nostrils flared. “Son of a bitch.”

  Junior tore off down the stairs.

  “Junior!” Joy hollered, following behind him. She had a funny feeling he would react this way. Her brother had a short temper, and when it came to the Brookses, it took little to nothing to set him off. “Where the hell are you going?”

  “Which one?” He spun around on her suddenly.

  She barely missed crashing into him.

  “What are you going to do? Go off and fight him because we’re seeing each other?” she screamed.

  Georgy and Davis yelled for Junior to come back, but he ignored them.

  “Which one, Joy? Don’t play with me,” he snarled. Junior’s chest was rising and falling fast. He was beyond pissed. When he got this angry, it was better to get out of his way.

  But not this time.

  She knew her brother wouldn’t raise a hand to her, but Wade was a different story. Junior always felt he had to protect her, but this was one time she wished he would keep his nose out of her life.

  “It’s none of your business. I don’t need you fighting for me over nothing,” Joy snapped. If she wanted to have a relationship with Wade, then that was her decision.

  “Who?” Junior hollered.

  “Wade,” her father calmly replied, walking down the stairs.

  Joy stared at him, unable to believe he was fanning the flames. She spun around to see Junior hopping into his truck, slamming the door shut. The wheels dug into the gravel as he backed out of his spot.

  Joy took off running to her vehicle, her heart racing. Jumping into her truck, she took off behind him.

  “Shit!” she screamed.

  What the hell was going on?

  Her brother had just lost his damn mind. She reached for her phone, but realized it was still on the porch. She couldn’t call Wade to warn him.

  Hell, she hoped no one was at home.

  There was little chance that would be the case, though.

  Fuck.

  18

  “This had to be one of the longest days in the history of days,” Parker joked.

  Wade snickered, agreeing. He took a sip from one of the ice-cold beers Maddy had brought out in a cooler with nothing but ice and long-neck bottles.

  His future sister-in-law was definitely a keeper.

  Wade was drained from the hard day. Drinking cold beers with his brother was the perfect way to end it. They were perched on the fence near the Blazing Eagle Ranch sign. Some days, he and his brothers came out here to take in all that their family had worked so hard for.

  The sign meant something to all of them.

  There were plenty of days they would come out here to talk about nothing, and just kick back, enjoying the beauty of the land.

  Wade took a long pull from his bottle and thought back to that morning. The doctor had worked on Sara, and just like he’d said, she was acting much better. They reunited her with her calf.

  That was one disaster they were able to avoid.

  “The wedding is going to be here soon,” Wade remarked
.

  Parker and Maddy were going to get married at Blazing Eagle, the official day rapidly approaching. Apparently, they both wanted to tie the knot before the next addition of the family was born.

  “I know. Hell, if it was up to me, we would have just gone down to the courthouse,” Parker chuckled. “But Maddy girl wants the whole thing. An outdoor country wedding.”

  “At least we don’t have to wear tuxedos,” Wade retorted.

  They clinked their glasses to that. Neither of them liked wearing suits. Hell, even to their mother’s funeral, they’d worn jeans, dark shirts, and boots. It was an even bigger shock that Parker had taken off his hat to bury their momma.

  “That, we do not.” Parker grinned. “But honestly, if Maddy had wanted it, I would have done it.”

  It was no question that Parker was head over heels in love with Maddy. There wasn’t anything his older brother wouldn’t do for the mother of his children.

  “Yeah, I know. I’m just glad she didn’t.” Wade finished off the beer and tossed the bottle onto the grass in front of the cooler. Reaching for another, he popped the top off with the bottle opener on his keychain.

  “Are you bringing Joy?” Parker asked.

  Wade paused. He forgot about bringing a date to the wedding. But now that it was mentioned, it was without question that Joy would be his date.

  “I hadn’t even thought about a date,” Wade admitted. “But yeah, I’ll bring her. Who the hell is Carson bringing?”

  Parker grimaced. “Who knows. I just hope whoever it is will be someone Momma would have approved of.”

  They both laughed. The women Carson messed with wouldn’t be anyone worth bringing home to meet their mother if she were still alive. Their brother was certainly a Brooks man, and he loved women.

  “The wedding is the easy part. Are you ready for baby number two?” Wade asked.

  Parker blew out a deep breath and removed his hat. He sat it down on the ground next to him.

  “Can I admit that I am more nervous about meeting this baby than when I met Tyler?”

  “Really?” Wade paused and glanced at his brother. “Why is that?”