Roping A Cowboy (Blazing Eagle Ranch Book 2)

by Peyton Banks

  Instead of telling him the other day, she’d broken it off.

  She had put her family between them. Even when he proclaimed that it should be just the two of them, she had pushed him away.

  In the back of her mind, she wondered if he truly didn’t know about Jonah brushing her father off again with the land agreement.

  But then, her heart believed him, and knew he didn’t have anything to do with it.

  He was innocent, just as she was.

  “Even if I wanted to get back with Wade, he probably wouldn’t speak with me.” She rubbed her face. She had hurt him.

  Bad.

  She had seen it right before he’d shut down on her.

  Georgy ran her hand over Joy’s back. “Everything will be all right. Maybe the time apart will do you some good. Maybe the fog in your brain will clear, and you can think with it instead of your other parts.”

  Joy snorted. She was not about to have that type of conversation with her mother.

  “Mom, please don’t.”

  “Fine,” Georgy chuckled.

  They grew silent while watching the sheep graze. The two who had been getting busy were now eating near each other.

  It was official.

  Joy was jealous of the pair.

  Have sex, eat together, and then not to have to worry about anything else.

  Joy shook her head.

  It must be nice.

  “So, have you thought about which sheep we’re lending to the fair?” Georgy asked.

  The annual fair was coming to town in two weeks, and the Whitakers always lent some of their sheep for the Mutton Bustin’ competition. It was one of the highlights of the fair.

  Little tykes riding sheep was the cutest thing Joy had ever seen. She loved to watch the five-and six-year-olds ride the sheep and compete against each other.

  The kids trained hard, and took mutton bustin’ seriously.

  It was a big deal in Shady Springs.

  Joy couldn’t wait for the day where she could have children of her own. She would definitely be working with them to train and enter the games.

  When Joy was younger, she was a mutton bustin’ champion. She had plenty of ribbons from her time as a youngster. It had been so much fun, and some of her fondest memories as a child were on the back of a sheep.

  Images of her with a chubby, dark-haired baby with curly hair and gray eyes flashed before her, and Joy shook it off.

  Those gray eyes.

  Joy’s heart ached.

  There was no sense in fantasizing of what could have been.

  She may have ruined whatever future she had with Wade.

  “When do they need them delivered?” Georgy asked, breaking into her fantasy.

  “The morning of the event.”

  “Well, come on, dear. Let’s go get dinner started.” Her mother wrapped an arm around her and pulled her toward the house.

  “What to wear?” Joy stared at the clothing hanging in her closet. She tightened the towel around her and blew out a deep breath. Today they were going to the Country Festival, and her sister was in her room getting prepped. Junior would be picking them up in about an hour, and she had yet to figure out what outfit to wear.

  A knock sounded at the door. It flew open, followed by a gasp.

  “You’re not dressed yet?”

  Joy glanced over her shoulder and shrugged. “Too many choices?”

  Lexi giggled. “What am I going to do with you?” Rushing across the room, she joined Joy in front of the closet, riffling through the items before them. “For you to still be a country bumpkin, you sure do have a lot of clothes.”

  “What can I say?” Joy murmured. She turned around and walked over to her bed. Taking a seat, she decided to let Lexi pick something out for her. Lexi had a good eye for fashion.

  It wasn’t like Joy was trying to catch anyone’s eye.

  The only person she would want to dress up for probably wouldn’t even speak to her.

  Lexi spun around with a few outfits in her hands. One look at Joy, and her smile disappeared.

  “Oh, sis. It’s going to be okay.” She came and sat next to Joy, tossing the clothes on the bed.

  Lexi had arrived last night, and they had stayed up late drinking wine and watching movies, while Joy brought her up to speed on everything that had gone down with Wade.

  Lexi had listened to her, and there was no judgement. Just a sympathetic ear for Joy to share her feelings.

  “I don’t think so. I really hurt him,” she whispered. Joy took her hand and entwined their fingers.

  “Well, I think your idea of coming back to the city with me is a fine one. I have some time I can take from work, and we can just relax together. There’s plenty for us to do.”

  When Joy had asked about coming to stay with her for a few days, Lexi was immediately on board.

  “Thanks, sis.” She knew she would be able to count on Lexi. Getting away from Shady Springs was going to help her clear her mind and get her life together. She needed a distraction. If she stayed on the ranch, she would just continue to think of Wade, who was one ranch over.

  “Now, let’s get you dressed and do something with your hair. We are not going to think of men.” Lexi squeezed her hand and grinned. “We are going to have some fun listening to some good country music and day drinking, that will obviously go on into the night.”

  Joy laughed. “You know I don’t drink like that.” A few glasses of wine, she could handle, but hard liquor always knocked her on her ass.

  The Country Festival was known for its big party atmosphere. Three days’ worth of concerts had people coming from all over. All of the top country stars, as well as rising ones, came to perform. There would be tons of food and booze for people to have a good time.

  “Oh, this occasion calls for us to drink,” Lexi stated matter-of-factly. She stood and snagged the clothes from the bed. She held them up to show Joy what she had chosen. “Get dressed.”

  21

  “Eliana, thanks for coming to stay the night,” Wade said, leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen.

  His father’s nurse spun around with a wide grin. “It’s no problem, Wade. You fellas deserve to have one night out to relax and be young.” She moved over to the stove and lifted the lid to a pot, stirring the contents. From the scent floating through the air, she was making chili.

  It was one of his father’s favorites. Jonah Brooks could eat chili all year long.

  Wade snorted. He wasn’t in any mood to go out with his brothers, but they weren’t hearing of him staying home.

  The country music festival was a big event, and his brothers were determined to take him with them. Parker was bringing Maddy along, while Tyler went to stay with Maddy’s mother for the weekend.

  Apparently, Parker and Maddy were taking full advantage of being childless this weekend.

  “I’ll go check on Pa before I leave,” he offered.

  “Oh, he will behave, don’t you worry. I don’t put up with Jonah’s shit,” Eliana vowed.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Wade chuckled, pushing off the doorframe. Turning, he walked down the hall to the family room.

  This had been the house he and his brothers had grown up in. Even though it had been years since his mother died, Jonah refused to remove any of the reminders of Grace from the house.

  Wade entered the large room with vaulted ceilings. His father was settled in an oversized recliner, watching an old black-and-white Western movie. Jonah loved the Old West, and Wade had plenty of memories of walking in this same room to find Jonah and his mother sitting together on the couch, their attention on the television while an old-fashioned shootout played across the screen.

  Jonah would have a drink and his famous cigarette in hand while Grace was cuddled underneath his arm.

  Jonah wasn’t an affectionate man, but for Grace, he would have done anything.

  Wade shook the memory from his mind.

  Jonah’s sharp eyes watched Wade as he ambl
ed across the room.

  “You doing good, Pa?” Wade asked. He went straight for the bar and took out a glass. If he was going to have to go out with his brothers, then he was going to ensure he had a good time.

  He had caught Parker and Carson up on Joy breaking things off with him. He hadn’t gone into much detail, just the most important thing. She didn’t want to be with him.

  She didn’t trust him, and didn’t believe in them enough to even try.

  She’d just given up.

  Browsing through the bottles, he picked up his favorite whiskey and poured a double.

  “What’s got you drinking, boy?” Jonah asked.

  Wade took a gulp and turned. The amber liquid burned going down. It was a good choice brand. His father had always kept the best liquor in the house.

  When Wade was about fifteen or so, he and his brothers had snuck into his father’s liquor cabinet and stolen a fine bottle of alcohol. They had given the excuse of going out fishing at the creek late at night.

  They had done it before just to have fun.

  This time, they had a full bottle of booze.

  They had drunk the entire bottle and had gotten shit-faced that night.

  Jonah had found out, and, of course, the bottle they stole had been one hell of an expensive one.

  There was no punishment needed.

  Jonah had ridden out to the creek and collected them. He had been pissed, but he hadn’t said a word. Wade, Parker, and Carson were so damn sick. They all had thrown up at least twice on the ride home.

  Each of the boys had been hungover, but Jonah hadn’t shown them any mercy.

  At five in the morning, he had them up doing chores.

  “Real men who go out drinking all night still get up for work in the morning.”

  Jonah’s dry chuckle still echoed in Wade’s head as he’d dragged his boys out to the barn. Carson had it the worst. He hadn’t even made it halfway there before falling on his knees and puking again.

  Those were the good ol’ days.

  He and his brothers always stuck together. There were countless memories of their shenanigans.

  “Going to the festival.” Wade shrugged nonchalantly. He leaned back against the bar and met his father’s eyes.

  Jonah turned down the volume on the television. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say you were having woman troubles.”

  Wade snorted. That was an understatement. He knocked back more of the whiskey.

  “Don’t want to get into that,” Wade muttered.

  Jonah huffed. He stared at Wade, adjusting his chair to bring up the legs.

  “That Whitaker gal giving you trouble?”

  Wade jerked, almost dropping his glass. His gaze widened as he stared at his father.

  What the hell?

  How did the old man know about Joy?

  “Don’t think because I’m cooped up in the house most of the time that I don’t know what is going on around here.” Jonah shook his head and ran a hand across his jaw. “There isn’t anything that goes on at the Blazing Eagle that escapes me.”

  “I guess the gossip mill has been talking.” He had fleeting thoughts of Mike, and wondered if he had been the one to tell his father. He would rather have someone say shit to his face instead of whispering it behind his back.

  “Gossip is shit that ain’t true. Were you messing with the Whitaker girl or not?” his father asked.

  He swirled the amber liquid around in his glass and pondered the question. To Wade, it was more than just “messing around.” He’d thought they had something good going on between them.

  “Yeah,” Wade admitted. He might as well tell the truth.

  “Hell, a blind man could see the way she was looking at you that night at dinner,” Jonah said. “I’m getting old, not senile.”

  “Well, you don’t have to worry about anything. She broke it off.” Just saying it out loud had Wade getting pissed again.

  The hurt and rage he harbored inside of him was aching to burst out.

  After that day he’d walked away from her, he’d thrown himself into the ranch. He had been working from before the sun came up to well after it went down.

  Wade would go home, shower, and ate nothing before falling asleep. Most times, he woke up on the couch. It was too hard to sleep in the bed they’d made love in more times than he could count. Her scent was still on his sheets.

  The sounds of her sobs still haunted him.

  Jonah smirked. “I’m not even sure how the two of you got involved with each other. I’m sure her father had a shit fit over a Brooks sleeping with his daughter.”

  Wade stared at his father. The question was burning inside him.

  “Did Senior come to you and ask to buy their land back?” The alcohol was doing all the talking. Normally, Wade didn’t get involved with the business dealings of the ranch.

  But he had to know.

  Since it was assumed he knew, he might as well find out what really happened.

  Jonah stared off toward the television. Wade couldn’t tell if he was really watching it. Was the old man going to just ignore his question?

  “Senior came by one day.” Johan looked older than his sixty years. Life as a rancher wasn’t easy for the man. “He came by demanding the land his family had sold to my grandfather. But, as you know, we’ve already cultivated that land, and selling that parcel back to him would be impossible.”

  Wade’s house was built on the part of Blazing Eagle that was formally Fox Run.

  “What happened?” Wade asked.

  “Well, I offered another section that was still neighboring them, but it wasn’t what they wanted. Senior wanted the creek, and that would never be a part of the sale.” Jonah’s face hardened.

  Even Wade knew that would have been a bad deal for them. The creek was a natural resource, and it was vital for their property and the animals.

  “The son of a bitch wouldn’t take what I had offered, and what he had laid on the table for the creek was only a tenth of what it would be worth. I don’t bite my tongue, and told him where he could stuff his offer.”

  Two stubborn old men who couldn’t reach an agreement. There were always three sides of a story, Wade knew.

  Senior’s version, Jonah’s, and then God above.

  He finished off the whiskey and poured himself another hefty glass.

  “Go easy now, boy. How are you going to enjoy a music festival if you’re too drunk?” Jonah questioned.

  “I’ll be fine,” Wade snapped, spinning back around to face his father. “Eliana is staying the night. Don’t give her no shit while we’re gone.”

  He could feel the effects of the alcohol already. His father just stared at him without a snarky reply.

  Good.

  Sometimes, being firm with the old man was the only way to get through that thick skull of his. After the heart attack, he must have learned to choose his battles wisely. He didn’t argue with them as much as he used to.

  Wade took another gulp, and put the bottle back in the case.

  “You’re not driving, are you?” Jonah asked.

  Wade chuckled.

  Now, a concerned Jonah was new. His father had never shown it before. Even after their mother died, it was like Jonah had forgotten about his children.

  The old man had taken his wife’s death hard.

  The boys had needed their father’s strength and comfort, but it had never come.

  Parker, Wade, and Carson had to be there for each other, and Parker stepped in for them. They had been young men in high school and middle school when Grace died. Jonah had thrown himself into the ranch, and had expected the boys to do the same.

  There was a missing hole in all their hearts.

  The death of their mother was what kept the boys as close as they were. There was an unspoken vow amongst them that they would always stand beside each other.

  “Nope.” Wade faced his father. “Parker’s bringing Maddy, so by default, they are the designated
drivers.”

  His phone buzzed in his jeans. He pulled it out and found a text from Carson.

  Let’s go. We’re out front.

  “Gotta go, Pa. They’re waiting for me.” Wade tipped his glass to Jonah and headed out of the room. He felt his father’s gaze on him, but he refused to look back. He didn’t have to worry, for he knew Eliana would have everything handled.

  “Someone pregamed,” Carson announced.

  Wade closed the door and leaned back in his seat, ignoring his younger brother.

  “Let’s go.” Wade motioned to Parker, who stared at him for a moment, then nodded.

  Parker threw the vehicle in drive and pulled off.

  His older brother had purchased a larger SUV in preparation of the new baby. It was large, spacious, and had a third row.

  “Nice truck,” Wade said.

  “Thanks,” Parker replied

  “I tried to tell Parker we didn’t need such a big truck. I don’t know if I can drive it,” Maddy said. She turned around in the passenger seat and stared at him. She bit her lip and hesitated. “Are you okay? You know, you don’t have to go—”

  “Yes, he does,” Carson interjected.

  Wade’s gaze cut to Carson.

  “Don’t look at me like that. We are going to go drinking and listen to some good ol’ country music, which is exactly what you need.” Carson slapped him on the knee and grinned.

  “He’s right,” Parker agreed. His gaze met Wade’s in the rearview mirror. “We are going to get you shitfaced tonight.” Parker tossed him a wink, turning his attention back to the road.

  “Hell yeah!” Carson hollered, pumping his fist in the air.

  Wade shook his head at his brothers.

  What would he do without them?

  “You boys can drink all you want, just no fighting.” Maggie wagged a finger at all of them.

  Wade, Parker, and Carson all shared a look, then burst out into laughter.

  The Brooks brothers never instigated fights. Someone always started shit with one of them.

  They just happened to be really good at ending it.

  22

  “There sure are a lot of people here this year,” Lexi exclaimed.