Rodeo Summer: A Camden Ranch Novel

by Jillian Neal

  “My family has a tiny fishing lodge on Lake McConaughy. Grew up camping out there. Dad finally bought the cabin ‘bout ten years ago. A few of us come out to fish occasionally, but no one’s used it in the last few years. Grant, Dad, and Nat love to fish, but the rest of us prefer to tent camp on the prettier side of the lake. Cabin’s on the side of the lake where the tourists don’t come. Better fish out that way. Covered up with bramble and weeds. You can barely make out the cabin, which seems like a good place to hide for a while. It’s not lush. There’s a foldout couch and place for a camp stove. No heat or air or anything.”

  “I don’t need anything lush. We’ll be fine. I spent the last six months camping in hotel hallways. It’ll be an upgrade from that.” She tried to sound positive and knew she’d failed miserably.

  The truck bounced as it climbed over tree roots and rocky dirt. Summer could see the moon reflected off of the largest lake she’d ever seen. It looked like an ocean from what she could tell. Tree limbs licked at the windshield and scraped past her window making her cringe from the high-pitched howl they made against the glass. He drove on.

  Finally, he pressed the emergency brake and studied her. “You okay?”

  “No.”

  “Yeah. Stupid question. How about are you as okay as you could possibly be right now?”

  She managed a nod.

  “K, I’m gonna take one of the flashlights and make sure no one’s here. Stay in the truck.”

  Summer watched Austin climb out of the truck. Narrowing her eyes, she saw him methodically searching the front and eastern side of the tiny cabin then he disappeared around the back.

  Left Boot Lodge had at one time been painted along the concrete walls. The truck lights bathed the chipped blue paint.

  Just prior to her officially losing her mind, Austin returned. “Come on. Let’s get J.J. settled for the night. Then we’ll figure out where to go from here.”

  Trying not to turn her ankle on the tree roots and slip-rocks, certain she was going to have to run fast as some point, Summer carried her sleeping little boy inside the cabin. The smell of fish hung in the hot humid air, hitting her like lungs with a repulsive blast as soon as they were inside. She fought not to gag.

  “Sorry about the smell. You’ll get used to it. We’ll open the windows. It’ll help some.” Austin cranked the ancient windows open. She would never have complained, so she went on with helping him set up.

  At two in the morning, Cheyenne became a ghost town, and Luke stumbled from his truck, headed back inside the hotel. Brant was nowhere to be found. All Luke knew to do was to go back to the ranch. If Preston thought he was coming to Camden Ranch and taking anything at all, Luke would have something to say about it. No one was gonna run his brothers off of their land and live to tell about it.

  Miller and Dillon were at the airport making sure Brant didn’t escape by plane. Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Kansas, and Nebraska police departments were on the lookout for his truck as a possible accomplice to a forgery involving a kidnapping. No one had seen him. The elevator doors parted. Weighted with all that had happened, he stopped at the soda machines and purchased two Dr. Peppers. He was gonna drive all night.

  Drawing in a weary breath, he headed to his room but stopped short. His eyes goggled. Brant Preston Jr. himself was sitting in the hallway between their hotel rooms.

  “What the fucking hell?” Luke demanded.

  Brant’s body jerked as he lifted his swollen red eyes to Luke’s. He’d either been drinking or crying or both. Slimy fuck-whistle slithered off the ground. He swallowed harshly as Luke ground his teeth.

  “Look, I know you’re Austin’s brother, okay. You’re not that great of a detective, and you two look just alike. Plus, the Camden brothers are kind of legendary around here. I know you all don’t let anyone mess with the other. I just didn’t know why you were following me … until tonight.” Another anxious swallow.

  Luke’s biceps flexed of their own accord. It would be so fucking satisfying to drive his fists hard and fast in to Brant’s face.

  “I also know Summer ain’t in Santa Fe. She’s been angry at her mom ever since she told her to go on and marry me. She wouldn’t go back there. Plus, I saw how she looked at your brother. She never looked at me like that. She’s with him back at your ranch. I know, but I swear I never told nobody I knew where they were. Can I please talk to you? I swear I’ll give Summer anything she wants including our son. I just … please … can we go somewhere and talk?”

  “You expect me to believe one fucking word that comes out of your ugly face? You ran my brother off a horse over her.”

  “Yeah, well, if that were the biggest problem I had, believe me, I’d be kissing your boots. Austin galled me from the very beginning. He was the only rider I thought might ride Dallas Devil, and it pissed me off. Then he took up with Summer and …” he shrugged. “I guess I’d let you or Austin beat the shit out of me over all of it, if it would make all of this go away. Go ahead. It ain’t like you couldn’t, and God knows I deserve it, but please, I’m begging you. I cannot go down for kidnapping.” His voice lowered to a frantic hiss. “Just please hear me out. I swear I had no idea what she’d done.”

  “Who’s she?”

  “My mother.”

  Luke opened his hotel room door and directed Brant inside. “Just so you know, there’s a Colt Commander in my room, and I’m not in a real good mood. Don’t get cocky.”

  The sun was just coming up when they hit the Lisco city limits. Luke had come the long way to Ogallala since that would land them closer to the cabin. His cell rang. Keeping an eye on Brant, who’d been a decent riding companion, Luke answered his father’s call.

  “Left the airport about an hour ago, heading that way,” Ev supplied. “You be careful getting out of your truck. Your brother’s real likely to shoot.”

  “Don’t I know it. Wish I could call, but Miller told him to leave his phone. You got what you went to Lincoln to get?”

  “More than that. Whole damn thing’s crazier than I ever even imagined.”

  “You’re okay though, right? He ain’t tried nothing?” Luke gave nothing away. Brant could walk into his own fire. Dumbass that he was.

  “Well, your mama ain’t put that pistol up yet, but we’re fine. You’ve seen her shoot. Ain’t gonna be me that gets hurt if they get stupid.” His father’s warning tone made Luke grin. It was somehow comforting when you weren’t the one being threatened. He ended the call.

  “Hey, do you want me to drive? You could just give me directions. You look exhausted,” Brant offered.

  “Do I look dumber than a stump to you? You sit there and keep it shut. We’ll be there in a little while.”

  Austin’s head jerked upwards. He ran his hands over his face, trying to stay alert while wondering how on earth this was ever going to work. He’d stayed awake most of the night. J.J. had woken up crying just before sunrise. Currently, he was wiggling on the couch between Summer and Austin. How the hell did you disappear and not forever be looking over your shoulder? How were they supposed to exist like this?

  J.J. pulled up using the back of the couch for support. He desperately wanted to go get in the water he could make out beyond the cabin. Austin wished he could go for a swim himself. Lake Mac always soothed his soul, but no one could see him there. Soon as the fisherman pulled up their lines for the day and people were out and about in town, they were driving down to Denver to buy throwaway cell phones, maybe stay the night there, then come back.

  Lifting his arms over his head, trying to ease the tension that had taken up residence in muscles he wasn’t even aware he had, another yawn overtook Austin.

  “Want me to make some breakfast?” Summer’s tone sounded nothing like her. Broken and weary. It shattered his heart.

  “Yeah, if you want.” Maybe doing something would help her.

  Since it took less than 3 steps to get to the kitchen portion of the cabin, he watched her crack a few eggs and turn on
the propane tank on the camping stove.

  “Da-Da,” J.J. babbled quite coherently. “Da-Da, Da-Da.” He pointed frantically towards the dock.

  The bowl of eggs in Summer’s hands shattered on the concrete floor. “What?”

  “Get him,” Austin ordered as he pulled his Browning from one of his bags. “Stay in this cabin.” He headed out the front doors but stopped short. Four police squad cars pulled up behind a truck he couldn’t quite make out. Fuck. He hadn’t planned on spending eternity in hell.

  “It’s me!” Luke bellowed frantically with his hands in the air. “Put the damn pistol down. You gotta hear this.” Luke and Brant walked side by side towards him.

  “Yes, you do.” Austin’s father urged. His parents were approaching from the other side of the cabin, along with Jean Preston and a man he’d never seen in his life. His mama had a pistol trained on Jean with her eyes narrowed.

  “What the hell?”

  “Austin, I swear I’m not here for J.J. I’m sorry. I was horrible to you, and I was horrible to Summer since the moment I got her down that stupid aisle. Just don’t shoot,” Brant’s plea made him sound like the child he was.

  Summer flew out of the cabin. “You’ll never take him from me!” Her scream shattered the quiet morning.

  Austin pulled her to him. “They’re not here for J.J.” The fact that his family was escorting Brant and his mother towards them was enough credence as far as he was concerned.

  Detective Miller climbed out of one of the squad cars. He raced towards Brant and Luke.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Luke demanded of Miller.

  “We left Cheyenne about fifteen minutes after you did. I saw him climb in your truck when I was coming back to the hotel to tell you that Dallas got the forger to confess. Truthfully, I was anxious to know where the heck the two of you were going together. Didn’t want to spook you by turning on the lights. We’re here for Brant Jr.”

  “Wait, please. Let me at least tell her what I did and sign J.J. over to Summer before you arrest me,” Brant tried to negotiate with the cop.

  “He ain’t being arrested for kidnapping.” Austin’s father reached him first and dragged him into an unexpected hug. “Deep breath, okay. It’s all gonna be just fine.”

  “Well, what is he being arrested for?” Summer huffed.

  “Wrangler, Ford, the Frontier Days committee, and the Professional Bull Riders association are pressing charges for the fact that Dallas Devil had Trenbolone via Finaplix-H steroid solution in his bloodstream. Brant just cost them all a whole lot of money. He basically threw the entire season.” Miller explained. The tests came back this morning, and the PBR got a call last night from a vet in Dallas willing to testify that Brant threatened to have his clinic shut down if he didn’t write a prescription for three times the normal limit given heifers.”

  “Oh, just wait ‘til you hear the whole damn story,” Luke supplied as he joined everyone on the concrete porch.

  The cops agreed to wait and let Brant explain himself if they could record his testimony. “I had no idea my mother was trying to take J.J. from you Summer. I would have stopped her long ago. I couldn’t figure out why she was so pissed about me letting you have him for all of Frontier Days, about that phone message you made me leave.” He gestured to Austin. “I swear. I had no idea. I don’t know how you found what you found, but I’m actually glad you did. She figured out what you had and told me last night.”

  “That’s why she was pitching a fit in the hotel bar,” Luke explained. “But she wasn’t ever flying here. She ran back home to Dallas.”

  “Yes, well, it isn’t her home anymore,” the man Austin didn’t know bellowed angrily.

  “Who the hell are you?” Austin huffed.

  “That’s Brant’s daddy,” Summer whispered.

  “Seems my wife found out I was planning on filing for divorce a few months ago. Working under some bizarre delusion that if she got custody of J.J., I wouldn’t go through with the divorce, she went to the courts and demanded another custody hearing after the baby was born. When I pulled my lawyers off of the custody hearing, because through all of this I believe the boy belongs with his mother, she apparently contacted some half-wit forger who now threatens to take down my entire cattle operation.

  “Summer, I had no idea she’d done this. I am truly sorry for everything that happened to you either at the hands of my wife or my son. When your father asked me to get you off the circuit, I’d foolishly believed Brant was in love with you and that you might be something he would actually work for. I should never have made the deal I made. I certainly do not expect your forgiveness, but I would like to give you some peace of mind. Our family will not interfere with J.J. or you ever again. Everett phoned me last night and explained what was going on. When Jean landed in the jet, I knew he was telling the truth. Before we flew back up here to explain, I had my lawyers draw up custody documents giving you sole custody of J.J.” He held out a manila folder. Mutiny flashed in Mrs. Preston’s eyes just before she began crying.

  Summer was shaking too violently to have accepted the papers, so Austin took them on her behalf.

  “Mr. Camden explained that you’d expressed interest in marrying his son and had truly fallen in love. I had them draw up two sets of papers. If you’d like to make Austin J.J.’s legal father, those documents are in there as well. Brantley will sign anything you’d like.”

  “I swear. I will. Just, please, I can’t go down for attempted kidnapping,” Brant begged.

  “Mrs. Jean Gentry Preston, you are under arrest for the attempted kidnapping of Jahan James Preston.” One of the officers slapped cuffs on Mrs. Preston’s wrists. Austin almost felt sorry for her. She was pale and drawn. Terror paled her eyes.

  “Brant are you just going to stand there and let them do this?” she demanded of her husband.

  “You used my money to hire a forger that willingly talked to the cops. What do you want me to do, Jean?”

  Austin rolled his eyes. So, that’s why he’d done all of this. All in the name of the mighty Preston Cattle of Dallas, Texas. It struck Austin as odd that he’d never thought to ask what J.J. stood for. His brow furrowed as he turned to Summer.

  “Jahan means the entire world. Because before you he was my whole universe.”

  “Let’s get them papers signed and my children back to their home where they belong.” Ev put his arm around Summer in a fatherly embrace, supporting her still-trembling body. “I’m done with this whole blasted thing. If you have to lie, cheat, or steal to get something, it ain’t worth having.” He bellowed Brant’s direction. Neither Brant nor his father seemed to agree with the sentiment, however.

  Brant cringed when the cops added cuffs to his wrists. “Listen, Camden, you know how it’s gonna work. I’m out. Dallas Devil’s season’s scores will be removed from all of his riders. You haven’t missed anything but your ride with him. If you wanted to go back to Cheyenne and finish, you could. You deserve the buckle, and everyone knows it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Las Vegas, Nevada ~ November

  “All right, now, I’m gonna be a daddy … again … so make me look good,” Austin taunted Bruiser, the bull he’d been assigned for his final ride. The roar of the Vegas crowds no longer fed his blood. He was there to finish a job he’d started. Beyond that, the only thing worth having was standing by the gate with his brothers trying to grin at him. The terror of this still made her ornery as hell. He’d take care of that as soon as he got her back to their hotel room.

  “Camden swears this is his final ride, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s see if we can’t make him stay,” one of the announcers bellowed.

  The crowds chanted his name, but he shook his head as Bruiser shifted against the gate. Jackson was already in the ring. Cam handed his ropes over. Clifton and Scott were smiling, pleased that Minton Chaps was about to become the sponsor of the PBR champ.

  “It seems Ms. Summer Sanchez has captured our bull
rider’s heart, Jim. Looks like Mr. Camden might be busy raising up another little bull rider next season,” a PBR official commented into the sound system for all the arena to hear.

  “That’s right and I was informed that she’s no longer Summer Sanchez. He made her Summer Camden this afternoon right here in Vegas.”

  Blushing as a broad grin spread across her face, Summer turned to let the crowds see her big beautiful belly. The diamond engagement and wedding rings on her finger sparkled in the arena lights as she rubbed her hand over their youngest son’s current locale. J.J. was on top of Ev’s shoulders, waving for the cameras. Austin beamed. Soon as he got the hell out of that arena, life would be perfect.

  This time his destiny was right beside him, so with one final nod, he pulled up on the ropes and held on. This ride wasn’t for Max, or Minton, or to show Brant. This ride was for Summer, for their boys, for his family.

  Bruiser shot out of the gate, and Austin held on for all he was worth. Held on for all he’d endlessly fought for. Held on for her, for their sons, for the life he’d always wanted but had been too damn scared to believe he deserved. This was it.

  Time slowed. With each frantic buck and spin of the bull, images flashed in his head. That bar in Cody. That ranch cabin in Cheyenne. That first night with her on the ranch. Signing the adoption papers. The positive pregnancy test. The diamond he’d slipped on her finger. The first time J.J. had called him ‘Daddy.’ And stepping out of The Little Church of the West that very afternoon when he’d finally made her his wife. Eight seconds. Eight moments that would always make his life worth living.

  The timer ripped through his concentration. His seconds were up. Life was waiting on him.

  “That was a near perfect ride for Camden. You’re looking at this year’s champion, ladies and gentlemen.”

  He let go of the rope and bailed off of the bull. Jackson slid in beside him as the other fighters pushed Bruiser back in the gates. “You did it, man! You did it!”