Rodeo King (Dustin Lovers Book 1)

by Chaffin, Char

  Caleb made appropriate noises of approval while Rosemary muttered, “If he doesn’t puke in the middle of the night we’ll all be lucky.”

  “Well, if he does, I’ll clean it up.” Caleb ran caressing fingers under her hair and enjoyed the shiver that swept over her from his touch.

  Her eyes met his, soft amber, tinged with a promise. “Let’s get the rest and go home. I’m hungry.”

  “So am I, baby.” But he wasn’t talking about food.

  ***

  At the checkout counter, Carson stood in the cart and craned his neck like a bird dog. “Where’s Daddy?”

  “Sit down before you fall down,” Rosemary scolded gently, then handed him a can of baking powder to keep him occupied. “Here, help me unload. And your daddy got a phone call.”

  Actually, that call worried her a bit, not to mention the look on Caleb’s face when he checked the display. But he’d flashed her a quick smile before swiping the screen, then put it to his ear and stepped away to take the call. She and Carson had continued shopping.

  Now she dug bills from her wallet, relieved she carried enough money. Usually she only used a credit card if she absolutely had to. As she tucked her change into her purse she heard Carson screech, “Uncle Mason!”

  Oh, just great. Rosemary loved her brother a lot, but lately he’d been pissing her off with his poor attitude toward Caleb and refusal to believe his once-best friend could change for the better. She didn’t have time to deal with Mason’s crap, especially in public. And by his determined expression as he strode in her direction, she just knew the idiot would say something to make her mad.

  “Hey there, Lil’ Tuff.” Mason yanked on a lock of her son’s hair. “Where’ve you been all day?” He directed the question at Carson but his focus remained on her as she loaded the bags in the cart.

  She bit back on her impatience and pinned a smile in place as Carson chirped, “We went to the park! I ate five corn dogs at Sonic, and saw Mimi Moo, and we won Fred, and Daddy let me ride the camel a hundred times—”

  Mason interrupted abruptly with the only thing he’d heard in that whole mess of chatter. “Daddy?” He turned to Rosemary with a thundering frown. “You’ve been with him all day?” His voice lowered to a snarl. “What the hell, Rosie!”

  She hastened forward, edging him away from Carson’s curiosity as he knelt in the cart and stared at them. “Mason, you can just shut up right now.” She stabbed his chest with two fingers, unwilling to back down. “None of this is your business. What I do or where I go with Caleb isn’t anything to you.”

  Turning to Carson, she said brightly, “Hang on to the cart, sweetheart. Let’s get this stuff out to the car and wait for Daddy.” Without another word, Rosemary shoved the cart through the exit doors toward the parking lot.

  She hoped her brother would stay in the store, but Mason predictably followed her outside, blocking her path as she moved to unload the bags. “I got news for you, Rosie. This is my business. Who took you to your doctor appointments and loaned you money when you had to quit working? Who listened to you cry at night and lent you a shoulder? Huh?”

  Rosemary dashed impatiently at wet cheeks, angry her blasted brother could get her riled enough to tear up. Thank God Carson was already in the car and didn’t see. “Don’t you dare throw that up to me. I paid you back the money. I thanked you over and over for everything you did for me, Mason. I’m a grown woman now. I make my own choices and right now I choose to see how Caleb does as a father. I choose to give my son the chance to know his daddy.”

  “He’ll stomp on your heart, Rosemary. After he gets what he wants, he’ll leave as soon as his leg’s steady enough to jump on the next rodeo stupid enough to take the entry money.” Mason scraped one hand down his face, then waved it toward the car where Carson sat. “What about him? How hurt do you think that boy’ll feel when Mr. Rodeo King takes off? Because he will. It’s what he does.”

  “I don’t want to hear any more.” She pushed by her brother, dragging the cart to the nearest return slot and slamming it in. For a few seconds she stood with her back to the car, striving to regain some sort of composure. If she didn’t, she’d likely kill him. At the very least she’d say things she’d someday regret.

  With a deep breath she turned and stared at Mason. His face was still flushed with anger, yet she could read concern, the kind you’d expect from a big, overprotective brother. He couldn’t help it, any more than she could help resenting his attitude.

  She probably owed him some kind of apology. “Mason, look—”

  Caleb’s sudden appearance interrupted her. “What’s going on?” He stepped to her side, cell phone in hand, looking from her to Mason, who was visibly bristling. “Everything okay?”

  Mason surged forward with a growl. “Johnson, you son of—”

  “Mason! Enough.” She felt like ripping her hair out by the roots and grinding it under her boot heel. Trying even harder for patience, Rosemary turned to Caleb. “My brother is being a jackass. He thinks you’re going to break Carson’s heart and leave.” She cast a fulminating glare toward Mason. “I told him that would never happen.”

  “Oh.” Caleb slowly pocketed his cell, removed his hat, and slapped it against his thigh before dropping it back on his head.

  “So, who was the call from? Sounded important.” Rosemary hated the tiny smidge of insecurity that had her questioning the man she knew she’d never stopped loving.

  “Yeah, old buddy.” Mason’s lip curled in a faint sneer. “Who was on the phone?”

  Caleb edged Rosemary away from her brother with a hand to her arm. “We should really get Carson home.”

  She didn’t like what she saw in his eyes. “Caleb . . .” She grasped his fingers and held tightly. “Who was the call from?”

  He released a short sigh and shuffled his feet, before raising worried eyes to hers. “The State Rodeo Commission.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Caleb swallowed hard when Rosemary’s eyes narrowed, her expression looking a helluva lot like her brother’s. Not good. He needed to handle his next words very carefully if he wanted to salvage his relationship with her and Carson.

  “O-okay,” she said slowly, the hard look in her eyes reminding him of an ornery bull right before he climbed on for their eight-second dance. “The Rodeo Commission. And they wanted . . . what, exactly?”

  Mason snorted, but otherwise remained silent. The fury in his expression said it all.

  “Let’s get home first, Rosie, then we can discuss the phone call.” Caleb took a step forward as she pulled from his grasp.

  Her hands flew up in a defensive gesture, warding him off. “No,” she retorted. “Tell me now.”

  Caleb knew her well enough to figure she wouldn’t get into the car until he’d answered her question. She was stubborn. Just one of the many things he loved about her. And yeah, damn it, he did love her. Had loved her from their very first kiss six years earlier, but he’d been too big of a jackass to admit it. Instead, he’d skipped town and did everything he could to put her out of his mind. Hell. If she left him now, it’d be his own damn fault.

  Tension filled his body. He chanced losing her forever if he lied to her. It was a small miracle she’d allowed him back into her life—into her bed—as it was. He licked his suddenly dry lips. “They offered me a job as Rodeo Announcer.”

  Rosemary inhaled sharply. “In Cheyenne? Or on the statewide circuit?”

  “Rosie—”

  “Which, Caleb? Local or circuit?”

  Caleb’s heart beat frantically against his chest, warning him things were about to go south if he didn’t do something fast. Trouble was, the offer he’d been presented had been a bit vague. He started to speak, hesitated, caught the fierce frown on Mason’s face, and finally replied, “Circuit.”

  “And what did you tell them?” Her voice shook. She leaned against the side of the car, as if her legs weren’t steady enough to hold her.

  Caleb glanced past her to
see Carson strapped into the back seat, playing games on Rosemary’s cell phone, oblivious to the tension outside the car. Thank God, because he didn’t want his son to think for one instant that he didn’t rank as number one in his daddy’s priorities.

  The phone call had come out of left field and thrown him for a loop. His mind was still struggling with how he could have both his family and his career. No way was he leaving Rosie or Carson behind. But he couldn’t pull his son out of school to drag him around the circuit.

  Damn it! I need time to think. Time to negotiate.

  Only when Rosemary made a strangling sound and spun to open the car door did he realize he’d been standing there saying nothing as he’d contemplated his options. Which completely gave her the wrong impression, like he’d really desert her again. Hell, no. He moved forward, intent on begging her to listen.

  Mason stepped in the way, and they bumped chests. His old buddy had murder in his eyes. “Let her go, Johnson.”

  “Out of my way, Mason.” His hands curled into fists at his sides, a rush of adrenaline coursing through him, ramping up a feeling of desperation as Rosemary slid behind the wheel of the car.

  “Rosie, come on. We need to talk about this.” He made a move to dart around her brother, but Mason shoved him hard in the chest with one hand, sending him back on his heels. His bad leg twinged hard, but Caleb determinately ignored it. “Rosie,” he pleaded as he righted his footing, their gazes meeting for a split second.

  The pain he saw reflected on her face gutted him. Pain he’d once again caused her. She slammed the door shut, starting the car.

  “Wait, damn it. Rosie!”

  Panic stabbed him straight through the heart as the car drove away with everything that mattered to him inside. He’d really screwed up this time.

  “Just go, Johnson,” Mason snapped. “Take the damn job and get the hell out of town. That’s what you do best, remember? Leave.”

  Caleb tensed as a surge of fury tore through him. If her brother hadn’t gotten in the way, maybe he would have had a chance to explain. Forgetting for a moment they were in the parking lot of Safeway, he took a threatening stride toward Mason with every intention of kicking some ass.

  Mason’s posture and clenched fists indicated he was more than ready to have it out.

  “Mommy,” a young girl’s voice carried over to them, halting Caleb in his tracks and making him look around. “Can we stop and get ice cream on the way home?”

  Hell, the parking lot was full of women and children. He needed to tamp it down.

  “Rosemary was devastated when you left, Caleb.” Mason’s tone now sounded more tired than angry.

  Caleb lowered his head in defeat.

  That didn’t stop Mason from digging the knife in deeper. “You took her innocence, and I’m not just talking about her virginity, asshole.”

  So he knew that, too? Damn it, no wonder the guy hated him. He kind of hated himself right now. Caleb swiped a hand down his face. Yeah, he made a huge mistake when he’d walked away from Rosemary. Now it was time to make things right.

  First, he had to figure out what the hell he was going to do about the job offer, and his career. Then he needed to find Rosie. He’d worry about making amends with his ex-best friend later. Only Rosie mattered right now.

  Without another glance at Mason, he turned and strode from the parking lot.

  As he walked away, Mason called out, “It took her years to put her life back together. If you care anything about her, you’ll leave her the hell alone.”

  Caleb stopped, and for one heart-wrenching moment, he wondered if Mason was right. Maybe he should just keep on walking until he hit the bus stop, and continue out of town.

  Then images of Rosemary’s contented smile after he’d thoroughly made love to her, and the hero-worship shining from his son’s eyes, filled his mind.

  No, he didn’t believe they’d be better off without him. He’d made the mistake of walking away from her once, and he wasn’t going to do it again.

  Slowly he reached for his Stetson and adjusted it before facing his ex-best pal. “I love her. Rosie and Carson are my world now, and I’m not walking away.”

  Mason’s brows drew into a deep vee. “You say that now, Caleb, but we all know the rodeo’s in your blood. How long will it be once your leg heals, before you take off again? Just cut your losses now and go, before Carson takes a worse hit than he’s already going to. I remember what Rosemary went through when you put your career above her and Carson.”

  “That’s not what—”

  “Save it, Johnson. She’s done with you. And once Rosie makes up her mind, there’s no changing it.”

  Caleb’s mouth set in a hard line. Mason’s words held a ring of truth. Rosie’d always had a mile long stubborn streak that he’d found adorable.

  But now wasn’t the time for either of them to get stubborn. He was more than ready to meet her halfway or better.

  He only hoped she could be persuaded to do the same.

  ***

  “That no good, dirty, low-down, stinkin’ cowboy,” Susan hissed between gritted teeth. She stomped around her kitchen, throwing her hands up angrily, then shot a glance into the living room to make sure Carson couldn’t hear them.

  Rosemary snorted as she dabbed away tears. “Tell us how you really feel, Susie-Q.”

  Instead of driving home, where Caleb could easily find her, Rosemary had gone to her friend’s house to hide out. Sitting at the kitchen table, she crumpled the damp tissue in her hand. Maybe by the time she decided to go home, he’d be gone. But as angry as she was, that thought still cut through her heart with the force of a chainsaw, leaving pain and destruction in its wake. Just like Caleb Johnson.

  God. How could I let myself fall for him again? What a fool I am!

  She’d never meant enough to Caleb for him to settle down. His career as a rodeo star meant more to him than she or his son ever would. Well, if he thought he could just waltz into town between rodeo gigs for a booty call, he was highly mistaken.

  Rosemary glanced at her son, who was happily playing an Xbox game, with his headphones on. Fresh tears slid down her cheeks when she thought of how his daddy’s absence would hurt him. Damn you, Caleb Johnson!

  Susan stopped her angry pacing and came over to give her a hug. “You want me to send your brother over to break his other leg? He’d do it too, you know that.”

  Rosemary actually gave the idea a moment of thought, then released a humorless laugh. “No. I’m not wasting any more energy on him. It’s my own fault, I should have learned my lesson the first time.”

  Her best friend pulled up a chair to plop down in front of her. “Honey, none of this is your fault. Caleb Johnson is one fine specimen of a man, and any woman would be hard-pressed to resist his considerable charms. So, give yourself a break. It’s just too bad underneath that handsome exterior lies a slithering snake. You know, one of those venomous horned rattlers that can’t be trusted near women or children.”

  At the apt description, amusement bubbled up inside Rosemary, helping to get her emotions under control. Susan was exactly right. She’d wasted enough tears her first time around with the Rodeo King, and she wouldn’t shed one more damn drop. She had Carson to think about now. Her baby was going to need her when he learned Caleb was gone.

  Yet she couldn’t help but worry. “You’re right, Susie. But how am I going to tell Carson his daddy left us?” That chainsaw took another swipe inside her chest.

  “Lil’ Tuff’s resilient. And he loves you. He hasn’t known Caleb all that long. He’ll survive. He still has his uncle. You know Mason loves him like his own son. Why do you think he’s been so crazy since Caleb came back into town? Your brother’s scared shitless you and Carson were going to be hurt.” Susan smiled sadly. “And unfortunately, he was right.”

  Rosemary swallowed against the fresh grief welling in her throat. No more tears, damn it. “Yeah. Unfortunately.” She blew her nose a final time.

&nbs
p; Susan stood, placing her hands on her slender hips. “Hey, you know what? I think we all need a vacation. How about we head over to the lake? We could rent a cottage for the weekend. Carson would love it.”

  Thankful to have such a wonderful friend to help soften the pain of losing Caleb, Rosemary nodded. “I think that’s a great idea. But I’ll need to stop by my place and pack a bag first.”

  Chapter Twelve

  After downing half his beer, Caleb reached for the phone, got within a few inches of the damned thing, then clenched his hand into a fist and pulled back, letting it fall with a thud to the table in the kitchenette of his studio unit.

  Damn it to hell and back. He stood and moved to the window, staring out blindly at the sun-dappled parking lot.

  Three times he’d tried calling Rosemary’s cell. The first call had gone to voicemail. So had the second. On the third she’d picked up, and he’d gotten out a fast, “Don’t hang up, Rosie,” before the disconnect beep clicked in his ear.

  Stubborn, pigheaded woman.

  Caleb raked his fingers through his hair, blowing out a harsh breath. He loved her so much he ached with it. He also knew damned well if she didn’t want to take his calls, she wouldn’t, regardless of how many times he hit the redial. His stomach knotted. He’d really fucked up this time. After earning back her trust, he’d destroyed it with one small hesitation, instead of giving her the answer she’d deserved immediately. That he loved her and Carson, and there was no way in hell he was leaving them. Ever.

  But you didn’t do that, dumbass.

  Yesterday, knowing he risked having the door slammed in his face, he’d borrowed Nash’s truck and drove to her house, hoping to talk to her. She hadn’t been there. One of the neighbors, a busybody he remembered from his pre-rodeo days, informed him Rosemary and ‘that wild gal-pal of hers’ had left for who-knew-where.

  Since it was the peak of summer, and knowing Rosie, he figured they’d gone to the lake. So he’d spent several hours trolling up and down the road along Cruller Lake, a retired gravel pit the nearby town of Raymond had filled with water. No luck finding her car.