And Then You Dare (Crested Butte Cowboys Series Book 5)

by Heather A Buchman

  “Since we saw each other at Pikes Peak or Bust, I’ve been wantin’ to have this conversation with you. I put it off then, and I can’t put it off any longer. I don’t know if it woulda helped or hurt what happened in October with the subpoena, but I know this. I’m not ever gonna lie to you about anything ever again. Even if the truth is hard to tell, or even if I’m gonna hurt your feelings, I’m not gonna tell you any lies.”

  “You sound like Lyric.”

  Bullet laughed. “That’s the thing with her. We may not like what she says, but we always know Lyric is tellin’ the truth. I wanna be more like that.”

  As uncomfortable as it was for them both, Bullet told Tristan everything he could think of about his past. All of it. The fact that he’d never been faithful to Callie, the dares he took from his buddies when they’d go out drinkin’, even how one night he’d had sex with three different women.

  “I’m not proud of any of it,” he told her. “But if the day comes that we’re together and someone from my past decides to tell a story of what we did one night that we were out drinkin’, I don’t want to feel as though I have to hide it from you.”

  Tristan closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  “Tell me what you’re thinkin’ right now.”

  She opened her big brown eyes and looked into his. “This is not a conversation I ever imagined myself a part of.”

  “How much are you hatin’ me right now?”

  “I don’t hate you Bullet.” Another deep breath. “You have lived the life I imagined you had. Not just you, most of the guys that compete in rodeo. Most of the girls too. Or some anyway.”

  “But not you.”

  “No, not me. I’ve had sex with two men in my life. You and Walter Harris. Do you want to know what I worry about?”

  “Yes, I do.” He was solemn. He dreaded the words she was about to say. She was worried that he’d never be able break out of that life. That she’d never be able to trust him not to sleep with women who offered. He couldn’t blame her, and there wasn’t any way for him to prove her wrong.

  “What if I’m not enough?”

  “Huh? That’s what worries you? You think I’m gonna get bored?”

  She lowered her eyes. “Yes.”

  Bullet reached over and touched her chin. “Look at me darlin’.” When she did, he took his own deep breath. “I love you Tristan. Up until I met you, I didn’t know what it was to truly love a woman. Now I do. It’s the same way I feel about my kids. When I’m not with ’em, I think about ’em all the time. I can’t imagine a world without them in it. If they’re hurt, I wanna take their pain and carry it for them. If they’re sad, I wanna make ’em smile. Whatever isn’t workin’ in their life, I wanna be the one who fixes it. And with you? I want to be the only man who ever touches you. The only man who ever makes love to you again, until the day you die. The idea of touchin’ a woman other than you makes me sick to my stomach.”

  He couldn’t tell by the look on her face whether she believed him, or thought he was full of shit.

  “Ask anybody. I’ve been a monk the last few weeks. And it wasn’t because I had the idea that bein’ that way would win you back. There wasn’t anybody other than you I wanted to be with. Nobody.”

  “I believe you.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes, I do. I also believe you aren’t the father of the child in the subpoena.”

  “And what if it comes back that I am? Will you believe it’s a setup?”

  “That’s harder, but I will.”

  “There are ways to prove I’m not, you know, after the baby is born. At some point I’m gonna have to know who this woman is, and once I do, I can ask for my own test. It’s the time in between that will be hardest.”

  “Maybe we can find out who she is now.”

  “How?”

  “I’m not sure, but Lyric is working on it.”

  “She is?”

  Tristan told him about the conversation they had earlier at the bar.

  “I don’t have any ideas myself, but you know Lyric. God knows what she’ll come up with.”

  Bullet didn’t have any ideas either. At least short term. As he’d just said, once the baby was born, he could ask for another test, and have it performed by someone neither of them knew. He’d get a court order to make it happen if he had to.

  “Bullet, there’s something I need to tell you though.”

  Here it came. His shoulders tensed as he waited for her to speak.

  “No matter what happens, you need to know this. I love you too Bullet.”

  ***

  1994

  “No Dottie. This is not up for discussion.”

  “But you saw him as well as I did. Billy is a natural born bronc rider.”

  “We saw him one time, tryin’ to break a spirited horse. That doesn’t make him a bronc rider.”

  “You may have seen him one time, but I’ve seen him a lot more.”

  “What are you talkin’ about woman?”

  Dottie told Bill that their son had been getting on broncs for over six months. He’d been going to practice pens without Bill knowing it.

  “Who’s been takin’ him?”

  Dottie stood from where she sat at the kitchen table, and walked over to where Bill stood near the sink, looking out the window.

  “I have. Clancy too.”

  Bill was furious. Beyond furious. He couldn’t yell at Dottie, but he sure could yell at Clancy. He walked toward the back door, and put his hat on his head.

  “Where’re you going?”

  “To give Clancy a piece of my mind.”

  “Clancy? Did you hear me? I’ve been taking him too.”

  Bill opened the door.

  “Don’t you walk away from me Bill Patterson.”

  “Dottie, please don’t push this.”

  “I’m gonna. You turn right back around and say what’s on your mind. To me. Not to Clancy.”

  He couldn’t. Spitting in the face of God was something he couldn’t do, and telling his wife about the deal he’d made was something he couldn’t do either.

  “If you walk out that door, I’ll never forgive you for it.”

  “Dottie…please.”

  “Say whatever you need to say to me.”

  He walked over and took her by the shoulders. “Do you know why I quit rodeo? Do you?” he shouted.

  “Of course I do.”

  “No. You don’t. I quit because I had to. I quit in order to keep you and Billy safe.”

  “Yes Bill, I know.”

  “How could you?”

  “Do you think you could just tell me one day that you didn’t want to compete anymore without me knowing what was behind it?”

  “I told you then it was because you were pregnant.”

  “And then you sold all your gear, threw away anything that came in the mail about rodeo, changed the subject if anyone, including me, brought it up.”

  Bill nodded his head, but didn’t answer.

  “You quit because you promised God that you would as long as he let me survive the pregnancy and have a healthy baby.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because I know you.”

  “Then why in the dickens have you been letting Billy get on broncs?”

  “Because that’s his decision. He hasn’t made any deals with God. And sayin’ you don’t want anything to do with rodeo ever again isn’t the deal you made either.”

  “But it is.” Bill slunk down in the kitchen chair and put his hands in his face.

  “No, it isn’t. My darling, sweet, wonderful husband, it isn’t.”

  “If somethin’ happens to him…”

  “I agree. If something happens to Billy, I don’t know how I’ll go on, but I will. And even if you forbid him to ride another bronc, something still might happen to him. He could be in a car accident tomorrow and get hurt much worse than if he bucks off a horse.”

  “I know that, but…”

  �
��Bill, look at me.” He looked into Dottie’s eyes. “It brings him such joy. Don’t take it away from him. God gave him to us, but that doesn’t mean we own him. He’s our son, to raise up to be the best man he can be. Let him to do this Bill. Let him for me.”

  Chapter 23

  It took Lyric until the last day of the NFR, but she did it. She was on her way to the airport to bring the woman who accused Bullet of fathering her child to the competition tonight. In the end it was Slade who came up with the idea. It took going back to Colorado Springs, but he’d figured it out. Lyric would be picking him up at the airport too; he was the one bringing her here.

  She called Tristan earlier to tell her. She hadn’t told Bullet yet, and asked Tristan not to either. Tristan did have a job to do though. She had to get Walter Harris to the Thomas and Mack Center tonight, at the same time Lyric arrived.

  “This is Ashleigh,” Slade introduced Lyric. “She’s the one we met at the bar, you know, that night.”

  Ashleigh was quiet, but Lyric didn’t expect her to be any other way. “Let’s go see him then. If Bullet is your baby’s daddy, you two are gonna need to spend some time gettin’ to know each other.”

  The girl’s cheeks turned pink, as Lyric expected them to. It must be awful to be getting ready to “meet” a man you already had sex with.

  “I tried to call him…”

  “Yeah? He gave you his number that night?” That surprised Lyric. Bullet would be more apt to take her number, and never call, rather than give his number out.

  “Not the right one.”

  That didn’t sound like Bullet either. He may have slept around, but he was usually upfront about it. It wouldn’t be like him to give a girl a wrong phone number intentionally either. But Walter Harris wouldn’t know that.

  “Almost there,” Lyric patted Ashleigh’s hand. They sat in the back seat of the cab, Slade sat in the front with the driver.

  As was prearranged, Bullet was out front, waiting for Tristan to arrive. Tristan wasn’t there, but she wasn’t supposed to be.

  “Here we are,” said Lyric, climbing out of the cab. Ashleigh followed behind. She got out and stood on the sidewalk waiting as Slade paid the cab. Thankfully Bullet was looking at his phone, and hadn’t noticed them pull up.

  He raised his head and looked at Lyric, who shook her head and put her finger in front of her mouth.

  “Okay, you ready to go find my brother?” she asked Ashleigh.

  “Yes,” she answered softly. They walked right past where Bullet stood. Ashleigh looked at him. Lyric watched. No recognition. When they passed, Slade motioned for Bullet to follow.

  It took a minute for Lyric’s eyes to adjust from the bright outdoors to the more subdued lighting in the convention center. When they did, she spotted Tristan talking with Walter Harris, near the box office.

  “We’ll have to pick up your pass at will call,” Lyric told Ashleigh. “And you’ll have to show your i.d.”

  Lyric walked slowly, so Ashleigh was beside her. She watched the girl as she looked around. When she spotted Walter, she stopped, and put her hand on Lyric’s arm.

  “There he is,” she said.

  “There who is sweetheart?”

  Ashleigh’s expression was puzzled. She turned and looked at Lyric. “Your brother.”

  “Where?” asked Lyric.

  “Right there, don’t you see him?” Ashleigh was pointing at Walter. Who at that moment, turned away from Tristan, and looked at Ashleigh and Lyric.

  The expression on his face confirmed what they already knew. Walter knew Ashleigh. And Ashleigh knew him. She just didn’t know his real name.

  “That isn’t my brother,” said Lyric. “He is.” She pointed at Bullet.

  Ashleigh turned around to look. “I don’t know that man,” she said. “Is this some kind of trick?”

  ***

  Walter tried to deny he knew the woman with Lyric, which resulted in Ashleigh breaking down in tears. “I don’t understand what’s going on,” she said to Lyric.

  “You have been tricked, but not by my brother.”

  “But he told me his name was Bullet Simmons. It isn’t a name I’d ever get confused with Walter.”

  “He lied to you sweetheart,” Lyric motioned for Tristan to come closer.

  “Walter and Tristan used to date. She can tell you all about the kind of man he is.”

  “That’s okay,” Ashleigh said through more tears. “You all must hate me. I’m so sorry. I had no idea I was bein’ played.”

  Tristan wanted to tell the girl she could’ve avoided all this by not having sex with someone she didn’t know, but lecturing a total stranger wasn’t her business. Bullet was though. She looked for him behind Lyric and Slade, but he wasn’t there.

  “Did you see where Bullet went?” she asked Slade.

  “No. Not with all the commotion goin’ on. I wasn’t payin’ attention.”

  “Excuse me,” she said to the group, and went in search of him. She ran into Billy and Jace instead. “Have you seen Bullet?”

  “Yep, he’s back behind the chutes gettin’ ready to ride.”

  Tristan looked up at the big scoreboard over the arena. The clock was ticking down to the official start of tonight’s competition, the final of the week.

  Liv, Dottie, Renie, Blythe and Bree were in the stands watching with Tristan. Most of the gold buckles were awarded previous nights, but bull riding was the last competition each night, and the last event to be awarded. Scores were close between the six riders slated to ride tonight. Included were some of the best riders in the world. After four buck-offs, and a disappointing ride from the fifth contestant, Bullet was the final rider.

  ***

  When the chute boss told Bullet he’d be the last rider of the night, barring any re-ride options, he was relieved. Mentally he could prepare himself better. As long as he didn’t buck-off, he was in a damn good position to finish in the top two or three. A good ride, a really good ride, and he might be able to win this thing.

  Bullet grabbed his rope and handed it to Buck, who’d be pulling for him. He climbed over, grabbed the opposite side of the chute, and rested his boot on the bull’s back.

  He crawled over and slid his legs down the side of the bull, making sure his toes were pointed forward, so his spurs didn’t touch the animal. He sat right down, keeping a tight hold on each side of the chute, until his spotter was in position.

  He reached over and ran his gloved hand down the resin on the rope, warming it up, getting it hot and sticky. He tapped it with the back of his hand, letting Buck know he could slack it off. Buck may be his trainer, but when Bullet was in the chute, he was the boss. He couldn’t afford to let the bull think Bullet was anything but the aggressor.

  Next he warmed up his handle. He set the block on his knee and pulled it. It kept the rope off the bull’s back, and let him get up under his handle. He turned the rope over to shake his bells further down, and then rolled it back over to put it in position in the pockets of the bull’s side. He never pushed the rope forward, to him that was a waste of time.

  He grabbed the handle and positioned his hand so his pinky rested against the middle of the bull’s back, and then moved it just to the right. With his long arms, it’s where he felt most comfortable. He rolled his hand in the handle until it felt secure. Buck pulled the rope, Bullet kept his free hand on the rope near the bull’s body, so it didn’t move with Buck’s pull.

  Bullet shook his head, and Buck tightened the rope once more. Using his opposite hand, Bullet took the rope from Buck, and laid it across his riding hand. He made sure the rosin started right at his pointer finger, and took the wrap behind, making sure there wasn’t any slack in the bubble, and then forward again to lay it back across his hand. He took the tail of his rope and threw it behind him. He’d ridden too many hooky bulls. If the bull felt the rope, it might throw its head back to get rid of the nuisance.

  He got up on his rope with his knees bent slightly. His feet were
in front of his rope so his center of balance was ready to ride the buck. His calves were tight, his toes out, so every part of his leg was right against the bull’s body. His riding arm was slightly bent, his back was straight, and his chin was tucked so he was looking right in front of his riding hand, at the bull’s shoulders. He put his free arm in front of him. He kept his toes forward, and nodded his head. As soon as he felt the bull move out of the chute, he turned his toes out and squeezed his legs, going with the bull’s buck.

  The bull went right and reared, Bullet kept his back straight, and got up on the inside of his legs. He kept his chin tucked and rode into the kick. He transitioned from being up on his legs to shoving his hips and lifting on his rope.

  The bull spun away from his hand, to him it was an easier ride. He got over the bull’s shoulder and drove his body with his own riding shoulder. He kept the line tight, and when the bull kicked again, Bullet shoved his hips forward. The bull went back into a spin, kicked again, and Bullet stayed right with him.

  He heard the whistle blow, and positioned himself to get off into his hand. With the bull still moving, he rocked over his shoulder, and kicked his leg at the same time. He let go, and landed on his hands and knees on the ground. He crawled out, and watched as the bullfighters distracted the bull, and got him through the gate.

  He jumped up and threw his fist in the air He spun around until he found the section of the arena where he knew Tristan was sitting. He looked straight at her and didn’t move, until the announcer gave the score.

  Bullet won the round with an 85.5-point ride on K-Bar’s Rusty Rags, which pushed his season earnings to $431,230, and beat his next closest contender, who sat at $407,475.

  Bullet Simmons was the first rookie ProRodeo cowboy to win a world title in his first year since Hall of Famer Joe Beaver won the tie-down roping in 1985 at the first finals held in Las Vegas.

  The crowd went wild, but Bullet didn’t take his eyes off Tristan. When PRCA’s Clown of the Year Timmy Islip approached him in the arena, the crowd went silent.

  “Damn son,” Timmy said to him. “I ain’t never even heard of you before.”

  Bullet laughed, and then thanked Bill Patterson, Buck Bishop and the guys from Flying R Rough Stock. He put his hand over his eyes to shield the glare from the bright lights. “And I’ve got a question for a very special lady who’s here watchin’ tonight.”