Renegade Cowboy

by Sara Richardson

  “Denver?” Naomi echoed.

  “Say what?” Darla demanded.

  This wasn’t how she’d planned to tell them. She hadn’t wanted word to get out until she’d heard from the director, but now she didn’t have a choice. It gave her the perfect out with Levi. “There’s a pediatric residency program at Children’s in Denver. And my interview went really well. They should call any day.”

  Her friends traded around smiles, but she knew them well enough to recognize they weren’t exactly happy.

  “I’ll come back and visit a lot,” she promised. Out of everyone in Topaz Falls, she’d miss these women the most. They were the ones who’d been there for her, who’d made her laugh when all she wanted to do was cry, who’d forced her to put down her school books to go out for a girls’ night when she needed it the most. “But if I get in, I’m moving to Denver in July.”

  “Of course you’ll get in,” Jessa murmured as though trying to keep a hold on her emotions.

  Naomi didn’t even try. Tears already brightened her eyes. “It sounds like a great opportunity.”

  “Which is why I can’t start something with Levi right now. I want this new career so much.” All through school, it had been her goal. To work with kids, to make a difference for families. “And I’ve already got my hands full trying to get my mother in good shape so I can go. Which means I don’t have time for a relationship.” Time or the capability.

  “Now you listen to me, honey.” Darla scooted to the edge of the couch, her expressive brown eyes somber. “You don’t have to have a relationship, but you deserve a good fling. You’ve spent so much time taking care of your mom that you haven’t taken care of yourself.”

  “She’s right,” Jessa agreed. “Why not have a little fun this summer? Especially if you’re only here through July. Let Levi take you out and spoil you…”

  Darla rolled her eyes. “I think what she means is, let him make all of your fantasies come true.”

  “I don’t think so.” A fling with Levi would be a dangerous prospect. There was too much history between them, a whole lifetime of memories woven together. Something told her getting involved with Levi would be a lot more complicated than hooking up.

  “Maybe you could have more than a fling.” Naomi’s voice still wobbled. “Levi has changed a lot this past year. I could see him being ready for something more serious.”

  “He really has.” Jessa nodded emphatically. “I mean, he seems more settled now. And he’s worked so hard to make a difference in the town this last year.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “And have you seen how attentive he is to Luis these days?” Naomi asked. It seemed neither of them were willing to let Cassidy get in a word.

  “Who cares about that?” Darla dismissed them both with a wave of her hand. “He’s as sexy as a Hemsworth brother and probably just as experienced in satisfying a woman, if you know what I mean.”

  Oh, she knew what Darla meant. She knew from personal experience. Levi’s kiss had promised a whole hell of a lot. Why else would she have let him lead her to his truck in T minus two minutes?

  * * *

  “You ready for this, Cortez?” Ty zipped up his pro vest and walked the length of the bucking chute as though sizing up his competition.

  Reckoning II tossed his head and snorted, already pissed off.

  “Yeah, I’m ready.” Levi adjusted his own safety gear, making sure to tighten the strap on his helmet. He was far more experienced in riding bulls than he was in luring them back to the chute, but being out of commission made him bored as hell, so he figured stepping in as a bullfighter while Ty trained would at least get him into the corral.

  “Hell, I don’t know if I’m ready.” Mateo couldn’t seem to stop staring at Reckoning II. Over the last year, the behemoth had become one of the most sought-after bulls for competitions across the country. Levi had ridden him only three times, and three times he’d been bucked in less than four seconds.

  Yet this is what Ty wanted. When he’d asked them to make an appearance at the rodeo, the three other Renegades had agreed to hang out for a couple of weeks in between competitions, as long as they had plenty of training time. Free lodging and a chance to hone their skills had meant more to them than money.

  Besides that, summer in the mountains could charm anyone. It’d sure charmed him back into thinking he might want to make Topaz Falls a more permanent home again. Stuck in Oklahoma all those years, he’d forgotten the power of the mountains, the hypnotizing pull of the pristine royal sky, the grayish-purple peaks that met its shimmering horizon, and the soft green mountainsides that rolled down into the valleys. It was pretty much paradise.

  And Reckoning II was pretty much the best practice a rider could get.

  “You can’t bail on me now,” Levi reminded Mateo. Neither one of them had any training for this. So once Reckoning bucked Ty—and the bull would buck Ty—they’d work together to lure it back to the chute before anyone got injured. At least that was the plan.

  “This guy makes my bronc look like a kitten.”

  Levi grinned at Mateo. “Just run fast.” That was his strategy. Once they got Reckoning’s attention, Levi planned to beat his best time for the hundred-yard dash.

  “Hi, fellas.”

  Levi turned. Cassidy’s mom was walking a dog on the other side of the driveway. She didn’t look much different than she had when he’d seen her last week during the treehouse debacle, but at least she seemed sober. “Hey, Lulu.” As he walked over, he did a quick scan of the area for Cass, but there was no sign of her. “What’re you up to?”

  “I told Jessa I’d take this sweetie for a walk while the girls have their book club meeting.”

  “Book club, huh?” So that meant Cassidy had to be around somewhere. Likely still hiding from him. He’d left her three messages and stopped by the house twice since he’d kissed her, and so far she’d managed to elude him.

  Lulu leaned in closer. “Well, they say they read books, but I think they mostly eat a lot of chocolate and gossip.”

  Levi laughed. He had a feeling he knew exactly what they were gossiping about this evening. Too bad he couldn’t find a glass and listen through the wall like he used to when they were kids.

  Lulu reached down to pet the dog. “What are you three up to?” she asked, glancing across the corral to Mateo and Ty, who were still evaluating the bull.

  “Ty wanted to do some training, so Mateo and I will be filling in as bullfighters since Tucker’s visiting his mom.” Yeah, the idea didn’t sound much better out loud than it had in his head.

  Judging from her frown, Lulu didn’t think it was a good idea either. “You sure you’re healed up enough after that bump on your head?”

  “I hardly noticed it.” No headaches, no dizziness, and yet he still had another three weeks of sitting around. At least. Damn concussion protocols.

  “Well, I’d better get Sweetie back into the clinic.” Lulu made smooching sounds in the dog’s direction. “Come on, girl.” She tugged gently on the leash and looked back over her shoulder. “You boys be careful now. Understand?”

  The glimpse of the old Lulu made him smile. He’d heard that same phrase from her a hundred times in another life. “We’ll be careful,” he promised before heading back to his friends.

  “We gotta do this now. Before I lose my nerve.” Ty was already climbing up on the fence to slide onto the bull’s broad back.

  “All right.” Levi got into position to open the gate. “Mateo, you head down to the south side of the corral and be ready.”

  “Don’t think it’s possible to be ready,” he muttered, but he went anyway.

  Levi looked up at Ty. “Count of three?”

  His friend nodded gravely.

  “One…two…” Ty slid onto the bull’s back. “Three!” Levi threw open the gate, and Reckoning II charged through the dirt, jumping and kicking and jerking—throwing Ty around like an amateur instead of a decorated rider.

 
Levi followed at a jog and met Mateo in the center of the corral. They didn’t have to wait long. Three seconds into the ride, Reckoning II had had enough. The bull arched his back and put on the brakes, sending their friend flying head-over-ass into the dirt.

  A shot of adrenaline burned down Levi’s legs. Here we go. He waved his arms and flagged down the bull. “Hey, Reckoning,” he taunted. “Over here, big guy!”

  The bull turned and pawed the ground before launching into an all-out sprint right at them.

  “Shit!” Both he and Mateo spun and hotfooted it toward the chute. At the last second, they dodged right and ducked the fence, but Reckoning ran straight through the open gate.

  “Gotcha!” Levi swung it closed and clicked the latch into place. He leaned against the post to catch his breath.

  “Whew!” Ty jumped up and shook off the dirt. “That was one hell of a ri—!”

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  At the sound of Cassidy’s voice, Levi stood up straight. She stomped around the outside of the fence, her eyes narrowed and her movements branded with fury.

  “Uh-oh,” Ty muttered.

  “Busted,” Mateo added. The two of them hightailed it to the other side of the corral.

  “What the hell were you doing?” she asked again as she approached. “Mom said you’re standing in as a bullfighter. Please tell me she’s wrong.”

  If she thought anger would drive him away from her, she was dead wrong. It was actually quite the turn-on. “I was luring the bull away from Ty,” he said simply. And he’d done a damn good job of it too.

  “Are you kidding me?” Her face flushed. “With a concussion?”

  “It’s not like I was riding the bull.”

  “It doesn’t matter! He was running straight at you!”

  “And we got him back into the chute.”

  “Unbelievable.” Cassidy spun and started to walk away. Only then did he notice her hands were shaking. She wasn’t angry. She was scared.

  Damn. He trotted to catch up with her. “Hey, everything’s fine. No one got hurt.”

  She paused. “You told me you’re nothing like Cash anymore. You said you’ve grown up.”

  “I have.” He was following the damn concussion protocols, wasn’t he? There was no way he would’ve done that when he was nineteen.

  Cassidy looked right through him. “A grown-up would take a concussion seriously.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He swept his hand down her arm, but she shook him off and walked away.

  “Do whatever you want, Levi. I don’t care.”

  And yet obviously she did.

  Chapter Eight

  Whenever he needed solid advice, Levi always found himself heading to his father’s breakfast table. He’d been trying to make himself scarce around Luis’s place, making sure to give the two lovebirds some nights alone, but he actually missed spending the evenings with his old man. Not that Jessa wasn’t going out of her way to make him feel welcome when he stayed. Last night, she’d even changed his sheets and left chocolate mints on his pillow.

  But in the mornings, he’d gotten used to sitting across from his father, drinking a cup of bitter cowboy coffee while they discussed whatever happened to be on Levi’s mind. Over the last year, he’d come to rely on his father as he went through the process of taking responsibility for his past mistakes. He never would’ve made it through without his dad on his side. The man had helped him rebuild his confidence and his courage, advising him gently but also calling him out when he needed it. And he needed it now.

  He hadn’t seen Cassidy at all lately. According to Jessa, she’d been working a lot. He’d tried calling. He’d tried stopping by. But after what had happened in the corral the other day, she seemed determined to keep him out of her life. So here he was, trucking down the driveway to his father’s house, hoping the man had some stellar advice because he had no idea what to do.

  He took the porch steps two at a time and went to open the screen door but stopped when he saw the small piece of paper taped to the wood. It was a note, scrawled in his father’s writing.

  Lance, Jessa, Lucas, Naomi, Gracie, and Levi,

  Evie and I left to drive to the Gulf Coast. We’re getting married. We talked last night and realized we don’t want to wait. Life is too short, and this woman makes me happier than I’ve ever been. We didn’t make plans. As Evie likes to say, we’re living in the moment. I hope you’ll understand. We would’ve told you but we didn’t want anyone to make a fuss. We’re planning to be back before the baby is born and will see you all soon.

  Dad and Evie

  Levi ripped the note off the door and stumbled backward. A smile came first and then a laugh. “Way to go, Dad.” The last few years, nothing about Luis Cortez had been spontaneous. Or impulsive. It seemed Evie had influenced him in the best possible way. Or maybe it hadn’t been impulsive. Maybe his father had taken him up on his offer to move out so he could bring home a wife.

  He read the note again as he hiked up to Lance’s house. If anyone deserved happiness, it was his father. There’d been a time Levi had thought the man would never remarry. After their mother left, he’d gotten himself into trouble messing around with different women in town—some of them married. At the time, Levi had hated him for it. Now though, he understood what loneliness could do to a person.

  He busted through the door into Lance and Jessa’s house. They were seated at the table finishing their breakfast.

  Jessa stood quickly, looking concerned. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t make you a plate. I thought you were having breakfast with Luis.”

  “I was going to.” He held up the note. “But it seems Dad and Evie took a little road trip.” He couldn’t help but laugh again.

  “What? Where’d they go?” His brother snatched the paper out of his hand.

  Wait for it…

  “Holy. Shit.” Lance lowered the note and gaped at him. “Did you know about this?”

  “I was as surprised as you.” Their father didn’t exactly open up about these kinds of things.

  “Know about what?” Jessa didn’t take kindly to being left out of any family business. She liked to run the family’s personal business.

  Lance suddenly looked panicked. He tried to hide the note behind his back. Levi didn’t blame him. She wouldn’t take too kindly to being left out of a wedding either.

  His brother might’ve been strong, but his wife was quick. She stole that note out of his hand before he could dodge out of the way.

  “What?” she gasped as her eyes scanned the paper. “Are you kidding me?” She waved the note in Lance’s face. “I could’ve thrown them a wedding. We could’ve done it right out there in the pasture…”

  Levi took a seat at the kitchen table. They’d likely be here a while.

  “We could’ve had the new reverend do the ceremony. Oh! And Gracie would’ve been adorable in that dress I made her.” She paced in front of her husband. “I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t they want us there?”

  Lance glanced at Levi, an understanding passing between them. “Because that’s not how Dad is. You know how much he hates to be the center of attention.”

  “I know, but this is his wedding. There should be music and friends and flowers and cake. They’re not even going to have a wedding cake!”

  “Can’t imagine why he was worried anyone would make a fuss,” Levi mumbled, all in good fun, of course.

  Lance seemed to be losing the battle against a smile that might very well get him in trouble with his wife.

  “So I like celebrations,” Jessa huffed. “And weddings. It’s supposed to be the happiest day of your life. I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to be surrounded by their friends and family.”

  “Aw, come on, baby.” His brother pulled his wife into his arms. “How about you plan a small party for them when they get back? A low-key reception where we can all celebrate together.”

  “I guess that’d be oka
y.” She still had a scowl on her face, but she returned Lance’s embrace.

  When his brother started to kiss her, that was it. Levi was out. “I’ll see you two later,” he called on his way to the door.

  They didn’t seem to hear him.

  Outside, he headed for the corral. Mateo, Ty, and Charity would be there soon. He’d promised them a stellar morning of training on some of the finest stock the Cortez Ranch had to offer. This time, he would only be supervising.

  As soon as they left though, he’d track Cassidy down. He’d go to her house, to her work…hell, he’d even show up at her hair appointment if that’s where she was. If her behavior lately had told him anything, it was that she wanted him too.

  She was just too afraid to admit it.

  * * *

  Levi kicked back in the lawn chair he’d positioned between the Cortez Ranch’s two outdoor corrals and sipped the health smoothie Jessa had brought him, insisting it would speed up his healing time.

  On one side of him, Mateo and Ty were taking turns trying to break Ball Buster for fun, and as of yet, neither had succeeded. In the other corral, Charity raced across the mud on her trusty stead, Ace, her body crouched, long blond hair sailing behind her, doing her damnedest to beat her fastest barrel racing time.

  As much as it pained him to not be out there with them, Levi was sitting in a chair acting like a grown-up and taking his concussion seriously. He was also making a to-do list. Far as he figured, the youth rodeo clinic would serve two purposes. One, it would give him an excuse to spend more time with Cass. Two, it would help her to see that the sport could actually be fun. She was obviously still traumatized from losing Cash that way, and he got it. But the rodeo wasn’t about being immature and reckless; it was about competing and pushing yourself and learning the value of discipline and hard work. Those were the things that had made him grow up. Maybe being close to it would help her understand why he still rode, even after he’d lost his friend.