Daddy for Keeps

by Pamela Tracy

  She wanted to say, Tell me about your brother. But that would give her away. Even more, she wanted to say, Tell me about you. Still, he’d finally given her a chance to change the subject. “Why did you become a bull rider?”

  “When you’re not raised on a ranch, bull riding’s the event to get into. Neither Marcus nor I had the hours in the saddle to become a bronc. We’re city boys.”

  “You don’t act like a city boy.”

  “That’s because we spent summers with my grandparents over in Delaney. Grandpa had us in the saddle, but two months every summer didn’t make cowboys out of us.”

  She understood. For years, Allison’s mother gave riding lessons. Natalie and Allison had watched as kids here for two-week vacations thought they were riding horses. What they were doing was holding on to horses, usually holding on to the saddle horn like it was the only thing between them and the ground. In most cases, it was.

  “I’ll bet you were a natural,” she said.

  “Marcus was the natural, and Grandpa had been a bull rider. He had us on barrels from the time we were little. I could show you pictures. Made my mother worry and my father threaten to keep us home summers.”

  “But still you became a bull rider.”

  “I think my brother and I did everything we could to do exactly the opposite of what my father wanted.”

  “I loved riding,” Natalie said. Boy, had it been a long time since those words had come from her mouth. “Dad was what you’d call a more-than-gentleman farmer. His dad ran a working ranch, and so did my great-grandpa before him. Dad remembered when this place really thrived. But the 1940s were really hard, and my great-grandpa started selling off parcels. My grandpa managed to keep it as a working ranch, but even he had to sell off a few plots. He realized that if anything was going to remain for his two sons, he’d need a career change.”

  “The stockyard?” Lucky said.

  “Yup. Grandpa managed to buy back a few pieces after the stockyard made good. Dad took over after he got out of college. He married my mother and almost immediately started buying horses and a few cows. Mom kept chickens and, from what I hear, she was partial to mules.”

  “When did your mother die?”

  “I was eight. Dad got rid of the chickens, cows and such because without her help, he just didn’t have the time. He kept the horses. I was already a big help taking care of them.”

  “What about your uncle, Tisha’s dad?”

  “Dad bought Allen out. It’s kind of a sad story.”

  “What’s he do for a living?”

  “He works on his wife’s family’s dairy farm. He still has five children living at home. He…” Natalie stopped. Just how much did she tell Lucky? If she opened her mouth, used Tisha’s name, wasn’t she getting that much closer to saying something she’d regret, something she wasn’t ready to share?

  Oh, what a tangled web we weave.

  “Natalie?” Lucky encouraged.

  “Allen’s never been known for having much luck in life.”

  “Are all his kids like Tisha?”

  Natalie had to give Lucky credit. Most people, once they’d met Tisha, had all kinds of opinions. He asked the question everyone thought but didn’t have the courage to address. He even managed to look thoughtful.

  “No, none of the other kids are like Tisha. She, like your brother, was the oldest. She took off at eighteen, and I don’t think she’s ever been back.”

  “So, she had a rough childhood and that’s why she’s the way she is?”

  “What she had was a childhood without all the extras and without happiness. They just never had money. I’m not sure her parents even had the desire for things like cable or designer jeans. She came to spend the summers here, at my dad’s request, and when it was time for her to go back home, she’d cry and cry.”

  “Because you had cable and designer jeans?”

  “Cable, designer jeans, entry fees for rodeos and all the fast food we wanted just a fifteen-minute drive away.”

  “She came every summer. Were you friends?”

  “Friends? No, not really. I had friends, Patty and Allison. Even more, I had my dad and I had horses. Dad wanted to keep me from being lonely, but I was never alone. I think by the time he realized that her spending the summer with us wasn’t good for me and wasn’t good for Tisha, he didn’t know how to stop it.”

  Lucky scooted his chair closer to the table and reached across to touch the top of her hand. “I think every family has issues. Some work them out as a family. Others never work them out.”

  She nodded, noticing that his hand remained on top of hers, noticing how light his touch was, how caring.

  Who was she? Was she someone who could work through this with Lucky? Or was she someone who would never work it out?

  Was she like Tisha?

  Looking across the table at Lucky Welch, Natalie again realized the power of a lie and how much a lie cost everyone involved.

  For a while, she’d only thought of losing Robby, but now she realized that once the lie escaped, she’d be losing Lucky, as well.

  Chapter Ten

  I t was a two-bedroom apartment with horse privileges. If it were any other place, it might have worked. The bedrooms were small; he could live with that. The kitchen and living room were combined. No problem. The bathroom only had a shower and not a bath. Again, no problem. The only problem, besides that it was the second story of a barn and his comings and goings would be public because this was a working ranch, had to do with the rancher’s wife. The landlord, Richard Dunbar, was friendly yet all business. He discussed responsibilities, price and lease. No wonder this was one of the more successful cattle and hay ranches in the area. He also mentioned having seen Lucky at church.

  For a moment, Lucky was convinced he’d found temporary lodging. He couldn’t stay at Bernice’s forever.

  Then Patty Dunbar had entered the apartment. A curvy blonde, whom Lucky remembered well from the rodeo and from church, she was Natalie’s best friend—something Lucky hadn’t realized when he saw the ad in the paper. She was also a mama bear. Natalie didn’t need any help; she’d been taking care of Robby just fine for three years. He had everything a little boy would ever need.

  With a baby on her hip and a single purpose, Patty demanded, “So why are you thinking about signing a six-month lease? You have the travel trailer. Selena, Texas, is not a central location for a bull rider. Surely it’s about time for you to be heading out again?”

  “I’ll get to the rodeos,” Lucky assured her, even though he now had no intention of renting the place, “and it’s time to settle down.”

  “Honey, I think I hear someone crying,” Richard Dunbar suggested.

  Patty gave her husband the I-know-what-you’re-trying-to-do look and said, “If that were true, I’d be hearing the sound and not you.”

  “Maybe this is a bad idea.” Lucky put his hat back on and stepped toward the door.

  “Yes,” Patty agreed.

  Lucky almost smiled, but he didn’t think Miss Patty would appreciate it. Too bad Richard Dunbar hadn’t provided a last name during the phone query Lucky made, but then, why would he? Richard provided directions and agreed to meet Lucky at the barn. They’d been in the apartment all of five minutes when Lucky heard a screech, which was followed by someone pounding up the stairs.

  “Look, Mrs. Dunbar, I didn’t realize this was your place and I’ll tell you what I keep telling Natalie. I only want to help.”

  Richard looked lost. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then wisely closed it.

  A wail came from down below. It was followed by a “Mommy, I fell!”

  “Wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Patty muttered before taking off.

  Richard waited a moment. “I probably owe you an apology. I knew my wife wouldn’t consider having you for a tenant, but I’ve been mulling something over for the last couple of days and it involves you. When you called, I figured it was God giving me the go-ahead.”
/>   “The go-ahead for what?”

  “I’ve heard you preach,” Richard said. “I mean, besides this past Sunday. It wasn’t at that Cowboy Church you’re so involved in. It was at a little congregation in Van Horn, with barely twenty-five members.”

  “I remember.” Lucky remembered all too well. He’d gotten little sleep, had to drive more than two hours round-trip on top of preaching, and when he finally got on the back of his draw—a bull named Throw Away—he’d made just three seconds. “A friend of my mother’s attends there. She got my mother to ask me to preach. I about broke my neck trying to get everything done that day.”

  “I was visiting my cousin.” Richard motioned toward the apartment door. “Let’s head downstairs. I was only there that one day. My cousin doesn’t attend church, so I went to the congregation closest to his house. I was in for a surprise. You gave a great sermon.”

  “Thanks.” Lucky followed Richard out the door and down the stairs.

  “So, whether or not you’re renting this particular apartment, you’re still settling down in this area?”

  “Yes, absolutely.”

  Richard shook his head. “Most of the town didn’t know Marcus was Robby’s father. I’m not sure Natalie’s father even knew. Judging by my wife’s behavior, she knew. She’ll also get over it if you do right by Natalie.”

  “I plan to.”

  “Good.” Richard headed for the house with Lucky following. When they reached the bottom step, Richard turned around. “Have you given any thoughts to renting in Delaney?”

  “No.”

  “Come on in. I’ll get us some iced tea, and I have a proposition for you.”

  “Are you sure your house is safe?”

  Richard laughed. “Patty’s bark has always been worse than her bite.”

  “She threatened to hit me with her purse at the Selena rodeo. I’m thinking she has more heavy-duty weapons here.”

  “The iced tea is cold, and Patty makes the best chocolate-chip cookies this side of Lubbock. I’ll go lock up her purse. You coming in?”

  “I guess with that kind of incentive, I’d be a fool to say no.”

  Patty had one of her kids sitting on the kitchen counter. She was putting a bandage on his knee while he cried and said, “Ooooww. Oow. Ow.” The baby crawled on the kitchen floor, seemingly fascinated by an errant paper towel.

  Richard headed straight for the kitchen, said a few words to his wife that Lucky couldn’t hear and then came back carrying two glasses of tea and a plate of cookies.

  “Good balance,” Lucky complimented him.

  “Comes with helping the wife with the kids.”

  Lucky took one of the teas and followed Richard’s example by sitting down, taking a drink and then placing his tea on the coffee table.

  The living room was about the same size as Natalie’s, but this living room showed a successful marriage of two styles. There was still an abundance of browns, tans and beiges, but here there were also frilly lamps, watercolors on the wall and no heavy furniture. The couch was red.

  Richard took two cookies, offered one to Lucky and sat back. “Patty tells me that your mother was one of the Selena rodeo queens and that your grandparents lived in Delaney.”

  “I spent summers in Delaney.”

  “You still have friends there?”

  “No, not really.”

  “Still like the town?”

  Lucky thought back to the too-enthusiastic sign, the café and general store, and the playground. He thought about the empty church. “Yeah, I still like the town.”

  “I’m an elder here. Did you know that?”

  “No, my mind’s pretty much been on other things since I arrived.”

  Richard nodded. “I can sure understand that, but there’s going to be a time when things settle down, much like you’re planning to settle down.”

  Lucky leaned forward, took another cookie and said, “Mr. Dunbar, why don’t you just say whatever it is you’re trying to say.”

  “The church in Delaney has been without a minister for five years. Some of the men of the congregation tried to keep things going, but they all work long hours and, besides preaching on Sunday morning, none of them had the time or the know-how to do all the other things a preacher does. The church is in good condition.”

  “It’s a historical landmark,” Lucky remembered.

  “For the last three years, many of its members have driven all the way to Selena to attend services. Others, though, have stopped attending altogether. There’s a whole community hurting for a local congregation, and we can’t seem to find someone to put behind the pulpit.”

  “And,” Lucky said slowly, “you think I’m the one. As much as I appreciate the suggestion you’re about to make, I’m a bull rider. Sundays are not a day of rest for me.”

  Richard leaned forward and, in a voice much too decisive, said, “Your brother was the bull rider.”

  Lucky leaned back. Nothing like having someone malign your talents after they offer you a job preaching. “No.” Lucky shook his head. “I’m not ready to give it up yet. This would have been my year if my brother hadn’t died. I’m in good shape, only a few injuries this year—”

  Neither Richard’s expression nor posture changed. “I’ve seen you and your brother ride. You’ve got a good seat, Lucky, I’ll give you that, but with bull riding, you either give it your all or you give it up. I’ve never seen you give it your all.”

  “You’ve got a point—” Lucky stood “—but, as you said, I’ve got a good seat. Now I just need to ride better. I’m not ready to quit, and I don’t think you can judge my skill on what you saw at the Selena rodeo.”

  Richard looked like he wanted to say something else, but a soft “ahem” came from the doorway separating the living room from the kitchen.

  “I’ve overstepped,” Richard said. “I tend to do that when I get excited about an opportunity, and I think you’re just what the church in Delaney needs. You’d help restore a lot of souls. Surely that’s more important than buckles and purses.”

  “I’ll keep your offer in mind.” Lucky finished his tea in one gulp and headed for the door. He may not have been hit over the head with a purse, but he’d been hit over the head with an offer. The offer packed more of a wallop.

  As Lucky jumped in his truck and started the engine, he couldn’t help but think that God was telling him in more ways than one that it was time to really think about his future and where his priorities were.

  What he’d done in the past was good, but maybe not good enough.

  Maybe that was the kind of bull rider he was.

  Good, but not good enough.

  His worry, though, was maybe he was that kind of preacher, too.

  Good, but not good enough.

  “Mommy, I hungry.”

  “Hmm,” Natalie said noncommittally. She glanced in the rearview mirror. Robby should have fallen asleep the moment they left Patty’s. No wonder. He’d missed taking a nap; he’d played almost nonstop, and he’d been cuddled and hugged by every adult there. Patty had a huge family, and they’d always counted Natalie as one of their own. Richard’s family wasn’t quite as big as Patty’s, but what they lacked in numbers, they made up for in size.

  Natalie’s Thanksgiving had been something else. It had been melancholy. She’d sat in Patty’s living room and laughed with the family. At Patty’s table, she’d bowed her head in prayer and this time she understood why. She’d eaten the traditional turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. She’d played Monopoly with the young people, and she’d taken Robby to the potty.

  The whole time she couldn’t shake the fact that in her entire life, this was the first time she’d not celebrated Thanksgiving at home.

  A home that now felt so empty.

  “I’m so full I can barely fit behind the steering wheel,” Natalie said. She turned the windshield wipers on as a gentle rain began.

  Robby giggled.

  “How can you be hungry?”

&n
bsp; “I no know.”

  Glancing again in the rearview mirror, she couldn’t help but enjoy the sight of Robby grinning at her. His hair was a mess, and he’d spilled something blue on the front of his shirt, but oh, was he happy.

  “Good day?” she asked.

  “Good day,” he mimicked.

  “Do you want to stop at the café and have some ice cream?” The rain increased. It was almost a perfect end to a busy day. Rain meant staring out windows, touching paned glass and waiting for a rainbow.

  “Ice cream, yeah!”

  The family who owned the café up until two years ago never opened on major holidays, but some out-of-staters had purchased it, and now the blinking neon light didn’t seem to recognize the Sabbath or holidays. To them, Thanksgiving was just a day at the cash register. Natalie might grump about progress, but today it didn’t keep her from taking a prime parking spot and hoisting Robby out of his seat and inside. She let go of his hand for just a minute while she shrugged out of her coat. That was all it took.

  “Lucky!” he shrieked, and across the diner he went.

  He had a clear shot since the diner was pretty much empty. Lucky Welch sat in a booth by himself, eating a turkey sandwich and reading the Bible.

  He looked up just in time to catch Robby to him, and then he uttered words that only cemented what Natalie already knew. They’d be joining him.

  “Looks like my prayer’s been answered.” Lucky grinned.

  She was an answer to a prayer. Wow. Well, at least Robby was an answer to a prayer.

  “I’m glad you’re here. I was feeling pretty lonely.”

  “Can’t have that,” Natalie said.

  “Did you get my message yesterday?”

  “The one inviting Robby and me to church?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “I got it.” Natalie stared out the window. Rain tapped the glass, giving her an excuse not to look at Lucky. “I’ve been busy catching up with work, and I’ve also been cleaning out my dad’s room. It’s past time.”

  Lucky was silent as he took the last bite of his sandwich. “I had to clean out Marcus’s trailer.”