Beau: Cowboy Protector

by Marin Thomas

  “Sometimes one chooses to remember the good mostly and not so much the bad…self-preservation, I guess. But don’t think for a minute that I’ve forgotten the hardship I faced and still do because I can’t see.” Her aunt brushed a thumb across Sierra’s wet cheek. “I, too, cried my share of tears and experienced moments of sheer panic when I did something by myself for the first time—like riding the city bus alone.”

  “You’ve shown me that it’s possible to be blind and remain independent but…”

  “But what?”

  “I’m scared.”

  “It’s okay to be scared, Sierra. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t fear the unknown, but that’s why I’m here. And Beau will help you, too.”

  “I don’t want to rely on Beau.”

  “He cares about you.”

  “It’s because he cares that I can’t be with him.”

  “That doesn’t make sense, dear.”

  “Beau’s a take-charge guy who jumps in and helps out without being asked.”

  “Some women would find that chivalrous.”

  “If I allow Beau to do everything for me, I won’t learn how to get around on my own and then I’ll become too dependent on him and one day he’ll wake up and realize how exhausting it is to take care of me and he’ll leave. And then where will I be…trying to manage my life after years of having someone do it for me.”

  “Talk to Beau. Tell him what you need and don’t need from him.”

  If Sierra thought asking Beau to back off would be enough, she’d have said so weeks ago, but a person shouldn’t have to change who they were to be with the one they loved. And that wasn’t all she feared. “Beau deserves to be a father and I’m not having any children.”

  “Why not? You’d be a wonderful mother.”

  “Children are a huge responsibility and my blindness would put my children in jeopardy.”

  “There are no guarantees in life, Sierra, but you’re the type of woman who wouldn’t take chances with her children and I know you’d be extra vigilant—”

  “Which could be a bad thing, too, because then I’d smother my kids and they’d grow up to hate me for it.” Good grief, with both her and Beau being overprotective parents, their children would run away at the first opportunity.

  “Nothing worth having in life comes without risks.”

  Sierra understood that, but did she have the courage to put her heart in Beau’s hands and trust that he was strong enough for both of them when the going got tough…tougher…toughest?

  * * *

  “MIND SOME COMPANY?”

  Beau glanced up from the workbench in the barn where he’d been putting the final touches on the saddle for Jim Phillips. His father hovered in the doorway.

  “I thought you and Jordan had a standing date on Friday nights.” Beau pushed a stool forward and his father sat.

  “Jordan called a little while ago and said she and Sierra are watching a movie tonight.” His father studied Beau’s face. “The cut on your lip looks better.”

  Beau appreciated that his father hadn’t grilled him when he’d come into the house two days ago looking as if he’d been run over by a truck. He suspected Aunt Sarah had informed her brother about Beau’s impromptu rodeo with Midnight.

  “You still plan to compete tomorrow in Miles City?”

  “Yep.” His aches and bruises hadn’t healed but he didn’t care.

  “You sure that’s smart?”

  Beau shrugged, positive it wasn’t smart. But again, he just didn’t give a damn.

  “You know…” His father pretended interest in the scrap of leather Beau tossed aside. “Maybe I came down a little too hard on you about Sierra.”

  This was a first. His father admitting he’d been wrong must be Jordan’s influence. Amazing how a woman could waltz into a man’s life and shake it up so violently that when the dust settled there was a whole new man standing there.

  “Jordan put you up to this, didn’t she?” Beau set aside his swivel knife.

  “She’s worried about Sierra.”

  “Dad, I—”

  His father held up his hand. “Before you say anything…what are your intentions toward Sierra?”

  “Are you asking because she and I spent the night together in a motel room?”

  “No. As you pointed out earlier, that’s none of my business.” His father stared thoughtfully. “When you look ahead through the years, do you picture yourself with Sierra?”

  After giving the question serious consideration, Beau said, “I can’t imagine not having her in my life.”

  “Jordan’s talked to me about her experience going blind.”

  Beau wasn’t in the mood to discuss Jordan but he kept his mouth shut.

  “When Jordan was diagnosed with the disease she asked her husband if he was going to divorce her.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He’d told her that he’d married her for better or worse and wouldn’t abandon her. Jordan acknowledged that he got her through several rough patches.”

  How many rough patches would Sierra experience, and how long would they last? When Beau imagined being by her side, he had no idea what that entailed.

  “The thing is, Jordan had been with her husband several years and they had a strong marriage before she’d been diagnosed with the disease.”

  “I’m not following.”

  “Most newlyweds have no idea what the future holds for them, which is a good thing if any marriage is to have a shot at succeeding. God forbid, if I had known how things would have turned out for me and your mother…” His voice trailed off. After a moment, he said, “You and Sierra know exactly what you’re up against. If you choose to make a commitment to her and years down the road you suddenly become tired of living with a blind person and want out…that’s a lot more hurtful than walking away now.”

  The words were difficult to hear, but Beau appreciated his father’s candor.

  “According to Jordan, going blind is the scariest thing in the world. For the first time in her life she had to learn to trust. Not just trust her husband when he said there was one step in front of her, not two, but she had to trust that the stranger she asked to help her in the grocery store actually handed her the can of soup she’d requested and not something different. And she had to trust the man on the corner who said the light was green and it was safe for her to cross the street.”

  Beau put himself in Sierra’s shoes and pictured what it would be like to rely on a stranger’s word. Right now, Sierra could see the sincerity in Beau’s eyes, but what about ten or twenty years from now when he said “I love you” and she couldn’t see the truth of the words in his expression? Sierra would have to take an incredible leap of faith if she wanted to be with him.

  His father got up from the stool and patted Beau’s back. “It was selfish of me to warn you away from Sierra. I didn’t want anyone or anything to ruin my chances with Jordan.”

  “Dad?” Beau called out when his father turned to leave. “Are you afraid to be with Jordan because she’s blind?”

  “No. As much as I wanted to be with her years ago, we weren’t right for each other then.”

  “But you are now?”

  “Yes, we’re perfect for each other now.”

  “Are you going to tie the knot with her?” Beau asked.

  “When she’s ready.”

  “What if she’s never ready?”

  “Then I’ll be happy to be with Jordan any way she lets me.”

  His father ambled off, leaving Beau with a heavy heart and a whole lot of thinking to do.

  * * *

  “YOU SURE ABOUT THIS?” Beau asked Colt when he stowed his gear in the backseat of Colt’s Dodge.

  “Yep. By the time Ace figures out we took Midnight to Miles City, it’ll be too late for him to catch us.” Colt gathered up the junk on the front seat—coloring books, crayons and Happy Meal toys, then tossed them into the back. “Do me a favor and double-check the latch on
the trailer.”

  Beau inspected the lock then hopped into the truck. “We’re good to go.”

  As Colt pulled out of the driveway his cell phone beeped. He put the brakes on. “Better check this text in case it’s Leah. Davy was running a fever last night.” He looked at the message. “Shit.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Ace just texted ‘good luck with Midnight.’”

  “Doesn’t surprise me. Can’t pull the wool over your brother’s eyes.”

  Colt’s phone beeped again. “It’s Ace. ‘If Midnight gets injured you’re…’”

  “You’re what?”

  “There’s a bunch of symbols and punctuation marks.”

  Beau grinned.

  Colt lifted his foot from the brake and headed for the county road.

  Sunrise was an hour away. “Any trouble loading Midnight?” Beau asked.

  “Nope. The stallion practically danced his way into the trailer.”

  “You competing today?”

  “Heck, yeah. Been looking forward to it all week.”

  “Need a break from married life, huh?”

  “Married life is great. With Leah and the kids, there’s never a dull moment.”

  “How’s Evan?”

  “He’s good. Thanks for asking.” Colt turned onto the highway. “He likes to Skype online so we’ve been doing that once a week. He’s looking forward to visiting Thunder Ranch over Thanksgiving.” Small talk exhausted, Colt drove in silence then swung the truck into a McDonald’s on the outskirts of town and ordered two large coffees. Back on the road, he asked, “So what’s up between you and Sierra?”

  “Hasn’t Leah gotten the latest scoop from your sister?”

  “The only thing Leah mentioned after she met the girls for coffee at the diner was that Sierra seemed depressed.”

  When Beau remained silent, Colt said, “No comment?”

  “No comment.”

  “Good.” Colt squirmed into a comfortable position on the seat. “Now when I get home and Leah grills me on what I found out about you and Sierra, I can say ‘nothing’ without my face turning red.”

  “Why’s everyone so dang interested in my love life?” Beau grumbled.

  “Don’t you know, cousin? No woman is happy unless all her lady friends are happy.”

  Exhausted from thinking about Sierra all week, Beau flipped the radio to a sports talk show.

  “Okay, I can take a hint.” Colt launched into a discussion about NFL teams and the drive passed quickly.

  When they arrived in Miles City, Colt went off with Midnight and Beau signed in for the bull-riding event. He had time to waste before he competed, so he visited the bull pen and observed the animals for the rodeo.

  He’d drawn Red Hot Chili Pepper, a brown bull with a white face. He wasn’t the biggest bull in the pen but Pepper, as he was called by the cowboys, had speed and quickness on his side. Beau walked through the cowboy-ready area, then made his way toward the chutes to watch Colt compete in the saddle-bronc competition.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Miles City Rodeo and Stock Show.” When the applause died down, the announcer briefed fans on the scoring system then introduced the first contender, a cowboy from Utah who lasted five seconds before biting the dust. When Colt’s name came over the sound system, Beau climbed the rails for a better view.

  The gate opened and a horse named Devil’s Delight barely cleared the chute before the first buck. Beau stopped breathing when Colt slipped sideways in the saddle. His cousin managed to hang on and regain his balance. Beau counted the seconds in his head, noting the bronc went into a spin at the six-second mark. The buzzer sounded and Colt held on until he found an opening and launched himself off the horse. The crowd cheered when he came to his feet. Colt waved his hat to the fans and returned to the cowboy-ready area wearing a huge grin.

  “Colt Hart sure showed Devil’s Delight he was the boss!” The JumboTron replayed the ride. “The judges have spoken and Hart earned an eighty-five! Hart’s the man to beat this afternoon and our next rider is sure gonna give it his best shot.”

  Once the fans quieted, the announcer continued. “We got a special treat up next—The Midnight Express. This stallion is a descendant of Five Minutes to Midnight, a Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame bucking horse!” The crowd cheered. “The Midnight Express disappeared from the circuit for a couple of years, but thanks to the Harts of Roundup, Montana, the stallion is back doin’ what he’s famous for—throwin’ cowboys!”

  Beau made his way over to Midnight. The horse had been loaded into the chute and Colt was helping to secure the flank strap. “Midnight has won bucking horse of the year twice and made an appearance at the National Finals Rodeo five times,” the announcer said.

  A cowboy, who went by the nickname Tiny Joe, hopped onto Midnight’s back. The stallion stamped his hoof in anticipation. Tiny Joe bobbed his head. The chute door opened and Midnight morphed into a dark mythological warrior.

  The stallion’s sleek black coat and muscular stature mesmerized rodeo fans. Midnight bucked high and tight with no letdown between kicks, and Tiny Joe didn’t stand a chance past four seconds. The cowboy sailed headfirst through the air and a roar from the stands followed.

  “What do you think?” Colt joined Beau.

  “I’m thinking Midnight’s going for broke at the Bash.”

  “Me, too.” Colt’s expression sobered. “You sure you’re up to fighting a bull today?”

  “I’ll be fine.” Beau brushed off his cousin’s concern and walked away. An hour later the bull-riding competition began. Beau was third in the rotation, just enough time to get his thoughts in order and focus. Ignoring his sore ribs, he adjusted his protective vest. The livestock handlers loaded Pepper into the chute and the five-year-old bull stood docile. Beau wasn’t fooled. Pepper had two years’ experience on the circuit and was only biding his time until it was his turn to play.

  “You’re up, Adams.”

  Beau waited for his adrenaline to spike but his body remained oddly calm—not a good sign. He needed a rush of heat through his muscles to increase his strength. He scaled the rails and settled onto Red Hot Chili Pepper. Ignoring his subdued mood, Beau took only a few seconds to secure his grip on the rope before nodding to the gateman.

  The chute opened and Pepper pounced, but Beau had anticipated the move and kept his balance. Either Beau was riding out of his head or Pepper had lost some steam, because the bull’s bucks felt tame in comparison to what Midnight had put him through earlier in the week. Beau rode buck after buck as if in a daze, his ears and mind numb to the cheering crowd.

  The buzzer sounded, but he kept his seat, waiting for an opening to dismount. When his chance came, he jumped for safety but his hand got hung up in the rope. Pepper continued to buck and Beau tried to reach with his free hand to loosen the rope, but it was all he could do to keep himself from falling beneath the bull and being pummeled by hooves.

  The bullfighters closed in, one cowboy tugging at the rope, the other trying to distract Pepper. Beau could no longer feel his hand—the rope had cut off the circulation. Pepper spun and his rear collided with the bullfighter’s horse, the impact jerking Beau’s arm so hard he feared the ligaments had been torn.

  Beau was running out of strength, his feet dragging against the ground. A third cowboy on horseback entered the arena and jumped into the fray. Suddenly Beau’s hand broke free and his legs went out from under him. One of the bullfighters grabbed the back of Beau’s jeans and hauled him away from the bucking bull then released him. Beau staggered from the arena, his arm hanging limply at his side.

  “Are you all right?” Colt blocked Beau’s path.

  “My arm.”

  “C’mon, let’s get you to the first-aid station.”

  Beau followed his cousin, feeling nauseous from the pain shooting through his injured limb. “What was my score?”

  “I don’t know. I didn’t hear the announcer.” Colt stopped at the paramedic’s t
ruck.

  “Your hand got caught in the rope,” the medic said. Most of the first responders watched the cowboys ride so if one of them got injured, they had some idea of what had happened.

  “Might have pulled the ligaments in my shoulder,” Beau said.

  “While you’re being looked after, I’m going to load Midnight.” Colt walked off.

  After an extensive examination, the medic diagnosed strained ligaments and sprained fingers. He submerged Beau’s hand in a bucket of cold water and wrapped an ice pack around his shoulder, then put his arm in a sling and advised Beau to take a week or two off before riding another bull.

  The ice numbed the pain but didn’t prevent Sierra’s face from flashing through Beau’s mind. All week he’d stomped around like a bear with a sore paw because he believed Sierra hadn’t cared about him the way he cared about her. But after his chat with his father last night, Beau wondered if he had jumped to the wrong conclusion.

  What if Sierra kept pushing him away because she was trying to protect him from a future of uncertainty and challenge?

  Beau was more confused than ever, except for how he felt about Sierra. He knew without a doubt that he loved her and couldn’t imagine his life without her. He recalled the fight he’d gotten into with Duke this past summer. He’d wondered how the hell his brother could walk away from rodeo when the sport had been such a big part of his life and something he’d been so good at. Now he knew.

  From this day forward, nothing Beau did or would do mattered if he didn’t have Sierra by his side.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Saturday evening the diner sat empty. Sierra blamed it on the falling snow. Her aunt had retreated to the upstairs apartment with Joshua and the last customer had walked out thirty minutes ago.

  “Susie,” Sierra said, poking her head around the kitchen door. “I’m closing up early. Get your coat and scoot.”

  “Really?” Susie shrugged into her white ski jacket. “Thanks, Sierra.”

  “Text your parents that you’re leaving work, okay?”

  Susie pulled her phone from her coat pocket and a few seconds later said, “Done.”