A Cowboy's Claim

by Marin Thomas

  He stared at the top of Alex’s head. Had Vic’s mother mistreated him while he was in her care? It wasn’t enough that she’d physically injured Vic when he’d been younger, but his mother left everyone she came in contact with emotionally scarred. And now her actions were robbing Vic of the only way he knew how to make amends for a past wrong.

  The anger burned a hole in his gut. If he walked away from busting broncs, his mother would have won again. He couldn’t let that happen. He had to find a way to continue riding and keep Alex safe until Renee placed him in a foster home. Vic was almost desperate enough to call Maria and ask if she’d take care of Alex. He knew she would, but then he’d have to tell her the reason he was picking rodeo over his nephew and he didn’t want Cruz to know he was chasing a title for him.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the women’s barrel-racing event.”

  Vic’s thoughts turned to Tanya. So much had happened he’d barely had time to think about the night he’d spent with her at the Sweet Dreams Inn. If he closed his eyes, he could still feel her softness, smell her sweetness. After the first round of lovemaking, he’d tried to pull away, but Tanya had slid her leg between his thighs and rested her head on his chest, then had fallen asleep seconds later. At first her weight had felt suffocating, but when he’d wrapped his arms around her and run his fingers over her back, counting the bumps in her spine, a sense of rightness and peace had filled him. With her warmth surrounding him, he’d closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

  “First up is Tanya McGee from Longmont, Colorado. Tanya’s riding Slingshot, a horse with a reputation for being contrary.” The rodeo fans next to Vic and Alex chuckled. “Let’s see if Tanya can get Slingshot to cooperate.”

  “Look over there.” Vic pointed to the alley where Tanya and the horse would enter from. Alex watched the opening, and a few seconds later Tanya and Slingshot ran into the arena, heading for the first barrel. Alex scooted to the edge of his seat, the corn dog in his hand forgotten.

  Tanya and Slingshot made the first turn, then sprinted for the second barrel. Vic held his breath, hoping the horse wouldn’t balk—he didn’t. They cleared the second barrel, and just when Vic believed the pair might finally turn in a winning time, Slingshot took the third barrel too wide and lost valuable seconds. Tanya tried to make up for the error on the sprint home, but Slingshot didn’t give it his all.

  The announcer made a sound of sympathy. “Tanya and Slingshot came in at a little over eighteen seconds. Better luck next time, cowgirl.”

  Vic glanced at Alex. “She didn’t win,” he said. Alex kept staring at the alley as if waiting for Tanya to come out again. “Let’s go tell her we’re sorry she lost.”

  Vic lifted Alex into his arms and carried him out of the stands, then set him down and took his hand. They went outside by the livestock pens and found Tanya walking Slingshot. Vic stopped a safe distance away. “Slingshot looked better tonight.”

  Tanya’s sober expression insisted the opposite. Her gaze softened when she spoke to his nephew. “Did you enjoy the rodeo?”

  Alex nodded.

  “A couple more competitions and Slingshot might go all the way for you,” he said.

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “We’re done. This was our last rodeo.” She walked Slingshot into the corral, removed his saddle and reins, then set the tack over the rail and closed the gate behind her.

  Vic took Alex’s hand and walked closer. “Why is this your last rodeo?”

  Her gaze focused on the pickups parked across the lot and her lips pressed into a thin line.

  “What’s wrong?” Vic touched her arm and she looked at him, eyes shimmering with tears.

  “I’m broke.” She shrugged off his touch. “I can’t afford anymore entry fees, much less gas to drive to the next rodeo.”

  If it was about money... “I can float you a loan until you start winning.” Shoot, it was the least he could do after ditching her at the motel.

  “I can’t take your money.” That Vic had offered to help warmed Tanya’s heart. There wasn’t a whole lot of support for her back at Red Rock. If she asked Mason for a little more time to prove Slingshot’s worth, he’d say no and tell her to pack it up and come home. “It’s not only the entry fees. I’ve got ten bucks left in my checking account. I don’t have enough money to feed Slingshot, much less pay for motel rooms or boarding him between competitions.” She laughed, the sound humorless. “And unless I take first place in every event from here on out, I’d never win enough money to repay you.”

  “I have an idea.” Vic’s gaze swung between her and Alex.

  A sixth sense told Tanya she wasn’t going to like his plan.

  “What if we travel the circuit together?”

  She shook his head. “That wouldn’t be a good idea.”

  “I’m not insinuating that we...you know...” He lowered his voice. “...be together that way.”

  Tanya wasn’t sure if she should be insulted or not. Maybe Vic hadn’t enjoyed their lovemaking as much as he’d led her to believe. “What’s the catch?” she asked, then immediately wished she hadn’t.

  “If we travel together...” He dropped his gaze to Alex and suddenly she understood why he was eager to pay her rodeo expenses.

  “You need a babysitter,” she said.

  “Not really a babysitter as much as someone to keep an eye on Alex when I’m riding.”

  Alex’s sad brown eyes tugged at Tanya’s heartstrings. Being around the sweet little boy wouldn’t be a hardship, but it hurt her pride that Vic was offering her money to play nanny to his nephew.

  “Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

  “Why?”

  Couldn’t he see that he’d offended her? What former lover appreciated being needed as a nanny?

  Use him back. Take his money and keep working with Slingshot. You know the horse is just one rodeo away from winning. “How am I supposed to keep an eye on Alex when I’m working with Slingshot between rodeos?” Never mind the fact that they wouldn’t always compete in the same rodeos.

  “I’ll be around between rodeos and I can watch Alex while you’re working with the horse.”

  “I don’t enter as many rodeos as you do. And it’s not fair to make my horse travel in the trailer for long periods of time. That’s why I board him between rodeos.”

  “We’ll find places to keep him along the way. It won’t be that difficult. I promise.”

  Tanya studied Alex. She’d never been around kids before. And it was obvious that Vic’s nephew needed special help to cope with whatever had happened to him. What if she said or did something that made things worse for the boy? She glanced at Vic, and the pleading look in his eyes set her back on her heels. It would be so easy to cave in to him. He’d made her feel things she’d never felt before—not even with Beau.

  “Please, Tanya,” Vic whispered. “I’ll pay all your expenses...food, lodging, clothes, feed, boarding.”

  That was more than generous, but she wished Vic wanted her with him for himself and not for his nephew.

  “You have unfinished business with Slingshot. Here’s your chance to see it through to the end,” he said.

  The thought of going home and having to admit that her pride had gotten in the way of her good judgment didn’t sit well with Tanya. Vic was giving her one more chance to prove her instincts about Slingshot were correct. The horse was a winner. And Vic was allowing her the chance to give barrel racing a proper goodbye.

  When a loud bang rent the air, Alex flung himself against Tanya and buried his face between her legs. Automatically she dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around his shaking body. “It’s okay, honey.” She caught the sad expression on Vic’s face as he watched his nephew cling to her. The bronc rider need
ed her as much as Alex did—he just didn’t know it.

  “I suppose we’ll be following your rodeo schedule?” She knew the answer before she’d asked the question.

  “If I have a long enough break between events, you’re more than welcome to take off and compete. Just so we meet up again when it’s time for my next ride.”

  For a short while Tanya had believed Vic was different than all the rest of the rodeo cowboys. But in the end he was pretty much the same—rodeo came first. Everything else came second. Her eyes were wide-open going into this arrangement, and that was all it was—an arrangement.

  “How long do you need me for?” she asked.

  “Until they find Alex a good foster home.”

  That could be days, weeks or months. Her arms tightened around the little boy. “Okay.”

  “Okay...you’ll travel with us?”

  She nodded. “Where to next?”

  “Bakersfield, California.”

  Tanya was familiar with the Kern County Sheriff Reserve Stampede Days Rodeo. “That’s not a large event.”

  “I’m competing as a favor to a friend.”

  “It’s probably too late for me to enter that one,” she said.

  “I’m headed to Bridgeport, Texas, after Bakersfield.”

  A PRCA-sanctioned rodeo. She’d give Slingshot a rest while Vic competed at the Stampede Days Rodeo, and then she’d ride in Bridgeport. “I have to buy feed before we leave.”

  He removed his wallet and handed her a credit card. “Get whatever you need.” Vic reached for Alex’s hand, but the boy wouldn’t release Tanya’s leg.

  “You want to tag along with me while I buy food for Slingshot?” She offered Alex her hand and when he squeezed her fingers tightly, Tanya knew she’d made the right decision.

  As they walked away from Vic, she decided it was a good thing Alex wouldn’t be around more than a few weeks, because she was already infatuated with his uncle and the last thing she needed was to have her heart broken by a miniature cowboy, too.

  Chapter Six

  “Thank you again for letting me board Slingshot until after the rodeo tomorrow.” Tanya smiled at Glenda Krammer. The woman and her husband, Fred, had become friends with her stepfather after meeting at an Appaloosa horse auction a few years ago.

  “I’ll let you in on a secret,” Glenda said. “Your father informed me that you might drop by.”

  Tanya laughed. Mason had probably phoned every acquaintance across the country warning them to be on the lookout for her. Glenda wasn’t charging her to board Slingshot at their farm north of Bakersfield. Tanya suspected Mason had already paid the bill. At least Vic wouldn’t have to cough up his own cash this time.

  Glenda nodded to Alex swinging on the tire hanging from the tree next to the house. “Mason didn’t mention anything about a little boy and a handsome cowboy traveling with you.”

  “It’s a long story that would only worry my father or mother if they found out.”

  “I won’t say a word.” Glenda pressed a finger against her lips.

  “You promise?” Tanya was dying to talk about the situation with someone.

  Glenda drew an X on her chest. “Cross my heart.”

  “I met Victor at a rodeo. We became...friends.” Friendship was a safer word than lovers—just in case Glenda spilled the beans. “Then Vic got a call and took off for Albuquerque and the next time I ran into him, he was with Alex.”

  “He didn’t tell you he had a son?”

  “Alex is Vic’s nephew. The boy’s grandmother disappeared and his mother is in prison, so Vic has temporary custody of Alex until they can place him in a foster home.”

  “Wow. That sounds like the makings of a movie. The boy doesn’t have a father?”

  “Vic never said what happened to Alex’s father.”

  “How did you end up traveling together?” Glenda’s gaze remained on Alex and she smiled when the boy jumped off the tire swing midair and then raced back to do it all over again.

  “Vic and I made a bargain. We’d travel to his rodeos and I’d watch Alex while he competed, and in return for my help, he’s paying my entry fees when I compete and my travel expenses until Alex returns to Albuquerque.”

  “So you’re a nanny and a barrel racer.”

  Tanya snagged Glenda’s arm. “You can’t tell Mason that I’m almost flat broke. He’ll put up a big stink.”

  “He’s convinced Slingshot is unpredictable and needs to be sold.”

  “The horse has heart. I’m not ready to give up on him. He just needs more time on the circuit.”

  “Mason and your mother are worried about you. They don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “I know.” Tanya sympathized with her parents’ concern. It was common knowledge she’d busted her leg pretty badly in the car accident and the doctors had used plates and screws to repair the damage to her tibia and fibula. But what most people didn’t know was that she’d caught pneumonia while recovering in the hospital and had almost died fighting the infection. After she’d left the hospital, Mason and her mother had hovered over her for months, wanting to rush her to the doctor after every sneeze or cough. Not until Tanya had finished physical therapy and proven she could walk fine and breathe fine did her folks ease up.

  She hadn’t expected them to support her decision to return to the circuit, but barrel racing was such an important part of her life and she wouldn’t be at peace until she gave the sport a proper send-off.

  Glenda waved at the pickup approaching the yard. Fred parked in front of the house and joined them at the corral. “I think I know why Slingshot gets flustered in the arena,” he said.

  “I’m all ears.” Tanya had told the couple about the horse’s struggles.

  “Instead of pressing your thigh against his side when you head into the turn, release the pressure and see what he does.”

  “Give him free rein to take the barrel at whatever speed he wants?” That sounded dangerous.

  “You might be trying too hard to guide him around the barrel. He knows what to do.”

  Mason had taught Tanya the ins and outs of training a barrel-racing horse, and riders used their thighs to control the animal’s momentum. For most horses that worked fine, but Slingshot had a mind of his own. Maybe she was fighting him too hard. “Okay. Let’s give it a try and see what he does.”

  “I’ll put out the barrels. You saddle up Slingshot.” Fred walked off, calling to a ranch hand as he entered the training barn.

  “Will you keep an eye on Alex for me?” Tanya asked Glenda.

  “We’ll come watch.” Glenda went to get Alex.

  Tanya entered the corral and spoke to Slingshot. “Hey, big guy. Guess what? Fred thinks you should be the boss when we race, and we’re going to see if he’s right.”

  Twenty minutes later, the barrels were in place. Tanya and Slingshot waited outside the barn ready to race inside when the signal was given. When Fred appeared in the doorway and waved, Tanya leaned forward, then tapped her boot heels against Slingshot. The horse responded and raced into the barn. She guided him toward the right barrel first using the reins to signal the direction but resisted the urge to squeeze his flanks with her thighs.

  As they approached the turn, Slingshot didn’t check his speed. Then a second later he put on the brakes and Tanya almost flew over his head. Confused, Slingshot stamped his feet.

  “He was waiting for you to signal him to slow down, and when you didn’t, he panicked.” Fred waved her out of the barn. “Give it another try.”

  Tanya and Slingshot returned outside, and when Fred signaled again they raced into the barn. This time Slingshot didn’t stop. He took the barrel at full speed and caught Tanya off balance. After he cleared the barrel she pulled back on the reins and he trotted to a stop.
<
br />   “What happened?” Fred asked.

  “Nothing.” She laughed. “I was about to fall off. You got any advice on how I can keep my seat?”

  “You’re going to have to rely on your stomach muscles to stay in the saddle. And remember when he makes the turn you can use your thighs for balance. It’s just the approach that you don’t want your legs pressing into him.”

  Tanya and Slingshot worked for an hour until she was certain that he understood she wouldn’t slow him down on the approach. “I think this guy needs a rest,” she said, climbing down from the saddle.

  “You’d better call me when you run him next and tell me how he does.” Fred took his reins. “I’ll have one of the hands give him a rubdown.”

  “I’m sure he’d appreciate that.” She patted Slingshot’s neck. “I’m eager to see how he responds in competition now.”

  “You be careful. He’s a powerful horse. If he really lets loose you could get hurt.”

  After Fred and Slingshot left the barn, Tanya joined Glenda and Alex. “What did you think of Slingshot?” She ruffled the boy’s hair. “Do we have a chance of winning?”

  Alex looked up at Tanya, then ducked his head. He was such a cute kid and her heart hurt for him. He must feel so alone. She knew how she’d felt when her father died. At ten years old she’d been a tomboy and had been closer to her father than her mother. She’d lost her best friend when he’d passed away.

  A horn honked and Tanya glanced toward the barn doors. Vic parked his pickup next to Fred’s. “Your uncle is back, Alex.”

  “Are you three eating with us tonight?” Glenda asked.

  Tanya appreciated the invitation, but she needed a break from Glenda’s chatter. She could talk the ear off a donkey. “I think we’re heading into town for dinner.”

  “Okay, then. Have fun.”

  After Glenda left the barn, Tanya took Alex’s hand and met Vic in the driveway. “How do you feel about eating supper in town?”