A Cowboy's Claim

by Marin Thomas

  How will you make Alex a priority if he stays with you?

  He wouldn’t. The sad truth was that rodeo would come first—for the next few months.

  “Number seven-thirty-five.”

  Vic handed his claim ticket to the teenager, then carried the tray of food and drinks to the table. Tanya stopped the swing and she and Alex joined him. They ate in silence. Then after a short time Alex pushed aside his half-eaten hot dog.

  “Are you full already?” Tanya asked.

  “We shared nachos and fry bread in the stands at the rodeo,” Vic said. When Alex kept fidgeting, Vic pointed to the playground. “You can play if you want, but don’t wander off.”

  Alex joined a group of kids digging in the tire sandbox. “Doesn’t look like you’re hungry, either.” Vic nodded to the uneaten food in front of her.

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t have to apologize.”

  “If we’d stuck with your itinerary, Slingshot wouldn’t be hurt right now.”

  “He might have pulled up lame in the next rodeo.” The horse had a mind of his own and Vic doubted any amount of training or practice would tame his wild streak. Some animals weren’t meant to be anything but wild and free. “What will you do with Slingshot?” He knew without asking, but he had to hear her say it; otherwise he wouldn’t accept the truth.

  “Take him back to Red Rock. Let him be a boring old ranch horse. Mason won’t mind him taking up space in the barn, if it means I’m back training Appaloosas for him.”

  “You don’t have to stop competing. I’ll buy you another horse.” He had the money in savings.

  “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why are you offering to buy me a horse? Is it because you care about me or because you need my help with Alex?”

  “What if I said both?”

  “Then I’d appreciate your honesty.”

  Vic more than cared about Tanya. He liked her—a lot. He worried about her. Wanted to be with her all the time. His every other thought had something to do with her. He wanted to feel more for her, but he couldn’t go that far—not while he was pursuing a buckle.

  “You might not be the womanizer that Beau is, but you two share one common trait.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Your careers are your number-one priority. Everyone and everything stands behind rodeo.”

  He opened his mouth to object, but she waved him off. “Don’t worry. I’m not upset. You didn’t promise me anything when we started on this journey together and it was naive of me to believe that you might see me as more than a babysitter, especially after we slept together.”

  Vic grasped her wrist. “I do have feelings for you, Tanya.” He held her gaze, wishing he could be a better man for her. A man she deserved. “You’re the first woman who’s made me think about the future and where my life is heading.” Her eyes begged him to say more... “I can’t make any promises because I don’t know how things are going to end this year.”

  “I get that you don’t have time for personal relationships, but is a buckle more important—” her gaze swung to Alex “—than your nephew?”

  “You don’t understand.” He released her wrist.

  “Then make me understand.”

  Tell her the truth. Then she’ll be glad to part ways. “A friend of mine spent twelve years behind bars because of me.”

  Tanya didn’t say a word and Vic swallowed hard before continuing. “When my older sister confessed that a gangbanger had raped her but she was keeping the baby, I wanted the father of my sister’s baby to step up and take responsibility for them. My friend Cruz tried to talk me out of confronting the guy, but when he couldn’t he went with me.”

  The next part of the story wasn’t as easy to tell. “I got into a heated argument with the guy because he didn’t give a crap about Camila or the baby. I turned to leave but stopped when he mocked me for not defending myself against my mother and allowing her to mark my face.”

  Vic had never been so humiliated as he’d been that night when the gangbangers laughed at him. “I pulled a gun from the waistband of my pants. Cruz wrestled it from my grip, but it went off in his hands and the bullet hit the gang leader in the shoulder. Cruz went to prison for attempted manslaughter.”

  “That’s horrible, Vic. But I don’t understand what that has to do with you wanting to win a buckle.”

  “I never intended to rodeo. Cruz was supposed to join the circuit a few weeks after the shooting. Instead he sat in a prison cell. I robbed him of his career, Tanya.”

  “I don’t believe it,” she whispered. “All these years you haven’t been riding for yourself. You’ve been riding for Cruz?”

  “Cruz was destined to be famous in the sport, but I stole his future from him. He wasted his best years sitting behind bars. He deserves that championship buckle.”

  “What happens if you don’t win this year?” Her sympathetic gaze socked him in the gut.

  “Then I start over again next year.”

  “And now you have Alex to worry about.” Tanya nibbled her lower lip, then sucked in a deep breath and looked Vic square in the eye. “If you’re determined to win in Vegas this year, then you can’t have any distractions.”

  “What are you saying?” Was she offering to travel with him and Alex?

  “Alex can stay with me at Red Rock while you finish out the season.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Tanya stood in the shadows of the horse barn at Red Rock and watched Vic say goodbye to Alex. Crouched in front of his nephew, Vic tried to look him in the eye, but Alex stared at the ground. Did Vic have any idea how difficult this goodbye was for the boy? He’d become Alex’s rock—the superhero who’d rescued him.

  Now that Tanya understood the real motivation behind Vic’s obsession with winning a national championship, her heart ached for him and the heavy burden he carried. She’d like to believe Vic had taken her into his confidence because he cared for her—maybe even loved her a little bit. But the confession she yearned for remained locked inside him.

  “What’s going on between you and Victor?” Mason stopped by Tanya’s side. “I saw the way he looked at you earlier. You’re more than friends.”

  “I’m a big girl, Dad. I’ve been married and divorced. I don’t need a lecture.” She didn’t mean to snap at him, but she was miffed at having to leave the circuit with Slingshot.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “No, you’re not.” She shifted her gaze to him and caught his wince. “You’re happy Slingshot pulled up lame and I had to come home.”

  “Wait just a minute—”

  “Maybe you’re not happy that a horse injured itself, but you and Mom are relieved I’m not riding anymore.”

  He exhaled a sharp breath. “Yes, we’re both glad you made it home without injuring your leg. Maybe if you’d explained to us why it was so important that you compete again, we could have been more supportive, but you just packed up the trailer, loaded Slingshot and took off.”

  “It had to be that way because you and Mom would have given me the guilt trip and I would have caved in.”

  “A parent’s job is to make his child feel guilty.”

  For the first time Tanya noticed Mason’s stooped frame. He’d always been a strong, big-boned man with a larger-than-life personality, but today he appeared shorter, slimmer, not as imposing. He looked all of his sixty-four years.

  “I suppose me and your mother have been a little overprotective of you since the accident.”

  “A little?”

  “Try to understand, Tanya. Your mother had already lost the love of her life years earlier. And you weren’t there to see her face when the Nevada State Patrol called the house at 3:00 a.m. to inform her that
you’d been taken to the hospital.” He shoved his fingers into his jean pockets. “Some kids—” he nodded to Alex across the driveway “—go their whole lives without a parent’s love.”

  She hadn’t meant to make Mason feel bad. “I appreciate how much you and Mom care, but it’s always bugged me that my career ended so abruptly. I never got a chance to see just how good I could be.”

  “Did you expect to return to the circuit and be competitive after suffering that kind of injury?”

  “No, but I wanted to go out on a better note.” She didn’t want her last memory of rodeo being the night she’d caught Beau cheating on her. If she hadn’t been sobbing and hysterical, she wouldn’t have been speeding. Swerving at eighty-five miles per hour to avoid hitting the coyote had landed her flipped over in a ditch. Fortunately she’d worn her seat belt. “When I saw Slingshot, I thought he was just like me. Eager for one more go-round.”

  “After his injury heals, are you returning to the circuit?”

  “No.” She’d leave on a win. Besides, it wouldn’t be the same without Slingshot.

  “So what are your plans, then?”

  “What do you mean? I’m staying here and training horses.”

  “What about Victor?” Mason’s eyes swung toward the house. “I’ll never forget the first time your mother looked at me, and it’s the way you’re looking at Victor right now.”

  Was it that obvious she’d fallen hard for the cowboy?

  “I knew when I’d proposed to your mother that your father would always have her heart, but I was willing to settle for second best, because she cared about me. We were friends before lovers. And I’d been lonely for a long time. The idea of a family appealed to me.”

  “Why didn’t you and Mom have a child of your own?”

  “Your mother didn’t want one.” He shrugged. “You and I got along well and we grew closer, so it didn’t bother me that we didn’t have more kids. But it made things more difficult for you.”

  That was the truth.

  “When did my mother fall in love with you?” Tanya asked.

  “It was the night of our fifth anniversary. I took her into town for a steak dinner like I did every anniversary. But that night when we danced, there was a different look in her eyes and I knew.”

  Tanya hugged her stepfather. “My father would approve, Mason. You’re a good man.” And so was Victor. Who would love him and take care of him?

  “Whatever you decide to do about your cowboy out there, your mother and I will stand by you.”

  “You don’t even know the whole story, Mason.”

  “But I know you and you wouldn’t be with Victor if he wasn’t a good man.”

  “Thank you for saying that.” Tanya didn’t want to accept the possibility that Vic and Alex might not be in her future.

  “I put a call in to Ramona,” he said. Ramona Baxter was the local vet. “She’ll be out later to take a look at Slingshot.”

  “Mason.” She snagged his shirtsleeve. “Thank you for letting Alex stay with us.”

  “Are you kidding? Your mother’s excited to have the little guy running around the place.”

  “He’s a good boy who’s been through a lot.”

  “Maybe you can tell us his story later. Right now it looks like Victor is ready to hit the road.”

  Tanya glanced across the driveway.

  “Better give him a proper send-off.” Mason winked and retreated farther into the barn.

  Taking a deep breath, Tanya left the barn and walked over to Vic’s truck. “Alex, I bet Nana Jean has some cookies for you in the kitchen.”

  “Be good for Tanya, Alex. I’ll stop by and visit real soon.”

  Alex still wouldn’t look at Vic, but he flung his arms around Vic’s leg, held on for a few seconds and then raced up to the house.

  Vic shuffled his feet and glanced everywhere but at Tanya. “Alex has plenty of room to play here.”

  “We’ll make sure he doesn’t get near the horses. I promise he’ll be safe with us.” Images of Vic driving from rodeo to rodeo alone, checking into a motel room alone and eating alone, played through her mind, and her throat grew tight.

  He pulled his wallet from the pocket of his jeans. “I’ll leave one of my credit cards with you in case Alex needs anything. Use it for food or clothes.” He held out the card. “Will you get a birthday gift for him from me? It’s on the twenty-seventh.”

  “Can you make it back for his birthday?”

  “I’ve got a ride that weekend.” He offered the credit card again. “Throw him a party. I’ll cover the expenses.”

  “And who’s going to come to his party?”

  “Maybe the ranch hands have kids who’d show up.”

  She pushed the credit card away. “Keep it. I’ll find something special to do on his birthday.” Couldn’t Vic see that she’d do anything for him? But he’d never find peace with himself if he didn’t finish the quest he’d embarked on years ago. And if he never found that sense of peace...if he never put the past to rest...then there could be no future for them. “Don’t forget to call him on his birthday.” She’d text him a reminder when she woke up that morning.

  Vic slid the credit card back into his wallet. “You might need this. It’s the insurance card Renee gave me in case Alex gets hurt or has to see a doctor.”

  She took the card and put it in her pocket. Tanya had spoken to Renee at length after social services approved Alex living at the farm. Tanya had promised to find a therapist for Alex while he was there, and Renee agreed that it was best for Alex to settle down in one place for a while.

  “I’ll check in every day.” His mouth pressed into a firm line, then he reached out and ran his hand down her arm before threading his fingers through hers. “I’m going to miss you both.”

  I’m counting on it. “Be careful and don’t drive if you’re tired.”

  “I’ll be fine.” His gaze settled on her mouth and she held her breath.

  They stood in view of the ranch hands, her mother and Alex sitting on the porch, eating cookies. Mason watching from the shadows of the barn. Kiss me, Vic. Give me something to hold on to when you’re gone.

  He released her hand, touched a fingertip to the brim of his hat, then climbed into his truck.

  Tears burned her eyes as she watched him drive off. The pickup barely stopped at the end of the road before turning onto the highway and speeding south back to Texas.

  * * *

  “WHAT HAPPENED WITH you and my ex-wife?”

  The question startled Vic out of his reverie.

  “Didn’t take Tanya long to figure out you’re just like me, did it?”

  Vic refused to allow Billings to provoke him into a fight. He had to win today or else he’d slip out of the top ten—but then again maybe that was why Beau was yanking his chain. “My relationship with Tanya is none of your business.” He took his gear and walked off, searching for a dark corner to wait for his turn in the chute.

  Fat chance. Billings dogged his heels. “Heard that stupid horse she bought came up lame in Fairlie. I bet she ran back to Red Rock to lick her wounds.”

  Vic put the brakes on and did an about-face. “If you’ve got nothing nice to say about Tanya, keep your mouth shut. If not, I’ll shut it for you.” Vic left Billings standing in the cowboy ready area, his jaw hanging like a door missing a hinge.

  Vic was glad Tanya had kicked Billings to the curb. He was just sorry she’d been hurt by the jackass. Fairlie had been over a month ago and he’d yet to find the time to visit the farm and check on Alex. And he’d missed Alex’s birthday. But Tanya had come through for him and she and her parents had taken Alex to the Denver Zoo and spent the day there. When Vic called to wish him a happy birthday, Alex had been standing in front of the giraffe exhibit. Vic hadn’t e
xpected Alex to say anything on the phone and had been surprised when his nephew had told him he liked the mountain goats because they could climb high on the rocks. Then he’d handed the phone back to Tanya.

  Later that night Tanya had checked in with Vic and they’d chatted about Alex’s day. It had been the first time the boy had visited a zoo, and according to Tanya it was now his most favorite place in the whole world after the horse farm. Vic was grateful Tanya and her folks cared enough to make it a special birthday for Alex, and Vic vowed that when he was finished with rodeo once and for all he’d take Alex to all kinds of places.

  The question was not if Vic was ready to walk away from rodeo, but when. He was tired of zigzagging across the country from one state to the next trying to get in as many rodeos as possible. This morning he’d woken in North Dakota and tonight he was competing in Kansas.

  He stopped to watch a group of cowboys help one of their friends onto a bronc. He didn’t like a crowd around him in the chute. He preferred to go it alone—the path he’d traveled most of his life. But after Tanya and Alex had come into his life, going it alone didn’t feel so comfortable anymore.

  Vic backed away when the cowboy’s name was announced. He closed his eyes and blocked out the noise. The earthy smell of dirt, cowboy sweat and livestock teased his nose. He willed his muscles to relax, and as soon as they did his spine settled into place. The buzzer sounded and he opened his eyes. His competitor had made it to eight and scored an eighty-one. Beatable.

  A bronc named Ring Leader was loaded into the chute. Not until they shut the gate did the animal object to his confinement with a swift kick against the rails. “Good luck with that one.” A cowboy guffawed.

  The more pissed off the bronc, the better it bucked, the better Vic had a chance of earning a higher score. He shoved his hand into his glove and climbed the rails. He made sure the horse knew he was there before he slid onto its back. Ring Leader stood perfectly still, but Vic wasn’t fooled. The horse’s hindquarters bunched, the muscles looking as if someone had tucked soccer balls up under his hide.