Her Rodeo Rancher

by M. K. Stelmack

  CHAPTER NINE

  AS KRISTA EMERGED moments later onto the grass slope overlooking the arena, she spotted Janet, arms crossed, standing alone, eyes fastened like everyone else’s on the drama below.

  Krista joined her, if only because she didn’t want to be alone herself. Janet glanced at her before returning to the rider with two paramedics crouched beside him. Two rodeo attendants hovered close, and there was Will crossing the arena to the group.

  “Last year,” she said quietly, “I stood in this exact same spot when Will was there flat on his back.”

  Already fretting over Will’s present injury, Krista couldn’t conceive of the desperate waiting Janet must’ve endured. “It must’ve been horrible.”

  Janet gave a tight nod. “I saw him go down. I had no idea if it was his head, spine... I couldn’t do a thing. Just watch. And pray.”

  Tomorrow it could be Will down there, again injured. And she would be forced to watch him ride, as his dutiful girlfriend. Her stomach lurched.

  Janet gusted out her breath. “I was so thankful it was only his arm. And collarbone. But his arm was broken in three places and his elbow shattered. A year on and his shoulder’s still out of whack.”

  Krista resisted voicing her own worries. Next to Janet’s lived experience, hers would sound weak, even insincere. “So, the rider. He and Will are buddies?”

  “Good friends. Except when they’re competing.”

  “Really? I have a hard time picturing Will as competitive. He always seems so...laid-back.”

  Will’s mom looked at Krista square-on. “You haven’t seen his determination when he gets something stuck in his head. There’s no shaking him loose.”

  No. More. Will had made up his mind. He’d expect her to...and fast.

  She was saved from having to respond to Janet by the paramedics easing Brock into a sitting position. As one, Krista and Janet released their breath while the crowd broke into encouraging applause. The clapping rose to a roar as Brock rose to his feet and walked with the paramedics, Will close.

  “Good,” Janet said. “I don’t have to call his family.”

  “That’s your job?”

  “The hospital always calls, of course, but we always like to let them know we’re thinking of them and help out if we can. The families are often hours away, some out-of-province, out-of-country once. Only had to do it twelve times in thirty-three years, but the tradition is that the ‘matriarch’ does it,” Janet said, with a twist of her mouth.

  Krista imagined that if she and Will—well, if they took it to the next step and then the steps proceeded to marriage, the job would eventually fall to her. What if—

  “Say, Janet, has there always been a Claverley in a rodeo?”

  “All four generations have had at least one, usually more. If not here, then somewhere in Alberta.”

  “So every generation of Claverley mothers has had to stand here and watch?”

  Janet gazed out over the scene. “Every single generation. Watch and pray.”

  That decided it. If it wasn’t bad enough that she was a poor fit for country life, she did not have the guts to watch her husband, much less her children, get maimed—or worse. And stand by helpless.

  She demanded honesty from Will, but she was telling herself the biggest lie. The simple fact of the matter was that for all he called her brave, she didn’t have what it took to love a strong, determined family man like Will Claverley.

  “Now I’m praying,” Krista blurted out. “That it rains tomorrow so Will doesn’t have to ride with a hurt shoulder.”

  Arms still crossed, Janet’s pretty nails dug into her flesh. “That makes two of us.”

  * * *

  “KRISTA MONTGOMERY. You the one Will told to step away from the edge?”

  Krista looked up from wiping her basin to find a man who seemed to have stepped out of a cowboy poster. Tall, square-jawed, great teeth. Only discrepancy was the sling and cast on his left arm. “I am. And you must be Brock Holloway.”

  “The one and the same.” He held up her card. “Here for the best ten minutes of my day.”

  She’d hoped to sneak a break to answer a string of texts from Will and her sisters. Since eleven thirty, rodeo goers had filed in for their speed spa pedicure. She’d never seen so many naked toes in her life. But hey, this was Will’s friend. “Step right up.”

  While Brock made himself comfortable in the lawn chair, Krista inserted a fresh liner into her basin and poured in warm water.

  “Quite the operation you have here.”

  “Will set it up for me.”

  “He always had a head for details.” Brock reached down to haul off his boots but his bandaged arm made it awkward.

  “Here,” Krista said, “let me.” It was like pulling lids off rusty cans but finally his feet were free, his socks sliding off, too.

  She perched on her stool. “Roll up your pants if you can and drop your little piggies into the water.”

  He did so, Krista assisting with his jeans, and then leaned back. “This is worth the ten bucks right here.”

  She set his foot on her lap and took up her file. “Thought you’d be resting somewhere else today.”

  “Home’s a camper out by the bush over there.” He pointed over his shoulder in the general direction of the temporary parking lot. “I’ll head out in a couple of days but can’t drive while I’m on the sedatives.”

  “You and Will can compare injuries.”

  “No use. He’d win hands down.”

  Brock, Krista realized, was the perfect one to ask for details. Like her, he wasn’t family but...close. “You...you were there when it happened... Will’s fall?”

  “Yep. I’d already ridden and was back with the others watching. He’d come away with a clean ride. The outrider was coming up alongside but the horse threw in a sudden twist and Will went flying and then the horse kicked him.”

  “How bad was it?”

  “As bad as it gets. Torn tendons. Broken collarbone. Will has had I don’t know how many surgeries.”

  “Five.” It was Will. He walked into the gazebo, completely disregarding that she was with a client. “You’re a hard woman to get a hold of. Thought I’d come in person.”

  This was the closest they’d been, since they’d sat together in the gazebo. Last night, Will had texted to say that he planned to go to the hospital with Brock, and she’d been secretly relieved that he’d not wanted her to accompany him. She wasn’t at all sure how to tell Will that she didn’t have the guts to launch a relationship with him.

  “I got your texts and was about to answer when your buddy took off his boots.”

  Will pulled the spare lawn chair from its place against the far railings and dragged it across so it was crowded right close to Brock and Krista.

  “You’re butting in on my time,” Brock said, swapping out one foot for the other at Krista’s direction.

  “I could say the same,” Will said. “Krista’s off duty.”

  “How do you figure that?” Krista said. She didn’t even know there was an end to her day. Not that she needed any more work. She’d rustled up four bookings and two more wanted to chat about autumn bridal parties. One had even inquired about a Christmas party. Her fake girlfriend arrangement had paid off beyond her wildest hopes. It had also complicated her personal life beyond belief.

  “Because you haven’t had a break in five hours. You’re wiped, and we were in the middle of a conversation which your client here interrupted.” He stared pointedly at Brock. “And seeing as how he lives two hours south of Calgary, he won’t become a regular.”

  “Not so fast,” Brock said, lifting both feet onto Krista’s lap, where she patted them dry. “I’d come up regular for this treatment.” His eyes widened as Krista applied her massage. “Very regular,” he said and slumped back, closing his ey
es.

  Will looked ready to send his buddy back to the hospital with further injuries.

  “You ready to ride tonight?” she asked by way of distraction.

  “Hopefully it’ll happen. There was a hailstorm west of town. More are expected. Even chance it’ll get rained out.”

  The best news today. But Krista kept her face absolutely neutral under Will’s fixed gaze. Still, her expression must’ve conveyed enough. “You’d be happy, wouldn’t you?”

  “I’m not going to deny I care more about your health than a charity ride. I get the importance of the charity, but a delay of a few weeks won’t change the long-term outcomes for the kids. It will change yours. There are lots of people behind the kids, but no one for you. Except your mom and me, it seems.”

  Brock cracked open an eye. “Maybe after I’m done here, you could give him a shoulder massage.”

  “My shoulder’s fine,” Will growled and said to Krista, “You done with his hoofs?”

  She wasn’t but for the sake of harmony, she lowered Brock’s feet onto the mat. “All done. Anytime you’re out this way, drop by. I’ll give you my good-guy deal.”

  With excruciating consideration, Brock gentled the sock top over one set of toes. He raised woeful eyes to Krista. “Seeing as how I’m all hurt, would you mind helping me along?”

  “All right, that’s it,” Will said. He snatched up Brock’s boots, stepped to the gazebo entrance and flung them. “Go fetch.”

  Hilarity lit Brock’s face but he wiped his expression into one of indignation when Will turned back. “Hey, you’ve no right to—”

  “Go,” Will said. “You’re not using my girlfriend to pull on your boots.”

  Brock pulled himself to his feet with an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. So much for the Claverley hospitality. Good to meet you, Krista.” He paused. “Hey, Will.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Krista’s right. This—” he pointed to his bandaged arm “—might be my wake-up call. You already got yours. Time to answer it.”

  Krista faced Will as soon as Brock left. “Anybody who cares doesn’t want you on the back of any horse tonight.”

  “So you admit that you do care about me?”

  “Of course. We’re friends.” She reached down to remove the liner from the basin, but Will wrapped his hand around her arm. “Krista, you’re big into honesty. So here it is. I haven’t faked a thing since you nearly took a tumble off the platform. I doubt I even was before then. I want whatever there is between us—and there is something—we’ve both known that for the past ten years, to get real and play itself out, whichever way it goes.”

  Man, he could talk a line. “We can’t do this. You want a serious relationship and I’m not it. I’m not Claverley wife material. Not even close. We’re not built to last.”

  “Whoa. I’m not proposing marriage, Krista. I’m suggesting that we no longer pretend to pretend.”

  A real good line. He was so tempting. Kiss him, that stupid, wild part of her said. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but you’re not being practical. I’m no more compatible than I was when you suggested the fake relationship. In fact, our lack of suitability is what made this fakery perfect, according to you.”

  Will was staring at her lips. She pulled back and he blinked. His eyes went to hers. “We need to find a quiet place and hash this out.”

  “Will, this is a quiet place. I’ve given you my answer.”

  “The answer you think you should give. It’s the same one I gave ten years ago, and here we are in the same place again, so how about we come up with a different solution?”

  “This is the great Claverley fair deal talk in action?”

  “I’ve seen you in action. You got a bit of the Claverley already in you.”

  “My, aren’t we presumptuous.”

  “Look, we both enjoy running a business—”

  “Three months hardly counts.”

  “It does to me. You like my family, and they like you.”

  “You talked to your mom and Keith lately?”

  “They don’t hate you, which is a start.”

  “I beg to differ, but we’ll leave that for now. But remember, there’s my family, too.”

  “I’d be happy to make their acquaintance.”

  “Yeah, well, Jack and Bridget, they already invited you over for our Canada Day barbecue. I said it wasn’t necessary because we were just pretending. Then.”

  “So if you were to invite me, it would mean we weren’t pretending?”

  For better or for worse... “Yes.”

  Will took her hand, glided his thumb along her knuckles. “I’ll make you a deal. How about you and I drop the fake part of our relationship for tonight. If all goes well, we’ll stay together until after the barbecue with your family. That’s what, two weeks from now? We survive that, and we’ll see if we’re good for another two weeks.”

  “Our relationship is on a semi-monthly lease?”

  “At first, then month to month, then...” He shrugged.

  “Then I fall off a horse one too many times and you come to your senses.”

  “Or you don’t and I never do.”

  “Huh.” That was the best response she could manage, her heart was banging around so badly. She should run from him now before she did it later, like she’d run from jobs and guys for years.

  Or she could be braver than she’d ever been before. “I’d say, Will Claverley, that if you can stick your backside to a bucking horse for ten seconds, I didn’t stand a chance.”

  He grinned and kissed her cheek, by her mouth. Her lips twitched, as if he’d missed his mark. This time when his eyes went to her lips, she gave in to what they both wanted and touched her mouth to his.

  “It’s been a pleasure, Krista Montgomery,” he said when their lips finally parted.

  Her teenage hope had come true. Only, how long would it last in the real, grown-up world?

  * * *

  THE CRACKS OF thunder barely registered above the music from the band. Will would check the rain gauge outside the house before going to sleep tonight. Every quarter inch would help the hay, though it wouldn’t help the odds of the ride happening. Already rained out for this evening, it wasn’t likely to happen tomorrow, the last day of the rodeo.

  Krista might get her way yet. She was tucked against his side, his arm around her waist, studying the dance moves of a white-haired couple. Will recognized them. They lived and breathed the rodeos, and probably spent the winters practicing their dance moves. Krista was shuffling through the steps. She’d disappeared after they’d kissed, then reappeared for the dance in a full rodeo getup of skirt and boots but with a flowered shirt and a fake flower in her hair. She looked half Hawaiian, half cowboy. On her, it worked.

  “Do you want to dance?” He nearly yelled in her ear, the throb of the two-step rising up from the floorboards into his boots.

  She shook her head, her curled hair grazing her bare shoulders. His fingers itched to tug a curl and see if it would spring back into place. “Not unless you’re in for major embarrassment. Those two should run a studio.”

  He decided to grow up a bit, and dragged his attention off her hair. “They are pretty serious. They have their own YouTube channel.”

  “Really? Wait. You know them?”

  “Their names. And we’ve spoken. They’re rodeo regulars. You register faces first and then put names to the faces. It’s a circuit for a reason.”

  Krista surveyed the room and said, her breath stroking his ear, “So, how many people do you know here?”

  “I’d say a good third. Not all by name necessarily but enough to say hello to.”

  “In that case,” she said directly to his face, close enough for him to read her lips, “why haven’t you done the rounds with me?”

  Because he didn’t want to sh
are Krista with anybody, not when they’d only become a couple about five hours ago. They were still in this gray zone, where to the outside world they were supposed to be pretending to be a couple but in the private world really were together. The public and private were theoretically the same, but Will still felt not quite right about it all, like a gate latch that hadn’t fully hooked into place.

  Until then—he tightened his arm around Krista’s waist—he wanted to keep her to himself as much as possible. “I thought you’d prefer not to have to go through the motions with people you don’t know.”

  Her lips grazed his ear this time when she spoke and he felt it right down to his boots. She could find a way to tickle his toes without touching them. “Those are exactly the kind of people I want to meet. A stranger today, a client tomorrow.”

  She had a right to push her business, but there ought to be a limit. It was ten at night.

  He was about to suggest she close up shop when she tilted her face up to his. He kissed her, her mouth stilling and then moving against his, moving to form words. “Will, I hadn’t—we—” she broke contact and glanced around. He didn’t care who saw but when she stiffened, he followed her gaze to Keith, watching the dancers, too. One in particular, it turned out. Dana was in the arms of a rider. Will placed him as a middle-of-the-pack entrant, there for whatever money he came into, but mostly for the good times. Keith looked ready to pile-drive him. He wondered if Keith had told Dana about Austin’s first word.

  “Have you talked to Dana?” Krista asked him.

  Will shook his head. “Not about Keith.” He took in Krista’s determined gleam. “I figured I’d mind my own business.”

  “Keith’s not business, he’s family. You talked me into dating you. Can’t you train your powers of persuasion on that bullheaded brother of yours?”

  He shouldn’t get involved, but Keith was screwing up bad. “If I talk to him, will you promise to stay out of it?”