The Bull Rider’s Keeper

by Lynn Cahoon

  Barb wished she’d just taken a direct flight to San Francisco. But since she’d had to come up to get another caretaker hired and settled with Mom, she’d jumped at the chance to host a potential new sponsor for the weekend. Martin Dairy had big promotion pockets. Or at least that’s what was rumored. And the company loved to sponsor bull riders. Jesse better not screw this up.

  Going into partnership with James, Jesse’s brother, and becoming Jesse’s manager when James had wanted to get off the road to run Hudson’s Spa with Lizzie, his new wife, had seemed like a no brainer. James, Lizzie, and Jesse had been friends since high school in Shawnee. And Barb had managed cowboys for years. She’d taken newcomers from small town rodeos and gotten them into the finals in Las Vegas in no time. But Jesse already had a champion belt buckle. And acted like it. The man was infuriating, at best.

  Hunter’s pocket started to vibrate and Barb jumped back, hoping the man hadn’t caught her staring.

  Hunter pulled out his Blackberry. Bringing the phone in front of his face before opening his eyes, he squinted at the display. Frowning, he stood. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this.”

  Barb watched the man walk away. Cowboy casual in Wranglers and a cotton button-down shirt, Hunter could have been her wayward bull rider. His dark hair had just the right curl, making Barb’s finger’s itch to play with it. The man would give any of the rodeo guys a run for their money in the body department, even though Barb knew Hunter spent his days in a high rise in Boise, managing the large dairy operation. Martin Dairy didn’t just own one dairy farm in the valley. Rumor had it that old man Martin wanted to wipe out the competition and be the only milk producer around. They’d bought out the cheese factory in the next town a few years ago, and now Martin Dairy brand cheese was on supermarket shelves nationwide.

  Barb sighed. She could imagine the fun Hunter would be if he weren’t a potential sponsor. And if she weren’t Jesse’s manager. She’d just have to put the drool worthy man out of that part of her mind. Just for the weekend. She shook her head. She needed a life outside the rodeo. A man she could come home to and he’d massage her shoulders. Someone she could tell her dumb stories to who’d laugh and understand. Someone who didn’t mind that she traveled every weekend from late April to December. At twenty-six, she felt like the old maid of the group, especially since Lizzie and James tied the knot.

  Yeah, like that was going to happen.

  Her cell phone buzzed. Without glancing at the display, she answered. “Where are you?”

  “In my living room, why, was I supposed to be somewhere else?” Her mother’s voice quivered.

  Barb leaned back in her chair. “No, Mom. I just thought you were someone else. What’s going on?”

  Her mother’s voice dropped. “There’s someone in the house.”

  “Cassie. Her name’s Cassie.” Barb watched Hunter pace the walkway, a smile on his lips. Yep, there was a woman in the man’s life. She wondered what the mystery girlfriend thought of him taking a weekend alone to go to a rodeo?

  “How do you know her name?” Lorraine Carico hissed into the phone. “She just showed up with bags like she was moving in my house.”

  “Mom, she is moving in. She’s a trained nurse’s aide and she’ll help you with the house. You’ve been saying you need someone to help around the house.” Barb sighed. This wasn’t the first time she’d told her mom why Cassie was there. In fact, this wasn’t the first live-in nurse’s aide that Barb had hired to help her mom. But each time, the transition was getting harder and harder.

  “You hired her?” Lorraine’s voice sounded hesitant, uncertain.

  “I hired her yesterday. Remember, she came to the house and we talked to her? She barrel raced as a teenager. She went to high school in McCall.” Barb tried to clue her mother in to the conversation and why Cassie had been such a great match. Why Barb hoped her mother’s stories about how she’d dominated the rodeo queen circuit when she was young wouldn’t bore the young woman to death.

  “Well, if she barrel raced, I bet she’d like to see my trophy room.” Her mom’s voice sounded stronger.

  Barb noticed jean clad legs in front of her. She looked up into the concerned eyes of Hunter. Cocking her head, she covered the phone and asked, “What’s going on?”

  “They just called our boarding group.” Hunter nodded to the gate where people were lining up.

  “Mom, I’ve got to go. The plane is boarding.” Barb sighed. She glanced toward the line. Business had to come first, at least today, but she wanted to rent a car and return to her mom’s house.

  “Plane? Where are you going?” Lorraine’s voice turned into a sob. “Why are you leaving?”

  “I have to go to work.” Barb stood up and grabbed her briefcase with her tablet and the tons of contracts she needed to review for her guys. Barb heard a gentle voice asking her mother to let her talk to Barb.

  Cassie’s cheerful voice came over the phone. “Sorry, I’ll get her calmed down. Have a great flight. Man, I wish I was going to Vegas. I hear it’s a great party.”

  Barb smiled. “I don’t seem to have time for the party piece anymore. Thanks, Cassie.” She clicked off the phone and followed Hunter to the gate. Countryside Homes had a room on reserve for her mom. Switching caretakers was getting harder and harder. Her mom was taking longer to acclimate. Maybe Barb had made a mistake in trying to stretch out the money with just one more at home caretaker. Maybe it had been time. Exhaustion racked her body. She shouldn’t have to be making these decisions, not now. This was supposed to be her time.

  “Everything okay?” Hunter asked, concern lacing his voice.

  Barb squared her shoulders. “You know family. And since I’m an only child, there’s no one to share the wealth with … ” For the second time in less than thirty minutes, Barb pasted on her made-for-television smile. “No worries. Now, do you want the window or aisle seat?”

  Hunter watched her for a few minutes then answered, “Whatever you don’t want. I’m easy.”

  Barb hoped that was true. If Martin Dairy came on board as Jesse’s sponsor and Jesse pulled it together enough to win the championship again this year, she could afford to put her mom in Countryside. Then maybe Barb wouldn’t worry so much about her.

  And maybe pigs would fly. She glanced around the boarding aircraft for a pink pig, waiting to take her flight to Nevada, and giggled.

  • • •

  Hunter snuck a peek at the woman sitting next to him on the plane. He couldn’t believe how beautiful she was. Flame red hair, porcelain skin, and a killer body. When she smiled at him, man, his heart melted. Or would have if he had a heart, he reminded himself. Kati owned that piece of real estate — or at least she did until she went away to college. But that was years away.

  In an odd way, Barb reminded him of his spit-fire niece. Kati and the older woman looked nothing alike, but both had that twinkle in their eyes. The one that showed up just as he realized he was being played.

  No, he was glad the bull rider had missed this flight. Very glad.

  He leaned back in his seat and waited for the plane to take off. Even though he flew regularly now that he had taken over the marketing division for Martin Dairy, he still hated take offs. And landings. The piece in the middle was just fine, especially when the flight attendant started serving drinks.

  The way Barb gripped the seat arms, he figured she wouldn’t say no to a beer. Or two. “You might want to relax that grip, slugger, at least until the pilot starts to taxi to the runway.”

  He watched her look at him in confusion and when he looked down at her hands, her gaze followed his. She released her hands, stretching out her fingers. “I didn’t even notice. You’d think I’d get use to this. But it never happens. I guess I’m just too type A to allow someone else to fly the plane.”

  “Don’t tell me the Renaissance woman is a pilot as well.”

  Barb chuckled. “No, just a control freak.”

  “As soon as they get us up, I’ll order a f
ew beers. We’ll have to drink fast though, Las Vegas isn’t that far.”

  “Believe me, I can chug with the best of them. Occupational hazard when you manage bull riders.” Barb turned away from the window and faced Hunter.

  “I’m curious. Whatever made you decide to get into this business? Seems more suited for … ” Hunter paused, searching for a word.

  “Suited for a man? Or were you going to say a retired bull rider?” Barb set her shoulders, waiting for his answer. “Because if you go all nineteen-fifties on me, I’m going to have to deck you. Mom at home raising kids, dad going to work, you know that’s a dream life, right?”

  “I was going to say someone more stodgy. You know, like those big belly businessmen that hang around the corrals, trying to land the next Lane Frost or Tuff Hedeman. All dressed up in what they think passes as rodeo gear, or maybe did twenty years ago.” Hunter smiled. “Believe me, if you had come to talk to me about my future when I was riding, college would have been out the window.”

  Barb tilted her head. “I didn’t know you rode. Your file doesn’t mention it.”

  Hunter laughed. “You mean the press release version of Hunter Martin, the youngest marketing director in Martin Dairy history? I would have thought a smart girl like you would see through the public relations crap.”

  “Other than the file your company has been distributing, there isn’t much else out there on you. I know where you like to drink your tequila shots but that’s from hanging out in the same dives when I’m home. I know you were voted most likely to succeed and most likely to make a movie by thirty by your senior class.” Barb smiled seductively. “Was that because of your drama credits or your smile?”

  “Mostly because of my reputation as a high school Casanova. There were just too many pretty girls and not enough days in the week. I had to learn to juggle.”

  “Juggle women?” Now both of Barb’s eyebrows rose.

  “Dates. And mix in football games and debate. Believe me, it’s a losing concoction. I had a party at my house one night when the folks were out of town and seven girls who thought we were dating showed. After that fiasco, I kept it down to one girl at a time.” Hunter grinned.

  “Very sporting of you.” Barb shook her head. “Too bad Jesse’s not here. I’m sure he could match you story for story. At least in the dating department. That boy was trouble the day he landed on this earth.”

  “You’ve known him a long time?” Hunter felt a stab of jealousy. Maybe there was more to Barb and Jesse than just manager and client.

  “Jesse was a year younger at Shawnee. I guess I’ve known him forever. I don’t really remember him until Lizzie, she’s my best friend, started dating James freshman year. Everywhere James went his little brother followed. He was a funny kid, I mean funny, ha ha, not funny weird.”

  “So you guys grew up in the same town?” This was sounding worse and worse. The two had history together.

  “Shawnee, Idaho. Population five hundred and one as of today. But Lizzie’s expecting twins so that will bump up the census soon.” Barb smiled. “Shawnee’s famous in local circles for the earliest rodeo of the season. First weekend of May, sun, rain, or snow.”

  “I think I went up for a rodeo with my frat brothers when I was in college. Pretty much a weekend party more than just a rodeo.”

  Barb laughed. “That’s Shawnee. Hell, the whole town gets involved. The churches have yard sales, the school has a quilt show, and the FFA sells water and hot dogs for the parade.”

  “All I remember are the bars. Man, those rodeo chicks can dance.”

  “And now you’re on your way to Vegas. I’m sure you can find a gal or two who will two-step with you,” Barb teased.

  “This trip isn’t about the party. I told Dad I’ll let you do your dog and pony show before I made up my mind about the sponsorship. And the rodeo is part of that show, although I think you’re missing your dog.”

  Barb frowned. “Jesse will be there.”

  When she didn’t elaborate, Hunter glanced down the aisle for the flight attendant. They’d talked all the way through the takeoff and the keeper of the beer was two aisles away. “So now that I’ve stuck my foot in my mouth, do you want a beer?”

  Hunter could see Barb fighting a grin. “That would be lovely.”

  “Maybe dinner when we land?” Hunter gave the order to the flight attendant.

  “This is a working trip for me, you know.” Barb glanced out the window at the still bright sky.

  “Your star bull rider isn’t even in town tonight. And isn’t convincing me to sponsor him your real job this trip?” Hunter knew he was playing the sponsor card, pushing for time with her, but, man, he wanted to keep that smile on her face directed at him.

  “That’s the trouble with you sponsors. You all think it’s all about you.”

  “I don’t think that.”

  Barb took the beer the flight attendant offered. “You don’t?”

  Hunter popped open the can, took a swig, then answered. “Of course not. It’s all about the money.”

  To purchase this ebook and learn more about the author, click here.

  Also look for Lynn Cahoon’s The Bull Rider’s Brother

  In the mood for more Crimson Romance?

  Check out Paradise Point by Dana Volney at CrimsonRomance.com.