Cowboy Roped In: Contemporary Western Romance (Wild Creek Cowboys Book 2)

by Mary Leo

  “Is he upset? Do you need my help?” Kevin asked looking dog tired, barely able to keep his eyes open.

  “No. I’m fine. Thanks. Go back to sleep.”

  He nodded. “Good,” he said then fell sideways on the sofa. “Call me if you change your mind.”

  RuthieAnn hustled out of Kevin’s room, closing the door tight behind her. When she arrived at her room, she found her door locked tight. How could she possibly have heard her son with the door closed? At once panic tore through her stomach, as she quickly unlocked the door and raced into her room. She prayed he was all right.

  “I’m coming, baby. I’m right here,” she said, the bitter taste of guilt in her mouth. How could she have possibly fallen asleep? Then she remembered that the rain had started sometime around dawn and the sound of rain always seemed to lull her to sleep.

  She scolded herself as he raced through the small sitting area, past the sofa and went straight to his bedroom.

  As soon as she walked in, she gasped, not knowing quite what to do or say as hot terror surged through her causing her eyes to immediately well up.

  “Hi babe,” Lucky said as he sat next to Jayden on the bed, his legs stretched out on top of the blankets, holding her son’s favorite stuffed animal, a handgun sitting on the pillow next to them. “You left your door open. Not a wise move. Anyone could’ve come in here and hurt our son, or worse, taken him away. Aren’t you glad I found him?”

  A cold shiver ran down her body.

  He looked different. Older. Thinner. Worn. His blond hair was shaved close to his head and his blue eyes, the same exact eyes as Jayden’s, only menacing and evil.

  “Don’t . . . don’t hurt him,” she pleaded, her entire body shaking. She could hardly believe that her greatest fear had come true. Lucky had found them, but how?

  “Now why would I do that? You’re the one who abandoned him last night, not me. He’s my son, and a handsome boy at that. We make good babies together, you and me. Maybe we should have a couple more?” He looked down at Jayden. “What do you think, little man? Would you like a brother or a sister?”

  “Sister,” Jaden repeated. Then he smiled up at RuthieAnn. “Mama,” he said, holding up his arms, trying to crawl across the bed to get to her.

  But Lucky pulled him back.

  “Mama,” Jayden repeated, still trying to crawl to his mom.

  RuthieAnn walked closer to the bed. “Don’t,” Lucky said. “Just stay there.”

  She obeyed, trying her best not to rile him. She knew exactly what might happen if he got pissed.

  “Now don’t you go making a fuss, little man,” he told Jayden. “I drove all the way over here just to see you. I thought I’d find you and your pretty mom in Las Vegas, but you weren’t there. Pity. I had such plans for the three of us.”

  “How did you get out?”

  RuthieAnn knew he had at least one or two more years to serve. She thought she had more time, time to plan, time to disappear.

  “Good behavior. See, I’ve changed. Prison life has changed me. Look how much I love my son.” He tried to give Jayden a hug, but the boy would have none of it. He squirmed and pushed Lucky away.

  “Mama,” he cried. “Mama!”

  “Let me take my son,” RuthieAnn begged.

  “Our son. He’s our son.” Lucky’s brash voice seemed to agitate Jayden and he began repeating “Mama” over and over again.

  RuthieAnn’s breathing quickened as she took another step forward, wanting to get to her boy. Lucky held onto Jayden with one hand, his other hand eased over on top of his gun. “I wouldn’t come any closer if I were you.” His thin lips curled into one of his nasty smirks, a smirk she recognized from all the times he was about to strike her. “No telling what might happen.”

  Once again, RuthieAnn stopped dead in her tracks as fear ripped her insides apart.

  Jayden began to wail, his little arms flailing. He was slipping into full-on meltdown mode and if RuthieAnn didn’t stop it soon, her sweet Jayden would be inconsolable.

  “Please. You don’t understand. Jayden is a special needs child. This kind of treatment scares him and he’ll react violently if you don’t let him go. He might hurt himself or you.”

  Lucky’s smirk faded as his face slackened into a deadly serious expression. His head tilted downward and he gazed up at her. Those baby blues piercing her very soul. “You mean he’s retarded? That’s impossible. No son of mine is a moron.”

  Jayden began thrashing on the bed, hitting his own face in frustration.

  “Shhh, baby boy,” RuthieAnn urged in a soft soothing tone, her face wet with tears, and her throat so tight she could barely take in a breath. “It’s okay, baby. Everything’s going to be okay, Jayden.” Her voiced hitched. She hoped and prayed everything would be okay, but her past experiences with Lucky said otherwise. It took everything she had not to lunge forward and grab her boy, but she knew Lucky’s temper. Had felt his wrath many times and now that he had a weapon, that wrath could turn deadly.

  Lucky stroked Jayden’s hair. “You’re not a retard, are you, little man? I’m your daddy. You have to be normal.”

  “Stop calling him that. Just let him go.”

  But Lucky held on tight, despite Jayden’s thrashing.

  “What’s wrong with him? Why is he acting like this? What did you do to him?”

  But RuthieAnn ignored his questions, and instead focused on the end result she wanted, a discipline she’d learned from all she read about raising a FASD child. She decided to try to use the same tactics on Lucky as Jayden’s screams escalated, and RuthieAnn’s resolve grew more intense.

  “Let him go,” RuthieAnn demanded. “He’s a child. He doesn’t understand any of this.”

  Her entire body began to shake violently. She couldn’t stand to see her boy in so much pain. Fear gripped her insides and turned them to liquid. Not caring about her own safety, she took two more steps closer to Jayden.

  “Get back,” Lucky threatened, sliding his gun closer. “Now, calmly explain to him who I am. He has to understand that I’m his daddy. Explain it to him. Now!”

  “He won’t understand,” RuthieAnn countered, willing herself to stand taller. To confront this bastard the way she should have all those years ago. “Just let him go.”

  A flash of lightning cracked nearby, and loud thunder resonated through the building. Jayden stopped screaming for a moment, holding his breath, his head twitching with each ragged inhale from crying so hard.

  “Let the boy go,” Chase said from behind RuthieAnn. “And if you’re really Lucky, I won’t have to kill you.”

  Fear gripped RuthieAnn as once again she stood between these two men.

  “Well, look who’s here. Chase Cooper, I believe. I knew I should’ve finished you off. That’s a lesson. Never leave anything to fate. I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.”

  “Maybe you should have. Saved us both a lot of grief. But you didn’t. I won’t make the same mistake. This has nothing to do with Jayden or RuthieAnn. This is between you and me.”

  “Mama!” Jayden screamed. “I want Mama!”

  RuthieAnn couldn’t take it anymore. She leapt forward and grabbed her boy, pulling him to her out of the bed. Holding him tight against her body, his legs and arms wrapping around her in a vice grip. Her entire being held him close, as she rocked him and soothed his tears.

  His screams finally eased into whimpers and fractured breaths. “It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you. Shhh. It’s okay.” She swayed and cuddled his head as it rested on her shoulder. His hot tears slipped down the base of her neck as her heart pounded against her ribcage. Her legs felt weak, but she stiffened up. Willing herself to be strong, stronger than she’d ever been in her entire life. Strong for her boy—for herself—for Chase.

  Lucky immediately pointed his weapon directly at Chase’s chest.

  “Is this what you want?” Chase asked. “To finish me off? I don’t have a problem with that. Bring it on. But let’s go out
side, away from the boy. He doesn’t need to see this. At least do that much for your son.”

  “He’s not my son!” Lucky roared. “It’s obvious. I wouldn’t spawn a mutant kid like that. Admit it. You and RuthieAnn were fucking behind my back all along. It was no coincidence that you met her on the road that morning. You two had planned it all along. I was such an idiot. Admit it,” he yelled. “That retard’s not my kid. He’s yours.”

  Chase didn’t answer. He just stood there, breathing through his nose. When the thunder shook the inn again, RuthieAnn took a couple of steps back, holding onto Jayden with arms of steel. Nothing would separate her from her boy.

  Nothing.

  “What do you really want?” Chase asked, his voice laser focused and calm. “You were looking for something in Vegas when you trashed RuthieAnn’s apartment. What was it? Money? Is that why you’re here? For the money?”

  Lucky grinned, tilting his head like a dog trying to understand its trainer. “You found it, didn’t you?”

  “Found what?” Chase asked, his eyes never leaving Lucky’s glare.

  “My money. You found my money. I knew I should’ve hid it better. Knew that hiding it in Clark’s room might not have been the best place for it. But hell, the man never went in there. Slept out on the couch and half of the time, he didn’t come home at all. I want it. All of it. It’s mine. My dad gave it to me and I want it back. NOW!”

  RuthieAnn had known that eight-hundred-thousand dollars in the bank was dirty. She just didn’t know how dirty. “I can get it to you as soon as the bank opens. I have it all. Every dime. Clark saved it.”

  “Where is that lying drunk? I paid him a visit last night, but his house is empty. Did that old fuck finally move out? Is that when he found my money?”

  “My dad died a couple weeks ago,” RuthieAnn told him as she eased closer to the bathroom. She was hoping to put Jayden inside and close the door.

  He sneered. “Good. He was never any good for anything anyway. A waste of a body. That prick ruined my life. Stole my dad’s land, and took my money. I want my fucking money!”

  “Is this what you mean?” Chase said, holding up a bundle of the hundred dollar bills. “I have it right here. But I have to warn you. I called the Sheriff on my way over. He’s on his way right now. So if you want to get out of here in one piece—with your money—you’ll do this nice and easy so nobody has to get hurt.”

  RuthieAnn didn’t know what Chase was thinking. How was he possibly going to fool Lucky with only giving him twenty thousand dollars when he wanted eight hundred thousand?

  “Just give me my fucking twenty grand and I’ll leave,” Lucky said just as lightning cracked and thunder boomed so loud that RuthieAnn sucked in a rush of air making a little sound. Acting on instinct and adrenaline, she spun around in an attempt to protect Jayden from Lucky.

  “Close your eyes, baby,” she whispered to her son. “Close them tight until Mama tells you to open them again.”

  She felt his head nod and she knew he’d listened to her.

  Jayden screamed just as Lucky grabbed the back of RuthieAnn’s hair, pulling her towards him. She went willingly.

  “Keep your eyes shut, Jayden,” she whispered again. “Really tight, baby.”

  She now stood directly in front of Lucky. Her scalp was on fire. He pulled with all his strength as she struggled to keep her balance. But this time . . . this time she was prepared. She’d taken self-defense training at Hope For The Angels, months of it. It had been a requirement, and thank God she’d paid attention.

  In the next instant, she swung her foot forward to get just the right angle, and ratcheting up all the strength she had, with the correct amount of force, she rocked her bent leg backwards and upwards, smacking the heel of her foot right into Lucky’s unprotected scrotum.

  He screamed, swore and let go of her hair, opting to hold his balls instead. Chase grabbed his gun, then hauled off and punched the miserable prick in the face. Blood spewed out of his nose, but the bastard still didn’t go down. Chase shoved the gun into his waistband, then punched Lucky again, using his left fist this time. Lucky’s head snapped back and he fell on the bed, bounced and slid to the floor with one hand on his crotch and the other cupping his bleeding nose and badly bruised jaw.

  “You ruined me, you fucking cunt. You fucking ruined me!”

  It was at that moment when Sheriff Tyler Gentry, followed by Kevin, burst into the room.

  Chase calmly turned to the two men, and asked, “What the hell took you so long?”

  SHERIFF GENTRY TOOK Lucky to the local jail, but he wouldn’t be there long. Apparently, ever since his release, he’d been on a crime spree. The sheriff told Chase that the authorities had him on camera for robbing several convenience stores between Kingman, where he’d been an inmate, and Vegas. Those allegations compounded with possession of an illegal firearm and a whole host of other charges would keep him locked up for a very long time.

  “I think Jayden’s finally asleep,” RuthieAnn said as she walked down the stairs inside the Cooper ranch house. She’d put Jayden down for a nap in the same room they’d been in before. “Poor kid was exhausted.”

  “I bet,” Chase told her, reaching for her hand then guiding her out to the front porch, where they could be alone for a while. The heavy rainstorms had passed, and now all that was left was a gentle steady sprinkling . . . the absolute best time to sit out on the porch with a strong cup of coffee, which Catherine had provided, along with her chocolate chip cookies, a Cooper family favorite. Chase probably would have preferred a beer, but after last night and what had happened that morning, coffee dark and strong seemed more appropriate.

  This was the first time they’d been alone since Lucky broke into her room earlier that morning. Since then, it had been non-stop crap that centered around Lucky Mathis, a truly evil man.

  “And what about you? You should be exhausted as well,” Chase said, as they stood next to the railing, watching the rain hit the already soaked small garden in front of them. His mom had planted squash and pumpkins of all types, and the garden now boasted at least thirty or forty rather large gourds.

  “I’m okay,” she said. “Relieved more than anything else. I’m going to schedule some therapy for Jayden. I don’t want any of what happened today to stick with him.”

  “We could all probably use some therapy. Where did you learn to kick like that?”

  A grin stretched her lovely lips and Chase could think of nothing better than to kiss her. But he knew that would have to wait. “I took a few self-defense classes once I got Lucky out of my life. I decided that I would never allow any man, or woman, abuse me ever again. That second punch you threw was incredible, and with your left fist. I was impressed. Knocked the bastard right off his feet. Where’d you learn how to do that?”

  “You don’t grow up in a house with three brothers without knowing how to throw a punch . . . with both fists. My right arm was out of commission after the first punch.”

  She nodded. “I wish I would’ve listened when Tyler and Pearl tried to tell me about Lucky’s freedom. I guess I was so upset over us finding my mom’s jacket that I couldn’t think straight. What amazes me is that my dad took care of it, had it cleaned and repaired and then stored it. Why?”

  “He was your dad, and he knew that jacket meant a lot to you . . . it meant a lot to me . . . you mean a lot to me.” He turned to face her. “I’m sorry for how I reacted when I saw it. Everything came rushing back to me, all the memories that had been shut out for so long. I just couldn’t think straight. I felt so betrayed. So alone. I was overwhelmed. I’m so sorry.”

  He just hoped she forgave him. He couldn’t take it if she didn’t.

  “No need to apologize. I’m the one who’s sorry, Chase. I should have told you on that first day. I wanted to, but then the timing was never right. I was so wrong.”

  “Did you mean what you said at the end of your message?”

  She turned to him. They were standing
only a whisper apart from each other. “So you listened to it?”

  “Of course I did. Why do you think I showed up at the inn?”

  “I wasn’t sure.”

  “I raced over there, thinking that I never should’ve left you alone. That I’d been a fool to have reacted like that. Sara at the front desk told me what rooms you and Kevin were in and as soon as I approached the second floor, I heard Jayden scream for you. I knew right off something was wrong. Kevin did too. He swung open his room door just as I was passing his room. I told him to stay right there and call nine-one-one. A few moments later, I showed up in your room. The door wasn’t quite closed all the way, so I just pushed it open and walked in. Wish I could’ve been there sooner.”

  “Your timing was perfect. Thank you. Jayden and I both thank you. Seems like you’re always rescuing me.”

  “It’s a mutual affliction we both seem to have for each other. Seems like you’re always rescuing me.”

  “Maybe we should stick together so this kind of shit doesn’t happen again,” she said, her mouth almost touching his.

  “Seems like the right thing to do for all three of us. When I walked into that bedroom and saw that Lucky had a gun, my heart stopped. I wouldn’t have been able to live if anything happened to you or to Jayden. That one thought kept me going. I knew I would never let anything bad happen. Not then and not now.”

  “You already saved us once. I knew you wouldn’t back down this time either. As soon as I saw you, I had the courage I needed to stand strong against Lucky.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Which one?”

  “Did you mean what you said at the end of your voicemail?”

  “You mean that I will always love you?”

  “Yes.”

  She moved in closer, her hips touching his, her legs rubbing on his. “I’ve been in love with you, Chase Cooper, ever since you turned around on your bike that rainy morning to give a scared young girl a ride. I loved you then and I love you now, even more than I ever thought possible.”