Cowgirl Up

by Cheyenne Meadows

  Lacey pursed her lips. “You mean until next year.”

  “No.” Trinity shook her head and met Lacey’s gaze head on. “I mean for good. I’m retiring after these finals.”

  Lacey blinked at Trinity in shock. “Why? You’re at the top of your game. Hell, Legacy is just at his peak. He’s got a few more great years left in him before you have to even start considering finding a replacement mount.”

  “Because I need something new. A new career. A new home. A new life.” Her face fell. “All this was my mother’s dream. I’m fulfilling it.”

  Her heart went out to Trinity. She still struggled with the loss of her mother and a complete change from what she’d experienced before. But, something didn’t quite click. She stared at Trinity and chose her words carefully. “I’ll buy that, but I see more. This is who you are. What you love. Hell, you spend every minute you’re not in the john with your horse. That kind of love can’t be denied.”

  Trinity glanced down at her plate.

  “I know you miss your mom, Trinity. Everyone that knew her does. Don’t be so quick to turn your back on everything you love and those that care.” She smiled wryly and patted Trinity’s arm to garner her attention once more. Once Trinity looked up, she continued. “Life isn’t for the faint of heart, but neither is riding a one ton stallion at full speed around barrels.” She tossed her empty soda can into the trash bag lying nearby. “It’s in your blood and soul, Trin. Don’t give up on what makes you, you.”

  For a long moment Trinity sat quiet before a soft smile appeared. “Pretty profound for a young ‘un.”

  Lacey snorted. Like three years difference made her a baby right out of the cradle. “Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. Besides, Legacy is slowly growing on Candy. You wouldn’t want to ruin such a sweet romance, would you?”

  “We couldn’t have that. A lovesick Legacy would be unbearable.” Trinity rolled her eyes and chuckled.

  Relieved to see the return of spirit to her friend’s face, Lacey joined in the laugher. “Exactly.” Then she sobered. “You going to be okay tonight? I’ll stay with you if you want. I’m sure what happened would have rattled even the strongest person.”

  Trinity released a sigh. “I have Legacy. That’s enough.”

  Lacey nodded, understanding Trinity would and could work through this latest development on her own. Barrel racers couldn’t afford to dodge shadows in fear. They had to throw caution to the wind and live in the moment. All sixteen plus seconds worth. Standing, Lacey stroked Candy’s nose again. She never worried about her horse while at events, not with Trinity staying with Legacy and able to keep an eye out on the other animals at the same time. She’d considered bunking down alongside Trinity more than once, but something told her Trinity preferred the solace of being alone with her horse and her thoughts at night. “Call me if you need anything.”

  “Will do.”

  Lacey walked out, her mind still whirling. By the time she reached the camper she shared with a couple other barrel racers, a plan fell into place.

  A man needed his ass kicked and she was just the woman to do it.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Hold still, damn it.” Cody absorbed the calf’s struggles with his body, tightening his grip on the injured foot. Only to receive a glancing blow to the chin from another of the calf’s hooves. “Shit.”

  A merry chuckle carried to him. Glancing up, he found Lacey, dressed in her typical jeans and a loose T-shirt a few feet away, watching him with a wide grin on her face.

  “What’s your story going to be when you walk out of here with a shiner?”

  He snorted, leaned more of his weight on the animal from his straddle position, a fair impersonation of a calf roper minus the rope, and returned his attention to the oozing cut on the baby’s hock.

  Lacey stepped forward, plopped down beside him, and took control of the calf’s kicking legs by trapping two under her thigh and grasping the final free foot with sure hands. “You’d think as many times as this one has been roped and tied, he’d actually lie still for at least six seconds.” The amount of time a calf had to remain down and tied in the calf-roping event.

  Cody didn’t bother to answer. Her cheerfulness this morning clashed with his raw crankiness, rubbing him the wrong way. Yet, he didn’t dare snap at her, not when she jumped in, invariably saving him from a few bruises, making his job a hell of a lot easier.

  Grabbing his bottle of water, he soaked the wound, then dabbed, trying to see the gash past the dried blood. A couple of wipes later, he had his answer. Not enough for stitches, but definitely in need of care. Cattle were tough creatures, but at this level, every animal procured top dollar. While a typical rancher might let this wound go, on the rodeo circuit, even the smallest injuries were treated as paramount.

  “Heard you had a stick up your ass last night.”

  “By who?” He already knew the answer. It didn’t take rocket science to realize Lacey and Trinity were best friends so, of course, they’d share. Besides, he didn’t speak to anyone else last night, preferring to keep to himself lest he haul off and punch a cocky, demanding bastard who unluckily crossed his path.

  She didn’t answer his question and since he had his back to her at the moment, he couldn’t read her expressions. Didn’t matter anyway. Whatever she came to say, she’d blurt out, then go about her way, leaving him in relative peace once more. Hopefully.

  “What I can’t figure out is why. I mean, you and she are friends. Hell, I’ve watched your face when she’s around. You light up like a damn Christmas tree.”

  He snorted. Nice to know he was so transparent.

  “Then last night you get rude and crude just out of the blue.” She sighed. “Not what Trinity needed after the shitty day she had.”

  I’m not going to ask. No matter what. None of my fucking business. Instead, he found the antibiotic ointment in his bag, slathered it over the wound, then reached for the medical tape, only to find it slapped in his hand.

  He swiveled enough to spare Lacey a glance, then commenced wrapping. By the time he finished, his curiosity nearly exploded.

  “Let him up.” He waited for Lacey to move before standing up and letting the calf scramble to his feet, then trot off to join the rest of his friends. Cody watched him go, observed no signs of limping, but still made a mental note to have the contractor scratch the calf from tonight’s docket.

  Chore done, he repacked his bag, then stood, finally focusing on the petite brunette presently staring at him like he’d just stolen her favorite pair of boots.

  “Don’t you care?” Her pitch increased a hair in frustration.

  “About what?” He started toward the gate only to have her cut him off at the pass and refuse to budge.

  “About Trinity.”

  “She’s a big girl. Whatever she chooses to do is her business.” He forced the words out in a civil tone, the exact opposite of what he felt at the moment.

  “Men are such pigs, I swear,” she muttered, then planted her hands on her hips. “Women are only a quick fuck to them. That’s all they think about.”

  He didn’t even blink at her bluntness, but maintained his bored tone while ignoring the building annoyance in the form of Lacey citing Trinity’s hardships like the girl had been an innocent bystander. “Like I said, none of my business.”

  She scoffed. “Yeah, well, you’d think a man such as Gary would take ‘no’ for an answer. Guess some men think with their dick instead of their head. A caveman trait, I’m sure.” She tossed her hair and spun to leave. “Thinking he can walk around, pin a girl up against the stalls, and steal a kiss. What’s this world coming to?”

  Her words sank in and set loose a protective wave so intense, he grappled to keep from shaking the rest of the story out of Lacey, then running off and beating the shit out of Gary.

  He latched onto Lacey’s arm, his grip light, but deterring. “What are you talking about?” His whispered words sounded lethal to his own ears. />
  Lacey faced him and sighed. “Yesterday afternoon Gary stopped by the barns again. Just like he’s been doing nearly every event. Normally he tosses out lines or even lewd suggestions, all which Trinity turns down politely but firmly. He must have decided to step up the game because when she refused this time, he shoved her against the stalls, pinned her, and kissed her despite her protests.”

  Rage sparked. Cody pressed the useless emotion down, an ability he learned quickly in the Navy. No SEAL could perform his job unless he had a cool head. Running hot made for impulsive decisions that got a guy killed.

  “Did he hurt her?”

  She shook her head. “No. She shoved him away and managed to nearly knee his balls into his abdominal cavity. But, he shook her up. Then, she lost her stirrup during the race, and faced your nasty temper.” Her dark eyes peered up at him in worry. “I’ve never seen her so rattled before. She rarely shares her problems, but the fact that she did told me how upset she really was.”

  Instead of confronting Trinity, he assumed the worst, and she took the brunt of his wrath.

  Someone needs to kick my stupid ass.

  “How is she this morning?” He opened the pen gate and ushered Lacey out ahead of him.

  “Haven’t spoken to her. She took Legacy out to the paddock really early this morning, then to the bathing area. I fed Candy, then decided to go tell someone off.” She smiled confidently.

  “And you found me.”

  “Yep.”

  He gave her a quick grin. “Thanks.”

  “All in a day’s work.” She started back toward the exit.

  Her words replayed through his mind. “Lacey?”

  She paused and twisted around. “Yeah?”

  “Leave Gary to me.”

  “Will do, kemo sabe.” With a quick salute, she turned and sauntered out into the morning light.

  Despite the information she dumped in his lap, Cody’s optimism returned full force. His mood elevated too. Instead of fretting about the treachery of women, he focused his thoughts on two things—making everything up to Trinity and ensuring Gary opted to take a hint.

  He’d learned interrogation galore in the SEALs. Now, he could twist the same skill set in his favor. Intimidation worked both ways and he doubted Gary would care to take him on. If he did, then all the better. The need to pummel something hadn’t completely abated with Lacey’s disclosure, but, it had narrowed down to the individual recipient.

  Just as he made up his mind to track Gary down and remind the bastard about proper manners, his cell phone rang. He blew out a breath and answered, “Yeah?”

  “Cody. I need your opinion on this bull. We’re in the holding pens outside the arena, west end.”

  “On my way.” Cody punched the phone, then tucked it back into the holder on his jeans. Lucas, the head vet, knew more than Cody and half the other vets put together. If he asked for another opinion, something must be up.

  Long strides carried him to the location where he found not only Lucas, but one other vet, and another guy, presumably the handler, standing just outside the pen where a bull lay in the corner. Not unusual for an animal to rest or nap, something about this big guy seemed off.

  “What’s up?”

  “He won’t drink,” the shorter dark-haired man answered. “I’ve tried everything, even adding in soda to help mask the taste. He still won’t drink.”

  “What about eating?” Lucas asked.

  The man shook his head. “Not since yesterday. All he does is lay here.”

  Cody stepped forward and ran his hand over the bull’s side. He pinched and noted how the skin returned slowly. Too slowly. “He’s definitely dehydrated.”

  “Yeah. That’s what I thought too. Thomas is bringing some IV supplies. Maybe if we can get him hydrated, he’ll feel better.”

  “Anyone checked his mouth? Ran a scope down him?”

  Lucas shook his head. “No on the scope. We’d have to take him to one of the animal hospitals for that. I did take a peek inside his mouth. Nothing wrong there that I could detect.”

  For a long time, Cody stared down at the brindle colored bull. “Temperature okay?”

  “One-hundred-one on the dot.”

  The normal temperature both perplexed and reassured Cody. He pursed his lips.

  Thomas arrived with the IV kit. The fact that the bull just laid there the entire time without the smallest fuss concerned Cody. As a rule, even the gentlest bulls turned cranky when cornered and poked with needles.

  He eyed the feed and water bucket sitting nearby. “Did you use a different cleaner on the buckets? Change the feed at all?”

  The handler just shook his head. “Same as always.”

  “My gut tells me we’re missing something simple,” Cody announced to the small group. “He doesn’t appear sick, per se, just dry.”

  “That was my thought too.” Lucas ran a hand over his face. “That’s why I wanted other opinions. I can’t put my finger on it.”

  Cody glanced around, finding the hose used to water the stock. If there was a problem with the water, the other animals would be in similar conditions. But, other nearby bulls stood up, swished their tails at flies, and bellowed like normal. Nothing indicated this was more than an isolated incident.

  One of the bull riders strolled by. He opened the cap on his bottled water, took a long drink, then replaced the top and continued on his way.

  A light bulb went off in Cody’s head. “Bottled water.”

  Lucas’ eyebrows furrowed. “What about it?”

  “The bull wouldn’t drink the city water, even with the addition of soda to help mask the taste. So, let’s try water without all the additives.” Cody tapped his chin. “Didn’t I hear one of the bull riders has part ownership in a bottled water company or some such?”

  “Justin Daniels,” Lucas answered immediately. “His company has a booth set up in the sales section next door.

  “Do we have a phone number for him?”

  Thomas dug out his phone. “I do. Give me a second.” He scrolled through his phone, then rattled off numbers.

  Cody punched them in and waited.

  “Hello?”

  “Justin Daniels?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Cody Winters. I’m one of the vets at the finals. I have a down bull and need your help.”

  He could almost see the confusion on the man’s face. “What do you need?”

  “Some of your bottled water. A lot of it, in fact.”

  “You got it. When and where?”

  “Right now, in the west pens.”

  “I’m actually at the table right now. I’ll grab some and head your way.”

  “Thanks.”

  Cody closed the call and looked at the other men. “He’s on his way.”

  Sure enough, several minutes later, a couple of young, lean men carrying large jugs of water rounded the corner and made a beeline for them. They set their load down just on the other side of the barrier.

  “Thanks for coming so soon.” Cody reached out to shake their hands. “I’m Cody.”

  “Justin.”

  “Taylor.”

  Justin studied the bull. “What’s wrong with Dillon?”

  “Thomas, hold that bucket for a second while I pour.” When the container was nearly full, Cody set aside the water, climbed in the pen, and moved it under the animal’s nose.

  “He’s dehydrated. I’m hoping it’s just because he’s one picky bastard and doesn’t enjoy the taste of chlorine.” He tilted the bucket a bit further. “Come on. At least give it a try.”

  As if understanding, the bull sniffed the liquid, then took a sip. He paused only a second before drinking heartily. When he emptied the bucket, Cody asked for a refill. And another. And another. All in all, Dillon drank nearly all the water the two men brought with them.

  The handler smiled and shook his head. “You’d think he’d be thirsty enough to drink anything.”

  “Most will. But you know how
spoiled these guys get.” Lucas tapped his chin. “I’d mention this to Livingston so he can make sure to send plenty of water from home for the next rodeo.”

  The man nodded. “I’m calling him right now. He’ll be thrilled to know his bull is perking up.”

  Cody sat the full bucket in the corner, removed the IV and equipment, and handed them to Lucas. Then he climbed out of the pen. “I think that might do it.”

  Lucas slapped him on the back. “Good thinking.”

  Cody turned to Justin. “What do I owe you for the water?”

  “Nothing. Just glad to be of service.”

  “He’ll need that for the length of his stay here. That could add up to some change.” Cody hated for Justin to lose money for being a good guy.

  Justin waved his hand. “Tax write off. Besides, I see a great advertising opportunity in the making.” His brown eyes flashed with excitement. “Excuse me. I need to have a word with that handler and his boss.”

  Cody smiled, glad for the young entrepreneur and thankful for his timely intervention.

  “Where did you come up with that idea?” Lucas asked.

  “My father had a bull that did the same thing when I was a kid. He tried all the tricks and failed. Afterward, he just knew he had to pack barrels of home well water for the animal.”

  “Since we didn’t have a well close by, you figured bottled water would be the next best thing,” Thomas finished for him.

  “Yep.”

  Lucas chuckled. “I knew there was a reason I hired you for this event.”

  Cody’s phone rang again. He groaned. “Yeah. Yeah. To be the first line vet for all of the chaos around this place.”

  “Exactly.” Lucas grinned evilly.

  Cody answered the phone and headed for one of the barns.

  He couldn’t catch a break for anything. Not even enough time to watch a seventeen-second barrel-racing run, much to his chagrin.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Trin? Oh, Trin?”

  The sound of her voice being called jolted her from her light doze. She’d bedded down not too long ago, hoping to catch some much needed shuteye. The long, drawn-out event had sapped most of her strength thus far and she had several more rounds to go.