No Ordinary Cowboy (Mills & Boon American Romance) (Rodeo Rebels - Book 6)

by Marin Thomas

  “I don’t want to talk about the rodeo or my parents.”

  They drove the rest of the way to the ranch house in silence. When Tony parked the truck, he struggled to find the words to change Lucy’s mind about competing in Cowlic. “Lucy.”

  Tell her. For God’s sake just tell her you love her. His throat closed and he couldn’t speak.

  “C’mon, Maddie.” The dog jumped out of the truck. “Good luck in San Diego,” Lucy said, then shut the door in Tony’s face.

  Lucy was making a habit of shutting the door in his face and Tony didn’t like it—not one damned bit.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Tony parked in front of the entrance to the Fiesta Travel Stop. He’d come to tell his mother the good news—he’d been granted a transfer to the San Diego Sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Four days had passed since he and his fellow agents had cracked the human-smuggling ring. The young girls had been reunited with their families and U.S. officials had made arrests in Minnesota and Iowa in connection with a prostitution ring the Mexican gang ran. Tony felt a sense of professional satisfaction that his hunch had paid off and it would be a long time before the Sinaloa Cartel operated along this stretch of Arizona desert again.

  The truck stop was crowded for a Thursday. He paused inside the door and searched for his mother among the waitresses. She waved him toward an empty booth by a front window. Five minutes later, she set two cups of coffee on the table and sat across from him.

  “I know why you’re here.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “The transfer came through.”

  Tony nodded. A transfer to San Diego had been his goal for two years, but he hardly felt a sense of relief at leaving Stagecoach and Yuma behind.

  “What’s the matter, honey? Isn’t moving to California what you’ve wanted for a long time?”

  “I thought it was.” He gulped the brew, the hot liquid searing his throat.

  “Change of heart?” His mother didn’t try to disguise the hope in her voice.

  “You know I want to leave Arizona because of what happened to Michael.”

  “Yes.”

  “But his death wasn’t the only reason I thought I needed to leave.” Before his mother bombarded him with questions and he lost his nerve, Tony said, “I thought it would be best for Lucy.”

  His mother’s eyes rounded.

  “I never told you, but Lucy and I were dating when Michael crashed his truck.”

  “How? When?”

  “We saw each other on weekends. Lucy would leave campus and drive to wherever Michael and I were rodeoing. She didn’t watch us ride. She waited for me in my motel room. After the competition, I’d tell Michael I wasn’t feeling well or was tired and he’d head to the bars alone while I spent the night with Lucy. The next morning she left before Michael and I hit the road.”

  “And Michael never guessed what you two were doing behind his back?”

  “Nope. We managed to keep the affair a secret from both our families.”

  “Why?”

  “C’mon, Mom. You know Cal Durango would never have approved of me dating his daughter. And neither would you.”

  Unable to defend herself, his mother remained silent.

  “But that’s not the only reason we didn’t tell anyone. Michael was winning big-time on the circuit and neither of us wanted to do anything that would create a conflict that might affect his performance.”

  “That was a very unselfish gesture on your parts.”

  “Our generosity didn’t last long. Lucy and I got tired of meeting on the sly. The last time we were together in Prescott, we decided that we’d tell our families during Lucy’s spring break.”

  “Then Michael died.”

  “And Lucy and I drifted apart.”

  “But now you want her back,” his mother said.

  “I know how you feel about me dating Anglo girls and I don’t want to let you down.” His heart clenched at the tears that welled in his mother’s eyes.

  “You could never disappoint me, Tony. You’re my son and no matter what, I love you.”

  “Would you have told me to stop seeing Lucy if you’d known we were dating?”

  “Yes.” Her chin jutted. “And Cal Durango would have told you to keep away from his daughter, too.”

  “No man will ever be good enough for Cal Durango’s daughter. What I need to understand, Mom, is why you have such strong feelings against interracial dating and marriage.”

  “I’m not against mixed marriages.”

  “You’re just against them for me?”

  “I’m not sure how to explain.”

  “Try.”

  “When your father died, I was torn between staying in the United States and returning to my family in Mexico. I chose to stay and become a U.S. citizen because I knew that’s what your father would have wanted for you.” His mother waved at a coworker who entered the truck stop with her husband. “As you grew older, I worried that your Anglo friends and education would change you, and you’d forget your heritage. I had hoped that by marrying a Hispanic girl, you’d stay true to your roots.”

  “I know who I am, Mom. I won’t ever forget where you and Dad came from.”

  “I guess I’m selfish. I want to live in America and enjoy the benefits and freedoms I have in this country, but at the same time, I want to honor our family’s legacy.” The corner of her mouth tilted. “Do you love Lucy?”

  “Yes, I love her.”

  “Then why did you drift apart after Michael died?”

  “I blamed myself for Michael’s death and I didn’t believe Lucy could forgive me for that.”

  “So you tried to start over with Evita?”

  “And I realized I couldn’t marry her, because I hadn’t stopped loving Lucy.”

  “Have you told Lucy how you feel?” When he didn’t answer she asked, “What are you afraid of?”

  “That I don’t deserve to be happy after I abandoned my best friend the night he died.”

  “Honey, you might have left the bar before Michael did that night, but you never abandoned him. In fact, I suspect you were the one to make most of the sacrifices throughout your friendship.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You think I wasn’t aware that you wanted to stop rodeoing well before Michael began winning.”

  “I never told you that.”

  “You didn’t have to. I’m your mother. I know these things. But you didn’t quit, did you?”

  “Every time I brought it up with Michael he talked me out of it.”

  “And then you fell in love with Lucy, and you sacrificed spending more time with her so you could stay on the circuit with Michael.”

  “The night I left the bar, Michael and I argued because I told him I wanted to quit. He trusted me to have his back and he said the only way he’d make it to the NFR was if I was by his side every step of the way.”

  “Would you have continued to rodeo with Michael if he hadn’t died?”

  “Yes. I left the bar pissed off at myself because I couldn’t say no to Michael, and that meant Lucy and I couldn’t make our relationship public until after the NFR—that is, if Lucy didn’t break up with me before then.”

  “You were willing to sacrifice your relationship with Lucy to help your best friend achieve his dream.”

  “But that doesn’t change the fact that I should have stayed with Michael at the bar.”

  “You and Michael were as close as any blood brothers could be. He’d never want you to punish yourself for his death or allow guilt to tarnish the memory of your friendship.”

  “I want to believe that, Mom.”

  “Then allow yourself to believe it, because Michael would be thrilled to know you love his sister. If he we
re alive, he’d encourage you two to be together.”

  “If I can convince Lucy to give me a second chance, could you accept a marriage between us?”

  “Your happiness means more to me than any of my old-fashioned values. If Lucy makes you happy, then yes, I will gladly welcome her into our little family and love her like a daughter.”

  “Good, because I’m planning to ask her to marry me.”

  His mother squirmed in her seat.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing…really.”

  “Mom…?”

  “I told Lucy it was a mistake for you two to be together because her father would only make trouble for you.”

  “When did you talk to her?”

  “The morning after you two slept together in the trailer.”

  No wonder Lucy had acted as if making love had been no big deal. “Do me a favor, Mom.”

  “Anything.”

  “From now on, stay out of my love life.” Tony slid from the booth then kissed his mother’s cheek and hightailed it out of the truck stop.

  * * *

  THE DAY OF THE Cowlic Rodeo dawned bright and hot. Lucy ate her breakfast alone in the kitchen, Maddie lying on the floor beneath the table. Her parents had done an admirable job of avoiding her all week, and she had not exchanged more than a few words with them. Yesterday she’d walked into the kitchen and had caught her mother crying. Their gazes had connected, and Lucy had wanted to hug her mother until the sadness left her eyes, but she’d chickened out and fled the room.

  Lucy hadn’t felt this alone in a long time. Had she made a mistake in coming clean with her parents? The truth should have set her free. Instead, it had sentenced her and her parents to a private hell. Maybe she should have taken the truth about the night Michael died to her grave.

  She finished her oatmeal and banana and walked Maddie around the yard before putting her in the kennel. Gear bag in hand, she headed for the truck she’d leased while her vehicle was in the repair shop. Taking her time, she loaded her things into the backseat, searched her purse for nothing, fussed with the GPS.

  In the end, her stalling hadn’t brought her parents outside to wish her good luck or offer a warning to be careful.

  With a heavy heart, she drove off. Right before the road curved, she glanced in the rearview mirror and her heart leaped in her throat. Her father stood on the porch. With time, would he forgive her? She’d tried hard to make amends for the past and she’d believed for a while that she and her father had been growing closer. Was there still a chance for them?

  Then there was Tony. She had to find the courage to tell him about Michael’s phone call to her. Once she confessed, Tony would leave Stagecoach and her behind with a clear conscience.

  An hour later, Lucy pulled into the parking lot of the outdoor arena in Cowlic. Shannon’s truck sat parked by the livestock trailers and Lucy found a spot nearby. She walked through the arena, searching for the Wrangler booth, which was set up next to the stands.

  Shannon’s eyes widened when she spotted the pink cast peeking out from beneath Lucy’s long-sleeved Western shirt.

  “Turns out I broke my wrist at the Cibola Rodeo,” Lucy said.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Shannon planted her fists on her hips and shook her head. “You can’t ride today.”

  “Why not?” Lucy spread her arms wide. “Cowboys ride with casts, splints and braces all the time.”

  “You’re not a cowboy, Lucy. You’re not even a cowgirl.”

  “Thanks for dissing me.” Lucy cracked a smile, hoping to lighten the mood.

  “I admire your gumption, but—”

  “I have to ride, Shannon. If I don’t, Wrangler won’t match my earnings and I need that money to keep the Pony Express in business.” Lucy hurried away before Shannon registered another protest.

  “You’re riding Cruise Control!”

  Lucy kept walking but lifted her arm to signal that she’d heard. Cruise Control. Crazy name for a bull. She stopped at the pen and a livestock helper pointed out a brindle-striped bull with a gray face. Tail twitching at the flies buzzing around his back end, the animal stared at her from across the pen.

  “You don’t look menacing,” she muttered.

  “Don’t let that bull fool you.” The helper spit tobacco juice on the ground. “Once he works himself into high gear he stays there for the rest of the ride.”

  “So that’s how he got his name,” she said.

  “He’s only been ridden ten times in the past eight years.”

  No worries there. Lucy didn’t plan to ride him—she planned to survive him.

  “You that Lucy Durango who’s raising money for the Pony Express?” the man asked.

  “That’s me.” She offered her hand.

  “Name’s Aaron.” He leaned his head down and whispered, “As soon as you hit the ground, run like hell. Cruise Control’s unpredictable.”

  “Thanks for the warning.” Lucy waited for her adrenaline to spike from fear or excitement. Nothing. She didn’t break out in a sweat and her muscles didn’t turn to jelly. She was going to be in big trouble if she couldn’t muster the strength to get on the bull, much less hold on when the gate opened.

  The sound of a throat clearing caught Lucy’s attention and she glanced over her shoulder. Tony. Her heartbeat, which only moments before had been slow and steady, suddenly pounded like a jackhammer.

  Tony’s dark gaze held hers. “Don’t ride, Lucy. Please.”

  “You don’t have to do this, Tony.”

  “Do what?”

  “Try to stop me because you’re concerned about your job.”

  Turmoil darkened his eyes. “You believe I’m here because of my job?” The steely edge in his voice should have warned Lucy that he wasn’t backing down, but she was oblivious to anything but her own heartache.

  She took her gear bag and returned to the bull chutes, Tony following her. She put on her Kevlar vest then rubbed rosin on her riding glove. “My father won’t interfere with your transfer to San Diego.”

  “I know.” Tony stepped closer and tucked a lock of hair behind Lucy’s ear, his finger lingering long enough to induce a shiver. “You’re the one interfering with my transfer.”

  The adrenaline rush she’d been waiting for hummed through her blood, stealing air from her lungs. “I don’t understand.”

  “I declined the job in San Diego.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m done running from the past and what I want is right here in Stagecoach.” He tilted her chin. “I want you, Lucy. I want what we had before Michael died.”

  Heart crumbling into pieces, she choked on the words as she forced them from her lips. “Take the transfer. You’ll be happier.”

  The warmth drained from his eyes and Lucy hated that she was hurting him, but he needed to know the truth. “There’s something I haven’t told you about the night Michael died.”

  “Lucy, don’t—”

  “You need to hear this, Tony. After you left Michael at the bar, he called me and asked if I’d pick him up.”

  Tony sucked in a quick breath.

  “I told him to call our father for a ride and then I hung up on him.”

  “Why didn’t you go get him?” Tony’s dark eyes reflected disbelief.

  “You can’t understand what it was like growing up in Michael’s shadow.” She wiped the tears that escaped her eyes. “Just once, I wanted my father to see that Michael wasn’t perfect, but I never wanted my brother to die.” Her voice cracked. “And I never meant for my selfish actions to impact your life and leave you feeling guilty. I’m so sorry, Tony.”

  “Have you told your parents?”

  “Yes.” And, as she’d feared, she might have lost their love for goo
d. “I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused you, Tony. I don’t expect your forgiveness, but I hope you’ll be able to move on from Michael’s death, because you truly do deserve to be happy.” She removed the bull rope from the gear bag and handed it to a cowboy manning the chute.

  “You’re in no shape to ride,” Tony said.

  “I have to ride for Michael.”

  Tony paced five steps away then turned and glared. “That’s what you want me and your parents to believe, isn’t it?”

  “Believe what?” she asked.

  “You’re not riding for Michael—you’re riding for you.” Tony tapped his finger against her collarbone. “You’re punishing yourself for not answering Michael’s call for help.”

  Lucy’s eyes widened and Tony hated that he’d upset her, but she had to recognize the danger she was putting herself in.

  “You turned your back on your brother, so you’re punishing yourself until you end up like him—dead.”

  Tony knew the moment Lucy accepted that truth. The blood drained from her face and her mouth trembled with the effort to hold back a cry. He gave her shoulders a solid shake. He had to convince her that the forgiveness she desperately sought wouldn’t be found in her self-destruction. “Bad things happen to good people, Lucy. We all bear some responsibility for Michael’s death, as does Michael himself. Your brother knew better than to try to drive himself home that night, but he chose to get behind the wheel anyway. If we could go back in time, each of us would make different choices.”

  “But we can’t go back, Tony. I’ve ruined everyone’s lives.”

  “You haven’t ruined mine, Lucy.” He drew in a steadying breath. “I love you.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “All this time, I’ve never stopped loving you. I tried, but you’re the only woman I want to share my life with. Have a family with. Grow old with.”

  Tears streamed down Lucy’s cheeks. “You can’t love me after what I did.”

  “Yes, he can, young lady.”

  Tony swiveled and came face-to-face with Cal and Sonja Durango. This wasn’t how he envisioned Lucy’s parents learning about their relationship.

  “Mom…Dad…what are you doing here?”