The Bull Rider's Redemption

by Heidi Hormel

  Pepper Bourne, Will You Marry Me? was written in large tie-dyed letters. Danny heard the crowd stirring, and then Pepper was flying down the stairs and into the dirt arena. Benny reared up, Trigger-style, before planting his feet well away from Pepper. AJ jumped off and went down on one knee. He held out the small box that stirred fear in every cowboy’s heart. Pepper pushed it aside and landed on AJ, kissing his face and hugging him.

  “Guess she said yes. Give them a hand, everyone,” the announcer said. AJ and Pepper stood up, still kissing, until the announcer cleared his throat. AJ boosted Pepper onto Benny and led her and the horse out of the arena. He waved to the crowd and Pepper kept her eyes only on him.

  Lavonda finally said, “Perfect. I knew he could do it.”

  “You planned this?” Danny turned to his sister.

  “Helped. AJ had the idea. Those two are all about the public displays of affection.”

  “Don’t think I’ll do any such thing,” Jones said to Lavonda.

  “We’re already married. You’re safe for now. On our fiftieth anniversary, though, I’ll be expecting something just as sappy.” Lavonda took her Scotsman’s hand and led him off.

  Danny wasn’t surprised that AJ and Pepper would make everything official. It was just that... Wow. He never would have imagined his honky-tonk buddy would go for something like that.

  “It was very sweet. I wonder if anyone got a video. It could go viral, put Angel Crossing on the map.”

  He nodded absently. Why wasn’t he thinking that AJ had gone loco? Not because he’d asked Pepper to marry him, but the way he’d asked. It just wasn’t cowboy.

  Clover stepped up and kissed him. He automatically grabbed her around the waist, not caring who saw him kiss her.

  “So how are you going to top that?” she whispered against his lips.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Clover was supposed to be looking at the blueprints Danny had pinned to the wall—instead she was admiring his jean-clad, cowboy-muscled butt.

  “You’re going to make me blush,” he said without turning around.

  “Why would you be blushing?”

  “Because you’re ogling my butt.”

  “I am not.” It wasn’t like she was really all that embarrassed for admiring the view. She just didn’t want Danny to think he was all of that and a case of Nutella. “There’s no way—” Darn it. Clover hadn’t noticed the dusty mirror that made up a section of the wall in the old warehouse building’s office. “Guess the cowboy who worked here was vain, too.”

  Danny smiled and said, “Pay attention. This is the first work by Dan-Clover.”

  “We are not calling the business that. It sounds too much like ‘Damn Clover.’”

  Danny finally turned around. “If we don’t come up with something, Lavonda will. She’s already suggested Angelic Architects, which won’t work since neither of us is an architect. Or Angel’s Fancy, which sounds like a bordello to me.”

  Clover laughed because he was right and maybe—

  “No. Don’t even think about it. We are not naming our business that. Why can’t it be Leigh Properties?”

  “Because I’m not a Leigh. I like my last name just fine and don’t see any reason to change it.” She saw Danny’s eyes go dark and his face tighten into unhappy lines.

  “I wish you wouldn’t say that.”

  “Forget about the name of the business or what I want my last name to stay. Let’s talk plans.” She walked over to the blueprint that laid out exactly what they wanted to do with the warehouse and the surrounding property. It would still be mixed use, but instead of business and residential, it was going to be old and young. Families and singles. She and Danny had plans for it all. They would make it affordable, a neighborhood within a neighborhood. Angel Crossing wasn’t one of those places where people didn’t know their neighbors, but over time it’d become segregated, mainly by who had how much money. This property would be a place to create a neighborhood that had it all. She was so proud—mainly of Danny. She’d primarily just made sure the numbers added up. He had the vision and creativity. Something she never would have imagined when she’d met the sixteen-year-old bull-riding champion and self-proclaimed (even though he’d been a virgin) ladies’ man.

  “These are going to look good and be functional, aren’t they?”

  “They are. I’m glad Knox finally convinced VCW to keep its investment in the business district and sell back the other properties at cost.”

  “Your daddy is still mad about it.”

  “Maybe.” She shrugged. It hurt that her father had stopped talking to her after she and Knox had convinced the board to abandon his grand scheme. And scheme it had been. Even the board had been a little surprised by the direction her father had wanted to take the company.

  Danny hugged her and kissed her temple. She let him, feeling happy and strong, not incompetent. Maybe that was what love was. “I love you,” she said because you just couldn’t say that often enough.

  “That’s good because I’m not going to be home tonight. Taking AJ out for his bachelor party. We’ve got a wild night all laid out. I want you to remember you said that you love me tomorrow morning.”

  “I’ve heard about the ‘wild’ night.”

  “Karaoke at Jim’s can be very competitive, and Rita and Anita told AJ he can only come if he’s in costume.”

  “They did not say that. You and Jones came up with that.”

  “Maybe. Back to Golden Acres.”

  “That’s not the name of our development.”

  “Angelic Rest.”

  “Absolutely not. That sounds like a pet cemetery.”

  Suddenly Danny looked very serious. Scarily serious. He gently took her face between his hands, keeping his blue gaze locked on hers. “None of this would be happening without you. But that’s not what has me puffed up like a rooster with a flock of happy hens.” She knew her smile wobbled but his gaze didn’t move. “You. Knowing you love me, that you believe in me and what I can do. I’m stunned, amazed every day that you’re here. With me. Danny Leigh, big bad bull rider who never went to college and is content to live in a town small enough to make Mayberry look like a city.”

  “Stop,” she said, putting her hands on his. “Who else would I be with? You’re the man who knows me and doesn’t flinch from the ugly parts—and there are some of those, and I’m not talking about how I’m knock-kneed. I mean that you don’t flinch when I get petty and vain. And you make me not want to be any of those things. You make me want to be my best.” Her smile got wobblier. “Where else would I want to be but in your arms as first lady of the town whose heart is big enough to accept a New York City cowgirl.”

  Danny’s kiss was soft but not tentative. She could feel all of his love in that caress. She never wanted to be anywhere else but in his arms, no matter how clichéd that was.

  * * *

  THIS WOMAN COULD turn him into a puddle of warm pudding with three words and the touch of her lips. He made sure all of his love, laughter and hope was in his gentle kiss. He wanted her to know she was cherished by him not because she slept with him or even because she made her special Texas brand of brownies. It was because of her. All of her curves and all the places she said were flaws. They were spice for him. They gave her shadows, making her highlights even brighter. Dear Lord and his angels, he was sappy. He smiled against her lips. “Glad you can’t read my mind.”

  She moved her mouth to whisper in his ear as her hips moved seductively forward. “Oh, yes, I can.”

  “Ha. I wasn’t thinking about that.”

  “Somebody was.”

  “Always said Durango had a mind of his own.” He buried his face into the curve of her neck where the special, never-found-in-a-bottle scent of Clover always was the strongest. He wrapped her tightly in h
is arms, whispering again and again. “I love you.”

  When he finally finished telling and showing her that he loved her, Danny carefully pulled away, his fast breathing matching hers. “Weren’t we discussing Shady Cactus?”

  “Lavonda said she’d come up with names for us, and,” she added before he could break in, “we’ll listen to her for our project because she’s done this for very successful Fortune 500 companies.”

  “But we don’t need to be on that list and look what she named her own company—Reese Tours. That’s got no pizazz.”

  “Until everyone meets the little donkey she named the business after.”

  “I don’t know what it is with my sisters and small equines. Jessie’s pony Molly is famous around the world because of that video of her at the wedding.”

  “And for that one where she gives kisses to all of the children at Hope’s Ride.” Clover smiled at his cranky comments. His sisters still treated him like he was an annoying little brother.

  “We’ll listen to Lavonda but do what we want. Isn’t that what we’ve been doing since...well, since we met at that Texas rodeo?”

  “I guess,” Danny said. “We’ll discuss the name later. We’ve got to make decisions about this rehab. The architect gets paid by the change, by the way, so let’s keep it simple.”

  “You mean KISS.”

  “What?”

  “Keep it simple, Sinbad.”

  “That’s not how it goes,” he said with a laugh.

  “Could be.”

  “Are you saying the complex should be called Sinbad Acres.”

  “Now, that really doesn’t make sense.”

  “You know what does make sense? You, me and Elvis. Come to Vegas with me and we’ll get married now. Today.”

  “I’m not getting married by Elvis.”

  “Is that the only reason you’re saying no to my proposal?” Clover’s bluebonnet gaze went bright with tears and his chest caved in. “Forget I said anything.”

  “I want to say yes, but...not yet.”

  He pulled her into his arms because she was worth the wait. She was worth any trials she put him through. “I love you, with or without a ring, and until the cows and kittens come home.”

  She grabbed his face and pulled it to her, breathing out “I love you” as she devoured his mouth.

  * * *

  OF COURSE, THERE was a pony with flowers and a lacy pillow walking down the aisle toward Pepper and AJ, with AJ’s daughter, EllaJayne, leading Molly, the high-stepping Shetland pony. None of that mattered because Clover really thought the star of the show was Danny standing at the end of the aisle with a folder of papers, the vows AJ and Pepper had written. The two hadn’t wasted time after the SAC Bull-Riding Extravaganza, which had raised enough to fix up more vacant lots for gardens and start a little nest egg for beautification projects—the council was deciding between new trash cans and old-fashioned streetlights.

  Clover was brought back to the wedding by the laughter rippling through the crowd, seated in folding chairs of all types in the recently dedicated Angel Crossing Parking and Multiuse District. Today was its first time as a wedding venue, but it made sense since this was where AJ and Pepper had first met, when his truck had broken down and his daughter had run away to be found by Pepper. Now whenever the two of them were together, their love was obvious to every single person there, including their daughter—Pepper had adopted the young girl with the inky curls and sparkling mahogany eyes.

  “Molly—” Jessie’s voice drifted over the crowd “—behave or no gummies.” More laughter rippled through those seated.

  EllaJayne said clearly, “Granny Faye told me we having sleepover so Mommy and Daddy can make a sissie for me.”

  Molly nodded her head in agreement. Clover couldn’t read Danny’s face exactly. He looked a little pained—maybe he shouldn’t have worn his fancy boots, the ones he’d gotten for going eight seconds with some bull or another.

  EllaJayne got Molly moving again and Rita and Anita, on cue, started the wedding-march music, which for this couple was “Baby Elephant Walk,” chosen by EllaJayne. Then everyone turned as Pepper started down the aisle in a beautiful gown of blush pink with lace, sequins and pearls. The color made Pepper glow, or maybe that was love, Clover thought, smiling at her own fancy. Her gaze landed again on Danny, who wasn’t looking at the bride but instead had his attention glued to her. Oh, my.

  * * *

  DANNY HAD OFFICIATED at more weddings than he’d ever imagined he would when he agreed to be mayor, but this one had to top all of the others. All of Angel Crossing had turned out, plus a lot of friends from the rodeo and a contingent of family from all over the country. Even his daddy and mama had shown up. Their RV was parked at Lavonda’s. AJ and Pepper had decided that their wedding would be something like a midsummer party. Faye had suggested the date because it was the longest day of the year, and it meant more party fun.

  Danny thought that was about right. He took a sip from his longneck beer encased in a coozy that the couple had given out to everyone, which was embossed with the words Love means never having to say you’re sorry but always saying, “Yes, sweetheart.” :-)

  He looked for Clover, who’d fit into Angel Crossing like a round peg in a pegboard, something his mama had said this morning. Clover had smiled and not pointed out to his mother that she might have that saying a little...or a lot...wrong. There Clover was with the bride, the pony, EllaJayne and the two dogs, as the photographer tried to snap a shot.

  Jessie was there, too, looking hot, annoyed and ready to explode. Danny strolled over and met up with his brothers-in-law, Payson and Jones, and AJ. He knew that Spence—Payson’s brother—and his wife, Olympia, and their children were around somewhere, along with Olympia’s sister Jolene, who planned to open her shop in Danny’s building next month. He already had another tenant lined up because of her. He might need to start an Angel Crossing family tree to keep everything straight.

  “Need some help?” he asked Clover.

  Jessie answered, “I don’t need my baby brother fouling things up.”

  Payson walked over to his wife, took his daughter from her arms and kissed Jessie. Danny wanted to say “Yuck” like a twelve-year-old. That was his sister, man.

  Pepper said, “We’re just trying to get one picture that’s a reenactment of the wedding procession. I want to make sure I have a good one.”

  “Molly says more gummies,” EllaJayne wheedled.

  “You’ve had enough of those,” Pepper said firmly but with no anger. “Can you and she stand just like you did in the aisle?” EllaJayne tugged to get the pony beside her. Molly stamped her little hoof. The pony, who’d been Jessie’s as a little girl, was a diva of epic proportions. Somehow they all gave in to her demands. He watched the little pony, and she stared right back at him. He might have been a bull rider but he knew that look.

  “EllaJayne,” he said as he walked over to Molly, “let me help.” His sister Jessie relaxed a tad. She’d seen the look, too. He couldn’t imagine that the pony would do anything to the little girl, but the adults and even the dogs might not have been so lucky. A braying started from somewhere over Danny’s shoulder and a rumble of laughter and shouts followed. It couldn’t be.

  “Reese.” He heard Jones’s Scottish-accented voice above the crowd.

  Crap. The miniature burro had more personality than Molly. Lavonda had insisted that he’d known he was missing something today.

  The crowd parted and there was Reese, ears pricked forward before he opened his mouth and let out another hoarse bray. Molly tossed her head and whinnied back.

  “Grab the beast,” Jones said, still making his way through the crowd.

  “I’ve got Molly,” Clover said, taking the pony’s rhinestone-studded halter from him, which looked a lot like her hatband
. He grabbed Reese’s black leather halter. Jones and his sister Lavonda stopped at the edge of the circle. And there was his mama and daddy along with Jolene, Lavonda... Hell’s bells. It was everyone.

  “Look, they kissing,” EllaJayne said as the pony and the little burro touched noses. He’d barely noticed that the animal had reached out because after taking in the circle of friends and family, he’d had eyes only for Clover. Her blue gaze had locked on his. He couldn’t hear anything beyond the beat of his own heart.

  He wanted the words to come out of his mouth. He wanted to ask... Not that. Clover had made it clear she wasn’t ready for that. “Ouch.” He looked down and saw Molly’s hoof on his shiny boot. She’d just stepped on him.

  “Molly,” Clover admonished, “that wasn’t nice.”

  The pony lifted her foot and stamped it down again. He heard a number of female voices say the pony’s name, and then Reese wrenched his head forward and bumped into Molly. She grinned at him before lashing out with her teeth, causing Reese to buck, kicking out his back legs, just missing Jones, who swore with proficiency.

  “I told you, Molly...” His sister Jessie’s voice lifted above the others as Danny saw her latch on to the pony’s halter. “One wedding a year.”

  “Reese, my man,” Jones said, pulling the burro toward him. “He doesn’t need any help.”

  What was happening? “If a llama shows up, I’m out of here,” Danny said.

  “My beauties aren’t close,” Faye said.

  “Uh-oh,” Lavonda said. “He’s got that look, and I don’t mean Reese.”

  “Oh, man, you are so...twirly nailed,” AJ amended, looking at his daughter playing with the two dogs who now stared at Danny with some expectation. Maggie May yipped and Butch whined.

  “Everyone stop picking on Danny.” Clover stepped up to him and took his hand. “Let’s go try the Jell-O salad. I haven’t had any of that since Mama’s Nona Nancy made it.”