The Divine Creek Ranch Collection, Volume 1 [Book 1 - Divine Grace, Book 2 - Her Gentle Giant, Book 3 - Heavenly Angel] (Siren Everlasting Collection)

by Heather Rainier

  One of the wives told her there was a prime location in the arena from which family members and other VIPs could watch the action at a closer vantage point than the other spectators, the best seats in the house. That must be where Angel and the others waited for the rodeo to begin now. Numerous buckle bunnies hung out on the periphery of the behind-the-scenes area. Several of them made eye contact with her, challenge gleaming in their eyes.

  Fiona Wills, one of the wives, said, “Don’t let them bother you, honey. Joaquin was prime-cut tenderloin to those gals for years. They’re trying to piss you off and make you defensive. You just hold tight to his hand and ignore them. It’s obvious he’s only got eyes for you by the way he looks at you. It’s good to see him like this.”

  Joaquin was deep in a conversation with Fiona’s husband and did not appear to be following the ladies’ conversation.

  Curious, Teresa asked, “Like what?”

  “Showing his feelings. His eyes are sort of tender when he looks at you. He’s always been a happy-go-lucky ladies’ man having a good time. But there was never anything in his eyes, no feeling, no real enjoyment, just gratification. I can see in his eyes that he’s happy.”

  “Thanks, Fiona. I appreciate that.” Glancing at a group of young women that walked by, she frowned.

  Fiona curled her lips at them as the girls passed her. “Don’t let them see that they get to you. And don’t trust a thing any of them say to you. They’ll wait until you’re alone and act like they’re trying to befriend you, but they work together at ‘divide and conquer.’ Stick with your man or one of us, and you’ll do fine. So how is Angel doing? I haven’t seen him in a couple of years.”

  A happy smile came to her face as Joaquin turned and looked back at her and grinned. She looked at him, unsure how to answer. He said, “It’s okay, sugar. Fiona knows Mom and the dads, known us all our lives. You can talk freely with her, though probably not around any others,” he said, glancing around.

  Teresa released his hand for a moment and held it paired with her other hand with the tops facing out, showing Fiona the pair of wedding bands. Fiona’s eyes went a little bulgy.

  “Well, honey! You hit the jackpot, now didn’t you? I hope they are taking good care of you?”

  “Oh, absolutely, Fiona,” Teresa said dreamily, making the older woman giggle.

  “Uh-oh. I think you’re about to be claimed,” Fiona said, chuckling as Teresa was startled by a large hand sliding around her waist. A hard male body pressed against her backside, and she felt caressing lips at her temple. She couldn’t stifle the feeling of euphoria that came over her at Angel’s touch. Joaquin smiled and nodded when he saw him. He must have called Angel while she was talking with Fiona to walk her back to the stands.

  “Those are good men you have, honey, watching over you like this,” Fiona said. Then she turned to Angel, and he gave her a friendly hug. “It’s so good to see you, Angel. I see you learned well from your daddies.” They made small talk about the families and life in general for a few minutes.

  “Well, sugar, it’s about to start in a few minutes. If you want to be able to see, you’d better go with Angel and Fiona. I’ll see you afterward. Pray for me,” he said in a whisper as he gathered her in his arms and kissed her fiercely. She felt a little dazed when he released her.

  “I promise I will, honey. Do good. Be safe.”

  “I’ll make you proud. Thanks, Angel,” he added, bumping fists with his brother before Angel drew Teresa away, with Fiona walking along beside them.

  Teresa looked back at Joaquin as she twined her fingers with Angel’s. She felt her face blush slightly when she caught him ogling her ass as she walked away. He gave her a lopsided grin and waved before turning to put on his gloves and approach the area where the rest of the cowboys were congregating.

  “He feels pretty guilty for putting you in an uncomfortable situation. You okay?” Angel asked. Teresa noted the calculating looks of several young women hanging around the area as they observed her close proximity to Angel, his fingers intertwined with hers. She wasn’t about to pull away from him for anybody else’s benefit.

  Quietly, she asked, “How can they be happy doing this? Following the rodeos, looking for one-night stands.”

  “The chance to say they’ve been with someone who could be famous. Bragging rights. They come into these towns like tourists, spending their daddies’ money. They have anonymity except amongst us. Maybe they enjoy the ‘freedom.’ Some of them just like the lifestyle and men in chaps.”

  Teresa’s lips twitched. “Well, there’s definitely something to be said for the chaps.”

  “I’ll remember you said that, beautiful,” he whispered in her ear. Teresa felt herself grow wet and throb a little at what he intimated. She bit her lip and glanced at him, her cheeks tingling with warmth. Angel’s eyes were locked on her, a knowing smile on his face. “Hmmm, interesting.”

  Thankfully, Fiona spoke up, “Joaquin drew a challenging bull.”

  “Which one?” Angel asked her as they walked along together, weaving through the crowd.

  Fiona replied, “Joe Peterson’s CC.”

  Angel nodded his head positively. “Good one. Joaquin has a chance at a good score with him if he stays on.”

  “What does CC stand for?” Teresa asked, not sure she wanted to know.

  “Crazy and cantankerous,” Angel replied. He evidently noted the worry in her eyes when the name registered. “Don’t worry. It’s a good, hard-bucking bull. I’ll bet he does well tonight.”

  “He was in the running for ‘Texas Bucking Bull of the Year’ last year, in the top ten,” Fiona said. “Joaquin seemed real pleased with his pick.”

  Angel explained to Teresa that the bulls were scored on how hard a time they gave the rider and on their overall agility, kicks, and drops. At the end of the season, the best bulls would be brought to the rodeo finals.

  Part of her felt excited to watch him ride this challenging bull, and part of her was terrified. Teresa hoped she didn’t make a fool of herself in the stands. She didn’t want to embarrass her men.

  Fiona joined her kids and her brother-in-law in the stands, and Angel led her to where Grace and Michael were sitting. Rachel and Eli had also joined them. After exchanging hugs, Teresa sat down next to Angel, and he reached for her hand, slipping his other arm over the backrest of her seat. She looked at him and smiled tremulously then leaned into his shoulder.

  “He’ll be fine, beautiful.”

  She smiled up at him and squeezed his hand. A few minutes later, right after Jack joined them in the stands, the rodeo began with the grand entry of all the riders and mounted competitors. Michael was enthralled by the horses and riders making their galloping entry into the arena, carrying all the flags.

  He looked at Angel with big, trusting brown eyes and asked, “Daddy, am I gonna do that someday?”

  “Yep, you are son. If you want to, we’ll let you.”

  “Cool!” Michael said, clapping his hands with the spectators as everyone stood for the national anthem. Her heart pounded with gratitude for Angel and Joaquin taking the time with him that they did. Michael would grow into an amazing man with them guiding him.

  As announcements were made, people streamed into the arena, parading back and forth on the wide aisle at the foot of the stands.

  A beautiful blonde strutted down the aisle. Her hair was styled, nails done, and makeup perfect. She was gorgeous and just a little voluptuous, but she was clad in a strapless sundress that was smocked at the bust, tube-top style, and only reached mid-thigh, with fancy cowgirl boots on.

  Sympathetically, Teresa whispered, “I’ll bet she’s cold. It’s too chilly to be dressed like that,”

  Grace chuckled and said, “I think she’s probably planning on having a cowboy keep her warm.”

  The rodeo queen, junior miss rodeo queen, and little rodeo princess were all introduced then the timed events began. The women’s barrel racing was exciting to watch. Teresa wo
ndered if one of the young women racing was the one who’d had Joaquin tied to her bed Christmas Eve morning. Surprisingly, she didn’t harbor ill feelings for that particular woman. Joaquin had access to that kind of carefree nightlife and lifestyle but had fallen in love with Teresa on sight. She was confident in where she stood with Joaquin.

  Steer wrestling and team-roping competitions were next then mutton busting. Angel walked Michael down lower into the stands for the mutton busting, so he could watch close up. Each child was secured on their sheep then they held on for dear life as the animal tried to buck them off. The top two little riders were awarded the right to claim a small cash prize or to keep the sheep they successfully rode, plus the obligatory winning ribbons.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, that’s some redneck child abuse for you, right there. You can’t spank your kid in Wal-Mart, but you can tie ‘em to the back of a half-wild sheep and let ‘em run. Give ‘em a round of applause, folks!”

  The crowd cheered for all the little ones as they lined up for a quick photograph for the Divine Courier newspaper.

  “I’m gonna be a mutton-buster boy!” Michael crowed when they returned to their seats.

  Angel grinned and said, “You’re eligible after you turn four.”

  Teresa laughed gaily when Michael did a triumphant fist pump and climbed into Angel’s lap.

  Soon the rough-stock competitions began, with bareback bronc riding, followed by saddle bronc riding. The top riders would ride one more time on the third night in the “short go” round. The cowboys with the highest total scores would claim the cash purses offered for those competitions.

  Teresa watched, riveted, as the first bucking horse was loaded into the chute and a cowboy climbed in and mounted the animal. The side door was pulled open, and the horse erupted from the chute, leaping in the air and bowing in two, all four feet off the ground.

  Their seating was close enough to the bucking chutes that the sounds the animals made and the vibrations from their hooves could clearly be heard and felt. Six and a half seconds into his first ride, the cowboy was bucked off but landed on his feet. One of the pickup riders shooed the bronc back to the exit with little difficulty. Because he’d not stayed on for the requisite eight seconds, the rider received no score, which Teresa soon realized was not uncommon.

  Most often, it seemed the rough stock won this competition between man and animal. Teresa recognized Ash as he climbed onto the pipe fencing around the bucking chute then moments later the announcer called his name. Waving when the crowd cheered for him, he mounted the horse. His movements as he readied himself were swift, tight, and confident. Teresa briefly glimpsed Joaquin on the pipe fencing before Ash gave a sharp nod, and the gate swung open.

  The horse and its rider lurched from the bucking chute. The horse sounded infuriated as it leapt in the air, landed as though spring-loaded, and all four feet went flying, twisting and trying to buck Ash off. The cowboy moved with fluid agility, finding a rhythm with the wildly bucking, twisting, turning animal. Ash’s free arm flew through the air, staying well away from the animal and himself just as the regulations stipulated. The motions of the pair were by turns abrupt and violent but also smooth and graceful.

  Ash lasted the full eight seconds, released the surcingle, and leapt to the back of Ethan’s horse as the other pickup rider herded the still-bucking horse to the exit. At the last second, the horse turned from the exit and streaked across the arena, still bucking to the cheers of the crowd, which seemed to egg it on. The pickup rider finally roped the uncooperative horse and led him toward the exit.

  The announcer picked that moment to chime in. “That brings back memories of me trying to get my wife outta Wal-Mart.”

  Even to Teresa’s untrained eye, his performance had been a good one. He moved on the horse as though he were comfortable, if that were possible, finding a rhythmic counterpoint to the violent attempts by the animal to unseat him.

  Angel was appreciative when they announced Ash’s score of 86.5. The next rider was not so fortunate. He was unable to achieve a good bucking rhythm with his horse and got his bell rung when he rocked forward as his horse bucked back, popping him in the forehead and knocking him semi-conscious. Ethan and his horse leapt between the wildly bucking animal and the rider, giving the rodeo clowns a chance to assist him out of the arena so he would not be trampled by the animal. By the end of the first night of bronc riding, Ash had earned a place in the top five.

  The bull riding was the finale of the evening, prior to the concert afterward. Joaquin was the last to ride, so Teresa was certain she would have a chance to acclimate herself to the sight and sounds of the bulls as their riders attempted to cheat them out of eight seconds astride their bucking backs. It was no easy feat, and the first rider was thrown almost immediately.

  She’d grown accustomed to watching the horses as they came from the chutes but was assailed by the difference as the second bull, which the announcer said was a 1,800-pound veteran of the rodeo circuit, pounded from the shoot. The ground thundered under him, and the crowd went wild as the rider, a well-known cowboy from Colorado, did his best to spur him on, establishing that same graceful fluidity, riding counterpoint to the bull’s bucking.

  It all went well until the last second, when he lost his rhythm and was almost unseated as the snorting beast changed directions suddenly, and he was unable to regain his seat atop the bull. He made the full eight seconds, but the last second wasn’t pretty. He looked pissed off as he caught Adam’s hand to get away from the bull while Ethan worked to haze the bull into the exit chute.

  Rider after rider gave it their all as their turn came. Teresa noticed some wore helmets and others merely wore cowboy hats. She knew Joaquin was only wearing a hat, but she was grateful for his sport foam and Kevlar vest.

  One of the riders avoided injury thanks to his protective vest when he was thrown from a bull that attempted to gore him. The rodeo clowns distracted the bull, and Ethan herded it away. His horse proved its own tremendous athletic ability as it avoided the bull’s horns, as well. Teresa noticed Grace’s knuckles were white as Jack held her hand, but her face betrayed no emotion.

  Teresa’s heart lurched when she saw Joaquin leap up to the pipe fence and swing a leg over. He looked in the direction of the VIP seating. She prayed and gripped Angel’s hand tightly, mesmerized by the sight of the huge bull they had just fought to load into the chute.

  “All right, folks. Y’all be honest with me now,” the announcer began in his west-Texan twang. “How many of you are really rooting for the bulls tonight?” The audience laughed and many cheered. “Our final competitor of the evening is up now. Y’all cheer for Joaquin Martinez as he takes on CC, or vice versa, cheer on CC as he takes on Joaquin!”

  The crowds roared as Joaquin prepared to ride the humongous beast. Angel leaned to her and said, “I know you’re scared, Teresa. Joaquin knows you’re scared. He wants to show you what he loves to do. It’s violent and often ugly, but he’s good. Listen, you can tell by the applause they know he’s going to do well on CC. Smile real big and wave. Show Joaquin you’re proud of him. You want him focused on that bull. Give him what he needs, beautiful,” Angel said, urging her.

  Teresa burst from her seat as Joaquin perched on the rail, and put her index and ring finger to her lips, the hand that displayed his wedding band, and gave an eardrum-shattering whistle.

  Anyone would have thought he’d won the lottery. An idiotic, lopsided grin split his face, and he grasped his chest with both hands over his heart. All the cowboys around him laughed and then looked into the stands for the source of his goofy behavior. She waved at him and blew a kiss before sitting next to Angel again.

  “That there, ladies and gentlemen, is the look of a newly-wedded man in love as he is cheered on by his lovely new wife and his brother, Angel, whom you may remember as saddle-bronc champion from two years ago. Give ‘em a round, folks.”

  Joaquin blew her a kiss then turned very seriously to the busin
ess at hand. She glanced uncertainly at Angel, but he smiled and shrugged.

  “Don’t worry about it, beautiful. If anybody says something, we’ll just tell them the announcer misspoke. It doesn’t matter to us what any of them think. We like to see you happy and free like this.”

  Joaquin mounted the bull, and his motions as he adjusted the rope over his riding hand were tight and energetic before becoming motionless. He gave a small nod, and the gate was yanked open. The massive, 1,800-pound bull exploded from the chute, and Teresa could have sworn she felt the vibration of his angry snorting, and pounding hooves in her chest as he thrashed and bucked.

  CC’s massive rear legs shot off the ground, and he began a twisting, rolling motion, turning and bucking in a tight circle to the right then twisting again, and began an even faster twisting motion to the left. Joaquin rode him with athletic elegance, his free arm swinging wide and clear, balancing him as he stayed astride the bull.

  He spurred the bull, which switched directions again, snorting furiously as all four hooves left the ground, and he arched and twisted again. Each time the great beast made contact with the compacted dirt of the arena, Teresa felt it in her chest. She sat in awe, watching as Joaquin rode out each bucking wave, his arm stretched out long behind him over his head. The bull pitched forward, trying to buck him over his horns, and Joaquin held on tight and spurred him into another rolling circle.

  The buzzer sounded, and the arena erupted in cheers as he leapt triumphantly from CC right behind Ethan on his horse and rode back to the gate as the bull was rousted out of the arena by the other rider.

  It was then that Teresa noticed she was standing, along with Angel, who had Michael in his arms. Michael was yelling and waving at the top of his lungs. She sent up a grateful prayer to God that Michael hadn’t seen Joaquin get hurt tonight.

  Then the thought struck her.

  Michael was probably going to want to do this, too. Teresa filed that away for later thought. Later she would ponder how she’d be able to watch her son ride an 1,800-pound bull. She was just grateful Joaquin had been successful.