The Rodeo Rider (Harlequin American Romance)

by Roxann Delaney

  When Darla walked away to check on other customers, Jules shook her head. “It’s so amazing. In fact, it’s…” She glanced at Shawn and grinned. “Well, awesome is the word that comes to mind. I can understand why you wouldn’t want to leave here, Beth.”

  “Maybe you should move here,” said Shawn, who’d been quiet throughout most of the meal.

  “I almost wish I could,” Jules answered. “But it would be a bit of a drive back and forth to Wichita every day. I’d be on the road more than in the office.”

  “We could always use another lawyer in Desperation,” Shawn said, apparently not willing to give up the idea.

  Tanner was amazed at how quickly the boy had taken to the woman. Tanner owed her a lot. Shawn had approached him the day after Jules had been there and had asked questions about his parents. Tanner didn’t hesitate to tell him about the day Shawn’s mother had left him at the ranch and to explain that he didn’t know where his dad might be or what had happened to him.

  Shawn had seemed a bit disappointed, but he said he understood. “Maybe,” he’d said, “someday we’ll run into him at a rodeo.”

  Not wanting to get his hopes up, Tanner had told him that something like that was always possible and left it at that, hoping Shawn would accept that running off to find his dad wouldn’t be the smartest thing he could do. Tucker could be anywhere. Or nowhere.

  “We’d better be getting back,” Tanner said, rising to his feet and reaching for his wallet. Tossing some money on the table for Darla’s tip, he turned to Beth. “Give me your bills.”

  “No, Tanner, we’ll take care of our lunch,” Beth said, grabbing her bill from the table and reaching for the one left for Jules.

  Tanner leaned across the table and snatched both from her hand. “Consider it a prewedding gift. It was nice to spend some time with both of you. Bridey gets tired of being stuck with us men.”

  Beth looked at Jules and shrugged. “No sense arguing. He’s bigger than both of us.”

  Tanner laughed as he picked up his hat and placed it on his head, then headed to the counter to pay the bill. He finished the transaction at the same time the women stepped out the door, and he followed. “Do you have a minute?” he asked Jules.

  She glanced at Beth and Bridey, who were deep in conversation near the car, parked diagonally at the curb. “Of course.”

  When he moved closer, she stayed put. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted everybody in town hearing, and it would only take one person nearby to have it spread like wildfire. Taking a deep breath, he said what he knew he needed to say. “I want to apologize for not understanding about the riding.”

  She looked down before meeting his gaze. “No, please. It’s all right.”

  He was relieved that she wasn’t still upset. “Then I guess we’re square on that. Next time I’ll keep it in mind.”

  Her smile was soft and a bit sad. “I doubt there’ll be a next time. I’ll be leaving for home the day after the wedding.”

  He ignored the disappointment that hit him. “But you won’t be a stranger,” he said. “You know you’re welcome at the Rocking O anytime. And next time I’ll go easier on you.”

  “I’m sure you will, but it would be better if I do it my way,” she said, glancing at Beth and Bridey. “I’ve put riding out of my mind for so many years it’s going to take some time before I can get accustomed to just the idea of it. That isn’t what I’d hoped, but…”

  He looked to see what had grabbed her attention across the street, and when he realized what it was, he chuckled. “One of these days, she’s going to catch him.”

  Jules turned to look at him, a bemused smile on her face. “What’s going on?”

  “That’s Vern and Esther.” He watched the two people crossing the street. The man in the lead kept checking back over his shoulder at the woman following him. When Vern picked up speed, so did Esther.

  “They’re married?”

  “Not on your life,” Tanner said with another chuckle. “But she’s been after him for going on twenty years, I guess.”

  “Whatever for?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine,” he answered. “Nobody knows. Some say they had a thing in high school, and then he went away, joined the army and came back about twenty years ago. She started chasing him then, and he hasn’t let her catch him yet.”

  “How strange.”

  “We have a few of those here,” he admitted, “but no more than our fair share.”

  “I’d love to know what’s behind it.”

  “So would everyone else in town, but most have formed their own ideas about what’s going on.”

  “If you find out, let me know,” Jules said, laughing. “It’s absolutely—” Interrupted by the musical ring of a cell phone, she gave him a distracted smile and pulled the phone from her bag. “Well, hi,” she answered, her eyes dancing with happiness. “I wondered when you’d get around to calling me.”

  Curious to know whose call pleased her so much, Tanner knew it wouldn’t be polite to eavesdrop, so he backed up a step to let her know he wasn’t. She immediately pulled the phone away from her mouth. “In case I don’t get a chance to speak with you at Beth’s wedding,” she told him, “it was wonderful meeting you. I hope I’ll get the chance to come back to Desperation again.”

  Speechless at the sudden brush-off, all he could do was nod as she went back to her phone conversation. Was this the end of it? Was Jules going to go back home and forget all about him, his family and the friends she’d made in Desperation? Watching her smile as she talked to the person on the other end of the line, he wasn’t so sure she wouldn’t. Instead of waiting around for her to finish, since she obviously didn’t want him to, he joined his aunt and nephew, but not without a whole lot of questions going through his mind.

  THE PERPLEXED EXPRESSION on Tanner’s face before he turned away left Jules with a slight stab of guilt, but the phone call was important and something she couldn’t put off. Placing the phone to her ear again, she forced thoughts of Tanner out of her mind before she spoke. “I’m sorry, Mom, what were you saying?”

  “We’re back in the States, and your father and I wanted to know how your vacation with Beth is going. And who were you talking to just now?”

  Jules smiled, knowing full well that her mother’s curiosity had gotten the better of her—the reason she had brushed off Tanner so quickly. “I’m having a wonderful time. With the wedding a little over a week away, Beth and I are swamped with last-minute details, and we’re both wishing it would be here sooner.”

  Her mother’s laugh was warm and loving. “Time will fly, as you’ll soon see, and the wedding will be nothing more than a beautiful memory.”

  “It will be a beautiful wedding,” Jules said.

  “With you helping, who could doubt it? Now, who were you talking to?”

  “A rancher friend of Beth’s.”

  “Oh.” The voice held disappointment. “Is he married?”

  It was Jules’s turn to laugh. “No, he’s not. Not that it matters.”

  “Good-looking?”

  How could she tell her mother just how good-looking Tanner was without her mother trying to encourage her to get to know him better? A lot better. “Very nice-looking, Mom. You’d say he’s a hunk.”

  “Ooh, tell me more!”

  Jules laughed again. “Maybe you should put Dad on the phone before he becomes as suspicious about you as you are about Beth’s friend.”

  “He’s paying the cab driver, but I wanted to touch base with you before we have to leave again.”

  Jules felt a small but familiar stab of disappointment. “I was almost hoping you might be here for Beth’s wedding.”

  “I wish we could,” her mother said, her voice sincere, “but we’ll only be here for a few days, then we’re off to South Africa to help with the AIDS Foundation there. I can’t tell you how important that is, and I’m sure Beth will understand.”

  “Of course she will,” Jules said, “b
ut it still would have been nice to spend a little time with you.”

  “We will soon, sweetie, I promise. Oh, your dad said to tell you hi and that he loves and misses you. He’s giving me the hurry-up sign,” she said, chuckling. “I’ll try to call you again before we leave, and I’m sorry I have to say goodbye now.”

  “I understand. Give Dad my love, and hugs to you, too.” With a sigh, Jules closed her phone and returned it to her purse.

  “Ready to go?” Beth asked.

  Jules turned around with a smile and hurried to catch up with her friend. She was accustomed to her parents’ comings and goings and the brief conversations, so she didn’t let them bother her. She’d always known they loved her, and when they were together, they made every minute count. That would never change. Some people might find their lifestyle odd, but Jules had grown up with it and accepted that her parents felt the need to help others. She was thankful for that, even during the times she’d missed her parents the most.

  “That was nice, running into the O’Briens,” Beth said, as they walked on toward her house.

  “Yes, it was,” Jules said, thinking of Tanner’s apology.

  As if reading her mind, Beth said, “I noticed you talking to Tanner outside.”

  “And?” Jules asked, glancing at her friend.

  Beth shrugged. “And I just wondered how that was working out.”

  “How what was working out?”

  Beth’s grin was wide and mischievous. “You know. You and Tanner.”

  “Aha! You have been trying to get us together. I knew it! Well, you can forget about it.”

  “Why?” Beth asked. “He’s tall, dark and handsome, not to mention smart. What more could you ask for?”

  Jules couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re right. He’s all that and more, but there are several reasons why it wouldn’t work. Do you want me to list them?”

  Beth glanced around and then looked up at the sky. “It’s a beautiful day and we have time. Please proceed, Counselor.”

  Still laughing, Jules gave it a moment of thought. “For one, there are other things in my life with much higher priorities right now. You know that.”

  “So if you didn’t have those to think about, you’d be interested in, um, getting to know him better, so to speak?”

  Refusing to answer because what Beth was proposing wasn’t a possibility, Jules continued, “For another, long-distance romances aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.”

  “It wouldn’t be that hard to do, and you could always do what Shawn suggested and move here.”

  “Impossible.”

  “I don’t see why,” Beth countered.

  But Jules saw no reason to discuss it. She’d thought long and hard about it after her outburst. She was firmly established in her career, in spite of the problems she was having, and there was no reason to pack up and start over in Desperation or anywhere else. “And for another,” she continued, “we really don’t have much in common.”

  Beth came to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk. “That’s what makes it so interesting.” Before Jules could say anything, Beth hurried on. “You can’t honestly tell me you aren’t attracted to him.”

  Jules gave an unladylike snort and walked on. “I’d have to be blind not to be, but attraction is a poor basis for a relationship, and I think that’s what you’re hoping for.”

  “I can’t help it,” Beth said, catching up with her. “You two were made for each other.”

  Shaking her head, Jules sighed. “I doubt that’s the way he sees it, and neither do I. Give it up, Beth. He’ll be gone until your wedding, and after that, I’ll be gone. There’s no time or even a reason to think anything will happen.”

  Beth shot her a catlike smile as they turned the corner to her house. “We’ll see. I’d lay odds you’ll soon find yourself missing him and will be back here in no time.”

  “I’ll take that bet,” Jules said, sure she would be the winner. Of course, she would miss him and all the O’Briens, just as she would miss Beth and everyone she’d met in Desperation. Once she was back home again, she hoped she would find that many things had been straightened out during her absence, but she wouldn’t forget her visit to Desperation. In spite of what Beth thought or wanted, she really didn’t see Tanner O’Brien in her life much longer, which was probably best.

  “You’ll lose that bet,” Beth said. “Does twenty bucks sound good?”

  Laughing as they reached Beth’s yard, Jules nodded. “Very reasonable. But you’ll be the one who’ll be paying it.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure, if I were you.”

  But Jules was sure. As much as she was enjoying her stay in Desperation and the people, she hadn’t conquered her fear, and there were too many other things going on in her life to even consider getting involved with someone. Someone she definitely found attractive and who made her heart race insanely whenever he was in the vicinity, but someone with whom she had nearly nothing in common.

  BRIDEY GAVE TANNER that look as he slid into the church pew next to Shawn. He was late for Beth and Michael’s wedding, but it couldn’t be helped. Nothing had gone right all day, and he’d sent Rowdy ahead with Bridey and Shawn while he finished dressing. When he couldn’t find his favorite tie, a tie he only wore for weddings and funerals, he almost gave up. Now that he was here, he almost wished he had.

  At the front of the sanctuary, just to the left of the bride, Jules stood looking like a gift from heaven. But she wasn’t a gift for him. He knew that. For the past week and a half, since he’d left her on the sidewalk in front of the café, he had convinced himself that his attraction to her was nothing more than a novelty. But seeing her again put the lie to that, and now he didn’t know what to do. Bronc riding had taught him to focus, and right now the only thing he could focus on was Jules.

  He was both relieved and anxious when the ceremony ended and the wedding party moved back up the aisle. At least he wouldn’t have to sit there, battling to keep his eyes and his mind off of Jules, but knowing he would come face-to-face with her again in very little time. There was still the reception to get through.

  Thanks to the crowd around the newlyweds outside on the church lawn, he managed to escape the traditional receiving line without Bridey noticing. She’d give him hell for it later, if she discovered it, but he didn’t care. He knew that sooner or later he would have to talk to Jules, and their last conversation hadn’t left him wanting to kick up his heels with happiness. He’d spent the time since then thinking, and then trying not to think when he was on the back of a bronc. Her brush-off had been what had made him so all-fired determined to believe she was a passing fancy. Maybe she was, but seeing her again left holes in that determination.

  He was talking with several of the other ranchers in the area about cattle prices when he glanced up to find her looking at him. If it hadn’t been for her smile, cautious but hopeful, he would’ve stayed put and argued the advantage of one brand of feed over another.

  With a brief apology to the others, he stepped away and approached her, his shirt collar and tie suddenly feeling so tight he wasn’t sure he could get a sound past them.

  “It seems all I do lately is apologize,” she said when he stopped in front of her.

  Confused, all he could do was look at her. Finally he found his voice. “I don’t understand.”

  “The phone call.”

  It took him a moment to realize what she was talking about, and then he wasn’t sure how he should respond. “Okay,” he said, with some hesitation.

  “No, not okay.” Her laugh was nervous and uneasy. “I’m sure it seemed very rude, and I didn’t mean for it to.”

  He still couldn’t think of anything to say that would make sense, so he just stood there, feeling like a fool. And the feeling didn’t make him happy.

  “You see,” she went on, glancing left and right but not looking at him directly, “it was my mother, and I’m always careful about what she might overhear. Sometimes she’s�
��well, let’s just say that she can be very inquisitive and has a vivid imagination, especially when it comes to her daughter.”

  It took him a moment to understand what she was trying to say, but when he finally did, he was able to smile. “That’s okay. No reason to apologize.” And there wasn’t, even though he wanted to know if Jules had mentioned him. He decided it might be pushing his luck to ask.

  “My parents have been overseas for several months, so I don’t get to talk to them often,” she hurried on. “Sometimes they’re between planes or on their way somewhere, so there isn’t a lot of time for lengthy conversations…”

  It all began to make sense. If it hadn’t been for the relief he felt, her obvious nervousness might have given him pause. “I was kind of curious about the quick brush-off.”

  “Oh, no, it wasn’t that,” she assured him. “I knew we would see each other again. Here at the wedding, of course. I just didn’t realize how I might have sounded until later.”

  “I’d have done the same thing,” he admitted. And he would have. “Family is great, but sometimes they…”

  “Make too much of things?”

  “That would be it.”

  Her smile was sincere and lacked her earlier nervousness, causing him to relax, too. “How was the rodeo in Pretty Prairie?”

  The change of subject to rodeo caught him off guard. He still wasn’t convinced that she didn’t like it, but he wouldn’t make it an issue of it, since she was being nice enough to ask.

  “It was good.”

  “Does that mean you won?”

  “Well, I did bring home a nice-size purse for first place.” He couldn’t help but grin. As much as Rowdy liked to accuse him of wasting his time with smaller rodeos, instead of riding in a few of the bigger and more well-known ones, Tanner knew that in the long run, it was the points and purses that counted. And he was gaining every time he competed.

  “That’s wonderful.”

  He heard her sincerity, but he wasn’t convinced of it. Not yet. But he might be able to find out. “Dodge City Roundup is next weekend. It’s a bit farther away than Pretty Prairie, but you’re welcome to join us.”