The Rodeo Rider (Harlequin American Romance)

by Roxann Delaney

  “Where are we going?” she asked as they rode through the pasture gate.

  “My place.”

  The sound of her soft laughter caught on the light breeze. “We’re at your place.”

  His throat thickened with strange new feelings. “Different place.”

  They rode on in silence, side by side. Her ease and assurance on the gelding surprised him even more. The horse she was on wasn’t as gentle as the one he would have chosen for her, but she didn’t seem to have a problem handling it. For someone who’d been paralyzed with fear at just the idea of riding, her courage beat his, hands down.

  “Think you can keep up?” he asked when they approached a hill.

  Without a shred of doubt in her eyes, she smiled at him. “Just try me.”

  He gave his horse a kick and urged it into a canter. Jules did the same, and they soon reached the crest of the hill. He reined in his mount and she joined him to look below where the creak ran, surrounded by leafy, gnarled tress along its banks.

  “It’s beautiful,” she whispered, gazing at the scene.

  “Yep.” His attention was on her. He knew the landscape by heart. And it didn’t compare to her.

  She turned to him. “Can we go down there?”

  “That’s exactly where we’re going.” He urged his horse forward and let Jules ride a little ahead of him. The sight of her in a place that meant so much to him took his breath away. He watched her body move naturally with each step of her horse. Her long, blond braid swayed from side to side, and her hips moved in a gentle, seductive rhythm, reminding him of their time together the night before.

  When he called to her to pull up and stop, she almost looked disappointed, but her warm smile told him nothing today would do that. He dismounted quickly and held out his arms. She leaned down, and he brought her off the horse and set her on her feet. Without a word, he reached for the blanket and spread it under the tree on the soft grass. He pulled her down onto it with him and proceeded to slowly unbutton her top.

  “This is a special place,” she said, looking around.

  Her husky voice floated through him, creating heat in its wake. “If it wasn’t before, it sure is now, darlin’,” he whispered.

  They made slow, lazy love under the green-leafed canopy, the sun peeking through in dapples of diamond lights. Their breathing mingled with the whispers of the late-summer breeze, fading into the hushed quiet of the countryside.

  Afterward he pulled her on top of him, wanting only to relish the scent of her until the sun set and darkness surrounded them. But there were things to do back at the ranch, and he didn’t want to have to deal with Rowdy’s grumbling if those things didn’t get done.

  “We’ll have to come here more often,” he whispered. “At least until the snow comes.”

  Her laugh was soft. “That sounds more promising than practical. We could freeze out here before the first snowflake falls.”

  “We’ll manage somehow.” He could only hope, but if things worked the way they always had before, she’d be gone well before the first snowfall. And he didn’t know how to prevent that. He knew he loved her. The realization had sneaked up on him. The first time he’d thought of the word love in relation to her, it hadn’t surprised him. He hadn’t bothered to deny it. It felt too right.

  He knew she cared for him, too. But even though she drove down each weekend to watch him compete, he suspected she didn’t understand his need to ride.

  Not that he was any better. He had yet to overcome his unwillingness to take a chance on love. He had no doubt the pain would be unbearable when she walked away, even greater than losing his parents and brother. All he could do now was keep her with him as long as he could.

  She rolled onto her back on the blanket and sighed. “It’s so beautiful and peaceful here anything seems possible.”

  Turning onto his side to watch her, he propped up his head on his elbow. “Like what, darlin’?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Hopes. Dreams. Goals.” She turned to face him. “You have goals, don’t you?”

  Feeling a chill, he reached for the other blanket and pulled it over them. “Sure.”

  “Want to share?” she asked, grinning.

  He hesitated for a moment, wondering if she would judge him or if his answer might drive her away sooner. But if that happened, it happened. He wouldn’t give up his dreams for anyone. Put them on hold if it was necessary, yes, but never give up.

  With no reason not to tell her, he did. “Nobody in my family has ever made it to National Finals Rodeo.”

  “That’s the big one, right?”

  “Biggest in the country,” he said. “Only the best compete.”

  “And you want to be one of them.”

  “I don’t reckon I’d win, not the first time there, anyway.” Since he was a kid, competing in the Nationals had been a dream. When he grew up, it became a goal. And now he was almost there. He felt confident he could go all the way and ride with the best of the best, but he wasn’t sure he could leave it until he won the championship buckle.

  “I’m getting older,” he went on, “and I don’t know how long my body will hold out. If I don’t make it this time or even the next, I’ll know when it’s time to quit. I’m just not ready to do that. Not yet. But the time will come. And there are other things in life, too, that come into play. It won’t be long until Shawn is competing on a regular basis. I want to be there to see that, not off doing my thing.”

  She touched his cheek with her fingers, a sweet smile on her face. “You’re a good man, Tanner.”

  “What about you?” he asked. “What are your goals and dreams?”

  A faraway look, as if she was gazing into the distance, filled her eyes. “When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a world-class jumper. That’s all I thought about, day and night. But that ended when I was twelve. The time I spent in the hospital made me see the world as it really was. Not everyone was as fortunate as I was. Some of the others there didn’t even know their parents or their parents never bothered to visit, while mine were there every day, cheering each little improvement I made.”

  “Everyone is dealt a different hand. You can’t blame yourself for what you’ve had,” he said.

  “I know that, but after those months in the hospital and in speech therapy, I understood what my parents meant when they said there were many people of all ages who didn’t have the advantages I had. And that’s when I knew I wanted to help.”

  “And you decided to become a lawyer,” he finished.

  “Well, not exactly,” she said, laughing. “I was halfway through high school when I made that decision, and after doing a lot of research, too.”

  “You don’t take anything lightly, do you.”

  “The law is complicated,” she answered with a sigh. “And now that I’ve been a part of it, I see there are other and maybe better ways I can help. That’s why I became a court advocate.”

  “You knew the ins and outs of the court system, so you had an advantage.”

  “Exactly.” Her grin brightened an already sunny day. “See how quick you are?” she teased.

  “And here you thought I was just another dumb cowboy,” he countered, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

  Leaning closer, she kissed him. “I never once thought you were dumb.”

  “So you’re back with the advocacy and lawyer things now that your vacation is over.”

  “Not exactly,” she said, turning her head away.

  With his finger, he turned it back. “How so?”

  She shook her head. “With the lawyer thing, yes, I’m back at that. As for the advocacy…”

  “What?”

  “There’s been a problem. My latest, a boy about Shawn’s age, was in foster care. He ran away. I was trying to get the court to allow him to go back to living with his mother. She’s straightened out her life and can provide him with a loving and stable home. But his running away has made it difficult to get the court to agree.”r />
  “I guess you can’t help all of them.”

  “I wish I could.”

  They were both quiet for a moment. Words came drifting back to Tanner. Something his mother had said to him before she left the second time. Reach for the moon and land among the stars. He knew what his moon was. It was and always had been to win the bronc-riding championship at the Nationals. If he could just make it to compete—once—that was his star.

  “I remember Sally telling me something,” he told Jules, and repeated the saying for her. “What’s your moon, darlin’?”

  “That’s easy,” she said, smiling. “I want to help troubled children in a much bigger way. I’ve been taking more college courses so I’ll have the degrees and the knowledge I need to do that.”

  “What kind of bigger way?”

  “I’d have a place for them, like a ranch, maybe, where there would be caring professionals and they’d feel accepted.”

  “That’s the most unselfish dream I’ve ever heard, darlin’. I think you’ll make it just fine.” He meant every word, but it also revealed how different their goals were. Like night and day. All he could do was hope that somehow they could find a way to overcome those differences. But he knew there were no guarantees where love was concerned. He was proof of that. He wouldn’t get his hopes up, but he wouldn’t give up yet, either.

  Looking into the green depths of her eyes, he spoke slowly, careful not to tell her more than he could risk. “We have something special, darlin’, just like my place here. I don’t know where this is going. I’m afraid to ask. Things like this don’t work out for me. My only successes have been on this ranch and on the backs of broncs.”

  She pressed her fingers to his lips. “You have more than that. Look at Shawn. Look at what you’ve done for me.” A smile turned up the corners of her mouth, tempting him to kiss her again.

  He thought of how she’d touched his heart with her courage and caring. If only he could do the same for her. “I can’t make promises, Jules,” he said simply. “One day at a time is all I can offer right now. Is it enough?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  For the moment, that was enough.

  TANNER CLIMBED over the wooden planks into the chute at the Will Rogers Memorial Rodeo in Vinita, Oklahoma, the following Friday, ready to do his best. Just his luck, he’d drawn Copenhagen, the most unpredictable of the stock, for this ride. It could mean a good score if he stayed on for the eight seconds and his spurring was good. If it all came together, he could be sitting in the top spot. The others would have to work to catch him.

  He felt confident, despite his draw. A peacefulness had settled on him after the time he and Jules had spent at his place by the creek almost a week before. She’d stayed for dinner that night, and afterward, they’d all retired outside to the porch, where a laziness in the air muted the anticipation of the next weekend. He’d claimed the porch swing, pulling Jules down next to him. Her scent filled him, reminding him of wildflowers and loving. She settled against him in the dark, and if anyone thought it strange, they hadn’t commented. Not even Rowdy.

  Before he’d released her for the night, before she started for home, he’d kissed her at her car. He’d done it with all the promise in his heart that he couldn’t put into words. In return, he’d felt her love touch his soul.

  When they’d parted company before this ride, she’d wished him luck as always, her hand resting in his for a lingering moment. Now, poised above one of the toughest broncs he’d ridden over the circuit season, he forced the vision from his mind. Concentration could be his only friend. He’d ride this brute until the horn blew. For himself. For his dad. For Jules.

  He checked his spurs and rigging, double-checking his grip and the feel. His heart had stopped hammering and slowed to a hard thud. Mindless of everything around him, he breathed slowly until he felt right. Mounted on the bronc’s back, his concentration focused on the ride, the horse and his own body, he readied to mark out and signaled for the chute to open.

  “IF HE CAN HOLD on until the horn, he’ll be sitting good in the standings.”

  Jules turned to find Dusty settling in the seat behind her, his slow drawl comforting. She offered him a nervous smile before turning back to watch Tanner climb into the chute. Her hands clenched between her denim-clad knees, she jumped when Dusty laid his hand on her shoulder.

  “He’ll do fine,” he told her, his confidence in his friend evident in his tone. “I saw him a few minutes ago and there was no doubt about his determination. You could see it in his eyes.”

  “And his edge?” She’d heard Rowdy talk often enough about it.

  “Never saw him so cool.”

  She could only pray Dusty was right. Beside her, Bridey patted her arm. “It won’t be long now. And then we can go out and celebrate.”

  “He’s taking forever,” Jules whispered.

  “He’s just getting his grip right,” Dusty answered, “and positioning himself to mark out.”

  “Mark out?”

  “He has to have both spurs touching the horse’s shoulders until the horse’s feet hit the ground after he’s out of the chute.”

  “I never noticed,” she said, thinking of the rides she’d seen in the past few weeks.

  “Watch closely,” Dusty continued. “When the bronc bucks, Tanner will pull his knees up and roll his spurs up the horse’s shoulders. Then when the horse goes down again, Tanner’ll straighten his legs, with his spurs going over the point of the horse’s shoulders, ready for the next jump.”

  “So I guess there’s more to it than just staying on the horse,” Jules said.

  Shawn leaned forward. “A lot more. Each rider is judged on his marking. Bareback bronc riding is the toughest sport in rodeo.”

  “And has the most injuries,” Dusty added.

  She looked at him, concerned now more than ever. “I wish you hadn’t told me that.”

  Dusty shook his head and looked out at the arena. Jules wasn’t sure what to make of the head shake. Was it because, like Rowdy, he thought she wasn’t good for Tanner?

  “You need to know these things, Jules,” he finally said. “We all play down the dangers. Take my cracked ribs and all the concussions I’ve had riding bulls, for instance. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be knowledgeable. This way you’ll know what you’re facing and what not to worry about. Tanner’s a tough guy. Big for a bronc rider, but he’s in great shape. He’ll do okay, believe me. He’s been riding broncs since he was a little guy.”

  She nodded, keeping her eyes on the chute. There were dangers in everything. Even show-jumping, as she knew from experience. She had known that as well as Tanner knew the dangers of his own chosen sport.

  His black hat and shoulders were visible above the chute, but little more. The arena was big, and she’d purposely chosen seats far from the chutes. Too close, and she’d hear every breath the horse took, hear the hooves beat the dirt, see the pain on Tanner’s face.

  Oblivious to the announcer’s voice, she waited, forcing herself to relax and not worry. Tanner raised his arm high, nodded and the chute opened.

  Eight seconds. Eight long seconds.

  Copenhagen shot out with Tanner high atop him. Jules watched, unable to take her eyes off the man and horse. Eight seconds seemed like an eternity.

  “That’s it!” Dusty shouted in her ear above the noise of the buzzer and the crowd.

  The animal continued to buck, even after Tanner kicked loose and fell in the dirt, landing on his hands and knees. One of the pick-up men rode over. While reaching for Tanner, the cowboy dodged the hoof of the still-bucking bronc. But before the hoof hit dirt again, it connected with Tanner’s head, knocking him flat.

  Jules opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. From behind, Dusty grabbed her shoulders. “They’ll get him out,” he assured her. “They’ll get him out.”

  Seconds dragged by in slow motion. Two more cowboys ran out to join the ones on horses who were attempting to kee
p the bronc at bay and herd it to the corner gate. Grabbing Tanner’s arms, they pulled him out of the way to safety.

  Dusty helped Jules climb over her seat to stand beside him. “Come on, honey.”

  She barely heard him through the fog of darkness filling her mind. Her feet moved beneath her, but she wasn’t aware of making them. Dusty kept his arm tightly around her, and Bridey held on to her hand, while Shawn followed. They pushed and shoved their way through a meandering crowd of people. Dusty moved people aside without an apology, and Jules didn’t care. She’d been raised to act with the best of manners, but she’d have shoved her way through herself if he hadn’t done it.

  When she stumbled, his hold tightened. He swiped at a burly cowboy, moving him out of the way. “We’re almost there, hon,” he told her.

  Color left her world, and everything blurred into a mass of grays. She choked on a sob and stumbled again, only to be brought up when they reached a knot of people in the way.

  “The Justin Healers are taking care of him,” Dusty said. “He’s in good hands.”

  She nodded, not caring who they were, only praying they knew what to do and would do it quickly. Staring blindly at the group, she recognized a familiar figure shoving his way out of the tangle of people.

  “Get her out of here,” Rowdy ordered, pointing at Jules.

  “Now, Rowdy—”

  “Don’t argue with me.” Rowdy grabbed Dusty’s arm and pulled him aside.

  Tanner’s aunt stiffened beside Jules, fiercely gripping her hand. “Bridey, it’s okay,” Jules said. “I know he’s only concerned for Tanner.” But she wanted to scream that she had the right to go to him. She loved him and he loved her. She’d never been more certain of anything.

  They had no choice but to wait and watch. When the crowd moved back, she saw an ambulance, its doors wide open. Without a thought for anyone but Tanner, she elbowed her way through the crowd and watched two attendants loading a stretcher into the back. Tanner lay unmoving on it, his black lashes standing out against his skin. He was pale under his tan. Too pale. And too still. Blood spread on a bandage on his head. An IV tube ran from under the blanket covering him to a bag in an attendant’s hand.