She thought she’d known him, but things changed. People changed. Reed had changed, and so had she.
Just after his doctor’s appointment, she decided that she was going to throw herself into her work. Hopefully, it would keep her busy and she wouldn’t have much time to think about Reed or to miss him.
The door opened and Reed walked out. His crutches were gone. He had a big grin and Callie knew how happy he was.
She stood, ready to leave, but suddenly the floor wasn’t under her and Reed was swinging her in a circle.
“Yee-haw! Callie, let’s go boot scootin’.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. If anyone could shake her out of her funk, it was Reed.
But he was the one who’d caused it in the first place.
“Put me down!” she said, grinning and he proceeded to lower her into a slide down his hard body.
When her feet were on the ground, she was face-to-face with Reed. Suddenly everyone in the waiting room faded away, and it was just the two of them gazing into each other’s eyes, waiting, wondering.
Callie tried to take a step back, but Reed’s arms held her tightly to him.
Slowly he bent his head and his mouth came closer to hers. He was about to kiss her and it would be easy to forget everything and enjoy the pleasure of his touch.
Callie tilted her head and kissed Reed. Then darkness slowly washed over her happiness, and she came to her senses. She just couldn’t forget that Reed was like her father, and took a step back. “Reed. I can’t.”
He nodded, then walked out of the waiting room. Callie followed him to the cul-de-sac in front of the medical center where cars were loading and unloading patients.
“Reed, you know that I—”
“Yeah, I know, Callie. You think that I’m a gambler like your father and you can’t stand it. But yet you won’t talk to me. I didn’t fight for you years ago, and I regret it. What can I say to get through to you?”
She remained silent. But what was there to say? They’d said it all.
Reed shifted on his feet. “I think we need time away from each other, Callie. Maybe ten years wasn’t enough.”
He raised his hand and a taxi that had just unloaded a patient, stopped in front of him.
“I need time to think, too,” he said.
Then he was gone and she was alone.
What should she do now?
She drove back to the ranch and back to her spot behind Big Dan’s huge desk. Looking out the window, she saw Reed gallop off on a big black horse.
When he got to the road that went past the barns, he picked up speed. In fact, she watched as he raced the horse up a fairly good-size hill. Then he disappeared.
She doubted that his doctor had approved him riding a horse the next day. What was he doing? He was going to hurt himself all over again.
But he rode like the wind, just like he was going to run out of her life. She just knew it, but she didn’t know what to do. They were both at a dead end.
How could she get him to understand her point of view?
Chapter Thirteen
For the next month, Callie immersed herself in her work so she didn’t have to think about Reed.
On the phone, she spoke with Jesse and Luke and was able to fill in the receipts and sales of various stock. She logged in all the receipts and disbursements of the contractors working on the various projects around the ranch.
In the absence of the ramrod, Callie did the payroll. Reed was everywhere, and she couldn’t dodge him. She didn’t intend to avoid him, but it seemed that he was avoiding her.
Callie noticed that Reed was still investing in stocks, and that was disappointing. She’d hoped that he’d stop for her, but that was high expectations. He didn’t intend to change, and she wasn’t going to change her mind.
He was playing with thousands of dollars. What she could do with that. It might even get her out of debt. Then she noticed that a chunk of money was gone from his usual pot. Fifteen thousand dollars, to be exact.
She wanted to know if he’d lost it, but this was his fund, and it had nothing to do with her or her spreadsheets.
Looking out the window, she saw Reed huddled with Bill Waterson by the corral. No doubt, they were talking hay lots and horses.
Callie looked around, remembering how the office had looked when she’d first seen it—an avalanche of papers. Now, everything had been entered and filed. Fan mail had been answered. More pictures had been ordered, of Luke, Reed and Jesse riding bulls, to give to the fans. She’d even developed a poster featuring the Beaumont Big Guns and ordered a couple thousand copies of it.
“Well, Callie Wainright, how are you doing?”
Big Dan’s booming voice echoed around the room. He was alone and not with his probation officer.
“Hi, Big Dan. I was just thinking that my job here is done. Everything is loaded onto your desktop. Would you like to see what I’ve done?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m sure it’s wonderful, but I’m just stopping in to collect some clothes.”
“Are you happy with your apartment and how things are going with Mrs. Proctor?” Callie asked.
“It’s going fine. Thanks for arranging it.”
“It’s what you hired me to do, Big Dan.”
“And you’re the best thing to ever hit this ranch since I lost Valerie Lynn,” he said. “And I mean that.”
Her cheeks heated. “Thank you so much.”
“I have something to ask you, and I don’t want you to be offended. You can tell me that it’s none of my business, but I’ve always been direct.”
“Sounds serious.” She swallowed hard. “You can ask me anything, but it doesn’t mean that I’ll answer.” She smiled, taking the sting out of what she’d just said.
“Fair enough.” Big Dan hesitated. “Okay. Okay. What happened between you and my son? He’s not himself. He was so very happy and now he’s moping around like he’s lost his best friend, and that was you.”
“Um, there’s something that’s creating a brick wall between us.”
“You’re upset about your father’s addiction, aren’t you? I can speak to you about that, Callie.”
“And so can I.” Her father entered the room. He looked serious, unlike his usual devil-may-care self.
Callie’s throat suddenly turned dry and she took a sip of coffee. What was going on here? “We know why you’re upset with Reed,” her father said.
They each took a seat on the chairs in front of her desk.
“We are addicts, Callie,” Big Dan said. “You know I’m an alcoholic and you know that your father is a gambling addict. It’s unfortunate, but we are both doing something about it.”
Her father leaned forward and clasped his hands. “I’m going to Gamblers Anonymous, Callie. It’s time. I’ve talked to Big Dan at great length, and I’m going to change. I’ve caused you and your mom and the twins a lot of heartache.”
“That’s great.” She encouraged her father. “But isn’t this something you should be talking to Mom about? Or maybe your lady friend, Tish?”
“I already have, and I’ve asked both of them to forgive me. Now I’d like to ask you to forgive me.”
“I don’t know if I can, Father,” she said.
“Your future may be at risk, Callie.” Her father gripped the arms of his chair. “It’s because of me that your relationship with Reed in in jeopardy. You think that everyone is an addict. Not everyone who takes a drink is an alcoholic. Not everyone who plays the stock market is gambler. Not everyone who plays cards is a gambler.”
“I know that, Father.”
“Someday, you’ll call me Dad, Callie.”
“Maybe someday I will.”
“Believe me, I’m going to quit and make amends.”
“I wish you lots of luck.” It wo
uld at least give her something to think about, but she wanted to see results first.
“In the meantime, give Reed a break,” he said. “Check out what he actually does before you judge him. Think about it.”
She nodded. “I already know what he does.” But maybe they both were right. Maybe I just judge Reed too harshly because of my experience with my father. I’m constantly thinking about Reed’s penchant for playing with his money, and I don’t know what to do.
* * *
REED FINISHED HIS business deal with Bill Waterson, and handed him a twenty-thousand-dollar check as a down payment for future dealings. He knew just by shaking Bill’s hand that he’d get a return on his investment.
This way, Bill could hang on for a while longer. Reed and his brothers would give him as much business as they could.
His father was on board, too. Little by little, Big Dan was getting back into some of the workings of the ranch, and that was fine with him and his brothers.
Reed couldn’t help but think that because Big Dan was reciting the history of the Beaumont Ranch to the students might serve to remind him of his heritage, of the good times at the ranch.
Instead of feeling sad about Valerie Lynn, maybe he would see her happiness in every part of the ranch: picking flowers, petting the horses, playing with her boys, hanging curtains.
There had been a glow on his mother’s face, just like there’d been one on Callie Wainright’s. They both loved the ranch. At first, he’d thought Callie’s happiness was for being with him, but it was for her work. Why else could she chuck him like she had?
It had been a month since his disagreement with Callie, and Reed decided to move on. He had to. He had the PBR World Finals to conquer along with the year’s standings, but personally, he just wanted to beat his older brother.
It wasn’t as if he had a competition going with Luke, but if Reed’s personal best was better than Luke’s, then Reed would be one happy cowboy.
Tomorrow was Friday, and that was Rodeo Day at the Beaumont County Fairgrounds during the graduation/ reunion weekend. He and Luke were going to have a friendly bull-riding competition.
After the Saturday night buffet and dance, where he’d volunteered to sell raffle tickets for door prizes, he was going to leave for Nashville, the site of the first PBR event after the summer break. The money they’d made was going to go for new equipment for the playground at the local day care center.
He’d skip the Sunday picnic at the village square. His knee was perfectly fine, and he was back jogging and working out. He even rode some practice bulls from his own pen.
He’d say goodbye to Callie on Saturday night and they’d continue to be friends.
He’d have to settle for that.
* * *
RODEO NIGHT AT the fairgrounds was a loud and boisterous event, as it had always been. The Cowhand Band was playing and, when they weren’t, the speakers around and in the arena spewed a tinny version of classic country songs.
The people of Beaumont boot-scooted on a cement patio on the outside of the arena. At the northern end of the patio was a knocked-together bar where volunteers were stationed; they were ever-vigilant for underage drinkers and either offered them a soda instead or escorted them off the property.
Earlier, he’d discussed making the rodeo a dry event with Big Dan, and his father assured him that he was going to keep himself so darn busy during the rodeo that he wouldn’t have time to even think about drinking. Nevertheless, his sponsor was going to be by his side and Matty Matthews would also be attending.
Reed would keep an eye on his father, too, and probably so would most of the town of Beaumont, which was rooting for him. The man didn’t have a prayer of slipping up.
Reed had asked his father to be the rodeo announcer, too, and Big Dan beamed. Little by little, Dan was getting back to his old ways.
Slim Gomez was back and had taken over penning the stock. Reed had made some calls and stock contractors were lined up, eager to be called for the Beaumont rodeo. Even the Waterson ranch had several good broncs they were going to contribute.
Reed saw Callie breezing by on numerous occasions. She had a clipboard thick with papers, and on several occasions, she talked to him either in person or by cell phone.
Their contact with each another was business only, and brief and to the point. There were too many details to attend to, to discuss anything at length.
Juniors from the high school who had their licenses, along with many volunteers from Beaumont Community College, were parking cars in a field, and, as usual, portable toilets of royal blue were lined up in strategic locations like sentries on the lookout for business.
All was ready, and Reed just wanted to sit in the shade by himself for a while and relax before more people came.
When he turned the corner behind the arena and headed for a copse of cedar trees, he saw Callie.
Callie looked like she was getting up to leave. “Don’t worry. I won’t bite. I just ate a hamburger. I just wanted to take a break from everything. Looks like we had the same idea.”
“I should have grabbed some cold drinks.” Reed took a seat next to her on the ground.
“I’m not a beer fan, but I could go for a glass of ginger ale. It’s my go-to beverage. Beer for you?”
“I don’t drink before I ride, but yeah, beer is probably mine.”
There was an awkward silence. Funny how things changed. Before, when they were quiet, it didn’t seem as uncomfortable as it did now.
“See? We can make small talk and not discuss important things,” Reed said.
She nodded. “Let’s continue to make small talk, since we’re not getting anywhere with the big stuff. Let me try. We’re going to have an excellent turnout.”
“I know. And after the stock contractors and a couple more big bills, like the toilets and the entertainment, are paid, when the dust settles, I think we’ll have a nice chunk to donate to the Beaumont Food Bank.”
“Okay, I’m going to get a little sentimental here, so beware. It’s fantastic when the whole town pitches in. I just love the people here and I love living in Beaumont, and I don’t know how you can stand life on the road.”
He shrugged. “Some people travel for their jobs.”
“Not for the entire year, they don’t. Not like you. You’re never home.”
“Miss Wainright, were you keeping track of me?”
Callie’s signature blush bloomed on her throat and traveled up to her cheeks. “No, I wasn’t keeping track. Small town. Besides, it wasn’t so long ago when Amber Chapman had to drag one of you home to take care of things at the ranch. Remember?”
“And I’m continuing the work that Luke started. And Jesse will do the same when it’s his turn.”
“I’ve always wanted sisters to play with. Instead, I got two brothers who were ten years younger than I was. I was like their mother at times.”
“Be careful, Callie, you might be treading on important issues.” Reed pulled a blade of tall grass and put the end in his mouth. “You did what you had to do, and you did a great job. You’ll see them graduate tomorrow and go off to college with full scholarships.”
“I know. And my mother and I are thrilled. They did great.”
“You and your mom did great. From what I heard, your brothers received not only scholarships for athletics but also for academics, too.” He paused. “You know, sometimes I think about going to college. I did two years online, but I’d like to get a bachelor’s in animal husbandry.”
“If you ever settled down, you could go to Oklahoma State for that.”
“I know, and so could you. You could get that advertising and marketing degree that you’ve always wanted before life bucked you off.”
Callie had that dreamy look on her face and his heart melted. She needed to achieve her dream, and so did he.
&nb
sp; She snapped her fingers. “Maybe we can be students together. OSU is only a two-hour drive from here.”
“I’ve driven twenty-four hours straight to get to a bull-riding event. A two-hour ride is nothing.”
Their phones rang. They both answered their calls then hung up.
Callie’s eyes glistened like she was trying not to cry. “I guess it’s time to get back to work. It’s been nice not talking to you.”
He scrambled to his feet. “We’ll have to continue our conversation over a couple of bottles of ginger ale.”
“Continue our conversation? Oh, you mean about going to college...um, maybe.”
He offered her his hand and she was about to take it, but she got up on her own.
What the hell?
“By the way, Reed. You’re not going to ride, are you?”
“I sure am!”
Her sad face got even sadder. “Do you think that’s wise? You don’t want to reinjure yourself.”
“A lot of guys ride with a lot worse.”
“That doesn’t mean that you should,” she said.
“Gee, Callie, you sound like you care.” They began walking together. He wanted to hold her hand, but he didn’t want the rejection that was sure to come. Why couldn’t things have stayed the way they were?
Too bad she’d found out about his playing the stock market. She’d just freaked and then shut down.
Finally, it was time for the little kids to show off. Big Dan was announcing the first contestant in the mutton busting. It was little Billy Waterson.
“Hold him around his neck, Billy!” Reed shouted as they approached the back of the arena.
“Go, Billy. Go!” yelled Callie.
He stayed on, his little arms clinging to the neck of the fuzzy sheep. When the horn blew, Billy rolled off.
He pumped his arm for the crowd and got a great applause.
Someone goofed and a good ten sheep got loose from behind the chutes and raced into the arena. It was a funny free-for-all as the kids decided to run after the sheep to round them up.
Reunited with the Bull Rider Page 16
