A Cowboy's Redemption

by Marin Thomas

  “I’m not hungry, thanks. I’ll wait until you’re ready. Take your time.”

  She wanted to point out that he’d probably need as much energy as possible if he was going to wrestle with a wild horse, but like her, he was a grown-up capable of making his own decisions. “Suit yourself.” She returned to the house, made sure Dani finished her breakfast and then brushed her teeth and used the bathroom before they said their goodbyes to José.

  “Call me when you arrive at the rodeo,” he said, following them to the door.

  Dani hugged him. “I love you, Papa.”

  It was almost comical to watch her father-in-law’s face when Dani told him she loved him. The old man turned to mush when it came to his granddaughter. No matter how much he dug his heels in about moving, Sara seriously doubted he’d be able to watch Dani leave without him.

  “I love you, too,” he said.

  Sara held the door open for Dani. “We’ll be fine, José. Don’t worry. Say hello to Betty and Leroy for me.” She closed the door and didn’t look back, but sensed José standing at the window watching the three of them get into Cruz’s truck.

  “When are we gonna be there?” Dani asked from the backseat.

  Sara hid a smile behind a fake yawn.

  “We haven’t even left Papago Springs yet,” Cruz said.

  “I know.” Dani stared out the window.

  “What kind of music do you like?” Cruz asked Sara as he backed out of the driveway and drove off.

  “Anything.”

  “Papa likes Johnny Cash,” Dani said.

  Cruz chuckled. “He does, does he?”

  “Dani’s grandmother was a big fan of Cash and after she passed away, José would listen to Sofia’s CDs.”

  “Maybe I can find an oldies station.” Cruz played with the radio until a Hank Williams song blasted through the speakers, then settled in for the long drive.

  “Are we there yet?”

  “Just about,” Cruz answered Dani an hour and a half after leaving Papago Springs. He’d expected there to be tension between him and Sara after she’d learned he’d done time in prison, but he was surprised at how comfortable it felt to have her sitting next to him. He’d had a few girlfriends in high school, but he hadn’t owned a car or taken a girl for a ride. One fateful night had robbed him of more than his freedom—it had stolen his youth.

  He slowed the truck as he approached the Alamogordo city limits. The town’s population boasted around thirty-five thousand residents but aside from the rodeo grounds there wasn’t much to the place.

  “Is this it?” The excitement in Dani’s voice made Cruz smile. She reminded him of his brother, Emilio, who’d gotten excited about the littlest things—like their mother allowing them to dig through her purse for the change at the bottom, then walk to the drugstore to buy candy.

  “I think the general parking is over there.” Sara pointed out the windshield.

  Cruz steered the truck in that direction and followed the line of vehicles entering the fairgrounds. While they waited to pay for parking, he removed his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out a ten-dollar bill.

  “I’ll pay for the parking,” Sara said.

  “You are paying.” He gave her a small smile and her cheeks flushed a pretty pink. He liked that he could make her blush, but now that she knew he wasn’t just a cowboy down on his luck but an ex-convict, it could be nervousness and not attraction that made her cheeks warm.

  He paid the attendant, then veered across the lot and stopped behind the livestock barns. “I don’t compete until noon,” he said. “Once I sign in, we’ll check the list of events. The smaller rodeos usually have activities for the kids earlier in the day before the main events.”

  “What kind of activities?” Sara asked.

  “They might have mutton bustin’ for the little ones or a pig catch.”

  “I’ve heard of mutton bustin’, but what’s a pig catch?”

  “It’s for older kids. They give them a burlap bag and let a handful of small pigs loose in a pen. The kids have thirty seconds to try and catch a squealer.”

  “I don’t like pigs,” Dani said.

  “Me, neither.” Cruz set the parking brake and got out of the truck. While Sara helped Dani from the backseat, he removed his gear bag from the pickup and slung it over his shoulder, then put his hat on. Growing up in the city, he’d never thought he’d be the kind of guy who wore a cowboy hat, but when Riley Fitzgerald bought him a Stetson before he’d competed in a junior rodeo in Vegas a lifetime ago, Cruz had known the minute he’d set the hat on his head that he’d found his calling. He might have been born and raised in Albuquerque, but he was a cowboy of the Rio Grande.

  “Nice hat,” Sara said.

  “Thanks.” He nodded to the outdoor arena. “I check in over there.”

  They crossed the parking lot where a line of cowboys waited to register for their events. “You can stand in the shade if you want,” Cruz said.

  “We’re fine. It’s not too hot yet. When you’re done, we’ll buy a couple of water bottles and then I’ll put sunscreen on Dani.”

  “I hate sunscreen. It’s all sticky.”

  “I know, but you’ll thank me later when you don’t have wrinkles in your thirties.”

  “Name?” The man at the table spoke when Cruz stepped forward.

  “Cruz Rivera. Saddle bronc.”

  The man looked up slowly and stared as if Cruz had grown two heads. He figured someone would have heard about him here at the rodeo—he just hoped they wouldn’t make a big deal out of it.

  “The Cruz Rivera?” the man asked.

  He nodded. It was a hell of a thing for a man to be famous. Too bad his reputation in the sport had been carved out behind a razor-wire fence.

  “Didn’t hear that you got out,” the man said.

  Cruz was acutely aware that the people around him had stopped speaking. His skin burned and it wasn’t from the sun’s rays.

  “I need my number.”

  “Yeah, sure.” The rodeo helper handed him a number and two safety pins to attach it to the back of his shirt. “Your draw is Nobody’s Business.”

  “What do you know about the bucker?” Cruz asked. He had no knowledge of the current roughstock champions.

  “He bucks high and tight, then rolls to the inside. Doesn’t do a whole lot more than that.”

  “Thanks.” Cruz turned away but stopped when the man spoke.

  “Heard you rode High Wire after he retired from the circuit.”

  High Wire was a four-time national champion and had been retired early for breeding purposes. The warden was close friends with the owners of the horse and that’s how High Wire had shown up at the prison rodeo and it had been no coincidence that Cruz had been assigned to ride the horse. The owners and the warden had fully expected Cruz to get bucked off—no cowboy had ever ridden High Wire to the buzzer. Rumor had it that the warden and the owners had put money down on the ride, certain Cruz would get bucked off.

  “Heard you made it to the buzzer, too.”

  “I did.” Cruz grew uncomfortable with the attention and turned away.

  “Good luck today!”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, he stepped away from the table, glad that no insults had been exchanged in front of Sara and Dani. “Ready?”

  Sara grabbed Dani’s hand and they followed him through a maze of rodeo personnel, then stopped behind the livestock chutes. He set his bag inside an empty stall and handed a twenty to an old man sitting nearby. “I ride at twelve-thirty.” The old man nodded as he took the bill.

  When they walked off, Sara asked, “Why’d you give him money?”

  “He watches the gear bags.”

  “He looked pretty old. Are you sure he won’t fall asleep on the jo
b?”

  “He might.” Cruz clutched Sara’s elbow and guided her around a group of chatting buckle bunnies, then released his hold. “Most of the old men who hang around the rodeos competed in their day. A lot of them have injuries that prevent them from being able to work on ranches or do manual labor. So they show up at rodeos and offer to keep an eye on the cowboy gear for extra money.”

  “That’s sad.”

  Sad, maybe, but a way of life for a lot of cowboys.

  “I’m hungry,” Dani said.

  Sara sniffed the air. “I smell doughnuts.”

  “Let’s check out the concession stand.” Cruz allowed his nose to lead him. On the way they stopped at the event table near the main entrance and grabbed a flyer listing the day’s events. Once they’d purchased a bag of doughnuts and water bottles, they sat at a table in the shade.

  “The mutton-bustin’ event is scheduled at ten-thirty. That’s an hour from now,” he said.

  “Is Dani old enough?”

  The sugar crystals at the corner of her mouth winked at Cruz and he tamped down the surge of desire that hit him when he thought of licking the sugar off her lips. “It’s pretty safe. They make the kids wear a helmet and the sheep are tame.”

  “Would you like to ride a sheep, honey?” Sara asked.

  Dani’s cheeks puffed out as she chewed her doughnut. She nodded, then swallowed. “Can I win a prize?”

  Cruz laughed.

  “She’s a little competitive.” Sara laughed.

  “I don’t know if you win anything,” Cruz said.

  “I wanna ride.” Dani finished a second doughnut, then wiped her mouth on a napkin and stood. “I’m ready.”

  “Let’s see if there’s still a spot open.” They stood in another line and registered Dani for the event, then picked out a helmet that fit snugly on her head. “We’ll sit over here and watch until they call your group.” Cruz picked seats high in the stands so Dani could see into the chute, where the rodeo helpers put the kids on the backs of the sheep.

  The chute doors opened and the first group came out—a little boy and two little girls fell off immediately. Dani glanced at Cruz. “They’re not very good.”

  “It’s harder than it looks,” Cruz said.

  “I bet I won’t fall.”

  “It’s not nice to brag, Dani,” Sara said.

  The next group of kids were placed on the sheep and one of the animals walked out of his chute when the door opened.

  “How come the sheep isn’t running?” Dani asked.

  “Some run. Others walk. You never can tell what the sheep might do,” he said.

  “I hope mine runs,” Dani said.

  “I hope yours walks,” Sara said.

  Cruz chuckled at the mother-daughter squabble, then his gaze met Sara’s and for an instant it felt as though they were a family. Just as soon as the feeling came, it disappeared, leaving a hollow feeling in his chest.

  Chapter Six

  “You’re ready,” Sara said, tightening the strap of Dani’s protective headgear. “But you don’t have to ride if you’ve changed your mind.”

  “I wanna ride.” Dani looked at Cruz, her brown eyes wide. “Will you put me on the sheep?”

  “Sure thing.” Cruz stepped forward and grasped Dani beneath the arms, then swung her over the back of the animal and held on until she found her seat.

  The two could pass for father-daughter. Sara was at once sad for Dani that her daughter had lost her father early in life. And sad for Tony that his daughter had so easily entrusted herself to Cruz’s care, as if she couldn’t remember her father at all. Sara glanced at the sky—a habit she’d acquired after Tony had passed away. At first she’d wanted to believe he was looking down on them. Later, after the numbness of his death had passed, her glances heavenward were more like accusatory glares.

  Hadn’t Tony considered that eventually something bad could happen if he continued working at the clinic in the barrio? Why couldn’t he have lived in the real world instead of a make-believe one, where he was every man’s hero but no hero to his own wife and daughter?

  “Take a picture for Papa.” Dani preened.

  Sara pulled her iPhone from her purse and snapped a few photos. Then she widened the image to include Cruz crouched next to Dani and clicked again. How could a man who was worried about a child injuring herself be a cold, hard criminal? Sara knew there had to be more to the story on how he’d landed in prison.

  “Ladies and gents, we’ve got our final group of little wranglers ready to go in our mutton-bustin’ competition this morning!” The announcer’s voice boomed over the sound system and applause filled the outdoor arena.

  “Up first is a pretty little filly named Dani. Can you wave to the crowd, cowgirl?”

  Dani swung her arm back and forth—the child didn’t have a shy bone in her body.

  “Dani’s riding on Eloise, a rough, tough bucker from the Madison ranch in Branch Springs.”

  “What if I fall, Mr. Cruz?” Dani asked.

  “Then you hop up off the ground and run right back here,” Cruz said. “But if you stay on until you hear the buzzer, you’ll win a ribbon.”

  “Okay, I’m gonna win.”

  Cruz smiled, a true genuine grin that stole Sara’s breath. Automatically she lifted the phone and snapped his image, then repeated the action when he swung his head toward her, his smile still in place. No man had a right to be that handsome.

  “Go, Dani, go!” Sara shouted when the gate opened and a rodeo helper smacked the sheep’s hindquarters. The animal trotted out of the enclosure and across the arena at an even pace. Dani’s little body bounced up and down but she hung on, the crowd cheering encouragement.

  The buzzer sounded. “Well, lookee there,” the announcer bellowed. “Our little cowgirl got the best of Eloise. Congratulations, Dani!”

  Cruz stepped into the arena and cupped his hands around his mouth, then shouted, “Slide off, Dani!” The sheep changed directions and trotted back toward the chute, Dani still clinging to its back. When it drew a few yards away, Cruz approached and lifted Dani off the sheep, then twirled her in a circle. The crowd applauded and Dani giggled.

  “Now there’s a great daddy-daughter picture!” Music followed the announcer’s statement.

  Sara’s heart ached as she watched the pair. When Cruz headed down the road again, Dani would miss him. Had it been foolish of her to ask Cruz to stick around longer? Was she only making things worse for her daughter—never mind herself? She couldn’t deny that she wanted something to happen between her and Cruz, even though a long-term relationship was out of the question. The acknowledgment made her admit that she’d be using him as her rebound guy after Tony’s death and that seemed cold, especially when he treated Dani so well.

  “Mama! Did you see me?”

  Sara dropped to her knees and held out her arms. Dani’s little body slammed into her and she squeezed her tight. “I sure did.”

  “I won!”

  “Congratulations, honey.” She glanced at Cruz and caught the unguarded look in his eyes as he watched her. The man was lonely and starving for affection. To lead him on would be cruel. “Are you hungry?” she asked her daughter, taking her hand.

  Dani nodded.

  “Let’s find a concession stand and grab a snack.” She walked off, assuming Cruz would follow. When he didn’t, she stopped. “Aren’t you coming?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve got to get ready for my ride.”

  He wasn’t competing for an hour. Maybe he wished to be left alone. “You can take Dani through the barns to see the animals,” he said.

  “Sure.” She smiled. “Good luck with your ride.” And please, God, don’t get hurt in front of Dani. She walked away from the chutes, her feelings for Cruz in turmoil.
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  “He’s nice, Mama.”

  Distracted by her thoughts, she mumbled, “Who?”

  “Mr. Cruz.”

  “Yes, he is.”

  “I wish he was my daddy.”

  Startled, Sara didn’t know what to say. Taking the easy way out, she pointed to the white barn across the parking lot. “Let’s look at the horses before we grab a bite to eat.” Maybe admiring the bucking stock would make her forget the lonely look in Cruz’s eyes.

  * * *

  NOW THAT SARA and Dani had walked off, Cruz took a deep breath. Damn his parole officer. Couldn’t the man have waited another week before checking up on him? You were living in a fantasy world. Someone had to knock some sense into you.

  He made his way through the throng of cowboys, gathered in groups entertaining each other with far-fetched rodeo tales. It was obvious that Sara felt uncomfortable around him now that she knew he’d done prison time. In all honesty he didn’t know why she hadn’t told him to pack his bags and leave.

  An image of her pretty face flashed before his eyes. Maybe he did know why she hadn’t kicked him to the curb. She was attracted to him. Why was anybody’s guess. He had nothing to offer her.

  Maybe she likes the idea of being with an ex-con.

  He cursed himself for the uncharitable thought. Sara wasn’t like that. She didn’t use people. She was kind and gentle.

  And lonely.

  He might have been in prison for twelve years, locked away from the female race, but he wasn’t so hard inside that he couldn’t recognize emotion in another person. He had no idea what kind of relationship Sara had had with her husband, but there was no denying the aching need in her eyes when she watched him.

  Cruz stopped in front of the old man who’d kept an eye on his bag. “Thanks.” He reached for his gear but froze when the man spoke.

  “I knew yer daddy way back when. He still in prison?”

  Cruz nodded. His father had written several letters while Cruz had been serving his sentence but Cruz hadn’t answered them. There was nothing left to say—he’d been a huge disappointment to his father, who’d expected better from his son.