“I don’t remember that.” She was skeptical. “How could I push you down? You’re all muscle.”
“You did. You’re strong, sweetheart. I think since that moment, you’ve always associated me with your mama’s death. I understood. It’s why I didn’t tear down the walls you built between us. And it’s why I’ve waited so long to do this.”
He kissed her, a gentle kiss on the lips, discreet in the crowd of dancers around them, but it was a tease that ignited her, leaving her body shivering and burning for more. When it was over, she was speechless, so she rested her head against his chest, comforted in his arms.
“You should hear the way your papa talks about you,” he told her. “He’s so proud of you.”
“He talks about me?” she asked, surprised. “We live in two separate worlds. I can’t imagine he has a whole lot to say.”
“He has everything to say. You’re his daughter. There’s nothing you can do that’s wrong.”
“Except slight everything he cares about. I’ve been such a bitch when it comes to his commitment to the rodeo. He must hate me for it.”
“Never. He’s proud of how individual you are. And how smart you are. And generous.”
“Are we still talking about my papa?” she whispered, her voice thick with longing. She looked up into the gold of Owen’s eyes, which were filled with a wilderness she wanted to know.
“Girls off the floor!” the singer of the band hollered from the stage. “It’s time for the dance-off!”
Before they had a chance to kiss again, she was pulled off the floor by unknown arms. “What’s going on?” she asked Dakota at their table. “What the hell is a dance-off? I don’t remember this.”
“Maybe it’s new,” Dakota offered. “They divide the girls from the guys. The guys always go first. A random song is picked, and they have to dance to it. It’ll be something crazy, like hip hop or emo. It’s pretty hilarious. Some of the guys are good, but most are bad. So bad,” she said, smirking. “The girls always win.”
“Hmmm,” Mary Beth said, taking a sip of her drink. “Interesting. I can’t wait to see Eddie and Owen falling over themselves on stage.”
“Oh, we won’t be here for that.” Dakota stood and pulled Mary Beth towards the exit.
“Wait! I want to watch.”
Dakota stopped. “If you stay, you also have to play. You’ll be up next. Do you really want to shake your good stuff to a room full of strangers?”
She often did at the clubs in LA, unashamed of her goods, but she wasn’t in the mood tonight. “No,” she relented, heeding Dakota’s wisdom. “I think the fresh air will do me some good. I haven’t sweated this much since I made my premiere on the red carpet.”
“You were on a red carpet?”
“A few, but no one really paid attention to me. I have no desire to be famous. Just adored.”
They stepped outside into the night. Above, the stars sparkled down, and Mary Beth couldn’t help but think of her mama, wondering if the stars were a gate to heaven.
“Seems like Owen adores you,” Dakota stated. “I saw him kiss you on the dance floor.”
“It was innocent,” Mary Beth insisted. “But it was a mistake. My emotions are bubbled up at the moment like bad champagne.”
“I didn’t want to ask, but you do seem a bit sad behind your smile.”
“I could say the same about you.”
“It’s my family. I miss them,” Dakota admitted. “Especially my brother. It’s not so lonely with Eddie in my life, but I still miss them.”
“Family is everything,” Mary Beth agreed. “My papa is in the hospital. He’s in pretty bad shape. He has a virus that could destroy his heart.”
“I’m so sorry to hear it,” Dakota said. “So that’s why you came out here? To stand-in for him?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know why he sent me. I’m not really needed, except for a few press calls here and there. His staff has it under control. They don’t know about his condition, of course. No one knows.”
As they talked, they wandered. The events of the day were finished. The grounds had all been abandoned, except for a few stragglers who stayed behind to care for the barn animals. Everyone else was in the dance hall. The music and lights pouring from the dance hall was a beacon, summoning them back, warning them of dangers, but they continued on.
They stopped in an alley between the beer tents, the same where she and Owen had talked earlier. She wanted to believe it was a coincidence, but her more rational side told her she’d subconsciously returned, Owen on her mind.
“Dead end,” she muttered.
“Yeah,” Dakota said, distracted. She grabbed Mary Beth’s arm like a nesting crow grasping at straw. “You know how you confided in me about your father?” She talked quickly. “Well, I have something to tell you too. A few weeks ago, Eddie got on the bad side of a bookie named Girey who tried to kidnap us so he could drown us. He’s got some beef against the Tyrell Clan, but especially Eddie. Obviously, he didn’t succeed, but he got away.”
“Dakota, you’re shaking. What’s wrong?” she asked, trying to process the story. It was shocking to hear. “Are you okay?”
“No. I’m not okay. And neither are you. Someone has been following us. I thought I was imagining it, that I was being paranoid, but he’s walking towards us now, and I’m pretty sure he’s one of Girey’s men.”
Mary Beth looked. Sure enough, a guy in a leather jacket and ski mask stalked towards them, full of menace. Whatever his intentions were, they were not good.
Chapter Four
Beside her, Dakota continued to shake, a fear within her that Mary Beth knew little about but made her heart break for the woman. “Don’t worry,” she reassured her new friend. “I’ve got this.”
She focused on the man. “I’ll give you one chance to leave,” she said coolly.
“Or what?” he sneered.
Mary Beth removed one of her stilettos. “Because my papa never made me go to the rodeo, but he did make me take self-defense classes, and I was damn good at them.”
“I’d like to see what you’re good at, but first I have to take her to Girey.”
This caused Dakota to scream out Eddie’s name as loud as her lungs allowed. “Eddie! I need you!”
Minutes later, two bears charged into the alley, large grizzlies with fangs that could kill. Though bears, the fear and love in their eyes was evident, shining through the gold. It wasn’t just Eddie’s eyes. It was Owen’s too. They roared, claiming their dominance, but it was unnecessary. Mary Beth already had the man pinned to the ground, her stiletto raised over his head, threatening to impale him if he moved.
“Don’t worry, boys. I’ve got this under control.”
The bears changed back into their human form. As they did, the man pushed Mary Beth off and ran. Eddie chased after him, but he returned soon after, empty-handed. He went to Dakota and held her tight.
“I’m okay,” she reassured him. “Mary Beth was amazing.”
It didn’t calm Eddie. He remained tense and protective. “I’ll take you back to the trailer. This party is over.”
“You did good,” Owen praised her when they were gone. “How did you overtake the bastard?”
She blew on the heel of her stiletto like it was a smoking gun. “A girl doesn’t tell. What was that all about, anyway? I like Dakota, but she certainly has her secrets.”
“That’s trouble you don’t want to get involved in,” he warned.
“Are you telling me not to be her friend?”
“No, I’m telling you not to ask around about Girey. I don’t want you to have to defend yourself again.”
“I can handle myself.”
“I know you can.” He took her stiletto from her and put it back on her foot, his hand lingering on her leg. “You can handle anything.”
She closed her eyes, embracing the night. “I thought you told me to stay out of trouble.”
“I’m not trouble,” he said, his voice low,
like a growl.
Standing, he put his arms around her like they were dancing again. His hands were strong on her waist. They took her hostage and refused to let go. When he bent down to kiss her, she was frightened by how much she wanted Owen, by how strong her feelings were. The thick bulge in his jeans declared to her how much he wanted her too, but her affection for Owen went deeper than lust. It went back to their adolescence, and to their years fighting through their attraction, their walls high, but she stepped out of his embrace.
“Not with Papa in the hospital.”
“I get it,” he said. “I don’t want to take advantage.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know,” he assured her. “Everything will be okay, but you need your rest. How about I call you a cab so you can sleep away your worries back at your hotel where it’s safe?”
“Thanks,” she said, “but I’m not going to my hotel. I’m ready to go home. I want to see my papa. I’m going to call the airport and have them ready the jet.”
“Don’t leave yet. Stay another day. I’m riding tomorrow. Will you watch? If I win, I’ll give you my lucky hat.”
“Did Papa tell you to keep me here?”
“No, but I think it’s what he’d want.”
“Sure,” she said, truly eager to see him in action. “But only for the morning. I really do want to get back.”
“I’ll follow you back to LA as soon as the rodeo is over.”
“He’d like that. And so would I.”
More than she could ever admit.
***
Stepping into the arena was like returning back to an old home. Memories she’d pushed aside flooded back to her. Roping a piglet when she was six. Crying because she was afraid she’d hurt the piglet. Showing ponies between the bigger events. She’d never been on a bull. Her papa wouldn’t let her, nor did she want to. It wasn’t for her. Even back then, Mary Beth preferred a manicure over a trophy. But had she gotten on a bull, it would have been for fun only. They didn’t have women’s competitions when she was a teen, but they did now.
Holding an armful of medals, Mary Beth went to the podium in the middle of the arena where the women bull riders stood. She placed a medal over each of their heads, saving the gold medal for Brianna Jackson, the auburn-haired champion with the powerful green eyes. She also handed her a fat trophy and an even fatter check, which Brianna graciously accepted.
It was the early afternoon. Owen had gotten the schedules mixed up. He would be competing after lunch, and likely into the early evening. The riders went in rounds, the champion the rider with the best average score. She didn’t mind, except that she was anxious to get back to her papa. It was fun reliving her childhood, much more so than she thought it would be, but now was not the time for fun. She had to be with her papa. She didn’t care if it went against his wishes. When she returned that evening, she wouldn’t leave his side again.
Later, as Owen prepared to ride, she stood by the fence, ignoring her right to the reclining seats and exotic drinks in the corporate tent. It was good to be outdoors. She’d forgotten how much she coveted the fresh air. Not enough to leave the smog of LA. She was still a city girl. She liked to go clubbing, shop the fashion boutiques, and walk the red carpet, but she also liked the parts of the world where nature dominated, like the mountains of the Wild West.
It’s good for the skin, she contemplated with a small joy.
In the arena, Owen entered the chute, the pen the bull was in, and then his ride began. The crowd roared for him, and the arena lit up as fans and the press took their photos. When he was bucked off, his ride over, he stood and turned in a circle, smiling for all who cheered. When his eyes met hers, he tipped his hat.
That’s mine, she mouthed.
The silent exchange was interrupted when her phone rang. “Hello,” she answered, struggling to hear through the noise around her.
“Mary Beth Chaudett?”
“Yes.”
“I’m one of the nurses at the hospital treating your father. We need you to hurry back.”
Chapter Five
Hospital called. On jet home. Sorry couldn’t stay until the end.
Frustrated, as soon as Mary Beth sent the text to Owen, she threw her phone against the seat across from her. She should have stayed by her papa’s side. If he passed and she wasn’t there, she would never forgive herself. Tears filled her eyes, but she shook them away. She had to stay strong, for her papa.
The jet had been delayed on the runway at the airport, so it was late by the time they landed. She was exhausted, but she went straight to the hospital, bracing herself for the worst, but outside the door of her papa’s room, she stalled, afraid to go in. She could protect herself from men in dark allies, but she couldn’t protect herself against this.
A hand was placed on her shoulder, and she spun around. “Owen!” she cried, surprised to see him. “How did you get here so fast?”
“You’re not the only one with access to a private jet, sweetheart. I’m a superstar, remember?” He joked, but there was no humor in him. He was as frightened as she was. She could read it in him. His fear was dark, but his love for her papa was bright.
“I’m so scared,” she said, embracing him, letting him be the strong one, a role she knew he was comfortable with. Still, it wasn’t fair on him, but it was what she needed, for someone else to be brave so she could cry.
As her tears soaked into his T-shirt, he ran his hand through the strands of her blonde hair, soothing her. “Don’t worry, darling. We’ll get through it together.”
It helped. Sniffling, she wiped her tears away. “Let’s go in.”
The lights were off in the room, but her papa was wide awake. Propped up in his bed, he had the television on and was cracking up to a late night program.
“Now I know why you stay up until sunrise,” he said to Mary Beth, his face red with laughter. “This stuff is a hoot. I think I’ll buy the network so I can air it all day.”
“Papa,” Mary Beth uttered, confused. She went to him, cautious. “The hospital called and told me to hurry back. I thought… Well, it doesn’t really matter. You look okay. Are you okay?”
He waved his hand as if the machines he was hooked up to were nothing. “I’m fine. The virus is out of my system. My heart is fine too.”
She looked at Owen who stood by the door, as bewildered as she was. “Then why did the hospital call?” she asked.
“Because I need a ride home, and I didn’t want to go home by myself.”
Finally, she let the relief of her papa’s good form overtake her. “I’m glad you called,” she said, falling onto the bed with him. She was moved by his sentiment. “You know you can always call me, Papa.”
***
The virus was gone, but her papa still needed his rest, so while he slept in his bedroom at the mansion, Mary Beth and Owen took a stroll down by the lake, consuming the morning, ignoring their own fatigue. As they walked, Owen’s hand was wrapped firmly around hers. It was sweet, but her body wanted more than sweet. A heat settled upon the land, kissing her skin left bare by her sleeveless denim dress, the same sensation she felt when she imagined Owen running his lips over her body.
Jackson (BBW Secret Baby Bear Shifter Romance) (Secret Baby Bears Book 3) Page 11
