Enchanted by the Rodeo Queen--A Clean Romance

by Melinda Curtis

  “That was Tina Reilly on Deadly, a very special horse owned by the Bucking Bull Ranch. That gelding lasted longer in the ring with Buttercup than most cowboys. Let’s give those two a round of applause.”

  Emily clapped until her hands hurt.

  And then came the pattern competition. Tina drew a lanky gray horse that rivaled Deadly in temperament. Tina guided the horse through its paces with an easygoing smile. The pair finished with two seconds to spare, eliciting applause from the crowd.

  That night, the rodeo queen candidates lined up on a stage next to the rodeo ring. They wore their evening gowns. Tina had the requisite ringlets and dangly earrings but her dress was pinker than Em’s favorite boots. Boy did she stand out. Emily sat with the Reillys and shrieked just as loud as Tina’s mother when Tina made the final five. Emily even applauded for Madison when her name was called.

  The finalists were ushered offstage and the interviews began. Each contestant was asked the same questions about political issues, animal husbandry, the state of rodeo today and what their dreams were.

  Madison was adorable, but her answers were predictable. Madison prayed every night for world peace? She needed a dream that wasn’t a cliché if she wanted to win.

  Emily choked up thinking about dreams. Hers had been stomped on by Jonah.

  Finally, it was Tina’s turn. She showed her polish and her smarts with thoughtful answers and a smile as big as Idaho. And when it came to the dream question...

  “I want to study animal biometrics,” Tina said, her smile never dimming. “That may sound like a mouthful, but it’s basically just using technology in new ways. So you all may see me managing my family ranch in the future, or you might just read about me developing an app that serves as an early warning system to detect sickness in cattle. But whatever dream I achieve, I will always remember my experience as a rodeo queen contestant. I cannot tell you how much confidence I’ve gained just by competing with these talented, wonderful ladies.” She thanked the judges and practically floated in a hot pink cloud to rejoin the other four finalists.

  Emily held her breath when it came time for the winner to be announced. And when she heard Tina’s name, she leaped to her feet and hollered at the top of her lungs.

  Not five minutes later, Tina came running down to greet her family.

  “I won! I won! I won!” Tina hugged her parents. “I still can’t believe it.” And then she embraced Emily. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  A petite blonde came up to them with a stunned smile on her face. “Congratulations, Tina.”

  The kind, benevolent, stock-in-trade smile appeared on Tina’s face. “Thanks, Madison. I really enjoyed watching you ride today.” Tina waited until Madison walked away to turn back to Emily with a soft “Squee!”

  “You found something you respect about her.” Emily hugged her again, but her gaze was beginning to roam, looking for a familiar redhead.

  Which was silly. Jonah would never show up at a rodeo queen competition.

  * * *

  THE NEXT DAY, several little girls ran up to Tina, asking for her autograph and a picture. Then Tina and her court opened the rodeo with victory laps. Emily watched from the area outside the main gate. Tina and Deadly raced by her in a blur of black, the American flag flying above their heads.

  The arena was slick in one corner from rain the night before. Emily held her breath until the girls closed out their last lap without any horse slipping and falling. Kyle’s horse did everything Tina asked of him and with style. Her heart swelled with pride.

  The rodeo hands opened the gates and the girls thundered through, pulling up a few feet away from Emily. She moved forward, prepared to take Deadly for a cooldown walk around the rodeo parking lot.

  Tina smiled and laughed and congratulated her court on a great performance. And then she hopped off Deadly and hugged him.

  Emily’s steps faltered. She let Tina have her moment.

  The petite teen drew Deadly’s head down and kissed his nose. And then she turned, wiping tears from her eyes and smiled at Emily. “He’s the best, isn’t he?”

  Blinking back tears, Emily nodded.

  She took Deadly and walked him through the horse trailer–filled parking lot to the Bucking Bull’s trailer. She tethered the big gelding to the tailgate. “You’re a winner, big fella. Kyle would be proud of you. He’s going to be proud of me, too, whatever job I take.”

  She’d most likely wrangle bulls for Bradley Holliday, many of them from the Bucking Bull Ranch, but she was only allowed to have one horse on the circuit and it would have to be Razzy. Except...

  Who would ride Deadly when she left? Who would love him for the smart, magnificent beast he was? Prickly though he might be...

  For a moment, Emily’s feelings toward Deadly became tangled with her feelings for Jonah. She wrapped her arms around Deadly’s neck the way Tina had and hung on, not wanting to let go.

  “You okay?” someone called to her.

  “Yeah.” Emily removed Deadly’s tack and stored it in the trailer. And then with a halter on, she walked him to the Flying R’s horse trailer.

  “Here, I...” She leaned against Deadly’s shoulder, knowing full well she’d have glitter on her back. There was already a layer of it on the front of her pink button-down. “I think a rodeo queen needs a mighty steed.”

  “Oh no, I can’t.” But there was longing in Tina’s eyes.

  Her father came for the lead rope. “Just for the rodeo season.”

  “Or longer,” Emily murmured, because how could you deny a rodeo queen a love like that?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  JONAH WAS PRINTING out The Ballad of Letty Moody the day Emily was expected to return from the rodeo when someone pounded on the bunkhouse door.

  He’d stayed in the bunkhouse like an opposing general holding hard-won ground. He’d stayed, weathering Franny’s scowls from across the ranch yard. He’d stayed and written faster than he’d ever put together a script before, even the one featuring Emily.

  The knob turned and the door opened. “Hey, Jonah.” Adam held onto the doorknob with one hand and gripped a half-eaten chocolate chip cookie with the other.

  Bolt shouldered his way past Franny’s youngest son and meandered over to greet Jonah. At least the dog still liked him.

  “My mom wants to know why you haven’t gone home.” Adam took a bite of cookie.

  “Well.” Jonah scratched behind Bolt’s ears, ignoring the way the dog raised his nose in the direction of Jonah’s lunch plate and the remains of a tofu burger. Maybe the dog didn’t like him as much as his food. “You can tell her I plan to make a move tomorrow.” A move on Emily.

  “Okay.” Adam stuffed the rest of the cookie in his mouth and wiped his fingers on his T-shirt, which was black and didn’t show chocolate smudges. He blinked up at Jonah, minus his usual smile. “Is it true?”

  “Is what true?” Did the kid know about him breaking Emily’s heart?

  “Are you making Mike Moody’s story into a movie?” Blink-blink-blink went his eyes.

  Jonah laid a hand on the pages, still warm from the printer. “I’m setting things in motion. Maybe in a year or two the movie will be in theaters.” If Jonah was lucky.

  He’d sent a revised treatment to Maury, who’d crowed about the lack of stink, mollified after withdrawing Jonah’s scripts from consideration.

  Jonah hadn’t sent a word to his father. Let the old man judge his efforts on the big screen.

  Adam shrugged. “Adults take a long time to do stuff.” He called for Bolt and slammed the door behind them.

  Jonah set about cleaning the kitchenette and packing his things. It didn’t take long. He hadn’t brought much to Second Chance.

  Someone banged on his door.

  Expecting Franny with an ultimatum to vacate the premises, Jonah opened the
door with what he hoped was a placating smile on his face.

  “Darn long walk from home to here.” Gertie pushed inside past him, leaning on her cane as she headed for one of the chairs by the table where Jonah had worked the last few weeks. She sat down and plunked her bag of knitting on the floor.

  Jonah closed the door and trailed after her, much like Bolt trailed after the Clarks.

  “You’ve made a mess of things.” She dug in her knitting bag.

  “That I have.” Jonah sat across from her, leaning his arms on the table. “You could’ve made it a little easier on me.”

  “Ha.” She set her music box on the table between them.

  It was exquisitely made. The wood worn in places where hands had grasped the sides of the lid. The top had a delicate inlay, a bird in flight.

  Jonah opened the box to the notes of “You Are My Sunshine.” “Is this Letty’s music box?”

  Gertie shrugged. “Who can say for sure? All I know is Emily mentioned the things Letty stole and this has been in the Clark family for generations.”

  “So you didn’t know if it was connected to the Moodys?” Jonah closed the lid, drumming his fingers on top.

  “No.” Gertie drew a deep breath and gestured toward Aria’s watercolor portrait on the refrigerator. “That’s a good likeness of you. It catches all your sharp edges and your sensitive soul.”

  Jonah stared at his face, trying to see the sensitive parts the old woman spoke of.

  “That picture says there’s more to you than meets the eye.” She nodded toward him. “What are your intentions toward my sweet Em?”

  “Good ones.” Jonah remained close-lipped.

  Gertie frowned. “Beyond good. What are you going to do to make her happy?” She reclaimed possession of the music box, tucking it between skeins of blue yarn in her bag. “I’ve been politicking for you at the house. Franny wanted to toss you out days ago.”

  “I appreciate your support.” And given Adam’s visit, he imagined Franny’s indulgence of Gertie’s whims were at an end.

  She latched onto his forearm and squeezed, none too gently. “How do I know you won’t ask Em to marry you and then break it off like you did before?”

  “Because I love her. Absolutely. Wholeheartedly.” Jonah covered Gertie’s warm hand with his own. “Because when I think about a life without her my insides ache and my chest feels like it’s filled with lead. Because everyone asks for things from Monroes, but she asks for nothing but love. Because...” He gently removed her hand and sat back. “All the reasons I love Emily... She’s got to hear them first.”

  “I knew you’d come around.” She pushed herself to her feet and winked at him. “I knew you’d make a good husband and father before you knew it yourself.”

  “I suppose you did.” Jonah stared at Aria’s painting of his face one last time before tearing it up and throwing it away.

  * * *

  WHEN EMILY GOT home from the rodeo, it was late. Everyone was asleep. All she wanted to do was collapse in her own bed, wake up early, pack what she’d need for the next few months and then leave in the morning. On to her new, Jonah-free life.

  Jonah had other plans.

  Her bed wasn’t empty. A script rested on her pillow.

  The Ballad of Letty Moody by Jonah Monroe and...

  No.

  She dropped the entire manuscript into her bedroom trash can and fell back on the bed, closing her eyes. The creep. He’d put her name on the title page underneath his.

  Franny had texted that he hadn’t left the ranch. Em knew he’d try to make up for what he’d done. She knew she had to harden her heart if he did. She’d rehearsed how she’d accept his apology. Graciously. Firmly. With just the right amount of distance to let him know there were no hard feelings. In fact, there were no soft feelings, either.

  And then this.

  Her name on the script. It felt like something important.

  She rubbed the heels of her hands around her eyes.

  What did her name on the title page mean? She wasn’t a writer. She was a cowgirl.

  The house was quiet. No creaking wood. No groan as it stood up to the wind. No one up to talk to about this peace offering of Jonah’s.

  Outside, the ranch was quiet, too. No cattle calling gently into the night. No owl announcing it was awake and on the hunt. No calls of one cowboy to another as there had been at the rodeo.

  She should fall asleep easily. A few bedtime rituals and when her head hit the pillow, she’d close her eyes and it would be easy to forget Jonah. To forget his smile and snark, to forget how he held her tenderly and kissed her like he couldn’t live without her.

  But there was a script in her trash can about Letty Moody.

  Letty, not Mike. And her name was on the first page.

  She couldn’t forget that Jonah was offering her a new dream to reach for. If she was brave enough to stand beside him.

  Emily heaved herself out of bed. She did everything a non-brokenhearted woman would do before going to sleep. She changed into pajamas. She brushed her teeth. She filled a glass of water and put it on the nightstand. She slid beneath the covers and turned out the light.

  She could try to forget Jonah or she could try to reach for something, like Kyle had wanted her to. Her insides were bottled up with fear.

  There’s always fear, Kyle had told her once after they’d dodged an ornery bull that got loose in the arena and tried to trample them. There’s always fear, but you just have to take a deep breath and work past it.

  There was still a script about Letty Moody in the trash can.

  Letty, not Mike. And her name was printed on top for everyone to see.

  Emily took a deep breath, sat up and saved Jonah’s work from the garbage.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  “I MISSED YOU, AUNTY EM.” Adam clung to Emily’s leg while she buttered his toast the next morning.

  “I missed you, too, bug.” The words were hard to say. Not because she’d stayed up too late reading Jonah’s script, but because she was going to miss Adam the moment she drove out the ranch gates in a few days to join Halliday’s crew.

  “Did Deadly win?” Davey smooshed his scrambled eggs between two slices of bread.

  “Yeah, did he?” Charlie paused between bites of a similar breakfast.

  “Tina won while riding Deadly.” Emily had almost forgotten the news in the midst of her homecoming gift.

  “Sweet.” Davey spoke around his egg sandwich, holding it together with one hand. “I’ll bring Deadly some carrots to celebrate.”

  “About that...” Emily got Adam situated at the kitchen table. “Deadly is on tour with Tina.”

  “What does tour mean?” Adam asked.

  “She’s going to travel around, ride in some parades and compete with him at the state level.”

  “But he’s coming back,” Charlie said past a mouthful of food.

  “He’s not,” Davey said miserably, taking in Emily with a dark look.

  “Boys, you have two minutes to finish eating before I drive you into town.” Franny was in four-star-general mode, issuing commands. “Let’s have some faith in Emily’s choices and be proud of Deadly going on tour.”

  Davey brought his plate to the sink. He stared at Emily a moment and then hugged her. “I miss him.”

  Emily brushed a hand over Davey’s thick brown hair, knowing he wasn’t talking about Deadly. “I miss your dad, too, honey.”

  “In thirty seconds, I’m heading out the door,” Franny announced, grabbing her cell phone.

  “Go on.” Emily held onto Davey’s shoulders. “You can warm up the truck if you get there before your mom.”

  He backed away and then raced upstairs.

  “First Kyle. Then Deadly. Now you.” Franny stood with her arms crossed, frowning but not fooling Emily. The
re were tears waiting to flow behind that frown.

  “It’s just for the rodeo season,” Emily said stiffly, turning to rinse off plates, staring at the spot in the backsplash where the grout was worn away. Wondering if Shane was going to get it fixed.

  “Of course it’s just for the season.” Franny didn’t believe Em. Her words were gruff and she sniffed.

  “Out in the world, you’re going to meet the cowboy you deserve,” Gertie reassured Emily. “And start your own spread. Doesn’t have to be like this one.”

  But how Emily wanted it to be. She loved the familiar rhythms of the Bucking Bull and the Idaho mountains.

  “There’s a cowboy outside.” Adam ran to the front window and pressed his nose to the glass.

  “Did you bring a cowboy home instead of Deadly?” Charlie hurried to join his brother.

  Franny looked at Emily, a question in her eyes.

  Emily raised her hands. “I came home alone.”

  “You boys don’t know what you’re talking about.” Davey came thundering down the stairs. “That’s Jonah.”

  Emily’s heart began a thundering beat faster than Davey’s feet had been.

  The rest of the Clarks joined the boys at the front window.

  Jonah stood in the ranch yard wearing cowboy boots, boot-cut jeans, a blue checked button-down and a white hat.

  “What’s he doin’, Aunty Em?” Adam asked.

  “He’s waiting for a certain cowgirl.” Gertie nudged Emily. “Go on.”

  “He’s asking too much,” Emily murmured, chest bound in fear.

  “Emily Clark!” Jonah shouted, tipping the brim of his hat back. He wore a half smile and a worried look around the eyes. “Get on out here.”

  “He sounds just like the sheriff calling the bad guys out of the saloon.” Davey glanced up at Emily. “What did you do?”

  “Something bad, I bet,” Charlie said, leaning on the windowsill.