The Bull Rider's Son

by Cathy McDavid

  * * *

  “I DON’T KNOW, SHANE. Seems like a lot of driving for you to do in one day.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  There was a pause on the phone as Judy considered his request to take Bria for an unscheduled visit tomorrow. “You’d have to be here early in the morning. By seven sharp. My class starts at eight.”

  “No problem.”

  “And have her home by six. It’s pizza night.”

  “No problem.”

  Another pause. Judy wasn’t making this easy on him. Their agreement as to when and for how long he had their daughter was literally brand-new and on a trial basis. He didn’t want to pressure Judy too much or not keep his word, just on the chance she’d react negatively.

  On the other hand, someone had to watch Bria while Judy attended her all-day real estate class. Why not Shane instead of the sweet, elderly neighbor? Especially when he could take Bria to a birthday party with other children her age. A much better option than her sitting in front of a TV for hours on end. Shane hadn’t included that last part when he made his pitch to Judy.

  He heard a long, drawn-out sigh. He also heard a man’s voice in the background, muffled and indistinguishable. Must be the fiancé, Shane thought, and ground his teeth. Was the man telling her not to give in?

  “Fine,” Judy finally said. “See you in the morning.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

  Shane was grateful for Judy’s understanding, and from what he could tell, her fiancé’s cooperation. Perhaps he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion and the three of them could effectively parent Bria.

  Pocketing his phone, Shane continued walking down Center Avenue, Reckless’s main thoroughfare. Normally, he’d be at the arena on a Friday afternoon. Mercer, however, had cut him and several of the bull wranglers loose for the evening.

  With the Jamboree Rodeo just next weekend, practicing for events was at an all-time frenzy. A group of calf ropers had reserved the arena tonight, under Cassidy’s direction, which meant there would be no bull-riding practices until tomorrow. Shane had decided to take advantage of the unexpected free time by familiarizing himself with the town and, now that he and Bria were officially attending Benjie’s birthday party, shop for a gift.

  What did one get a six-year-old boy? All Shane and his brother had wanted at Benjie’s age were things related to do horses and riding. Living at the Easy Money Arena, Benjie already had more than Shane could have ever dreamed of owning.

  He crossed at the next corner, taking in the sights. Reckless boasted the usual small-town businesses: feed store, gas station, several restaurants, ice cream parlor, convenience market that also rented DVDs and sold bait, a shipping store, two real estate offices, a post office and public library.

  In addition, there was a multitude of shops catering to tourists, the town’s main industry next to the Easy Money Arena. Those included a bookstore with offerings by local authors in the window, a novelty shop, a photo studio specializing in old-time photographs, two jewelry stores and three antique shops.

  Shane was just thinking there was nothing in any of the shops or stores of interest to Benjie, and a trip to nearby Globe was probably in order, when he happened to pass the Silver Dollar Pawn Shop. There in the window was a set of shiny golf clubs. Of course Benjie didn’t play golf, but the clubs gave Shane an idea, and he went inside.

  “Afternoon.” The woman behind the counter flashed him a ready smile that scattered the many wrinkles on her face in different directions. Her gray hair was so tightly permed, it sat upon her head like a knit ski cap. “Holler if you need help.”

  “Do you by chance carry sports equipment?”

  “Some. Over this way.” She emerged from behind the counter. It was then Shane noticed she was maybe four-eleven at most, even with her bright pink sneakers. “What kind of equipment did you have in mind?”

  “Football. Baseball. Basketball. Something for a young kid.”

  “Everything I have is right here.” She guided him to the last aisle where golf clubs, tennis rackets, ice skates and, Shane was pleased to see, football, baseball and basketball equipment, some of it in decent shape, lined the shelves. “There’s a selection of autographed memorabilia in the case over there.”

  Shane gave the case a cursory once-over. “Not sure memorabilia is what I need.”

  The woman’s smile didn’t as much as flicker. “What are you looking for?”

  Shane pushed back his cowboy hat and scratched behind his ear. “The thing is, I’m not sure if the kid likes sports. I just figured, he’s a boy and most boys do.”

  “That’s a fact. This boy a relation of yours?”

  “My boss’s grandson. I work for the Becketts.”

  She snapped her fingers. “You’re that new bull manager they hired.”

  “Guilty as charged.” Shane wasn’t surprised she’d heard of him, what with Reckless being a typical small town and the Becketts its most prominent residents.

  “The boy you’re talking about must be Cassidy’s youngster, Benjie. My granddaughter’s going to his party.”

  This was promising. “Any suggestions on what might interest him?”

  “From what DeAnna tells me, he’s quite the class clown.”

  “I’ve heard that, too.”

  “She hasn’t mentioned sports, but as you say, he’s a boy. And he doesn’t have a father around to play any with him.”

  The woman could be considered by some to be a gossip. Shane thought she was simply making small talk. He hadn’t been at the Easy Money long, yet he, too, had already figured out there was no father in Benjie’s life.

  “Cassidy does her best,” the woman continued as Shane scrutinized the array of sports equipment. “Works her tail off to provide for her son.”

  Shane had observed the same thing and admired her for it. He might be new to parenthood, but he’d quickly realized raising a child required tremendous sacrifice and dedication.

  He selected a Rawlings outfield baseball glove that appeared to be in mint condition. Turning it over in his hands, he noted the logo, size and price tag still attached by a plastic string.

  “The man who brought it in claimed it’s brand-new,” the woman said.

  “Seems to be.” Shane fingered the dangling price tag.

  The glove was probably a little too large for Benjie. Better than too small, Shane reasoned. Room to grow.

  Sports had played a large part in Shane’s high school days. He’d made the varsity football and baseball teams when he was just a sophomore. During his senior year, he quit school sports to focus exclusively on rodeo. The decision paid off, launching him on a career that would become his life and give him a marketable trade.

  “There’s a bat by the same manufacturer.” The woman indicated a rack at the end of the aisle, the bats in it standing upright, as if at attention.

  Shane lifted the solid wood Rawlings bat, testing the weight in his hand. Not too heavy, not too light. Like the glove, it appeared barely used.

  While part of him worried he wasn’t buying Benjie something brand-new and fresh from the factory, a high-quality glove and bat would make a fine gift. He was actually more worried Benjie wouldn’t like them.

  “You’re going to need a ball to go with those,” the woman said. “You take all three, and I’ll cut you a deal.”

  A few minutes later, Shane stood at the counter, removing his bank card from his wallet as the woman bagged his purchases.

  “Hard to believe that boy of Cassidy’s is six already.” The woman passed the bag across the counter, then accepted Shane’s card and ran it through the scanner. “I remember when she quit the rodeo circuit and came home to have him. Seems like it was yesterday.”

  “Time flies.” Shane was thinking of his daughter, Bria, and all the
years he’d missed with her.

  Not a day passed he didn’t count his blessings. Had Judy kept Bria from him, he could have wound up like Mercer, going twenty-five years before learning he’d fathered a daughter.

  “We all figured at some point her boyfriend would step up and claim the boy. Didn’t happen. Guess he’s not interested.”

  “His loss.” Again, Shane thought of Bria and the day she came into his life.

  The woman escorted him to the door. “Nice to meet you, Shane. Enjoy the party.”

  “I will. Thanks.”

  “Be sure and come back.”

  “Count on it.”

  He returned to his truck and tossed the bag onto the passenger seat before getting in. He was debating checking out the pizza parlor when something the woman said came back to him. This time, he paid attention.

  We all figured at some point her boyfriend would step up and claim the boy. Didn’t happen. Guess he’s not interested.

  Six years ago. Shane remembered it well. He’d recently won his second world bull-riding championship in December at the National Finals Rodeo. He’d taken the month of January off to recuperate from his injuries. The gal he’d been dating at the time, also a barrel racer, was friends with Cassidy.

  The gal had sat on the end of the couch where he was resting, his left ankle elevated atop a stack of pillows, and announced that Cassidy had just given birth to a boy.

  “A couple weeks sooner,” she had said, “and her baby could’ve been Hoyt’s.”

  Shane hadn’t thought much about it at the time. In part, because his brain was fuzzy due to pain meds. Also, his brother was engaged and soon to be married.

  Now, though, Shane did give it consideration. What was the old saying? There were no such things as coincidences.

  Was Benjie his brother’s son? Did he dare ask Cassidy? More importantly, did he say anything to Hoyt? If Benjie were his son, he’d want to know. He’d insist on knowing.

  Despite a former lifestyle many people considered wild and impulsive, Shane never moved forward without careful thought and consideration. To that end, he placed a call to Hoyt.

  “Hey, buddy!” His brother’s greeting was exuberant. “How’s it going?”

  Shane sat in his truck, out of the cool weather and sheltered from the wind that had kicked up earlier, and chatted with Hoyt for several minutes, filling him in on how things were progressing with the new job.

  “I’ll be in Payson next month,” Hoyt said. “Why don’t you drive up to meet me?”

  “I just might take you up on that.” Shane couldn’t think of a way to casually break the ice, so he just went for it. “You know, Cassidy’s here in Reckless.”

  There was the briefest of pauses. Any number of reasons could have accounted for it. Shane didn’t jump to conclusions.

  “How’s she doing?” Hoyt asked.

  Prettier than ever, Shane thought. Stubborn, bristly at times, fiercely independent, sexy as hell, infuriating, but in a way that made him want to take her in his arms and kiss her till she melted.

  He didn’t tell his brother any of those things. “She’s good.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  “When was it you two broke up?”

  “Jeez, I don’t remember. Six, seven years ago. It was right after the Down Home Days Rodeo. Spring, I guess.”

  Shane had competed in the Down Home Days Rodeo enough times to know it fell in April. If Cassidy had gotten together with another man, it had either been immediately after she’d broken up with Hoyt or she’d cheated on him.

  There was a third scenario, and it was making more and more sense by the minute. Hoyt had fathered a son and didn’t have the slightest idea.

  “Guess I forgot how long it’s been,” Shane said matter-of-factly. After a few more minutes of catching up with his brother, he ended the call with, “Talk to you next week.”

  Leaning back against the truck seat, he eyed the bag with the baseball equipment. Without knowing for sure, or, at least having more to go on than an inkling, Shane wouldn’t voice his suspicions about Benjie to Hoyt. First, he needed to talk to Cassidy. Then, he’d decide on his next step.

  Chapter Five

  Benjie, usually a handful, was in rare form for his birthday party. When he wasn’t tearing around the backyard, seeing what kind of trouble he could stir up, he was yelling at the top of his lungs and commanding attention. Cassidy bit back another warning and told herself not to stress. This was his birthday, after all. And most of the other children were also being handfuls, though to lesser degrees.

  None of the adults seemed to mind too much. His grandparents shamelessly indulged Benjie, accommodating his every wish. His aunt Liberty and future uncle, Deacon, declared he and his little friends were “just being kids.” His uncle Ryder filmed the entire party with his digital camcorder, capturing the pony relay races, a rousing game of kick ball and breaking open the candy-filled piñata. Cassidy’s best friend, Tatum, helped out wherever and whenever an extra pair of hands was needed.

  Cassidy’s mother gleefully finished serving cake and ice cream to the last of the children. Cassidy grimaced. Great, just what they needed. More sugar to fuel their already over-the-top energy levels.

  Benjie bounded up to her, cake crumbs and blue frosting smeared over his face. “Can we open presents now?”

  “In a bit.”

  Rather than argue with her, which is what she expected, he ran straight for Shane, his new best buddy. The two of them had been practically inseparable the entire party. Before Benjie caused a collision, Shane scooped up the boy and swung him in a circle.

  “Me next,” one of the other children shouted, and Shane obliged.

  He’d been wonderful the entire party. Arriving early with his daughter, he’d set up the tables and chairs, readied Skittles and the other horses for the relay race and kept Benjie occupied and out from underfoot. The latter might account for their bonding.

  Or, Cassidy fretted, was it something intangible? Did they have a connection because they were related, though neither of them knew it?

  Since separating them was impossible, she did the next best thing by constantly putting herself in their immediate vicinity. That way, she could monitor them, though hearing their exchanges left her just as rattled as not hearing them.

  “Daddy!” Bria dragged a little girl by the hand to where Shane played with the boys. Cassidy recognized the girl as the granddaughter of Mrs. Danelli, the owner of the Silver Dollar Pawn Shop. The little girl was also Benjie’s classmate at school. “DeAnna invited me to spend the night at her house.”

  Shane set down the boy “passenger” he’d been giving an “airplane” ride. “Can’t, honey. I told your mom I’d have you home by six tonight.”

  “No, next weekend, Daddy.”

  “We have the rodeo.”

  Cassidy had heard from her father that, because Bria would be at the Easy Money for her regular visit, he was giving Shane more time off than normal during the rodeo. The only thing her father had insisted on was Shane be available during the bull-riding events.

  Cassidy didn’t know who Shane had recruited to watch his daughter, if anyone. She herself had hired one of her teenaged riding students to babysit Benjie. Should she offer the girl’s services to Shane? Cassidy couldn’t decide.

  “DeAnna’s coming to the rodeo, too,” Bria told her father.

  Her new friend confirmed with a shy nod of her head.

  “Well,” Shane hedged. “Let me talk to DeAnna’s mother when she comes to pick her up.”

  The girls seemed satisfied for the moment and scampered off, cute as could be.

  “Do you know this girl’s mother?”

  Realizing Shane was speaking to her, Cassidy spun to face him. “A little. We’ve met at some
school functions. She’s nice.”

  “Is she responsible?”

  Cassidy almost laughed. In her experience dealing with parents at the arena, the question was one she’d expect from another mother, not a father. “I’d say yes. However, I’m basing that solely on our discussion when I delivered DeAnna’s invitation. She made sure the party would be well supervised before accepting. That struck me as responsible.”

  “Will you talk to her with me? I’m still pretty new at this.” Shane looked chagrined.

  Cassidy felt herself warming to him. Then again, all he had to do was flash his amazing smile and she warmed from head to toe.

  “Why don’t you stop by her house first? You’ll be able to get a feel for her parenting skills just from looking around.”

  He hesitated. “Won’t she be offended?”

  “It’s a reasonable request,” she assured him. “But if you’re uncomfortable with being so forthright, suggest you need to discuss the sleepover first before agreeing. If she refuses, then you have your answer.”

  “Good idea.”

  Cassidy met his gaze, and the intensity of it rendered her momentarily mute. He’d had that kind of effect on her ever since his return. What was different now?

  “Thanks for helping out today,” she finally managed. “I do appreciate it.”

  “Happy to.”

  “I know Benjie appreciates it, too.”

  “He’s a great kid. It’s a shame his father can’t be here.”

  Cassidy instantly froze. Though this was hardly the first comment about Hoyt she’d had to deflect, this was the first comment from his brother. And, either her imagination was running amok or there was an odd quality in Shane’s tone.

  Collecting her scattered wits, she said, “He couldn’t be here. He lives...out of state.”

  “Where?”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “Where? What state?”

  She resisted telling him it was none of his damn business. “Um, last I heard, Ohio. He moves around a lot.”

  “Because of his work?”