“Hey, sis.” Ryder sidled up to Cassidy, his voice dripping honey. “You mind taking care of our horses? Deacon and I are heading over to watch Tom.”
“No problem. Have fun.”
“You sure?”
“Get out of here.”
“Our horses” turned out to be Ryder’s, Deacon’s, Tatum’s and the two her children had been riding. Cassidy shrugged off the inconvenience, glad to have something to keep her busy.
“I owe you,” Tatum said when she discovered that Cassidy had been burdened with the job.
“It’s okay.” She smiled at her friend, who would have helped but was taking care of her youngest. The toddler had complained of an upset stomach during the ride home. “You can do me a favor sometime.”
“Count on it.”
Benjie wasn’t so lucky. Rather than getting off the hook, he had to unsaddle, brush and put away Skittles. The task went from being a chore to something fun when Hoyt stepped in to help. Cheryl had mentioned during the cleanup that she and Hoyt were having dinner in Mesa with a local rodeo promoter and his wife. They would return in the morning to spend the day with Benjie and again on Monday for a last visit before flying home.
One at a time, Cassidy led the horses down the barn aisle to the hitching post outside the tack room where she unhurriedly tended them. When she was done, she returned them to their stalls and went back for the next horse.
She was just finishing with the last horse when Hoyt strolled down the barn aisle.
“Mind some company?” he asked when he neared.
“Not at all.” She peered behind him. “Where’s Benjie?”
“With Cheryl and your mother.”
“Oh.” That was unexpected. Hoyt hadn’t ventured three feet from Benjie all day. “How is Cheryl handling all this?” For some, the question might be none of their business. Cassidy felt she had a right to know.
“She’s doing okay,” Hoyt said.
“It must be hard on her, you having a child when you’ve both been trying for quite a while without success.”
“She’s glad for me.”
Cassidy didn’t doubt it. But neither was Cheryl made of stone. She must be hurting to some degree. Would it get worse during the summer when Benjie visited?
“Tell her she can call me anytime. If she has questions about Benjie.”
“She doesn’t need parenting advice from you, Cassidy.”
Her defenses rose. “Benjie’s my son.”
“Mine, too.”
So much for things going well. Cassidy had enough of this mild sparring. Hoyt’s next words let her know they weren’t done, not by a long shot.
“Cheryl and I have been talking. I want to be an active father.”
“Of course.” A spark of nervous energy traveled through Cassidy. Was he leading up to a demand for additional visitation? Custody?
“Not just when I visit, either,” Hoyt said. “I’d like to be included in any major decisions. Like new schools or medical procedures.”
“Okay. Sure.” What was going on here?
“It’s important to me.”
“I promise, Hoyt. I’ll call. We’ll talk.”
He seemed satisfied. “I realize we need to take things slow. For Benjie’s sake, as well as ours. I won’t push you into anything you aren’t ready for or threaten a custody battle if you don’t agree.”
“I appreciate that.”
“We’re a team, and Benjie isn’t a battleground.”
He was saying all the right things, though his speech sounded a bit rehearsed. She wished she felt more confident.
A nudge in the arm from the horse reminded her she’d been shirking her duties. Dropping the brush in the nearby plastic caddy, she wiped her hands on her jeans.
“We have to leave soon for dinner,” she said. “See you in the morning?”
“Wait. There’s one more thing.”
His tone gave her pause. More than that, it alarmed her. “What?”
“Is something going on with you and Shane?”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m not blind, Cassidy. Or stupid.”
“What did he say?”
“Nothing yet. I’m asking you first. Are you dating?”
Cassidy tried not to panic. “We’re friends.”
“Good friends?”
“Hoyt, nothing and no one is more important to me than Benjie. You don’t need to worry.”
“Relax. I’m not angry, Cassidy.”
She stared at him. “You’re not?”
“If any man other than me is going to be involved with my son, I’d rather it be Shane.”
Wow. Did Hoyt just say he approved of her and Shane dating, or was this a test?
“Nothing’s decided yet.”
“I’d better get back. Told Benjie I’d watch the roping clinic with him.”
After Hoyt left, Cassidy walked the horse to the row of outdoor stalls behind the main barn. The thirsty gelding buried his face in the automatic waterer and drank lustily. Cassidy rested her arms on the stall railing and watched, not quite ready to return to the arena.
Hoyt seemed to be saying he wouldn’t fight her when it came to custody of Benjie. That might not stop Benjie from choosing to live with Hoyt when he was older like Ryder had. Her brother claimed he’d left because of loyalty to their dad. Was there another reason? Their mother, specifically, and her controlling nature?
Cassidy had always sided with their mother, in large part to justify the guilt she felt. Ryder, however, didn’t know about her guilt. What if he’d left because of their mother’s constant and chronic negativity toward their father?
That would not happen to her, Cassidy vowed. She’d try her hardest to speak well of Hoyt in front of Benjie and never put her son in a situation where he felt he had to pick one parent over the other.
While far from completely relieved, some of the tension left her.
“What’s that? Another smile? This is becoming a habit.”
Shane. He was here. Perhaps he’d come looking for her.
She faced him. “Thought you’d be at the roping clinic.”
It was good to see him, and not just because of their mutual attraction. He’d also become her friend. Advising her and supporting her with Hoyt and Benjie and, in a small way, her father.
No man had done that for her. Not that she’d have let them. Only Shane. What, if any, significance did that have?
“Just came from the bulls,” he said. “Your dad and I decided on a breeding schedule.”
“You’re making progress.”
“And it gives me the rest of the day off.”
“I was also thinking of taking a little time for myself.” In truth, she’d been considering a long, hot bath.
“Why don’t we spend it together? We could have dinner.”
A date. She should have seen this coming.
It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse. She’d insisted there could be nothing between them until her personal life was sorted and settled. Then again, wasn’t it? More or less, anyway.
All of a sudden, she wanted to forget her worries and enjoy herself for one night. What would be the harm? None. She and Shane were both single. Benjie adored him, and her family liked him. If Hoyt was bothered for any reason, he’d simply have to get over it.
“Sure.”
Shane drew back, studying her intently. “Did you actually accept?”
“I did.” She laughed.
“And here I was prepared to twist your arm.”
“Life is full of surprises.”
“It most certainly is.” His gaze locked with hers and held.
Cassidy broke away first. “Where are we going? I’
ll have to change clothes first.” She tugged on the hem of her denim jacket.
“The Hole in the Wall has never-ending shrimp baskets on Saturday evenings.”
While known more for its live bands and dancing than its cuisine, the honky-tonk did serve up decent specials.
“I haven’t been there in ages.” She honestly couldn’t remember the last time.
“Pick you up at six?”
It was nearly four. She had plenty of time to get ready and...take a bath. Heavens, wouldn’t that be a treat?
“Let me find Tatum. See if she can babysit Benjie tonight.”
Cassidy hadn’t planned on calling in her favor this soon. Hopefully, her friend was available.
Shane nodded. “See you at six.”
She half expected him to kiss her. She fully expected him to give her a quick hug. He did neither before heading to his trailer, leaving her more than a little anxious about what to expect tonight.
The nerves Cassidy had been fighting to control were back with a vengeance. This time she wasn’t afraid of what the future held. She was ready to embrace it.
* * *
SHANE WASN’T MUCH of a dancer. Or maybe he was, and the bodies bumping and jostling them from all sides affected his skills. Cassidy couldn’t have cared less. She was enjoying herself simply being held snug in his arms.
Talk was impossible over the noise, and they’d all but given up trying. Of the three saloons in town, the Hole in the Wall was typically the place to be on weekends, due in large part to the band and food. While Cassidy and Shane were waiting for their orders to arrive, he’d asked her to dance. She’d accepted, acutely self-conscious about her own lack of skill when it came to tripping the light fantastic.
Too soon the music came to a stop, and Shane guided her through the throng of patrons to their table.
“Come here much?” he asked. From someone else, the question might have been a cheesy pickup line.
“Not really.” Cassidy had to practically shout to be heard. “Once in a while Liberty used to drag me. Thanks to Deacon, those days are over.”
“You don’t sound sorry.”
“The bar scene isn’t exactly my thing.”
“It goes with the territory.”
That was true. Cowboys liked to whoop it up at the local hangouts almost as much as they did rodeoing. She was lucky to avoid the Hole in the Wall at all.
Tonight, it seemed, she didn’t mind the noise and the crowd and the carrying on. Not with Shane for company.
“You must have been in your share of bars.” She flashed him a smile, then caught herself. Had she just insulted him by implying he spent a lot of time partying?
“More than I care to count.” He didn’t appear offended, but with all the commotion surrounding them, it was hard to tell. “Like you, those days are over. Bria keeps me on the straight and narrow.”
“Same for me. Because of Benjie.”
He raised his long-neck bottle of beer. “First one of these I’ve had in a while. And it’ll be my last one tonight.”
She appreciated his concern for her feelings regarding drinking and driving. “Me, too.”
“Then here’s to living it up.” He clinked his bottle against hers.
A few minutes later, the waitress arrived with their food. Before the woman could set down the shrimp baskets, Shane stopped her.
“Any chance we could take these outside?”
“Absolutely. There’s plenty of seating.”
“It’ll be quieter,” he told Cassidy as they followed the waitress through the patio entrance.
And colder, she thought, slipping into her jacket. What was Shane thinking?
Turned out, his idea was a perfect one. Besides being quieter and cozier than inside, the patio’s freestanding gas heaters kept the area toasty warm. No sooner were they seated and the waitress gone than Cassidy removed her jacket.
“You were right to suggest this.” She looked around. The tables were close, but not so close she worried their nearest neighbors would overhear their conversation.
“Better than inside. Though, I kind of liked the dancing.”
“Me, too.”
Shane grinned and dug into his basket, drowning a plump shrimp in cocktail sauce before popping it into his mouth.
She followed suit and tried to remember her last meal out that wasn’t fast food or pizza. The shrimp practically melted in her mouth.
“Thank you,” she said, a satisfied sigh escaping.
“I’m free tomorrow night, too.”
She hesitated. “Maybe we should take this one step at a time.”
“Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
Cassidy wouldn’t agree to a second date until she saw how this one ended. She and Shane faced a lot of twists and curves in their relationship.
Strains of music floated through the partially open door, adding a delightful ambiance to their dinner. Conversation flowed. Cassidy couldn’t recall talking this much ever. She regaled Shane with tales of Benjie growing up, wanting him to get to know his nephew better.
She stopped cold when he said, “Hoyt would love to hear that story. You should tell him.”
Hoyt probably would love it, but she didn’t enjoy the same sense of ease with him she did Shane. Perhaps she eventually would, with time and practice.
“Did he mention anything about us going out?” she asked.
“Earlier.”
“And?”
“We talked more about how our lives are the same. Both of us having children we didn’t know about.”
“I suppose it is strange.”
Shane smiled. “He’s okay with us dating.”
She gave a small shrug.
“You don’t believe him?”
“If we were to...continue seeing each other, you’d be spending more time with Benjie than he would.”
“I’m already spending more time with Benjie than Hoyt.”
“As his uncle. Not as his mother’s...”
“Boyfriend?” Shane finished for her, amusement lighting his features.
“Well, yes.” And if things between them were to develop into more—not that she’d considered it, they’d barely had one date—the situation could become more complex.
“Guess we’ll find out for sure soon enough.” He sent her a look that warmed her inside and out, far more than the nearby gas heaters.
“One step at a time,” she reminded him.
The band broke into a new number, this one a slow and romantic favorite of Cassidy’s. Shane stood and reached out his hand to her.
“Dance with me.”
She wasn’t ready to leave the patio. “I like it out here.”
“Who says we’re going inside?”
He led her to an open area near the low stucco wall. She noticed the smiles and glances of the other diners. One woman jabbed her companion in the side and pointed at them as if to say, “Look at him. Now there’s a guy with swagger.”
A dozen steps into the dance, Cassidy realized she’d been wrong about Shane. With room to move, he proved to be a good dancer and expertly executed turns as they swayed to the music.
What else was he good at? Her mind wandered, venturing into territory she was hesitant to consider. With his palm pressed firmly into the small of her back and his lips brushing the hair at her temple, her mind wandered further.
When the song ended, she was tempted to ask him for another. The band announcing a short break put a stop to her plans.
“Another round of beer?” the waitress asked when she came to clear their table.
“Not for me,” Cassidy said. “Thanks.”
“Coffee?” Shane asked.
If she had a cup this late, she’d be
up half the night. On the plus side, she could spend more time with Shane.
“Yes, please.”
“Make it two,” he told the waitress.
When they finally left forty minutes later, Cassidy was practically walking on air. For an entire evening, she’d forgotten all about her problems and simply enjoyed herself. Who’d have thought it possible? And why hadn’t she done it sooner?
Hands clasped, they crossed the parking lot. The glow of the lights alternately cast Shane’s face in shadows and light. The effect was intriguing. Halfway to his truck, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her snug against him.
“Cold?”
She hadn’t been. Then again, she didn’t want to give him reason to release her. “A little.”
His arm stayed firmly in place.
“Thanks again for dinner,” she said. “It was wonderful. The food and getting away.”
“My pleasure.”
His low, silky tone let her know the evening had indeed been pleasurable for him. At his truck, he opened the passenger door for her and waited as she climbed in. She was a bit disappointed he didn’t try to kiss her. Her second strikeout that day. She tried telling herself it was for the best. She’d been the one, after all, to remind him repeatedly she wanted to proceed slowly.
“We could stop for dessert,” he suggested as they drove past the Flat Iron, the town’s iconic restaurant.
“I’m stuffed. But if you want to.” Another excuse to prolong the date.
“Let’s save that for next time.”
Darn it. They were going home, a fact becoming increasingly apparent when he took the road leading to the arena.
“You okay?”
She glanced at him across the front seat. “Fine.”
“You seem awfully quiet.”
“Am I? Sorry.”
She hadn’t spoken for the last five minutes. Anxiety was getting the best of her. How was the date going to end? Was she wrong to put the brakes on earlier? Up until now, Shane had had no reservations about initiating their kisses.
“I had a great time.” Even his smile wasn’t its usual one-thousand-watt brightness.
“Me, too.”
He pulled to a stop in front of her house and reached for his door handle. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
The Bull Rider's Son Page 14
