by Piper Stone
You can never run from your past.
I couldn’t help but wonder what scab I’d ripped off earlier. A brooding man always had secrets. Then again, didn’t we all?
Chapter Thirteen
Holland
A horrible blast from the past. I was stunned seeing his face, my nerves shot. I stood still, unable to breathe, the wretched memories clawing at my throat until I was wheezing. This wasn’t happening.
“Jesus Christ. Are you all right?” Julia’s concerned voice seemed miles away.
I slunk into the shadows, my hands and my lower lip quivering. I was just imagining things. I had to be. I shot my head out, scanning the corridor in front of the stalls, finally catching a glimpse of him. From this vantage point, all I could see was his back and shoulders, but he was talking to another cowboy whose face was also obscured. “I’m fine.”
Was he the one who called, now prepared to make good on his threat?
“You look pale. Maybe you need to go back to the hospital,” she insisted.
“Over my dead body.” I rubbed my shaking hand through the strands of hair that had fallen from my ponytail, reminding myself that I had been through an ordeal. My mind wasn’t completely solid yet. That’s all. That had to be it.
Then why are you shaking like a leaf?
I swallowed, purposely turning away and ignoring my little voice. I’d come to see Montana. Maybe. I almost wished I’d followed his orders. I resisted groaning and walked in the opposite direction from the unknown man. If there was a single chance I knew the guy, that was one too many. “Let’s mingle.”
“O-kay. Your mood is all over the place, but I can see exactly why you love being involved with rodeos.” Julia fanned her face, almost tripping when she turned in a complete circle. “Wowie. Would you take a gander at the fine-looking ass on that cowboy? I could munch on that sweet meat for days.”
“You could munch on any red-blooded boy with a raging libido.” I grabbed her arm, pulling her along and further away. The same pit remained in my stomach.
Blinding fear.
“Try and keep a low profile. I doubt I’m supposed to be back here.” After leaving Montana’s house, I’d attempted to bury myself into work, returning phone calls and attending to Misty. She was indeed almost ready to go home, her little foal doing well. I was grateful for all the assistance.
But I was a basket case.
The call hadn’t just been unnerving. It had forced every wretched detail of the early parts of my childhood and the subsequent visits to the surface, fresh wounds I didn’t need. Even the heated round of passion with Montana hadn’t stymied the nasty thoughts filtering in my head like a battering ram. Hell, maybe I was also trying to avoid my growing feelings for one complicated, arrogant, adorable... sexy man.
Shit.
Everything was spiraling out of control.
I’d finally locked every door at my house and the clinic then proceeded to clean top to bottom, finally adding a fresh coat of paint to the tiny waiting room. One little worker bee. I’d also checked my phone at least a half dozen times. For the mystery jerk or Montana? The truth wasn’t one I cared to admit. At least I had two new clients the next week, recommendations from one of the very first people to walk in through my hallowed doors.
Yay me.
That is, if I lived that long.
I’d also attempted to lay out a game plan if the monsters truly had found me. With what money I’d once had tied up in the clinic, the limited funds I had in the bank account would mean living like a pauper. Maybe tending bar.
I shook it off as I scanned the crowd. I wasn’t certain if I was searching for Montana or attempting to avoid him. A part of me knew the man was right. I needed to confide in him, perhaps gain a fresh perspective, but the fear of his accusations, even his disgust, were far too terrifying.
“Hey, a girl can dream. Aren’t you competing? That gives you the right to be here. Damn straight it does.”
“First of all, it’s an exhibition, not a competition but given I’m only a permit holder, nobody wants a gal like me on a bull. They’re only doing a few events tonight. That’s all I know.” I’d yet to win enough money to grab onto a prized membership card. I was beginning to believe my life in the world of rodeo events was going to be short-lived.
I just hadn’t figured out where I was going to escape to if necessary.
I could no longer see the mystery man in the sea of people.
“But everybody wants to see you ride that sexy bull. You have no idea how many calls have come into the station for a follow-up story. I should be reporting on this!” Julia danced in front of me, wiggling her hips as a few of the cowboys walked by.
“Girls’ night out, remember?” I retorted. I tried to keep my head down as we walked. I certainly didn’t want to create a scene.
“Woo hoo, ladies. Mighty fine looking tonight,” one of the cowboys chortled, tipping his hat in appreciation.
“My. My. He can wet my pussy anytime he wants. And just why can’t I touch the merchandise again?”
“Julia!” I hissed between clenched teeth.
“Lighten up, will ya? This is supposed to be a fun event. Besides, I called you last night thinking we could have a night out on the town. You didn’t answer. My guess is you were out on a date with that sexy man of yours. Wink. Wink.”
“He’s not mine and I was still recovering.”
“Hero. Savior. Cowboy. Excellent shot. I think he’s a lot of things. Isn’t it possible that your expectations are just a tad bit too high?”
Ignoring the comment, I rounded the corner of the event bay and instantly pulled back. Montana was in his usual spot, in front of a crowd of reporters. As the man always managed to do, my body reacted to him instantly, a slight quiver occurring in my legs. I wasn’t going to acknowledge the rest of my extremities.
“Uh-huh. I can see this is going to be all business tonight. In that case, I did a little more digging,” Julia said, her tone completely serious. “Did you know that a lot of the ranchers are hurting from the bad weather of the last couple years and the fires that ravaged a lot of the land?”
“Yeah, I know all the horror stories. Why?” I lowered my head, taking a few steps out of sight.
“Seems like even the big boys are seriously in debt.” She gave me her usual mischievous grin. “Don’t you want to know?”
I yanked her against one of the stalls. I’d already pegged what I thought was going on. “We’re talking extortion.”
“Very good. That would be my guess.” She plastered on her sickeningly sweet smile, batting her eyelashes as a group of people walked by then leaned in. “You know how I like to snoop. I find that one of my finer qualities.”
“One reason I adore you. You always get what you want.”
“Hmmm... Not always and you need to keep a lid on this. What I’m telling you is hush-hush. Anyway, I have a few friends in the banking industry.”
She meant one-night stands that she hung onto because of their connections.
“Don’t judge me,” she scoffed. “I just happened to share a coffee with a very lovely man. I asked him in a casual manner if there were any huge loans that were outstanding. Don’t worry, I made certain he thinks I’m writing a piece on hard times in the ranching industry. I also sugarcoated it.”
The girl was pushier than I was. “And?”
“He told me that there are no banks willing to go out on a limb. From the housing debacle to all the natural disasters, conventional banks are being very cautious right now. The criteria to qualify for a loan is significant and so many of the ranchers can’t meet the criteria. They have second and sometimes third mortgages, owe dozens of creditors. The banks have been left holding the bag too many times. I asked him if he knew of any decent investors. He laughed, saying the few who didn’t believe ranching was a dying industry were already spoken for. Farmers. Ranchers. They’re all experiencing the same kind of crisis.”
“In other words, if
things got dire enough, they’d seek out unconventional methods if necessary to keep their businesses afloat.” I knew exactly how that worked. There were certain organizations that specialized in high-risk loans. What so many people didn’t understand was the complex compounding scheme they used. Paying the exorbitant fees was almost impossible to people who were already in dire straits.
How they handled business wasn’t merely unconventional. It was criminal.
“Exactly. Then they get in over their heads.” Julia sighed. “I don’t like what I’m hearing, but I’ve haven’t officially learned of any names and no one is talking.”
“And they won’t talk, at least not while they’re attempting to pay off their debt.”
“Yeah, and in very legal terms, the lender is presented with very expensive land if the loan isn’t paid back. However, I did hear a rather interesting rumor.”
I crowded her space, giving her an evil eye. “Spit it out.”
She darted another glance over her shoulder, lowering her voice even more. “Walter Gammon.”
She said the name with a twinkle in her eye like I had a clue who she was talking about. “O-kay.”
“Jesus, girl. You need to know who rules the roost around here. Mr. Gammon is perhaps the wealthiest man in the entire state of Wyoming. The man’s family owns several ranches, a couple corporations, a land holding company, and a partridge in a pear tree in at least six states. He could easily bail out a number of the ranchers if he wanted to.”
“Let me guess, he has no desire to help out the local economy.” I wasn’t certain if the information had any bearing.
“Let’s just say he has a great number of enemies. He’s not well liked. Oh, and get this. He’s the man responsible for this glorious event tonight. I saw him just a minute ago. That’s him over there.”
Now the situation was getting more interesting. I followed her gaze. While there was no way of being certain the hulking older man was the same one talking to the mystery guest, the cowboy hat did appear the same. Studded with jewels. The puzzle was getting every more convoluted. “Fascinating. He certainly made an enemy out of Montana.”
Julia bit her lip and instantly looked away.
I gave her arm another hard yank. “Oh, no. You’re not going to clam up on me now. What do you know about the reason?”
Shrugging, she folded her arms, but it certainly didn’t have anything to do with her being cold. “Look, I really don’t want to get into the middle of your love affair. I can tell how important he is to you just by the way your eyes light up when his name is mentioned.”
Inhaling, I decided to let the remark go. “I can tell he’s still upset about whatever the asshole did to him.”
Julia did her infamous but transparent tic when she was nervous. She twirled her finger around her hair over and over again.
“Just tell me. Okay? Montana is important to me. Actually, I’m falling in love with him.” I was shocked I’d blurted out the words.
“That’s... amazing and I’m so happy for you!”
“Don’t get off the subject. What is up between Montana and this Mr. Gammon?”
She leaned against the siding, giving Montana and his entourage a quick glance before responding. “I don’t know any of the details, just the local town gossip and neither man had anything to say about the incident.”
“The incident?”
“Walter’s son was in an accident almost three years ago. Pretty serious from what I heard. Montana was the surgeon. Let’s just say the surgery didn’t go well. The young man died on the table. Walter blamed Montana for his death.”
Sighing, I noticed Montana had discovered my arrival. I was expecting anger, at least disappointment that I’d disobeyed him, but he smiled and nodded. I could swear he was almost happy I’d come to cheer him on. “That’s terrible all the way around, but tragedies happen. I don’t understand why this Walter person blamed him.”
“All I heard is it’s about something Walter dug up on Montana’s past. There are no details so don’t grill me.”
I chewed on my inner lip, my imagination running wild. In life, you had to be a fool to think true coincidences came into play, but I also didn’t want to jump to conclusions. I’d make a point of checking out Mr. Gammon myself. “Interesting.”
“I know. Right? That’s what makes it surprising that Montana agreed to participate tonight. They’ve had near brawls in the middle of restaurants before.”
While that sound like something Montana might do, my gut told me there was a hell of a lot more to the story. “Well, maybe time heals all wounds.”
“Maybe. So, back to the rancher situation. Maybe the terrible incidents with the livestock was meant as a warning, a reminder to pay back the money owed. Poor innocent babies.” Julia’s eyes were far too bright, stars floating across them. “Granted, this is all hypothetical, but I’m going to keep digging. I feel awards coming on. Plus, I don’t like this shit. So many things have changed over the last few years.”
“I’ll give you the same warning you gave me. Be careful. If any of this is true to any degree, the kind of people we’re talking about are brutal. They always get their money with hefty interest. There are no second chances, no excuses that are adequate enough. And they won’t hesitate to use the most extreme level of violence.” Including murder. I would never forget the stories my uncle had told me when I was old enough. They were bloodcurdling accounts of nefarious activities.
I’d never asked him where he’d gotten the information, but I suspected my father had kept him apprised somehow. Some way.
A legacy that had been hidden from me.
Communication that wasn’t allowed.
Julia actually gave what I was saying some thought. “Why do I get the impression you know one hell of a lot about what you’re telling me?”
“Let’s just say I’ve lived a colorful life. Come on, let’s get out of here and enjoy the show. I don’t want Montana coming over.”
“Trouble in paradise?”
“Just not following orders,” I mumbled.
“I’m glad I caught you.” Dan jogged toward us, giving Julia a smile. “I tried calling a half dozen times, but your phone didn’t seem to connect.”
“What’s wrong?” I noticed the reporters had finally decided to leave Montana alone. And dammit if the rugged cowboy wasn’t sauntering in my direction.
“This is a very important exhibition for the organizer. There are some very important clients in the stands, so everything has to go according as planned.” Dan seemed out of breath.
“What’s that have to do with me?”
“We only have Montana in the bull riding event. The other rider backed out. Family emergency.”
I had a sinking suspicion I knew exactly where this was going. “Uh, no, Dan. I just... can’t. There are other cowboys you can ask.”
“You know bull riding is an art. I can’t have any of the other second string hurt given the other events. Having a woman here tonight, riding a bull? That will really entice the possible investors. Plus, there’s a one thousand dollar stipend for your time.” Dan grinned, giving me a hearty wink.
Julia and I glanced at each other. So Walter Gammon, one of the wealthiest men this side of the Mississippi needed investors. Was he planning on starting a rodeo group of his own or was this about something else entirely? The money would certainly come in handy for some of the needed repairs. “I just... I’m recovering from an incident.”
“I know. I heard. I’m glad to see you’re doing just fine,” Dan offered.
Had everyone ‘heard’ the news?
“Don’t look now, but it appears you might have a fan club as well,” Julia said under her breath, nodding toward the group of reporters who were headed in my direction.
“This is crazy. Montana doesn’t want me performing.” As soon as I said the words, both Dan and Julia gave me a puzzled expression.
“I didn’t think you were coming tonight,” Montana said cas
ually. “In fact, I was certain that you wouldn’t given our conversation.”
“Would you kindly tell this girl that it’s all right to perform tonight? She is under the impression she needs your say-so,” Dan chortled, motioning to the reporters.
Montana slowly turned his head. “The lady is perfectly capable of making her own decisions. She has excellent judgment.”
“Ms. Kennedy. Are you performing tonight?”
“Ms. Kennedy. Seems like you’re a rising star. Are you prepared to go head to head with Montana?”
“Ms. Kennedy...”
The questions came fast and furious as the group of reporters crowded around me, blocking out my view of Montana.
“Does that mean you agree to participate?”
Dan’s question was meant to rouse the reporters. As they continued peppering me with questions until my ears were ringing, their body heat suffocating, I finally gave in, speaking to the group of reporters.
Even though my knees were knocking.
“Yes, I’ll ride the big, bad-ass bull tonight.”
I’d pushed my way through the crowd, watching as Montana backed away, shaking his head in a knowing fashion.
Maybe he had figured me out. And I had a terrible feeling my decision had just placed another wedge between us. I also had another gut feeling and this one terrified me.
I was being watched.
Even after scanning the crowd, I couldn’t see the mystery man anywhere. That didn’t mean he wasn’t hiding in plain sight.
“Why don’t you go get yourself ready? Make certain and give the audience what they came for, including that sparkling smile of yours.” Dan pushed me along and away from the reporters. I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder, watching as Montana slipped his hands into his back pockets. He’d turned away from me, obviously disappointed.
“Did Montana really forbid you from performing?” Julia asked as she flanked my side.
“Part of the deal I made with him. I have to obey his every command.”
