“That’s enough, Wyatt.” Clay spoke from behind Stetson. “The shoot’s over. Get on out of here before you get yourself in trouble.”
Wyatt shot Kendra a sneer then ambled toward his truck.
Heat swept through Stetson with the urge to tackle Wyatt and deliver a sucker punch to his kidney.
Where did such violent thoughts come from? Okay, it always steamed him to hear men talking about women in that way. But he’d never wanted to pulverize anyone over it.
He turned toward Kendra. Why did she make him feel so protective?
Shoulders hunched, she hugged herself and kept her gaze on the ground.
Were Wyatt’s insinuations about Kendra true? Rayna said she’d only recently become a Christian. More than likely her relationship with Wyatt began before her salvation, and maybe they’d been intimate. Maybe there had been others before Wyatt. Stetson’s stomach turned.
Just like Erin.
He sucked in a deep breath and hurried toward his truck.
“Hey, Stetson,” Rayna called. “We’re meeting Gabby and Adam for supper. Want to join us? Kendra, why don’t you come, too?”
“I can’t.” His words blended with Kendra’s response.
“But thanks for offering,” he added.
❧
Friday. It had been a long week with Stetson, so close and so far away all at the same time. Kendra slipped off her red pumps and curled into the corner of her overstuffed black sectional. Alone.
Finally a great guy had come into her life, but it was too late. It had been too late before they ever met. So many men stood between her and Stetson, she couldn’t even remember them all. Would she be able to find a decent guy who could live with her past? And why did she care so much?
She pulled her knees to her chest, smoothing her red skirt. She’d always been alone. Had preferred it that way. But while all her single friends were still partying and supposedly living it up with no strings attached, marriage and a shared future were beginning to look really good. To be part of a permanent couple. A family.
Since she’d gotten back into church, she’d been thinking a lot about her family. Especially Dalton.
She stared at the phone, rehearsing the number she could never forget. No, it was too late to call home. Too many years, too many hurts, too many disappointments to span the gulf. And Dalton had probably moved on long ago.
She hurled a fuchsia throw pillow across the room.
Maybe she should move. Start over where no one knew her. And if she found another decent guy, she could lie about her past. Maybe forge her own family.
But that wouldn’t be right. The little bit of Bible she’d read in the last few months pointed to truth.
Surely all decent guys didn’t expect perfection like Stetson. But he was the one who made her pulse race, just with a look.
“Lord, why does this Christian stuff have to be so hard?”
No answer came. No still, small voice. No booming counsel from heaven. She grabbed the pillow and trudged to the bedroom to shower and put on her pajamas. Clay was traveling to a Horizon Tour rodeo tonight, so Rayna wouldn’t expect her. Not quite six o’clock on a Friday night, and Kendra Maddox was in for the evening.
❧
Stetson scanned the cluster of teenage girls surrounding Kendra. She’d certainly hit it off with them this evening by simply showing up with her hair braided. As soon as the Fourth of July picnic on the church grounds ended, she sat cross-legged, braiding Lynn’s hair then Jenny’s and Missy’s. As darkness fell, practically every girl in attendance wore a braid.
He did a mental headcount. They were all there. None of the couples in the youth group had paired off and disappeared into the darkness. Even though most of their parents stood on the church lawn, he still felt responsible for the teens.
A whistling trail of smoke streaked through the sky and exploded high above them in a kaleidoscope of colors. Red, white, and blue bursts were followed by purple, green, and gold streaks lighting the night sky.
Kendra gasped. With her face upturned and lit by the bursts above, she was beautiful. Her perfectly shaped mouth tilted up at the corners in a spellbound smile. She was lovely with her braid, yet his fingers itched to pull her hair free and kiss her.
Where did that come from?
Stetson cleared his throat and checked the youth again.
Trent and Lynn rounded the side of the church and disappeared into the shadows.
They weren’t a couple.
He wasn’t sure who had invited Trent. The crotch of the boy’s oversize jeans hit him at the knees. Tattoos covered both arms and piercings covered his eyebrows. He’d never attended the church.
Nonchalantly Stetson followed them.
The teens stood near the back door of the church. Just talking.
He cleared his throat. “You’ll miss the finale.”
“Hey.” Trent stepped toward Stetson. “Lynn needed to go to the ladies’ room, and I was making sure she got here okay.”
“We’re at church. I think she’ll be fine.”
“This way was shorter, but I’m afraid of the dark.” Lynn giggled. “Trent was just humoring my silly fears.”
“Well the lights are on inside. You go on in, Lynn, and I’ll send another lady to maneuver you through the dark.”
Lynn disappeared inside, but Trent didn’t budge. The fireworks finale popped and burst overhead, blocking any chance for conversation.
Stetson had given him the benefit of the doubt, but his actions and things said over the course of the afternoon gave him away. Unsaved and only here to check out the girls, he was the last thing Lynn needed.
Maybe while he checked out the girls, Stetson could plant some seeds. But not at the expense of any of the girls in his youth group. He’d watch this one.
Trent gave up and left his post. At least he was back in the lighted area.
Stetson let him get a good lead then followed.
One final bang and the sky went dark.
Stetson ran into someone.
“Oh.” He heard Kendra’s feminine gasp. “I’m sorry.”
Stetson grabbed blindly to steady her, his hands landing on her shoulders. “Sorry, I didn’t see you.”
“I was going to the ladies’ room, and this way’s shorter, but I can’t see a thing.”
“Lynn’s inside.” He tucked her hand in his elbow. “I’ll see that you make it okay the rest of the way. Then could you escort her out for me? And maybe come out the front where it’s better lit.”
“Sure.” She pulled her hand away. “But I’m fine. I don’t need help finding my way.”
But Stetson liked her touch. More than he wanted to admit.
They were friends. That’s all. That’s all it could ever be.
❧
Stetson dusted off his hat and settled it back in place. Clay’s arena sure had come in handy for photo shoots. Glad to have another one behind him, Stetson jogged over to where Kendra stood.
“Hey, Kendra.”
She turned to face him, eyes wide as if she was surprised he’d called her name.
Come to think of it, he’d worked hard at ignoring her over the last few weeks. He didn’t have any right to ask. But he could use all the prayers he could get.
“Nominations for the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame will be closing at the end of next month. I’m asking my friends to pray for my dad to be accepted.”
“Friends?” She quirked a perfectly arched eyebrow.
“I think of you as a friend.” He was trying to anyway, since that’s all they could be.
“I’m glad. But—I’m new at this praying thing. I’m not sure if my prayers get through.”
“Trust me, God hears all His children’s prayers.”
Her eyes were too shiny. “I hope so.” She hurried to her car.
Stetson stared after her until he could no longer see the red convertible.
“What’s going on with y’all?” Clay’s voice came from behind him.
“Nothing.”
“I’d definitely say it’s something.”
“I was really starting to like her. A lot.” Stetson sighed. “But—”
“What Wyatt said got to you.”
Stetson nodded. “Was it true, or was he just mouthing?”
“Kendra’s no saint. But neither are the rest of us.”
Two bay mares waited in the corral for someone to turn them into the pasture, but the hands were busy getting the bull the coliseum had supplied back in the trailer.
He propped his boot on the fence rail. “So, she’s been with Wyatt? Any others?”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. She’s different now.”
“And I’m glad. But I’m not sure I can get past that.” Especially if there were several.
“I imagine that would be a hard thing to come up against. But remember, when Kendra asked Jesus to be her Savior, He blotted out her past.” Clay clapped Stetson on the shoulder. “Rayna says she’s stayed on the straight and narrow since. Try to see her how God sees her.”
Stetson nodded. If only he could. He’d trusted Erin, and she’d cheated on him. Was Kendra any different? Should he give her a chance to prove herself?
❧
Over a week had passed since the last photo shoot, and Kendra had enjoyed the break from Stetson. She managed to avoid him all through Sunday school class and church. Though they both still sat with their friends, they’d mutually positioned all four friends between them.
Thunder rumbled as she crossed the lobby.
“It’s really coming down out there.” Brother Timothy shook her hand.
Rain fell in torrents, beating against the steaming parking lot. Some niggling sense of dread tugged at her.
Her stomach sank. Her convertible top was down. She scanned the lobby for someone to help. All elderly men, except Brother Timothy who was visiting with a middle-aged couple. And there was Stetson. She had no choice.
“Stetson, I need your help.”
His eyebrows rose.
“I left my convertible top down.”
His brows rose even more; then he vaulted out the door.
She darted after him, but there was no way she could catch him. By the time she got to the car, he had the top halfway up.
Rain soaked them both as they worked across from each other. Finally the manual top locked into place. She jerked the passenger door open and jumped inside.
Stetson sat in the driver’s seat dripping, his thick hair plastered against his head in short, damp clumps.
An inch of water pooled in the floor of the car and probably in his boots.
Her laughter spilled over.
Stetson grinned. “How about lunch?”
seven
“I’ll buy since you were my knight in shining cowboy boots.” She propped her high heels against the console. No chance of them drying, but at least they weren’t sitting in a puddle. “I hope they’ll recover.”
“I hope your car recovers.”
“Me, too. My daddy got me this car for graduation.” She bit her lip.
“Does your family live near you?”
“No.” Home was a lifetime ago. Rain pelted against the windshield so hard the wipers could barely keep up.
Stetson started the engine. “My mom lost our farm near San Antonio after Dad died. My farm in Aubrey is similar to the old place.”
“Are they still in the Denton area?” She flipped the visor down and peered in the mirror. Her waterproof mascara had held. No raccoon eyes. But her hair was beyond help.
“Yes.” He merged onto the highway. “My stepdad offered to buy our farm back for her years ago, but she wanted to move forward with him. They’ve lived in Denton since. He led me to the Lord when I was nine.”
“Is he still a youth director?”
“A few years ago, he decided the youth needed someone younger. He’s a deacon now.”
“So, you live near them?”
“About twenty minutes away.” He turned into the restaurant parking lot. “Do you see your folks much?”
“No.” Not since her father had told her to leave the night of her graduation. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“My life’s pretty much an open book.”
“How have you. . . ? I heard some of the youth talking—that you’re a. . .”
“Virgin.”
Her face warmed.
Drat. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d blushed. “How’d you pull that off?”
Silence filled the car.
She wished she hadn’t asked. “I’m sorry. Too personal. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, it’s fine. I was thinking.” He cleared his throat. “When I was a kid, my dad always told me to make him proud before each rodeo. I guess in case anything happened. After he died, my mom found a video he’d recorded for me.”
“Wow. Do you think he had a premonition?”
“No, it’s just a dangerous line of work.”
She glanced over at him.
He stared straight ahead. “My mom let me watch the video when I was thirteen. Dad challenged me to accept Christ, walk close in His will, and work hard at not making things any more difficult for my mom. He also recorded ‘the talk’ and challenged me to treat women with respect, even if they didn’t want me to. He shared how he and my mom saved themselves for their wedding night and how special and unique their first night together was. He said if I didn’t wait until my wedding night, he’d be disappointed.”
Her throat clogged. “He must have been very old-fashioned.”
“And very dedicated to following the Bible’s roadmap for our lives.” The rain refused to let up. “My stepdad preached abstinence to my youth group, so you could say the concept was hammered into me from all sides, and the Bible concurred. That was enough for me.”
“Did you ever get serious about anyone?”
“There was one girl.” He stared at the windshield as another burst of bullet-like rain sounded as if it might dent the vinyl top. “A rodeo queen, barrel racer. I wore a purity ring, and she claimed to agree. We dated for about six months. I kept hearing rumors about how she’d been around with several of the cowboys, but she swore none of it was true. I believed her. Until the night I showed up at her place to surprise her for her birthday. I caught her with my best friend.”
“I’m sorry.” She touched his hand. “You lost your girl and your best friend.”
“Turned out neither of them was worth having.” He forced a strained grin. “Some of the youth still don’t believe me on my ‘status,’ but it’s true.”
Time to change the subject. Don’t think about his “status.” The rain continued in torrents, beating down on the convertible top. “You never did say what you had in mind about me working with the youth.”
“I thought you could give them a photography lesson, say some Wednesday night.” He released his seat belt. “Then some Saturday we could take them to a soup kitchen under the guise of a photography lesson, and in the process illustrate the fruits of the Spirit.”
“Sounds fun. I love working with Lynn. It reminds me of when my aunt mentored me.”
“Some of the other girls and one boy have expressed interest.”
“I’ll do it. Just give me a date.” A damp strand dripped down her forehead.
Stetson pushed the tendril away from her face. His hand cupped her cheek. “You’re pretty amazing. Most women wouldn’t go to lunch after getting doused in the rain.”
A tremor moved through her that had nothing to do with the rain. “I’m freezing, and I look like a drowned Afghan hound, but I’m game if you are.”
“An Afghan hound?”
She pulled away from him. “You know, that breed of dog with the really long hair, and the back of its head looks like a girl’s.”
“I don’t think anyone in their right mind would ever mistake you for a dog.”
“I like dogs.” Stupid thing to say, but anythi
ng to lighten the mood. Finally the downpour eased. She scanned the parking lot. Adam’s SUV and Clay’s truck were parked side by side. “Looks like our friends are here.”
At least she wouldn’t be stuck in an uncomfortable conversation with Stetson during lunch. Maybe she could breathe normally if he kept his hands to himself.
❧
Stetson dawdled after the evening’s church services. That’s what his mom would call it. Straightening songbooks and picking up gum wrappers until the sanctuary cleared out.
“Cleaning the church isn’t in the youth director’s job description.” Brother Timothy smiled. “You’re doing wonders with our youth.”
“They’re great kids.” He leaned against a pew and focused on the ray of sunlight penetrating the window.
“Something on your mind?”
“Actually, someone.”
“Kendra?”
“It’s that obvious?” Stetson shoved his hands in his pockets. “I really like her. But we’re so different.”
“They say opposites attract.”
“I’ve been a Christian forever.”
“And Kendra hasn’t.”
“She has a big heart, she’s growing in her walk daily, and everyone loves her. But I keep focusing on her past, not her present or her future.”
“Was the thief on the cross any less saved than Paul?”
Stetson hung his head. “No.”
“And was Paul, the chiefest of sinners, any less saved than Mary Magdalene?”
“Thanks for knocking me off my high horse.”
“Anytime.” Brother Timothy slapped him on the back.
But how could he cleanse her past from his mind as Jesus had cleansed his sins away? How could he trust her with his heart?
❧
Midweek, Kendra clipped photos on the string across the darkroom in her office. Stetson in tough cowboy mode; Stetson with clown makeup on, still looking tough, heroic, and way too cute. Falling for a clown? There had to be a joke in that somewhere.
Standing in a room filled with his handsome image didn’t help. These could hang overnight. Maybe tomorrow she could handle him better. Yeah, right.
Rodeo Hero Page 5