“Not gonna happen,” Ryan insisted. “Julie’s roots are deep here. There’s no way she’d pull up stakes and follow me all over the country.”
“Why not? I do.”
“You’re not here because I am,” Ryan said flatly. “You’re here because this is the best prize money for time spent and you know it.” He purposely changed the subject. “I understand your practice runs were very good.”
“Not as good as they’ll have to be to beat the others. That older woman from Oklahoma is a racing fool. And her horse is part Arabian, so he never gets tired.”
“You’ll do fine,” Ryan assured her. “Just don’t knock over a barrel and pick up penalties.”
“Oh, sure. Like all you have to do is keep from getting bucked off and you’ll win, too.”
“It’s a start.” He chuckled. “I’ll try to watch your run while they’re getting the bulls moved up.”
“Thanks.”
As he left his friend, Ryan recalled how Julie had promised to pray for his success. It must be nice to believe in God so strongly that she could rely on the power of prayer rather than skill.
He had no such delusions. He was in the competition because he was good at what he did. That was all there was to it. And until he was either incapacitated or got too old to compete well, he was going to keep going. Keep traveling. Keep striving to be the best in the business and take home the biggest purses. Lack of interest in roping might keep him from ever winning all-around titles like Ty Murray had, but his riding would keep him in the spotlight, hopefully for years to come.
There was nothing more he could ask. Nothing else he wanted out of life, at least for the present.
In the back of his mind, a thought that was barely there asked, Really?
Chapter Five
If the afternoon had been a bit cooler, Julie might have left her ewes at the rodeo grounds until the end of the day. The humidity was low, but once the daytime temps reached into the mid-eighties she decided to ask her youngest brother, Adam, to haul them home for her.
She rode along. “So what did you think when the time capsule turned up missing?”
He shrugged. “Beats me. Dad was sure steamed.”
“At least he kept his cool and got the crowd to move away from the site. I don’t suppose the sheriff’s officers we had patrolling the grounds came prepared to investigate a crime like that.”
“Not when Cal and the extra deputies were hired just for crowd control,” Adam replied. “There’s a forensics team coming in from Bozeman, but I don’t expect them to find anything.”
“I agree.” Julie was nodding thoughtfully. “Ryan asked if the theft might have occurred a long time ago.”
“Ryan? The guy I met by the sheep?”
“Yes. He’s one of the rough-stock cowboys. I met him this morning and we seemed to hit it off really well.”
Her brother chuckled. “I want to be there when Dad finds out you’re interested in a rodeo rider.”
“Why, because you plan to defend my right to pick my own husband?” She had to laugh at the irony. “Give me a break. You have enough trouble keeping the girls at bay with him and Mom shoving them at you. The way I see it, since you, Cord and Austin are all older than Faith and I, you guys should get married and settle down first.”
“Life doesn’t work that way, baby sister. When it’s time for me to find a wife, I fully expect her to fall into my lap, not show up because our folks have been matchmaking.”
“Well said.” Julie relaxed, leaned back and sighed. If she allowed herself to accept her brother’s reasoning, she might actually start to believe she’d met Ryan Travers because he was the one for her. Was that possible?
Not rationally, she argued inwardly. She did enjoy his company, but that didn’t mean there was any deeper meaning to their meeting. Or to the fact that they seemed very compatible in many areas. Given her aversion to city slickers like Wilbur, however, she saw no reason to shun the amiable, good-looking cowboy. As long as Ryan was in town, she could enjoy his company and perhaps discourage her father’s matchmaking, if only for two or three weeks.
She would never lead a man on, of course, which meant she would have to tell Ryan all about her dad and why she was unwilling to heed his wishes. A smile slowly lifted the corners of her mouth. It could actually be fun to pretend the handsome rider was her boyfriend, particularly if he was in on the ruse and knew all about her father’s crazy efforts to get all his kids married off and settled on nearby ranches of their own.
Tonight, at the fireworks show, she would set up the amusing scenario. Talk about fireworks!
If Ryan shows up, she added silently.
He will. Julie was positive. And since she was going to be back on the ranch soon, she’d freshen up before returning to town for the evening festivities.
Especially the bull riding. She couldn’t miss that. She’d promised Ryan she’d be there for as many of his rides as possible, and she intended to keep her word.
A warmth infused her cheeks as the reality of the situation grew clearer. Hers was more than a simple friendly promise. She truly wanted to be present to watch him ride. And to pray for his safety when the chute gate opened and he spent the next eight seconds, and beyond, in mortal danger.
Closing her eyes as her brother drove toward home, Julie began her prayers for Ryan’s safety then and there.
* * *
He’d come in third in the first round of saddle-bronc riding and had hit the ground right in front of one of the TV cameras, so his landing was liable to wind up on the late news. This ride hadn’t earned the best score he’d ever been awarded, but it wasn’t the worst either, and there were more chances coming in the ensuing days. They’d eliminate some of the less able riders this first weekend, add some special former champions the second, then tie up the titles and grand prize money during the third and final series of events. All he had to do was see that he landed in the top ten this weekend, then wait for the next chance and the next and do the same.
By the time it was all over, he expected to have lined his pockets with plenty of money and maybe come away with a new hand-tooled saddle and bridle, a pair of silver spurs and a couple of fancy buckles, too.
Barnyard aromas permeated the air. Dust rose in clouds as the livestock was shifted from place to place by expert wranglers. The sun overhead beat down on men and animals alike.
Ryan mopped his brow and donned a protective vest. He’d seen his first bull perform before, so he wasn’t going into this ride blind. He squared his hat on his head tightly and scaled the fence to prepare to step aboard.
One last look at the cowboys and groupies gathered behind the chutes was all it took to make him smile and hesitate. Julie was back!
She waved her arm wildly and grinned. “Hi!”
Acknowledging her with a nod, Ryan stood astride the chute fences, holding his weight off the animal while friends pulled his rigging tight for him and he rubbed his rosined gloves along the braided poly-and-manila rope. He slipped his glove through the handhold, laid the braid across his palm and took his wrap. Then he pounded his stiff fingers tighter with his free hand and eased himself down onto the bull’s back.
This brindle had a hump like a Brahma cross and horns big enough to reach out and touch a guy if he wasn’t careful.
Ryan pulled his feet off the rails. Nodded to signal the gate man. Held his breath. Raised his free hand over his head and tensed, ready for anything—he hoped.
The bull turned toward the arena, leaped into the air, landed stiff legged and was airborne again before even one second had passed.
There was no way to calculate the time or plan ahead. All Ryan could do was keep his balance, bend at the hips to stay out over the shoulders of the snorting, slobbering, lurching animal and hang on.
The cro
wd went wild, screeches, hoots and cheers buoying him up.
Focused so intently on the bull, Ryan barely heard anything beyond the animal’s growls and the roar of the spectators in the stands.
* * *
Julie was perched on the top rung of the arena fence, shouting, “Go, go, go! Yes!”
An air horn sounded. The eight seconds were up. He’d made it!
“Yay!” Her heart was already pounding from the excitement when she saw Ryan reaching for his rope to loosen it.
“Oh, no! His balance is off,” she yelled to nobody in particular. He was slipping to one side. And the bull was still bucking just as hard as it had before.
Julie gasped and held her breath. The crowd reacted the same way. The din behind her changed to a more muted reverberation. Tension was palpable.
Bullfighters in clown makeup and baggy clothes dashed into the fray. One headed straight for the bull, reaching out as if planning to touch its forehead between the curved horns.
Ryan finally pulled his hand free. He leaped, landing in the dirt and rolling aside, barely escaping the pounding cloven hoofs of the immense animal.
Julie screamed. Men were shouting.
Ryan clambered to his feet, raised his arms over his head and bounced on his toes like a prizefighter after scoring a knockout.
She caught his eye almost immediately and watched his elated grin broaden even more. By the time he’d scooped up his hat and been handed his discarded rigging, he was almost to the fence where she’d been waiting.
“Great ride!”
He beamed. “Thanks.”
“Lousy dismount, though. I thought you were a goner for sure.”
“Nah, he missed me by a mile.”
“Try a few inches. Why don’t you at least wear a helmet like so many of the other riders do?”
“Can’t see well enough through the face mask,” Ryan replied. “Besides, it throws off my balance.”
“It’s still better than getting your head stomped flat. Do you have any idea how close you came just now?”
“He missed, didn’t he?” One eyebrow arched. “Well?”
She gave him an exaggerated pouting look. “Yes. This time he did. What about the next time? Or the time after that?”
“Worried? Careful, or folks will think you care.”
“I do.”
“What about all that talk of praying for me?”
“I did. I was. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still get hurt.”
“Then why bother?”
Although he seemed nonchalant and carefree about it, Julie sensed an underlying sense of seriousness, as if he wanted an honest answer.
“Sometimes I wonder about that myself,” she confessed. “But I keep in mind that the Bible says to pray without ceasing and to ask for anything we want.”
“Sounds like a kid writing to Santa.”
Sobering, she shook her head. “Not at all. It’s a connection with our faith, with God and Jesus, that helps me all the time, no matter what answers I get.”
“Really?”
His arched eyebrows and evident skepticism were disturbing but not enough to dissuade her. “Yes, really. As a believer, if I trust God to do what’s best for me and try to listen and stay in His will, then I’ll know what to pray for and He’ll help me achieve it.”
“If you say so.”
“I do.” Forcing a smile, she looped her hand around his elbow and fell into step beside him. “I know where they stashed the leftovers from the picnic. Are you hungry now that your rides are over for the day?”
“I could eat.”
“Good. Stow your gear and we’ll go rustle up some food before the fireworks show starts.”
Ryan glanced at the sky, then back at her. “It’s a while until dark.”
Laughing lightly, Julie agreed. “So we’ll have lots of time to get to know each other better. And I promise I won’t always talk about sheep.”
“Well…” His drawl was enchanting and his expression amusing. A lopsided grin turned up one corner of his mouth and his eyes twinkled despite being shaded by his hat brim.
“If you promise.”
Julie followed him to a heavy-duty red pickup truck that was parked near the fairgrounds camping area. “Nice. Is this your rig?”
Nodding, Ryan carefully stowed his gear bag inside the matching camper shell next to the saddle and halter he used for bronc riding and checked everything before slamming the door. He paused beside the truck. “I should have brought a change of shirts. I thought I had another clean one in my truck, but I was mistaken.”
“You’ll do just as you are,” Julie told him, brushing off his shoulders as she spoke. “This is just dust.” She snickered. “Thankfully.”
“Hey, you’re a ranch girl. You should understand what sometimes happens when we fool with animals.” She saw him eyeing her outfit. “I see you changed. Too much wool?”
“Something like that.” She was not about to tell him that she’d put on the plaid, ruffled, Western shirt in order to try to impress him. It was bad enough to have done so in the first place without actually admitting it.
“Well, you look very nice. The blue you had on before really matched your eyes, though.”
He’d noticed? Uh-oh. Was that good—or bad? Not that it mattered, Julie reasoned. If she intended to teach her father a lesson and still play fair with this attractive cowboy, she’d better speak her piece soon, before he laid on the charm any more heavily.
As soon as he’d closed and locked the cab of the truck, as well as the camper shell, she took his arm again. “Come on. We’ll go over to the storage room behind the snack bar and raid the fridge while I explain a few important things to you.”
Ryan pulled back just enough to stop her. “Like what?”
“For a guy who’s not worried about facing a rampaging bull, you sure scare easily when it comes to people. Don’t worry. I just need a little favor from you. It won’t hurt a bit.”
“That’s what a sports medic told me just before he twisted my dislocated shoulder back into place last year in Cheyenne. Maybe you’d better explain what’s up before we go any further.”
“I need a boyfriend,” Julie said, bursting into laughter at the startled look on Ryan’s face. “To teach my father a lesson. And I think you’re just the man for the job.” She giggled more. “It’s only for a couple of weeks.”
“You go through boyfriends that fast?”
“Actually, no,” she admitted, blushing in spite of herself. “I’m not normally very social. I’m too busy working and tending to my flock. I’m the baby of the family, so I don’t understand why Dad is in such a big hurry to marry me off, but he is. I just thought it would be funny, plus give me a break from the pressure he and my mother have been putting on me, if he believed I was interested in somebody like you.”
“Me? Why me?”
“Well, I do like you. And we have run into each other several times since you came to Jasper Gulch. What will it hurt?” She released him abruptly and stepped back. “Unless you have somebody special already. Do you? That barrel racer, maybe?”
“I told you. Bobbi Jo and I are just friends.”
“Then you’ll do it? You’ll pretend we’re dating?”
Ryan shook his head and arched his eyebrows. “You really cut to the chase, Miss Shaw. Let’s say I agree to hang out with you between events. How do I know my actions won’t cause your dad to throw me out of the rodeo?”
“He wouldn’t do that. He might yell at me a lot, but you’ll never know he’s upset. Appearances are very important to him. So is his sterling reputation. Mayor Jackson Shaw would never let his emotions get the better of him, especially not in public. Look how calm he stayed when they opened the vault and the time capsule wa
s gone.”
“That’s true. He did handle himself—and the crowd—very diplomatically. It was the TV reporters who got excited.”
“That’s their job,” Julie said. She offered her hand. “Then it’s a deal?”
“Deal,” Ryan replied.
He grasped her hand tenderly and with more finesse than she had anticipated. His skin was warm yet callused, and restrained strength seemed to flow from his fingertips like currents of electricity.
For the first time since she’d hatched her plan to thwart her father, she was asking herself if she’d made a terrible mistake. They were merely shaking hands to seal a bargain, yet there was something different about this contact. Something special. Something so extraordinary it was indescribable.
If she’d been able to step back in time and return to that morning, she wondered if she’d have had enough sense to stand her ground instead of changing vantage points at the parade and encouraging him to notice her.
Would she do anything different if she had another chance? The question stuck in her mind until her cheeks were rosy again.
Standing there beside him in the midst of the fairgrounds parking lot, with people milling around and plenty of background noise, she felt as if she and Ryan were alone in the wilderness. While he held her hand, there was no one else who mattered. And no way to make herself step away to break the intimate mood, either.
Worse, she imagined the same reactions, the same feelings, emanating from him. Was it possible that he was as stupefied about their emotional connection as she was?
Of course not. Julie huffed, grinned, pulled away and changed the subject. “Okay. Time to eat. I’m starved.”
She’d have felt a lot more at ease if she hadn’t immediately recalled the old saying, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
Well, at least I’m not taking advantage of him, she reasoned. They liked each other, so why not make the most of the next few weeks and get to be friends? What could that hurt? Besides, keeping steady company with Ryan meant she’d be too tied up for her parents’ efforts at matchmaking.
Her Montana Cowboy Page 5