Showdown

by Amy Elizabeth

  As he approached the warm-up arena, he heard a soft voice curse in the nearest holding pen. “Damn.”

  Automatically Tommy stopped and peered into the pen. “You alright?”

  The woman tossed a quick glance over her shoulder. “No, I’m not alright,” she snapped, turning back to her Paint mare. “I’m up next and my tie strap just broke–”

  “Do you have another one?”

  She gave a distracted shrug. “Yeah, out in my trailer. But there’s no time to get it–”

  Tommy didn’t hear anything else she said. In ten seconds flat, he’d unfastened Joaquin’s cinch and removed his own tie strap from the saddle.

  “Here,” he said, extending it through the metal bars. “Take mine.”

  For the first time, the woman looked directly at him. “Don’t you need it?”

  He did need it–after all, he couldn’t compete without a saddle–but he felt an overwhelming, almost irrational desire to help her instead.

  “Take it,” he insisted. “I’ll figure something out.”

  She stared back at him with her mouth agape before she turned and expertly attached the strap to her saddle. Then she tightened the cinch and swung onto her mare, trotting rapidly towards the arena.

  “Don’t get your hopes up.”

  Tommy turned to see Cliff Johnson, a fellow bull rider, standing nearby. “What are you talking about?”

  Cliff shot him a pointed look. “You know who that was, don’t you?”

  When Tommy gave him a blank stare, Cliff chuckled and shook his head. “That’s Lindsay Tucker. And she don’t sleep with the likes of us.”

  Cliff spun on his heel and walked away, leaving Tommy with his mouth agape. Lindsay Tucker? He’d barely had a chance to process the name before he heard it echoing from the loudspeakers.

  “Alright everyone, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Let’s hear a big Memphis welcome for your hometown cowgirl, eight-time barrel racing world champion and queen of the PRCA rodeo tour…put your hands together for Miss Lindsay Tucker!”

  Tommy watched in disbelief as Lindsay and her mare tore through the arena, thundering around the barrels with lightning speed. The roar of the crowd was deafening as they rounded the final barrel and raced for home, flying past the electronic eye a full second faster than their nearest competitor.

  “That’s how it’s done, ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer was saying. “Another winning performance from our reigning world champion.”

  Tommy stood in the same spot as Lindsay trotted towards him. She swung from the saddle with practiced grace and removed her hat, and his heart skipped a beat when her long reddish hair spilled across her shoulder.

  “I don’t know how to thank you,” she panted. “I thought I was going to have to withdraw.”

  It took Tommy a moment to respond. He knew who she was, of course–anyone who knew anything about rodeo knew who Lindsay Tucker was–but he’d never actually met her before.

  Now that he had, he understood why the guys on tour always talked about her. She was the perfect portrait of a southern farm girl–strawberry blond hair, big blue eyes, and the longest legs he’d ever seen.

  “It was nothing,” he said. “I’m glad I could help you out.”

  Lindsay briefly mirrored his smile before she turned to unfasten the cinch. A moment later she removed the tie strap and handed it back to Tommy.

  “What’s your event?” she asked.

  He glanced over at the neighboring arena. “I’m pretty sure I missed it.”

  Her eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah. But I’m not worried about it. There’s always next weekend.”

  Lindsay looked genuinely troubled. “I had no idea…I mean, if I’d known you were going to forfeit your slot…”

  Her voice trailed off when Tommy chuckled. “Tell you what. If you take me out for a drink, we’ll call it even.”

  He had no idea where his boldness had come from; the words simply spilled out of his mouth. Lindsay, too, looked surprised by his audacity, although he didn’t miss the smile that crept across her lips.

  “Sorry, cowboy,” she replied as she brushed past him. “I don’t trust bull riders.”

  Tommy was taken aback–he hadn’t realized that she knew who he was–but he didn’t miss a beat. “You’re in luck,” he called after her. “This weekend I’m a steer wrestler.”

  Lindsay paused and glanced back at him. “Well, now. In that case, I’ll make an exception.”

  After securing their horses for the night, Lindsay led him across the street to a cozy underground lounge. “Miss Tucker,” the bartender greeted. “Nice ride tonight.”

  “Thanks, Frankie. I’ll have my usual, please.”

  Frankie raised a brow in Tommy’s direction. “I’ll have what she’s having,” Tommy chimed in.

  When Frankie turned to pour their drinks, Tommy sent Lindsay a sheepish grin. “I didn’t know who you were at first.”

  “How refreshing.” She mirrored his grin. “I knew exactly who you were. I read that article about you in Western Horseman a couple months back.”

  “Is that right?” he said as Frankie placed their drinks on the bar. “What’d they have to say?”

  Tommy knew what the article said, of course, but he was pleased when Lindsay played along anyway. “They said you’re some hotshot bull rider from a little town in Texas,” she answered, taking a long sip of her drink. “You came out of nowhere at twenty-eight and shattered a few records in your rise to the top. And they described you as absolutely fearless on the back of a bull.”

  For the first time all evening, Tommy felt a twinge of melancholy. “Well, there’s nothing to fear when you got nothing to lose.”

  Lindsay peered at him sideways. “So what’s your sad story, then?”

  “What makes you think I’ve got one?”

  She gave a knowing grin. “I’ve been around the rodeo my whole life. Everybody here has a sad story.”

  “Including you?”

  “Yes. Including me.”

  “So let’s hear it.”

  She dropped her gaze to her glass. “It’s not much of a story. It was my second season on the tour, the year I won my first world championship.” She met his eyes again and gave a rueful grin. “He was a bull rider from Oklahoma who knew exactly what to say, and I was a naïve twenty-year-old who bought every word of it. It only took me ‘til the end of the season to realize that he was sleeping with half the girls on tour.”

  Tommy winced. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” she said with a wave of her hand. “It’s ancient history now. And I definitely learned my lesson.”

  “Never fall for a smooth talker?”

  “No. Never trust a bull rider.”

  At that, Tommy grinned. “And yet here you are having a drink with one.”

  She raised a brow. “I thought you said you were a steer wrestler.”

  “Well, I would’ve been if I didn’t have to rescue the rodeo queen.”

  Lindsay burst out laughing, and Tommy couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction. Credentials aside, Lindsay was easily one of the sexiest and sassiest girls he’d ever met. The jerk who’d broken her heart had obviously hurt her a lot worse than she was letting on.

  Why else would a woman like her still be on the market?

  “Alright,” she said once she’d recovered her composure. “Your turn.”

  The smile dropped off Tommy’s lips. “Well, my story’s going to take a little longer than yours.”

  “How much longer?”

  He glanced at his watch. “Got all night?”

  She regarded him thoughtfully before she signaled Frankie for another round. “I’m listening.”

  And then, right there in that lounge, Tommy did the one thing he vowed he was never going to do.

  He told Lindsay everything. He told her about Wyoming and Alec and Rebecca; then he told her about Liz and their almost-wedding and those last
disastrous weeks on the Flying W. He left nothing out, from beginning to end, and as he spoke he could almost feel a gigantic weight lifting from his chest.

  Lindsay listened to it all with rapt attention, and when he was finished she released a deep breath. “Wow. Yours may be the saddest story I’ve heard yet.”

  “It was hell,” he agreed, mindlessly stirring his straw in his empty glass. “I had no one to blame but myself, though. And like you said, I definitely learned my lesson.”

  “Never juggle two girls at once?”

  “No. Never try to move forward until you’ve let go of the past.”

  She rested her chin on her hands. “How’s that working out for you?”

  “Not too well,” he admitted. “But I will say this. Tonight’s the best night I’ve had in a long, long time.”

  A flush spread across Lindsay’s cheeks as she dropped her gaze to the bar top. Tommy studied her profile for a moment before he glanced at the dance floor.

  “Would you like to dance with me?”

  She looked up at him. “Yeah. I would.”

  He started to stand until she reached out to stop him. “But I’m not going to,” she added.

  Tommy froze midmotion. “You’re not?”

  Lindsay shook her head.

  “Why?”

  “Because,” she said, leaning in to kiss his cheek, “you’re not ready yet.”

  Tommy stared at her in awe as she stood and pulled on her jacket. “And what if one day I am?”

  She sent him a sideways grin. “You’re a champion bull rider, Tommy Bateman, and I’m a champion barrel racer. I’m sure our paths will cross again.”

  Epilogue

  Alec & Rebecca

  Alec still expected to wake up most mornings and discover that it was all a dream.

  He’d fully planned to spend his entire life on the Flying W, so it was always a jolt for him to open his eyes and realize that he wasn’t in the farmhouse. He no longer had to wake up at five in the morning to mend fences or shovel snow. He no longer had to work with accountants or attorneys or marketing agents, because he no longer had the overhead of a huge business.

  No. These days Alec lived a simple, uncomplicated life…the kind of life he’d always wanted.

  He pushed back the covers and stepped over to the window, studying the glow of the sunrise on the horizon. The barren desert peaks were so different than the mountains in Wyoming, but they were no less beautiful. He especially loved the early mornings, when he could be alone with his thoughts and reflect on the path that led them here.

  Since he had every intention of picking up where his father left off, the one thing Alec knew for certain was that they needed to live near a substantial equestrian community. He also insisted that their new home be near a sizeable city with good universities so Rebecca could finish her education.

  Over the course of several months, they looked at a dozen different properties in a dozen different states, from Florida to New York to California. Each was beautiful and had all the amenities they could possibly want…but none of them grabbed at their hearts.

  They were on their way to inspect a property in New Mexico when, out of the blue, Alec received a phone call from Jonathan Davis, the owner of the Arabian stallion Al-Ashab that he’d worked with the previous winter.

  “Since you did such a great job with him,” Jonathan explained, “I’m wondering if you could help me with one of my mares.”

  Figuring he and Rebecca needed the break from house-hunting, he accepted Jonathan’s offer. The next day they arrived in Phoenix, and once again Jonathan put them up in a beautiful resort in Scottsdale. On his way out to Sunrise Arabians, Alec just happened to glance over at a neighboring ranch and notice the For Sale sign on the fence.

  When he returned to the hotel that evening and pitched the idea to Rebecca, she nodded. “Why not? It can’t hurt to look.”

  As it turned out, they both fell in love with the property. It was twenty acres–exactly the size they were looking for–with an airy two-story ranch home, a ten-stall barn, a covered riding arena, and fifty-seven giant saguaro cacti. The location was right in the heart of Scottsdale’s equestrian community, so it couldn’t have been more ideal for Alec’s goals.

  Two weeks later, the ranch was theirs. After a tearful goodbye to Rebecca’s family, they loaded Onyx, Shadow, and Star and headed south. They spent the winter making minor renovations to the barn and the arena; then they built an additional corral and two round pens that Alec would need for his training.

  On the first of May, with temperatures soaring near a hundred degrees, The Walter Westin Center for Equine Therapy and Rehabilitation officially opened its doors. Alec had been advertising the business for months prior to the opening, posting videos of his father’s seminars and the work he was currently doing with Onyx and Shadow.

  As he expected, desperate owners turned out in droves, begging him to help with their horses’ psychological and behavioral issues.

  While Alec was busy doing that–and loving it–Rebecca enrolled at Arizona State University and blazed her way through their doctorate program. Last spring she graduated with a PhD in Psychology, and this coming summer she’d be establishing her own therapeutic riding program at the Walter Westin Center.

  A gentle pair of arms encircled his waist, bringing Alec back to the present. “Whatcha thinking about?” Rebecca whispered.

  “You,” he responded, turning to face her. “Are you ready for today?”

  She nodded. “Are you?”

  He nodded, too, as he enveloped her in his embrace. “I’m ready.”

  *

  Later that day, Rebecca and Alec drove into Scottsdale for the Parada del Sol Pro Rodeo. It was a glorious February day, with temperatures right at seventy degrees and–as usual–not a cloud in the sky. Already swarms of people were making their way into the arena, creating a lively, energetic buzz for the upcoming event.

  They snagged two seats near the center of the grandstands, directly opposite the bucking chutes. While Alec headed to the concession area to purchase drinks, Rebecca settled back to take in her surroundings.

  It had been a long time since she’d been to a rodeo. In fact, the last time was over six years ago, when she’d competed in barrel racing and team roping in Jackson. Her gaze drifted to the practice arena, where a couple of cowboys were loping their horses around the perimeter.

  The image simultaneously produced a smile and a twinge of melancholy.

  “Excuse me?”

  Rebecca turned to see a pretty redhead standing in the aisle, cradling a toddler on her hip. “Is anyone sitting next to you?” the woman asked.

  “Just my husband,” Rebecca replied, sliding over a few inches. “But I think we can make some space.”

  The woman grinned as she took a seat beside Rebecca. “Thanks,” she said, pulling her daughter onto her lap. “I wasn’t expecting it to be this crowded already.”

  “It’s one of the biggest events of the season, from what I hear.” Rebecca paused to smile at the little girl, who had strawberry blond ringlets and the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. “She’s adorable. What’s her name?”

  “This is Violet,” she replied, turning to her daughter. “Can you say hi, Violet?”

  Violet mumbled a quiet hello before she buried her face in her mother’s chest. “She’s a little shy sometimes,” the woman added, giving an apologetic shrug. “Clearly she gets it from her father.”

  Rebecca laughed. “Are you from around here?”

  “Do I sound like I am?” she drawled, making Rebecca laugh again. “Nah, I was born and raised in Tennessee. Lived there my whole life. How about yourself?”

  “I’ve been here for about five years now. I grew up in Boston and moved to–”

  Her words were lost when the little girl began squirming on her mother’s lap. “Daddy!” she cried, stretching towards the aisle.

  The woman chuckled and set her down, and she immediately scurried off in he
r tiny pink cowgirl boots. Her curls bounced against her shoulders as she hopped down the steps into her father’s outstretched arms.

  “There’s my girl!” he cried.

  She screeched with laughter as he lifted her high above his head and playfully twirled in a circle. Then he set her on his shoulders and started up the stairs towards them, and when Rebecca saw his face she gasped aloud.

  He recognized her an instant later and stopped dead in his tracks. “Bec?”

  “Tommy?”

  Violet’s mother raised her brows. “Wait,” she said, whirling around to face her. “You’re Rebecca?”

  Rebecca was too startled to respond. She knew she was going to see him today–it was the whole reason that she and Alec had come to the rodeo–but she didn’t expect it to be like this.

  She hadn’t seen Tommy in over five years, since the day he left the Flying W. Alec and Jeff had kept in touch with him, but Rebecca knew that she needed to keep her distance, so she’d done just that. She’d heard that he was doing well and that he’d had a baby girl, but she’d never actually spoken to him.

  She could hardly believe that he was now standing right in front of her.

  Tommy looked as dazed as she felt. “Bec, this is my wife, Lindsay.”

  Rebecca was startled when Lindsay reached out to give her a friendly hug. “I have heard so much about you! It’s so great to finally meet you.”

  “You, too,” she managed to say. She struggled to think of something to add, but she was still reeling in disbelief.

  Lindsay gave a knowing grin as she stood. “I’m going to take this one to the restroom,” she announced, pulling Violet from Tommy’s shoulders. “That’ll give you two the chance to catch up.”

  Rebecca watched them go before she turned to Tommy, whose easy smile was exactly as she remembered it. “It’s good to see ya, Bec,” he said softly. “It’s been a long time.”

  “It has,” she agreed. “I’m so glad you called and told us you were going to be here. Alec can’t wait to see you.”

  “It’ll be good to see him, too,” he replied, taking a seat beside her. “I’m glad y’all were able to come.”