The Wrangler's Last Chance

by Jessica Keller

  It was just because they hadn’t spoken yet. She would talk to Carter and they could make things official between them, and then the unsettled feelings she was experiencing would go away.

  She dragged in a long breath. The scents of arena dust, wildflowers, popcorn and a whiff of the spicy cologne Carter always wore turned into a weird but comforting mix of smells. They were Texas. They were home. Everything she wanted—Carter included. When a ray of sunshine pierced through the fluffy clouds above, Shannon closed her eyes, tipped her face to the sun and prayed.

  God, with everything that has been happening I haven’t prayed in a while. Forgive me. I should have been praying more, not less, when things got hard. Help me weed my heart of all of Cord’s lies and from the ones I’ve planted there, too. This is what I should be doing every time I get one of those thoughts, isn’t it? Turning my face toward You, just like I’m doing with the sunshine. I will in the future. I know only Your truth can eradicate them. And, God, please bless things with Carter. Is that weird to pray about? I never prayed about Cord and I know I should have. So...I’m giving over whatever is happening with Carter to You.

  Feeling fortified, Shannon turned on the microphone and welcomed everyone. “One year ago, almost to the date, Red Dog Ranch was struck by a tornado. Much of what you see now was leveled and we had to consider closing our doors. But our amazing community rallied around us and helped us rebuild and reopen in time to host Camp Firefly. That’s the free summer camp program we run here to serve foster children from all over the state. Because of you, over five hundred children got to spend a week here feeling safe and loved. Thank you for partnering with us today by attending our first ever horse show. The funds raised today will go toward building an indoor riding arena, which we’ll be able to use to further expand the programs we offer to kids in need. I really hope you enjoy our show.”

  The program started with Carter’s lemonade relay. He took the stage and gave the introductions. Shannon couldn’t hold back her grin as she watched him easily capture the crowd’s attention. Cassidy had insisted on making a huge vat of her homemade lemonade for the event even though Carter and Shannon had both explained that a lot of it might end up spilled. However, Cassidy had argued that if the lemonade was fantastic it would be an incentive for people to try harder to get to the finish line with less spills, because when the rider crossed the line they were supposed to down the cup of juice. The event was based on time scores and how much had been spilled, and riders of all ages and skill levels had entered.

  Next up was the main part of the show—Shannon’s costume challenge. She had gotten a peek at some of the thirty contestants when they were getting ready out of sight, behind the barn, and everyone had gone above and beyond what she had imagined. Nerves jittered through her body as she announced the lineup.

  Music pumped through the loudspeakers as a white horse that had been painted with zebra stripes trotted into the arena. Everyone clapped and laughed as the horse’s rider, who was dressed like a safari guide, put binoculars to his face and scanned the bleachers. Next came a horse dressed as if he was a doctor in blue scrubs with a huge stethoscope looped over his neck, and his rider wore a hospital gown. The stirrups had been made to look like crutches.

  An aw escaped from Carter when a little girl riding a huge brown horse clomped into the arena. The tiny rider was wearing a bumblebee outfit and her horse was draped in hundreds of flowers. And the cuteness kept coming—a rider in a Dorothy dress and her horse in a Cowardly Lion costume, Santa riding a dark brown horse that had antlers and a red ball attached to his bridle to look like a nose. The crowd gasped in unison when a giant black horse charged into the judging area dressed like a dragon. His rider had tacked on gorgeous huge red wings that almost touched the ground as the horse marched and pawed the length of the corral.

  From her perch at the judges’ table, Shannon scanned the crowd until her gaze fell on her family. Front and center, Rhett had his arm slung around Macy, whose hands rested on her very swollen belly. No doubt the bleachers were entirely uncomfortable for an eight-months-pregnant woman, but Macy was tough as nails and no one would have been able to keep her away even if they had tried. Kodiak lay at their feet, her head on her paws. Wade and Cassidy were seated on Rhett’s other side. They were holding hands and Cassidy had her head on Wade’s shoulder while Piper kept switching from her dad’s lap to jumping up and down as she cheered near the fencing. When Rhett noticed Shannon’s gaze, he lifted his hand in an acknowledging wave that she returned, but then his wave turned into a thumbs-up sign. The simple gesture warmed Shannon’s heart more than him writing out his pride in giant sky lettering could have. Rhett wasn’t a thumbs-up kind of guy. At all. So for him to do that, he was really proud of her. Wade finally noticed the exchange and blew her a kiss, then smiled widely.

  She mouthed “I love you” to them.

  Shannon’s heart squeezed. She loved her brothers so much and always had, but it was really special to feel as if she was making them proud. Not that she needed their stamp of approval on her life, but it was nice to know the people she loved the most in the world supported her and believed in her.

  Blinking back tears, Shannon took the stage again and announced that rodeo legend Violet Byrd was going to take the arena with her champion horse to perform the barrels for their enjoyment. The crowd erupted in applause and some people rose to their feet, cheering loudly as Violet and her palomino rode up to the opening in the fence.

  A few of the teen volunteers had set up the barrels and combed the ground while the winners of the costume contest were being announced. Red Dog Ranch used arena sand in all their dedicated riding areas, despite the fact that it was far more expensive than regular sand. The added expense was worth it because the angular sand provided better support and safety for both the horse and rider than normal rounded sand could. Shannon had taught the barrels to campers before and they had hosted mini rodeos, but nothing at the speed of what Violet was about to show them.

  As the buzzer sounded, Violet kicked Hawken and the gelding burst forward with an enormous amount of power and speed. Sand flew as Hawken’s hooves ate up the distance to the first barrel and rounded it quickly. Nostrils flared, he charged to the next one. Violet leaned in, pushing him on as they pounded toward the last barrel. They were moving so fast that Shannon was having a hard time keeping up with their footwork. On the final turn both horse and rider leaned hard—too hard. Hawken lost his footing and slid headfirst into the sand, his body crashing down on top of Violet, who was unable to get off him in time. Someone on the bleachers screamed as Hawken tried to raise himself and stumbled directly onto Violet’s right leg in the process.

  At the same time, Carter flung himself over the fencing and tore across the arena. Likewise, Rhett climbed the fence on the opposite side. Violet attempted to stand but crumbled to the ground with a loud cry. People in the crowd gasped and yelled “No.” Rhett reached Violet first and knelt down beside her while Carter rounded up Hawken, secured the horse’s reins and calmed him down. The palomino limped badly as Carter walked him slowly toward the exit, turning to pat his neck and say soothing things to the giant beast every couple of steps. While some people might have assumed that Carter should have doctored the animal in the arena, Shannon had grown up around horses and knew Carter could provide better care for Hawken if there were fewer stressors for the horse to deal with. Getting him away from the crowd and into a confined location where he couldn’t get himself hurt further was of top importance.

  Knees shaking, Shannon turned her microphone on. “Please, everyone, stay calm and keep your seats.”

  Wade appeared beside her. “Ambulance is on the way.”

  Shannon relayed that information through the microphone. “For everyone’s safety, please stay where you are. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”

  Rhett strode out of the arena carrying Violet. Macy had rushed to hold the gate open fo
r him and joined them as Rhett walked toward the ranch’s driveway. Kodiak led the way, darting through the tall grasses in front of them. Shannon set down the microphone and jogged after the trio. Breath wheezing, Shannon put her hands on her knees as she stopped near where Rhett had set Violet on the tailgate of one of the ranch’s trucks.

  “I’m so sorry,” Shannon finally got out.

  Tears streaked Violet’s face. “My circuit starts in two weeks. How am I going to ride if my leg is broken? I really hope it’s not broken.” She covered her face with her hands. “I don’t even know if Hawken is okay. I should have asked about him first.”

  Shannon laid a hand on Violet’s uninjured leg. “You don’t have to worry about Hawken. Carter has him and he’ll take good care of him. We’ll take care of him for as long as you need us to.”

  Rhett cleared his throat. “And don’t worry about the expenses. We’ll cover all costs as far as Hawken’s care and recovery are concerned.”

  Sirens wailed in the distance.

  Violet looked toward the sound but then her chin trembled. She tipped her head up a fraction and swallowed hard. “If I can’t race, I’ll lose my sponsors.”

  Rhett glanced at Macy, a silent plea for her to step in. Macy moved forward and took Violet’s hand. “Your only worry right now is getting better. You were doing the ranch a favor when the accident occurred and we’re not going to abandon you, all right? We’ll work something out. You’ll see.”

  Rhett grasped Shannon’s shoulder. “Mace and I have got this handled. Why don’t you head back to the stage and keep the crowd in order? Wait until about five minutes after the ambulance leaves to start dismissing people to their vehicles.” He removed his hand and started to turn away, but seemed to think of something and faced her again. “And, Shannon? This isn’t your fault. You planned a really great event that raised a lot of money. Don’t let a hiccup in the day distract you from the facts. Accidents are part of life.”

  The ambulance turned up the drive and a team of paramedics rushed out.

  Shannon rounded her shoulders, sent up a quick prayer asking God to take care of Violet and Hawken and then headed to deal with the crowd.

  * * *

  After he got Hawken unsaddled and contained, Carter had called Dr. Spira and asked him to stop by Red Dog Ranch and bring along some of his equipment. Carter suspected the horse had either strained or torn a muscle along with possibly having hurt a tendon, but he wanted a second opinion and also needed Spira to bring medications that the ranch didn’t have readily available to manage Hawken’s pain.

  After administering an anti-inflammatory and helping assess Hawken’s muscles, Spira had headed back home to deal with patients at his clinic. But the vet said he would be back first thing in the morning. Carter suspected the man’s desire to stop in again so soon had more to do with the fact that Mrs. Spira wouldn’t be home until late tomorrow evening than that the doctor thought Carter needed his help caring for the horse. But he would happily accept help, nonetheless. Mrs. Spira was still currently in Galveston helping care for their newest grandchild.

  Finally with a minute to himself, Carter glanced at his phone. Amy had returned his call but the voice mail she had left hadn’t been too encouraging. In the message she had explained that she had gotten married more than a year ago and had a five-month-old baby.

  “I love you, Carter. I really do,” Amy had said. “But I don’t know if I can reestablish contact with you. I have a family now. And I don’t want you entering Emmeline’s life only to disappear one day so she’s left to wonder what she did wrong to make Uncle Carter abandon her. I know that’s not your intention, but I’m a mom now and I have to do what’s best to protect her. So let me think about it, okay? I just don’t know yet.”

  It was his third time listening to the message but it still pierced as sharply as the first time. His own sister didn’t trust him to be a committed member of a family. She thought he had it in him to make a kid feel abandoned. In her esteem he was lumped in the same category with his mom and stepfather. It would have hurt less for her to slap him outright.

  Carter slumped against a wall, letting his back slide all the way down until he was sitting on the floor in the barn. Wing Crosby gave a mournful little honk as he leaped from his perch in the office and headed toward where he was seated. Wing crossed the hallway and settled down beside Carter.

  Maybe Amy was right. Maybe he had been fooling himself for weeks thinking he was cut out to be a part of a family—to have even dreamed of the possibility after Mrs. Spira had talked to him about family trees. After all, he was Carter Kelly—the drifter—the man with no roots who wanted to check visiting every country off his list. He’d even told Shannon about his dream to see the world the night they had walked with Tater Tot. He couldn’t very well do that if he was tied down. Besides, he had a criminal history and was drowning in school debt. No woman, no family, needed to be saddled with the likes of him.

  The door creaked open and Shannon’s voice brought his head up. “There you are. I looked for you in about five other places but should have figured you’d still be in the barn.” Her smile was so wide and bright it made his chest ache. He loved this woman. He loved her more than he would ever love another person.

  But after Amy’s phone call he knew the best thing for Shannon’s future, the most loving thing he could do, was to not act on his feelings at all.

  Sickness rolled through his stomach at the realization.

  Shannon strode forward until she was directly in front of him. “Rhett called. They’re saying Violet has a shattered fibula.” She offered him a hand and he took it, rising. “Doctors are telling her it’ll take six to eight weeks for it to heal but then since she’s an athlete she’ll need therapy afterward, before she can return to competition. It’s the end of April now. The first part alone puts her into June, and that’s not counting her therapy. She’s going to miss her entire rodeo circuit and I can’t help but feel like it’s our fault.”

  Shannon’s sadness made Carter’s heart squeeze. He couldn’t hold himself back from tucking some of her hair behind her ear. She brought her hand up and placed it over his to cup the side of her face. “Rhett said it’s an accident and accidents are part of life.”

  “Your brother’s right,” Carter said.

  She gave a sad smile. “How’s Hawken?”

  Carter slipped his hand away from her face, and then he turned to the side, shoving the same hand into his hair. “It’s hard to tell without being able to review his full medical history, but Spira and I both think he has a muscle strain as well as possible moderate damage to the tendon on the same leg.” He crossed to the stall Hawken was being kept in and used two fingers to brush the palomino’s mane from his forehead. “Even if Violet was fine, Hawken’s got at least three months until he can start training again, but that’s only if he didn’t hurt a tendon. If he’s hurt a tendon, then we’re looking at nine to twelve months.”

  Shannon came up beside him in front of the stall. “A year? She won’t be able to use him for that long? That’ll ruin her career.”

  Carter rested his forearms on the edge of the stall door, his shoulders slumping. “If she cares about her horse more than winning awards and cash prizes, she’ll do what’s best for him.”

  “Carter.” Shannon touched his arm. He straightened as he turned to face her and she was so close. Only a breath away. And she was looking up at him with so much hope in her eyes it made his heart come to a full stop. Her eyes searched his as she bit her bottom lip. “I didn’t come here to talk about horses,” she whispered as her hands found his chest.

  She was so beautiful and so kind and caring and he couldn’t be with her. It was killing him. She deserved a guy who was upright and from a good family. She needed someone who could seamlessly meld with her family—and that wasn’t him. If Amy was right, it would never be him.

  “Sha
nnon, I—”

  She inched closer. “I love you, Carter. I should have told you the other day. I should have told you the second I started to fall for you, but I can’t quite put my finger on when that was. Because the truth is it feels like a piece of my heart has always been waiting for you.”

  Before he could respond she went up on her tiptoes and her lips found his. For half a second Carter considered breaking the kiss. Given his scattered thoughts, that would have been the responsible thing to do. But with Shannon’s arms around him and her mouth melding with his, he couldn’t think beyond the moment. Beyond kissing her one last time.

  If it was their last kiss, then he was going to make it count. Carter pressed his hand to the small of her back, making it so there was no space between them. Then he—

  The door behind them swung open, and the sound snapped Carter back to his senses before he could deepen the kiss or draw his hands into her hair. Shannon and Carter sprang apart.

  Wade came to a stumbling halt a few feet away. “You didn’t answer your phone.”

  Shannon’s glare was sharp enough to draw blood. “Maybe because my phone was on silent and I was a little busy, if you hadn’t noticed.”

  “We need you in the house.” He grabbed for his sister’s arm. “Now.”

  She jerked away from him. “Are you purposely trying to keep Carter and me apart? We talked about this, Wade. It seems a little convenient that you need me every time we start kissing.” She crossed her arms. “If this is some big ploy then—”

  Wade yanked on his hair and growled, “June’s dead, Shannon. She’s dead.”

  “What?” Shannon’s knees crumpled and she would have hit the barn’s cement floor if Carter hadn’t surged forward and caught her. She leaned heavily into Carter as she dashed a tear away. “You’re sure?”

  Wade nodded. “We just got off with Boone.”