So, regardless of who won and who lost tonight, she could say goodbye to Las Vegas in the morning and get back to her regular life—her regular life without any possibility of a relationship with Jesse Cody. Things simply didn’t work between them. She knew that, now.
“Janie?”
She jumped, having been lost in her own thoughts and oblivious to whatever Nicki was saying. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I said, I’m not feeling so optimistic about Jesse’s chances tonight. Mark has my support, of course, but I’d like to see Jesse do well. Instead he looks terrible.” Nicki stared at her a moment. “So do you.”
“Thanks so much.” Janie frowned, her arms crossed over her chest. She did not want to have this conversation.
But Nicki did. “What happened between you two? You seemed to be getting along and then…boom…you weren’t anymore.”
“That about sums it up.”
“What did he do to make you mad?”
Kissed me and then backed away as if he’d tasted poison, for one thing.
She took a deep breath and prepared to lie. “Really, there’s nothing to tell, Nicki. We just realized we don’t get along. Some people are meant to be together, like you and Mark. Some of us, like me and Jesse, aren’t. End of story.”
“I can tell a lie when I hear it, Janie. But if that’s all you’ll say, so be it.” With a sniff, Nicki stood up and moved over to sit with her dad. Janie was sorry to make Nicki angry, but she was still trying to explain to herself what had happened with Jesse. She couldn’t possibly make it clear to someone else.
By showtime, the entire Cody family had arrived in the box—those not performing, at least. Janie hadn’t seen them all in one place for years, and the collection made quite an impression. Walker, the next oldest after Jesse, had brought his new wife, Paula, and her little boy, Clay. Dex arrived, with his fiancée, Josie, and their son, Matt—the first Cody grandchild, whose father happened to be Dex’s twin, Dusty. Janie had felt pretty dressed up in a short skirt and red silk shirt, with her dressiest black-and-red Lucchese boots, but Dusty’s fiancée, from Los Angeles, Maryanne, had joined him tonight. Now there was real style.
Finally, William, Elly’s fiancé, arrived. After shaking hands with all the men and greeting the ladies, he came to sit beside Janie.
“Elly wanted me to sit with you,” he said, squeezing her hand. “She’ll be up here after she rides and she says she has something to give you.”
“Do you know what?”
“No clue.” He turned toward the arena. “Here come the flags.”
The opening ceremony featured riders carrying flags from every state represented by the competitors, plus the national flag, performing a series of complicated maneuvers on horseback. Once they lined up across the arena, a major country music star appeared onstage to sing the national anthem. Through her tears, Janie saw most of the folks around her wiping their eyes.
Then, at last, the final go-round could begin.
After ten quick runs around the barrels, the crowd in the Cody box was happy, though not jubilant. Elly had placed second for the national title.
“I want you to know,” Janie told Elly when she finally arrived during the saddle bronc event, “that I’ve beaten that girl several times in the last couple of years. And you can beat me two times out of three, so this was just a lucky break for her. You’re still the best.”
Elly gave her a huge hug. “Thanks, friend. I love you.” Pulling back, she winked at William. “And I have a present for you, Ms. Janie.” Reaching into the neckline of her shirt, Elly started pulling on a cord that proved to be attached to her identification badge and competitor’s admission card.
She closed Janie’s hand around the badge. “Stuff that black braid of yours up under my hat.” Taking off the white hat she wore to ride, Elly put it on Janie’s head. “Then use this to get back behind the chutes. You can wish Mark and Jesse good luck for all of us.”
Janie just stared at her.
“Go on,” her best friend said, stepping out of the way so Janie could climb to the door of the box. “You know you want to see them before they ride. Shoo!”
“My mom—” Looking around, she found Abby talking to Nicki about…something. Nicki glanced at Janie, and waved her on. “Go,” she mouthed.
Helplessly snared in good intentions, Janie did what she was told.
JESSE HAD WATCHED ELLY’S RIDE from the rails of the bucking chutes. He’d winced at the extra two hundredths of a second between hers and the fastest time. Patting her on the back, he’d said, “Next year, honey. You’ll be back next year.”
Now he stood waiting for his own ride. After nine bulls for each of them, Mark still held first place, with Jesse in second and Sandy Thorpe in third. The scores were close enough that a spectacular ride for any one of them could win the title.
As the arena surface was smoothed one more time, though, Jesse’s mind wasn’t on the bull he’d be riding. He knew Janie would be in the audience, waiting to watch Mark. She’d attended every round of the Finals, yet somehow managed to slip away each night before he got so much as a glimpse of her. If they didn’t talk tonight, he’d have to wait until everybody got settled back at home. Hell, it might be Christmas before he could make things right between them.
The chute gate creaked and clanged open. Rider Number Fifteen jumped out, on Tumble Dry. The bull took three spins and dropped the cowboy flat in the dirt.
One down, fourteen to go. These bulls were the best in the country—not even the best cowboys stayed on all the time.
Rider Ten took a horn through the thigh from Stick It To ’Em. Competition stopped while the medics carried him out.
After Number Eight, the announcer told the crowd that Ten would be okay. “Just sore for a while.”
“Who here isn’t?” Jesse asked of nobody in particular.
With Number Six in the chute, he went to the locker room for his rope and gloves. Sandy was there, sitting on the floor with a headset on and his eyes closed, listening to the music he insisted put his mind in the right place for a ride.
Mark sat on the bench nearest the chutes. He stood and offered Jesse a hand. “Good luck. Stay safe.”
“You, too. I’ll—”
But Mark was looking over Jesse’s shoulder now, his brown eyes wide. “I don’t believe it,” he declared. “What are you doing here?” As he brushed past, Jesse jerked around.
“Janie!” Mark had his arms around her, picking her up off the floor. “Good to see you, girl.”
“Thorpe, on deck!” they called from the chute. “Cody, next.”
Sandy ambled toward the chutes, and Jesse punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Stick it,” he ordered.
Mark offered Thorpe a handshake. “Good luck.”
Sandy gave them both his lopsided grin and went out looking as though he had nothing more strenuous planned than a walk in the park. Jesse wished he felt half that calm. He had a bull to ride. A championship to win.
And having Janie standing five feet away was not helping his concentration.
Mark was holding her hands in his, talking fast. “How’s Mom doing?”
Janie grinned. “She’s great. Anxious to see you ride. Nicki’s with her.”
Her brother nodded. “Thanks for coming, Janie. For being here. For standing behind me all the way.”
“I love you,” she said softly. “You’re my brother. We’ll always be family.”
Jesse figured he’d heard everything he needed to know. So he turned and headed down the hallway to the arena, prepared to meet his destiny.
Less than fifteen minutes later, a new world champion won the National Finals Rodeo bull riding competition.
THE ANNUAL CODY RODEO PARTY had been in full swing for more than an hour when the family’s bull riders appeared at the entrance to the ballroom.
A roar went through the crowd. Dusty Cody approached the men and gave each of them a frothing bottle of champagne. Grinning, Mark took a swig
and then pulled Nicki into his arms.
“I’m number two, but I try harder,” he told her and gave his wife a hearty kiss.
Then he turned to Janie. “And one more for you, little sister.”
Blinking back tears, Janie returned the hug. “Now go celebrate,” she ordered Mark. “You deserve it.”
Not far away, Jesse stood holding the bottle Dusty had given him. He wasn’t drinking, and he wasn’t smiling. But he was looking straight at her.
She couldn’t avoid saying something, so she dodged the people between them and came up beside him. “You rode great. You should have scored higher.”
Jesse shrugged. “Sandy deserved to win. He’s been a finalist three times before this, and he’s a hardworking cowboy. I’m glad he got his reward.”
“There’s always next year,” she offered. A lame comment if ever she’d made one.
“We’ve already talked about that.” He looked down at the bottle in his hand, frowning as if he didn’t know how it got there or what to do with it.
Janie took the bottle, walked to a tray of used glasses along the wall and left it there, but then hesitated to return to Jesse. He had other people to greet.
She had a life to get on with.
But when she didn’t come back, he joined her. “Can we talk?”
“We are talking.” Her feeble smile didn’t improve the joke.
“Alone.”
“Jesse…” She blew out a sigh. “That’s not necessary.”
“It is if I ever plan to get a good night’s sleep again.”
Staring at his face, she saw the shadows circling his eyes, the lack of color under his tan. “Okay. We’ll talk.”
“Thanks.” He glanced at the party around them and shook his head. “I can’t leave right now. Want to meet me in the hotel library at midnight?”
She widened her eyes in surprise. “There’s a library?”
“Yeah, on the second level. I figure it’s the one place nobody in the whole hotel will be visiting at midnight on a Friday night.”
Janie left the Cody party shortly after she’d talked to him—she’d only stopped in to be polite and to congratulate Mark. Returning to her room, she spent the hour staring at her textbook, but she didn’t take in much about genetics. Her brain could only focus on what Jesse might want to say. She had a feeling she shouldn’t expect to get any wishes granted or dreams fulfilled tonight.
At twelve o’clock, she stepped onto the elevator hoping for a solo ride. Instead, she found two cowboys propped up against the walls, both smelling of tequila and lime.
“Well, hello there.” The short black-haired one gave her a white-toothed grin. “Aren’t you a cowboy’s dream?”
“More like a nightmare,” she told him, staying toward the front of the car. “My ex-boyfriend will provide references.”
“Aw, now, a cute little lady like you wouldn’t hurt a fly,” the redheaded guy said, standing up straighter.
“Depends on the fly,” Janie told him.
The cowboys laughed. “Why don’t you tell us all about it,” Red suggested. “We’ll treat you to as many drinks as it takes to…uh…finish the story.”
“Yeah. We got a room down the road,” added Blackie. “We’d be glad to offer you our hopi-hopitalty.”
“Thanks, but my mom’s sick. I’m just going down to buy her some aspirin.”
Blackie snorted. “Sure. And I’m taking hay to my horse. He’s stabled in the basement.” He stepped closer, flanked by the redhead. Janie backed up until her heels touched the elevator doors.
“I’m not into nightlife,” she told them, keeping her voice cool. If they touched her, she would have to hurt them. Somehow.
Blackie leaned in, pressing one hand against the door above her head. “You’re in Vegas for a good time, right, honey?” Those bright white teeth came close and she could smell his sour breath. “So why not let us show you what you’ve been missing?”
Red, on her right, let his fingers do the walking—straight up her bare arm and along her shoulder, then down toward her cleavage.
In the next instant, Janie jerked her knee up and plowed her boot into Blackie’s groin.
He gasped, backed up and bent over.
“Hey, bitch,” Red growled, grabbing her arm. “You listen to me—”
At that moment, the elevator bell rang and the doors behind her slid open.
Janie backed up again…straight into a solid wall of muscle.
“What the hell?” Jesse demanded, right behind her. He sized up the situation in a flash. With the next breath, Janie found herself out of the elevator, maneuvered to the side.
“Excuse me for a minute,” he said, then punched Red right in the nose.
The guy fell back into the elevator beside his friend on the floor, who was still groaning.
“That’s what I do to flies,” Janie told them, as Jesse retreated to stand beside her. “Have a good night.” The elevator doors slid shut with a quiet click.
Jesse immediately set his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. His worried gaze moved over her from head to toes. “Are you okay?”
Janie’s laugh was only slightly shaky. “Sure. They were just a couple of goons.” She took in a deep breath, finally able to relax. “But thanks for the help. That second one was a little on the tall side. And the same trick wouldn’t work twice.”
“I suspect you would have figured something out.” His hands tightened for a second, then released her. “The library is this way.” He ushered her toward an in conspicuous door. Inside, shelves lined the walls behind armchairs and sofas of tufted leather. Brass lamps on dark wood tables didn’t do much to break up the shadows.
“It really is a library.” Janie walked around, checking out the shelves as a way of gaining time and space. “With books and everything.”
Arms folded across his chest, Jesse leaned back against the door he’d closed behind him. “I discovered it one night when I was wandering around at 4:00 a.m. I’m only surprised there’s not a slot machine in here some where.”
She smiled at his joke and finally stopped wandering when she found she’d reached the farthest point of the room from where he stood. Taking a deep breath, she faced him.
“So, what did you want to talk about?”
He gave a brief chuckle. “You always do come right to the point, don’t you?”
Janie shrugged, waiting for him to continue.
“I want to apologize,” Jesse said. “For what happened at the jazz club.”
She’d been afraid of that. “I don’t need an apology. Anything else?”
“Yes, dammit.” He glared at her. “Why are you making this so hard?”
Because it hurts so much. “Jesse, we’re both adults. I enjoyed kissing you, but it’s not that big a deal. Let’s just forget it, go home and get back to real life.”
“If it’s not such a big deal, why have you spent the last week hiding?”
“I had studying to do. I’ve got a final in genetics in just over a week.”
“That’s an excuse. You were avoiding me. Along with the rest of my family.”
“Look, Jesse, I know Mom and I were invited because of Mark. I never intended to intrude on your family, and I never thought you had to take me anywhere. There’s a big gap between Codys—” she held one flattened hand up above her head and the other as low as she could “—and Hansens. You don’t have to feel guilty, and you don’t have to worry that I’ll expect attention or—or anything once we get back to Markton. So just let it go.” She tried out a grin. “Remember the rule—What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
Jesse muttered a rude word. “You’re making it so easy. Am I supposed to thank you?”
“Not necessary.”
“Great. So, like the arrogant, selfish SOB of a Cody that I am, I can just treat you like dirt and walk away without a backward glance?”
“I’m saying that’s not what happened. Don’t beat yourself up.”
“You’re the one who said it was a mistake.”
“You never let me explain why.”
“I didn’t have to.” She met his glare with one of her own. “We don’t belong together, for reasons that are complicated and not our fault, but still valid. I’ve got places to go—vet school in Colorado, I hope. You’ve got a big job on the Cottonwood Ranch and more work than you can handle. My mother’s sick. Your parents are getting older.” She took a deep breath and blew it out again. “Then there’s Mark. I know you don’t like him, and that’s hard for me to take. He’ll always be in the way. Tell me what I’ve forgotten.”
The fire in Jesse’s eyes had gone out. He dropped his chin and stared at the floor, his shoulders losing their straight line.
“I guess that covers it,” he said in a tired voice. “I guess I wasted your time, coming here. Not to mention getting you into trouble.”
“You wouldn’t be the man I l—” She swallowed the first word that came to mind. “You wouldn’t be the man I like if this didn’t matter to you, Jesse. Thanks for caring. I won’t forget the good times we’ve had together in Las Vegas.”
His lips curved, but she wouldn’t call the result a smile. “Me, neither. I’ll walk you back to your room.”
He held the door open for her to leave the library, and waited beside her without speaking until the elevator arrived. Once the doors closed, he pushed the button and stepped to the side, putting as much space between them as possible, digging his hands into his pockets.
“Let me know when you want to fly home,” he said, watching the floor numbers on the digital display. “Since I didn’t win, I have no more real commitments. I just need a morning to get the plane ready to go.”
“Um…I bought tickets for Mom and me,” Janie said. “We’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning.”
Jesse turned toward her, an expression of outrage and hurt on his face. He opened his mouth, paused and shut it again.
“Okay,” he said in a ragged voice. “If that’s what works best for you.”
Jesse: Merry Christmas, Cowboy Page 8