He lowered her to the ground, but she clung to his leg. He put his hands in the air and waited. A deputy came forward slowly and took the guns from Rowdy.
"Rowdy! Amy!" Gretchen yelled from behind the deputies and their cars. "He's my boyfriend! He rescued my little girl."
"You know this man?"
"He's Rowdy Jackson, who I told you went after the man who kidnapped my baby."
"Mommy!" Amy ran toward her mother, limping a little on her hurt foot. "Rowdy hit the bad man. He knocked him down."
The deputies heard this and were less inclined to shoot Rowdy, thankfully. Instead, they questioned him and Steve and took Neil into custody. He and Steve were required to come to the sheriff's station and give statements. They rode in the department vehicles and gave their statements. Kelly was there already, but she hung around to get a ride back with them in the limo when it came for them a few hours later.
Rowdy came in the door, exhausted from lack of sleep and an eventful twenty-four hours. It was almost dawn. He found Gretchen laid out on the couch in the parlor, Amy draped over her like a loving blanket. They were asleep.
For the first time, Rowdy wished he really was Amy's daddy. He would have been proud to have Gretchen for a wife and Amy for his daughter. But was it too soon to ask? The timing had to be right and he needed to be sure he was bringing everything he could to the table. He had to get back to the rodeo and be a winner. She wouldn't want to marry a loser. Gretchen had already had a loser of a boyfriend, she didn't need a loser of a husband, too.
Her lawyer would insist on a pre-nuptial agreement as well. It was certainly the smart thing for her. He'd sign it, of course, without hesitation. But it would take a lot of the romance out of the engagement. Well, if she said yes, he'd just have to go out of his way to put the romance back in.
In the meantime, his arm was killing him where the fiberglass cast now had a crack. It would be just his luck to break the arm again even while it was in a cast.
Getting Amy back had been worth it, though. The terrified little girl didn't need to be dragged away for some extortion scheme, whether legal extortion through the courts, or illegal kidnapping and ransom demands. No one needed that kind of grief.
He watched them peacefully sleeping for a few minutes, then kicked off his boots and lay down on the facing couch, loving them with his eyes until he fell asleep.
Gretchen debated with herself briefly over whether to go to the interview at Emily Munson's Academy the day after the kidnapping. But there really wasn't much of a debate. Neither she nor Amy was up to the stress. They just wanted to cling to each other and deal with the trauma together. It seemed wise to get back to familiar spaces in Reno and leave the academy for the following year. Amy could be homeschooled in the meantime.
"I should get back to Idaho," Rowdy said over brunch. "I need to get this cast off and get to rehab. The season is heating up, with the America's Pride Rodeo coming along, and my opportunity to make up for lost time. Will you mind very much if I don't go to Reno?"
"I'll miss you. We'll both miss you."
"I'll miss you, too. But I can't lounge around, living a life of luxury," he said with a grin. "I have to go back to work and that involves a lot of travel."
Gretchen felt herself pouting but withdrew her lower lip and took a calming breath. "I know."
"Most professional athletes travel a lot, princess."
"I know. Can we go with you?"
"To Idaho?" He thought for a minute. "I do have a job you can do for me in Reno. I wouldn't trust anyone else with it."
Her attention piqued. "Oh? What?"
"I bought a ranch out east of Reno. It's not a huge place, but I could afford it and it's in good shape. I need someone to check on it and see if the manager is doing a good job. You'd be perfect to do this. I'd trust you."
"East of Reno? That's where I grew up. I know all the ranches around there. Which one did you buy? The Rocking J? Gentry's place?"
"The Nelson spread."
"Huh? You bought my family's ranch? I thought it got sold to some rich dude from the city."
"He decided to bail on it. I bought it for a song, installed a manager and then we were on our way to Dallas. I don't know how it's coming along."
"Of course, I'll check on it for you. I know the place like I know my own name. I'll be able to tell you if anything is off."
He smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Terrific! Now finish your breakfast."
"Brunch. We didn't get up until eleven."
"Brunch. Whatever. Finish up. We'll go tomorrow, so we need to pack today."
"You have this all figured out."
"Yes'm."
"How did you know I'd agree?"
He shrugged. "Just a guess."
"You know me very well, Mr. Jackson."
"I'm lucky that way."
Considering what he'd been through the night before, Gretchen wasn't so sure he was lucky to know her, but she'd take the compliment.
Since it was just the four of them and Jeff, their driver, renting a sturdy four-wheel drive SUV was quite reasonable to go visit Rowdy's new ranch. Gretchen wondered how she was going to feel, going back to the place where she grew up so happily and left so miserable just over five years before. She wanted to see it through Amy's eyes as a wonderment.
Rowdy's ranch. Would he live there or was it an investment property? They'd both agreed it was time for him to stop living with his parents during the off-season. It was a brief enough season, so they wouldn't see him less often than they had for the last few years, but it was still a change for everyone concerned.
With him being away so much, he needed the manager, but it had to be a good manager. Someone trustworthy and intelligent. Someone with experience. Rowdy also had to run cattle there, either cows or horses–the place wasn't big enough to have both successfully. Rowdy had said he leaned toward horses. Fine with her since that's what she grew up with.
Amy asked if they were there yet again, and this time, Gretchen could say yes.
They got out of the SUV and Gretchen stood and looked at the house and yard for a few minutes. She drank in the cool air and the smells of the garden and even the scent of the dirt. The house had been re-painted. It was white now, no longer the pink stucco she grew up with. But white stucco was just as nice, she thought, especially with the yellow shutters on the windows. She could see movement through the big front windows, but it was dark and hard to make out.
A dog came around from the side yard and barked a few times. Gretchen immediately recognized him. It was Rufus, her old dog, now gray around the muzzle and a little slow on his feet. But he recognized her too and came running.
"Doggy!" Amy squealed.
"Here, Rufus. Here boy." Gretchen scratched behind his pointy ears. He was half German Shepherd and half Irish Setter. He had the coloring of the setter but the protective instincts of the shepherd. He was a mutt of a dog, but Gretchen loved him. She'd missed him over the years and was glad he was still alive. But something was up. Why was Rufus here? Rufus was her parents' dog now. What was going on?
Then her mother stepped out on the front porch. "Hello, Gretchen."
"Mom? Mom why are you here? I thought Rowdy owned this place. Did he buy it for you?"
"Yes, he owns it. No, he didn't buy it for me. Come inside and we'll talk."
"Wait. Is Dad here?"
Cindy Sue nodded.
"I'm leaving. You all know how I feel about him. This was underhanded of Rowdy and I'm going to tell him so. How dare he throw us all together like this!"
"Come inside," her mother persisted. "Give your father a chance. He's been trying to tell you he's sorry for years. Won't you at least accept his apology? Even if you don't want to see him ever again."
"There's Amy to think about."
"Yes. But she should meet her Grandpa once in her life, don't you think?"
Amy took that moment to perk up after petting the dog. "Grampa is here?"
"Grandpa Pete is
here," Cindy Sue said.
Gretchen was furious. They'd conspired to put her in an untenable position. Rowdy was going to get a piece of her mind and maybe a slap in the face.
"I wanna see Grandpa Pete, Mommy. I thought your daddy was dead."
Cindy Sue was shocked. "Gretchen!"
"Don't worry, Mom, I never told Amy Dad was dead. She must have just assumed it since she knew you and didn't know him." She leaned down to talk to her daughter. "Amy, Grandpa Pete is not dead. Mommy was mad at him so we didn't talk about him."
"I could never be mad at my Grandpa," Amy told her seriously.
Gretchen thought about how good her father had been to her as she was growing up. They'd only had the one major altercation in her seventeen years at home. They'd both overreacted maybe. Maybe, for Amy's sake, and since they were there already, she'd say hello to her father and let Amy meet him. If he said anything cruel about Amy's birth, though, she was out of there, Amy in tow. That kind of event might even be enough to push her to break it off with meddling Rowdy Jackson. The thought made her unhappy. The whole situation made her unhappy.
This moment seemed inevitable anyway. "All right, Amy. We'll go inside and you can meet Grandpa Pete."
"Yay!" She grabbed Cindy Sue's hand and dragged her toward the house. Her mother gave her one pleading look before she went inside behind Amy.
Gretchen waited a moment, composing herself. And then she excused herself from Bob and Kelly and asked them to wait outside for a few minutes in case they didn't stay long.
Bob nodded, his face unreadable.
It wasn't far to the door, but Gretchen felt like every step weighed a ton. Nevertheless, she went to the door, opened it and stepped in.
The place was like a moment in her childhood, captured forever in a magic bottle and let loose for her just at this time and for an instant. It was her parents' furniture, the smell of leather and the pipe tobacco her dad smoked in the evenings. Amy was giving her dad a hug when Gretchen came in. He was hugging the little girl back, and Gretchen spied a tear on his face.
Her heart thumped a little louder in her chest. Maybe she'd been wrong to keep Amy away from Dad for so long. It was as much out of spite as anything else motivating Gretchen to separate the two. But spite was not a good reason to keep Amy away. It was a miserable, hard-hearted reason.
When he caught Gretchen looking at him, Pete wiped his cheek and sat up, letting Amy go. "Thank you, Nellie."
"Hello, Dad."
"Amy is beautiful," he said, ruffling the little girl's hair.
Cindy Sue spoke up. "Come on, Amy. I have some fresh cookies just out of the oven. I can't eat them all."
"That's what Lucky says, too."
"Who's Lucky? You'll have to tell me all about them." Her grandmother took her hand and led her into the kitchen.
Gretchen sat awkwardly across the coffee table from her father. She wasn't quite sure what to say, but he started talking first.
"I've missed you," he said. "I'm so, so sorry for what I said. How I behaved. I was way out of line. I was shocked. Scared for you. I was angry with Neil. I was angry with myself."
She hadn't much examined it from his point of view. She'd nurtured her own anger instead for too many years. Years she could never get back. Neither of them was getting younger. "That was a rough time. But, Dad, I was only a kid."
"Unforgivable of me. I let you go. I didn't do the right thing. The strong thing. I did the angry thing. I did what my father would have done in a different day and age. It was wrong on so many levels."
She nodded. Yes, it had been wrong. She'd suffered for four years because of it. Though, being honest with herself, she had to admit she could have come home anytime during those four years. Her mother had made it abundantly clear many times. But Gretchen had chosen to go it alone. It was as wrong-headed as her dad's behavior had been. Would it kill her to forgive him?
"I'm willing to accept your apology, Dad. I'm sorry, too, for not giving you a chance to apologize before this. I feel bad Amy had to do without you this long."
"I'll make it up to Amy, don't you worry." He would, too, Gretchen was sure of it. He'd spoil her little girl rotten. He got up and gestured to her with arms outstretched. "Come give your Daddy a hug?"
Although hesitant, Gretchen soon regretted being so reluctant as she was gathered up into a bear hug as only a father could give. She cried on his shoulder, weeping for years lost, and love regained.
Maybe Rowdy had done her a favor after all. Maybe. She was still mad at him for interfering, but the mad was dissipating. Rowdy cared enough to do what she couldn't do and help her let go of old hard feelings. She didn't know how it was, but she loved him more than she'd done only an hour earlier.
Chapter 14
The venue, a large one where football was normally played, was buzzing, every audience member excited to see the rodeo cowboys and cowgirls participating in the America's Pride rodeo, one of the richest rodeos in the US. Only the finals had bigger purses. Winning one of the events in the America's Pride could mean the difference between missing the finals and making it into the finals for many contestants. There was also a one-million-dollar prize for a winner who'd come up through the slack rather than being an invitee. Rowdy was an invitee because of last year's world championship title, so he couldn't win the million, but there was more than four-hundred thousand more on the line, and he really wanted to win it. Gretchen had her fingers crossed for him.
Gretchen, Bob, Amy, and a freshly healed Melody, were all seated in the front row not far from the bucking chutes. Gretchen was on pins and needles. This would be Rowdy's first competition since he'd gotten his cast off. The doctor had wanted him to rehab for a few more weeks, but Rowdy insisted he had to do this rodeo. Gretchen could understand his anxiety. He was a competitor and needed to compete to be happy.
The prayer and National Anthem were slow. Amy was squirmy next to Gretchen, and Melody calmed her a few times. At one point, Gretchen snapped at the little girl, then immediately regretted it. She made an effort after her outburst, to point out things to Amy and keep her distracted until the rodeo and the bareback riding started.
The crowd was restless, as well, by the time the pageantry was done and the first rider came flying out of the chute. Gretchen had never met the fellow, but she'd heard Rowdy mention him. Although he didn't have anything bad to say about the man, he also didn't seem to think he was a contender. Rowdy was quick to point out, however, the draw of the horse made a huge difference, so in truth, anyone could win any particular go-round. Every go-round meant money, and whoever accumulated the most at the end of the event was the winner.
Rowdy was up last. All of his bareback rider friends had gone first, so he knew he had to beat Bear's eighty-six-point ride to win the go-round.
The horse was called Take Me Away, and she was from Journey Pro Rodeo, a contractor known for amazing bucking horses and bulls. Trey Journey, second in charge of the Journey company, was right there at the chute, helping secure the horse. Take Me Away was determined to buck right there inside the chute, and the men who were helping had to keep Rowdy on the horse so he wouldn't get totally beat up in the small chute with the big paint horse.
Gretchen saw this struggle, biting her lip with anxiety.
Finally, everyone was set and Rowdy nodded his head.
The horse leapt out of the chute, Rowdy holding on for dear life. He didn't miss the horse out, as far as Gretchen could see from the one side she was on, and none of the judges threw the yellow flag for such an infraction. The horse bucked high, struggling to get Rowdy off her back. The animal was having a grand time. Rowdy flew on her back as she jumped and twisted, but with one particular jump, the horse slipped and went down. She flailed and rolled. Rowdy was nearly underneath her!
Gretchen, like the rest of the crowd watched with horror as the horse rolled. Rowdy just barely escaped being crushed by the thirteen-hundred-pound horse. He scurried out of the way as the horse made a complete
turn and came back up on her feet, where she continued to buck, despite having no cowboy riding. Bucking horses just love to buck, no matter what happened.
The crowd cheered as Rowdy walked away from the wreck, tipping his hat briefly to acknowledge he was okay. The announcer explained because the horse basically got a zero because it fell, Rowdy would get another try on a different horse. Since he had been last on the program for bareback riding, it meant he'd have to get back on before the saddle broncs were up.
A couple of other events went by, but soon it was time for the saddle broncs, and Rowdy's second chance. The saddle bronc riders were anxious to get going and everyone wanted Rowdy to make his eight seconds and be done with the bareback riding before the others had their turn with the saddles.
Gretchen watched him as much as she could see him at the bucking chute, where they were pulling in another horse and getting him rigged up and ready to go. The announcer said Rowdy's name and told everyone this new bronc was called TV Dinner. Gretchen briefly wondered how the contractors came up with these names, but she decided to ask Rowdy–presuming he survived the next ride.
Within a few minutes, the horse and rider were prepared to exit the chute again. Rowdy squirmed down into position, nearly flat on his back, and nodded. The gate opened and out came the black beast with Rowdy on top. This horse was even wilder than the one before, leaping high in the air and twisting to the right. Rowdy kept his right hand in the rigging, his left up for balance and to follow the rules. His hat flew off as he bounced around, slamming his back hard against the back of the horse. But his feet kept moving, just like they were supposed to, and he stayed on for the full eight seconds.
He jumped off the horse and landed mostly on his feet, drawing a cheer from the crowd. He knew he'd done well. Gretchen saw him pump his fist in the air. There was a group of teenage girls up near the top of the bleachers, yelling, "Row-dy! Row-dy! Row-dy!" Gretchen wondered if Rowdy could hear them. Music blasted throughout the arena, energetic, hard rock reverberating off the rafters and down to her in her seat as they waited for the score to be calculated.
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