Learning the Ropes

by T. J. Kline

  “Find someone else to show you a good time,” he warned. “This lady is off-limits.”

  “Says who?” Chris saw the bull of a man take a step backward, hunching over and he wondered if the man was giving up or just had the wind knocked out of him momentarily.

  “Her boyfriend.” The words tumbled out without him thinking. He just wanted to get rid of this guy and go back to his trailer.

  “You’re such an idiot, Chris Thomas,” the cowboy muttered, pushing his hands against his knees to stand. He turned from Chris and started to walk away. Maybe he realized this woman wasn’t worth him getting into a fight for.

  Chris took a step away from the side of the trailer. Delilah was safe in her trailer. Enough was enough. He was going to find David, apologize, and curl with Ali in the trailer to sleep this off. He heard the trailer door open as Delilah burst from inside and Chris felt something solid fly just past his nose. He barely took a step backward, turning to warn Delilah to get back into the trailer when he felt the impact against the back of his skull. Just before everything went black.

  ALI WOKE THE next morning to find herself alone. She’d felt a bit conscious-stricken to think of Chris sleeping in his truck and unlocked the trailer door, knowing he would be in for coffee. She should have let him in last night instead of trying to force him to remedy the argument. As disappointed as she was at the way he handled David, she loved Chris. He wasn’t perfect but neither was she. They would work on their flaws together. She looked through the window as she filled the coffee pot wondering if he was up yet.

  Filling the percolator with coffee grounds, she set it onto the stove and she turned it on. Poking her head out the door, she half-expected to see him shivering in one of the lawn chairs but was greeted by only the quiet whinny of the horses. She grabbed one of his sweatshirts from the closet, pausing long enough to inhale the musky male scent of him still clinging to the material, and headed out to feed the animals. She looked around the grounds while the animals milled quietly but didn’t see any sign of Chris. He wasn’t inside the truck and she wondered where he could be. He wouldn’t have gotten up and taken off without feeding the animals. She went back inside and grabbed a mug of coffee when she heard a quiet knock on the door.

  “Finally,” she grumbled as she opened the door. “Oh!”

  David stood in front of her, looking sheepish. “I don’t suppose you could spare a cup of that for me?” He gave her a lopsided grin.

  She grinned at him, hoping he planned on staying long enough to talk with Chris. “I think I can manage to find another mug. Come on in.” She held the door open for him. “Chris isn’t here right now.”

  “Yeah, I know. I wouldn’t be here if he were.”

  She heard the bitterness in his voice and turned, tipping her head to the side. “David, you guys need to talk. Chris didn’t exactly go about things the right way but he was trying to help us both out. His heart was in the right place.”

  “You’d forgive him just about anything, wouldn’t you?” She could read a melancholy in his eyes. He seemed ready to say more then changed his mind and she wondered what he wasn’t saying.

  “I’d have thought you would, too. Are you willing to throw away everything you’ve both accomplished, together? What you could still accomplish? You’re on your way to the Finals, David.”

  She slid a mug of steaming coffee into his hand and David let his fingers linger over hers longer than necessary. Alicia decided it was better to get things into the open. David needed to hear the truth, not some sugar-coated version of it. “You realize it wouldn’t have worked between us, don’t you?”

  She saw the flicker of pain in his eyes followed quickly by defeat. “Yeah,” he agreed, nodding. “I do. But then there are times I wonder if we’d met under different circumstances, or if we’d had more time to get to know one another.” His eyes met hers. “If Chris wasn’t in the picture.”

  She wasn’t sure how to respond. Would time have made a difference? Would she have fallen in love with David? They had so much in common but there wasn’t the spark between them, no matter how much either of them might have wanted it to be. Then there was also the situation with his father. She wasn’t sure any woman would ever meet that man’s standards.

  “But he is in the picture, David.”

  “And how long do you think this partnership will last?” He followed her outside and sat down in a lawn chair as she checked the horse’s water bucket. “What happens when you two don’t work out? It’s not like he’s known for having lasting relationships. How are you going to run a business together?”

  She sat in the chair across from him and sipped the coffee, buying time to figure out what to say, or not to say. “I’m planning on buying him out next year.”

  “Does he know that?” She nodded. “I’ll bet that went over like a lead balloon,” David muttered as he sipped the brew.

  “I don’t think he believes me,” she confessed.

  “Probably not. If he did, he wouldn’t have offered for me to join you both.” She looked up from her cup, surprised Chris had gone ahead and made the offer without her involvement. “You didn’t know?”

  “He mentioned he wanted to, but I told him I didn’t think it would work.”

  David chuckled as he ran a hand through his dark hair. “You might have done better to partner with me. At least you know I’d stick around and share the workload. With Chris, who knows what you’re going to get.” He shook his head. “You don’t want me as a partner?”

  His criticism of Chris was beginning to bother her but she couldn’t deny the truth in his words. This was a difficult situation and letting David buy into the business could cause more friction between all three of them. It would be practically impossible for her to buy both of them out, even if she was able to win at the Finals.

  “Don’t worry, Ali,” he chuckled into his mug. “Your eyes pretty much say it all.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want you to but it will change everything.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed, sarcastically. “It does make things a bit more complicated when your boyfriend and ex-boyfriend are living on the same property.”

  “Well, that doesn’t make me sound like a whore or anything. Thanks.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” He rose and dumped the cold coffee onto the ground. “I just meant . . .”

  Ali saw him pause and turned to see what caught his attention. Chris was exiting Delilah’s fancy white horse trailer and rubbed his eyes, slapping his cowboy hat onto his head, shielding his eyes from the sun. He didn’t see either of them and Ali turned away from the sight, unable to catch her breath as her heart dropped to her toes. She felt her entire chest constrict, as if a fist was squeezing her heart. Her stomach rolled and she wondered if she was going to throw up. She hurried for the trailer.

  “Son-of-a-bitch,” she heard David whisper. David followed her but she slammed the door on him. “Ali, wait.”

  She couldn’t face David because he’d been right and she didn’t want to see Chris because he’d just shattered her heart. It wasn’t even seven AM yet and her day had gone to shit. She didn’t want to see anyone right now.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  * * *

  CHRIS STUMBLED DOWN the steps, pulling his t-shirt on over his head and slapping his hat on. He squinted at the sunlight glaring in his eyes and tried to get his bearings. There weren’t many people up at this hour and he had no idea whose trailer this was until he saw David striding toward him, shaking his head in disgust.

  “You just couldn’t do it, could you? I knew you would do this.” He turned and started to walk away.

  “Do what?” Chris groaned as he rubbed at the ache throbbing between his eyes with his thumb.

  David spun, his hands shooting out and shoving Chris back against the metal trailer, holding him up by the front of his shirt. “What the hell are you doing in Delilah’s trailer? Don’t you realize that Ali just saw you coming out of here?”
<
br />   It took him several moments to register what David was saying. “Delilah?” He struggled to recall what happened as he shoved David’s hands away from him.

  Memories of last night came in pieces, unconnected and illogical. Sitting near a fire, Delilah begging him for help, a big cowbow . . . after that, nothing.

  “I’ve bailed you out of a lot of situations like this, Chris. I told you that you were going to do this to her.” He shook his head. “You had it all and you couldn’t just keep it in your pants, could you? You slept with Delilah?”

  “No,” Chris denied, trying to think through the painful crashing of blood through his temples. “I wouldn’t do that to Ali.”

  David rolled his eyes. “Please. Like always, Chris, you’re the only person you think about.”

  Chris reached for David’s shoulder as he turned to leave. “I’m telling you, I didn’t sleep with Delilah. Where is she?”

  “Who, Ali? She’s in the trailer. Hopefully packing up her gear and getting the hell away from your cheating ass.”

  “Delilah. Ask her. I know I didn’t sleep with her. I was so drunk last night I could barely walk.”

  “And, yet, you end up in her trailer. You were pulling your shirt on when you came out, Chris,” he reminded him.

  “Wait, I woke up with my pants on.” His head hurt but he tried to force the cobwebs away. “And my buckle.” He shook his finger. “As a matter of fact, I had my boots on, too. I know I didn’t sleep with her.”

  David crossed his arms. “You really didn’t?” He eyed Chris speculatively.

  “No!” Chris shook his head, feeling the throbbing worsen. “I wouldn’t do anything to screw this up with Ali. You were the reason I wasn’t in the trailer to begin with. She kicked me out until I apologized to you.”

  David snorted. “That’s why you were wandering from trailer to trailer last night? If I didn’t like Ali before, I would now.” David wiped a hand over his jaw, his expression going serious. “She’s not going to believe you. I can’t believe I’m even considering that you might be telling the truth.”

  “David, you’ve got to help me.”

  “Are you kidding? After everything you’ve done to me?” David spun on his heel to leave.

  “I’m sorry.” Chris followed after him. “I’m sorry about Ali. I didn’t realize how I felt and I should have backed off. I should have told you before anything happened.” Chris rubbed his face. “Damn it, I should have told you about the ranch as soon as I found out. There’ are a lot of things I should have done differently. But you’re not innocent in this, either.”

  David turned and looked at Chris like he’d just grown horns. “Nice apology, Chris. How is any of this my fault? I tried to get you to admit how you felt about Ali, remember?”

  “You didn’t explain the situation with your dad. I would have offered the money to you instead. We could have bought the ranch, just the two of us, and started the school.”

  “You know this isn’t just about the ranch, Chris. This is about you not wanting something until it’s mine.”

  “She was never yours.” Chris didn’t want to hurt his friend any more than he already had but Ali had never been in love with David, any more than Chris had ever been in love with any other woman. Sydney was right. Since they were young, there had never been anyone else. “Or is that the problem? That she chose me over you?”

  David shook his head, looking back at the trailer where Ali had disappeared. “And where did that get her? A broken heart and a boyfriend waking up in someone else’s trailer. You’re on your own for this one. I’m done rescuing you, Chris.”

  ALICIA HAD SWORN to herself she wasn’t going to cry so the burning in her eyes had to be from the horse hair as she groomed Beast. She saw Chris hurry away from Delilah’s trailer and head her way, looking furious. She tossed the blanket onto Beast’s back, following it with the saddle and reaching for the cinch under his belly, ignoring the irate man in front of her.

  “Ali, look at me.” She wanted to ignore the demanding tone of his voice but found herself flicking her eyes toward him. “I didn’t do anything.”

  Laughter burst from her throat. “Do you really expect me to believe that?” She reached for Beast’s hoof and started to pick it out. “It’s not a big deal,” she lied. “We’re business partners for the next year. Nothing more.”

  “Ali, you know me.”

  She stood up and moved to Beast’s rump, laying her arm against him. “You’re right. I do know you and I should have known that you were full of it when you told me your reputation was rumor. And when you told me you . . . you know what, it doesn’t matter.”

  Alicia wanted to let her anger spill over but doing that would release the tears, the ache building in her heart at his betrayal, but she couldn’t allow herself to do that. Not here. It was better to pretend he didn’t hurt her, that she didn’t care, and let the tears fall later, while she was alone. She bent down and lifted the gelding’s hoof against her thigh.

  “I have two horses to warm up and a go-round to win today. You can tell Bimbo Barbie and her twin, they are more than welcome to have you join them again tonight.”

  She set Beast’s foot down and looked up in time to see his face cloud over. “I’m not staying in there tonight. I’m staying in my trailer. That’s what got us into this mess.”

  “No, your lying got us into this mess. The fact that you’re a cheating bastard got us into this. My being stupid enough to trust you got us into this.” She shrugged as if she couldn’t care less. “If you won’t go, then I’ll find another place to stay tonight. I’m sure I can find one of the other barrel racers to room with for the weekend.” She bent and took the hoof in her hand.

  “Damn it, Ali.” Chris ran a hand through his hair, pain shooting through his skull as his fingers hit his nape, and he took a deep breath. “Why won’t you just believe me?”

  She shook her head. “Why would I? You’ve done nothing but play games with me since the first time you introduced me to David.” She finished cleaning Beast’s feet and checked the cinch before slipping his bridle over his head. “You may not know what you want in life but some of us do. Right now, that means I have to win this go-round and the average and I’m not going to let you or that floozy distract me from doing it.”

  She stepped into the stirrup and swung her leg over. “By the way, the next time you want to invite someone into the business, we should probably agree on it before you make the offer. Unless you plan on buying me out, no one else is coming into this deal.” She started to walk Beast toward the practice arena and looked back at him over her shoulder. “You’re only here short term. I am buying you out before the end of next year and that will be the end of this partnership.”

  ALICIA ALREADY WALKED and groomed Boogie after another amazing run. He was on a hot streak and she prayed it would hold out for another couple of days to win her the average purse as well as the go-round money. Two go-rounds down with two left to go. So far, the horses and the barrel runs weren’t her problem. Her problem was the man getting ready to head into the box right now.

  She sat in the stands, watching him as they made their run, awed by the way he and David worked together as a team. It was incredible to watch how they seemed to speak without words, almost as if they instinctively knew what the other was going to do. How was it possible for them to be so in sync when they weren’t even speaking right now? How did they get so out of sync in the first place?

  She felt guilt and shame wash over her like a spring shower. If she was honest with herself, she was a big part of the problem. She should have told Chris a long time ago how she felt, or explained to David from the beginning that her heart belonged to someone else. How could she have let this go this far, cause this much turmoil?

  Chris spun to face David as they pulled the rope taut and the flag dropped, signaling the timer to stop. Their run was incredible, close to setting another arena record. It was great for the business and she’d already
had several people come talk to her about setting up training and lessons but the way things were going, she wasn’t sure they would even have a business by the time they got back to California.

  “Oh, my goodness, he was amazing last night.”

  Ali cringed when she heard the voice coming from the end of the stands. She glanced over to see Delilah and several of her friends shooting daggers her way but was bound to ignore them. She wasn’t about to let the witch know how much it hurt to think of Chris with her last night. If only she hadn’t tried to force him to apologize to David and had let him come into the trailer.

  If not Delilah, it would’ve been someone else. The cynical voice scratched at her self-confidence. Of all the women he could choose, you thought you were the one he’d pick? The poor little wannabe from the trailer?

  Her doubts crowded out the trust she’d once had in Chris. She wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. She’d trusted Chris with more than just her body and his betrayal had shredded her heart, leaving the bleeding remains in tatters. She didn’t have a clue how to begin trying to put it back together. It wasn’t just that he’d lied about loving her. He slept with the one woman who had gone out of her way to hurt Alicia. And the fact that he’d seen the way Delilah treated her made it seem like a slap in the face. Just another reminder that neither thought she was worthy of their respect.

  “And those hands,” Delilah spoke in a loud whisper, determined to making sure Alicia heard every sordid detail of her escapade. “Trust me, he knows how to use those. Now I see why he’s in the top ten because those hands are magic.”