The next week, Cheyenne and the girls went to meet their new teacher. She thought the girls would cling to her, but they surprised her by being talkative. They sat in small chairs in Miss Huddleston’s classroom. She was young and full of energy, and Cheyenne’s daughters took to her immediately.
“What do you like to do?” Miss Huddleston asked them.
“We like to ride our horses,” Sadie replied.
“Tuf taught us,” Sammie added.
“Who’s Tuf?”
Sammie was quick to answer. “He’s gonna be our daddy.”
“Oh.”
“Our real daddy died,” Sadie informed her. “We love Tuf.” They both nodded their heads. Cheyenne sat in shock. She had no idea her daughters thought this. But why not? They all loved him.
It didn’t stop there, though. On and on they talked about Tuf until Cheyenne wanted to tape their mouths shut. The teacher seemed dazed because Cheyenne had told her the girls were shy and Sammie rarely talked. One of the reasons she wanted the girls to stay together instead of in different classes. They made a liar out of their mother in true fashion. She had a feeling that was going to happen a lot now that they were more outgoing and unafraid.
In September, the girls had their fifth birthday. Cheyenne had a small party at the house with Jill, Davey and Luke. Dinah and Austin came, too, with Bre. The girls showed off on their horses at the stable. As they were returning to the house, Tuf drove into the driveway.
“Tuf!” the girls screamed and raced to meet him.
“I knew you’d come,” Sadie said. He pulled two large packages out of the backseat and handed them to the girls. They sat on the steps and ripped into them.
“O-oh.” Sadie’s mouth formed a big O. “It’s beau-ti-ful. What is it?”
Cheyenne looked down at the items. “It’s a horse blanket.” The main color of one was purple interwoven with yellow, orange, green and brown colors. The other was pink with the same motif. On a corner their names were stitched. Cheyenne had never seen horse blankets like that. Tuf must have had them specially made and ordered months ago.
“I’m putting it on my bed,” Sadie announced.
“Baby, it’s for your horse.” Cheyenne tried to explain it to her.
“I don’t care. It’s mine, not Toughie’s.”
“I’m keeping mine, too. It has my name on it.” Sammie mimicked her sister, and they went into the house to put them on their beds.
An awkward silence stretched. No one knew what to do.
“Say hi to your niece,” Dinah finally said to Tuf.
Tuf lifted the baby from his sister’s arms, and Cheyenne noticed how comfortable he seemed holding four-month-old Aubrey. He would make a wonderful father if only he’d allow himself that honor.
Tuf left soon after and they hadn’t even spoken. They were at least twelve feet apart at all times. She wanted to reach out and touch him, feel the heat of his skin against hers. She wanted it so badly she hurt.
Life would be easier if they didn’t see each other all the time, but they were connected by family and that wasn’t possible. Back in July when it was clear Tuf and Beau were going to make it to the finals in Vegas, Sarah had booked a block of rooms for the family and Cheyenne, the girls and Buddy.
She couldn’t change her plans now because it would hurt Sarah’s feelings, and Cheyenne had wanted to sell her jewelry at the Western-themed Cowboy Christmas Gift Show at Las Vegas Convention Center for years. Over four hundred vendors from the U.S. and Canada would be there to sell their wares from jewelry to Western apparel. It was a great opportunity for her. She and Angie had already booked spaces.
Angie wasn’t a fan of rodeos, but Duke wanted to see Tuf and Beau ride in Vegas, so she’d agreed to go. Everyone supported each other. That’s what families did. But Cheyenne didn’t feel like a part of the Hart family, and she and Tuf would always be twelve feet apart.
* * *
TUF RODEOED IN MONTANA, his region, and stayed close to home to help carry stock to rodeos. His points in the standings changed with each rodeo, and he ended up in fourth place behind Kinney, Watson and Hobbs. The odds of him beating them in Vegas were very slim, but he kept in shape, preparing for the biggest rodeo of his life.
In October, the Hart family received the news they’d been praying for. The Midnight Express had been voted by the cowboys as the PRCA Bareback Bronc of the Year. Ace bought a case of champagne, and the family held a party at the house. After years of struggle, his mother’s dream had come to fruition. Her decision to diversify into raising rodeo stock had been risky, but she saw it as a way to save the ranch she loved, and her instincts had been right. The Harts were in the rodeo contracting business—big-time.
Colt raised his glass. “C’mon, Ace. Say it one more time. Colt was right.”
Ace clinked his glass against Colt’s. “Hell, yeah. Colt was right.”
Leah stood by Tuf watching her husband. “In about ten minutes, my husband is going to be drunk on his ass with happiness.”
“He’s done an amazing job with Midnight this year.”
“Yeah. Everyone has done an amazing job to pull this ranch out of debt, including you.” She kissed his cheek. “Don’t forget to be happy.” He felt she wanted to say much more, but stopped herself.
After everyone had left, Tuf stood in the kitchen with his mom.
“I didn’t see you drink a thing.”
“My mind’s already messed up. I don’t need liquor.”
“Tomas, I would rather be in debt for the rest of my life than to see you so unhappy.”
“I know, Mom.” He kissed her forehead. “Night.”
He went upstairs to his room and stood at his window, looking toward the Wright property.
And dreamed of Cheyenne. All he had now were his dreams…and his nightmares. Which one would win the battle in his head?
* * *
IN NOVEMBER, THE HARTS were busy trying to finalize plans for Vegas—not only for the family, but for the animals. Besides Midnight, Bushwhacker, Back Bender, Asteroid, Bossy Lady and True Grit had been invited to the big show.
After going over details many times, a final plan emerged. Tuf, Duke, Colt and Leah would transport the animals. The rest of the family would fly out. Because of Dinah’s job, she and Austin didn’t make the trip. Jill and Davey didn’t, either. They stayed with Leah’s mother. Leah decided to go with the stock to share the experience with Colt and to take care of the paperwork once they arrived.
Over Thanksgiving, they went over the plans again. Tuf wondered if they’d ever leave. With the cattle carrier, the drive would take from seventeen to nineteen hours depending on stops to water the stocks, and bathroom and eat stops for them. They would drive through the night. Tuf followed the carrier in his truck in case they broke down and so they’d have a vehicle in Vegas.
They left Thunder Ranch about noon and arrived in Las Vegas at six the next morning. Midnight was in the TV pen, which contained champion horses that were fun to watch, and he would buck on nights five and ten of the ten-day event. His breeding fee was now a hot commodity.
While Colt and Leah dealt with paperwork, Tuf and Duke drove the small distance to the Thomas and Mack Center on the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus. The football-like stadium was awesome.
“Are you nervous?” Duke asked.
“Hell, yeah.” Even though he was numb inside, he felt a flicker of nerves.
Duke slapped him on the back. “You’ll do fine.”
They joined Colt and Leah. The animals had made the trip without a problem. Midnight, on the other hand, was restlessly circling the pen, wanting out.
Later the family arrived, and after settling in, they had dinner together. Cheyenne, Angie, Duke and Luke were taking the cookies and jewelry they’d had shipped over to the convention center to find their spaces and figure out what else they had to do. He should be helping Cheyenne. But he sat missing her and wondering if his pain would ever end.
The g
irls and Buddy joined them. Sadie and Sammie squeezed in next to him, and after picking at their food, they crawled into his lap. He held them tight, drawing strength from their warm little bodies.
I have to let the war go drummed through his head. For a life with Cheyenne and the girls, he had to let the war go. He just wasn’t sure how to do that. God knew he’d tried so many times, but the bad stuff was still there inside him like a festering sore that would not heal.
Maybe he was always going to be trapped between good and evil.
* * *
THE NIGHT BEFORE THE RODEO started, his mom, Ace and Colt attended an awards banquet to receive the PRCA World Champion Award for Midnight.
The National Finals Rodeo started with a big fanfare. The stadium was packed and the tension level high as the cowboys readied for the biggest night of their lives. The crowd stood as Reba McEntire sang the national anthem. Tuf and Beau sat on their horses, loaned to them by a rodeo friend, with their hands over their hearts. Whooping and hollering, the cowboys and cowgirls charged out into the arena in their Wrangler National Finals jackets and took off their hats to the crowd. The roar was deafening.
Sadie and Sammie stood at a rail, waving. Buddy had a hand on each one. “Tuf!” they screamed, and he tipped his hat to them. They went back to their seats with the rest of the family.
Bareback riding was first. In the locker room, Tuf donned his protective vest, chaps and spurs and made his way to a platform where the cowboys could watch the action.
“This is it, Tuf,” Cory Kinney said. “Good luck.” They shook hands as friends who wanted the same thing but only one could win.
Chad Canter from Stillwater, Oklahoma, was up first. All eyes were on the chutes as Chad burst out on Foxy Lady. He made the ride to the roar of the crowd and scored an 87. That set the bar high and the next ten cowboys didn’t beat it. Neither did Jesse Hobbs. Tuf was up next. He settled onto Fire and Ice, his draw, a chestnut-colored mare.
“Just stay calm,” Colt said as he helped Tuf adjust his rigging. The owner of the horse attached the flank strap, and the horse moved restlessly, ready to buck.
“She bucks hot and cold,” the owner said. “Just be ready for the hot, ’cause she’ll bust your ass.”
“Thanks,” Tuf said, fitting his hand into the handle.
The announcer’s voice came on. “Up next is Tuf Hart out of Roundup, Montana. He’s the youngest of the Hart rodeo family. His father rodeoed, as do his brothers, Ace and Colt, and his cousins Beau and Duke Adams. This is Tuf’s first full year on the circuit and it’s been a banner year for him. A former marine, you might notice his red, white and blue garb. This guy is cowboy tough. Let’s see what he can do here tonight on Fire and Ice, owned by Barker Rodeo Company of Denver, Colorado.”
Tuf raised his left arm, leaned slightly back and stretched out his legs, ready to mark the horse before her front hooves hit the ground. He took a deep breath and shut out everything but him and the horse. He nodded to the gate handler to signal he was ready. The gate swung open with a bang, and Fire and Ice bolted out bucking with a powerful force. Tuf held on, keeping his rhythm marking the horse. Four. Five. The horse kicked high with her back legs, trying to dislodge him. He managed to stay on. Seven. Eight. The buzzer shrilled and Tuf let go, sailing to the ground and losing his hat. The congratulation whoops and clapping were deafening, and the bright lights blinded him for a moment. Picking up his hat, he stared at the JumboTron. Waiting and waiting.
The ride was good, he assured himself. Seemed like forever before 88.5 popped up. He started to throw his hat into the air when he heard his favorite squeaky little voices shout, “Tuf!”
He tipped his hat to his munchkins and they stopped screaming. Buddy had a death grip on them and guided them back to their seats. Tuf walked out of the arena and joined the other cowboys to watch the last two riders. Beau joined him.
“Good ride,” Beau said.
“Yeah. Let’s see if it holds up.”
It did. No one bested his score in the first round.
Winning the first round gave him a boost. He’d earned money for Thunder Ranch, but his arm and his heart ached, and he wondered if he could withstand nine more grueling nights without seeing Cheyenne.
Chapter Seventeen
Cheyenne didn’t have time to think about Tuf, but she got updates from the family, her dad and the girls. She’d wanted to share this experience with him. Once again, though, they were so far apart.
She and Angie had been over almost every inch of the 300,000 square feet of the North Halls Las Vegas Convention Center. The place was jam-packed with every Western item imaginable from furniture to art to handcrafted items. They had fun browsing through the treasures.
Most of the time they were at their booths selling their wares. Her leather-and-turquoise cuff was the most popular item. She feared she’d run out before the show ended. Angie was busy, too. People had a lot of questions about her cookies and what was in them. They passed out tons of business cards.
But her thoughts were over at the Thomas and Mack Center. Tuf had won the first round and she wondered how he felt about that. He had to be happy about it.
The girls and Luke sat on the floor behind them playing with a deck of cards.
A lady tried on a silver necklace with a horseshoe pendant. “I like this. It’s very simple. I’ll take it.”
Cheyenne swiped the woman’s card and put the necklace in one of her trademark brown boxes with an orange C on top.
Josh Adams, Earl McKinley and Buddy walked up, and the kids ran to them. Earl pushed Emma in a stroller and the girls kissed her cheeks. “Bye,” the kids shouted and followed their grandfathers through the mill of people to the door.
Angie stared at her.
“What?”
“Go over and watch Tuf ride. He wants you there.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Cheyenne…”
Her words were cut off as Leah, Flynn, Sierra, Jordan and Sarah strolled over.
“How’s business?” Leah asked.
“Good.”
They checked out the jewelry and talked for a minute.
“We better go.” Jordan spoke up. “Joshua is waiting at the entrance.”
“Yes. I don’t want to miss Tomas ride.” Sarah glanced at her watch.
“Why don’t you come for a little while?” Sierra suggested to Cheyenne.
“Thanks, but no.”
“It’s fast-paced and exciting until someone you love gets on a two-thousand-pound angry bull. I don’t have any fingernails left and it’s just the beginning.”
“You’ll survive,” Flynn said. “I better find my daughter.”
Her friends left, but Leah lingered. “Please go to the arena and watch Tuf ride.”
“Thanks, Leah, but I can’t.”
“You two take stubborn to a whole new level.”
“It’s Tuf… I…”
“I know. He’s so sad. I just want to hug and slap him at the same time.”
“That’s the problem. He’s shutting everyone out, even me. If he’d just let me help him, I’d be over there cheering him on.”
“If you change your mind, just call me.”
“I won’t. I can handle a lot of things, but I can’t handle Tuf not trusting me enough to understand and share his pain.”
A group of women came up, and Leah waved and left. As the women tried on pieces, she wondered why Tuf couldn’t love her enough.
* * *
THE SECOND NIGHT, CORY won on Black Widow. Trey Watson won the third round. It was going to be a dogfight to the bitter end. Adrenaline surged through Tuf’s veins and he settled in to compete for the next seven nights.
The fourth night, Jesse Hobbs won. The fifth night, Tuf scored an 88.5 on Wild Deuce. Cory drew Midnight.
“Ladies and gentlemen, next up is Cory Kinney out of Hutto, Texas. He’s number one in the standings and he’s riding The Midnight Express. This stallion’s lineage dates back to Fi
ve Minutes to Midnight, a hall-of-fame bucking bronc a lot of old-timers will remember. The stud has made it to the NFR five times and was chosen the NFR bucking bronc two times. He disappeared from the rodeo scene for a while until the Hart family purchased him at auction. He’s had a great year winning the PRCA bucking bronc of the year in October. This is Midnight’s sixth appearance at the NFR. Let’s see what he and Cory Kinney can do tonight.”
Midnight kicked and bucked but Cory stayed on. Tuf held his breath, waiting for the score.
When 89 came up, Beau muttered under his breath, “Shit.”
Midnight was magnificent, though. Every bareback rider there wanted a chance at the stallion because they knew the stud had the power to garnish a top score that could lead them to the world title.
Cory won again on the sixth night with an 88.5 ride on Razzle-Dazzle. Tuf placed second again.
Beau suited up for his ride. He was feeling the frustration, too. He’d garnered second and third spots but hadn’t won a round yet.
“I want to win a round, Tuf,” Beau said as he put on his helmet. “That’s where the money is.”
“You have a good chance since only one out of eleven cowboys have managed a ride this round.”
“I drew Hellacious Sam and he’s a mean bastard. He’ll trample you if he gets a chance.”
“Show him who’s boss, coz. Good luck.” Tuf ran back to the rail to watch. Duke joined him.
“He can win this round,” Duke said.
“Yep. Let’s watch.”
The chute gate flew open, and Sam fired out like a bullet bucking with a surge of power. Beau held on. The bull went into a spin. Still Beau held on. The buzzer blared and Beau jumped off, landing on his backside.
“He did it,” Duke shouted and they high-fived.
But Sam wasn’t through. He turned and charged before Beau could get out of the way. With one thrust of his powerful head, Sam threw Beau into the air, and Beau landed on his back with a thud. Sam stood over him, stomping around, daring anyone to take his prize.
Tomas: Cowboy Homecoming Page 16