Her Knight, Her Protector: a western romance (Rodeo Knights Book 1)

by Lisa Mondello

  But Jesse’s arms where still extended and something about the gentlemanly way he looked after her made her heart sing. It was completely unnecessary and even a little annoying. But it also made Carly feel special in a way she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Only she couldn’t recall ever feeling this way at all.

  Holding on to the saddle horn, she put her weight on her left foot and swung her right leg over the saddle and let it fall until she felt the ground below. Jesse’s hands were there, holding her by the waist to steady her, even though she didn’t need it. His hands remained around her waist until she loosely wrapped the reins around Bitsy saddle horn and let her walk to the brook to take a drink.

  She turned around and looked up at him. The sun was behind him, making it hard to make out the features of his face.

  “Something tells me it wasn’t such a good idea for us to ride up here alone,” Jesse said.

  “Why?”

  “Because…I want to kiss you Carly. I’ve wanted to kiss you since the moment I stepped into your office that first day.”

  “Really?”

  He sighed as if he were frustrated with himself more than anything. “But that probably wouldn’t be the smartest thing I’ve ever done.”

  “Probably not,” she said quietly, feeling a disappointment that was foreign to her.

  She stepped away into the shady area and took a deep breath. The shade was a nice change over the heat of the sun and being on the back of a hot horse. Carly pulled off her cowboy hat and walked toward the fence line as if she had a purpose. She didn’t. She just didn’t want to face Jesse.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  She turned around quickly and saw Jesse still standing in the spot where she’d fled from. “Which part?”

  “The part about kissing you. I’ve offended you.”

  She felt offended, but only because the kiss never happened.

  “Forget it. Let’s look at the fence line.”

  She pretended to inspect the vegetation in the surrounding around. When Jesse walked past her, it was a relief. She’d felt his eyes on her and she just didn’t want to feel that exposed.

  Jesse looked around. “If there was going to be any overgrowth, it would be by the brook where the water could feed it.”

  “I don’t see anything. Most of the poisonous plants on this mountain would be blooming right now. But I don’t see any flowers in the pasture.”

  The moment was gone. The beautiful expression of emotion when Jesse spoke of his parents’ love, and then the heartache of learning about his father’s death had given her a glimpse of this man that she longed to see more of. And then he’d unabashedly admitted he wanted to kiss her.

  And then he didn’t.

  She stared at the bare ground and felt more disappointment over what was lost in those brief moments than any happiness over not finding any poisonous plants.

  #

  Chapter Seven

  They spent the next few days making trips to Jesse’s brother Michael’s ranch in Montana. As suspected, none of the hands were happy about the changes in rules on the ranch, or that Jesse had been watching their every move in the bunkhouse.

  Carly couldn’t really blame them. Jesse had been right. She should have been honest about the death threats right from the beginning. Colin, more than any of them, was most worried when he’d heard about the letters.

  She couldn’t deny that she was comforted by the fact that Jesse was sleeping in the next room. She hadn’t realized just how tired she’d become by trying to handle all that had been going on these last few weeks by herself. But it was more than that. The memory of the way Jesse looked at her and smiled when they were riding still melted her heart. She’d lay awake in bed just thinking of the feel of his hands on her waist as he gently helped her down from her horse. Not that he needed to. Carly had grown up taking spills from many a horse in her lifetime. It went part and parcel with living on a ranch.

  But more than his strength and his smile, she couldn’t shake the way he’d been vulnerable with her while talking about his father. Most of the men Carly knew, including her own dad, kept their feelings hid. It had always made her think she was weak for showing her emotions, that she’d be judged for them. But Jesse wore them on his sleeve without any shame.

  Yes, Jesse Knight was a different kind of man. A gentlemen and a gentle soul filled with honor.

  They were getting ready for their next rodeo with fifteen of her bulls in competition. Rodeo day was always an exciting day and today was no different.

  The trailer with the bulls that were going to compete in Montana had already left the ranch and stayed the night at Jesse’s brother Michael’s ranch. Colin had gone with them, but didn’t know where they were going until Michael had arrived with Stoney to drive the trailer up to the arena. The rest of the hands stayed behind, leaving a lot of talk. But Doris wasted no time enlisting both Thad and Rod to help her with her monthly grocery shopping. All that was left was for her to get ready and drive the few hours up to Bozeman for the competition.

  Carly sat at the vanity table her mother had picked out for her when she was just eight years old. Every girl needs a vanity, she’d said. Carly had been too young then to understand what she meant. Back then she used it as a place to draw pictures with her crayons. It was only long after her mother had died that Carly appreciated the gift her mother had given her. There wasn’t a day she sat at the vanity that she didn’t think of some special moment with her.

  She opened the jar of her favorite hand cream and saw that it was full, which made her think for a minute. She’d mentioned to Doris that she was running low. Doris most likely picked up a few jars when she’d gone shopping with the ranch hands.

  Carly inhaled the spearmint scent of the cream and then slathered it on her hands and wrists. Even when she wasn’t working around the ranch, her hands were always dry. It only got worse in the wintertime when the heat from the stoves in the main house sucked all the moisture out of her body.

  Carly was just screwing on the lid to the jar of cream when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. Expecting it to be Jesse, her heart lifted a notch.

  “Come in,” she said.

  Seconds later, Doris walked in with a stack of towels in her hand. “Oh, I’m sorry, sweetheart. I saw the truck pulled up to the door out front and thought you were on your way already.”

  “Jesse pulled the truck up to the door?” Carly asked as she stood.

  Doris chuckled. “That boy was raised right. Definitely a keeper.”

  Carly quickly rolled her eyes at Doris’s teasing. “He’s definitely something all right.”

  Doris was halfway to the en suite bathroom with the towels when she stopped and turned to Carly. “Don’t you dare tell me you don’t think he’s handsome because I know better.”

  “I never said that.”

  “And he’s built like a—”

  “Doris! There are plenty of strong men on this ranch,” Carly argued.

  “And he can’t keep his eyes off of you. If given the chance, it wouldn’t be the only thing he can’t keep off you.”

  “Doris! What has gotten into you?”

  The housekeeper’s expression changed from amusement to the same warmth and concern Carly remembered when she was a teen and was missing her mother. “I like seeing you smile. It’s been too long. I know the job you have here is a mighty one. But it’s okay to remember you’re also a woman, sweetie. You can experience something other than trying to make your father proud of you. He was proud of you. Always. Having something, or someone, for yourself is never going to change that.”

  “I’m not so sure about that.”

  “Your father was a man. All men have a hard time letting their little girls grow up. If he’d had his way, you would have stayed eleven years old forever.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “You’re probably right.”

  “I know I am. Just like I know that man out there will wait all afte
rnoon for you to come out of this room and still give you a smile as if he hadn’t wasted half the day.”

  Carly chuckled softly as she thought of Jesse. “I think you’re exaggerating.”

  “Yeah? He’s been sitting in that hot truck for a half hour already waiting on you.”

  * * *

  Her stomach rolled each time the truck hit a bump on the highway up to Bozeman, Montana. Normally Carly enjoyed the ride. The anticipation of seeing one of her bulls perform well was always a treat. Both Tenacious and Widow Maker were going to compete today and she wanted to be there to see their scores. Tenacious was in the running for Bull of the Year, and when that happened, it would bring more attention to the Duggan Stock Company and make seeding shares rise for both bulls. Widow Maker was showing well and Carly was hopeful the young bull would follow in the footsteps of her prized bull.

  But the closer they got to the arena in Bozeman, the sicker Carly felt. She was glad she let Jesse drive. Maybe if she just put her head back against the headrest for a little while, she’d feel better.

  “Are you going to be able to last the day?”

  Beads of sweat bubbled up on her forehead, making her cold. “I guess I didn’t sleep very well last night. I just need a few minutes.”

  “We still have a few hours before we reach Bozeman. Kick back and take a nap. I’ll wake you when we get close.”

  She felt her heart beating in her chest and drew in a deep breath to steady herself. “I think I’ll do just that.”

  The next thing she knew, Jesse was shaking her awake. “We’re here, sleepyhead.”

  If the sound of his voice inside the cab of the truck wasn’t enough to rouse her, the sound of the crowd and the announcer’s voice coming over the loudspeaker would have.

  “We just made it,” she said as she looked around and processed her surroundings in her hazy state.

  “How are you feeling?”

  She touched her face and felt the warmth of her skin. “Surprisingly good. I guess all I needed was a little sleep.”

  “Good. Then it should be a good day.” Jessie climbed out of the truck and came around to the passenger side before she had a chance to get out. He opened the door. In a low voice, he added, “I want you to stay close to me. There are a lot of people here and we still don’t know who to trust.”

  She stepped out of the truck and Jesse slammed the door.

  “I’m worried about my bulls.”

  “Sean and Bobby are here. Stoney and Melanie are here, too. Stoney is going to stay around the chute area. Michael is in the back with all the bulls.”

  “Bobby is Sean’s intern, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Does Bobby know what happened at the ranch?”

  Jesse shook his head. “Sean didn’t tell him. You said you don’t want to hide. This is the best way I can think of having you participate like you usually do without putting you at risk.”

  Nerves raced through her as they walked to the arena. No one here had visited the ranch recently. But that’s not to say that the death threat letters she’d received weren’t from someone who could be here today. Jesse was right. It was best to be suspicious of everyone until they knew for sure how the poisonings on the ranch occurred.

  She said hello to a few of the people on the circuit that she knew well as they moved through the crowd and then found a spot in the stands to watch the show. As Jesse mentioned, Stoney was standing on the arena floor behind the chute with a few other cowboys who were competing today. He blended in because he knew most all of the cowboys who were competing and had competed with them until last year when he’d retired for good.

  Jesse leaned into her. She felt the heat of his body and inhaled a hint of his aftershave. The same scent that had been teasing her nose the entire time she’d been in the cab of the truck.

  “Relax and just enjoy the show.”

  “That’s easy for you to say.”

  But it didn’t take long for Carly to relax and get into the competition. She was always interested in watching the bulls that the other stock companies brought to the show just as much as she enjoyed rooting for her own bulls. She watched the bulls and the cowboys just as intently as Jesse did. They talked with each other about riding form and the characteristic of the bulls they’d seen. When the next cowboy was called for a ride, she knew Tenacious was up.

  “I hold my breath every time Tenacious is in the chute,” she said.

  The cowboy climbed into the chute and took a few minutes to adjust his flank strap. Carly could see the tension building in Tenacious. She knew him so well that she could anticipate exactly how he’d turn. He was ready to bolt. It meant this cowboy was in for a good ride.

  The chute opened and Tenacious bolted out of the chute, kicking, twisting and doing everything he needed to do to get this cowboy off his back. Dust was kicking up from the ground and off the bull’s back. The cowboy, a veteran bull rider who was looking for a good score, was hanging in there. After six seconds, the cowboy lost his seat and slipped just enough so the next buck Tenacious delivered sent him flying to the ground. Two bull fighters moved in to distract Tenacious until the cowboy was able to scramble away to the safety of the arena fence.

  Carly couldn’t hold back the smile that split her face.

  “Congratulations.”

  The deep voice coming from behind them on the bleachers had her turning with dread. Gordon Matthews sat on the end of the bleachers, smiling down at her.

  “I thought the board members of the WRC had special seats. What are you doing in the stands with us lowly people?” Jesse joked.

  Gordon laughed. “Lowly? These are the best seats in the house. I like watching from up here. You see more.”

  Carly agreed. It’s exactly why she always chose a seat higher up in the stands to watch the show.

  “What’s the congratulations for?” Jesse asked.

  “It’s for Carly. She earned another five hundred dollars with that run for Duggan Stock Company.”

  Gordon referred to the bonus bull owners got every time one of their bulls bucked off a bull rider.

  “Tenacious is earning you some money this year,” he added.

  “He’s having a good year,” Carly said, feeling the pride of having a bull that people were taking notice of on the circuit. “I hear you’ve got some broncs entered this year.”

  Gordon shrugged. “I’m not on the committee to contract stock for the circuit anymore. That job is now Daryl Buchanan’s.”

  “Daryl Buchanan was one of the best bull riders on the circuit. He knows his bulls,” Jesse said.

  “Yes, he does. The board still reviews and approves contracts, but the board voted last year to have Buchanan have the final word.”

  “Hence your venture into working with broncs again?”

  Gordon nodded. “Buchanan’s fair. He wants healthy stock that perform well. If there’s any doubt, he’ll cancel the contract in favor of safety for all the animals and the riders.”

  “Then it’s a good thing all the stock here are healthy,” Jesse said before Carly could respond.

  “Yes, I know. I saw your brother Sean with his new intern earlier today.”

  The announcer came over the intercom to announce the scores. Since the cowboy had been bucked off before the full eight second ride, the bull rider’s score was zero. Carly held her breath as they gave the score for Tenacious.

  “Score for Tenacious, forty-five,” the announcer said.

  Jesse whistled as Carly jumped up from her seat and clapped.

  She turned to Gordon, who was still seated.

  “Nice,” Gordon said as he stood. “Congratulations again, Carly.”

  Carly watched Gordon walk away.

  “It’s going to be a problem if Daryl Buchanan finds out,” she whispered, leaning into Jesse.

  “Then he won’t find out.”

  Jesse said himself that rodeo was a small world. Her ranch hands had been sworn to secrecy. But if word got ou
t even in passing, it could get back to Daryl.

  She glanced down the bleacher stairs until Gordon disappeared into a doorway that led to the area where the bulls were kept. “You want to bet money on that?”

  #

  Chapter Eight

  This was her favorite time of the day. The sky was gradually getting darker. The world was getting quiet, although she could still hear the sounds of animals and people on the ranch. The air was getting cooler. And she’d just spent a glorious day doing what she loved with a man…

  With an incredible man she couldn’t stop thinking about. It almost made it easy to forget his reason for being here.

  As she sat down on the top step of the porch, Carly fought to put thoughts of Jesse Knight out of her head as she recollected all the things that happened on a daily basis at night on the ranch. Doris was singing as she cleaned up the last remains of anything that needed straightening before she turned in. All the animals had been taken care of, and the ranch hands were now stopping for the day.

  All the bulls had been put out to graze in the low pasture where Colin could keep a closer eye on them and prevent any accidental poisonings again. This time of the year, grazing was usually better on the higher pasture. But Carly had been very careful to make sure the pastures were continuously checked for any wild growth of toxic plants. This time of the year, weeds and wildflowers could grow as quickly as a flash fire. She and Jesse hadn’t seen anything on their ride out the other day. But that didn’t mean they hadn’t missed something. At least on the lower pastures, she could be sure her bulls were safe.

  She still clung to the hope that the poisonings of her bulls had been accidental. It happened. But that was just a fairytale. It would be too easy, especially in light of the two letters she’d received, to think otherwise. That was the only dark cloud on this beautiful night. Thank God there hadn’t been another letter.

  The familiar sound of laughing in the bunkhouse made her smile. The nightly card game had most likely commenced. It had been a nightly ritual for as long as Carly could remember. Her father had even sat in on a few games in the past and lost some money, making it talk amongst the hands for a week or so after. Except her father would quietly tell her that he’d lost on purpose just to boost morale.