by Jeannie Watt
“What about the hooves?” Maddie pointed to the black glittery stuff there.
“That’s a roll-on. You can find it online. A lot of Western stores carry it, too.”
Maddie narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. “How do you become part of...whatever you are?”
The woman laughed. “You look for us online. We’re the Rhinestone Rough Riders.”
“Cool! Good luck with your performance.”
“Thank you,” several of the women called as they began moving their horses to line up at the gate.
“I need a horse,” Maddie said in a thoughtful voice as they made their way to the three-tiered stands that appeared to be reserved for the crew that worked the arena as well as family of the competitors. No one questioned their right to be there—the beauty of a small event—so Drew and Maddie settled in.
Maddie loved the rough stock, just as Faith had predicted, laughing at the clown who entertained between events, and after the trained dogs performed during the halftime break, she told Drew that maybe she needed a terrier, too.
When the barrel racing started, Maddie was on the edge of her seat. After the first contestant, she sat back a little. “I want to run barrels.”
Drew put a hand on the back of her neck. “I was afraid of that.”
“I could do it...with a lot more lessons. Good thing Faith lives close to us, huh?”
The next barrel racer charged into the arena, her horse nearly losing its footing as it rounded barrel number one, then kicking up divots as it regained its balance and headed for the next one. Maddie was back on the edge of her seat. The third barrel went over, and she let out an audible moan of disappointment.
Faith was announced on deck and Maddie craned her neck to see her. Drew was tall enough to see over the heads of the people around them and he easily spotted her on her distinctive horse in the waiting area outside the gate. Unlike a lot of the other horses, Tommy stood stock-still, looking as focused as the woman on his back.
“There she goes!” Maddie leaned so far forward, Drew was surprised she didn’t fall off the bleacher seat onto the lady in front of her.
Tommy didn’t charge into the arena as quickly as the previous horses. His turns were smoother, more fluid, and when he raced to the finish line, it wasn’t with the desperate need for speed Drew had seen in the other competitors.
“She’s still conditioning him,” Maddie announced to no one in particular, and Drew found her need to defend Faith touching.
“She did good,” Drew said. He jerked his head toward the trailers. “Want to go see her, or do you want to watch the bull riding?”
“I want to go see Faith.”
* * *
FAITH FULLY EXPECTED Drew and Maddie to remain in the stands for the bull riding, but instead they met her at the trailer not long after she tied up Tommy.
“Wow,” Maddie said. “He’s sweating.”
“Nerves,” Faith replied as she uncinched the saddle.
“He didn’t look nervous.”
“He keeps a lot inside. That’s one reason he’s such a good horse.” Faith dragged the saddle off his back, then jumped a mile as she turned. Drew was there. Right there. Where she hadn’t expected him to be. He took an automatic step back, a frown creasing his forehead, then he slowly reached out for the saddle. She let him take it before wiping her hands down the sides of her pants.
That was twice.
“I thought it was bad to keep things inside,” Maddie mused as she grabbed a brush out of the bucket on the running board and started brushing Tommy’s flank.
“I guess there’s a happy middle ground,” Faith said, grooming Tommy’s other side, her nerves still humming from being startled. She didn’t like having men behind her—even ones that she trusted. “You don’t want him to be dancing and impossible to control, but you don’t want him to fall asleep waiting for his turn.”
“How much does a barrel horse cost?” Maddie asked.
“Well, Tommy cost $8,000 and he’s about a third of what a low-end proven winner would cost you.”
Maddie’s mouth dropped open. “Eight thousand?”
“I got him young, so he didn’t cost as much as he would have if he’d been older.”
“Eight thousand?”
“You don’t have to pay that much, though. Some people get lucky and get a good horse for a whole lot less. Other people like to buy a horse that will put them in the money.”
“But you didn’t.”
“I couldn’t afford to,” she said with a laugh.
“Then it’s okay to just buy a regular horse and teach it to run barrels.”
“And there are a lot of other things you can do with a regular horse. Things that don’t cost as much as following the rodeo circuit. If I only had one horse, I would get a trail horse.”
“I want a barrel horse,” Maddie said. “A cheap one.”
“I’ll keep my eyes open,” Faith promised.
Maddie headed off to the ladies’ room before they started home, leaving Drew and Faith truly alone since he’d arrived at the rodeo. He put his hands into his back pockets, a troubled expression on his face.
“I’m sorry I scared you. Sorry Maddie scared you.”
“Hey. That’s the stuff I’m learning to deal with.”
“I know. Doesn’t make it any easier to watch.”
She tilted her head. “Gee, Drew. It almost sounds as if you care.” She’d been trying for light, trying to defuse the tension that was making her feel stiff and awkward, but it didn’t come off that way. And now it was too late to do anything about it.
And then she didn’t have to, because Drew reached out and gently pulled her into his arms, cradling her against him. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Won’t happen again.”
She laid her head against his chest, felt his heart beating under her cheek. She was tempted to lift her face so that he could kiss her, but Maddie would be back soon and Faith wasn’t about to risk upsetting his daughter, so instead she pulled back, and Drew’s hands fell away from her. He wasn’t ready for a relationship, and she didn’t know if she was capable of one.
But it had still felt damned good to be held in his arms.
CHAPTER TEN
ON SATURDAY MORNING, Drew picked Maddie up from her friend Shayla’s house, where she’d spent the night. Grazing in the pasture were three horses and Drew wondered which was the “good one” that Shayla’s sister didn’t share.
“The white one,” Maddie informed him when he asked on the way out the driveway. “But even though Bailey was gone, I couldn’t ride it. Aunt Cara said that I’m not allowed to get on any horses until I’ve had more lessons.”
“Good idea,” Drew said dryly.
“I wish we could drive to the rodeo with Faith.”
“Yeah. Things just didn’t work out to do that.” As it was, they were following Faith so she could drive alone. Another step in her plan to regain autonomy.
“Maybe the next rodeo.”
“Maybe.”
For not being a horse guy, this rodeo thing was rapidly becoming part of his life...as were his feelings for Faith, which he didn’t know what to do with. She was still fighting demons and he couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t present her with another.
No...he was damned certain he would present her with another.
It was hell when you wanted to protect someone and you were one of the threats. But there was one simple way to not be a threat—keep his distance. As difficult as that was becoming.
They drove to the highway, where Faith was waiting with her truck and trailer. When he pulled up beside her on the turnout, she waved at Maddie, then pulled onto the road. Drew followed and settled in for the two-hour drive to Clovis.
“Dad...are you ever going to get a girlfriend?”
Drew shot his d
aughter a startled look. “Why do you ask?”
“Shayla says that her mom says that you’re really good-looking and she thinks you should get back in the game.”
Drew pulled his gaze back to the road. “I see.” Did he know Shayla’s mom? Had he gone to school with her? Did he want women he didn’t know discussing him?
“I think it would be weird for you to have a girlfriend.”
“Yeah. I can see that.” Drew’s heart was beating a little harder. “I think it will be weird when you have a boyfriend.”
“Dad!”
He smiled over at her, hoping it looked more genuine than nervous. “I’m not ready for a girlfriend.” Maddie seemed mildly relieved. “But if I ever do get back in the game, you know you’ll always be number one in my life...and that I will never stop loving your mom.”
Her mouth worked a little, then she gave a quick nod. He reached over and gave her knee a reassuring pat.
“Sometimes I kind of forget what she looks like,” his daughter confessed. “I have to look at pictures. And she’s all frozen in them.”
“But...you remember what she felt like, right? The way she made you feel?”
“Yeah.”
“That will always live in you. Through everything.”
“For real?”
“Yeah.”
“So how can you love someone else if you will always love Mom?”
“My mom told me that hearts are elastic. They just stretch to make room for more love.” It had seemed corny at the time, but now he was glad she’d said it.
“Huh.” Maddie frowned down at her hands. “I guess that’s true.” She looked back over at him. “Do you like Faith?”
“I do. She’s a nice woman.”
“I think she likes you.”
Drew gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “If she didn’t, I don’t think we’d be following her right now.”
Maddie looked like she wanted to say more, but instead she focused back on the road, leaving Drew to feel as if he’d dodged a bullet.
* * *
DRIVING TO THE rodeo alone was part of Faith’s weaning process. First, she’d drive with Drew behind her, and then, eventually, she would go to the rodeo alone. Not that she had any big hankering to not have Drew come along, but she was realistic enough to recognize a roadblock when she saw one. Or two.
By his own admission, Drew wasn’t ready. She wasn’t going to push. It wasn’t her place to push. She’d be happy with their friendship, grateful that he’d helped her move forward. Shown her she didn’t have to be afraid of big guys on general principle.
When they got to the rodeo, Faith eased her truck and trailer in between two others, then unloaded Tommy. She’d just gotten him tied to the sidebar when Maddie came skipping up.
“Dad said we had to park with the normal people.”
“The spectators?”
“I guess.” She grabbed a brush and started working it over Tommy’s smooth coat. “Are you going to ride faster today?”
“I might put on a little speed.”
“Aunt Cara used to run track. She explained to me why you can’t make Tommy go too fast, too soon.”
Faith ran the brush down Tommy’s legs. “She’s right. I didn’t know I would be competing this season, so I didn’t condition him enough.”
“I want to learn to run the barrels. If I keep coming to lessons, can I learn?”
“Sure. It just won’t be next week or anything.”
“I know. Dad says I need to learn patience.”
“I’m behind you, Faith.”
Both Maddie and Faith turned at the sound of Drew’s voice, and even with the warning, Faith gave a small start.
“I let Maddie off at the edge of the competitor’s area before I parked.”
“With the normal people,” Faith supplied. He frowned at her and she smiled back innocently. “Maybe you guys should get seats before the rodeo starts. I’m going to take my time warming up.” She gave Maddie a serious look. “You don’t want to miss the rough stock. Lots of cool cowboys there.”
“My daughter doesn’t need to be ogling ‘cool cowboys,’” Drew said with mock sternness, making Maddie roll her eyes.
“Come on, Dad. We’ll get good seats, so we can watch Faith win. She’s going to let Tommy run today.”
Drew met Faith’s eyes, raised his eyebrows. She nodded, then gave a small who-knows shrug, and his lips tilted up. Silent communication. Yes, she was going to let Tommy run. No, she probably wouldn’t win.
After Drew and Maddie headed for the stands, Faith finished saddling Tommy and headed to the practice arena, where she walked him along the rail. Just...walked. Her thoughts weren’t nearly as jumbled as the first two times she’d done this. And now she didn’t need to think about what it would be like to kiss Drew, as she had at her first rodeo, to keep herself from panicking, cutting and running.
Now she knew.
Which meant she could distract herself by thinking about the actual experience.
Rodeo was a small world and some of the people she knew from her past life rode up to say hello, give her an encouraging smile. Everyone knew what had happened to her—why she’d stopped competing—but no one referenced the event or asked how she’d been, perhaps afraid she’d give a real answer.
Her two closest rodeo friends, the ones she’d left at the bar when she’d gone back to the campsite early, had both quit rodeo, moved across the country. She got the occasional email or text, but they’d moved on with their lives and their Montana rodeo summers were a thing of the past. Neither of them had been on track for Nationals. Neither of them had wanted it as much as Faith.
She didn’t want Nationals anymore. She just wanted to be competitive in her state. To run for fun and to earn enough money to pay for her gas. To feel free again and not caged in by one asshole’s sick action. That would be gold.
That would make her feel like she had her life back.
Faith started trotting Tommy in circles, loosening him up, helping him flex and bend. Judging by the loudspeaker, her event was about thirty minutes away. She’d just finished with a circle and started Tommy along the rail when a woman rode by. Faith jerked her head around as she passed.
That was her saddle.
Her saddle.
She turned Tommy and caught up with the woman, who gave her a frowning glance. “Hi. Are you a friend of Jared Canon?”
“Maybe.”
“You’re riding in my saddle.”
“What?”
“That’s my saddle.”
The woman let out a scoffing breath. “No, it’s really not,” she said lightly.
“Then why are my initials on the back of the cantle?” There was absolutely no mistaking the saddle as hers with the small sterling letters set in the leather. “And there’s a date stamped into the underside of the left fender.”
“He bought it used.”
“He stole it from me, and FYI, I’m taking him to small-claims court unless he can come up with a bill of sale with my signature on it.” Please pass that message along.
The woman urged her horse forward, and Faith pulled Tommy up, her heart beating faster after the confrontation. She wasn’t going to chase the woman down. But she was getting her saddle back. First, she’d make her run, and then see about the saddle. Except if Jared was here, he’d make a getaway as soon as the barrel racing was over—and he discovered that Faith was competing against his ladylove.
If he did, he did. She’d been serious about small-claims court when she’d first mentioned it to him, and she was even more serious now.
Tommy started dancing when she slowed him to a walk and she made an effort to relax her tight body. It was making her horse edgy, but anger felt surprisingly good. The woman might have been unaware of how Jared got the saddle, but s
he knew now. And Faith hoped she gave Jared what-for over it.
As Faith continued to warm up, she kept an eye out for Jared at the rail. When her event was called, she still hadn’t seen him, hadn’t spotted his vehicle. She calmly lifted Tommy’s reins and urged him toward the waiting area. She was number ten in the lineup. Her stolen saddle was number two. Her saddle, and the woman sitting in it, set the bar to the event with a time of 17.071. A high bar. One Faith was fairly certain she wouldn’t be reaching, but she’d give it her best shot.
After sliding to a stop just outside the gate, saddle-woman rode her dancing horse past Faith, both her chin and her color high. Despite her tremendous time, she looked angry.
Good.
Faith’s name was called and she rode Tommy into position. Somewhere in the stands, a twelve-year-old girl was rooting for her. And maybe her dad was rooting for her, too. She took a breath, then sent Tommy forward. He crowded the barrel on the first turn, dropping his inside shoulder. Faith raised her own shoulder on the next turn, putting her weight in her outside stirrup and engaging his outer leg. Perfect turn. Followed by another, then Tommy stretched out to his full length as he raced home.
17.399. Not a winner. But maybe second.
Faith worked to bring her breathing back to normal as she rode Tommy halfway to her trailer, then got off and walked, her legs feeling heavy after so much time in the saddle.
She switched the bridle for the halter, tied Tommy up, unsaddled him and carried the tack into her trailer compartment. She climbed inside to lift the saddle onto the rack, then jumped a mile as someone stepped into the trailer, pulling the door shut behind them.
“You bitch.”
For a moment, she thought her heart was going to explode. It seemed to swell in her chest as her frozen brain tried to grab hold of reality. Trapped. She was trapped with no escape and this angry guy, who’d once been her lover, was between her and the door.
She pulled in a shaky breath, tried to calm the reactive side of her brain so that the other side could operate. “M-move aside, Jared.” She croaked out the words as she reached behind her to find some sort of weapon. Unless she beat him to death with a halter, she had nothing.