His Last Rodeo

by Claire McEwen

He nodded, looking a little grim.

  “There’s no bottled beer, no vodka and way too much tequila. High-end tequila.”

  “Okay.” His tone was mild but she saw frustration in his eyes. “How do we fix it?”

  “We can’t. It’s too late to place a new order.”

  “Why don’t we just grab some stuff from the liquor store to tide us over? And I’ll call the distributor and put in a rush order.”

  “It’ll cost you.” A mistake like this would have made Chris furious, because money was tight. But Tyler had money. She’d forgotten that. He could pop a bandage on a mistake like this. It must be nice.

  “I’ll fix it,” Tyler promised. “Maybe we can return some of that wine.”

  “No returns,” she retorted. “What happened? The order form is so straightforward.”

  “I dunno.” He shrugged. “Maybe I got distracted. Why don’t you go write me a list of everything we need and I’ll go to the liquor store. I need to shut the barn first.”

  He seemed so casual about messing up what she’d had running so well. “I got a job offer,” she blurted.

  He froze. “What do you mean?”

  “I got hired. At the High Country.”

  The disappointment on his face surprised her. “You don’t want to work here anymore?”

  “I figure it’s a good time for a change.”

  He looked away for a moment, then back at her. “That first night. That’s the problem, right? When I was drunk? I gave you a hard time. I regret that, Kit. I promise you, nothing like that will ever happen again.”

  “Good to know. But it’s not that. I’ve worked here a long time. I’m ready for a change.” No more messed-up orders. No more watching her dreams become someone else’s. “I’ll give you two weeks’ notice.”

  “Right. Sure.” He turned away, moving slowly to the barn door to pick up the small padlock as if it weighed a ton.

  “And I’ll have Tim stay today, since you put us both on the schedule. I have stuff I need to do.”

  Kit returned to the bar and explained to Tim that she was leaving. She grabbed her purse and headed for her Jeep, waiting for the feeling of relief. Relief that she’d told Tyler she was quitting. Relief that she’d found a way out of this impossible situation.

  Relief didn’t come. Instead she worried. About the order. About Tim and Lila, her closest friends. About Crater and Stan and all the regulars.

  But they weren’t her problem. Not anymore. She forced her thoughts to focus on the High Country. It had bands, a dance floor and a huge bar. It was packed every night with young people. Good pay. Great tips. A new start.

  So where was the relief she’d been looking for? She leaned on the door of her Jeep, looking at the sagebrush and scrub that surrounded the Dusty Saddle. Yellow wildflowers rose from the barren soil like little pieces of hope. The mountains, still topped in snow, were framed by a bright blue sky. Spring was a glorious time of year east of the Sierras. Lately she’d forgotten to notice the beauty around her.

  She sighed, got in and put the key in the ignition. But she couldn’t bring herself to start the engine. Because the truth was, she didn’t really like the High Country Sports Bar. And there was so much that she adored about the Dusty Saddle. It was hard to drive away when she wasn’t sure if she was making the right choice. So she sat and wondered what to do.

  * * *

  TYLER LOCKED THE BARN, shoving the old padlock on and jamming it shut. Owning a bar had seemed like fun. He hadn’t thought it through—at least, not about the paperwork involved in running a business.

  He hadn’t counted on how slow and stubborn his brain could be. And how much it hated reading and writing.

  And now Kit, his most capable employee, was leaving.

  More than just capable. She was the heart of this place. She brought a sparkle to each of her shifts that the customers clearly appreciated. That he appreciated.

  The High Country would appreciate that spark, too.

  Damn.

  He yanked on the lock to make sure it was truly closed. Then he stared out over the vacant pasture in front of him. Land he hoped to turn into amateur rodeo grounds. Though how he’d do that without his best employee at the bar, he had no idea.

  The truth hit him. He needed her. Desperately. There was so much he still needed to learn. So much she knew that he didn’t. Plus while she might not share his vision, she was so organized, so good at seeing what steps were needed to happen to accomplish a task. He’d hoped he could involve her more in the remodel design. In everything.

  He needed to find a way to make her stay. At least until he could get on his feet.

  He shoved away from the wall and jogged around the side of the bar. Relief flooded when he saw that Kit’s Jeep was still in the parking lot. He had a chance, maybe, to try to change her mind.

  “Kit!” he called, his heavy heart losing a pound or two when she stepped out of the Jeep. “Can I talk to you?” He stopped with his hands open at his sides in appeal. “I need you to stay.” It was out before he thought about how to finesse it.

  She stared at him. “Why?”

  He had to lay it all on the line. “I can’t do this without you. I don’t know how. The bartending, the schedule, everything. We were in school together. You know I quit early. Reading, numbers, it’s all screwed up with me.”

  “What do you mean, screwed up?” Her features softened into concern. This is what he’d learned about her this week. That she might dress tough in her black clothing, she might look tough with her tattoos, but she was a kind person. A woman who listened to Crater’s long-winded stories no matter how many times she’d already heard them. Who made sure everyone in the bar was having a good time.

  He took a deep breath before he cut open his soul and let his secret spill out. “I mean, when I look at a page, I don’t see it right. Even when I think I’ve understood it, I find out I got it wrong. At school they told me I had dyslexia and put me in a special class for reading. They said I had something called dyscalculia and gave me a special teacher for math, too. But staring at the numbers and words in a smaller classroom didn’t solve the problem.”

  She nodded slowly. “I think I remember you going to those classes.”

  “The dumb kid.”

  “No!” She frowned. “You were never that.”

  “Well, the schedule, the ordering, I clearly got it wrong. I need you to stay. To help me do those things.”

  “But you could still get help, couldn’t you? With your learning problems?”

  “What?” He stared at her. “I’m done with school.”

  “You could hire someone to teach you, right? There must be some kind of expert who knows how to help you.”

  That had never occurred to him. “Maybe. But I doubt they’re hanging out in Benson, and even if they are, they can’t help me fast enough to keep this bar running.” He’d beg if need be. “I need you, Kit. And I’ve got a proposal.”

  One of her dark eyebrows shot up.

  “Not that kind of proposal.” He wished he could make one of those. But she was off-limits and could barely stand him anyway. He tried to give words to the idea he’d had at the barn. “What if you and I had some kind of partnership?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Help me come up with a system for ordering and scheduling that works for me. Teach me how to bartend well. And help me get this place renovated.”

  She shook her head. “You need someone else. Someone who isn’t bitter.”

  He smiled a little. “You’re not that bitter. You’ve helped me so much already.”

  “That’s because I’m a softy when I see someone in over his head.”

  “Exactly. And I’m so far over my head, I may never get out. I definitely won’t without your help.” />
  She studied him, then studied her dark nails. He watched the smile on her face fade into a blur of discomfort when she looked at him again. “I’m not the one who should help you.”

  “You’re the one I need.”

  “No, you don’t get it. I’m angry inside. Jealous of you. Because...” She shook her head, and her voice dissolved into a whisper so faint he couldn’t catch her words.

  “Why?” He took a step closer. Reached for her hand.

  “The bar. The Dusty Saddle. I had hoped to buy it someday. When I had the money.” He could see the glimmer of tears. “I didn’t know Chris was going to retire so soon.”

  All the missing pieces clicked into place. Her frustration with him wasn’t only from his drunken visit that first night. Or his father’s treatment of hers. “I had no idea. I saw a note Chris had posted on the Chamber of Commerce website. And I jumped at the chance.”

  “You couldn’t have known. And it’s stupid to be mad at you, but I still feel it. This envy that you can make it into what you want. I need to get over it. But I’m not very good at getting over stuff.”

  He let go of her hand and shoved his in his pockets. They felt useless against the disappointment in her tone. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to steal your dream.”

  Her full lips twitched into a rueful smile. “It might be a little strong to call it my dream. But it was my hope. I need to stay in Benson, and I need more than a nine-to-five, clock-in, clock-out kind of thing.”

  “Then take me up on my offer. Stay here. Work with me. Help me renovate the bar.”

  “Did you hear anything I just said?”

  “I heard it all. And I promise I’ll make it worth your while. I’ll make you the manager. I’ll give you a raise. And if you stay until we open, I’ll give you a bonus.”

  “Why?” She eyed him suspiciously.

  “I have so much I want to do. But I don’t know much about running a bar yet and we’ve already established that I can’t read and write very well. I want your input. I want you to help me make some of the big decisions.”

  “And if I stay until it’s finished, you’ll give me a bonus?”

  “Yes. Enough to make a difference.” He cast around in his mind for a number that would help her out of the trouble his dad had caused. Something that would open doors for her. “A hundred thousand dollars. That’s enough to help with your dad, right?”

  She stared at him. “A hundred thousand dollars?”

  “If you think it would be fair.”

  She looked away, shoulders rising slightly. “I don’t need charity. That’s what this is, right? You feel guilty about what your dad did? About buying the bar when I wanted it? I don’t want your pity.”

  “Jeez, Kit. Look at me.”

  “No bar is worth paying me all that money.” Beneath her dark makeup, her eyes were guarded.

  He searched for the reason that would make her say yes. He finally settled on the truth. “I need this. I need a success.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t get it. You are a success. You’re a rodeo champion. The ladies flock into the bar every night just to bat their eyelashes at you.”

  “That’s different.” How could he explain when he could barely articulate it to himself? “My bull-riding success was a miracle. I’m grateful for it. But it’s the only success I ever had. I failed out of school. Then I went into the army but my reading and writing problems got in my way again. I want to succeed at something besides rodeo. Something right here in Benson.”

  “Wait, you bought a bar to impress your dad?” Her smile was incredulous. “I don’t see him as the partying kind.”

  He grinned. “Yeah, well, he’s made it clear he’d have preferred another type of venture. But I’ve spent a lot of time in bars on the road. I went to this bar in Texas that had an amateur rodeo attached, a beer garden, a barbecue...and it felt right. Like all the best stuff in life was wound up in one place.”

  Kit laughed. “Add strippers and big-screen TVs and you’d have guy heaven here on earth.”

  He liked her twisted humor. “I think we’ll skip the strippers, but the TVs will be a nice touch.”

  “You really want to pay me all this money just to get this place open?”

  He nodded.

  “And if I decide to leave after it’s all finished, you won’t mind?”

  His heart sank a little at the thought but he tried to ignore it. “Of course I won’t.”

  She shook her head slowly. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but...”

  “You’ll do it?”

  “I’ll do it.”

  “Yes!” He fist-pumped. It was a relief to confess his troubles, to have her help, to know this would work out.

  She watched him like he’d gone crazy. “You know you’re nuts, right? To pay me so much money?”

  He sobered. “You have no idea how many skills you have, do you? How much you know about running a business? Trust me, you are worth way more than I’m paying you.” He wanted to hug her, his relief was so deep. He put a hand to his heart instead. “Thank you. Seriously. Thank you.”

  She nodded. “It’s getting late. You’d better get that booze we need. I’ll text you a list. And this week, we’ll fill out the schedule and the order forms together. Maybe we can come up with a method that’s less confusing, too.”

  “That would be great.” He was shaky but he kept his voice steady. “And we’ll get a contract drawn up, so you can be sure you’ll get everything we talked about.”

  She opened the door of her Jeep. “Okay, well, until tomorrow then.”

  “See you soon.” He liked saying it. He liked knowing it was true.

  He crossed the parking lot and paused at the door to the bar. He felt lighter. With Kit on his side he could make the Dusty Saddle a success. He’d just have to remember not to fall for her, because he was pretty sure he was already partway there.

  CHAPTER SIX

  TYLER TURNED INTO the rutted dirt driveway on the eastern edge of Benson. A rusty mailbox had Hayes scrawled across it in what looked like permanent marker. A barbed-wire fence delineated the boundaries of the property. Someone, he suspected Kit, had nailed a cattle skull to the post closest to the driveway.

  Garth’s house was on a slight hill, looking over the plain. He’d chosen a lonely place to live, with sagebrush rolling out in all directions. No wonder Kit had rented a place in town. She was too social to isolate herself out here.

  Her Jeep was a bright spot in the driveway. She must be spending her Sunday helping out her dad. He’d picked up from their conversations that she visited her father a lot. Still, Tyler hadn’t expected to see her. And if the prospect made his day feel a little brighter, well, they were old friends. And it was always good to see an old friend.

  Ever since his disastrous conversation with his dad a couple days ago, Tyler had been thinking about how he could help Garth. He figured Garth must be feeling lost without his work. The worry in Kit’s eyes whenever she talked about her dad confirmed his suspicions. Kit’s bonus would help with their financial woes, but Garth needed more than that. He needed a job. And talking with Aaron about repairs to his barn the other day, Tyler had realized that he’d have enough work, eventually, to keep Garth plenty busy.

  Kit and her dad were standing on the porch when Tyler parked behind Kit’s Jeep. Kit waved, and they came over to meet him. She had a big fan of paint strips in her hand and a strained expression on her face. Her dad wore sweatpants, a bathrobe and slippers, even though it was past midday. They came down the steps to meet him.

  “What’s going on?” Kit asked. “I didn’t expect to see you out here.”

  “I came to pay your dad a visit.” Tyler stuck out his hand to Garth, pleased when his old friend seized his, then pulled him closer to clap him on
the back.

  “Kit told me you were in town.” A wide smile gouged deep creases into Garth’s weather-beaten face. “And a bar owner now. Good for you, son.”

  “Thanks, Garth. I couldn’t do any of it without Kit helping me.”

  “Well, she’s real good at that,” Garth said absentmindedly. And then went straight to the topic he loved. “It’s an honor to have you home, Tyler. Rodeo world champion. I just about fell out of my seat when I watched that last ride of yours on the TV. You stuck on there like you had glue on your seat. They gave you a mean bull for it, too. Hades is a legend.”

  “He was tricky, all right. But hey, I was taught by the best. You gave me a great start. Without your help, I probably never would have become a bull rider.”

  “Well, I thought you wouldn’t when you joined the army.” Garth’s face was grave. “Thought we might lose you in some Mideast war.”

  “Lucky for me, I guess, that the army wasn’t too thrilled with my abilities. And bull riding turned out to be a hell of a lot more fun than boot camp.”

  Tyler glanced at Kit. Where she’d looked worried before, now she looked upset. He wished he knew why. “Hey, you two look like you’re doing some painting. I don’t want to interrupt.”

  “Well, I’ve been trying to get Dad to choose a color for a few days.” Tyler could hear the frustration in her voice.

  Garth waved a hand in the general direction of Kit and her paint strips. “We can do that later. Right now we have company. Tyler, want to come up on the porch and sit a while? I could make us some coffee.”

  Tyler noticed Kit’s white knuckles, clutching her paint colors. “Hey, how about this? Why don’t you show me your ideas for your painting project? Believe it or not, I like this kind of thing.” He shot Kit a quick wink, gratified to see some of the strain leave her face.

  “Okay,” Garth nodded. “Let me go inside and get changed. And I’ll put that coffee on.” Garth climbed the steps with the agility of a younger man and disappeared into the house. Kit stared after him, her jaw set, as if she were clenching her teeth.

  “Kit,” Tyler said quietly. “I went to see my dad earlier this week. I couldn’t get him to listen to me. So I’m here to ask your dad if he’ll work for me, managing my barn, once it’s up and running. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have.”