Betting the Rainbow (Harmony)

by Thomas, Jodi

  Reagan let tears fall as she remembered all the loving, kind, funny things he’d done to make her laugh and love. Could she really give him up? Could she live without her Noah in her life?

  Could she live with a liar . . . or a man who could walk away from his own son?

  Maria found her and the baby asleep in the rocker half an hour later. She’d been drifting, wishing today were a dream and she’d wake up. The only problem was that today had been the nightmare she had to wake up to.

  Reagan handed Utah to her gently.

  “You go,” Maria said. “Many are looking for you.”

  Reagan nodded and stood. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Once the second round of games start, maybe I can give him his bottle.”

  “You come, but don’t send that cowboy. He made so much noise coming up the stairs he woke up the baby.” She huffed. “Then he said he had to hold Utah, but I don’t know why. I swear that man never held a newborn before in his life.”

  Reagan walked out of the room realizing Noah must have climbed the stairs to see his son. An eight-pound baby had devastated both their worlds, and Reagan had no idea where the next step in her life would lead.

  All she knew was that she wouldn’t be holding Noah’s hand for the rest of the journey.

  Chapter 27

  BUFFALO’S BAR

  NOAH POUNDED ON THE DOOR OF BUFFALO’S BAR FOR FIVE minutes before Harley, the owner, finally opened up.

  “What you doing here?” he grumbled. “I thought you’d be at the poker game if you were in town.”

  Noah didn’t want to talk. He didn’t want to think. He only wanted to drink. He walked to the bar and leaned against it as if the wood would somehow give him comfort.

  It didn’t.

  Half an hour later the place was starting to fill up with people who didn’t care about the poker game going on over at the Truman farm and losers who were out in the first round.

  Everyone who knew Noah offered to buy him a drink, and Noah didn’t turn down a one of them.

  By dark he stumbled out on the deck and stared in the direction of Reagan’s farm. Though miles away, he swore he could see the glow of lights from the orchard. She was there, all alone in a crowd of people. He knew her so well. He knew why she’d agreed to have the fund-raiser. Harmony was her town, her home. She cared about the town and the people. He also knew why she said she’d keep the baby. Reagan had spent the first fifteen years of her life being tossed around.

  He called himself every name he could think of, but damn fool seemed to be his favorite. A hundred what-ifs danced with the maybes in his mind. What if he’d come home and told her the night after it happened ten months ago? Would she have forgiven him then? Maybe he should have come back five months ago when he had downtime. She would have married him then, and maybe they’d have worked this out together.

  Reagan had always been the one he loved. Even before he figured his life out and ran around with wild women on the circuit, he knew that someday he’d come home to her. She was the one he wanted to grow old with. She was the one he made love to in his dreams.

  She didn’t understand how hard it was on the road. All the world gets mixed up when your whole life revolves around eight seconds. Bad food and hotel rooms that all look the same. Bars that smell the same. Women who act the same, always coming on to him. Always wanting him to be their one wild moment.

  Reagan was his base. The only place where he could step away from all the noise and smoke and crowds. The one person who understood him.

  Noah tossed the empty beer bottle he’d downed into a trash can that looked like it had served as a bumper pad for the steps for years. Damn it, he understood her too. He knew what it had taken for her to tell him good-bye. He felt her hurt as much as he felt his own. When they’d met, he’d always been the one to make her feel like she belonged. Folks were nice to her from the first because they knew she was his friend. She needed him as dearly as he needed her. They fit together.

  Only she’d said she didn’t want to see him again. Never! He was no longer a part of her life.

  Noah remembered all the times she’d been afraid and down. He’d always been the one who pulled her up and made her laugh.

  He wasn’t drunk enough to see the answer, but he was sober enough to know he had to try. He had to go back and convince her that this was something they could handle together. If she wanted the baby, she’d have to take him too. In the years they’d been friends and lovers, there had never been a problem they couldn’t work out.

  Noah started to his pickup and realized he couldn’t drive. His big sister, Alex Matheson, was the sheriff, and if she caught him one point over the limit she’d lecture him all the way to jail.

  A guy he used to know from high school walked out and waved at him.

  “Where you headed?” Noah asked, guessing where he’d be going tonight.

  “Thought I’d go back to the tournament. It shouldn’t be long until the last round will be played, and I want to see who made the final table.”

  “Mind if I ride along with you?”

  “No, come on. I’ve still got two beer tickets to use.”

  Ten minutes later Noah was in the crowd. He didn’t care anything about the few tables still playing the second round of cards. All he wanted to do was find Reagan and reason with her.

  It took a while, but finally he saw her standing near the stage listening to Beau Yates play. The sadness in the way she held herself, her arms folded across her, as if she believed no one would ever hold her, tore at his heart. The knowledge that all this was his fault stabbed at him.

  For a moment, on that night more than ten months ago, he’d known what he was doing was wrong. The woman hadn’t felt right in his arms. She was tall and her hair blond, not curly red like Reagan’s. He should have stopped and ordered her out, but instead he’d closed his eyes and pretended Reagan was with him.

  It hadn’t worked. Even when he was having sex, it didn’t feel right. Reagan wasn’t in his arms. He’d rolled away and fallen asleep, wishing he’d stopped and calling himself a fool for going all the way with a woman he didn’t even know.

  He had to convince Reagan the woman meant nothing. Reagan was his world and it took this to know it.

  “Reagan,” he said from a few feet behind her. “Rea, you got to talk to me.”

  She twirled around and faced him. “No, I don’t. Not here. Not now. Maybe not ever. Go away, Noah.”

  He grabbed her arm. “We’re going to work this out. We have to. It hurts too badly.”

  She jerked out of his grip. “You’re drunk, Noah. Go away.”

  “No. I’m not going away. Not until you talk to me. Not until I make you understand—”

  Before he could clear his head enough to think of what to say to make her stay, huge arms locked around him from behind and lifted him off the ground.

  Noah was kicking and fighting, but the human forklift who had him didn’t loosen his grip. They were moving away from the crowd. Away from Reagan. Away from the one person who made his life worth living.

  “The lady says she doesn’t want to talk to you, cowboy, so maybe you should go away.”

  “Biggs!” Noah stopped fighting. “Put me down, Big. You’re not part of this. This is between Rea and me, no one else.”

  They were still on the edge of the crowd, but Big set him down hard.

  Noah stumbled, trying not to fall. “Stay out of this, Big. This is not your problem. I came to talk to Rea.”

  “You’ve always been my problem, McAllen. I’d have to be a blind man not to see that you’ve hurt Reagan again. And this time if she says she doesn’t want to see you, I plan to make sure you stay away.”

  Noah swung wildly and Big ducked. The huge construction worker shoved Noah hard, sending him flying into a huddle of men who’d decided this show was part of the enterta
inment. A few guys seemed to catch Noah and toss him back toward Big.

  Swinging again, Noah hit his mark on the second try, and Big’s head jerked from the blow.

  “I don’t want to fight you, Noah.” Big swore and shook his head as if clearing away the pain. “I only want you gone. So leave.”

  “Well, I’m fighting you, Big. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s time you stepped out from between me and my girl. You’ve been the third wheel for long enough.”

  “I’ve been her friend,” Big corrected. “And she ain’t your girl anymore. From what I saw she wants no part of you. Whatever you did this time, Preacher, you hurt her bad.”

  Noah didn’t react to the nickname folks used to call him years ago when he rode. “What makes you think I did anything? There’s always two sides. Maybe she’s the one who is being stubborn for not even listening to my side.”

  “You don’t have a side. Not the way I see it.” Big widened his stance. “It’s always your fault, to my way of thinking. So get off her farm and leave her alone.”

  Noah knew Big had a serious girlfriend. He also knew the grown-up thug loved Reagan.

  “I’m not leaving.” He swung again, plowing a fist into Big’s middle. “Maybe you should go.”

  The giant didn’t move. “I’m not fighting you. Wouldn’t want to mess up that pretty face, Preacher. Since you’ve already knocked out all your brains riding, way I see it, all you got left is your looks.”

  A crowd gathered, offering advice about the battle they’d all seen coming for years. Suddenly their argument was drawing more fans than the poker game.

  Noah swung again. “You’re fighting me, because I’m not leaving until you do.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you, Preacher.” Big almost sounded like he was trying to reason while Noah continued to swing.

  “What makes you think you’ll hurt me? I ride thousand-pound bulls for a living.”

  Big ducked again before he answered, “Yeah, and I move mountains for a living. So don’t push me and stop swinging. You’re about as bothersome as a giant horsefly. I don’t want to put a dent in that pretty face, Noah.”

  Cowboys were lining up behind Noah. Men in steel-toed boots were backing up Big. If a brawl started, twenty or more men were ready to jump into the battle, and none seemed interested in why the two men were fighting.

  Suddenly, a huge Dodge Ram, with a rack of bright lights mounted on top, dug its way through the crowd.

  Before Noah could move, his sister, the sheriff, and her husband climbed out, pushing back the crowd. Hank Matheson wasn’t as tall as Big, but his bulk could have taken Big on if need be. Only he ignored Big and turned to Noah.

  “This is stopping right now!” Alex yelled in her official voice. “Noah, get in the truck. Big, back down or I’m taking you both to jail. We’re not having a fight here tonight. Do you both hear me?”

  “Good, put us in the same cell and we’ll settle this.” Noah took a step toward Big, and his brother-in-law shoved him back into place.

  Big didn’t budge an inch. He might as well have been planted in one spot.

  Noah watched his sister scan the crowd. He knew she was dealing with a mob, and once again tonight it was all his fault. If a fight broke out this close to the house, Reagan would have damage to her place. One more thing to blame him for.

  Hank climbed onto the bed of his truck. “Noah, Big, this isn’t happening here. You two are not ruining this night for everyone else.”

  “We’re fighting this out tonight, Hank. Here or in jail, I plan on teaching this idiot to stop butting into my life.” Noah was still yelling, but an ounce of the fight was gone. No matter how old he got, one look from his big sister could always remind him of the fool he was making of himself.

  “Not here.” Hank’s words were almost calm.

  “Then where?” Big demanded.

  “Up past the orchard is a pass-over to my land. You can trade blows out there but not on Truman land.”

  Everyone started moving toward the trees except Noah.

  His sister stood in front of him, blocking any way out. “Don’t do this, Noah. Whatever this is about, don’t fight Big.”

  “I have to,” Noah said as he stepped around her and headed toward the trees. “You’ll have to arrest me to stop me.”

  He saw her glance at her husband.

  Noah heard Hank’s words as he headed up the trail to the orchard. “It’ll be a fair fight on plowed ground. That’s all I can promise. You can’t stop this, Alex. It’s been a long time coming.”

  Noah didn’t know if his sister replied. She’d been protecting him since their big brother, Warren, was killed eleven years ago, but she couldn’t protect him from the hurting now. Nothing Big could do to him would be nearly as painful as the last look Reagan had given him.

  The fight was nothing. Noah wanted it. He needed it. Maybe it would beat some sense into him.

  Hank made the men who came to watch stay at the fence line between the Truman and Matheson properties. Noah and Big walked twenty feet out into a field bumpy with dirt clods.

  “Anyone want to tell me what this trouble is about?” Hank asked as he stood between them.

  “No,” both said at once.

  Noah wanted Biggs mad. If the big guy was going to hit him, he welcomed the blows. Hell, he deserved them. “I’m going to teach a lesson to this brain-dead fool who thinks he can come between Rea and me.”

  Big puffed up just like Noah knew he would. “I’m tired of listening to you, cowboy. You think you’re hot stuff just because you can stay on a bull for eight seconds, but you can’t even stay home long enough to make someone who loves you happy.”

  “That’s right, Big, she loves me. Not you, me.”

  “I’ve had enough. This ain’t going to be much of a fight, but it’s about time I knocked some sense into you. You’re fixing to get religion real fast, Preacher, and the blood you’re going to be washed in is gonna be your own.”

  Noah rushed forward swinging.

  Biggs took a blow to the nose and another to the middle before he shoved Noah off him.

  Landing in the dirt, Noah jumped up and ran at Big again.

  Blood flew from Big’s nose as he dodged.

  Noah caught him on the chin and Big fell backward.

  Finally, Big threw a punch hard and fast. His massive fist landed one hit against Noah’s chin, ending the fight and knocking Noah out cold.

  Chapter 28

  TRUMAN FARM

  AS THE MUSIC THAT FLOWED AROUND THE ORCHARD AT the Truman farm ended, Dusti Delaney tried to smile, but Kieran’s gray eyes looked as tired as she felt. The red in his hair was almost brown in the lantern light and she thought he looked like exactly what he was, an adventurer. He’d come back to Harmony to play cards yet he’d taken her on the adventure with him. She knew then that it wasn’t the prize but the journey that mattered to him.

  Nervous that she’d discovered such a truth about him, she studied the orchard, the barn, anywhere but his eyes. “Where did everyone go?” she asked, more for something to say than out of interest.

  Kieran shrugged. “Some went over to the Matheson land to see a fight between two drunks, I think. Most went home. The last round doesn’t start until eleven. When you’re not playing, the fun of watching doesn’t last long.”

  He took her hand. “We’ve got thirty minutes to relax. The last game is set up in the barn, where the light will be a little more dependable.”

  “I’ll be playing you.” Dusti closed her fingers around his.

  “That’s right, and I’ll know if you’re not playing your best, so let’s rest while we can. You need to relax, but don’t let the game go yet. You’ve got one more challenge.”

  He was still helping her, teaching her. Or, at least she thought he was. For all she knew, he might be playin
g her now. Kieran O’Toole wasn’t an easy man to read.

  They walked to where the grass grew tall near the orchard. He sat back, leaning against a tree, and she spread out beside him. Neither touched. It wouldn’t be fair. Not now. They didn’t need distractions.

  “What can we talk about?” she asked, knowing it couldn’t be the game.

  “I don’t know. How about the pictures you took?”

  She told him about all the moments she’d captured. She’d gotten some really good shots, and the old darkroom back at the farm was still waiting for her. Dusti knew it would take her most of the night, but she’d develop the film before dawn.

  He talked a little about how his dad had taken pictures everywhere he went for as long as he could remember. Every time they moved, the “boxes of memories” had to come with them.

  “I’ve tried, but I didn’t inherit his talent. I carry the camera, but I rarely remember to snap a picture.” Kieran laughed to himself. “Most of the memories I’d pack along in a box if I could would be of here. When I’m in Paris or Rome I often think of Harmony. There’s a peace here. Austin and I talked about it once when we had dinner in New York. We think the people who live here don’t even see it. They don’t know what they have.”

  “Dust storms, grass fires, and wild pigs,” Dusti reminded him.

  “Oh course, lass, but Harmony also has the prettiest girls in the world, and clear air, and long sunsets, and . . .”

  “I get your point. Maybe I should spend a few days capturing all this beauty you see. I could probably get the chickens to pose for a few shots.”

  “I’d like that,” he said as he closed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest.

  Dusti watched him for a while. He was relaxed here. Even waiting for the biggest game in the county to begin, he was relaxed. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was the same in all those big cities he passed through.

  Finally, when someone blinked the yard lights, he moved. When he opened his eyes, she saw no sign that he’d been sleeping. “Win or lose,” he whispered, “will you send me the pictures? I’d like to cover a wall of my apartment with them. Then when I come home, I’ll be feeling like I’m coming back to Harmony.”