“Better tell him today,” Dusty said before he saw Walker leap over the barrier and approach them in a few swift strides. “I don’t believe it!” he cried.
By now Dex had seen him and broke into a broad smile. “Hey, bro.” The twins dismounted and met him halfway while a couple of hands chased the steer out and took care of their horses. “What in the heck? We didn’t expect to see you down here until after we got home from Redding!”
He sucked in his breath, still feeling the aftereffects of Paula Olsen. “Didn’t Jesse tell you I’m flying down with you? In the meantime I’ve decided to start practicing for the Cody Roundup on the Fourth of July and thought I’d pick out the right dogie this morning.”
They looked at each other, then tossed their hats in the air and let go with an ear-piercing “Woo-eee!” Everyone on the ranch had to have heard it.
Walker couldn’t help but chuckle. Deep inside it touched him that they acted so happy about it. “You won’t be whooping it up when you see what a disaster I’m going to be. People will say twenty-eight’s too old for a bulldogger and boo me out of the arena.”
“Just let ’em try.” Dusty’s fighting words meant something. He didn’t get his wild reputation for nothing.
Dex nodded. “You can practice here or at the new arena every day. We’ll help you whether we’re in or out of town.”
“You still want Boyd Summerhays to be your hazer?” Dusty asked. “You were always his idol. Just say the word and I’ll arrange it today.”
The twins were amazing. His father had spoken the truth when he’d told Walker all the support group he needed was right here in his own family.
“Your confidence in me is very gratifying. I’d love all the help you can give me.”
Dex picked up his hat and brushed it off. “Let’s take a look at the horses right now. I have a seven-year-old in mind that’s fast on the takeoff and will handle your weight.”
“You’re thinking Peaches?” Dusty asked as the three of them left the arena and walked over to the barn. The familiar smell brought back a flood of memories so powerful, Walker was staggered by them.
“Yup. He’s our sturdiest quarter horse.”
“I’ve gained five pounds and am still trying to put on the rest.”
“By the time July rolls around, you’ll be there,” Dex assured him. They walked past several stalls. “Here he is.”
Walker moved inside and smoothed his hand down the animal’s back. He was impressed that the dun-colored gelding didn’t act spooked by a stranger. A calm temperament was everything in the ring.
“Peaches is fifteen hands. Just right for leaning out of the saddle.”
He could see that. “You want to be my new buddy?” he whispered to the horse while he rubbed his soft nose. “It’s been six years for me. I’m going to need your help now that I’m an old man.”
His brothers laughed. “That’ll be the day,” Dex said with genuine affection. “You want Paco to saddle him up for you right now?”
“Thanks, but I’ll do the honors. Peaches and I need to get acquainted if we’re going to do this thing right.”
Dusty studied him for a moment. “Your lucky saddle’s still waiting for you in the tack room in its place of honor.”
Walker’s eyes smarted. Like old times, his brothers followed him on back. As he reached for his bridle and saddle, emotions threatened to swallow him alive. When he’d left the ranch to go into the Marines, he’d thought he was hanging up everything for good, vowing it was the end for him.
But that’s what he got for thinking, because he needed a way to deal with a whole host of problems and had a hunch bulldogging might just be his salvation. Walker carried everything back to the stall. The weight felt familiar in his arms. He inhaled the smell of the leather.
How many times had he saddled up his horses since he was a child? Thousands? Did you ever really take the cowboy out of the boy? He’d thought he could.…
In a few minutes he led Peaches out of the barn by the reins and walked him to the arena. After going on foot several times so the horse would get used to him, he finally levered himself into the saddle. The action was as natural as it was exhilarating. When he’d been in the hospital at the lowest ebb of his life, debating whether he could face going home, he couldn’t have imagined this day.
Peaches seemed to accommodate him without problem. While he put the horse through his paces, an audience had gathered without his knowledge. When they broke into spontaneous applause, he lifted his head to see what was going on and noticed his brothers with a half-dozen hands cheering him.
He galloped over to them. “You guys know how to make an old vet feel like he’s not completely washed up.”
“You look good up there, Walker,” Big Ben shouted with a smile on his face.
The second in command at the ranch had been there a good twenty years. “Welcome back.”
“Amen,” the twins echoed. Their blue eyes looked suspiciously bright.
The experience was a humbling one. “Thanks, everybody. It’s good to be home.” Like the Grinch at Christmas, he could feel his heart growing. He sent Dusty a glance. “If you want to ask Boyd to meet me here before we fly out, I’d like to talk to him.”
“You’ve got it.”
“When you went in the Marines, he worked with other partners, but it was never the same for him. Wait till he hears from Dusty. He’ll think he’s won the lottery again!” Dex blurted.
Auburn-haired Boyd, three years younger, had been his hazer when he’d won the world championship. He’d worked with him right up to the night Walker knew he had to get away from his father or lose it.
“We’ll see.” Walker eyed his brothers. “I’ve interrupted your practice time long enough. Remember you’re competing tonight so don’t break any legs out here this morning,” he teased before heading to the barn. After removing the bridle and saddle, he watered Peaches and curried him.
The twins knew their horseflesh. “You’re going to do fine.” He gave the quarter horse a friendly pat and some oats before leaving. After lunch he’d load Peaches in one of the horse trailers and drive to the rangeland beyond the wells. They’d get better acquainted while they rode around the property. He did his best thinking on the back of a horse.
There was just one problem. All roads seemed to lead to Paula Olsen. What in the hell was he going to do about her?
Chapter Six
May 16
Sunday afternoon, Paula’s cell rang while she was helping Clay to feed himself spaghetti. More got on the floor and the tray of his high chair than went in his stomach.
She wiped her hands with a paper towel before answering her phone. Anyone else could be calling, but not Walker. After Thursday she knew she wouldn’t be seeing him unless it was because of another accidental meeting. Since the dog parade they’d been the proverbial ships passing in the night, both bound for different destinations—their courses set.
But she hadn’t counted on her life seeming bleak in a brand-new way.
Since Brent’s death she’d been functioning well enough because Clay gave her a reason to get up in the morning. He was her whole life now. Yet thoughts of Walker kept intruding, disturbing her equilibrium. It made no sense.
“Hello?”
“Paula?”
“Hi, Kip!”
“Are you still in Garland with your in-laws?”
“No. I came home last night.”
“That’s good. Have you heard the news?” he asked in a serious tone.
“What news? What are you talking about?”
He made a sound in his throat. “You need to check out the video posted on Rodeo Pro.”
She got a suffocating feeling in her chest and gripped her phone tighter. “Why?”
“Walker Cody’s sister got hurt barrel racing last night.”
Paula lurched in her chair, thankful it wasn’t Walker, but was worried sick for his sister and their family. “How serious was it?”
&nb
sp; “I don’t know. There’s nothing on the regular news. I thought maybe you would know since you’ve been seeing Walker.”
“I haven’t been seeing him the way you mean, Kip.”
“Sorry if I touched a nerve.” Her eyes closed for a moment because she knew she was being supersensitive about Walker. “Are you by your computer?”
“No. I’m feeding Clay his lunch, but I’ll go in the other room.”
She rolled his high chair to the doorway between the kitchen and dining room so she could keep an eye on him. After sitting down, she put on the speakerphone, then typed in the Web address. Up popped the page with the video.
“Have you found it yet?”
“Yes. I’m starting it now.”
“Get ready for this, folks. Elly Cody from Markton, Wyoming, her dad, J.W., and brothers, all of them here, even the legendary Walker Cody, back from the Marines after being gone the last few years. Every one of them is a champion in every arena they’ve ever nodded their head in.
“Elly has started hot and needs to keep going now around the third barrel. That’s the fastest time of the barrel racers. Woo-eee! Her star just keeps ris— Uh-oh. Something’s gone wrong. She’s off her horse. She—”
The video ended too soon.
Paula groaned. “The poor thing. I’m going to call the ranch and see if I can reach Anne.” She had no idea where Walker might be and didn’t have his cell-phone number.
“Let me know what you find out.”
“I will. Thanks for telling me, Kip.”
“Sure.”
She looked up the Codys’ number from the client list she kept on her cell phone and punched in the numbers.
On the second ring, someone picked up. “John Walker Cody residence.”
Paula recognized the housekeeper’s voice. “Hello, Barbara? This is Paula Olsen.”
“How are you, Mrs. Olsen?”
“I’m well, but I’m concerned about Elly Cody. I heard she’d been hurt at the rodeo in Redding. Is she all right?”
“Just a minute. I’ll put one of her brothers on. Everyone’s here.”
Perspiration beaded her forehead before Walker’s deep voice came over the line. “Paula?”
It was hard to swallow. “Walker? My brother just phoned me and told me about the accident. I saw it on a video.” Her voice shook. “Is Elly—”
“She’s fine,” he broke in. “At first they thought she might have a spine injury, so they took her out on a board with a neck brace. But it turned out she was only stunned. There’s nothing broken. Only a scratch on her elbow. She’s here at the house taking it easy. More than anything she’s just shaken up.”
“I’m thankful for that.”
“Me, too.”
“What went wrong?”
“For some reason the horse she was riding got disoriented by the light and ran into a half-closed gate, knocking her out of the saddle. But she’s tough and plans to compete next weekend in Hugo, Oklahoma, on her favorite horse.”
She bowed her head. “I’m so relieved.”
“We all are.”
“I’ve never met her, but your parents have talked about her. Please give her my best wishes.”
“I will.” There was a distinct pause. “After her accident I decided I want my lucky charm back. How about I treat you to a picnic tomorrow in exchange for it? For part of the day anyway. That is if you can arrange some time off from work.”
A picnic? While all the warning bells were going off in her head she said, “That sounds like a fair trade. Can we do it earlier rather than later in the day?”
“I’ll be by at nine for you and Clay.”
A FEW HOUSEKEEPING DUTIES and Walker was ready for his guests. On the way to Paula’s apartment he stopped for more groceries and filled up the truck’s gas tank.
At five to nine he pulled in front of the fourplex and got out.
“Hi!” Paula called to him from the railing outside her apartment. She carried Clay in her arms. “I’m almost ready.”
“There’s no hurry.” Her compassion had prompted her to phone the house yesterday asking about Elly. In so doing she’d stepped over an imaginary line into his territory.
Though his instincts had warned him against any more contact with a woman still in love with her dead husband, he’d seized the moment anyway. Maybe a full dose of Brent Olsen being with them today would provide the wake-up call Walker needed to stay away for good.
“While I gather up the rest of the things, would you mind getting in my Toyota and removing the car seat? You’ll have to take out the base, too.” She used the remote on her keys to open the doors.
Walker nodded and glanced at the car seat. If he could wire munitions to blow up buildings and bridges, he ought to be able to handle a little kid’s car seat, but this was going to be a first.
He had little problem extricating the car seat, but fitting the base into the backseat of his truck proved to be a challenge. After four tries, he figured it out. Just in time, too.
“Look, Clay. We’re going to go for a ride in this great big truck. You love trucks.”
Walker turned around in time to stare into eyes the color of blue pansies. In white cargo pants and a flowered top of apricot-and-white, she looked like a delicious summer treat. He tore his eyes from hers to look at Clay, who was busy playing with a toy car.
His eyes were a couple of shades lighter than his mother’s. He was a good-looking mixture of both parents. She’d dressed him in denim shorts and a shirt with a cowboy logo. On his feet were the tiniest cowboy boots he’d ever seen. The sight made him chuckle. “I didn’t know they came this small.”
Her gentle laugh appealed to him. “My parents bought them. Dad can’t wait until Clay can tromp around the ranch with him.”
Unable to resist, Walker played with one of the toes to get Clay’s attention. He swung his blond head around. When he saw who it was, he dropped the toy to reach for him.
“Hey, sport.” He pulled him into his arms to hug him for a moment. Clay’s eagerness to be with him caught him by surprise and warmed his heart. After he’d strapped him in the car seat, he told Paula he’d bring down the things she needed.
“If you’ll carry the fold-up playpen and swing, I’ll get everything else. I know it’s a lot of paraphernalia, but it’ll be a blessing, believe me.”
Laughing, he took the stairs two at a time and brought down the items in question. She moved past him to get the bags and lock the door. Soon they had everything stowed in the back and could take off.
In the quiet that followed, she looked over her shoulder at Clay. “This is a whole new experience for you, isn’t it, sweetheart?”
“Is he always this good?”
“Generally speaking, yes, but you probably wouldn’t believe it after the past two times we’ve been together. His is a sweet nature. In many ways he’s like Brent.” Bingo.
There was nothing sweet about Walker. He grimaced. “Paula, there’s something I need to tell you. In fact I should have brought it up before we left the apartment.”
“What is it?”
“Sometimes I get flashbacks. If I’m around people when it happens, it’s hard for me and I might act strange. It can be frightening because it comes out of the blue.”
“You mean like the one you had that day at the dog parade?”
Her perception astonished him. “Yes.”
“I didn’t know it until just this minute. Now it makes sense that you thrust Clay in my arms and fled without a backward glance.”
“I was afraid he would get injured if I didn’t act immediately. Unfortunately the situation transported me back to Iraq. For a few minutes I got disoriented, just like the horse Elly was riding.”
“No one would have known it. What you did was a brave act.” Her voice throbbed. She glanced at him. “Do you get them often?”
“I had three in the hospital.”
“Hospital? How badly were you injured?”
“I too
k a hit to my hip and the right side of my chest from an exploding IED. I was at Bethesda Naval Hospital for two months getting patched up. Since I’ve been back at the ranch, I’ve had two episodes—the one at the dog parade, and one the other night during the thunderstorm. But there’ll be more. If you’d rather not be with me, I’ll understand and take you home.”
“I’m not frightened, Walker. Brent wouldn’t talk to me about the war and what it did to him. With you, I feel like I’m finally getting a glimpse into what it means to be a soldier. He kept trying to shield me, but the more he refused to share it with me, the more I felt shut out.
“If you want to know the truth, there were times I was so angry after I’d gotten an e-mail from him that didn’t tell me anything, I thought I’d explode. Because of it, I’m afraid some of my e-mails back didn’t give him the comfort he needed.”
She buried her face in her hands. “I’ve suffered a lot of guilt for not being the kind of wife he needed. Isn’t that awful? When he died, it was too late to apologize to him.”
He heard her grief and looked over at her. “If I’d left a wife and child like you and Cody at home, I probably wouldn’t have shared that much with you, either.”
Paula lifted her head, blinking back the tears. “I would rather have known the truth than be left thinking up horror stories that still percolate in my imagination.”
“I’m afraid when Sherman said ‘War is hell,’ he didn’t realize he was speaking for the spouses at home, too.”
“If that’s supposed to make me feel better, it doesn’t.” But she said it with a wry smile.
“Now that we have that settled, I’m surprised you haven’t told me to turn the truck around.”
“Only if you want to.”
No. He didn’t want to. He wanted her company. She was no fragile creature. He liked that. Not everyone possessed her gut-deep honesty, a trait that appealed to him more than a little bit.
Walker: The Rodeo Legend Page 9