Roping Her Christmas Cowboy

by Rebecca Winters

  He walked in from the other end of the trailer wearing a blue-and-white-plaid shirt. His sensational physique made him look good in anything. “Mmm. All it takes around here is a woman’s touch. Christmas and Chinese. It smells delicious.”

  “I hope you’re hungry. I bought a little bit of everything.”

  “Just the way I like it. How lucky am I to be waited on by a woman like you.”

  She darted him a sideway glance while she fixed their plates. “What do you mean?” Her curiosity was getting the best of her.

  He fixed coffee for them. “Exactly what I said. There’s not another woman like you on the planet. I’m not just talking about your gorgeous looks. Let’s face it. No woman compares to you.”

  Heat swarmed her cheeks. “Toly—”

  “It’s true. But I’m also talking about what you’re like on the inside. I’ve seen how kind you are to the foreman on your ranch, to everyone while you’ve been on the circuit. The crew thinks you walk on water. I’ve also witnessed the deep love you have for your brother.”

  Nikki put their plates on the table and sat down with him. “Brothers are pretty special. You would know all about that.” They started eating.

  He nodded. “That’s why we need to talk about Mills. You’re the only person who can advise me what to do.”

  “If you’re talking about his being so r—”

  “I’m not.” He cut her off gently before she could finish. “This has to do with something much more serious.”

  “I knew it,” she whispered.

  “What do you think you know?”

  “I’m guessing you’ve found out why Denise broke up with him.”

  “No, Nikki. I’m afraid I’m as in the dark about that as the two of you.”

  She stopped eating. “Now you’re making me nervous.”

  “I don’t mean to do that. Just hear me out.”

  A minute ago he’d said intimate things to her that any woman in love would want to hear from the man she adored. Yet Nikki had the awful premonition he was about to tell her something that was going to turn her world upside down. She wanted to run out of there, but the pained look in his eyes held her spellbound.

  “I’m listening.”

  * * *

  TOLY HATED WHAT he had to tell Nikki, but she deserved to know the whole truth. He especially hated it that he had to say anything when she had an event tonight and needed all her powers of concentration.

  “A month before Denise broke off with Mills, I had an incident while I was training that I didn’t tell him or anyone about. Instead I went to our family doctor who referred me to a neurologist in Missoula.”

  Nikki’s gray eyes darkened with what he knew was fear.

  “To make a long story short, I have a neuropathy in my lower right arm and hand. It’s a nerve that is affected by the tissue around it and causes temporary paralysis. The doctor said that all the years of roping must have aggravated it and that it could come on at any time.”

  “I just can’t believe this would happen to you.”

  “No one is exempt from the unexpected. Twice during practice in the last two months my hand and lower arm went slack so I couldn’t grip the dally. But Mills didn’t pick up on it.

  “My fear of upsetting your brother was so great, I decided to say nothing and hoped we could get through Finals before it happened again. To my horror, when I was in the block last night testing the rope, my hand and arm went slack. My worst nightmare had happened. It came on so fast I was stunned.”

  “So that’s why you struggled!” Nikki cried. “Oh, Toly—how awful for you.” She shook her head.

  “But not just for me. For Mills too. If he weren’t such an expert heeler, he couldn’t have pulled off snagging at least one of the steer’s hind legs. Now I have a serious dilemma. After seeing the doctor in the beginning, I could have told your brother everything, but I didn’t because I didn’t want us to drop out.”

  “Of course you didn’t!”

  “We were both going for the championship and the last thing I wanted was to tell him the bad news. He’s worked so hard and has been living for this. But I have to be honest. Last night was a moment I’ll never forget. I had to call for the steer and see it through, not knowing the outcome. You saw what happened. I had to use all the force of my shoulder and upper arm to throw the rope.”

  “Then it’s a miracle you caught the steer around the horn.”

  “I agree, and another miracle that Mills was able to rope one of its hind legs to win us a third place and give us a fighting chance.”

  “How soon did you tell him what happened?”

  He stared at her for a few seconds. “I haven’t told him anything.”

  Her eyes searched his. “What does he think went wrong?”

  “That I just made a bad toss and hurt my shoulder.”

  “You did hurt it. How does it feel today?”

  “It’s all right.”

  Nikki moaned. “No, it’s not.” She got up from the table and paced for a minute. “Tell me more about your condition. Can it be fixed?”

  “Possibly with surgery, but there’s no real guarantee.” He didn’t want to talk about the disease. Not until the rodeo was over.

  She grabbed on to the counter. “So that’s why you said that once Finals were over, you were giving up the rodeo for good.”

  “Yes. Otherwise Mills and I could go on the circuit again next season. But as you’ve gathered, my rodeo days are over. Of course he can team up with another roper going for the championship and enjoy several more years doing it.”

  “Oh. Toly—” Tears had filled her eyes. “I’m so, so sorry for you.”

  “Don’t be, Nikki. I’ve had a run most guys only dream of doing. It’s your brother I’m concerned about now and that’s where you come in.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “For one thing, he feels that my mistake last night was partially his fault because he’s been uncommunicative lately. He’s afraid it threw me off. You have no idea how guilty that makes me feel because it’s not the truth. I told him he was wrong in his supposition and hoped he believed me, but I’m not sure he did.

  “That’s why I think I should tell him about my condition when he comes back to the rig. He deserves to know the truth. But if he doesn’t have faith in me at this point, then we’ll be forced to meet with the officials and withdraw before tonight’s event.”

  Her face lost a little color. “To know what’s wrong with you and withdraw now would kill him.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” Toly got up from the table and walked over to her, putting his hands on her upper arms. He rubbed them gently. “You’re his sister. I’m aware how much you two love each other, so I’m begging you to tell me what I should do.”

  She put a hand on his chest. “Are these episodes coming more often?”

  “Last night was my third one in the last ten weeks.”

  He heard her take a quick breath. “Are you in pain after one of them?”

  Toly loved her so terribly, he couldn’t help giving her a brief kiss. “No. It’s very strange. Once it’s over, you’d never know it had happened or could happen again. There’s no warning. Nothing.”

  “So it’s possible you’ll be free of them for the rest of the rodeo?”

  “Yes. That’s what I was banking on while we drove down here from Great Falls in the rig. But he has the right to know that if we go in the arena again tonight, the same thing could happen to me. We might not be so lucky and could end up in last place. That would dash our chances to win the championship.”

  She closed her eyes in obvious pain.

  “Out of desperation, I went out this morning to practice on the dummy using my left arm and hand. The trick is to wrap the dally fast
enough, but it’s incredibly hard when I haven’t done it that way before. Though my left-hand grip is strong, I’ve never used my left arm for team roping.”

  “But you could do it?” He heard hope in her question.

  “Yes. I can try. You must understand it’s very iffy. I’d have to race out of the box and hope my effort is good enough to come in with a decent score. So... I have a choice to make.”

  Nikki’s groan revealed her torment.

  “Either I tell Mills the truth now and see if he’d rather withdraw or try to beat the odds of another episode coming on during competition. The alternative would be to tell him nothing and I’ll bungle through the next seven nights using my left arm, hoping he won’t notice.”

  “He’ll eventually find out, don’t you think?”

  “I don’t know. While he’s in the arena, he’ll be living in the moment so completely that by the time we meet up at the stalls after the event, he won’t realize what I did if I get another episode. But if he does notice, then I’ll have to come clean. The point is, I can’t change midstream. Once I’m in the box, I have to be set. Help me, Nikki,” he begged.

  Before she could make a sound, her cell phone rang. Nikki pulled it out of her pocket. Toly let go of her and stepped away. She looked up at him. “It’s Mills. His timing couldn’t be worse. When you weren’t here earlier, I went to the barn to find you, but you were out on Snapper. So I called him and left a message for him to get back to me with your phone number.”

  Toly leaned against the counter. “He’s going to want to know why you were asking him for it.”

  “I’ll tell him I brought Chinese food for all of us and couldn’t find either one of you.”

  “That sounds reasonable.”

  She phoned Mills and put him on speakerphone.

  “Nikki? What’s going on? Why do you want to speak to Toly?”

  “I brought food for all of us and I’m afraid it’ll go to waste.”

  “He’s out exercising Snapper and will be back before long. I’m on way to the RV park right now. See you in a minute.”

  Toly heard the click and she hung up. “He still didn’t give you my number.”

  “No. I’d better unlock the door.” She dashed off and came back. “When he walks in, I’ll tell him you returned and asked me to bring the food here while you iced your shoulder.”

  “That explanation ought to work. But before he gets here, I need to know what you want me to tell him.”

  Nikki grabbed the chair and unconsciously threw her head back, sending her glossy black hair sprawling across her shoulders. “We need the proverbial wisdom of Solomon, you know?”

  Everything she said and did enamored him more. “That’s why I’ve put this on you, because I trust you with my life. So does your brother.”

  Her eyes took on a haunted cast. “You give me far too much credit.”

  “What pains me most is that you have to carry this burden while you’re facing another event tonight. It isn’t fair while you’re on your way to winning the national barrel racing championship.”

  He could hear her mind working. “You’re honestly willing to try using your left arm?”

  “That’s why I’ve spent all day practicing instead of taking you out to the desert for a ride.”

  She straightened. “Then we can’t let your sacrifice go to waste.”

  He let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Thank God you said that.”

  Toly would have reached for her, but they heard the car pull up. He sat back down at the table and ate one of the jumbo fried shrimps just as Mills walked in the kitchen.

  Nikki flicked him a glance. “Come and sit. Toly got here a minute ago and was starving. I bet you are too. Let me serve you.” She put a plate in front of him and served everyone coffee.

  “Thanks. I love char siu.”

  “I know.” He seemed to be in a better mood. She didn’t know the reason why, but she was grateful for the slightest improvement.

  “How’s the shoulder, Toly?”

  “Not bad at all.”

  “That’s good. I’ve been going over the numbers. Last night’s third place didn’t ruin our standings. Most of the ropings will pay out over two hundred thousand dollars to the team roping winner. Along with your winnings, Nikki, we could really get going on our future ideas for the rodeo.”

  The shine in Mills’s eyes told Toly the right decision had been made to risk everything and stay with the rodeo. His gaze fused with Nikki’s. They communed in silence while he promised to do everything in his power to make them come out on top.

  Mills finished off the rest of the food, then got to his feet. “I’m going to the rig to change clothes for tonight. Thanks for dinner. See you out at the car in a few minutes.”

  Toly was surprised he’d left the two of them alone. “While I’m thinking about it, we should have exchanged phone numbers months ago. Let’s do it now.” She immediately pulled out her phone and they shared numbers to program. He’d wanted to do that forever.

  When they’d finished, she started clearing the table while he got up and filled the dishwasher. “Why didn’t you just ask me for my number?”

  He eyed her directly. “The truth?”

  “What do you think?”

  “Because once your brother and I decided to hook up, he let me know right away you were off-limits, so I didn’t dare go against his wishes.”

  A delicate frown broke out on her face. “He actually told you that?”

  Toly nodded. “But not in those exact words. I figured he was being so protective of you because you’d lost your parents and he was watching out for you. He also told me you were going through a very bad time after breaking up with the man you almost married.”

  “I can’t believe he told you all that. It’s embarrassing.”

  “He loves you. I got the hint and did my best to honor his wishes. After all, he and I had a mission to get to Finals and I didn’t want to upset him by chasing after his beautiful sister. Don’t you know you’ve left a trail of male bodies behind that you could line up around the arena at least a dozen times?”

  “That’s not true!” She really wasn’t aware of her effect on a man.

  He laughed. “You’d have to live in my world. I can name a couple of dozen guys who’d like to get to know you and have personally asked for my help because you’re Mills’s sister. Little do they know they’d have to get past me.”

  He loved the way she blushed. “You wanted to get to know me?”

  “Do you really have to ask me that question? The minute we were introduced, I felt like I was in free fall.”

  “I don’t believe it.” But he saw a small smile break the corners of her mouth.

  “Lady?” he whispered, afraid Mills might suddenly come back in. “You have no idea of what I’ve been through trying to get close to you without breaking your brother’s set of commandments. Did you never wonder why we trained so much on your ranch?”

  “That was your idea?”

  “Yes.”

  “Toly—I wish I’d known.”

  “Well, you know it now. My mom hasn’t been happy about it, I can tell you. She’s complained for the last year that she’s hardly seen me. It’s your fault.”

  Nikki put away the leftovers while Toly finished filling the dishwasher. There was little to do, which was good. “Why don’t we gather our things and go out to the car to wait for him. I want to discuss something with you.”

  Nikki nodded. Before long they were ready to leave, grabbing their gloves and Stetsons. She unplugged the Christmas tree lights and they hurried out to the car. He helped her in the front passenger side before climbing in the backseat. She turned around to look at him. “What’s on your mind?”

  “I’ve been thinkin
g about last night. On a good night it only takes three seconds or less to throw the rope and set up the steer for Mills. If I get in the box while I’m waiting and don’t feel that change in my arm and hand before the gate opens, maybe I should go for it with my right arm.”

  He waited to hear what she would say.

  “That’s a judgment call only you can make. I believe in you, Toly, and I’ll be praying for you.” The moment her touching sentiments permeated his being, the other door opened and Mills climbed behind the wheel.

  On the way to the center, Toly pondered her words. They reminded him of a seminal moment in his past. He’d been in high school at the time. One weekend after going to the rodeo in Missoula with his dad and brothers, he told them he was going to be a national rodeo champion one day. His father, a former rodeo celebrity, had smiled into his eyes and said those exact words to him.

  To think that ten years later, Toly and Mills were on the cusp of fulfilling that dream. This opportunity would never come for him again.

  I have to make it happen for both of us, no matter what.

  He looked at Nikki. What would he do if she weren’t here believing in him? She’d become his whole world.

  Chapter Eight

  As soon as they reached the center, the guys took off, leaving Nikki to make her way through the stands to the front where she could watch the team roping event. The place was filled to overflowing every night. As usual the atmosphere of the crowd was electric.

  But Nikki felt distanced from everything because she was dying for Toly. Tonight he would have to make a split-second decision once he was in the box. His event would be coming up soon. The pressure on him had to be unimaginable because whatever he did would affect Mills too.

  The roar from the steer wrestling event was pretty deafening. But when it came time for the team roping—clearly the fan favorite—everyone was on their feet and the noise was earsplitting.

  As the fifteen teams came roaring out of the gates two at a time, she started counting down. Toly’s would be third to last. The scores were all over the place from 4.0 to 4.8, but there was only one set she cared about.