“Toly Clayton and Mills Dobson are up next. We’ll see if our top winners coming into Finals can top last night’s third-place score.”
Nikki could hardly breathe as the steer charged out of the chute. She could see Toly with the rope. It was in his right hand. He’d made his decision. “Please, please be all right, Toly.”
He shot out of the gate and roped the two horns almost instantly in his ocean wave loop. Mills followed with a superb throw that tied up both hind legs. Their speed and precision caused the audience to thunder their approval and give them a standing ovation. Their time: 3.7 and 3.8. Nikki thought she was going to burst for joy. She heard the announcer say, “No one’s going to beat those scores tonight.”
No they wouldn’t!
As the next team was announced, Nikki hurried through the crowd to the stalls in the back so she could get ready for her event.
Santos wore a huge smile when he saw her coming. “It’s a great night, Nikki.”
“I’ll say it is.” He’d been there to get Sassy bridled and saddled. She gave him a hug, but was embarrassed because tears were streaming down her cheeks.
She hugged her horse around the neck. “He did it. He did it,” she sobbed.
“Are you all right?”
She turned at Santos’s voice and laughed, brushing the moisture from her face. “I’m just so happy.”
“We all are. Now let’s see you pull another score that will make you even more famous than you already are.”
“Keep that bull coming, Santos. I love it.” She mounted her horse, hardly knowing what she was doing. “Come on, Sassy girl. Let’s get out there. I want to wow Toly. What do you say?”
Sassy neighed.
Nikki laughed in delight. “Nobody believes you understand me, but I know differently. Tonight is really important.”
She passed her competitors and took her place at the end of the line. One by one the girls exploded down the alley. Nikki watched the screen. Several finalists missed their barrels and one took a nasty fall. Sobered by what she’d seen, she drew on her powers of concentration the way Toly had done earlier tonight.
Soon it was her turn. She rode low over Sassy the way she did in practice on the ranch. “Let’s do it again,” she urged her horse. They sailed around the barrels, cutting them close with no penalties. Then she rode her horse home, praising her all the way. Her time flashed on the scoreboard: 13.39!
“We did it!” she cried to Sassy.
The crowd went ballistic and she heard the announcer say she’d set a record tonight. When she rode to the stall, the guys and crew were there to greet her, but she only had eyes for Toly. His eyes gleamed like gemstones.
She wanted to fall right into his arms, but it was her brother who helped her off her horse and gave her a long hug. “You broke a record, Nikki. Tonight we’re going to celebrate the night away.”
Nikki hadn’t seen Mills in such high spirits since before Denise broke up with him. But all her thoughts were on Toly, who’d fought through his dilemma and his brave gamble had earned them another first-place win. She wanted to show him how she felt, but it would have to wait until they were alone.
They walked out to the car and left the parking area. But her spirits plunged when Toly asked Mills to drive him back to the RV park first. “My arm and shoulder need ice. Do you mind bringing my gold buckle back to the rig after you and Nikki have picked them up? I’d love to be there and honor you two for your brilliant performances, but I need some painkillers.”
“That’s our number one priority, isn’t it, Nikki?”
“Absolutely.”
Mills kept talking. “We’ve got to get you in the same shape you were in tonight. Everything came together like magic for all of us.”
“It was magic.” Toly’s comment made her shiver.
“We can do it again, right, Nikki?” Her brother was in high form. She could only hope they had another night like tonight.
But for the moment she wished the situation were different and Toly wanted her with him. Mills could have brought back their buckles while she stayed at the rig with Toly so she could help take care of him. But she didn’t have that right. Maybe he preferred to be alone.
Too soon they reached the RV park. Mills pulled up to Toly’s rig. After he got out, his glance included both of them. “Go enjoy yourselves and have fun. A night like this is to be treasured. See you guys tomorrow.”
“Take care of yourself, bud.”
The door closed and they drove back to town. But for Nikki the rest of the night was a blur and she couldn’t wait to get back to her hotel where she could give in to her emotions.
She put her buckle on the dresser with the other buckles. Naturally, part of her was ecstatic about the great scores the three of them had received tonight. But the major part of her needed to give in to the tears she’d been holding back since Toly had told her about his neuropathy.
Before she got ready for bed, she looked up his condition on her laptop, wanting to know all about it. While she was doing some research, her cell phone rang. At eleven at night it could only be her brother, or maybe one of the crew if an emergency had developed. She reached for it and checked the caller ID. The name she saw shocked her to the core.
Denise!
Nikki couldn’t believe it and clicked on. “Is it really you?”
“Yes,” she said in a halting voice. “I’m surprised you even picked up when you could see I was calling. Y-you have every right to hate me.” The stammer told Nikki a lot.
“I could never do that. You’ve been one of my closest friends.”
“Until I ruined everything.”
“Whatever you did, I have to believe it was for a very important reason. I’m just surprised you’ve chosen now to get in touch with me.”
“I couldn’t put off phoning you any longer. To be truthful, I flew into Las Vegas on the eighth and have been staying at the Mirage Hotel so I could be at the arena every night.”
A gasp escaped Nikki’s lips. “You’ve been here the whole time?”
“Yes, and I’ve watched all the events from a front row seat at the center. Tonight your performance was so spectacular, I wanted to shout to everyone that you were my friend. Honestly, Nikki, I’ve never been so proud of anyone as I was of you tonight. I caught it all on my phone.
“When I got back to my hotel, I knew I wouldn’t be able to go to sleep until I talked to you and let you know how much I’ve missed you.”
Nikki’s eyes stung from her tears. A lump had lodged in her throat. Denise hadn’t mentioned Mills, but right now she didn’t care. It was enough to hear her friend’s voice again. “I’ve missed you too. You’ll never know how much I’ve needed you to confide in.”
She could hear sniffling. “Tell me about it. I know you must be exhausted and need your sleep. Would it be possible for us to meet tomorrow morning? I have to talk to you, Nikki.”
The desperation in her voice convinced Nikki that her friend was going to tell her why she’d broken up with Mills. But Nikki wanted to drive over to Toly’s rig as soon as she got up to make sure he was all right before she did anything else.
“Denise? I have an idea. Are you in bed?”
“No.”
“Why don’t you drive over to the Cyclades Hotel right now. Bring a bag so you can stay all night in the other bedroom.”
“You mean it?” she cried.
“I’ve been wanting to talk to you too. Let’s not put it off any longer.”
“I’ll come as soon as I can.”
Nikki gave her the number of her suite. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
“You don’t know what this means to me.”
“I think I do. Nothing’s been the same for me since you broke up with my brother.”
“Thank you for being the best friend who ever lived.”
Nikki heard the click before she hung up.
Talk about a red-letter night...
Tonight Nikki would get answers. She was so excited, she called kitchen services and ordered some club sandwiches and colas to be brought to her room. This would probably last half the night and they would need food.
She closed her laptop and put it in the drawer. Next she changed into her blue sweats to get comfortable. After putting on lipstick and brushing her hair, she heard a knock. “Room service.”
Nikki grabbed some cash from her purse and ran to the door to get their dinner tray. Once the waiter was gone, she set it on the coffee table in the sitting room and opened one of the sodas. She didn’t have to wait long until she heard another knock on the door. Without hesitation she ran to open it.
There stood her beautiful friend with her long blonde hair and those chocolate-brown eyes that had blown her brother away. “It’s so good to see you, Denise!” she cried before they hugged. “Come in.”
* * *
AFTER AN EARLY Monday morning practice on Snapper, practicing his roping on a dummy, Toly entered his rig and poured himself a cup of coffee. He checked his phone and saw that one of his brothers had called, so he phoned him back.
“Roce?”
“Hey, bro—the way you took down that steer last night left us all breathless. What a score! Congratulations!”
“Thanks.” Coming from the brother he’d roped with before Mills had become his partner meant the world to him.
“We all agreed that Dad had to be watching.”
His throat constricted. “I’d like to think so.”
“Our family expects a repeat performance tonight. Then you’ll be halfway there. We’re all set to fly out on Saturday.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone.”
But Toly knew he and Mills wouldn’t be duplicating last night’s score. Because of his fear over having another episode, he’d overdone it wrapping the dally tightly and had strained his arm. He’d paid the price to get a big win. Tonight he would have to rely on his left arm to do the work.
“Hey—are you all right?”
He gripped the phone tighter. “Couldn’t be better.”
“That’s good. You seem a little subdued.”
“I was out practicing before I called you.”
“Maybe you’re overdoing it. You need to chill for a while.”
He sipped his coffee. “That’s exactly what I have in mind.”
“I have to tell you I’m impressed with Mills.”
“He’s the best.”
“Is he around? I’d like to tell him what a great job he and his knockout sister did out there last night.”
Just the mention of Nikki tripled his heartbeat. “Sorry. Mills took off for the center to work with Dusty before tonight’s performance. He’ll be back later and I’ll pass on what you said to both of them. How’s Mom?”
“Excited to see you win the championship.”
At the moment Toly couldn’t imagine getting through six more nights with top scores. “What about your other half?”
“We’re happier than I ever thought possible.”
“That’s great, Roce. Give her and everyone my love. We’ll talk again soon.”
“Go get ’em tonight, champ!”
No sooner had they hung up than he heard a knock on the door. It couldn’t be Mills or he would have just walked in. Maybe it was one of the crew checking in over something to do with the horses. He put down his empty mug and walked through to open it.
“Nikki—”
There she was in all her glory, wearing jeans and a Western blouse her figure did wonders for. Her anxious gray eyes took a detailed inventory of him. “I had to find out how you are. Can I come in?”
“What do you think. But first I need this.” He pulled her close with his left arm, shutting the door with his boot. Then he covered her mouth with his own. He found her so delectable, his hunger for her spiraled out of control.
“I’m sorry I got carried away,” he whispered against her lips minutes later.
“If you noticed, I wasn’t complaining.”
He loved this woman and wanted to take her back to his bedroom, never to come out again. “Let’s go in the living room where we can be comfortable.” He reached for her hand and drew her with him till they reached the couch.
“I think I willed you here,” he murmured, pulling her down on his lap. In the process, he forgot about his right arm. The pain caused him to let out a slight groan, but she heard it and moved off him.
“Your arm is bad.”
He flashed her a smile. “It’s fine if I don’t try to do something I shouldn’t.”
She stared into his eyes. “You overdid it last night.”
“You’re right, which means I’ll be using my left arm tonight. This time I won’t have a choice.”
“Your performance made history, Toly. It’s on all the sports talk shows today. I heard that the betting in Las Vegas is heavy on you and Mills for the overall championship.” She gripped his left hand. “When I saw the rope in your right hand and knew what you were going to do, I prayed so hard that horrid weakness wouldn’t strike.”
“Your prayer reached the right person.” He kissed her again, long and slowly before lifting his mouth from hers. “Mills came over early this morning and told me they praised you at the gold buckle ceremony last night. He got you on his phone and let me see his video.” He cupped the side of her face. “You deserved every accolade. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.”
She kissed his jaw. “I’m glad you were here taking care of yourself. That’s all that matters to me. Let me get the ice pack for you.”
“I’ll apply it later if I need it.”
“If you’re sure. How about some more painkillers?”
“Not yet.”
“Do you want me to fix you something to eat?”
“I won’t be hungry for another hour. Now tell me what’s going on with you.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve been together a lot lately and I sense you’ve got something on your mind.”
She averted her eyes. “You must be psychic.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” He kissed her again. “But I want to know what it is before I die of curiosity. Remember we have another event tonight. I’d like to be there.”
A gentle laugh escaped. Then she quieted down. “Denise called me last night.”
Denise?
Unbelievable.
He pulled her close with his left arm. “That is news. Tell me everything.”
“She’s been in Las Vegas since the eighth and has come to the center every night. I couldn’t believe it.”
“Where’s she staying?”
“At the Mirage. When I found that out, I asked her to drive over to my hotel and spend the night. It was so wonderful to see her again. I’m afraid we talked until three in the morning.”
He played with her gorgeous black hair. “That must have been some conversation.”
“It was.” Nikki turned so she could look at him. He saw those heavenly eyes fill with moisture. “She never wanted to hurt Mills. She’s terribly in love with him. It’s the kind that will never go away.”
He cocked his head. “But?”
“The day before she broke up with him, she came home from work and discovered she had a visitor at her door. It was Johnny Rayburn, the guy she’d known long before she ever met Mills. They’d met in college and dated. She didn’t know until he’d asked her to marry him that he’d signed up to go in the military and make it his career.
“Though she loved him, that news came as a shock. It was the last life she
wanted. I’m afraid Denise is a lot like me. We’re both homebodies and love our ranch life. She couldn’t handle the thought of living in other parts of the world as a soldier’s wife, of being away from her family and her horses. She knew it wouldn’t work and ended their relationship.”
Toly frowned. “Did Mills know all about this?”
“Of course. She didn’t meet my brother until two years later. If you recall, they were crazy about each other from the first moment they met.”
He nodded. “I remember.”
Nikki took a deep breath. “She never thought she’d see Johnny again. But there he was on her doorstep five weeks ago, out of uniform with a prosthetic where his hand had been.”
Whoa.
“Johnny told her he was working at his father’s insurance firm and found out she wasn’t married. He admitted he was still in love with her and hoped that now he was home and out of the military for good, she would consider going out with him again.”
“Good grief.” Toly got up from the couch.
“Good grief is right,” Nikki said. “As you can imagine, Denise was torn apart to see what had happened to Johnny. But she was in love with Mills and didn’t have those kinds of feelings for Johnny anymore. Naturally, to see him like that broke her heart.
“He asked her to go out with him so they could talk. When she explained that she was in love with someone else, he asked if she was engaged to this other man, if she was planning to marry him. That put Denise on the spot because Mills had never discussed marriage with her. She told him no, but hoped it would happen in the future.”
Toly rubbed the back of his neck. “So Johnny figured all was fair and he prevailed on her, knowing she’d loved him once and would feel sorry for him. He wanted a fighting chance now that he was home and not going anywhere.”
“Yes.” Nikki flashed him a glance. “Like I said. You’re psychic.”
“No. I was just putting myself in that poor dude’s place. I’m not sure I wouldn’t have done the same thing under those circumstances. Knowing the way Mills feels about her, it’s not hard to understand why this wounded veteran would want to win back the woman he’d loved.”
Roping Her Christmas Cowboy Page 11