“Denise is a wonderful person. Of course she had no intention of getting back together with Johnny, but she felt she needed to tread carefully and find a way to let him down. She sensed Johnny was fragile. When he told her he had PTSD and was getting therapy, that did it for her.
“Since Mills was so caught up facing Finals, she thought it might be better if he didn’t have to worry about her. In the end she decided to stop seeing him until she got through to Johnny without hurting him too badly.”
Toly shook his head. “I still don’t understand that kind of thinking, but maybe it’s because I’m not a woman. To me it’s so simple. Just tell Mills what she was doing—he would have understood.”
“Maybe. But she wasn’t as secure with Mills because he’d never discussed a future with her.”
“Not in all the time they’d been dating?”
“No. It’s his insecurity. Denise’s fears were real. What if he didn’t have marriage in mind with her? What if she’d told him everything and he’d started fearing that maybe she was still in love with Johnny deep down? What if the news threw him off enough to affect his performance?”
“That’s crazy, Nikki. How could she not have realized how adversely it would affect him by ending it with him and offering no explanation?”
“But he didn’t give her enough to go on.”
Toly shook his head. “I’m trying to understand.”
“So am I. Since she knew she needed time to make Johnny realize he needed to move on with his life, she thought it would be better if Mills didn’t know anything about it until you two had gone through Finals. She admits now it was probably the wrong thing to do and regrets it with all her heart.”
“I take it Johnny hasn’t given up.”
“No.” Nikki got to her feet. “Denise finally found the courage to end it with him. Since she’d already blocked out her vacation time at work, she flew to Las Vegas to watch Mills and be here when it was all over so they could talk. Denise loves him so much, Toly, and she’s in torment.”
“Has she asked you to intercede?”
“No. Not at all. She called me because we’re friends and she wanted me to know the truth. As for Johnny, she can only hope that one day he’ll realize he needs to find someone else to love.”
“Do you want to do something about it?”
“I don’t dare. If I told Mills the truth now, his first reaction would be one of anger. I’m afraid this has to be worked out between the two of them after Finals are over. What I don’t understand is why my brother has never told her he wants to marry her.”
“Probably because having worked with him all year, I’ve discovered he wants more money in the bank and his ducks all lined up when he proposes. Your dad was a great role model, you know.”
“But she doesn’t care about that!”
“Haven’t you noticed he has a more protective side to his nature since the death of your parents?”
She nodded. “It’s all so complicated when it didn’t need to be.”
“I couldn’t agree more. But we have to face the fact that she has hurt him, even if it was for the best of reasons.”
“You’re right.”
He studied her features for a moment. “Why don’t you and I go out for lunch at a drive-through? You’ll have to take us since you have the only car.”
Her face lit up in a smile. “I was just going to suggest it. Do you think you should take a pain pill first?”
“No. I’m okay as long as I don’t wrap both my arms around you the way I want to. But I’ll need another kiss before we go anywhere. Come here to me, you gorgeous creature.”
“Toly—”
Holding and kissing her had become an addiction. The last thing he cared about was food or anything else. Nikki had become his whole world. After mocking his brothers who caved after meeting the right women, he now understood. But he needed to get her out of there, and tore his lips from hers before he forgot everything else.
“Come on.” He gripped her hand and they headed outside to her car.
“How did it go wrapping the dally with your left hand this morning?” she asked while driving them to Buck’s Fast Food for hamburgers and shakes.
“Not that great.”
“But you’ll do it well enough to stay on top. I know you will.”
“Your faith in me is humbling.”
“You had to be in the stands and watch what you did last night to convince me you can do anything. I wish there was something I could do to help.”
“With you championing me, I don’t want for anything else.”
“Liar,” she teased. “I think it’s time to get you back to the rig. Your eyelids are getting heavy so I’m going to drop you off after we get our grub, and leave you to get a good nap with some ice and a pill. Hopefully you’ll be revived for tonight. For once I’m going to drive to the center and meet you there.”
What he wanted was to nap with her. But both of them knew it wouldn’t be a good idea whether Mills was around or not.
When they returned to the rig, he leaned toward her. “Thanks for lunch, but most of all for your company. I needed you today, Nikki. You’ll never know how much.” He cupped her neck so he could give her a thorough kiss. “You’re going to get another first tonight. I can feel it in my bones. Drive carefully and I’ll see you later.”
“I can hardly bear to leave you, Toly,” she said and wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him again. “Promise me you’ll stay safe.”
The throb in her voice was like music to his ears.
Chapter Nine
Toly got out of the car and waved her off. A minute later Mills walked inside the rig. “I passed Nikki on the way in.”
“She came by and took me to Buck’s. We would have brought a burger back for you, but didn’t know when we’d see you.”
“Don’t worry about that. How are you doing?”
“Good.” He took another pain pill and pulled the ice bag out of the fridge. “I’m going to baby my arm until we leave for the center. Nikki says she’ll meet us there.”
“Hmm. That’s a first for her. I would have thought she’d cook up a storm today.”
He followed Toly to his bedroom where he lay down on top of the mattress. “She might have, but I told her not to bother because I’m going to sleep for a while.”
“Good idea. Can I get you anything else?”
“No, thanks. How did your practice go?”
“I exercised both horses. I think I’ll ride Dusty again.”
“They’re both winners. You can’t go wrong.”
“Wouldn’t it be great if we could pull the same score tonight?”
Toly closed his eyes. “It would be miraculous.”
“I know, but you can’t help a guy from dreaming.”
“Nope.”
“You’re obviously tired. I’ll go over to my rig and phone you when it’s time to leave for the center.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
After his partner left, he rearranged his pillows to get more comfortable, but nothing could take away his guilt for not telling him about Denise. The woman Mills loved would be out in the crowd tonight watching him.
Toly went through the conversation with Nikki in his mind and decided she’d been right. This was a situation only Mills and Denise could solve. Right now Toly had his own crisis to get through. He’d done the figures in his head. If they got a third place tonight, they were still in contention for a first place overall. That is if Shay didn’t do something extraordinary, which he could.
But during the rest of the nights they would have to get some seconds and firsts. If he rested his right arm for three more events, then the last two nights he would use it again. Of course that depended on his not having an
other episode. Toly never knew when they would come. He was living with a virtual time bomb and his poor partner knew nothing about it.
Here Toly was questioning Denise’s judgment when his own was in question. Why didn’t he tell Mills about his neuropathy? Nikki didn’t think it was wise to tell him, either. So one way or another, all three of them were guilty of keeping Mills in the dark.
Toly tried to put himself in his partner’s shoes, but that didn’t work. At one point he dozed off, and then his cell phone rang. When he looked at his watch, he couldn’t believe it was time to leave for the center.
In a few minutes he’d changed clothes. After grabbing his gloves and hat, he joined Mills at the car. They took off and his partner chatted all the way about scores and what they had to do. Toly knew exactly what they had to do. He needed his left arm and hand to deliver a score that rated in the top three of the night.
To his disappointment he didn’t see Nikki at the stalls. She was probably with Denise. Mills was surprised because his sister had always been there to cheer him on.
They walked to their stalls and got ready for their event. Andy had already prepared their horses. All Toly had to do was mount Snapper. When they were ready, they rode to the boxes to wait for their turn.
There’d only been two times in his life Toly had known real fear. One was when his father had been accidentally shot. The other was the night he heard Wymon had been kidnapped and almost killed. Tonight represented a third time that also involved a life-and-death situation.
But the stakes were different. As much as Toly would love to win the championship, he knew his partner needed it more. Everything in Mills’s life depended on it. The Dobson twins didn’t have family supporting them; their parents were gone. They needed money to keep the ranch going. They both could stand to revel in that moment of glory, vindicating all those years of hard work and dedication to the sport they loved.
Toly gripped the reins with his right hand and walked Snapper into the box. The steer between him and Mills was a wily one, anxious to get out. Toly flicked his partner a glance and knew the exact moment Mills saw he was going out there to rope with his left arm.
His body went cold because Mills would have figured out Toly’s right arm couldn’t do the job. Hell and hell.
It was time to call for the steer.
The chute opened. Toly had never prayed so hard in his life. He raced after the steer, roping him around the head, and then he wrapped the dally as hard and fast as he could to turn it. Mills roped those hind legs on cue and they left the arena with a 4.0, 4.2 score and hoped it meant a decent ranking.
They rode back to the stalls and dismounted. Mills eventually walked over to him. “I didn’t realize your right arm was hurting so badly.”
“Sorry I couldn’t pull through for us tonight. I’m hoping I’ll be able to use it tomorrow night.”
“Santos said we came in second. We’ve still held on to our first-place average.”
No thanks to Toly. “That’s the best news tonight. You were sensational out there, Mills. Come on. Let’s go watch Nikki knock them dead.”
Not only was Toly madly in love, he was so proud of her he didn’t know how to contain it. Earlier this evening she’d kissed the daylights out of him. A man could die for a kiss like that, but he was shockingly alive and ready for more.
* * *
NIKKI AND DENISE hugged each other the moment the announcer came over the loudspeaker proclaiming that Toly and her brother still held the overall lead.
“I’ll call you when I’m back in my room and let you know the way is clear so you can come over again.”
“Can’t wait. Good luck out there, Nikki. There’s no one who can touch you.”
“Oh, yes there is, but thanks for being my friend.”
Taking her leave, she hurried through the stands to the stalls where Santos waited for her with Bombshell. He gave her the thumbs-up when she mounted her horse. “All bets are on you, Nikki.”
“Thanks, Santos. That means everything.”
She left the stall and walked her horse along the aisle. Five more nights and she would never go through this glorious experience again with Toly. Whatever the future held, she would treasure this moment forever.
While the finalists were gathering, she chatted with a few of them on her way to the end of the line. Tension was building. Nikki could feel it with the girls. They all wanted to win the championship. No one wanted it more than she did, but she wanted the guys to come out on top too. The three of them were in this together.
Nikki leaned forward to pat her horse’s neck. “Remember how we went around the practice barrels this afternoon? Let’s do it again.”
Close to her turn now, the adrenaline surged through her veins, giving her a sense of empowerment. It was heady stuff.
“Up next is Nikki Dobson of the Sweet Clover Ranch in Great Falls, Montana. This rodeo queen has gained the lead. Let’s see what she can do tonight on Bombshell!”
Her smart horse knew what to do, opening up her stride to enter the arena. After slowing her down around the first barrel with her inside rein, Nikki raised both to give Bombshell the freedom to accelerate in a straight line for the second barrel.
She entered the pocket in an arc and then headed for the third barrel. This one was always tricky. Nikki knew to pick up Bombshell’s shoulder using her rein and leg. Once she’d moved her over and collected at the same time, she could finish with a tight turn and run home with power.
The roar from the audience was electric as she rode out of the arena with a 13.60, almost as good as last night. Once again her prayers had been answered. This time when she rode to her stall it was Toly, not her brother, who helped her down with his left arm and gave her a hug.
“I’ve decided you’re a new kind of superhero,” he whispered. “You’re blowing the place up.”
“I think you already did that a little while ago,” she whispered back. If there was such a state of too much happiness, this was it.
“Way to go.” Mills gave her a huge hug while Santos took care of her horse. “Let’s go celebrate.”
Mindful of Toly’s sore arm, she looked up at him. “Why don’t you guys call it a night and take care of that sore arm.” They wouldn’t be getting gold buckles tonight. “I’ll go to the South Point and then I’ll drive on back to the hotel. I really am bushed.”
Mills frowned. “You don’t want me there?”
“Of course, but maybe Toly will need some waiting on, and I’ll only be at the South Point long enough to pick up my buckle. We’ll have our own celebration tomorrow when I drive out to fix you guys waffles and sausage. How’s that?”
Toly flashed her a heart-stopping grin. “That sounds perfect to me.”
She knew he was hurting. “Good. Then it’s a date.”
Without hesitation she took off for her car, not wanting to get detained by Mills. He could tell something was going on. He had radar like Toly’s. She decided it was a team roper thing because they’d had to work in harmony for so long.
An hour later she left the South Point having collected her buckle and pulled out her phone to call Denise. “I’ll be at the Cyclades in a few minutes. Come over as soon as you can. I’ll leave the door open.”
“Thanks. You did it again tonight, Nikki. You really are on your way to the championship. I get gooseflesh just thinking about it.”
So did Nikki.
* * *
ON TUESDAY MORNING the guys were so hungry, Nikki made another batch of waffles. She was relieved to see Toly had a good appetite and looked rested. She’d bought fresh strawberries from the market on her way over to his rig. They disappeared along with the sausage.
Mills poured more coffee for them. “Are you going to ride Bombshell again tonight?”
“No. She needs
a rest. Sassy is ready for another go. I’m going to set up the practice barrels and work with her later today. What about you?”
“Dusty’s doing great. I’ll stick with him tonight. What about you, Toly?”
“I’ll ride Snapper again.”
Nikki eyed him. “How’s the pain this morning?”
“Not nearly as bad as yesterday.”
“That’s wonderful, but, more than ever, you need to rest that arm. After I’ve gone over to the center to practice, I’ll come back with dinner before we leave for tonight’s events.”
“You’re spoiling us rotten.” She caught Toly’s smile just as his phone rang. When he answered, she could tell it was his family calling. She got up to clear the table and get the dishes done. The lighted Christmas tree reminded her that her favorite holiday was coming up soon. Once Finals were over she had a lot of shopping to do.
Denise planned to go with her while they were still in Las Vegas. Both of them wanted to find the perfect gifts for the men they loved. Since it appeared his family wanted to talk ranch business and would be on the phone awhile, she waved goodbye to Mills and left the rig.
He surprised her by following her out to her car. “Before you leave, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
Her pulse quickened. Could he have possibly found out that Denise was there? She knew Toly wouldn’t have told him.
“What is it?”
“Something’s different about Toly.”
Uh-oh. “Really?” She got in the driver’s seat, but that didn’t deter Mills.
He climbed in the front passenger side and shut the door. “I don’t think he’s telling me everything about his arm. What do you know that I don’t?”
Heat warmed her cheeks. “Why are you asking me that?”
“Because I can tell you’re really worried about him.”
“No more than I would be about you.”
“Come on, Nikki. It’s me you’re talking to. Night before last my heart went to my throat when I saw the way he threw the rope. Last night I could hardly breathe when I saw him use his left arm. He’s never trained with it. But I can’t get him to talk to me about it. I know you know the truth and I’m not letting you drive away until you level with me.”
Roping Her Christmas Cowboy Page 12