Big Sky Bachelor (9781460320624)

by Mcdaniel, Lesley Ann

  Just as she clutched at her necklace for comfort, a loud boom! practically blasted her out of her skin. The fake cannon from the pirate ship had just showered candy into the air, and a bunch of kids lunged from behind her. The force inadvertently shoved her off balance, and as she reflexively reached out to steady herself, she felt the chain around her neck give way. In a terrible instant, she clutched at her throat to feel for her most treasured possession, but it was gone.

  Panicking, she dropped to her knees. Pushing aside corn-dog wrappers and popped balloons, she bobbed her head to see through the forest of legs and the kids scurrying around picking up candy.

  A dim awareness of Micah’s cowboy boots next to her on the pavement and his hands on her shoulders weakened her knees but not her resolve.

  “What are you doing?” The calmness of his voice only agitated her more. This was his fault—at least partly—and he was only making it worse.

  “Nothing...I...” There was no sign of the necklace. An urge to go through the pockets of every one of the candy-hoarding kids in the immediate vicinity crossed her mind, but she didn’t want to come across like a total lunatic.

  Feeling ridiculous now, she shot to her feet, her eyes still darting around in search of her diamond.

  “I’m sorry.” His voice was like a distant hum in the background of her desperate thoughts. “About the interruption, I mean.”

  “What?” She couldn’t think about that now, in light of this new problem. That necklace was her one remaining link to her daddy.

  He said something about hashing things out with his dad, and she heard herself say she needed to get home. This was so silly. All she wanted was for the street to clear so she could locate her treasure, but since that wasn’t going to happen, she needed to get away before she burst into tears.

  Without really looking at Micah, she turned and shoved her way through the crowd. The familiar pain of loss coursed through her veins. Loss of her daddy...the necklace...and Micah.

  But how could she feel a loss of something that had never even been hers?

  She picked up her pace. Micah had Carly. What did he need her for, anyway? Now all she wanted was to get to the safety of her car and put some miles between her and the source of all her confusion.

  Chapter 10

  As Janessa led Miss Molly from the fairgrounds barn to the rodeo arena, her heart felt like a stone. If she hadn’t been so confused the night before, she could have stayed focused until she found her most treasured possession.

  But the necklace, she had to admit, wasn’t the only reason her heart ached. In spite of her acceptance that she wasn’t really anything special to Micah, she couldn’t help but scan the faces around her in the hope of seeing him.

  The area behind the stands brimmed with people pacing their horses in preparation for their events, but there was no sign of Micah. Disappointment blended with nervous relief, brewing up a mixed batch of confusion. Part of her yearned to see him, to go back to the way things had been before his dad and Miss Sweet Tea had shown up. But the more sensible side of her said it would be best to just avoid him altogether before she left for Seattle.

  Not that she knew exactly when that would be, since she had no school, job or apartment waiting for her out there. Anticipation quavered in her chest. Once she had the rodeo behind her, she’d be able to help Hana with the apartment search. That—along with figuring out what to do about the truck—was her major obstacle. Once that was taken care of, she’d be on her way.

  So why wasn’t she rejoicing at the thought?

  She approached the fence at the edge of the arena, where the tie-down roping was in full swing. Her anticipation grew along with the clamor of the crowd, the taste of dust and the smell of nachos. It was a good thing, too, because the team-roping event was coming up in just a few minutes, and she’d have to be ready.

  The stands were packed fuller than she’d ever remembered seeing them. Even though it still pinched a little that most everyone was there to watch Micah, she had to admit that his coming here had been really good for the town. Between his presence in the rodeo and the movie being shot there, Thornton Springs was experiencing a much-needed boost to its economy.

  “Ness! Hey, Janessa!”

  Andra’s voice diverted Janessa’s attention to the walkway behind her, where her friend tore through the gathering of horses and riders. She wore her hair in its usual bun, but today it was tied up with a red bandana, befitting the occasion.

  “I’m so glad I found you.” Andra stopped to catch her breath, then pursed her lips like she was about to make an announcement. “I know nothing can ever replace the necklace you lost...” She reached into her purse and took out a small flat box. “But I thought maybe this could represent a new phase of your life.”

  Puzzled, Janessa wrapped Molly’s reins loosely around the top fence rung, then took the box and flicked it open. She gasped at the stunning cross on a delicate gold chain. “Oh, Andra. It’s beautiful.”

  “I want it to remind you that you’ll always have your dad in your heart, whether you have the heart hanging around your neck or not.”

  A tear welled in Janessa’s eye as she undid the necklace from its casing and handed the box back to Andra. “And that I’ll always have Jesus with me.” She fastened the chain around her neck, then clasped the cross in her fingers. “Thanks, Andra.” She pulled her friend into a hug.

  As Andra attempted to put her arms around her in return, her purse fell and landed in the dirt at their feet. As she knelt to retrieve it, Janessa spotted a small yellow object next to it.

  “Andra!” She bent down to pick up the object, then straightened. Thrusting a hand on her hip, she presented the Micah Brody Fan Club button. “Really?”

  “Oh...” Wincing, Andra snatched the button from her, shoving it back into her purse. “You weren’t supposed to see that.”

  “You’re my best friend.” Janessa feigned a pout.

  “I know, and I’m rooting for you, honest. It’s just that...” Andra shrugged. “He’s cute. I can’t help it.”

  “Be gone, traitor.” Janessa waved her off with a pretense of hurt feelings that quickly lifted into a smile. “Go on. I’m sure Hank’s waiting for you.”

  As Andra headed into the stands, Owen came from the direction of the barn, leading his horse, Casper.

  Janessa gave him a warm smile. “This is it. Are you ready?”

  He nodded. “I figure even if we don’t win, the worst we can do is take second.”

  She laughed. “That’s true.” Looking past Owen, she saw Micah and Keely riding into the holding area behind the steer chute. She blinked and looked away. Sensing that Owen had noticed them, too, she forced a bright smile. “Things seem to be going well for you and Keely. I guess the plan worked.”

  “Yeah. It’s been good getting to know her better.” He looked down shyly. “But actually, this stopped being about impressing Keely a few weeks ago.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Once I started to get the hang of the roping, I realized I needed to do this for me. You know, to prove to myself that I could do it.” His eyes met hers. “Thanks for believing in me. That really means a lot.”

  Her heart warmed. Even if Micah had tricked her into doing this, good things were coming out of it anyway. “You’re welcome. Oh, and thanks for helping to fix up my truck.”

  “It was all Micah’s idea.” Owen glanced over at Micah, who was riding in small circles just outside the box where Janessa, then he, would start the event. “I wondered why we didn’t see you after the parade. Micah told me he thought you were upset about something.”

  She shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.” She hoped her face didn’t reveal the truth. It was embarrassing that she’d let herself get hurt and this was going to take some time to get over.

 
The voice on the loudspeaker announced that there would be one more tie-down roper before the team roping. A whoop went up from the crowd and Owen smiled nervously. “Casper and I had better go get into position.”

  “Okay.” She gave him a quick hug. “See you out there.”

  He started to go, then turned back. “Oh, and Janessa.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Don’t be too hard on Micah. I mean, he’s a bull rider. He’s fallen on his head more than the average guy.”

  She gave him another encouraging smile. As he headed toward the heeler’s box, she put a hand on either side of Molly’s muzzle and rested her forehead on the horse’s face. “What do you think, girl? Are we ready for this?”

  Easing in a breath, she asked for God’s strength for all four of them. Well...she glanced upward. Eight if you include the horses. She paused, looking up again. Okay, ten if you include the steers. Just help us all to do our best, Lord. She put her foot in the stirrup and pulled herself into the saddle. She turned to start Molly for the holding area, but tugged the reins as Micah made another circle on his horse and happened to meet her eyes just as Janessa looked at him. She quickly glanced away, then added to her prayer. And help me to forgive Micah for being a...well, for being the way he is. Amen.

  Urging Molly closer to the holding area where Micah was warming up his horse, she felt his eyes drilling into her. Her stomach clenched.

  “Well, hey, Janessa.” His voice sounded tentative.

  She bit her lip, then wished him luck and kept going. She couldn’t risk his saying something that might cloud her thinking, especially not right before her event.

  Moving into the safety of the header’s box, she released her rope from the strap on her saddle. With cheers and whoops filling her ears, she made a few practice swings. While the announcer talked to the enthusiastic crowd about the history of team roping, Janessa drew a deep breath and took a look out at the stands.

  It had always been a habit of hers to look up right before her event to find her family. When she was little, Mama, Daddy and Adam had always been there to cheer her on. For her last ten rodeos, she had counted on Mama and Adam’s show of support. Now, as she caught sight of her brother sitting with his arm around Courtney, and Mama probably explaining the nuances of the rodeo to Mr. Bloom, the melancholy that had been niggling her seemed strangely absent. No one would ever replace her daddy, and Mr. Bloom wasn’t trying to. Just like Courtney, he had been doing a great job of carving out his own place in their family. Mama had been a widow for eleven years and she deserved to be happy.

  Her eyes burning a little, Janessa clasped her throat, momentarily forgetting that the diamond heart wasn’t there. She slid her fingers down the chain and felt the cross, thanking God for His unwavering assurance that she would one day be reunited with her daddy in heaven.

  Peace fell over her. It was time to let go and move ahead.

  A loud clanking sound jolted her from her thoughts. The first steer had just been moved into the chute, and the solid gate behind it secured.

  Adrenaline surged. As the announcer called out her name then Owen’s, the audience roared.

  She leaned down to talk to Miss Molly. “Let’s go, baby. This is it.” Taking a few more practice swings, she looked all around the stands, seeing banners hailing support of Our Hometown Team as the boisterous audience took to their feet.

  Her breath jammed in her throat. The town hadn’t abandoned her after all. Reenergized, she looked over at Owen to make sure he was ready.

  Taking in a deep breath, she made eye contact with the gatekeeper who awaited her cue to release the steer. She nodded.

  Instantly, the animal bolted from the chute. Miss Molly took off at a full run and Janessa started to swing her rope over her head. With her focus totally fixed on the steer, she threw the loop, making a clean horn catch. In one fluid movement, she wrapped her rope around the saddle horn and turned Miss Molly to the left, forcing the steer into position for Owen.

  She held her breath as Owen made his swing. The rope sailed under the steer’s back legs, looking as if only one caught, but when they pulled their ropes taut, both legs were in. The crowd went wild, and a look of relief passed over Owen’s face. Janessa couldn’t have been more proud of him.

  There was an audible shush from the stands they trotted their horses out of the arena and listened for their score.

  “And that will be 7.2 seconds for the team of Greene and West.”

  A wave of joy passed through her. The best she and Owen had done in practice was seven point five seconds, which had felt lightning fast. She and Owen, who only a few weeks before had possessed zero confidence in his ability, had beaten their best practice time.

  As she quickly dismounted and threw her arms around Owen, they both spoke at once.

  “We did it, Janessa—”

  “Nice roping!”

  “And now for the team of Brody and Rogers.” The announcer could barely be heard over the hoots and hollers of the spectators.

  Janessa and Owen stood with bated breath as both Keely and Micah held their ropes up, and the second steer stood at the ready.

  Micah nodded to the gatekeeper, and the chute clanged open. Another round of cheers went up from the stands as the steer ran for all it was worth, kicking up a cloud of dust. In a second, Micah and Keely were off, too, with their ropes swinging over their heads. Caught up in the excitement, Janessa yelled encouragement as Micah expertly made his throw. The loop encircled the animal’s horns, and Janessa flung her arms in the air.

  In the next instant, Micah dallied and turned the steer to the left, then Keely threw her loop under the hind legs, easily catching them both. Janessa let out another yell, thrilled for Keely’s success.

  “That’s 6.5 seconds for the team of Brody and Rogers, making them the winners of today’s team-roping event.” The announcement prompted a deafening cheer from the crowd and a beauty queen smile from Keely.

  The pair brought their horses in and dismounted amidst an incoming tide of people waving cameras, microphones and autograph books.

  Janessa threw an arm around Owen. “I’m sorry we didn’t win.”

  “It’s okay.” He shrugged. “All that really matters to me is that I didn’t fall on my face. Sometimes winning means something other than making the best time.”

  As soon as she could break away from the minifrenzy that was mainly focused on Micah, Keely darted over to them.

  “Congratulations, Keely.” Janessa gave her a hug. “You were amazing.”

  “Thanks. I couldn’t have done it without you guys. I feel like we’re all a team. Like all four of us won.”

  Looking over at Micah, who stood at the center of the mass of fans and media people, Janessa had to admit that she felt the same. No matter how things had turned out she’d learned an awful lot from him, and the past five weeks had been a lot of fun.

  When she drew her attention away from Micah, Owen was in the middle of rehashing his first rodeo experience with Keely. “That was the low point of my life when I looked up and saw you laughing at me.”

  “What are you talking about?” Keely’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t laugh at you. I felt terrible for you.”

  “But...” Owen’s eyes crinkled in confusion. “You had your hand over your mouth.”

  “So you assumed I was laughing?” She gave his arm a slug. “You big dope. Other people were laughing because they thought it was a trick that you had planned. I knew it was an accident and my hands just flew to my face. I never laughed.”

  “Oh.” Owen still seemed puzzled. “But, why wouldn’t you ever talk to me after that?”

  “Are you kidding?” Her hands plunked onto her hips. “You never gave me a chance. Every time I’d see you, you’d run the other way or hide behind something.”

  “Well,
I’ll be.” Owen tipped back his hat and gazed at her. “All these years, I thought you were ignoring me.”

  “It’s a little hard to ignore someone who’s making such a big show of avoiding you.” Keely’s blue eyes sparkled with a hint of flirtation. “Honestly, I always thought that was pretty cute.”

  Owen looked down and scuffed the toe of his boot in the dirt. “So, you want to go on some carnival rides with me after the award ceremony?”

  She smiled and held out her hand. “It’s about time you asked.”

  As they turned to lead their horses back to the barn, Owen flashed Janessa a triumphant smile.

  Janessa wanted to burst with happiness for them.

  She pivoted to give Molly a pat on the nose, and saw that the crowd around Micah had dwindled down to mostly giddy girls who were rattling on and waving pieces of paper for him to sign. He smiled and chatted with them, clearly in his element.

  It crossed her mind that she could just hang out till he was finished. What harm could it do to let him know that after all was said and done, she was grateful she’d competed and that he’d been right all along about Owen and Keely.

  No sooner had she made this decision than Carly, with her hair teased up even bigger than the night before, shouldered her way through the throng of women and threw her arms around Micah.

  Janessa’s heart sank. The guy had his own life. It was best for her to just steer clear.

  * * *

  After the rodeo and the award ceremony, Janessa spent the rest of the afternoon either going on carnival rides with Andra and Hank, or playing midway games with Adam and Courtney. While she appreciated being included, rolling along like a third wheel had left her feeling pretty flat.

  Now as she sat with her family and a group of friends at a long table in the picnic area that had been roped off for the chili feed and barbecue cook-off, the festive atmosphere presented a stark contrast to her mood.

  Try as she might to stay focused on the conversations around her, her mind kept wandering. If what Carly had said about Micah returning to the rodeo circuit was true, why hadn’t he mentioned it? They’d talked a lot over the past several weeks, and every time the topic of his bull-riding career had come up, he’d always spoken of it in the past tense. But maybe Carly was right. Maybe his time in Thornton Springs had just been a diversion while he finished recovering from his accident.