She smiled. “Souvenirs first.”
He stood, holding in a sigh. “Okay. Let’s go.”
She followed him down the grandstand and out into the sunshine. Dozens of people strolled along the sidewalk.
Derek took her to the museum, wishing he were back at the rodeo. He’d attended CFD since he was a boy, and he wasn’t really interested in the museum or the town. But he would try to be interested for Kandi’s sake.
At noon, after Kandi bought salt and pepper shakers shaped like a pair of boots as well as a CFD T-shirt, they met the others at the Oasis for lunch. Derek’s mom, Callie, and Cheyenne placed food and bottles of water on a picnic table that was shaded by a huge red-and-white umbrella.
Mom looked up as they approached. “We bought hamburgers at the concession stand for everyone.” She set a large box in the middle of the table. “Let’s sit down and say grace.”
Derek waited for Kandi to sit on the bench at the table then sat beside her. Dad asked the blessing. The table was quiet as everyone grabbed a hamburger and started eating.
Dad swallowed his first bite. “You two missed some excitement, son. One of the barrel racers really got hurt. I think they took her to the hospital.”
Kandi shivered as she glanced at Derek. “I’m glad we weren’t there.”
Derek wished they had been there. “Who won the competition?”
“Some little gal way down the list.” Dad grinned. “Her score was seventeen point four. She was fast! And she sure knew how to handle her horse.”
“Oh man! I wish I could have seen that.” Derek took a few more bites as the conversation drifted around him. He glanced down the table. Lane and Callie sat across on the other side with Cheyenne at the end. Derek nodded at his sister. “Did you stay for the entire competition?”
Callie leaned forward. “Most of it, but Cheyenne and I spent an hour at the Indian village. I bought some turquoise jewelry, and she bought an arrowhead necklace.”
Kandi perked up. “I love Indian stuff! Where is the village?”
Callie pointed off in the distance. “It’s over on the southeast corner of the park. We even saw a little show they put on by their dance group. They were decked out in their Indian garb and feathers, and their costumes were very colorful.”
Kandi looked up at Derek. “Let’s visit the Indian village after lunch.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You can visit it if you want to, but I’ll be in the arena for the rest of the day to watch the cowboy contests.”
“Oh.” Kandi looked down.
Callie reached out to touch her hand. “I can take you over there. They have something special going on every hour. We’ll go to the arena first so we know where the family is sitting.”
Kandi smiled at her. “Thanks.”
With a relieved breath, Derek added his smile of thanks to his sister. Hopefully that would take care of Kandi for the rest of the afternoon.
In the grandstand, even though a lot of people conversed in the rows in front of her and behind her, Cheyenne sat in the Brandt row by herself. Jake and Lane had decided to get some soft drinks, and Callie had just left with Kandi and Yvette for the Indian village. Cheyenne should have gone with them—the walking would have helped her lose weight. But she would rather sit and watch the cowboy contests.
Feeling someone sit down beside her, she looked to her left. Her eyes met Derek’s, and her pulse quickened.
“Hey, Cheyenne. Sitting here all by yourself?” He held a can of cola and took a quick swig.
She leaned away from him. “I already spent all my money on souvenirs, so I plan to stay in the arena and watch the cowboys all afternoon.”
He grinned. “Good choice.”
Cheyenne looked out at the arena. She wasn’t going to let her heart beat a second faster over the guy sitting next to her. “How’s the ranch doing, Derek?”
“Right now things are going well, but did you hear what happened two weeks ago?” When she shook her head, he continued. “Wolves broke through our fence and killed fourteen sheep.”
She gasped. “Oh that’s terrible!”
He nodded. “Three ewes and eleven lambs. Dad and I found the break in the fence where they got in, but we’ve never caught the wolves.”
“How do you know they were wolves? They could have been coyotes.”
“No.” Derek adjusted his hat. “Those lambs were brought down by dispersers—young males trying to establish their own territory. And they didn’t eat the sheep, they just broke their necks.” He sighed. “That’s the way wolves operate.”
“Those poor little lambs.” Tears crept to her eyes. “I’m so sorry that happened, Derek. That’s a loss of income for you, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but we’ll recover.” Derek eyed her a moment then looked up beyond her.
Cheyenne turned her head as Jake took the seat next to her. Lane sat down beside him.
“Howdy.” Jake held a large cup of cola in his hand. “Did the other girls already leave for the Indian village?”
“Yep, they’re sightseeing.” Cheyenne twirled a strand of blond hair between her fingers. “I think they’ll be gone most of the afternoon.”
Jake grunted. “Why would they want to miss the rodeo?”
Derek leaned over her to talk to his dad. “Kandi’s not into rodeos, even though she told me she wanted to see the cowboy contests.” With a little shrug, he sat back and slid down a few inches in his seat.
Cheyenne glanced at him before looking out at the arena. Evidently Derek was disappointed that Kandi wasn’t sitting beside him right now. He really must like that girl. Instead here he was, sitting next to Cheyenne.
I’ll treat him like I would treat my brother.
She’d never had a brother, but she could pretend, couldn’t she? Call me Callie.
Derek’s shoulder bumped hers. “Saddle bronc is next. It’s one of my favorites.”
“I like saddle bronc and bareback bronc, but not bull riding.”
“You’ve got to be kidding!” He stared at her as if she were crazy. “Everyone loves bull riding.”
“That’s my favorite.” Jake nodded. “Those bull riders are really talented—and fearless.”
“They have to be.” She frowned. “It’s dangerous to hop on a live bull!”
They both laughed, and Jake turned to Lane with a comment.
Derek sat up and leaned toward her. “That’s true, Cheyenne, but all of these events are dangerous. Even barrel racing.”
“Yeah. I saw that girl go down.” She shook her head. “Why would anyone want to risk her life? But the cowboys are the real daredevils. Did they start bronc riding for the challenge? Man against animal?”
“Bronco busting started when cowboys had to break in wild horses. They competed with each other to see who could ride with the most style.” Derek motioned toward the arena. “Now they have all kinds of rules, and they have to stay on at least eight seconds, or they’ll be disqualified.”
“Why would anyone want to do that? It’s so dangerous.”
He grinned. “I’d have to agree with you there. The life of a cowboy is not as glamorous as some people think, but it sure is fun to watch the competitions.”
The announcer’s voice came over the loudspeaker, introducing the event. In a few minutes, the first rider jumped out of the chute on the back of a bucking bronco. The man held to a rope with his right hand, and his cowboy boots pushed out the saddle’s stirrups as he bounced up and down.
Derek placed his arm around the back of her chair, his eyes never straying from the cowboy. “Notice how he waves his left hand in the air.” He spoke in a hushed voice as if he didn’t want to break the cowboy’s concentration, although the man would never hear him. “He can’t touch anything with his free hand.”
Cheyenne already knew that, having attended quite a few rodeos during her lifetime, but her heartbeat took off at Derek’s nearness. She glanced at his profile, just inches away, as he watched the rider. His dark eyes
, his straight nose, his perfect lips—a face that must be twenty years younger than Rex’s weathered one.
His straight, slim fingers pointed to the arena. “Leaning so far back in the saddle helps him stay on and keeps his feet in the stirrups. If either foot slips out or he drops the buck rein, he’ll be disqualified.” The cowboy fell off the bucking horse into the mud, and Derek turned to her. Their gazes locked, and Cheyenne’s scalp prickled. His gaze dropped to her lips, just like it did more than three weeks ago in his truck, before he looked back at her eyes.
The hint of a smile touched his lips before he pulled his arm from her seat and sat back. “I think he made the eight seconds. We’ll see what his score is.”
A small sigh escaped as Cheyenne’s pulse returned to normal. Why didn’t she have that kind of emotional interaction with Rex? She had tried to gaze into his eyes and work up her emotions, but the chemistry just wasn’t there.
But why was Derek acting like this? Wasn’t he dating Kandi? Was he two-timing her?
“If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.”
The old saying popped into Cheyenne’s head. She remembered some girls at college spouting off those words and laughing about it, but Cheyenne never thought it was funny.
Now she was experiencing it with Derek Brandt! And she didn’t like it, not one bit.
Chapter 12
On Friday evening, Derek sat in the living room along with the entire Brandt family. They watched collectively as Tonya tore the birthday paper off her last gift.
Derek had purposely taken a seat beside Cheyenne on the sofa, and she had looked startled when he sat down—the same look she gave him at CFD when he sat next to her in the grandstand. He grinned to himself. He certainly enjoyed sitting next to her during the saddle-bronc contests, and he couldn’t believe that “electrical moment” they shared.
But Cheyenne had seemed distant. She frequently conversed with Dad and Lane during the rest of the competition, and she seemed relieved when the women arrived later to sit with them. Then, for the remainder of the day, she paid absolutely no attention to him.
She must really like Rex Pierson.
Derek’s brother, Ryan, pulled a straight-back chair from the dining room and set it beside the sofa. Derek was thankful he had someone to talk to. After Cheyenne’s initial reaction, she turned her back on him and talked to Callie, who was sitting next to her.
Across the room, Tonya sat in the blue chair with Murray perched on the arm. Mom and Dad sat on the love seat, and most of Derek’s siblings sat beside their spouses on chairs they had pulled from the dining room. His two little nephews played with building blocks on the floor.
Tonya held up a DVD. “Oh! The Quiet Man. I love old movies. Thanks, Callie.” She turned to her husband. “Do we have this one, Murray?”
“Nope.” Twitch grinned. “Callie asked me last week.”
Tonya smiled as her glance swung around the room. “I can’t believe you guys planned a surprise party behind my back. Thank you so much for all the presents. This has to be the greatest family in the world.”
“It is.” Dad glanced at Mom. “God has been good to us, hasn’t He, honey?”
“He certainly has.” Mom smiled as she looked around. “The Lord gave us six wonderful children, five children-in-law, and two grandchildren.”
Melissa leaned forward. “With more on the way.”
This announcement precipitated an outburst of exclamations. Melissa was quickly surrounded by the women of the family. Most of the men stood and shook Philip’s hand.
Since Cheyenne stayed seated, Derek kept his seat beside her, but he caught his brother-in-law’s eye. “Congratulations, Phil.”
“Thanks.” Philip smiled as he took a step toward Derek. “Would you believe—her due date is two days after her birthday. Melissa is hoping the baby’s early so they’ll be exactly thirty years apart.”
“Thirty years.” Derek nodded. “Wow.”
Philip turned away as Ryan claimed his attention.
Derek heard a quiet sniff beside him, and he turned in time to see Cheyenne wipe a tear from her eye. Compassion filled him, and he leaned toward her. “You okay?”
She nodded, but a tear rolled down her cheek. She covered her face with her hands.
“Cheyenne?” Barely thinking what he was doing, Derek put his arms around her and pulled her close to him. “What’s wrong?”
With her face still in her hands, she just shook her head, but after a few seconds she leaned toward him, and a few quiet sobs escaped between her fingers. He tightened his grip, smelling the sweet fragrance of her hair, and a surge of protectiveness swept through him.
Ryan came back to claim his seat. Frowning, he glanced at Cheyenne in Derek’s arms. “Is she okay?”
Suddenly she straightened, causing Derek’s arms to slip away. “I’m fine.” She wiped her fingers under her eyes as she stood. “Excuse me.”
Derek watched her walk out of the room before turning to Ryan. “I have no idea what’s wrong with her.”
Ryan lowered his voice. “That happens with women sometimes. Puzzling, if you ask me.” Raising his hands, he gave a little shrug.
Derek just nodded, still concerned. Should he follow Cheyenne? See if she was all right?
“Well.” Ryan motioned toward Melissa. “It’s about time someone else in the family has kids besides Holly and me.”
“Mom and Dad will probably have a bunch of grandkids in the next few years.” All Derek’s siblings were married now—everyone except him.
He glanced at the door where Cheyenne had disappeared. If only she was still in his arms.
“Let me grab some clothes for tomorrow.” Derek poked his head in his closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
Holly, his sister-in-law, smiled up at him as she changed her younger son’s clothes. “Thanks for giving up your bedroom for us, Derek. We appreciate it.”
“No problem. I can sleep on the sofa for one night.”
He stepped over his nephew Peter. The three-year-old pushed Matchbox cars across the wooden floor as he made motor noises.
Ryan entered the room, pulling one suitcase behind him and carrying a duffel bag. “I have to make another trip out to the car for that stuff in the backseat.” His brown eyes glanced at his wife. “Do you need anything else?”
“No.” Holly picked up Paul. “Just the diaper bag and that box of things for your mom.”
“I’ll help you.” Derek laid his clothes on the bed and descended the stairs behind his brother.
They walked out the front door and into the warm night air.
Ryan opened the back door of his car. “I can’t believe tomorrow’s August first.”
“I know.” Derek took the large diaper bag he was handed. “This summer is whizzing by. Next weekend I’m scheduled to go to Yellowstone.”
“Really?” Ryan straightened and closed the car door. “Are Mom and Dad going, too?”
“No, it’s for the children’s home in Casper. They’re sending the kids on a field trip with volunteers so the staff can have the weekend off.” Derek turned toward the house and fell in step beside his brother. “We have three going from our church—Cheyenne, Kandi, and me.”
“Who’s Kandi?”
“A girl I dated. She’s—”
“You? Dating?” Ryan stopped. “Get out of here! You’ve never dated a girl in your life.”
Derek leaned against the porch rail. “Is there some rule that I can’t go out with a girl?”
“I’m not saying it’s bad.” Ryan set his box on the porch floor. “I’m just surprised. Ever since you were fifteen, you said you weren’t getting married until you’re forty. And I happen to know that you don’t like change.”
“I don’t.” Derek dropped the diaper bag down to the floor. “Actually, I’m not dating Kandi anymore.”
Ryan frowned. “Why not?”
Derek gave a shrug. “She’s not my type. I’m not
sure about marriage anyway. That would be a huge change in my life, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready for it.”
“It is a big adjustment and a big responsibility, especially when you have kids. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I love my family.” Ryan quirked an eyebrow at him. “What about Cheyenne? You two looked rather cozy. Did she ever tell you why she was crying?”
“No.” Derek folded his arms. “Cheyenne’s not interested in me. She’s dating Rex Pierson, our new neighbor, and it looks like they’re headed toward marriage.”
“Too bad. You and Cheyenne would make a great couple.”
Derek grimaced. “I know, although to be honest, I’ve been struggling with God’s will. Sometimes I think God wants me to remain single so I can serve Him.” He spread out his hands. “Next weekend I can go to Yellowstone to help out without worrying about leaving a family back home.”
Ryan shrugged. “If that’s what the Lord wants you to do, that’s great. But don’t forget the old saying, ‘Charity begins at home.’ I want to raise my children to be the next generation of Christians for Christ’s kingdom. I get to have an impact on my own family, which is a lot more than just a once-in-awhile charity thing for strangers.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
“I’ll keep you in prayer.” Ryan laid his hand on Derek’s shoulder. “Whatever you do, make sure that it’s God’s will, not your own.”
“Thanks, bro.” Derek picked up the diaper bag and followed Ryan into the house. He liked the thought of raising the next generation of Christians.
But he couldn’t think of one girl he wanted to marry—at least not one available girl.
Chapter 13
Cheyenne walked in the back door and released Marshal from the leash. “Dad? Are you home?”
That was a dumb question since his car was parked in the driveway. But it was only six o’clock on Saturday evening. Usually he wasn’t home from Wilkins Grocery until eight thirty.
He walked into the kitchen. “Hi, baby girl. I’m on my way out again.”
She raised her eyebrows at her father’s attire. “A dress shirt and slacks?”
Tumbleweed Weddings Page 40