Her Rodeo Rancher

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Her Rodeo Rancher Page 19

by M. K. Stelmack


  She let her anger feed her. Easier to make the break with a white-hot iron.

  “Don’t try to change the subject. Don’t you get that you are risking your ability to lead the life you want by not taking care of yourself right now?”

  “I don’t need the lecture, Krista. I get it from my physiotherapist and the doctor.”

  “What does your doctor have to say?”

  “Nothing yet. The tests haven’t come back yet.”

  Krista shoved her hands into her hair. This was worse and worse. She stared out across the pasture, while he tore through his potato salad, clearly eager to get back to hatching bales.

  “Did you mention the no-lifting prescription to your mother? Or the tests?”

  “What does my mother have to do with this?”

  “Because I can guarantee that if you had mentioned either of those things to her, she wouldn’t let you anywhere near this tractor. You would probably be getting served supper in bed.”

  “She doesn’t exactly pamper me.”

  “And you don’t seem to pamper yourself, at all,” she said.

  “I am taking it easy,” he said. “I already told you that.”

  “I closed a fence! That took effort from my shoulders. You open and close that fence and probably a dozen others, on top of swinging sledge mauls and toolboxes and saddles and what all, all day long. And you’re still planning that celebrity ride!”

  He started to smile, that slow, easy Claverley classic that had always made her go weak. Even now she could feel her stomach clench, but she wasn’t giving in this time.

  She hopped off the tailgate and began to pace, which wasn’t easy when long stalks of grass caught in her flip-flops. “Don’t you dare, Will. You mistake my ranting here for someone who cares. Fine, I do care. But not the way you think. I care about your selfish disregard for your health and what it might have meant for our future together.”

  He stopped chewing. “‘Might have meant’?”

  His flat voice chilled Krista, but he needed to hear this or—more to the point—she needed to say it. “You go off and commit to something, even when you know it’s not in your best interest. Worse, knowing it can damage you. And then you tell me that you want to see if we have a future together. I’ll tell you what I see for a future. A life with a man who can’t carry our kids in his arms.”

  His eyes glimmered. “So, you want kids, then?”

  “When did I say otherwise?”

  “About the same amount of times you said you did. And after what happened the other night—”

  “Since you keep bringing up my evening with Austin, let’s be honest. Yes, it was difficult taking care of him. I’ve never babysat a kid so small before. But I was also frustrated because I couldn’t get in touch with you. You weren’t doing it deliberately, I understood that, but I realized that a life with you would pretty much be a life alone.”

  He shook his head. “What do you mean? It’s a busy time of year for me.”

  “And it’s busy for me, too. And I’m doing it alone, which is my choice and given the nature of my business, the way it’ll always be. There’s no one to call upon, is there? There’s no substitute Krista out there, and that’s fine. I didn’t name it Krista’s Place for nothing.”

  “You think it’ll be different with another guy?”

  “Will, this isn’t about another guy. It’s about you and me.”

  Will tossed the salad back into the cooler. “Really? Because as big and empty as this place is, it always feels as if we’re dealing with your ex.”

  “I would love nothing better than for him to leave me alone.”

  “I would love the same thing, but being with you is like hooking onto a net that drags everything with it.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He took off his baseball cap, scratched his forehead and set his cap back down, his jerky movements conveying his irritation. “It means that everybody comes with stuff. You come with a stalker-ex and a family—”

  “What’s wrong with my family?”

  “Nothing, except they love being on the water, and I’ll probably have to go on that boat again—”

  “If you are ever invited,” Krista said. “How has my family become part of this?”

  “Because aren’t we talking about our future together, and doesn’t that usually include families? Isn’t that what’s got you so upset—because you’d have to deal with my family?”

  “How can I not?”

  “Yes, it comes with the territory, but is it really that you can’t deal with me? We could’ve had a nice, quiet meal together, you and me. And believe it or not, ever since you texted, at noon, I could hardly wait for this moment. You and me, talking about our days and making plans because hey, I’m finished this field tonight and could plan time with you.”

  “And exactly what would we plan to do together? Go to the beach? Take in a rodeo? Hang out with my family? Hang out with yours? I suppose I could give you a pedicure. That went well. I could talk to you about my day, but I can’t share what my customers said or even who they are, and what do you care if I can’t decide which line of lotions to carry?”

  He drew himself up, hands hanging loosely at his sides. “What exactly are you trying to tell me, Krista?”

  “I want you to be honest with me. I want you to genuinely answer this question. Now that we’ve dated, do you believe you and I have a future together?”

  His eyes flickered away, and in that tiny motion, she realized his answer was the same as hers. That this conversation was probably the same one that had played in his mind for a while now and accounted for his quietness around her. He sighed and raised his eyes to hers. “No. We don’t.”

  And there it was. She was right. Time to finish what she’d started. “Then it doesn’t matter if we care for each other, and I do care for you, Will, in a way that I haven’t cared for anybody.” She wouldn’t speak of love now, that seemed cruel and pointless, to them both. “In a way that hasn’t changed since I was sixteen. And maybe when I was sixteen, we were more compatible than we are now because then I didn’t have a different life to give up. But now—”

  She broke off. Restarted. “If either of us has to give up who we are to be with the other, then what’s the point?”

  Will lowered his head and she saw his hands flex. “Bridget warned me that you’d dump me.” He raised his head; his eyes burned into hers. “That you’d dump me and not look back. Isn’t that what you’re doing, Krista? The heart wants what the heart wants, and your heart wants out.”

  No. She wanted a way in, but both of them knew it was impossible. “Yes,” she whispered. “I want out.”

  “Go, then,” he said. “I’ve got a field to finish.”

  As she bumped back to the yard in the truck, her insides bumped and rattled along, too. She was coming apart but she had to hold it together until she was once again in the safety of her own home. She parked the truck and hurried across to her car. Janet stood from her flower bed, Austin happily playing in the dirt. She likely wanted a report on Will’s progress. Krista yanked her car into reverse. Well, he could tell her.

  Oh, he could also tell her what the physiotherapist had said.

  Except he wouldn’t.

  She slammed the car back into Park and marched across the lawn to Janet.

  “I won’t be showing up here anymore, which I’m sure is a big relief to you. But it might interest you to learn that your bonehead son, the older one, has decided to disobey his doctor and destroy his life. You can do something about it, or be like me and turn your back on all that.”

  Having finally said everythig she intended, Krista spun away and left.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  WILL INTENDED TO load up on cereal, toss back his pills and take his coffee down to the barn to work with the horses. But h
e arrived in the ranch kitchen as his mother poured the dregs of the pot into her cup.

  “I’ll make another pot,” she said.

  But he was already tucking in a new filter. Though, given his state of mind, he might chew the ground beans straight from the bag. He switched on the coffeepot and leaned against the counter.

  In his high chair by the table, Austin shoveled scrambled egg into his mouth.

  “When did he start using a spoon instead of dropping it?”

  “After watching his grandfather operate the front end loader, no doubt.”

  Will reached into the cupboard for the cereal box.

  “That’s Krista food,” his mother said. “I’ll make you scrambled eggs, too. Hash browns are warm in the oven.”

  “Krista food?”

  His mother got cracking. “She fed it to Austin when she was taking care of him. Pieces were stuck to his bib.”

  Krista wasn’t his anymore, but Will felt a shot of defensiveness. “She fed him. Along with bathing him.”

  “I’m not complaining. Austin is not her responsibility.” She was whipping the eggs into a froth. “Krista stopped by before she left last night.”

  If possible, the pain in his shoulder ratcheted to torture levels.

  “Why didn’t you tell her about what the doctor had said?” She poured the eggs into the hot pan with a great sizzle.

  “It was no secret. She already knew.”

  “She knew you had a weak shoulder. But you deliberately hid from her how bad it was. And I bet you’ve hid the worst of it from your father and me, too.” He couldn’t meet her eyes and she grunted, whisking the crap out of the eggs.

  He sighed. “Point is, I didn’t want her to see how bad my shoulder might be.” Will opened the oven to take out the hash browns and load them onto his plate. “It’s all right for a guy to have an injury that heals, but something chronic and permanent, something that prevents him from carrying on with life, that’s completely different.”

  His mom ladled out his scrambled eggs. “So you withheld the truth to impress a girl. And how did that work out?”

  She had him. “I’m eating.” He made a beeline for the table. He flicked egg from his nephew’s hair and replaced it with a kiss. “Tell me what you’ve got planned today, buddy.”

  “Whatever you two decide. I’m helping your dad with the horses. You’re on Austin duty.”

  Austin and Will looked worriedly at each other. “When’s Keith back?”

  “Three, hopefully. There’s roast beef in the fridge to make us sandwiches. We’ll be up at noon.”

  “Mom, I’m not going back to the way things were,” he said. “Remember? Sitting around either in a hospital or here, watching shows in the middle of the day like a senior. Except at least a senior can say they’ve done something in life. Don’t you remember? All I could be trusted to do was hold Austin when he was sleeping, which a bed could’ve done just as well.”

  His mother dropped the frying pan into the sink with a clatter. “Face facts, Will. You’re heading straight back to sitting around again, and this time, if you don’t, there might not be any point to you getting out of the chair.”

  “I’m sure I’ll find a way to stumble on,” he said, “for what it’s worth.”

  His mother drew herself up. “Are you saying this place isn’t worth it?”

  He wasn’t sure what he was saying. He only knew that twenty-four hours ago he had plans, plans for one-on-one time with Krista, plans to tell her his intentions to buy out Keith and Laura, plans to share his dreams and see if she’d like to be part of them. To keep trying despite logic shaking its head. Now they’d been scrapped. “I guess part of my plans had to do with settling down, and I guess that’s not going to happen.”

  “Maybe your plan should be,” she said, “to come up with some fancy talking to get Krista back.”

  “We agreed to end it.”

  “You two haven’t been together for two months. Even your brother’s disastrous relationship lasted longer.”

  Maybe long enough. Krista had been an indulgence, a life experience that he normally wouldn’t expose himself to. They’d not carried things far enough for there to be the complication of an unexpected pregnancy. He glanced over at Austin. Not that he would’ve minded. Krista wouldn’t have abandoned their baby. She would be part of his life in one form or another for the rest of their lives.

  He wished things had become more complicated with Krista.

  “I guess we were smarter about its chances of success.” Except he must’ve woken twenty times last night, each time the loss of Krista pounding through him like the pain through his shoulder. Right now, he wasn’t sure which pain was worse. He tossed back his pills. One of those agonies he could lessen. “C’mon, I thought you’d be relieved it’s over between me and Krista.”

  His mom poured coffee into two thermos mugs. “She’s grown on me. She’s been good to Laura. And she’s the first girl you’ve gone out with who actually seems to care about your well-being as much as I do.”

  From rock to hard place. From Krista to shoulder. His mother was relentless. “I intend to rest over the next few days.”

  “You’re only resting because there’s a break in the field work. I can operate a baler as well as you.”

  “But you shouldn’t have to, Mom. That’s my job.”

  “We run a farm,” she said. “It’s everyone’s job.”

  Disappointment and frustration flared up. “Four generations of Claverleys, and it all comes to an end with me. Too busted up to carry on the name.”

  “The name? Is that what this is all about? You ended things with Krista because of a name?” His mom pointed at herself. “Osterhuis. That’s my maiden name. That’s half of what you are. The best any Claverley can ever be is half of one. The other half is made by women with a different name, a different upbringing, a different way of thinking. There hasn’t been a Claverley man who hasn’t had to accept those differences. You’re no exception. Stew on that while you change the diaper of the next generation of Claverleys.”

  * * *

  KRISTA SCOOTED ON her wheeled stool from Mara to Bridget, pulling along her mobile pedicure station. Booked so tightly now, she was rethinking her one-on-one model. The trick was to deliver quality to both customers, so neither felt neglected and she didn’t appear rushed. If she could work out the bugs with her sisters, she’d be good to go.

  But relaxed sisters on their Thursday night out made for chatty sisters, and the subject tonight was once again her.

  “Are you sure there’s no chance of reconciliation?” Bridget said, wriggling in her chair. “There’s something stabby in the back. It’s not as comfortable as your first one.”

  “But I lucked out on the other one. Do you know how much they cost new?”

  Bridget gave her a look, the same one she’d given Sofia when the girl had complained her carrot sticks were on the wrong side of her plate. “Three months ago you would’ve been over the moon to be so busy you needed a second chair. You got what you wanted. Stop finding problems.”

  Her big sister had a point. Her dream business was a roaring success, thanks in no small part to her stint as Will’s fake girlfriend. But it had come at the cost of their relationship.

  “You’re right,” Krista confessed. “I should be happy.”

  “But you’re not,” Mara said, dabbling her toes in the warm water, “which brings us back to Bridget’s question.”

  “Nothing has changed. It’s the same answer I gave Mara the night I broke up with Will.”

  “Things might’ve changed in four days.”

  “They haven’t, they won’t. What color did you decide on, Mara?”

  “White with yellow daisy decals.”

  Krista suspected Mara’s choice was intended to lengthen their time to grill her. Bridget, too, pi
cked a shade that would require three coats.

  “Could we have a change of topic, please?”

  “Sure,” Bridget said, “how’s the Troll?”

  Her name for Phillip. He apparently had not learned that she and Will had broken up as his memes persisted. She dried her hands on a towel and showed her sisters his latest creation. Krista-doll was puckered up, waiting for Will-doll to kiss her. The quip: The longest ten seconds is not riding on a horse.

  “Krista-doll also blogged a recipe on how to make cow patties,” she added.

  Her sisters made grossed-out faces. Bridget moaned as the rods in her chair kneaded her lower back. “How’s your counter-campaign going to work now that you and Will aren’t together?”

  Not together. Another relationship she’d ended. She should’ve felt relief or satisfaction that she’d done the right thing. Except...she missed him. She missed sending him texts and waiting for his lame, short replies. She missed not making plans with him. Worse, she couldn’t stop worrying about his injury. “It’s not going to,” she said. “I’m sure Alyssa can carry on with Will.”

  “People will notice,” Mara mused. “Most of the comments on the Celebrity Ride page are about how cute you two are together.”

  “If they only knew the truth,” Krista said, setting Mara’s foot on her lap and applying the file.

  Mara jerked. “Leave a little skin.”

  “Sorry.” Krista cupped her hand around her sister’s toes to restore the relaxed vibe she’d clearly botched. She’d better siphon away her negative energy over Will before her real clients arrived. “You’ve seen us together. We have nothing in common. We’d make each other miserable. Real Will would turn into Will-doll.”

  “Doesn’t mean you two didn’t enjoy being with each other,” Bridget said, her words slurred from the kneading effect of the chair.

  “Easy for you to say, Bridge. You and Jack function like one person. Eat together, work together, talk together, parent together. Will and I don’t have a thing in common. By the way, Phillip and I also looked good together.”

 

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