“Nope.” But Lucas had learned in this business that sometimes it was best to take initiative and ask for forgiveness later. Or, better yet, make people like you so much that you never had to ask for forgiveness at all. “He’ll be surprised to see us, that’s for sure.” Not only because they were showing up at his ranch two days before the auction, but also because Lucas wasn’t there representing Bill McGowen. That alone might make Wellington shit his pants.
It also might give them an advantage. While most players in this game catered to Bill McGowen, the vast majority of them didn’t like him, because he was a cutthroat businessman who cared only about the bottom line. These were rural people. Family and values meant something to them. So while Lucas hadn’t asked Wellington for permission to come early and check out Reckoning II, he was sure the man would be open to hearing him out.
“Can’t believe how fast the drive went,” Lance said, hardly watching the road. Not that he had to. It was straight and flat the whole way. “Remember when we used to go on road trips with Dad?”
Lucas laughed. “Man, those were brutal.” Probably a hell of a lot worse for Luis than it was for them, having his three boys wrestling in the backseat the whole way.
“Were you disappointed when Naomi got the test results?” Lance asked.
Lucas automatically gazed out the window, his smile fading fast. He’d managed to avoid talking about this during the whole five-hour drive. They’d filled the silence mostly with discussing logistics for the ranch, but now there was nowhere to hide.
“Because you seemed disappointed,” his brother persisted. “And I wouldn’t blame you if you were. That’s gotta hurt.”
“Yeah. It sucks.” But he wasn’t going to dwell on it. In his mind it didn’t matter if Gracie was his biological daughter or not. “I could still be her dad, too.” If Naomi would stop pushing him away every time they got close. “I mean, I’d be the best stepdad I could if things worked out between her mom and I.”
His brother drove under the modest wooden Wellington sign posted over a wide metal gate. Thankfully the gate was already open.
“You gonna make things work out?”
“I’m trying.” Wasn’t that part of what he was doing here? After Naomi had kicked him out last night, he’d been restless, thinking through every possible way to win her over. But in order to do that, he had to build a life in Topaz Falls. He had to find a way to make a living there, to prove to her he was serious about staying. Which meant they had to make Lance’s stock contracting operation more lucrative. So he’d decided they’d drive out to Wellington’s to get the jump on any potential buyers. And, wanting to be upfront about it, he’d called Bill McGowen. The man hadn’t answered, so Lucas had left him a message telling him they needed to talk. He’d planned to resign, but McGowen hadn’t called him back yet.
The truck turned the corner and some of the ranch’s outbuildings came into view. Wellington did well selling off the bulls his family had raised for years, but you wouldn’t know it from the humble facilities. They were adequate but nothing fancy. “Park over there by that corral,” he instructed, confident that Wellington had already heard them coming and was heading outside.
Sure enough, the door to the log house opened and the man himself lumbered down the steps, sizing them up as they got out of the truck. He was in his early fifties, but sun exposure made him seem older. His tanned, leathery face and scraggly graying hair made him look meaner than he was, too.
“Cortez?” he squinted in the sunlight. “What’re you doing here? Auction’s not for two more days.”
“I know,” he said, sauntering around the truck to greet the man properly. Lance kind of hung back as though letting him take the lead.
Wellington looked back and forth between them like he wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
“I’m sure you recognize my brother. Lance Cortez.” Introductions were a mere formality. Everyone in the bull-riding world knew Lance.
“Yeah. You were a hell of a rider,” Wellington said, still looking confused. “Did McGowen send you out here early?”
“Actually, I’m not here on behalf of McGowen.” Lucas leaned against the tailgate. “I’m here on behalf of my family. We’re starting our own operation and need to purchase the best bulls in the business.”
Interest sparked in Wellington’s eyes. “McGowen know about this?”
“He will. As soon as I can get ahold of him.”
“He’s gonna be madder than a bobcat caught in a piss fire.” A low laugh growled out. “Wish I could be there to see his face.”
Yep. That’s what Lucas had been counting on. Secretly, a lot of these people didn’t want to see the man succeed. He stood taller and faced Wellington. “You know how I operate. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time.” They’d left Topaz Falls at four o’clock that morning, and he was hoping they’d be home in time for dinner. “We both know the range of bids that’ll come in for Reckoning II. And we’re willing to pay ten percent more.” The words brought on a niggling pain in his gut. He’d had to put up a lot of his own money to make this happen, so it’d better be worth it.
With that in mind, he gestured to the trailer. “We’d like to take him today. We can have the money transferred to your account as soon as you give the okay.”
Wellington’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You’re gonna pay ten percent more than what I’d get for the top bid at the auction?”
“Ten percent,” he confirmed. “Then you don’t have to go to the trouble of doing the auction. You’ve got a buyer here. And we’re ready to pay now.”
The man took his sweet time thinking it over, and Lucas didn’t push. He had a reputation. People trusted him. That’s what he would count on.
Finally, Wellington chuckled and shook his head. “You’re one gutsy cowboy, Cortez. I’ll give you that.”
Gutsy wasn’t exactly the best way to describe it. More like determined. He’d stand up to anyone if it meant he could be with Naomi.
“I’ll take the deal on one condition,” Wellington said, his eyes sly again.
“Sure. Whatever you want.” They couldn’t swing more cash, but it didn’t appear that’s what the man was after.
“You make sure to snap a picture of McGowen’s face when you tell him about this and send it to me.”
“I’ll do my best.” As long as he was still standing upright and Bill McGowen didn’t take him down.
* * *
“Isn’t this the sweetest baby bunny-wunny you’ve ever seen?” Gracie asked, peeking into the baby bunny’s kennel.
Naomi leaned down to see inside. “He’s pretty cute, all right.” The poor thing was all scrunched in a corner, trembling with fear. Probably as a result of her daughter’s enthusiasm. Gracie had been waiting all day to see the bunny again. When Naomi picked her up from camp, she begged to go straight back to the ranch instead of running errands so she could go up to the shelter.
“We can take him out and see if he’ll hop around,” Jessa said, pulling on some gloves. “But you have to promise not to touch him.”
“I won’t. I swear I won’t,” Gracie vowed, her eyes solemn.
“Okay, then.” Jessa opened the kennel and carefully lifted the small creature out, glancing over it before setting it on the ground. “There you go, little guy. Let’s see how that leg is feeling.”
The bunny simply scrunched up as though it was trying to burrow into the floor.
“Let’s give him a little time,” Jessa suggested. “You keep an eye on him, and your mom and I will go over there and have a chat.” She pointed to her desk on the other side of the room.
Shaking her head, Naomi followed Jessa, bracing herself. They hadn’t talked since she’d picked up Gracie last night, and her friend was obviously dying to hear details about her and Lucas.
“So Gracie seems fine today, huh?” Jessa asked, pulling another chair over.
“Yes. She begged to go to camp.” They were going swimming that day and s
he hated to miss the swim days. “After I got her home last night, she admitted that she’d had three cookies and two brownies in addition to the M&Ms Lance gave her. So I’m guessing that’s what upset her stomach.” Normally, she limited her daughter’s sugar intake, but she’d been distracted.
“That’ll do it.” Jessa cleared her throat loudly and leaned closer with a smirk. “So what were you and Lucas doing when I called?”
“Oh, you know…” Naomi kept an eye on Gracie, who was now lying on the floor near the baby bunny, doing her best to coax it into hopping.
“No…I don’t know.” Her friend lowered her voice. “I can guess, though. If I have to.”
She didn’t have to guess. It had to be pretty obvious from the way her face flushed. “He was amazing. So supportive. Understanding. He always knows what to say.” And yet nothing about their situation was simple.
“So you’re telling me you two just talked?”
“He kissed me and I lost my mind,” she admitted in a whisper. “We were half-naked on the couch when you called.”
“I knew it!” Jessa cried, smacking her palm against her thigh.
“What did you know?” Gracie asked, pausing from the hopping lesson.
“I knew you’d be the best doctor for that bunny,” her friend said skillfully.
Gracie just grinned and went back to work.
“So are you going to see him again? Tonight?” her friend pestered. “Lance and I will take Gracie. It’s okay if she throws up. It’s good practice for us.”
“No.” She let her head fall back to rest against the chair. “I’m not seeing him tonight, and I don’t know if I should spend any more time with him.”
“What? Why?” Jessa demanded. “He cares about you. And Gracie.”
“I care about him, too.” She could love him again. So easily. “But right now I have to focus on Gracie. I have to help her through this situation with Mark.” It was an easy excuse to hide behind. “Besides, Lucas is planning to go back to the McGowen Ranch. You said so yourself.”
“I’m not sure about that.” Her smile was all mystery. “He took Lance up to Wyoming today. They went to purchase some bull that’s supposed to be the next champion.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” And why hadn’t Lance mentioned another purchase? They didn’t exactly have extra money to throw around.
“Lucas was supposed to purchase the bull for McGowen,” Jessa whispered. “But he’s helping Lance buy it first.”
“Really?” A tendril of hope wrapped itself around her heart. “Won’t he lose his job?”
“Maybe that’s the idea.” Her friend obviously hoped that was the idea, judging from the excitement glittering in her eyes. “Maybe he wants to stay. Maybe—”
Jessa’s phone chimed from the desk. She rolled her eyes and glanced at the screen. The woman hated to be interrupted when she was romanticizing. “Oh! That’s them now. They’re up at the corral.” She popped out of the chair and reached for Naomi’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go see our men.”
Our men? “Hold on.” Naomi tried to dig in her heels, but Jessa nudged her from behind.
While her friend stashed the bunny in its cage and shooed Gracie toward the door, she hung back. She didn’t have the space in her heart to entertain any maybes. Not for her daughter and not for herself, either.
As they walked up the road, Gracie chattered about possible names for the baby bunny, but Naomi couldn’t focus. Had Lucas really sacrificed his job to help Lance? Or had he done it for her? Nerves sparked in her stomach. He shouldn’t give up anything for her. What could she give him in return?
“Uncle Lance! Lucas!” Gracie sprinted up ahead of them to the corral fence.
“Gracie!” Naomi ran after her, afraid she’d hop right over and sprint into the arena. Instead, her daughter stopped where Lance stood on the outside of the gate.
Glancing past them, Naomi caught sight of Lucas in the corral. He walked slowly behind the biggest bull Naomi had ever seen. The beast was white with brown splotches, a massive snout, and lethal-looking horns.
Lucas lightly tapped the bull’s backside with a long pointed stick and the creature tossed his head back with a snort.
“Oh my God,” she breathed. “He’s gonna get himself killed.”
“No he’s not.” Lance grinned. “He’s gonna train him.”
“That cow is huge!” Gracie climbed on the fence as though she wanted a better look. “Be careful, Lucas!” she called. “Don’t let him step on you!”
Lucas sent a quick glance over his shoulder and waved, then went back to stalking the bull.
“Holy moly. That thing must weigh two thousand pounds.” Jessa moved to Lance’s other side and snuggled under his arm as though looking for protection. Naomi wished Lucas would come over and snuggle with her instead of standing so close to that thing. If it lurched back at all, it’d trample him.
“Ladies, meet Reckoning II. The toughest bad—” Lance caught himself before he swore in front of Gracie. The girl was a stickler. “I mean the toughest son of a gun in the sport of bull riding.”
“Looks pretty tough,” Naomi agreed, keeping a wary eye on Lucas. He eased along right behind the bull and jabbed its hind end again. Reckoning II tossed his head and let out a vicious grunt, saliva flying from his mouth.
“Oh dear God.” She stopped breathing and curled her fingers around the fence railing, trying to steady herself. Lucas didn’t seem nervous at all. His eyes were narrow and focused, his stance authoritative. The deep humming that had thrummed through her body last night started again. He was so strong and steady, and God, he looked sexy in worn jeans, a tattered T-shirt, and a black cowboy hat. Heightwise, Lucas was barely as tall as the bull, but his presence held all the control.
“See that?” Lance asked, shaking his head. “The bull whisperer. Reckoning’s going exactly where Lucas wants him to go.”
“Let’s hope he doesn’t turn on him,” Jessa muttered, sharing a glance with Naomi.
Yes. Let’s hope. She knew this was what he did for a living—and from the looks of things, he was good at it—but watching him out there still rattled her.
“Come on, Reckoning,” Lucas drawled as though teasing the bull. “Let’s see you jump. I know you’ve got more than this.” He prodded the bull a few times and the beast started to trot. “Atta boy.” Lucas lightly tapped the stick against the bull’s back legs like he wanted to provoke it. Suddenly, it launched into the air, jackknifing its body.
Naomi gasped, but Lucas had anticipated it, and dodged out of the way just before getting kicked.
“There it is.” Lucas gave the bull some space while it continued bucking and snorting out its frustration at being pestered.
“This here’s a fighting bull,” he called over, as though proud of Reckoning’s tantrum.
“Are you sure he won’t hurt you?” Naomi couldn’t help but ask. It was the mother in her.
“Yeah, Lucas!” Gracie yelled, dropping from the fence to stand on the ground. “He looks so mean!”
The bull had settled some. Lucas backed away from it and sauntered to the fence. He knelt across from Gracie. “Don’t you worry. He’s not gonna hurt me. He’ll tolerate me ’cause I fed him the good stuff a few hours ago.”
Her daughter nodded slowly, her eyes open wide with unmistakable awe. Though she guarded her own expression, Naomi could relate. This man was so appealing, with his strength and patient persistence. Why had she cut things off last night, again?
Lucas stood and faced her, those arms and chest so broad.
“Gracie, do you want to help me feed some carrots to the horses?” Jessa asked a little too eagerly.
“I love feeding the horses!” Her daughter was already skipping toward the barn.
“Come on. You too,” Jessa told her future husband, nudging him away from the fence.
“What?” he demanded as though put out. “I don’t want to feed the horses.”
“Yes y
ou do,” she countered, widening her eyes in Naomi and Lucas’s direction.
“They can talk in front of me,” Lance argued.
“We’re feeding the horses.” With a prim smile, Jessa linked her arm through his and dragged him away.
Lucas watched them go with that same small smile that had revved her up last night. Behind him, the bull was calm as a kitten, now chawing happily on some hay from a trough in the corner of the pen.
“Are you going to lose your job?” Naomi asked, wondering how she could be so comfortable and nervous at the same time.
“It’s likely,” he said, tipping up his hat as though he wanted to see more of her. The sun made his lustrous eyes glisten.
Her heart thrummed. “What will you do?” she half-whispered.
“Lance said he has an opening. Might fit me just right.” The words were casual, but his eyes locked on hers.
“You’re staying?” she asked cautiously.
“I’m sure as hell gonna try.”
Chapter Thirteen
This was a bad idea.” Lucas hung back next to Lance’s pickup where no one else could see him.
“What’d you mean?” Levi asked, coming around the other side. “This is perfect. You help out with the fire mitigation for a while, show that you’re concerned for citizens of Topaz Falls, and you’re back in the fold. Simple as that.”
“Yeah. Simple.” Sometimes it appeared his younger brother actually grew up in Disneyland. Or maybe all that optimism was the result of everyone jumping in front of him to take on the brunt of the shit storm in his place.
“No one’s gonna say anything.” His father hauled a chain saw out of the truck bed. Never mind that the man had Parkinson’s. He wasn’t about to be left at home or leave the heavy lifting to his sons.
Lance took the chain saw away from their father before Lucas could get to it. “This is important work. They know we need all the help we can get.”
He had a point. They had a hell of a lot to do. With the dry spring and a hot start to the summer, most of the brush and dead trees on the outskirts of town would make great kindling. One spark and the whole mountain could go up in flames.
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