No Ordinary Cowboy (Mills & Boon American Romance) (Rodeo Rebels - Book 6)

by Marin Thomas

  Tony opened the door to the waiting room. “Evita, it’s Tony. We’re here.”

  “C’mon back.”

  He pointed to an open door at the end of the hall. “Have fun,” he said then made himself comfortable in a leather recliner in the relaxation room.

  One slow step at a time Lucy hobbled to the end of the corridor. “Hello. I’m Lucy Durango,” she said, pausing in the doorway.

  “I’m Evita.”

  Lucy felt as if she’d been punched in the windpipe. Evita was the pretty, dark-eyed-black-haired quintessentially Hispanic girl Maria Bravo had wanted her son to marry.

  “Tony said you’re a little stiff after your workout today.” Evita peeled back the cover on the table.

  “If you can help my back, that would be great.” Lucy forced a smile.

  “You’ll be standing tall and straight when I’m finished with you.”

  “I don’t know about tall, but I’ll take straight.” While Evita set out a selection of lotions and oils on the tray next to the table, Lucy said, “Thank you for staying open late to help me.”

  “Tony’s a great guy. I’d do anything for him.”

  Lucy wanted to ask the meaning of anything but kept quiet.

  “Have you ever had a massage before?” Evita asked.

  “I’ve had facials but not massages. I didn’t need one until today.”

  “Take all your clothes off except your underwear, then slide beneath the covers. We’ll start with your lower back since that’s where most of your discomfort is.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Evita closed the door, allowing Lucy privacy to undress. She heard murmurs in the hallway and assumed Tony was regaling Evita with exaggerated stories about Lucy’s bull-riding blunders.

  When Lucy stretched out on the table her lower back protested, but she gritted her teeth and extended her legs. She’d just pulled the covers over her fanny when a knock sounded and the door opened.

  Gathering Lucy’s hair, Evita secured the mass with a clip. “I like to chatter while I work, but if you prefer quiet, I won’t say a word.”

  “Talk as much as you’d like.” The noise would drown out Lucy’s groans.

  “First, I’m going to examine your back and shoulders to see which muscles are in distress right now. If I push or poke too hard, just say enough.”

  “Enough.” Lucy camouflaged her grimace with a smile.

  “I haven’t even started.”

  “I know, but I ache everywhere.”

  “You’ll feel like a whole new woman in a little while.” Evita squirted warm massage oil onto Lucy’s skin and the scent of eucalyptus permeated the room. “What were you doing that caused all this distress with your muscles?”

  “Tony didn’t tell you?”

  “No.”

  “I was learning how to ride a bull.”

  “What for?”

  “I’m holding a fundraiser to help keep my nonprofit company in business.”

  “You’re talking about the Pony Express?”

  “Yes. You know about my business?”

  “I read the write-up in the Yuma papers a couple of years ago.”

  “Well, I’m still in business but for how long I don’t know.”

  “What does bull riding have to do with your fundraiser?” Evita pressed her fingertips deep into Lucy’s shoulder. “Too hard?”

  “Yes, but don’t stop.” After Lucy caught her breath, she said, “I’m riding in three rodeos this summer, and for every second I stay on the bull, I earn money for the Pony Express.”

  “Gutsy.” A minute of silence passed then Evita said, “I’m sorry about your brother, Lucy.”

  “Thanks. I miss him a lot. Did you know Michael well?”

  “No. Tony and I didn’t begin dating until after your brother died, but Tony talked about Michael a lot.”

  Lucy forgot to exhale, and when Evita pushed against her lower back, the air in her lungs exploded in a loud moan.

  Evita’s hands froze. “Are you okay?”

  “Fine,” Lucy wheezed, still grappling with the news that Tony had moved on so quickly after their relationship ended.

  “How long did you and Tony date?”

  “About seven months. He asked me to marry him last Thanksgiving.”

  Lucy stiffened and Evita said, “Relax.”

  Stunned that Tony had been engaged and she hadn’t known about it, Lucy said, “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened?”

  “I don’t want to bring up bad memories for you.”

  “Are you saying your breakup with Tony had to do with my brother’s death?”

  “Sort of.”

  Would the nightmare never end? “Tell me, Evita.” She needed to know.

  “Tony tried to move on after Michael’s death, but he couldn’t.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He said he didn’t deserve to be happy when his best friend was dead.” Evita poured oil across Lucy’s shoulders and worked the muscles. “I insisted Tony see a grief counselor and he did a few times, but in the end he confessed that he’d only make me miserable, so he broke off our engagement.”

  Lucy’s eyes welled with tears. The collateral damage continued to add up. How would she ever make amends for all the pain she’d caused everyone?

  “I’m sorry, Evita. I don’t know what to say.”

  “I’m in a good place right now,” Evita said. “My business partner, Nathan, and I have been dating for several months and we have a great relationship.”

  “I hope things work out for you two.”

  Evita used her magic hands and Lucy drifted off to sleep. Sometime later, she woke up in an empty room. Slowly, she tested her muscles—a few twinges but no sharp pain. Feeling lethargic, she dressed then stepped into the hallway. Evita and Tony were in the relaxation room chatting like old friends—all they’d ever be because of Lucy. She closed the door to the massage room loudly to warn them of her presence.

  “You’re standing up straight,” Tony said as Lucy walked toward him.

  “Evita has magic hands just like the sign claims.”

  “Come back anytime,” Evita said. “I’ll work you into my schedule.”

  “What do I owe for the massage?” Lucy opened her billfold and removed a credit card.

  Waving her off Evita said, “Nothing.”

  “I can’t accept a free massage.”

  “The massage was my contribution to your fundraiser.”

  A lump formed in Lucy’s throat. If Evita knew Lucy was the cause of everyone’s pain she might change her mind. “Thank you.” The darn massage had not only loosened her muscles but also the tight grip she’d had on her emotions. She had to leave before she embarrassed herself. “Meet you outside,” she said to Tony.

  The sun had set but the temperature remained hot, the day’s heat still radiating off the blacktop. She’d just opened her truck door when Tony stepped from the building.

  “You feel up to visiting Nina?” he asked.

  “Sure.”

  “What’s the matter?” He grasped her arm. “You’re awfully quiet.”

  “I’m quiet because the massage made me tired,” she lied.

  “Leave your truck here and let me drive. I have to come back this way to my apartment so I can drop you off.”

  Too emotionally exhausted to put up a fuss, she hopped into Tony’s truck and closed her eyes. She had no idea how much time had passed when he nudged her shoulder.

  “Lucy.”

  She blinked in a daze.

  “We’re at Carmen’s grandmother’s home.”

  Lucy got out of the truck, pleasantly surprised that her muscles hadn’t seized up, and she felt only a few minor twing
es when she walked with Tony to the front door.

  The small adobe house sat in the middle of the block. Unlike several neighbors who’d allowed their landscaping to become overgrown and scrubby, Carmen’s grandmother had a manicured front yard and a porch decorated with potted plants.

  A young woman in uniform answered the door after Tony knocked.

  “Hey, Tony, c’mon in.”

  “This is Lucy Durango,” Tony said. “Lucy, this is Carmen.”

  “Hello.” Lucy shook hands with the officer.

  “Lucy was worried about Nina and Maddie,” he said.

  “Those two are inseparable.” Carmen shut the door and locked it. “My grandmother wasn’t too pleased when she found Maddie sleeping on the bed with Nina this morning, but the dog is so cute, she’s won her over.” Carmen led the way to the back of the house.

  The kitchen was tiny, the walls painted a sunflower yellow. Spanish tile covered the countertops and a bistro table sat in the corner where Nina was eating ice cream and Carmen’s grandmother sewed a button on a pair of pink shorts. Maddie sat next to Nina’s chair, one paw on the girl’s thigh. The dog’s gaze traveled back and forth between the bowl of ice cream and Nina’s mouth each time the little girl took a bite.

  Carmen spoke in Spanish and Lucy caught a few words, surmising that she told her grandmother who Tony and Lucy were.

  The older woman spoke to Carmen and Tony translated for Lucy. “She offered us ice cream.”

  “No, thank you.” Lucy smiled at the older woman.

  “Let’s sit outside on the patio.” Carmen grabbed a grill lighter from the counter then cut through an enclosed porch containing a washing machine and an assortment of storage bins. The backyard was surrounded by a cinder-block wall; a picnic table sat on a cement slab near the back door. Carmen lit two tiki torches, which provided enough light to see across the dark yard.

  “Have you learned anything new from Nina?” Tony asked.

  “She said something this morning that might be useful.” Carmen sat across the table from Tony. “Nina mentioned that the men who drove them to the mine looked like cowboys and were dressed all in black.”

  “Did she see any tattoos?” Tony asked.

  “She didn’t remember any markings on the men. They wore long-sleeved shirts.”

  “It’s got to be the Sinaloa Cartel. They’re known for using clean-cut drivers so they don’t raise suspicions among the locals.”

  While Carmen and Tony talked, Lucy’s respect for their profession grew by leaps and bounds. She’d always been aware of the challenges the border patrol faced in southern Arizona but their knowledge of Mexican cartels and the decades-long drug wars more than impressed her.

  “When’s the chief setting up a surveillance team at the mine?” Carmen glanced between Tony and Lucy.

  “We’re monitoring chat rooms right now and it looks like the gang might be back this way in a couple of weeks. Will it be a problem if Nina stays here until we can arrange to return her to her parents?”

  “My grandmother’s happy to have someone to take care of and keep her company.” Carmen spoke to Lucy. “Is it okay if the dog stays here until Nina returns to Mexico?”

  “That’s fine, but I hope Nina knows that Maddie can’t go home with her.” Lucy couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to the dog. She owed it to her brother to keep Maddie safe.

  “We’ll make sure Maddie remains with us when the authorities take Nina home.” Tony stood. “If you see anyone watching your grandmother’s house, we’ll need to change Nina’s location.”

  They went inside and Tony and Carmen chatted with Nina in Spanish while Lucy paid attention to Maddie, giving the dog a good scratch behind the ears. “Take care of Nina, Maddie. She needs you.”

  The boxer’s tail swished as if she understood the command. Lucy nodded to the grandmother and waited outside on the front porch while Tony said goodbye. Once the door shut behind him they walked in silence to his truck. Not a word was spoken during the drive back to the strip mall.

  “Thanks for your help today,” she said when Tony parked next to her vehicle.

  He grabbed her hand when she reached for the door. “You won’t change your mind about riding bulls?”

  “No.” The warmth of his callused fingers made it difficult to concentrate.

  “There’s a junior rodeo in Tuba City next weekend. I know the producer. I’ll ask if you can practice on one of the bulls after the rodeo. It’ll give you a chance to ride a bull in a real chute, hear the buzzer and work on your dismount.”

  “Really?” Lucy’s heart thumped with excitement.

  “Until then, try to practice your dismounts on Curly. Lauren knows what to watch for and can help you.”

  “I’ll call P.T. tomorrow and ask if I can go out there again.”

  “I’m working a special assignment next week so I won’t be around to help you.”

  “Are you going undercover?”

  “Yes.”

  When he didn’t offer any further information, Lucy said, “I think I’ll use the hot tub before I go to bed tonight.”

  The heated look in Tony’s eyes curled her toes. “You’ll call me about the Tuba City rodeo?” she asked.

  “Yep.”

  “Thanks.” Lucy got out of the truck then hopped into hers. Tony tailed her through town before turning off at the second intersection and heading north to his apartment while Lucy continued east back to Stagecoach.

  * * *

  THURSDAY AFTERNOON Tony sat at his desk completing paperwork after a two-day stakeout had failed to turn up any evidence of gun smuggling along the border. Thoughts of Lucy interrupted his concentration. Yesterday he’d phoned her with the news that she could practice on a bull after Saturday’s junior rodeo. This morning he’d texted her a reminder to bring Lauren’s protective gear if the vest and face mask she’d ordered didn’t arrive before Saturday. And right now he struggled against the urge to phone her just so he could hear her voice.

  He’d signed on to help Lucy with the rodeos—not that he’d had much choice—but he sure hadn’t agreed to all the worry that came with the job. Worry was another word for care. He cared about Lucy and felt a sense of duty to keep his best friend’s sister safe.

  Keep telling yourself that and you might just believe it.

  Okay, so he still had feelings for Lucy. Strong feelings. Deep feelings. The kind of feelings that yanked on heartstrings. But that didn’t mean he had to act on them.

  After Michael had died, Tony attempted to move on and forget about Lucy, but that had backfired on him. When he hadn’t been able to commit to Evita, he’d finally admitted that he loved Lucy. After avoiding her for two years, he’d expected some of that love to have faded, but the explosive chemistry he felt when he was near her proved him wrong again.

  Kissing Lucy reminded him of all he’d lost the night his best friend passed away. During the past couple of weeks he’d caught himself fantasizing about marrying Lucy and he’d imagined them raising a handful of kids. But there could never be a forever-after for them because Lucy deserved to be happy.

  And Tony didn’t.

  The worry, the daydreaming, the text messages—all evidence that the love he’d harbored for Lucy was alive and well and continued to grow. Maybe this was his penance for the role he’d played in Michael’s death—having to be around a woman he loved but couldn’t have. Didn’t deserve.

  His cell phone rang, cutting off the therapy session in his head. “Bravo.”

  “Tony, this is P. T. Lewis over at Five Star Ranch.”

  “How are you, P.T.?”

  “Be a lot better if you’d drive out here and supervise Lucy Durango’s practice. I’ve got a meeting with rodeo officials this afternoon and Clint drove his daughter back to California
for a few days. I don’t like the idea of Lucy being out here alone in case she gets knocked on her head.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  Before Tony disconnected the call, P.T. said, “That Durango girl’s got gumption. Sure was a shame about her brother.”

  “I’ve got another call, P.T.” Tony didn’t care to talk about Michael. He said goodbye, then hung up and filled out the most important piece of paperwork before handing it to Rosalinda and sneaking out of the office. He had three hours to get to Five Star Ranch, watch Lucy practice then return to the station for a four-thirty meeting with the agents who’d been chosen for surveillance duty at the Durango Ranch.

  Forty minutes later he arrived at P.T.’s place. “Need some help?” he asked as he walked up to the makeshift pen where Lucy attempted to coax Curly into the chute.

  “What are you doing here?” She shielded her eyes from the sun.

  Tony squeezed through the corral rails. “Making sure you don’t—”

  “Kill myself?”

  “Had a couple of free hours before a meeting later this afternoon. Thought I’d drop by and see how practice was going.”

  “I didn’t tell you I was coming out here today.”

  “P.T. called me.”

  “He asked you to babysit me.”

  Babysit was a little harsh. “P.T. said Clint was in California with Lauren and he had to leave the ranch.”

  “So?”

  “He didn’t feel good about you being alone out here in case you got ‘knocked on your head.’ P.T.’s words not mine.”

  Lucy kicked at the ground with the toe of her boot. “I’m not a naive teenager who needs coddling.”

  “No one said—”

  “You’re just like my father.” She spat the words out.

  “Wait a—”

  “You wait a minute, Tony Bravo. I don’t need you hovering over me, holding me back.”

  “Holding you back?” He spread his arms wide. “Does this look like I’m holding you back?”

  “You know what I mean. You’re sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”