A Cowboy for Christmas

by Sara Richardson

  “Take it one step at a time,” Nora murmured. “Tell the man how you feel. The only safe place in the world is with someone you love. With someone who loves you.”

  “I know.” She’d had that once—a safe place, and she’d started to feel it again with Ty. “Maybe I could take it one step at a time.” Without looking so far into the future. She had to focus on the present. On what was happening today. Today Ty was riding and she would go. Even though it scared her, she would take that one step so she could be there for him the way he’d been there for her.

  * * *

  “He looks even meaner up close.” Ty’s mom eyed Ball Buster from the other side of the fence around his pen.

  “Who? Ball Buster?” Ty laughed. “Ha. If you think he’s lethal you should see Man Eater. That bull tossed me off in less than a second and almost stepped on my head—”

  His mother shot him a glare meant to shut him up. Right. She likely didn’t want to hear about all of his close calls an hour before she watched him ride for the first time. “I mean…yep, Ball Buster is about as ornery as they come.”

  The bull in question gave him a long, lazy glance. The Cortez brothers had picked Ball Buster so the cowboys would have an actual shot at staying on for eight seconds to give the crowd a thrill.

  Not that Ty’s mother seemed to be in the mood for a thrill. He recognized the narrow slant to her eyes as the same worry that had emerged whenever he’d taken a spill off his bike or had fallen from one of the trees he used to climb growing up. “Truthfully, Ball Buster is on the verge of retirement.” He gave his mom’s shoulder what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. “So you don’t have much to worry about. He goes pretty easy on us these days.” As easy as a bucking bull could go, anyway. “I guess that about concludes the behind-the-scenes tour.” He led his family to the gates that opened out into the arena.

  Earlier that morning, he’d caught on to his mother’s anxiousness when she’d accidentally burned the pancakes she was making for breakfast. She hadn’t burned pancakes a day in her life, and Ty knew she was dreading this afternoon. Earlier, he’d offered to let them off the hook so they could go to that show they’d gotten tickets for, but his mom had refused.

  He’d offered to take them on a tour of the rodeo complex, hoping that once she saw all of the work and thought that went into ensuring the riders’ and the animals’ safety, she’d understand the sport a little better. He still couldn’t tell if it had helped.

  As they all walked away, Ty heard his mom tell off the bull behind them. “You be nice to my boy tonight, you understand?” She was trying to whisper but the woman’s voice had always carried. “You hurt him, you’ll have to answer to me,” she went on.

  Rhett busted up laughing. “I bet he’s terrified.”

  Ty glanced over his shoulder. Ball Buster continued to stand there under the guise of being a gentle giant, but the minute the gate opened and he shot into the arena, he’d become a beast. Still, he’d likely still be no match for Maureen Forrester. “I don’t know, Mom can be pretty intimidating when she wants to be.”

  “I’d listen up if I were that bull,” their dad added. “You remember what your mom did when that principal wanted to suspend you two for fighting that bully?”

  “She raised hell,” Rhett said.

  Oh, yeah. That was the day Ty had learned what the term Mama Bear had meant. She’d always been that way when they were young—standing up for them, fighting for them. And Ty would be the same way with his own child.

  He paused in the corridor to wait for her to catch up. The crowd had started filing in through the main doors, and people were already finding their seats in the main arena.

  “Rhett!” Sierra DeYoung waved and hurried over, leaving her group of friends behind.

  “Hey.” Ty assessed the entranced look on his brother’s face. Oh, yeah. He had it bad.

  “You must be Sierra.” Their mom beelined down the corridor and nearly knocked Ty out of the way in her haste to meet Rhett’s newest love interest.

  “Yes.” The woman gracefully held out her hand. “Sierra DeYoung. You must be Mrs. Forrester. It’s wonderful to meet you.”

  “The pleasure is all ours, isn’t it, Robert?” She nudged her husband forward to present him to Sierra. “This is Robert. Rhett’s father.”

  “The one who gave him his good looks,” their dad added.

  Rhett looked like he wanted to face-palm. “Okay. You’ve met my parents. It looks like your friends are already finding seats. You’d better not keep them waiting.”

  Sierra seemed to hesitate. Ty watched the scene unfold with amusement.

  “Actually, maybe I’ll sit with your family,” the woman finally said.

  Oh, this was going to be good.

  “Really?” A gaping frown gave away his brother’s lack of enthusiasm at sharing Sierra with their parents. Rhett had never been good at disguising his feelings.

  “Sure.” Sierra gave off a charming smile. “I think it would be fun to sit with your folks. If it’s all right, that is.”

  “It’s more than all right,” their mother answered for all of them. Rhett remained silent.

  “Hello, Ty.” Sierra turned to him.

  “Sierra. It’s nice to see you again.” Nice to know she wasn’t the diva he’d originally thought she might be.

  “It’s good to see you too. Is your fiancée here?”

  A strangled sound came from his mom. She was still having trouble with him and Darla not being engaged.

  “Actually, Darla should be here.” At least he hoped she would.

  “Oh, she’s definitely here,” his mother said. “I saw her walk in with Everly a while ago.” His mother leaned a little closer. “She also said she had something important to tell you. After you ride. She didn’t want to distract you, but I think that’s a good sign, don’t you?”

  He was almost afraid to think. “Hope so.” No matter what she had to say, it meant a lot to him, her fighting her fears to be here. He turned to Sierra. “By the way, she’s not my fiancée.” Might as well start getting the word out. “It’s a long story. Rhett can explain it later.” He’d have enough explaining to do when word got around town that they weren’t engaged but Darla was pregnant. Scandalous news like that tended to travel like a wildfire. But he couldn’t deal with it now. He’d already spent enough time chatting. “I should go get ready for my ride.”

  “Already?” his mom asked with a glance at her watch. “It’s still early…”

  “I have to warm up.” Clear his mind, go through his pregame rituals. He leaned in to hug his mother. “Try not to worry. I’ll be fine out there.”

  “Of course he will,” his father said gruffly. “Look at him. He’s tough as a two-dollar steak.”

  Their mother pouted. “Why did we have to raise two daredevil sons? Why couldn’t one of you have become a librarian or something?”

  “There you go.” Ty clapped his brother’s shoulder. “That’s your next career. I could totally see you working in a library.”

  “I have about as much of a chance of becoming a librarian as you do of becoming a yoga instructor,” Rhett shot back.

  Right. That would be the day. He couldn’t even touch his toes.

  “Come on. Let’s go find our seats.” Ty’s dad put his arm around his wife and started to lead her away.

  “Good luck!” his mom called. “Be careful! Hold on tight!”

  “I always do.” For as long as he could anyway.

  Rhett gave him a jab in the ribs. “This is probably the only time I’ll ever tell you this, but you’re a total badass and I’m proud of you.”

  “You’re kind of a badass yourself,” Ty said. He looked at Sierra. Couldn’t resist. “Except when it comes to spiders. You want to hear Rhett scream, put a spider in front of him.”

  “Really?” She smiled teasingly at his brother. “Spiders, huh? Don’t worry. I can kill them for you.” She lifted her glittery cowgirl boot off the ground and stompe
d. “I’ll protect you.”

  “Thanks for that. Both of you.” Rhett slipped his hand into Sierra’s. “We should go sit. Before he tells you more of my secrets.”

  “You can tell me later,” Sierra said with a wave.

  Ty waved back. “Oh, I will.”

  His brother flipped him off behind his back. Ty took it as a compliment. He’d missed this. The joking, the time with his family. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it until they’d come.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Why had she eaten all that cotton candy? Darla followed Everly to their seats in the stands, sipping from a water bottle in an attempt to counteract the sugar she’d consumed over the course of the day.

  Cotton candy proved to be the worst combination with the chocolate truffles she and Nora had eaten for lunch. When Larry had come to pick her up, Nora had hugged her tight, and Darla promised to come down for a visit next week. The woman had reminded her one more time to be brave, and she was really trying. She’d planned it all out—she’d catch Ty after his ride and tell him how she felt about him. How she wanted to work on her fears so they could have a future. But watching the first half of the rodeo hadn’t exactly inspired courage. Rider after rider had gotten thrown, and though there hadn’t been any serious injuries yet, she could see the potential for something catastrophic to happen.

  That was her fear talking again. For the few hours after Nora had left, Darla had actually felt some peace, but the minute she pulled up at the rodeo grounds the anxiety had come barreling back in like one of those mean, angry bulls down there, and she couldn’t seem to tame it with rational thoughts.

  “Are you okay?” Everly asked. Somehow, she’d secured them seats in the very front row. She’d been so excited that Darla hadn’t wanted to tell her she’d rather sit higher where she couldn’t see as well. They were so close to the action she could almost feel the dirt flying into her face.

  “I think I’ve eaten too much sugar today.” That probably would not help her nerves. Maybe she should tell Everly she wasn’t feeling well. It wouldn’t be a lie. But then Ty would’ve known she hadn’t stayed to watch him ride. And she wanted him to know she was here for him. Nora was right. It would take time and courage and honesty, but she wanted Ty to know how deep her feelings went. She wanted to be with him, and this would be part of their life.

  “Popcorn?” Everly offered her the bag, but Darla shook her head.

  “It’s probably best if I don’t eat anything right now.”

  “I’ve been craving everything salty.” Her friend stuffed another handful into her mouth. “Of course, my mother insists that means I’m having a boy.”

  “Well that must mean I’m having a girl because I’m a total sugar fiend.” A girl! She could picture a sweet little bundle all swaddled in a pink blanket.

  “Ty would be so adorable with a girl,” Everly said with a sigh. “So would Mateo for that matter. I have a feeling those big, tough cowboys would be reduced to teddy bears if they had a little girl.”

  “For sure.” Her heart swelled thinking about Ty holding a little pink bundle. “Have you told anyone else you’re pregnant yet?” Darla asked, wondering how she would go about making the announcement.

  “Only our families. They’re ecstatic, of course.” Everly set down the popcorn. “Actually, if you’re okay with it, we thought we would make the announcement tomorrow at the party you’re having.”

  “What a great idea!” To celebrate their earnings from the festival, they had planned a big banquet at the rodeo grounds. Christmas Eve was the perfect day to celebrate how the town had come together to help two of their own. “That’ll make the event extra special.”

  “That’s what we thought. We’re so appreciative of you and Ty for making all of this happen.”

  “We were happy to do it.” Darla had to smile thinking about how much closer it had brought her and Ty. Just in time to have a baby together…

  The arena lights dimmed again, signaling that the intermission was over. Mayor Hank Green barked another welcome into the microphone. Darla tried to settle in her seat as the mayor went over the order of events, but she couldn’t seem to sit still. Ty was riding first. On the other side of the corral she could see the bull already in the chute. Her mouth started to go dry. There weren’t enough water bottles in the world to douse the worry. “How do you do this?” she whispered to Everly. “How do you watch Mateo ride?”

  “Honestly?” her friend whispered back. “I wish I could say I’m used to it, but I still hold my breath every time.”

  Darla wasn’t sure she would have any breath left to hold. Her hands gripped the armrests at either side of her stadium seat. Nerves prickled deep inside her chest, giving rise to panic.

  The crowd cheered as Ty climbed the fence, preparing to slide onto the bull’s back. Darla tried to clap, but her hands moved slow and clumsily, connecting only about every other time.

  The crowd quieted into an awed concentration. The gate swung open and Darla lurched to the edge of her seat, gripping the fence railing in front of her.

  Ball Buster flung Ty around, but the man held his ground, his arm whipping back and forth over his head. It was almost graceful how he moved, even with the bull getting madder and madder beneath him.

  Ball Buster jackknifed and spun, forcing Darla to squeeze her eyes shut. When she opened them, she realized Ty had survived the maneuver, but now the bull arced his backend in a series of kicks that jerked Ty violently.

  Cheers rang out from the crowd, but they sounded muted, like she was sinking underwater. Instead of holding her breath, she gasped air into her lungs and expelled it rapidly, trying not to hyperventilate.

  The bull stampeded to the other side of the corral, kicking and bucking so hard it made her neck hurt. The seconds dragged by with the crowd noise competing against the loud thumps of her pulse in her ears.

  Ball Buster kicked and spun, catapulting Ty into the air. He hit the ground hard on his back and Darla shot to her feet. “No. Oh no.” She couldn’t see anything past the blur of tears and fear.

  “He’s okay,” Everly said next to her. “I think he’s okay.”

  But Darla wasn’t okay. She still couldn’t manage to take a deep breath.

  “He’s up.” Her friend dropped her arm over Darla’s shoulders as though trying to offer her comfort. “Yep. He’s waving to the crowd.”

  Darla staggered and fought for a full, deep breath. “My stomach.” Pains shot through her lower abdomen, stabbing through her. “Something’s wrong.” She doubled over, holding her stomach, twisting her lips to hold back a cry at the sudden discomfort.

  “What?” Everly doubled over with her. “Oh no. Is it the baby?”

  “I don’t know.” She could hardly speak. The pain seemed to radiate up the front of her lower abdomen and subside before gaining intensity again. It was what she’d imagined a contraction would feel like…

  “I’ll call an ambulance.” Everly fumbled with her purse and found her phone.

  “No.” Darla stumbled over people’s feet and purses, staggering to get to the edge of their row. “Just take me in. I don’t want to make scene.” No one except for Everly, Ty, and his family even knew she was pregnant.

  “What about Ty?” Everly rushed over and supported her. “I can try to find him…”

  “We don’t have time.” If something was wrong, they had to go. Now. Darla continued on down the walkway, trying to focus on breathing, trying to hold herself together.

  “I’m sure everything is fine,” her friend said as they ducked out the doors and hurried into the parking lot. “It’s probably just your muscles adapting to the baby. I’ve read about it.”

  Darla had read a lot too. She’d read enough to know that cramping this early in a pregnancy was not a good sign. She’d read that fifteen to twenty percent of pregnancies ended in a miscarriage. She climbed into Everly’s SUV and cradled her stomach in her hands. Not this one. Please. Silent tears slipped down
her cheeks. She didn’t bother to wipe them away.

  “Everything will be okay,” her friend murmured, but Everly’s voice shook too. She gunned the engine and ignored every speed limit sign all the way to the small county hospital. Instead of finding a spot in the parking lot, Everly pulled the SUV right up to the doors and ripped the keys out of the ignition. By the time Darla had opened the door, her friend stood there ready to help her out of the car.

  She hunched over, trying to find a more comfortable position, and let Everly guide her into the ER.

  “We need a wheelchair,” her friend blurted to the woman behind the front desk. “She’s pregnant and she’s having cramps.”

  “I’ll be right back.” The woman disappeared behind a door.

  Everly knelt next to Darla. “You okay?”

  Darla poked and prodded her stomach. “I can’t tell. It might be a little better.” What did that mean? Did that mean she’d already lost the baby?

  “You don’t feel like there’s blood or anything, do you?” Everly asked.

  “I don’t know. I don’t think so.” But she couldn’t be sure.

  The doors opened automatically and a nurse hurried through with a wheelchair. “Here we go.” She guided Darla to sit down while the other woman behind the desk handed Everly a clipboard. “You can help her fill in her information after they get her in a room.”

  Not leaving her side, Everly took care of the paperwork while the nurse asked a bunch of questions and took Darla’s vitals.

  “Your blood pressure is elevated,” she commented, writing it down on a chart.

  “I think it’s from the stress.” Of watching Ty ride, of worrying about losing the baby.

  “She’s had a very stressful week,” Everly added, taking ahold of Darla’s hand.

  “Any bleeding or spotting?” the nurse asked.

  “Not that I’ve noticed.” But had she been paying attention?

  “All right. You two go ahead and finish up that paperwork.” She pulled a gown out of a cabinet. “We’ll have you change into one of our glamorous dresses here, and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”