by Leann Harris
“I was only teasing.”
The sounds of Cora playing with her horse and dolls in her room drifted into the kitchen. “Am I so pathetic that you think I need to get married?”
“Oh, sweetie, I didn’t mean to upset you. You’ve held up under what would’ve crushed most of us. It’s not about whether or not you can do it all, but it’s about you having someone to help and support you.”
“The Lord provides.”
“And you can count on Him, but sometimes He sends us help in the form of people—or in this case a cowboy. Joel could fit that bill.”
Kelly’s words robbed April of breath. “I might be wrong, Kelly, but I don’t need another man who has an itch to move from town to town. I had enough of that growing up with my dad. Then I managed to marry a man just like my father.”
“Maybe Joel isn’t the one, but don’t close your heart, April. You might be missing what God sends your way.”
Deep inside, April knew that Kelly had a point. “Okay, I’ll relax, but I’m not expecting too much.”
“That, my friend, is your problem.”
Hanging up the phone, April walked down to her daughter’s room and stood out in the hall, listening to her play with her horsey. She made whinnying sounds, then her voice lowered. “Sugar, come here.”
From her daughter’s conversation, a cowboy called his horse. April didn’t doubt Cora’s conversation imitated Joel’s with his horse.
Leaning her head back on the wall, April closed her eyes. Tears slid down both cheeks. The time Joel had been here had been a joy.
She wondered what she would’ve done if Joel had tried to kiss her when he’d come out to talk to her last night. Thankfully, her boys had interrupted the moment. She had no business kissing Joel. It would only bring trouble.
Trouble she didn’t need.
* * *
“Why don’t we take a break, Joel? You’re going to give me a heart attack,” Jack complained as they finished the chutes for the bulls. “We don’t need to finish everything this morning. I could use a cup of coffee.”
Yesterday, the guys had just shot the breeze as they started to set up things for the rodeo. There was no hurry or rush to get things done, since the setup didn’t need to be finished until Wednesday. The cowboys planned to teach a one-day workshop for high-school students, evaluating them and helping with the events they participated in.
This morning, Joel was determined to work until he dropped so he wouldn’t have to think. But from the look in Jack’s eyes, Joel knew the older man needed a break.
“Sounds good.”
Joel followed his friend to the concession area.
“Hank, we need a couple cups of coffee,” Jack called out.
They sat down at a picnic table.
“Had I known sending you out to work on a ranch would’ve produced such a firestorm, I would’ve sent you sooner. Maybe I need the other guys to work on the ranches around the cities where we stop.”
“I’d like to see that, Jack.”
Hank showed up with the cups of coffee and placed them in front of each man.
“I just thought I’d get the setup done after the time off,” Joel continued. “Yesterday not too much got done, so I thought we needed to get in gear today for that workshop tomorrow.”
Both Hank and Jack studied him.
“I admire an industrious cowboy, but you seemed a bit more motivated this morning.” Jack took a sip of his coffee.
Joel hadn’t slept much over the past two nights, wrestling with the memories of April and her children. His sister’s news hadn’t helped the situation. He cheered for her and Caleb, but their good news only pointed out how alone he was. It put an ache in his heart for— He stopped the thought cold. “Well, I thought we wanted the facility done before those elementary schoolers came by to see the rodeo.”
“What are you talking about?” Jack asked.
Grasping on to any excuse he could, Joel explained, “I heard a couple of ladies in the front office this morning after breakfast talking about the elementary kids coming out here today on some sort of field trip. Is that true?”
“That’s right. I forgot.” Jack took a deep draw of his coffee. “The school district, auditorium managers and our boss came up with a plan, then notified me Monday morning. I wish they’d notified me last week. I’m going to check in with the front office.” He finished off his coffee and left.
“So we’ll have little ones running around here until the rodeo,” Hank commented.
“Appears so.”
“Since I didn’t see you for several days, I assume you were fed.”
“There are others who are willing to feed a cowboy.”
“And those others wouldn’t be a nice-looking widow woman?”
“It was.”
“She’s got some cute kids.”
“True.”
“Am I going to have to pull teeth?”
Hank knew how to make a cowboy smile. “She’s got great kids. I’m glad I was able to help her.”
“That’s a good thing.”
Hank started away, much to Joel’s surprise.
“You’re not going to give me a hard time about April?”
“Naw, you’re going to get enough from everyone else. I’ll spare you.”
Hank’s answer puzzled him.
Jack appeared. “It seems we’ve got several tours later today and a couple of tours tomorrow besides the high-school students we expected. Let’s finish setting up.”
* * *
April and Kelly ended up being the parent volunteers who accompanied the children on the field trip from the elementary school to the rodeo. Or, rather, Kelly called April the night before to inform her she’d volunteered April to help her chaperone. Kelly had also arranged for her mother-in-law to take care of Cora’s and Kelly’s younger kids.
Both Todd and Wes beamed with pride after telling their classmates they’d already been to the rodeo, walked around and met some of the cowboys. And they knew a special cowboy.
The head teacher who organized the field trip directed the kids to the front office.
Jack Murphy met the group, introducing himself. “It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Landers.”
“Please call me April. Mrs. Landers makes me feel like my mother-in-law.”
The tour began with Jack explaining to the kids how they set up the rodeo in each city visited.
When they moved to where the horses were corralled, Wes and Todd pointed out Sadie and Helo.
“Those are the horses my grandpa raised,” Wes said to his classmates.
The kids oohed and aahed, gathering around the boys.
“It appears you have stars,” Kelly whispered to April.
“Who knew?” Seeing her boys bask in their classmates’ admiration made April smile.
“Mr. Joel,” Todd called out. He waved at Joel, who was walking toward the tour group.
April looked in the direction of Todd’s greeting.
Joel.
Her heart sped up despite her promise to herself to remain cool.
“He’s a mighty fine-looking man, in case you didn’t notice that before,” Kelly whispered.
April glared at her friend. Kelly grinned unrepentantly.
“Well, Todd,” Joel’s voice rang out, “what are you doing here?”
“We’re on a tour of the rodeo.” Todd introduced Joel to all his classmates and teacher. The girls giggled, the boys shook Joel’s hand and the teacher blushed. “He knows how to lasso horses and cows. And he helped us at the ranch last week.”
Todd’s classmates looked in awe from Todd to Joel.
Joel greeted the adults. “Mrs. Landers, Mrs. Baker.”
“Joel, I thought we were on a first-name basis,” Kelly replied.
April had thought so, too.
“My mama taught me to wait for permission before calling a person by their first name.” He shrugged.
The teacher turned to the first and third gr
aders. “Do you see the proper way to address people? This cowboy has it right.”
The children nodded in amazement. Joel won the respect of every child there.
They proceeded with Jack explaining what the cowboys did and how they cared for the animals.
April tried to ignore Joel walking beside her, but his presence blotted out any clear thinking.
They paused at the concession stand, where Hank served cartons of milk and cookies.
Joel started to leave, but Wes caught him. “Would you sit with us and have cookies and milk?”
April held her breath.
“Sure.”
The tension drained out of her. April purposely sat at a different table from Joel.
“What are you doing?” Kelly demanded.
“I’m sitting with the kids, supervising them.”
“Why aren’t you sitting with your son?”
“Because his teacher is at that table.”
Kelly growled under her breath. “You need to say hello to Joel before we leave.”
“This isn’t a date for me. I’m the chaperone.”
“Sometimes I wonder if you know how to have fun.”
“I do.”
“Then show it,” Kelly hissed, then walked to the table where Joel sat.
After Kelly chatted with Joel, he looked at April and smiled. She tried to keep control of her heart, but that organ didn’t pay any attention to her head.
“Okay, children, it’s time to go back to school. We need to thank all the people from the rodeo who have shown us what they do.”
A chorus of thank-yous rang out in the auditorium.
April stood and ushered all her charges back to the front door. Looking ahead, she saw Wes and Todd hurry toward Joel and exchange words.
“It’s neat to meet a real rodeo cowboy.” Ashley Summer, a girl in Wes’s class, sighed.
“Your dad’s a cowboy,” April replied.
Ashley did a double take. “My father’s old, and he’s my father.” She paused. “He’s okay, but—” She shook her head.
April bit her lip. “I guess you’re right.”
Shaking her head, Ashley whispered to her friend.
They filed outside. Jack and Joel helped the kids back onto the bus. As the line shrank, April found herself slowly approaching Joel. He helped the girls up the steps, which brought giggles and blushes.
The boys gave Joel a nod or shook his hand. When she and the teacher were the last ones left to board, Joel offered April his hand.
“Where’s Cora?”
“She’s with Kelly’s mother-in-law with her two younger children.” She wanted to smile at him like the schoolgirls before her, but felt silly.
The teacher behind her cleared her throat, causing April to step up onto the first step. Joel wrapped his hand around her forearm to steady her and had his hand on her back for extra support. April pulled herself up the last step and found a seat in the first row. Joel repeated his action with the teacher, helping her on the bus.
The teacher, a single woman in her late twenties, flashed him an inviting smile.
Joel’s actions were simply that of a polite cowboy helping two women onto the bus, she told herself. He didn’t step back but continued to look at April. Her son’s teacher gave her a strange look.
“I’ll look forward to seeing your family on Friday. Bring them early. I think Spice, Sadie and Helo might enjoy seeing the boys and Cora again.”
“We’ll do that.”
He nodded and stepped away.
April didn’t doubt her little exchange with Joel would be broadcast all over the school, generating more calls.
The school grapevine should be funny. It wasn’t.
* * *
Kelly drove back from the elementary school to her mother-in-law’s house, where April had left her car.
“It’s truly amazing that of all the cowboys that could’ve come to your ranch and picked up those horses, it was Joel that showed up. You’ve been praying for help, haven’t you?” Kelly asked.
“Of course I’ve been praying for help.”
“And did you ask for a tall, good-looking cowboy?”
April rolled her eyes. “Pastor would set you straight on how to pray. God knows your needs. I prayed for help out of my situation.” Suddenly, April heard the words that came out of her mouth. She clamped her mouth shut.
Kelly’s glance nailed April. After a moment of silence, Kelly started talking about her husband’s reaction to her pregnancy. “You’d think this was my first.”
April’s mind drifted to seeing Joel. Her heart certainly rebelled against any logic, no matter how her head knew a rodeo cowboy was a man with an itch to wander, but that was not what her heart was saying.
How could that be?
“Dave’s been great to bring me home romaine lettuce and Caesar dressing. I think I just may have him bring me home the anchovies and eat them straight out of the can.”
April shivered. “Ick.”
“Didn’t you have any cravings when you were pregnant?”
A dart of sadness struck her heart. She wouldn’t have any more babies. She shook it off. “Food, but anchovies—you’ll probably have to eat them yourself. I don’t see your rancher husband loving them.”
“He’s okay with them on the pizza.”
“Yeah, he’s okay with them ’cause he has to be, but if he went out with other ranchers to Fort Worth to look for stock, I doubt he’d order them.”
“True.”
“You know, you’ve got a keeper there. Not too many of the ranchers around here would go for anchovies. You don’t want him drummed out of the cowboy club.”
Throwing her head back, Kelly laughed. “For sure. I don’t think David told his parents, either.”
Parking in the driveway of her mother-in-law’s house, Kelly turned off the engine. “I have your word you’ll keep my husband’s secret?”
“It’s safe with me.”
After picking Cora up, April drove home. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of David Baker having to hide his love of a certain kind of pizza. Whoever would’ve thought a rancher like David loved anchovies? Maybe sausage or pepperoni—but then again, who would’ve thought her own husband would refuse to go near a steer or heifer after he grew up?
She wondered what Joel liked on his pizza.
Stop. Don’t go there. Only trouble lies in that direction.
Still, she couldn’t help herself.
* * *
There were still a few cowboys sitting at the table after the evening meal.
“I’ll be glad when the rodeo starts tomorrow. I’m looking forward to competing,” Shortie McGraw said. “Are you going to be able to stay on that horse tomorrow, Joel, to win some more points?” The rest of the guys at the table went quiet.
“That’s the idea.”
“Those old bones of yours goin’ to hold up?” The teasing tone of Shortie’s words let the others know the younger man simply was pressing Joel’s buttons.
“It seems to me I wasn’t the one who dislocated his shoulder when I got tossed off Rumble,” Joel drawled.
“He’s got you there, Shortie. ’Course, Rumble has managed to get most of the guys on the circuit,” Ty added. “When he threw me, I couldn’t sit for a couple of days.”
“That horse broke Adam’s ribs.”
Rumble’s name had been well earned.
“You didn’t answer my question,” Shortie pressed.
“If I didn’t plan on staying on a bucking horse, I wouldn’t be here.”
The other cowboys grinned and chuckled. After another couple of rounds of comments and laughs, the group broke up, and Joel walked over to the corral housing Spice. The horse whinnied and nodded her head in greeting.
“You ready to get to work tomorrow, girl?”
Spice nosed Joel’s hand, wanting to be petted.
“Along with working, you’ll see a couple of boys who think you’re extra special—
not that you’re not.”
Spice wandered off, leaving Joel standing at the fence.
“Don’t let Shortie’s mouth bother you.” Jack came to a stop beside Joel.
“It didn’t. Just youthful boasts.”
“So you’re out here talking to the horses ’cause talking to your fellow cowboys is worse?” Jack’s brow arched.
“I hadn’t thought of it that way. Sounds kinda bad.”
“Well, there are moments I’m tempted to agree with you.”
“When my parents and grandmother died, I found myself talking a lot to my horse. If anyone would’ve heard me, they’d have thought me a nutcase, but lots of problems got worked out. Lately, folks are finding out how healing riding and caring for horses can be. Brenda rode to build up her strength after her time in the hospital.” He sighed. “I’m not interested in shooting the breeze and playing mind games with my fellow contestants.” That made him feel old. Oddly, working all day on the ranch didn’t.
“I hear you. Guess that’s part of growing up, being confident about your talent. But if you keep winning and gaining points, you can show those younger cowboys how wrong they are. I’m going to be cheering for you. Those youngsters need to know that older cowboys have class and finesse and technique, which compensates for brute strength.”
“How old were you when you won your buckle?”
“The first one, twenty-six. The second at thirty-two.”
“So there’s hope for me.” Jack’s answer gave Joel something to hold on to.
“Yeah, but I will own up to it being harder the second time.”
As Joel walked back to his trailer, he felt less like a crotchety old man. Once settled under the sheets in bed, he realized what he actually missed was the unpredictable questions he got from two little boys.
He shook his head. What was going on?
Chapter Ten
The boys vibrated with excitement when they got off the bus on Friday afternoon. April hadn’t ever seen them sprint up the drive that fast before. Both boys were out of breath when they ran inside.
“We’re here, Mom,” Wes called out. “I want to change into my boots before we go, but I’ll be fast.”
Todd didn’t say anything but pulled off his running shoes as he made his way to his room.