The Bull Rider's Redemption

by Heidi Hormel

  “Yes, a part of me. But a bigger part is plain old Clover, the woman with an MBA and a way with numbers.”

  “Good to meet you, plain old Clover.”

  She smiled at him, thinking that she was glad they’d cleared the air of the past. It had been silly to hang on to that hurt. “So what happened to you? How did you lose the tooth? I couldn’t figure out why you were lisping until just now.”

  His hands went back into his pockets. “Fell.” He barely moved his lips.

  “Must have been some fall to knock out a tooth.”

  “It was a fake tooth. I knocked it out the first time when I was a kid.”

  “Riding?”

  “Kind of. I had a minibike and thought I’d try jumping over two dogs and a goat. It didn’t go as well as I’d planned.” His smile looked odd because he still didn’t show the empty space where the tooth had been.

  A bit of silence stretched between them. “Guess I’ll see you around.”

  “Guess so. This doesn’t mean that I don’t think your plan is bad.”

  “I’ve got a month to convince you otherwise.”

  “You ready to leave? I’ll escort you out.”

  She felt the whiplash of being thrown back to those faraway days when Danny acted like a “pardon me, ma’am” cowboy. He was back and it still made her heart flutter. She needed to stop that right in its tracks. “I’m a grown woman with pepper spray and big-city experience. I’ll be fine.”

  He just looked at her and waited for her to precede him. She wouldn’t allow him to follow her home. She needed to wrest back control. She didn’t want to feel like the helpless little woman. She’d given up that role years ago.

  “My car is there.” She pointed. “I know you want to meet up with your friends.”

  “They’ll wait.” He didn’t move. Again, she was older, wiser. She would not cause a scene. She walked with purpose to her car, started it up and waved as she pulled out. Danny stood watching her drive away. She couldn’t decide how that made her feel. Then she told herself the only feeling she had was satisfaction from settling their ancient and very personal hurts—no matter the recent kiss. Now she could move forward on strictly professional footing.

  Chapter Six

  Danny amazed himself. Maybe he should give up on being a builder and become a charity ride event promoter or organizer or whatever because he’d organized the hell out of the first annual Save Angel Crossing (SAC) Bull-Riding Extravaganza. He had the date booked at the community college’s arena, he’d gotten two of his old sponsors to put up cash to help with advertising costs and prizes, and he’d called ten of his former riding buddies and all ten had said hell yes. He’d roped (he was getting good at puns) AJ into talking to a stock contractor. The goal was to get the animals for free or, at worst, a huge discount. Of course, Danny had had to tell everyone he would be competing. They said that would draw the crowds. “A ‘champeen’ back in the saddle.”

  “You sure about this, buddy?” AJ asked during another call for this damned charity ride that had taken over every one of Danny’s waking hours—not spent working on properties or dealing with Maggie May—as he’d decided to call Mama—or fantasizing about Clover.

  “Why wouldn’t I be sure? Two years isn’t long. Plus, you’re getting easy bulls, right?”

  “Ha. Dave said he wants to try out new stock, ones that he’s sure will be in the money. He figures this is a way to get them a name, reputation.”

  “What the—”

  “Cowboys who want things for free can’t be choosy,” AJ said.

  “Yeah, well, farmers and their significant others who will benefit from a charity bull ride should look out for the guy who is making it happen.” Danny had decided once he got the event rolling that any money they made (which was still not a sure thing) would go to the community garden project and the rehab of the old theater into an under-roof farmers’ market.

  “You offered,” AJ said. “Besides, you’ll draw in more riders and spectators with challenging bulls. You know that.”

  He did know that. He also knew that his hand and sometimes part of his arm went from sort-of to totally numb without warning. “Since you’re so excited about these bulls, I’ll expect you to talk the two new champs into coming.”

  There was a long silence and finally AJ said, “I’ll do it, but it’s for Pepper. Gotta go. I’ve got llama training.”

  “What?”

  “The yarn from the llamas isn’t as popular, so we’re going to train them to carry packs and rent them out for hikes.”

  “That’s just wrong in so many ways.”

  “They’ve got to earn their keep,” AJ said and hung up.

  So, Danny had no choice. He’d have to get back to bull-rider training and do it fast. Until he could be sure about his arm, he didn’t want to ask AJ to help him find a practice bull. Angel Crossing didn’t have a gym but that was no excuse for not getting into riding shape.

  Best to get on this now. Waiting would mean he might talk himself out of it. Danny searched online for new ideas and workout routines that he could do without special equipment. There was one that used a balance ball—something about working on his core by standing on the unsteady ball. He found a basketball at the back of his closet. He needed to balance for fifteen minutes at a time to get the maximum benefit.

  He found a rerun of one of his PBR championship rides to watch. Perfect. He should analyze what he would need to do to compete against his friends—friendly competition or not.

  “Time to get in shape,” he told the empty living room. He put one foot on the ball. Good. Then he transferred his weight to the leg on the ball and everything went south faster than a Texas two-step. His arms pinwheeled as the ball slid from under his foot. He overcorrected, flew forward, twisting his body until his head connected solidly with the edge of the TV stand. He yelled.

  On his back on the floor, Danny noticed that more than a few flies had gone to the great beyond in the ceiling’s light fixture. Maggie May whined and nudged his ear with her cold, wet nose. Ugh. His head hurt but he didn’t have a concussion. He knew about those. He needed to get up and ice his head to keep the throbbing from turning into a goose egg.

  Why couldn’t he have just done old-fashioned sit-ups to strengthen his core? What the hell kind of idea was it to stand on a damned ball? He sat up. No dizziness, so he stood. Blood dripped onto his jeans. Damn. He ached in other places now that he was upright. He pulled up his T-shirt and held it against his head. He’d better not need stitches. He couldn’t afford that on top of the tooth that needed to be repaired. The butterfly bandages in the cabinet would have to do.

  In the bathroom mirror, he saw the cut, high on his head, was a mess of bloody hair and ragged skin. Dang it. Good thing it was Saturday and he didn’t have any work. He looked at the cut again. He needed his hair trimmed or he’d never get the butterfly bandages to stick. He considered using his razor, but even he knew dragging a sharp blade along the open ends of the wound would be a dumb move. Plus, he’d have to do it backward in the mirror.

  AJ. His friend would have clippers. They had to use something like that on the llamas and alpacas at the ranch. AJ would also keep his mouth shut if Danny asked. Probably. Before he could talk himself out of it, he called.

  “What do you want now? Bulls that have been broke to a saddle?” AJ asked instead of saying “Hey.”

  “Can you get away and come into town?”

  “I told you I’m working with the llamas.”

  “Right. Well—” Hell. What would he do now?

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I fell.”

  “From a bull?”

  “Sure. I dragged a bull up to my apartment.”

  “If you fell, call 911 or drive to the ER in Tucson.”

  �
�No way,” Danny said. “This isn’t worth their time. I just need you to clip away the hair. Scissors won’t get close enough and I can’t shave it.”

  “Fine. Come on out to the ranch. You owe me, though, especially since I’m guessing you don’t want to involve Pepper.”

  Danny was proud that he’d come up with such an easy and cheap solution. AJ would clip his hair so the cut could be bandaged. He looked down at his bloodstained T-shirt and picked up another almost clean shirt from a pile. Now he needed ice to keep the pounding to a bongo-drum level.

  He walked into his little kitchen and heard whimpering from Maggie May, who’d wedged herself into the small closet where he kept cleaning supplies, including rags—which had become her nest—along with discarded shoes she’d pushed out of her way. The dog was licking at...a puppy. He looked down at Maggie May, who seemed proud of her accomplishment. The pup was coal black except for a pink nose, a white toe on the left front paw and a spot of white on one ear. Cute little critter. It squeaked and squawked as Maggie May nudged and cleaned him. Danny couldn’t leave the dog. He called AJ and told him about the puppies. His friend agreed to drive into town with his clippers.

  * * *

  DANNY SAT AGAINST the fridge watching the dog. Enough time passed that he had refilled his towel with ice. His skin was nice and numb but a headache was building. He hoped AJ got here soon because the wound just wouldn’t stop bleeding. Maggie May yipped loudly and he scooted back to her. The first puppy lay close to his mother and Danny expected to see another little wiggling body. Nothing. Maggie May’s sides heaved and she whined. He had no idea if this was normal or not. He reached out to pet her and she snapped at him. She must be in pain. She yipped loudly and then barked. He looked—no puppy. And no sign of a puppy.

  Should he call Clover? They’d taken care of the dog together and it seemed like something bad was happening. The dog’s side rippled with what he assumed was a contraction. His head was throbbing in time with the movement.

  “Maggie May,” he murmured, slowly reaching out his hand to see if she would allow him to touch her. She raised her lip over her teeth but didn’t growl. Laying his hand on her side, he could feel the contractions. He petted her slowly until his hand was on her hindquarters so he could move her tail out of the way.

  Dang. It looked bad, her legs smeared with blood and gummy pink wetness. Could Pepper help with this? He moved as Maggie May barked loudly and the door shook with a knock. Good. That was AJ. He’d owned dogs. Maybe he’d have an idea of what they should do.

  Danny got to his feet, the pain in his head peaking as Maggie M whimpered. “We’ll get you help, sweetheart,” he said, hurrying to the door, the nearly melted ice still clutched to his head.

  “AJ,” Danny said before the door was fully open.

  “Jeez, Danny. Are you trying to reenact The Texas Chainsaw Massacre?” Pepper asked as she entered the apartment.

  Before Danny could say anything, AJ broke in. “She caught me with clippers and bandages. She knew I was lying when I said it was nothing.”

  The dog yowled.

  “What the heck is that?” Pepper asked.

  “Maggie May. She’s having her puppies and I think one’s stuck. Can you check her first?” Danny asked, relieved that Pepper was there.

  “You,” she said, pointing to Danny, “sit down. AJ, take one of the pads from my bag and press it hard on his thick skull.”

  “Hey—” Danny started.

  “No use arguing when she’s got that tone. That’s her ‘physician’s assistant Pepper in charge’ look, too. Don’t fight it, man.”

  “Let’s have a look... Lordy be,” Pepper said.

  “What?” Danny asked, surging to his feet. Had the dog died? Had the puppy died?

  “Sit down before you fall down,” Pepper said with authority. “Everything is fine. While we were talking Maggie May here got down to business. There are three puppies.”

  “Three? Wow.”

  “I don’t think we’re done. I feel one more.”

  “Four puppies. Oh, crap. How are we going to find homes for all of them?”

  “Sit so I can push this really hard on the cut,” AJ said. “You know that our daughter is on a girls’ weekend with her Grana and Grammy C. Pepper and I had planned a whole weekend alone together. You’re lucky I answered the phone.”

  “Sorry, man,” Danny mumbled. His bull-riding buddy had settled nicely into family life with his daughter and Pepper. The two hadn’t announced when the wedding was but it couldn’t be far off.

  “This looks like it’s going to need more than butterflies. How did you do it?”

  Danny tried to think of a lie but his brain felt mushy between the ache of the cut and his worry for Maggie May. “I should probably have called Clover.”

  “Really?” AJ asked as he pressed the bandage back on the wound.

  Danny saw stars as the pain went from throb to spike. “She helped rescue her,” he rasped.

  “Ahh,” AJ said.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “It’s something.”

  “Nah. Just remembering the two of you from back when. Attached at the hip—and lips—that whole summer.”

  “We were young,” Danny said. “She’s got a New York life now.” He hoped that would end the conversation.

  “Four puppies,” Pepper said, ending AJ’s unwelcome comments. “Three boys and one girl. Now I’ll check you. AJ, get the suture kit.”

  Danny might be a big bad bull rider, but he’d never liked getting stitches. He wiggled in the chair, trying to get his brave on. “How many do you think?”

  “A few,” Pepper said. “I’ll numb it up.” She patted his shoulder as she looked at the wound. “Get the clippers, too, AJ. I’m going to have to shear him before I start.”

  * * *

  CLOVER STOOD ON the wooden steps at the back of the diner that led up to Danny’s small apartment. She hesitated even though she had a very valid reason for stopping by. She’d heard about the puppies and his stitches. She was only interested in the canines. She felt responsible for Mama. If she hadn’t hit her with the car, though, the creature would probably have given birth out in the open. What a way to justify hitting a dog, Clover.

  She moved before she had a chance to talk herself out of the visit. She knocked. A “woof” came from inside. She didn’t hear any movement that sounded human. She waited. She knocked again. More barking. What if Danny had passed out? What if he’d landed on Mama and she and her puppies were trapped under him? No, that wasn’t likely since the dog was barking.

  Clover tried the door. Most people in Angel Crossing didn’t lock up during the day. The handle turned. She opened it, yelling out for Danny as she walked in. Nobody other than Mama and the puppies.

  The mother dog raced past Clover and outside. Nuts. The puppies mewled and cried. Clover took in their fat, wriggling bodies, then turned to look out the door. Mama was at the bottom of the stairs sniffing around the small parking lot. She probably just needed to go potty, but Clover wasn’t going to take a chance on the dog staying away from car wheels. How would she explain it to Danny? I broke into your apartment, let your dog out and she got hit...again. She went down the stairs and stood by Mama as she took care of business. Back inside, the dog quickly settled back into her box with her puppies.

  Clover was surprised by the number of little animals. They were all so different looking. Brown, black, white, spotted. Their coats went from smooth to rough to curly to long and silky. She couldn’t imagine what sort of dog had fathered them. Clover leaned over the box, reaching out to touch the white one, who looked to be the smallest.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Danny asked with fierce anger.

  “Oh,” Clover said, snatching back her hand and whirling to face him. �
�Jeez Louise,” she gasped, trying to take in his half-shaved head and raw wound. And he was sunburned.

  He closed the door to the bedroom and took two large steps toward her. “I should call the police. Breaking and entering.”

  “The door was open. I heard about your head—” she gestured to his sore-looking scalp “—and when you didn’t answer I got worried.”

  “I was working. I’m here for lunch and a little aloe.”

  She wanted to leave but her feet didn’t move. “The puppies look good.” That was a safe topic. She knew how to make small talk. She’d been taught the art by her mother and Grandmother Van Camp. Both women prided themselves on being able to start a conversation with anyone.

  “I only have half an hour break. Was there anything else?”

  “I guess not. Sorry about walking in.” Her feet still didn’t move. “I have sunscreen if you need it.” She rummaged in her purse.

  He stared at her. “Can’t wear my hat,” he finally said, turning toward his kitchen.

  His stitches would make a hat uncomfortable. “What about a visor? Like you wear on a golf course?”

  He snorted. “No.” He dug in the refrigerator. He didn’t tell her to go.

  “Sit,” she said. “I’ll make you something. Least I can do for breaking into your place and for you taking such good care of Mama. Why don’t you go slather yourself with aloe. You might want to get a bandanna to cover your—” She gestured to his red scalp.

  “Her name’s Maggie May,” he said and left.

  “Maggie May? Like that woman in that song. She was an older woman, too.” She wouldn’t think too hard on what that might or might not mean. Talking to the dog, Clover said, “I would never have believed it, but Danny Leigh can actually look ugly.” She found fixings for a sandwich and soup in the fridge. She poured him a glass of iced tea and told herself she’d leave as soon as he got back from the bathroom...and she had a chance to visit with the puppies. Could she take one for herself? How would that work in a New York apartment and with her crazy hours? When her father finally named her CFO, her life would never be the same. She’d happily put in the twelve-hour days, the weekends and holidays. She really wanted to sink her teeth into the numbers.