The Bull Rider's Redemption

by Heidi Hormel

  “I would never hurt you,” he said, reading her thoughts through her skin.

  She shivered for a moment, but shook her head. “You still have on too many clothes.” She tugged at his jeans. He stopped her, his hand grappling for his wallet. She knew what he wanted and didn’t let him search for the protection. With a knowing grin, she pulled out the condom, tossed the wallet and shimmied down his underwear. He sprang free, proving he was more than interested in what she’d started. She pushed against him until he lay on the bed.

  “You,” he rasped. “Your clothes.”

  She took off her shirt.

  “The bra,” he said. “Undo it slowly.”

  She complied, trying to think about the sexy striptease she’d seen in movies, except things didn’t go exactly as planned when she couldn’t get the hooks to unhook. Danny helped, placing a kiss on her shoulder.

  “Out of those jeans, princess,” he commanded.

  She stood so he could watch and slowly peeled out of her pants. She stood naked, vulnerable and not feeling as powerful as she’d hoped. He sat up and reached out his hands to grab her hips and pull her toward him, placing a kiss on her belly, making her shiver with delight.

  When she was on the bed with him, he took the condom from her and...they were going to do this. He entered her and she raised herself to him. Their hips slapped together in an out-of-sync rhythm. Then she leaned forward, moved and their foreheads knocked. Oh, no, not again. It was like the first time—awkward, uncoordinated and unsatisfying.

  Danny held himself still until Clover relaxed. “Princess,” he whispered in her ear as he pulled her onto her side with him. So they could face each other. So they were equals. “I want to be with you more than I’ve ever wanted anything. But I want us to both want this. Tell me what to do.”

  “Kiss me,” Clover said. So he did, softly tasting her lips while his fingers skimmed her back. She heated and softened again. He moved. She moaned into his mouth.

  “Better?” he asked.

  Clover used her legs to pull him close, his body and hands loving her. She didn’t want it to end and was afraid she couldn’t take more.

  “Clover, I’m going to take you to the moon and back.” And he did.

  Chapter Eight

  Danny stood over Clover, watching her sleep. The moonlight from the window highlighted the creamy perfection of her skin. Her lips were red and puffy. They’d proved more than once they were no longer awkward teens. He hoped this one night would be enough. But what if it wasn’t?

  He’d faced his fears more than once; he could do it again. First, he needed to get out of Dead Man’s Cottage. There were the puppies and Maggie May to care for and his apartment was probably a mess. He looked down at Clover again. One last time. He leaned forward, but, no, not one more kiss. She mumbled in her sleep and turned under the sheets. He held his breath. She snuggled into the pillow. Turning away, he slipped out of the house, stopping his shout when he stubbed his toe hard on the front porch chair. He sat on the steps to pull his boot on over his now aching foot. What was it about Clover being back in his life and his quotient of accidents hitting an all-time high? At this rate, he’d collect more injuries than he had in all the time he’d been a bull rider.

  The streets of Angel Crossing were quiet and dark as he made his way across town. He heard Maggie May whining from his landing and hurried to open the door. She rushed past to take care of business. He checked on the puppies. All fine. Moments later Maggie May came up for a pet before climbing back in with her babies. He went to bed, but he couldn’t sleep.

  Clover wasn’t for him. She wanted to ruin his town by turning it into a place where people like her and her family would be comfortable. And where people like him and the rest of the town would be the employees. Angel Crossing was a workingman’s town—Ford pickups, Wrangler jeans and Spam. He’d read in her proposal that there would be Michelin restaurants and spas behind the wooden facades. That would just take the heart out of the town. Lem’s general store and Jim’s would be gone. Maybe not right away but how could they compete? Those kinds of businesses, along with the people who patronized them, were what made Angel Crossing Angel Crossing. Take that away and what did you have? Some cardboard town.

  He shouldn’t have been surprised by the type of plan she’d presented. Clover had been a princess in more ways than one. He always figured she’d gone after him because he wasn’t from her world and would upset her parents. He wondered if, years later, things were much different. Maybe not, but he wasn’t the same. He needed to worry about Angel Crossing.

  He turned onto his side, closing his eyes and telling himself to go to sleep. He had a job tomorrow, and he needed to talk to and convince another property owner that Danny’s plan for the town was better than Clover’s. He also needed to get back to training so he didn’t disgrace himself at the charity bull-riding extravaganza. His life was too full to worry about what he may or may not want to do with Clover, Miss Steer Princess.

  * * *

  DANNY’S LEG JITTERED as he waited for the council to get to the only item on the agenda that mattered: Van Camp Worldwide’s requests...blah, blah, blah. The legalese Bobby Ames had used couldn’t hide the fact that the company’s—Clover’s—request would change his town. Instead of using his powers of persuasion to talk business, he’d gone to bed with Clover. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. A week and a half later, more and more Angelites seemed to be on her side.

  Bobby said in his best Law & Order voice, “We will now consider Van Camp Worldwide’s Rico Pueblo proposal. Is there a representative from the company here?”

  Of course there was. She was sitting in the front row, looking like a cross between a Texas beauty queen and a corporate tight ass. How did she do that and look sexy on top of all of it? Her lush lips...the bright color of her clothes making her skin look like silk and her hair like a flame. Dear Lord.

  Clover stood. “Thank you, Mr. President.”

  “Call me Bobby.”

  She smiled and Danny refused to be jealous. Bobby was old enough to be her daddy.

  “Bobby, then,” Clover said. “I’ve spoken with all of you as well as many members of the business community. Everyone has been very welcoming. They’ve understood the advantages of VCW’s plan to transform your community and provide economic viability. For those looking for work and those looking to start or grow their businesses, I can see a range of possibilities.”

  “What about the cost of living?” Danny asked.

  “Taxes will decrease with the influx of business. Plus, there will be opportunities for increased services for residents,” she said, giving him a look that was all business.

  “Hey, Bobby, I’ve got a question.” Anita from Jim’s spoke up. Her twin, Rita, sat next to her looking stern and unhappy. Good. At least two people were on his side. “What about those of us who already got a good business? I didn’t see anything on your plan about that.”

  “If you look at page—”

  “You’re bringing in competition,” said Lem, the owner of the general store.

  “We’ll also be bringing renewed interest in Angel Crossing,” she said before being interrupted by a number of angry voices.

  Finally Bobby cracked down his gavel. “That’s enough. I will have order, and if I have to call the chief to arrest the disrupters, I will.” The crowd quieted but not happily. Danny kept silent. It looked like he might have more support than he’d hoped.

  Clover started again. “VCW is well aware of the worries and challenges of a project of this scope and importance. For that reason, even after we receive approval, we will continue to have open discussions with residents and property owners.”

  Loretta spoke up from her council seat. “I like you and your plan. Angel Crossing has been dying for years. Sure, we got that farmers’ market, but that’s not going t
o save us.”

  “She’s right,” Irvin, her husband, said, “and you offered our neighbor a fair price for his property.”

  Just like Danny had been able to read the shift of muscle that told him exactly how the bull he was sitting on would twist or turn, he felt the crowd starting to sway to a different direction. Dang. How had she done that and what could he say to get them back to opposing the plan?

  “I also believe with these changes, your children and grandchildren will want to call Angel Crossing—Rico Pueblo—home,” Clover said.

  That was exactly what the older residents wanted to hear. They’d been complaining that their families were being split apart because there were no jobs or much of anything else for the young people.

  “Wait,” Danny said, but Anita talked over him.

  “I saw that New York City snoot nose—” she pointed at Clover “—hit a dog with her car and not even stop.” The audience gasped and glared in unison.

  “I didn’t—”

  “I’ve seen the mayor caring for the dog and the puppies,” Rita added.

  “You hit a mama dog?” someone else in the audience said.

  Danny felt the shift again, just like a bull ready to move from a right-to a left-footed spin. He could keep the bull on its current path or have it switch feet for a new turn. He’d guessed at the truth of the dog’s injury and Clover’s part in it, even though she hadn’t fully confessed what had happened to him or anyone else, as far as he knew. He wanted to win this vote for the Angel Crossing he could imagine. If he won because he didn’t stand up and explain the whole story, would he really have won? Hells yes. But he’d still feel guilty about it.

  “Wait a minute,” he said into the grumbling. “That’s not exactly the way it happened.”

  “Are you calling me a liar?” Anita asked with a glare.

  “No, ma’am.” He gave her his sweetest smile, now back to normal since his tooth had been replaced. “It’s just that you didn’t have a chance to see what happened then or what Ms. Van Camp has done since the accident.”

  He couldn’t decide if he saw relief, surprise or something warmer in Clover’s bluebonnet eyes.

  “Let the mayor speak,” Bobby said.

  “Miss Clover did hit the dog—” Danny started.

  “See?” Rita and Anita said together.

  “But—” Danny talked over them “—it was an accident. The dog came out of nowhere. That’s happened to everyone at some time. A critter just ends up in your path.” The bull was going into a spin and he’d hold on till the bell. “She stopped and tracked down the dog with my help. Then we took her out to Pepper, who patched her up. Miss Clover bought Maggie May a collar, food and everything else she needed. She’s done what she could for her. She didn’t mean to hit her. She might be here to change Angel Crossing, but she understands one thing about us. We look after our own and those less able to care for themselves. We help those who need it and don’t ask for anything in return.”

  * * *

  HELL, DAMNATION AND fire ants. How was she supposed to handle him being nice to her? Clover had been sure he’d let the bus driven by the twins from Jim’s run her over. Instead, he’d defended her, even though he had been fighting hard against her plan. He didn’t look at her now, keeping his gaze on the crowd. She couldn’t say her presentation had gone well, but it hadn’t gone badly either. She’d been trying everything she could think of to help the town understand what an opportunity VCW was offering them, their children and even their children’s children.

  “I think we’ve heard enough for tonight,” Bobby said, looking at the audience and then at his fellow council members. “But I don’t believe we’re ready for a vote. I want to have our state representative go over your numbers, Miss Van Camp. There’s also that section about options I’d like to review.” The other council members bobbed their heads. She couldn’t look at anyone because she didn’t want them to see her disappointment and worry.

  She smiled politely, as her Texas mama and grandmama had taught her. “I understand completely, but if you have any questions or concerns, I would love to address them now.” Clover waited but no one said anything. She pressed on. “I understand the due diligence the council must have to ensure that Angel Crossing’s interests are best met. However, I do want to point out that this plan is time sensitive and delaying a decision could negatively impact our project.” She didn’t need to let them know that it might also mean her father showing up. Something she didn’t want. The entire reason she was here was to prove she could do the job better than her brother. Good enough to become the next CFO.

  “We don’t work on big-city time,” said council member Marie Carmichael with a stern tone.

  “I understand, ma’am,” she answered. “Maybe the council could call a special meeting in two weeks for residents to ask questions before the decision is made?” That would help with the timing, although they were still cutting it close.

  “That’ll cost us for an advertisement and it isn’t enough time,” Bobby said. “Do I have a motion to table the proposal?” Before Clover could protest again, the plan was tabled and the meeting adjourned. Even as the council members left, she tried to convince them of the wisdom of calling a special meeting. Then she got pinned down in the hallway by the twins, who accused her of lying to the mayor about what had happened to the dog.

  “Rita, Anita.” Danny’s voice came from behind her and she tried not to feel relieved. “I told you it was an accident that couldn’t be avoided. She did the right thing by helping the animal. If you’re so worried, how about you agree to take two of the puppies. One for each of you.” Suddenly the fierce twins were backpedaling and nearly ran out of the town hall.

  “Thanks,” Clover said.

  “I might be many things, but I’m not a liar and I’m not going to let lies hurt someone else.”

  She nodded her head. “I guess I’ll see you next month.”

  “Speaking of Maggie May and her offspring...would you like to see them? They’ve grown a lot since you saw them.”

  She hesitated, not sure that she wanted to be in his apartment and alone. No. She’d gotten closure. She didn’t need closure a second time. “Absolutely. How long until they can be adopted?” she asked as they left the building.

  “Good night, Mayor,” one of the police officers said.

  Danny gave him a wave of acknowledgment. For some reason, a flush of embarrassment heated her face. They weren’t doing anything wrong.

  “My sister’s brother-in-law’s sister-in-law is a vet tech and she said another three weeks and they’ll be ready. The other problem is getting them to the vet in Tucson for their shots. I want to make sure that they’re good to go for adoption.”

  “That’s nice of you.” There were times when Danny had surprised her with how thoughtful and caring he could be. He’d always had a particularly soft heart. She was glad to see that hadn’t changed. Just glad in the abstract, though, not because she cared or expected the two of them to get any closer. Hadn’t they already been as close as two people could get? That had just been closure. Nothing more.

  “Jolene, the vet tech and my sister’s...relative by marriage, should move here. I bet she could open a pet store or something and clean up. I wonder if she could open a clinic? I should check on that.”

  She didn’t mention that soon Rico Pueblo would provide everything residents needed.

  The walk to the apartment had been quick and almost furtive. Even so, they were noticed by more people than she would have imagined, each one taking time to say hello and make note of some problem or issue. Danny always smiled and answered politely but kept moving.

  “You’re good at that,” she said as they climbed the steps to his apartment.

  “At what?”

  “Being mayor.”

  “You thin
k so?”

  “Absolutely. Consummate politician. You answered each person without promising anything.”

  He looked at her oddly before opening the door. “My landlord said I can keep the dogs for another six weeks. Then they’ve got to go.”

  “That gives you some time to get rid of them.”

  He flicked on the light and turned to her. “I’m not getting rid of them. I’ll find good homes. They’re not trash to throw away.”

  Wow. She’d hit a nerve. “I didn’t choose my words well. I don’t think they’re trash.”

  Puppy yips and scrambling nails silenced them. Maggie May raced past them and out the door. The puppies struggled after her. “Catch them,” Danny said as he moved to the furred horde. “We have to carry them down the stairs.”

  She picked up the little white puppy and another who looked like a cross between a shepherd and a beagle. She followed Danny into the back lot, putting down the little animals and laughing with him at their antics. Maggie May made sure they didn’t wander too far. When all business was done, they carried the puppies back up the stairs with Maggie May at their heels.

  In the apartment, Clover put down her two puppies in a corner that had been barricaded and lined with newspapers.

  “They’re getting better, but still have accidents if I leave it too long between potty breaks,” Danny explained. “Would you like a beer?”

  What exactly did he mean by his invitation? Was he just being polite? He was a cowboy, after all, raised by a mama who expected a certain level of behavior. She’d learned that when they’d been a couple. Or did his invite mean something more? In either case, she was a big girl and could say yes or no as she pleased.

  “Thanks. That would be nice.” He smiled his patented Leigh smile of conquest. She nearly changed her mind. Then remembered that she was immune, inoculated by years of sophistication and a little kernel of hurt that remained from his rejection of her all of those years ago. Maybe the closure hadn’t quite finished off that chapter.