by Leann Harris
Erin lifted her pen and tapped it against the table. “When you get on the wrong side of Mel, well, life’s not pleasant. The board made a decision and while I would’ve loved to have gotten the contract, we need to stick with what we did. The county can’t move with Mel’s moods.”
“Or his daughter’s.”
Erin bit her lip to keep from smiling. Sawyer grinned. She gave in and they laughed.
Sharing the humorous moment softened Erin’s heart more.
“Don’t worry. There’s lots going on right now.”
Before she could reply, her cell phone rang. She pulled it from her purse.
“Erin, this is Sheriff Trujillo.”
Her heart nearly stopped. “Sheriff? Why are you calling?”
Sawyer’s attention shifted to her.
“I have Tate here at the jail. I talked with your aunt and she said you were in town.”
“What happened?”
“One of the deputies found him out at the rodeo grounds, racing around the parking lot. We nabbed him. You need to come by the jail and get him.”
“I can be there in less than five minutes. I’m at the rodeo board office, working.”
“Then I’ll see you in a few minutes.” He hung up.
Erin slowly put her phone on the table.
“What’s wrong?” Sawyer asked.
Taking a deep breath, she looked at him. “My brother skipped school, and one of the deputies caught him at the rodeo grounds and brought him to the jail to cool his heels until a family member can come by and get him.”
“Is he under arrest?”
“No, but I need to go see about it.” She stood and threw everything in her purse.
“What are you going to do?”
“Other than strangle him?”
“That probably won’t be helpful,” Sawyer added.
“True, but what was he thinking of, skipping school?”
“He might be hurting and, being a teenage boy, he doesn’t know how to reach out.”
Sawyer’s quiet explanation stopped her cold. He had a point. She knew her brother hurt, as demonstrated by his outburst on Sunday. She’d asked Tate later that day about the incident at lunch, but he’d refused to talk about the problem.
“So what do you suggest?”
“Well, since you won’t be able to drive both yours and Tate’s trucks, I could ride with Tate to the high school and we have a little boy talk. Afterward, I could drive back here with you.”
“What if he doesn’t want to talk?”
“Then we drive back in silence. It won’t bother me, but your brother might feel more comfortable talking to another male.”
The ring of truth in his suggestion convinced her. “Okay, let’s go.”
It took seven minutes to get to the jail. As they walked into the office, Sawyer whispered, “Keep cool. You might want to yell at your brother, but don’t. You can yell at me later.”
She hated to admit it, but Sawyer’s perspective made sense. Clamping down on her emotions, she saw Tate sitting on the bench against the wall. His head jerked up when he saw her and Sawyer. Immediately, his slouchy posture disappeared and he sat up straight. He expected her to rain down on him, but Sawyer’s words rang in her ears.
The sheriff appeared from around the corner where the cells were located. “Sorry to have to call you, Erin, with all that’s happening in your family, but the deputy came across your brother doing wheelies in the rodeo parking lot and making such a racket with those pipes on his truck that I’m surprised the sheriff in the next county didn’t catch him.”
Tate’s chin jutted out.
The sheriff stood in front of Tate. “So should I issue him a ticket for the illegal tailpipes on his truck, or you can make sure he gets back to school and I’ll ignore those pipes for the moment?”
Tate wasn’t the first teenager the sheriff had scared straight.
They looked at Tate.
“What do you want to do?” Erin asked. She had plenty of words and thoughts she wanted to share but battled her natural urges.
After a moment, Tate said, “I’ll go back to school.”
“And stay there,” the sheriff added.
“Yeah, I’ll stay in school.”
“Okay,” the sheriff said, “but those pipes will have to be fixed if you want to drive your truck anyplace other than the racetrack. Understood?” Turning to Erin, he added, “I think you should take away your brother’s truck for a while.”
Tate’s expression turned to stone.
“I’d skip making him walk to school like my father did me,” the sheriff added, his tone light, “but there should be consequences.”
He returned Tate’s keys and billfold, which had been taken when the teen was picked up, and the trio walked out of the jail. They crowded into Erin’s truck.
Tate sat between Erin and Sawyer. “What are you doing here?” Tate snapped at Sawyer.
“That’s enough,” Erin replied, wanting to add that it was his, not Sawyer’s, bad behavior that had caused the mess, but she felt Sawyer’s gaze on her, helping her control her reaction.
“I’m here to help your sister with how we get you back to school,” Sawyer calmly answered.
“I can drive myself.”
“True, but can I trust you, Tate?” Erin replied, fighting for an even tone. “How good is your word that you’ll drive back to school? As good as your promise to go to school this morning?”
Outrage and shame radiated in waves off the youth.
Sawyer caught Erin’s gaze and shook his head, reminding her not to be too harsh on her brother.
Silence reigned in the truck as they drove the rest of the way to the rodeo grounds. She stopped by the only truck in the parking lot. The boys slipped out.
“I’ll follow you,” Erin called out as Tate stood by the driver’s door of his truck.
Her brother nodded and slipped inside.
Sawyer looked at Erin. “You did good back there with your brother.” He reached out and squeezed her hand. Turning, he raced to Tate’s truck. Moisture gathered in her eyes. He had seen both Tate’s and her needs and met them. She didn’t know whether to treasure the experience or be frightened of it. But she could get used to having him around.
* * *
Tate put the keys in the ignition.
Sawyer buckled his seat belt, then leaned back. “I’m ready.”
Tate gunned the engine.
“I’d be careful. Why bring wrath down on your head if you don’t have to?”
Tate glared at Sawyer but glanced in the rearview mirror. One look was all it took. He put the truck in gear and started driving at a normal speed.
After a moment of silence, Tate growled, “You going to lecture me about ditching?”
Sawyer recognized a youth spoiling for a fight.
“Nope.”
Tate’s body relaxed. “So, why are you here? Because I don’t need a babysitter.”
“True. I’m here because your sister needed some help making sure you get back to school. She might think she can tackle anything, but driving two trucks at the same time is something even she can’t do.”
Tate snorted and glanced at him. “There are some things Sis can’t do. Besides, I could’ve driven myself and she could’ve followed.”
“True, but what if you just took off on Route 66? Could she have stopped you?”
“I told her I’d go back and—” Tate swallowed hard.
Tate’s reaction told Sawyer he’d made his point. “You have to admit Erin has a lot on her plate right now. Your dad, the rodeo and you. We all need help at some time.”
“That’s just a line,” Tate snapped, his defensiveness rising.
“N
ot for me. I’ve been there. Needed help, and I got it.”
“You’re just saying that.” Tate kept his eyes on the road.
“Nope. When I was fourteen and my brother sixteen, he took over the role of parent.”
“Why?”
“My dad died of a heart attack, and my mom couldn’t cope with the situation.”
Tate didn’t ask any follow-up questions. He wasn’t at a place to trust a stranger, and Sawyer understood that.
After several moments, Sawyer asked, “I have a question for you. Is your sister as good as she claims to be? Is she reliable? We’re working on the rodeo, and I want to know if I can rely on her to do what she says she’ll do.”
The youth’s attitude changed. “Yeah. You can count on her. She’s good. If you ask her to do something, you don’t ever have to think about it again. She doesn’t need a reminder. She gets kinda insulted if you do.” He grinned. “When she focuses on a job, she won’t quit until it’s finished. She focuses so hard that she sometimes forgets the small stuff. I remember one time she walked through the kitchen without her shoes and probably would’ve left without them. Mom stopped her before she got out of the house. But, I’ll admit, she’s a little off on the small details. Mom calls it Erin’s walking-in-the-clouds thinking mode. Erin sees the big picture.”
“So you would depend on her?”
“In a heartbeat.”
Sawyer nodded. “Good. I’ll trust her, but you might try trusting her, too.”
Tate’s shoulders tightened, telling Sawyer his words had hit the mark.
To ease the tension between them, Sawyer asked, “Do you know anywhere around here where I could rent a horse and ride? Riding helps me to clear my head. I left my horse at my brother’s ranch, so when I go home, I ride as much as I can.”
“You can come out to our place and ride anytime you want. I like riding, too.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. Dad’s horse is going to need to be ridden, so come and exercise Duke.”
“Duke?”
Tate shrugged, trying to be cool, but the smile dancing around his mouth gave him away. “Dad loved John Wayne, so in honor of him, Dad named his horse Duke.”
They pulled into the high school parking lot and Tate found a spot.
“Thanks for the invite to ride. I hope you’ll think about what I said about your sister.”
Tate studied him and nodded. They joined Erin at the front door of the high school and Sawyer watched Erin shift into her stern-older-sister mode. The awesome sight made him smile.
* * *
Erin tried to wait out Sawyer, hoping he’d talk about what he’d said to Tate on their drive back to town, but her anxiety won out. “So what did my brother say about why he skipped?”
“We didn’t talk about it.”
“What? Why not?”
“It’s obvious you’re not a boy.”
She frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He held up his hand. “What it means is you don’t understand how a teenage boy’s mind works. Pushing him would’ve just made him clam up. I’d be challenging his manhood. He needs some space, then when he feels safe enough or trusts enough, he’ll open up.”
As much as she didn’t want to acknowledge it, his words made sense. “I’m worried that Tate is hurting and doesn’t have any way to vent his feelings.”
“Is there an adult male he could talk to? Maybe your pastor?”
“Tate’s mad, and I think the last person he wants to talk to is our pastor.”
“Anyone else?”
“Maybe Auntie’s husband, Nelson, but he’s not here and he doesn’t want to leave his hometown in Bluewater to come and visit us. The last time Uncle left his hometown, it was to go to Vietnam.”
“That would do it. Well, Tate invited me out to your ranch to ride, and I might—”
“He did what?” Her voice rose.
“I asked your brother if he knew where I could rent a horse to ride. He told me to come out to the ranch and ride your father’s mount.”
She felt her jaw drop.
“I told you I was a cowboy, and riding clears my head. Of course, I didn’t bring my horse with me, so I’d have to rent a mount. He told me to come to the ranch and ride your dad’s horse to exercise him.”
Conflicting emotions raced through Erin. If Tate had invited Sawyer to the ranch, maybe her brother might feel free enough to talk to him. “No, no, I wasn’t talking about your horse. I’m surprised my brother invited you to come and ride.”
Shrugging, he said, “Hey, I’m a likable guy.”
His comment didn’t deserve an answer, but Sawyer might have hit on a plan. “So, if you come out to the ranch, Tate might want to talk to you.”
“Could be. If I come out and ride, and if Tate wants to talk, I’m willing to be a sounding board for him.”
“Good. He definitely doesn’t want to talk to me.”
“That’s because you’re a girl and his sister. It’s easier to talk to a stranger who is not emotionally involved.”
He was right. She’d prayed that God would send help for her brother. “Thank you.”
She’d just relaxed when Sawyer said, “I also asked your brother about you.”
“Why?” She strangled on the word.
Sawyer looked out the passenger-side window, not in any hurry to answer. “I asked how reliable you are.”
Curiosity raced through her. “What did Tate say?”
“He said I could count on you. If you were assigned a job, then I didn’t need to worry. He laughed and said you had a walking-in-the-clouds mode and sometimes let the little details escape.”
Erin’s cheeks heated.
Leaning against the door, he studied her.
“I’ll admit, when I get focused on something, I commit myself to the project and everything else falls away.”
“He’s proud of you. And he knows he can count on you.”
Her eyes watered and her heart eased. “Thanks for talking with him. And for reminding me he needed my understanding, not my rebuke.”
He nodded. “It wasn’t brilliant insight, just experience.”
Sawyer’s words piqued her curiosity, but there was a look in his eyes that stopped her from asking about his personal life.
“Still, I appreciate it.”
“No problem. I’m just passing along the encouragement my brother and I have received.”
Again, he’d dropped another nugget from his past. “Care to explain?”
He smiled. “That belongs for another time.”
She knew he’d slammed the door on his personal life, holding back, but for the first time she wanted to let her heart have free rein to get to know the man who made her smile and her heart sing.
Chapter Five
The rumble of Erin’s stomach echoed through the cab of the truck.
Sawyer met her gaze and grinned.
Looking down at his watch, he said, “It’s close to two and my stomach agrees with yours. Want to get something to eat?”
She hesitated.
“Skipping lunch isn’t going to make anything better. Besides, you might have a different outlook on the situation if you’re full,” he added.
“Didn’t you use that ploy before?”
“It works. And it’s true.”
She glanced at him and considered his words.
“So, do you want to stop, or do you need to be somewhere else?” he pressed.
“My life’s here until Dad gets well, Tate’s situation settles down and the rodeo gets on track.”
“It sounds like you and I are free and hungry, so let’s go eat.”
“Do you always ooze charm, or are you just that
hungry?”
“Hey, I’m a turnaround specialist, and my job is to bring people together and get cooperation. When people are fed, they’re much nicer.”
“I know when I’m being handled, but I’m hungry.”
When they arrived in town, Erin drove to Lulu’s. The lunch crowd had already cleared, so there was no line. Once inside, Sawyer motioned for Erin to order first.
“Good to see you,” Lulu said. “I attended the rodeo meeting last week and listened to Sawyer’s plan. ’Course, things got a little rowdy toward the end. I liked how Erin settled things down.”
“I did, too,” Sawyer said.
Pleasure at his words washed through Erin. She felt as if she was fifteen and just discovering boys.
“And when word got out that local people could bid for a job working on the rodeo, that started everyone talking. It’s been a long time since this much excitement has rolled through town. Why, my brother, Tom, is going to submit a bid to work on the redo of the iron works for the chutes out on the rodeo ground. I haven’t seen him with that much bounce in his step in a long time. Thanks, Sawyer.”
“I can’t take credit for that. Erin suggested it. Well, I’d say she vigorously encouraged me to use local residents.”
Lulu smiled. “That’s our Erin.”
“More than one person’s told me that.”
“It only made sense to use local talent so we can keep money here,” Erin added.
“Well, we can use the work,” Lulu answered. “So, what do you want for lunch?”
They ordered lunch and settled in a booth.
Erin sat across from him, and he studied her. She searched for something to say. He certainly held his cards close to his vest. He was a man who could be both charming and courageous, but kept his heart shielded. “Thanks for the help with Tate.”
“Not a problem.”
The tone of his voice didn’t invite more conversation. Although she wanted to know more of what her brother had said, she respected that Sawyer wouldn’t tell her what they’d talked about.
As he continued to observe her, she wanted to squirm under his scrutiny. Before she could say anything stupid, Rose delivered their burgers.
She vibrated with excitement. “Everyone’s talking about the list you put up at Bob’s place last week. Jobs. It sounds great. Where do Mom and I sign up for a concession booth? I know people in Harding County want to get in there, and I’m afraid there will be more people who want booths than we have.”