A feeling of déjà vu hit Jodie in the pit of her stomach. “Chris who?”
“Is there two of them floating around? I’ve been seeing him for three months. That’s why I didn’t call the last while. Didn’t want to tell you. Either you’d scream and yell about him being a jackass or else you’d cry. I didn’t want to hear either one.”
Jodie held her breath. “What happened?”
“Same old thing that’s been happening for five years. He gets all involved and then he backs off. Flowers. Calling every night to say good night. Then cold feet. Isn’t that what happened with you?”
“No. I wanted something different than he did. He wanted to run the circuit until he was too old to get on a bull. I wanted to stop sometime in the future and raise a family on a ranch, preferably in Murray County, Oklahoma. It was a dead end so I put an end to it.”
“Did you forget him overnight?”
“No. Sometimes I still think about the good night calls and flowers. Never got to the cold feet,” Jodie said.
“We had a big fight. He hasn’t changed. Still loves the circuit and doesn’t care if he barely makes enough money to last from one ride to the next. I wanted a commitment even if it wasn’t the ranch with a bunch of little mutton busters running around. He’s riding tomorrow night. How are you going to judge him fairly? What happens if he thinks you are prejudiced?”
“Hey, don’t worry about me. How long have you wallowed around in this pity pool?”
“More than fifteen minutes. If that pretty thing back there in the shower didn’t already have a woman, I’d make a play for him,” Laney said.
“Go find another pretty thing. There are lots of them around this place.” Jodie didn’t know why she even cared. She tried to convince herself right then that it was because she didn’t want Laney to get hurt.
“I’ll take a look around but it won’t do any good. I’m smitten with Chris and even the Matty look-alike probably wouldn’t take my mind off him.”
“Whether you get your mind off him or not, you’ve got to stop thinking about him for the eight seconds you’re on that bull,” Jodie said.
“Don’t I know it. I almost lost it tonight when old Red Bones rolled. I just about grabbed the bull rope with my free hand before I got it under control. It’s a wonder I wasn’t disqualified. Tell me, what critter tossed you hard enough to break your arm? I missed the Lexington ride. Was it there?”
“I fell on a patch of ice,” Jodie shrugged.
Laney laughed hard enough that tears ran through her mascara and dripped black streaks down her cheeks. She wiped them away with the back of her hand. “I can’t believe it. You’ve never even gotten a broken bone or stitches while riding and you fall on ice. That’s rich. I can’t wait to tell everyone. We’ve been taking bets on which critter threw you and hoping like hell we didn’t get him in the draw.”
Jodie laughed with her. “Unless his name is Ice, you ain’t got a thing to worry about.”
“I’m going home. If Matty breaks up with his woman, call me. Don’t matter where I am or what time it is. I think he could make me forget all about Chris,” Laney stood up. She was just over five feet tall, small-waisted, round-hipped, with a bosom that might not put Dolly Parton to shame but wouldn’t lack a lot. Most men tumbled all over themselves when she blinked twice at them.
“Keep me posted. And ride better tomorrow night.” Jodie followed her to the door and locked it behind her.
Laney just nodded and disappeared into the trailer next door.
Jimmy poked his head out of the bedroom. “Is she gone?”
“Just barely. I’m ready for a shower. You got your things unpacked?”
Jimmy carried his laptop out to the kitchen table and set up shop. “It’s all yours. Will she be coming around often?”
“Probably. She’s parked next door, and she’s been my friend for years.” Jodie didn’t tell him that Laney was having man troubles.
“She was hitting on me,” he said flatly.
“Scare you?”
“To death.” He hoped that came out like a joke instead of fear.
“Yeah, right.” She left him sitting at the table in pajama bottoms and a loose-fitting T-shirt.
He was teasing, wasn’t he? she asked herself as she hung up her fancy lace blouse. Tomorrow night she’d wear the black and the one after that the red. Then she’d rotate the outfits again.
She went to sleep at dawn still unsure about James’s comment.
Chapter Four
Jimmy sat across the table from Jodie at the Wells Fargo Atrium eating the best barbecue he’d had in years. He’d eat a few bites and take a dozen pictures, then repeat the process. He’d taken several shots of the lobby where a golden aura surrounded Jodie. Criss-crossed latticework covered the ceiling and a yellow glow from the side lighting worked together to set her into what appeared to be the golden courts of heaven. She wore jeans and a white flowing blouse with billowing sleeves that didn’t pose a problem with her cast. He caught her just as she looked up and the picture came out as if he’d used a sepia filter on an old 35 millimeter camera.
They certainly didn’t have to elbow for room as they stood on the street and waited for the parade to begin. Jimmy began to think the whole thing was overrated. Perhaps it was the snow keeping the people inside because the only folks he could see anywhere were a bunch of bundled up photographers with everything from big old-fashioned cameras to expensive digitals like he used. Those toting photographic equipment outnumbered the spectators two to one easily.
Snowflakes as big as quarters floated down and lay gently on the fur around Jodie’s parka hood. He took a few shots of her, careful to catch her when she wasn’t paying attention. The crowd began to grow as the parade progressed. People came out of the buildings where they’d been working or keeping warm and watched the marching bands strut their stuff; fancy-dressed cowboys and cowgirls rode spirited horses, their breath coming out in puffs of smoke in the cold air; wagons pulled by teams of Belgians to bring back the memories of the old days before automobiles took normal precedence on Seventeenth Street.
The circus figures entertained the crowd. Jimmy took pictures of the man on stilts and two Shetland sheepdogs pulling a tiny chuck wagon. Clowns were everywhere: round ones, tall ones, colorful ones, black-and-white monochromatic ones. Jimmy got a picture of a clown blowing Jodie a kiss.
Then the longhorned steers brought their version of noise as they charged up the street, reminding Jimmy of the famous “running of the bulls” in Spain. From bellowing bulls of every description to sassy rodeo queens in their sequins and glitter to heart-thumping band music—it was all overwhelming. He could understand why Jodie had insisted they come to town to see it all. And the pictures: they were going to be such an addition to tonight’s story.
The ones of Jodie he’d download into a special file.
A fierce wind blew Jodie’s parka off her left shoulder, and Jimmy reached up and tucked it back around her. Using her right arm she tugged it across her chest. She’d learned to dress herself with one arm, could even pull up her slacks, fasten them, and button her shirts, but it was nice to have a little help.
“Thanks,” she said.
He nodded. “We’ve got fifteen minutes to get to this lowlife sale you wanted to attend. Ready?”
“Lowline, not lowlife,” she said.
“All the same to me. The only way I know one breed from the other is if someone tells me. I could probably pick out a longhorn though,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “You’d be as helpful as Trey on a ranch.”
“And Trey is?”
“Roseanna’s husband. He’s a city slicker deluxe. Although I’ll have to give credit where it’s due. He did help me pull a calf and did a fine job. You think you could do that? Pull a calf?”
They’d reached the place where he’d parked the truck that morning. At least the snow was dry and could be swept away by the windshield wipers. Had it been wet, he�
��d have been doing some major scrapping. Already there was an inch blowing in circles around their feet on the sidewalk. For a minute he wished he did own a pair of boots. Dress shoes and nylon socks were failing to keep his feet warm.
“What did you say? My mind was elsewhere. I heard that Trey is your sister’s husband. But what about pulling a calf? What do you mean?”
“I mean put a rope around it and pull it out of its momma,” she said.
He tried to keep a straight face but his nose twitched.
“You are serious. You’ve never heard of pulling a calf?”
“I’ve lived in the city my whole life except for a very short while when we lived in a small town. So no, I don’t know a thing about pulling a calf.” His voice held a razor-sharp edge.
“Don’t get snappy with me. I can see where you’d need help if you’ve only lived in the city. You could have covered the circuit, but your stories wouldn’t have had much life. We’re going to the livestock center auction arena. That’ll be across the tracks. You can see what it’s like over there in the historical side of things.”
“Don’t get all preachy to me. I looked on the map before we left this morning. I know where to go. I’m not stupid just because I haven’t pulled a calf or driven one of your tractors. If you were in the city you’d be out of your element just as much as I am in the country.”
“Bet me.”
“How much?”
“Don’t play with the big dogs, James Moses. I could whoop you in the city or on the farm,” she said.
“Don’t call me James Moses.”
“Then don’t get all defensive when I tell you something. Your momma sure named you right. I think Moses argued with God Himself a few times.”
“My grandmother named me, thank you very much. We’ll be in San Antonio for two weeks. We’ll stay at my place and . . .”
“And I’ll be busy doing the stock show and rodeo, just like here,” she interrupted.
“Not every waking minute. So we’ll see how you like my town with my friends who wear tassels on their shoes,” he said.
The corners of her mouth quivered as she kept back the grin. He didn’t know the Cahill girls very well but he was about to learn.
“Okay, but it’s my world now and I really want to see what kind of price these Lowline cattle are bringing. I’m thinking of buying some to put on my own place if and when I save enough money to buy a few acres of my very own.”
They bent their heads against the wind, waded across frozen dirt and cow droppings to the auction area.
“Why on earth would anyone have a livestock show at this time of year?” he grumbled as they found seats in the arena.
“Because that’s the only time of the year when the ranching industry slows down enough to take a few days off. Put this in the middle of spring and it couldn’t draw near the crowd. In the summer, ranchers are too busy to get away for two weeks. Daddy tells that when my great-great-grandfather came to this show it was held in the open stockyards or under a canvas tent. He said he dang near froze to death. One year the snow was so deep it got in over the top of his boots, but he didn’t care. Cold feet were worth enduring to be able to talk to all the major cattle operations in the country. He got a lot of good advice and gave just as much, I’m sure. In those days the cowhands slept in their cattle pens and the cattle were paraded down an alley to be judged. Story has it that he considered it the same as a family reunion.” She looked around. “The sale is starting now. Keep your hands down or you might be bidding on a Lowline to take home with you, and they don’t do too well in an apartment.”
He took out his notebook and pen. “You are just full of information.”
She stuck her tongue out at him and turned her attention to the sale.
He wrote Lowline and underlined it. Whether he mentioned anything about it in his story he intended to find out just what kind of cattle Jodie wanted. The first black bovine led out into the ring didn’t look all that different from the cows he’d seen at the Cahill ranch. The auctioneer gave the animal’s history: a full blood open heifer named Miss Tallulah 2S. Sire: Montezuma. Dam: Tallulah 018S. Consignor: Low Water Ranch, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The auctioneer began a fast rattle and hands went up. He caught his breath and began again. More hands. More bids. Jimmy could scarcely believe a chunk of hamburger on the hoof could bring that much money. Finally a bidder from Bennington, Oklahoma, purchased the cow for $9,900.
“What makes a cow worth that?” he asked Jodie.
“Lowlines were derived from pure Aberdeen Angus bloodlines in Australia. There was a lot of research done but the short story is that they figured out a very impressive conversion of grass-to-meat ratios within the breed. The herd was closed until 1993 when a complete sale was made of 20 bulls, 44 cows, and 51 heifers. That was the foundation stock of the American Lowlines.”
“You know your history, but why would you want these rather than those other black cows on Cahill ranch? What makes the difference?” he asked.
“They’re docile and easy to handle. They make wonderful animals for children to handle and show. Plus, you’ve got to grow your cattle for the market. These are smaller than Angus so they have a smaller carcass which produces smaller cuts of meat. They’ll mature on grass alone, which means you save money on grain. From what I read on them, tests proved that the meat is tender and tasty and the test stock had been fed on grass and hay alone. And grass-fed beef is healthier than grain-fed. It’s got more vitamins, more CLA which fights cancer and less fatty acids. Last, since they’re smaller, I could put more cattle per acre.”
“Well, stop the show, we’ll buy everything they’ve got,” he said.
She shook her finger at him. “Don’t tease me about something near and dear to my old heart. This is my dream. Besides darlin’, unless you own Fort Knox, you couldn’t buy them all. A couple of years ago the Lowline sale had less than a hundred head and the total sales came in at just under half a million.”
“Dollars?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Not nickels!”
“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, we’ve got seven bred females here.” The auctioneer went on with the pedigree and then started the bidding. When he slapped the gavel down, the lot had brought $68,000.
It was mid-afternoon by the time they stepped out into the blustery wind and snow again. It shifted across the frozen earth to drift against buildings. Already the drifts were a foot tall. And Jimmy had a whole new respect for Lowline cattle.
“What now?” Jimmy asked.
“First we go to the trade show and see if we can buy you some gloves. Didn’t you know it got cold in Denver? Then we’re going to find a vendor and have some funnel cakes and whatever else looks good.”
“Want to drive?”
“No, it’s not that far. Walk fast and keep your hands in your pockets.”
“Where are we going to buy gloves again?” he asked.
“You can find anything here from portable sheds to boots. The tradeshow opens at nine every morning and closes at eight at night. There’re all kinds of booths in several buildings but we’re going to the expo hall. That’s where I expect we’ll find what we’re looking for. By the time we eat it’ll be time to go home and get ready for the bull ride tonight.” She grimaced at the thought of having to judge Chris’s ride, but Jimmy had his head down and didn’t see it.
The booth selling leather products had gloves, vests, hats, boots, and even leather-bound picture frames and albums for sale. Jimmy tried on gloves until he found a fur-lined pair he liked. He wished aloud for fur-lined socks to keep his feet warm.
“Try on a pair of boots. They don’t have to be fancy eel or have pointed toes, you know. They can actually look more like shoes with your pants legs shook down over them,” she said.
“What’s the advantage? Do they eat less grass than my loafers and produce better meat?”
“You can wear good warm wool socks with boots and no one knows,” she to
ld him.
“Aha, they do have an advantage,” he said.
The vendor held up a package of gray socks with red heels. “Six pair for fifteen dollars.”
“Do you have a pair of plain boots in size ten?”
Jodie shuffled through several boot boxes and came up with a pair. “Right here. Try them on, but not with those thin socks. We’ll take that package of socks whether the boots fit or not so can we open them now?”
The vendor pulled a pair out for them.
The boots actually felt pretty good with the socks and his feet were already warmer.
“Want to wear them?” the vendor asked.
“Sure,” Jimmy answered.
While he put his shoes in the boot box and paid the man, Jodie slipped on a long leather duster made with wide arms and fringe hanging from the sleeves. It fit over the cast comfortably. It would be perfect in the cold weather. She wouldn’t have to drape the left side of her other jackets and coats over her shoulder. She checked the price tag and came close to having a full-fledged cardiac arrest on the spot.
“Want it?” the vendor asked.
“I could buy a calf for the price of that thing,” she said.
“I could reduce the price some since your husband bought boots and gloves,” he said.
“How much?”
“A hundred dollars.”
“He bought socks and he’s looking at that trifold wallet,” she said.
“Hey, don’t rope me into this,” Jimmy said.
“How much if he buys the wallet?”
“Half off,” the vendor smiled.
“You’re buying the wallet,” she said, reaching in her purse for her credit card.
“But I don’t need it,” he said.
“Then give it to Paul for Christmas or one of your city friends for Christmas.”
The vendor laughed. “You two been married long?”
Jodie signed her name on the line. “No, sir.”
“I didn’t think so. You haven’t even changed your name on your cards yet. You make a cute couple,” he said.
Jimmy blushed scarlet, the creases of his dimples looking pale in comparison. “Thank you. I’ll take two of these wallets.”
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