The thin brunette did a double take, and her lip curled as she said, “Oh, crap. You again. Where’s your buddy to take up for you, huh? Not around to save your little feelings this time?” Judith glared as Teresa closed the bathroom door behind her to take care of her business. Not feeling the girl deserved any respect, she spoke to her over the stall door.
“I don’t need anyone to take up for me. I haven’t done anything wrong.” Teresa heard Grace gasp from the next stall. This situation was utterly ridiculous. It took a lot to piss Teresa off, but she knew she’d just reached that point.
“You say I’ve ‘claimed’ them as though they wear my brand. They both pursued me and convinced me that they loved me. You tell me where that’s unfair to you.”
“It’s not fair, you takin’ two eligible bachelors like that. It’s immoral. And you’re all BFF with Gwen Henderson when she just had Joaquin at Christmastime!”
Teresa slammed open the stall door and came out ready to have this out. “Not fair to who? You? I doubt the notion they were single even came into your thoughts until they weren’t. If you adored Angel so much, why didn’t you make a play for him two years ago? You’ve already had Joaquin. If you were so good, why didn’t he keep you? You are one of those people who wants what you can’t have.
“And as for Gwen herself, the big difference between her and you is that she understands that Joaquin has a commitment to me, and she’s not acting like I stole her man from her.”
Judith’s plan had backfired if she had hoped to inspire an indignant response from the women over her declaration that Teresa had two men. Teresa felt Grace’s reassuring presence beside her as she had her say once and for all. She was surprised by how calm she felt.
“My friend and I have had to be escorted every second that we’ve been here because you can’t resist backbiting,” Teresa said evenly as she approached the red-faced Judith. “But I’m here to tell you right now, Judith Bowers, you’d better back off from me—”
“Tell her, honey!” Fiona Wills said, laughing from one of the sinks.
Teresa continued, “Because I have had—”
“Go girl,” a woman she didn’t know said.
“— just about enough—”
“Tell her how you really feel,” Grace said then giggled.
“—of you!” Teresa finished with her finger right in Judith’s face.
Judith gave a hateful glare to the other women while backing out of the restroom then yelled at them, “Y’all are all a bunch of fucking idiots! You don’t even know! Both these bitches are married to more than one man. That slut has two husbands, and this whore has three. That’s immoral!”
The woman who spoke up earlier, whom Teresa didn’t know, said, “Judith Bowers, you gotta lot of damn gall accusing someone else of immorality. If you had as many sticking out of you as you’ve had stuck in you, you’d look like a porcupine. I don’t know these ladies, but I do know their husbands and that they’re involved in committed relationships, the circumstances of which are none of my business.”
Commanding respect as she stood there with her hands on her hips, she pointed her finger at Judith and said, “I don’t cotton to being called an idiot, nor do I think their husbands appreciate you calling their wives names. You should’ve stayed to the periphery where riffraff like you belongs. Pack up that tramp trailer and be out of here within the hour.” The serious look in the woman’s eyes changed to humor as she directed a grin over Judith’s shoulder. “Oh, hello, Angel. Hello, Adam. Good to see y’all!”
Teresa watched as Judith turned and looked up into Angel and Adam’s faces, their eyes glowing with anger at having heard the names she’d called Grace and Teresa. Judith wisely ducked her head and strode from the arena.
The woman gave a friendly hug to both men and said, “I am so sorry that happened. If we’d known she was harassing y’all, we would have asked her to leave sooner. I’ll tell Caughlin, and he’ll make sure she leaves and doesn’t cause any more trouble.”
Angel said, “Thank you, Mrs. McIntyre. We appreciate that. Until we heard Teresa give her a piece of her mind, we didn’t realize that girl was in there.”
Mrs. McIntyre cackled happily. “Woo! Did she ever! So, these are your lovely brides, huh?” she added, turning to Teresa and Grace.
“That they are, ma’am,” Adam replied as he introduced Grace and Teresa to the wife of the rodeo’s operator, Caughlin McIntyre.
Several women exited from the bathroom as they stood there talking and nudged Teresa or Grace and gave them the thumbs-up or shared a kind word with them before walking away. Mrs. McIntyre departed to seek out her husband, and the four of them returned to the VIP seating.
The evening got exciting as Ash took second place in bareback bronc riding, which also carried a hefty purse. The short bull-riding round began when the seven top-scoring riders from the previous two days all had a third chance to add to their scores.
Angel groaned when the commentator announced the name of the bull Joaquin would be riding. Teresa looked at him nervously, waiting for a response.
“Texas Bucking Bull of the Year two years ago. I’ve ridden him before. He’s rough and…hooky.”
Hooky? That couldn’t possibly be a good thing when he was referring to an animal that had horns. “What does ‘hooky’ mean?”
“Battleship will likely give chase after Joaquin jumps off. He’ll try to catch Joaquin with his horns. Joaquin knows him, so he’ll stay light on his feet. He’s probably pumped about the draw because it could mean a good score for him.”
Teresa took Angel’s hand and started praying as Joaquin settled onto the bull’s back and tightened down the flat rope that would be the only thing keeping him astride the bull. Joaquin and one other rider were in close competition for the first-place prize, and this ride would make the difference.
Michael puffed out his chest and hollered along with everyone else. “Come on, Daddy! You can do it! Ride that bull!” Joaquin became very still as he prepared to ride Battleship. Teresa felt her phone vibrate in her purse at her feet but ignored it, in no frame of mind to answer it.
The gate swung open, and the crowd went crazy. The 1,600-pound bull erupted from the bucking chute, making up what it lacked in weight with a tenacious ability to buck, roll, and twist, rotating back and forth from left to right with no predictability whatsoever.
Teresa kept her eyes on Joaquin and was mesmerized by the way he rode the bull. Exuding confidence, he spurred the bull and grinned, moving with the animal like he was a part of him, as though they’d rehearsed beforehand. Nothing Battleship did could unseat his rider. He twisted and turned, kicked his back legs, rolled and even leapt in the air, all to no avail.
The bull snorted angrily and switched directions. Joaquin evidently anticipated it and moved with him in the right direction. The spectators went wild as the buzzer sounded. Teresa watched on, wanting to see for a fact that he would be okay. Joaquin released the tether rope and leapt to the pickup rider’s horse and clung to the back of its saddle.
The bull turned angrily and charged, catching Joaquin below his knee and attempting to flip him off the back of the horse. The horse proved to be the better athlete though and maneuvered the rider and his passenger out of the way while the rodeo clowns distracted the bull. The other pickup rider herded Battleship to the exit. Teresa was worried about his knee, but Angel assured her he probably only suffered bruises. Joaquin jumped down, showing he was all right as he landed without difficulty and collected his hat, which had come off in the wild ride.
His score of 92.5 flashed up on the screen, and he jumped in the air triumphantly as the crowd cheered for him. Loud music played as they applauded, and Joaquin did a little victory dance, locating Teresa in the VIP seating and blowing her a big kiss. She smiled and cheered, blowing kisses back to him, and read his lips as he yelled, “I love you,” to her. She yelled back and waved as he made his exit while the next rider prepared for his ride.
G
wen joined their group in the stands, excited about Joaquin’s high score. Michael got down from Angel’s lap and went to sit in Gwen’s, giving her a big hug. “I cheered hard for you! You won big, didn’t you?”
Gwen kissed his cheek and said, “I sure did! Thank you for cheering me on, little-mister-cowboy-man.”
“Yes! Congratulations, Gwen! We’re so proud of you,” Teresa said, patting her shoulder.
The tension in the arena increased as the final rider of the evening prepared to ride his bull, a massive 1,800-pound monster named Ricochet. Teresa watched with a strange mix of emotions. Obviously, she wanted Joaquin to do well in the scoring, but she didn’t want to see this rider get hurt on the back of that bull, which seemed to dwarf the little cowboy. She’d seen him ride the previous nights, and his size seemed to work to his advantage, and he held on with a tenacity that was admirable.
The gate swung open, and his ride started out on a high note, the bull bucking and weaving, trying to get the irritating nuisance off his back. The diminutive cowboy spurred him on, angering him further, and the bull began twisting and rolling. The ride was stellar until the last second when the bull bucked in the direction opposite of what the cowboy anticipated, and he was unseated.
He flew through the air and landed on the dirt floor of the arena. He’d just jumped to his feet as the bull charged and nailed him between his shoulder blades, trampling him ferociously into the dirt.
Screams erupted from the crowd as the rodeo clowns distracted the bull from the rider beneath his hooves, but he returned moments later for another shot at the cowboy, pummeling him again with his heavy horns, knocking the rider unconscious.
Everyone in the stands was on their feet, watching in shock as the rodeo clowns tried with limited success to distract the bull into chasing one of them. He followed one, but then returned for a parting shot to the cowboy’s head with his horns. The cowboy was moving, struggling back to consciousness, and was able to curl into a ball and shield his head. The bull rolled him with his horns one last time before taking off for the exit gate.
There was a collective groan and sigh as the bull finally moved off. The rodeo clowns ran to the cowboy, who was curled up on his side, while the paramedics entered the dirt arena rolling a gurney. All the other riders, including Joaquin, were either in the arena with them or perched on the pipe fence. Several took a knee in the arena, removed their cowboy hats, and lowered their heads, praying for the rider who had slumped back, unconscious again.
Teresa saw stars and sat down, taking a deep breath, realizing she’d been holding it since the first impact. Angel sat with her, whispering to her to put her head down and take some deep breaths. Luckily, Michael was still in Gwen’s arms, watching the action unfold below them. The thought kept going through her mind that it could have been Joaquin under that bull, and chances were good that someone who loved that cowboy had watched him get savaged by it.
“Just keep breathing, Teresa. I’m sure Rusty will be fine. He has years of experience, and he had his protective gear on. I’ve seen the same sort of thing happen to Joaquin before.”
“Oh, so not helping with telling me that,” Teresa said weakly as Angel rubbed her back.
He pointed out into the arena and said, “See? Rusty’s awake and moving around. His wife is right beside him there. He’s talking to her and hugging her. It looked a lot worse than it was.”
“Oh, good,” she murmured, looking up as the cowboy struggled to his feet amidst cheers from the stands, raising a fist into the air. The cowboy went to Joaquin and shook his hand then gave him a hug before he allowed him and another cowboy to help him from the arena on his own two feet.
Teresa smiled at Angel as he looked over at her, concern on his face. “You okay?”
“Note to self. Don’t forget to breathe,” she said sheepishly as he slid an arm around her and kissed her cheek.
Angel said, “This sport takes some getting used to. You’ve been brave.”
“Puh-lease! I’m the biggest chicken-heart that ever walked the planet,” she said, flapping her elbows like a chicken, trying to laugh at herself. He just gave her that flirtatious grin and kissed her again.
“Naw, I think our kitten proved earlier that she has the heart of a lion.”
Unfortunately, because he didn’t last the full eight seconds, the rider received no score for his last ride. The top scores were flashed on the scoreboard screen, and everyone cheered wildly. Joaquin had taken first place. Caughlin McIntyre announced the standings and congratulated all the participants.
Teresa felt her purse vibrate again and reached for her phone. She glanced at the screen, and a chill ran through her as she recognized the phone number. It was a text message from her friend, Delores. Her go-between for communicating with the nursing home in Tillman about her parents.
She tapped her fingertip on the touch screen to open the message.
Honey, you need to call me right away. It’s about your mom. Love you.
Angel must have noted the sudden tension in Teresa’s body and the change in her demeanor. His arm slid around her waist. “What is it, Teresa?”
“My mom,” she whispered with a tremor in her voice as she allowed Angel to look at the message.
“Do you think it’s bad news?”
“She wouldn’t call in the evening if it wasn’t important.”
Angel nodded and hugged her. “Then you’d better call her back right away. Joaquin will understand.” Teresa tapped the screen on her phone to dial Delores’ number, grabbed her purse, and exited the stands, leaving Michael with Angel.
* * * *
Joaquin looked up into the stands, trying to find his family. He located Teresa as she made her way from the stands. Her phone was held to her ear, and the worried look on her face and the hint of concern in Angel’s body language told Joaquin something was wrong. He slipped out of the dirt arena and gathered his gear, stuffing the five-thousand-dollar check into his shirt pocket. He grinned and smiled to everyone that patted him on the back and shook his hand, but he felt a deepening sense of urgency to get to his wife. Something was definitely wrong.
He hefted the duffel with his gear in it onto his shoulder and hotfooted it onto the concourse, making his way toward the VIP stands.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Teresa sniffled as she gathered clothing and other necessities into a bag for Michael. Angel watched from the door, the concern obvious in his eyes, but left her to her own thoughts. Her mother had a massive stroke earlier that evening, and the eventual outcome was clear. The doctors did not expect her to recover from it, and they were honoring her mother’s request to not use heroic measures. Joaquin and Angel promised her that they’d do their best to get her to Tillman in time to see her mother before she passed away.
Zipping up Michael’s little suitcase and his backpack, she handed them to Angel as Joaquin brought Michael in to change his clothes. Michael was coming with them because Teresa could not bear to be parted from him, regardless of any circumstances in Tillman.
She left Michael’s room and returned to their bedroom, where Joaquin’s and Angel’s duffels and a garment bag were already packed and ready on the neatly made bed. Teresa tried to think of what she would need to bring with her. She battled with the urge to simply run out of the house, jump in the truck, and speed down the highway to Tillman.
A strange numbness descended as she showered and dressed for the trip. Moving like an automaton to the closet, she methodically pulled out a black outfit and several changes of clothing. Angel and Joaquin had not pressed her to talk unless it was necessary. They seemed to understand that she was preparing herself to say goodbye to her mother. Teresa’s heart lurched painfully at that thought. Joaquin’s large hand grasping hers drew her from her painful reverie, and she turned to him. He squeezed her hand comfortingly.
“Do you have everything you need?”
Teresa nodded. As she went out the door with Joaquin, she saw Jack standing by the tru
ck talking to Angel, nodding and shaking his hand. Jack gave Teresa a hug, and she got into the truck.
Climbing into the driver’s seat, Angel said, “Grace will let the girls know. They’ll head out to help in a day or so when we know what is going on. I asked Jack to get hold of Ace and have him come out if he’s available.”
“Why?” she asked numbly, smoothing her fingertips over Michael’s brow as he slept in his car seat.
“Ace has connections, as a private investigator. He helped Jack when Grace’s ex-boyfriend was harassing her. Jack said Ace handled another investigation recently with good results. He wasn’t real specific, and I didn’t want to pry. I think it would be helpful to have him do a little snooping while we’re there. While we’re in Tillman, I don’t want any mishaps with him or his parents. I have a feeling that if they get wind you’re in town, they may try to make contact with you, which I’d like to avoid.”
“Me, too,” she quietly murmured. Teresa was sure they would show up at some point in the guise of being “friends” of her mother and father. Selective memory seemed to work for them.
* * * *
Upon arrival at the nursing home in Tillman around four o’clock in the morning, Joaquin helped Teresa from the big truck and kissed her tenderly then climbed into the driver’s seat. He watched as Angel and Teresa went into the nursing home to check in with the staff and then drove on to the hotel they’d made reservations at, with Michael still slumbering in his car seat. Joaquin would lie down with Michael for a few hours then they would drive the short distance back to the nursing home to be with Teresa and Angel later in the morning.
Joaquin carried a slumbering Michael into the lobby and got them checked in with no problem. Michael was restless in the unfamiliar bed but curled up to Joaquin, tucking his hands under his chin just like Teresa did when she slept.
The Divine Creek Ranch Collection, Volume 1 [Book 1 - Divine Grace, Book 2 - Her Gentle Giant, Book 3 - Heavenly Angel] (Siren Everlasting Collection) Page 150