Comeback Trail

by Carolina Mac

  “Did Harper have a gun?” asked Clay.

  “Doyle said she didn’t,” said Jack, “but there was one in her hand.”

  “Next of kin for Harper would be her sister Kate in the jail,” said Sheriff Tucker. “I’ll tell her in the morning when I tell Laney her parents are both in the Preston Hospital.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Saturday, June 6th.

  McKenna Ranch.

  I helped Jay and Clint with chores extra early and we loaded Bowie into the trailer. When I got back to the house, Darla was up, dressed and making breakfast. Coffee was ready.

  I stopped for a second next to the sink and held her in my arms. She felt warm and sexy and she smelled like shampoo and lilac perfume and I could barely tear myself away from her. “I have to shower and get ready and I can’t bear to leave you.”

  She smiled. “Those are words I like to hear. Are the boys up getting ready?”

  “I think I hear them. Go ahead and make whatever. We’ll eat, then get going. I appreciate you helping.”

  “My pleasure, Logan.”

  My God, could she be any more perfect?

  Lubbock Fairgrounds.

  ON the drive up to Lubbock, Jack and Clay had filled us in on the events of the night before and I could hardly believe what they were telling me. I went over it in my head and still couldn’t believe it. Bonnie Sue shot all those people in a couple of seconds.

  “Do you think she’ll come to the rodeo today, Clay?”

  “She was barely talking after the gunfight last night,” said Jack. “Seemed spaced out a little.”

  “Could have been shock,” I said. “That was a traumatic event in her life.”

  “Wow,” said Darla. “Do you guys have an internal investigation at your office?”

  “Don’t think so,” said Jack, “but the sheriff will ask her some questions. I’m pretty sure of that. I told him my gun hadn’t even been fired and he could hardly believe it.”

  Clay shook his head.

  I parked in the field and the boys helped me get Bowie out of the trailer and into the makeshift corral so he could run around and get some exercise while he waited to compete.

  “I want to check out our seats,” said Jack. “You guys coming or want to stay here?”

  “I’ll walk Darla there and then she’ll know the way,” I said, “Besides, I don’t want to lose sight of her.”

  She giggled. “You are too cute, Logan, and I’m getting so attached to you I don’t know if it’s healthy.”

  “How could it not be healthy? I had a shower.” I winked at her and she colored a little.

  Jack found the seats and gave Clay and Darla their tickets.

  “I’m getting a cold Coke then going back to sit with Bowie and get ready.”

  “Is that something you do alone, Logan?”

  “Usually, yes. Do you mind?”

  “Not at all. I don’t want to interrupt your routine one bit. I’ll check out the merchandise and have a burger with your brothers. I’m fine.”

  “Thanks, Darla.”

  When I got back to the trailer area, Linda was leaning on my truck. “Hi, Logan. I just came by to wish you luck. I’m not going to cause you any grief. Neither one of us wants to be upset today. It screws up our focus.”

  “True, it does. And I hope you beat Lizzie today, Linda. It will be good for your confidence if you do. I know you can do it and so do you.”

  She smiled and seemed more like the old Linda that I used to love. “I can do it. I’m going to give it my best shot.”

  I hugged her and then sat down with Bowie. I felt better not having Linda guilt gnawing at my gut.

  THE afternoon temperature climbed to a hundred and ten and the arena was dry and dusty. Bowie had relaxed and had water and he was in perfect condition. I was the only one who could screw up and I’d made my mind up in Thursday’s practice that I was never going to let my mind wander or lose focus or screw up ever again.

  When it was time for my first event, I lined up with Bowie, said hi to all my friends and to Rowdy who always wore a big grin on his face. I was ready.

  This time, Rowdy was ahead of me and that suited me fine. He set an almost record time and all I had to do was match it to get into the finals.

  The announcer called my name, Bowie flew into the arena like lightning on fire and bam—we were finished. The crowd was on its feet screaming and I couldn’t hear what the announcer was saying until he repeated it.

  “Logan McKenna just set a new record for the Lubbock rodeo. Let’s give him a big hand.”

  I gave the crowd a wave and rode out of the arena. As I rode through the gates heading for the field, I saw Darla and the boys waiting for me. My heart was full and I felt great.

  I slid down off Bowie and hugged my brothers, and then Darla. She was crying.

  “That was so perfect, I couldn’t believe it. You were amazing.”

  “Thanks. Let’s set Bowie up and then get a beer. We’ve got some time to relax and I want to watch Linda. I told her I would.”

  LINDA won the first round of the barrel racing and we headed for the beer tent. When we got there, Mr. Franklin waved us over to his table. “Ordered a pitcher for you boys. I thought y’all might want to celebrate Logan’s perfect run. Never saw anything like it.”

  “It was so perfect, I cried, Daddy,” said Darla.

  I introduced my brothers and we enjoyed a relaxing hour in the beer tent. Then we moved on to burgers and after that, I had to get ready for the finals.

  “I’ll see y’all in a little while.”

  THE night competition was cooler by a couple of degrees and I was grateful. My shirt had been sticking to me all afternoon and just before going back to the arena, I changed into a dry one.

  The evening show for me was pretty much a carbon copy of the afternoon only with a little more pressure added. This was for the money and the points that came with winning. The prize money at the local rodeos wasn’t what counted. Making it to the National Finals was where it was at. That was where there was huge competition and gigantic payouts. Something to work for, if I still had it in me.

  My turn came and I stayed in the zone. Never looked to right or left. Me and Bowie and that’s all there was. Just the two of us doing our job the way we did it day in and day out at home on the McKenna Ranch.

  Bowie flew into the ring, I tossed the rope, slid off Bowie’s back and…

  “That’s a new world’s record, folks. Logan McKenna is back in top form and showing all those young cowboys how it’s done. Let’s hear it for Logan.”

  Rowdy was the first guy to shake my hand when I left the arena. “Fantastic, Logan. You set the bar higher for the young guys. They ain’t never gonna catch us.”

  His grin was infectious and I laughed. “I’ve got a great horse.” I nuzzled into Bowie and he nickered.

  MY brothers mobbed me outside the arena. They were so happy they couldn’t even speak and neither could Darla or her Daddy. So many speechless people. I didn’t deserve all the attention. Most of it belonged to Bowie.

  “Soon as I get Bowie settled, I’ll meet y’all in the beer tent.”

  “Mr. McKenna, I’m Tom Fredericks from the Rodeo News.”

  “Hey there, Tom. Follow me to the corral and we can talk on the way. I’ve got to get Bowie food and water.”

  “Sure. Mind if I make a few notes. I’m calling this article, “The Comeback Trail.”

  Author Notes from Carolina:

  Thank you for reading Comeback Trail, book two in my new contemporary western series Broken Spur. If you have a moment to leave a quick rating or review on Amazon, I’d love to know what you thought and I’m sure other readers would too.

  If you enjoyed the story and want to continue reading, I’ve included a few pages of Rodeo Ranch, Book Three, to get you started. If you want more than a tease, you can find it on Amazon.

  A special thank you to the fans who take the time to reach out and share their ideas, supp
ort, and opinions. You know who you are: Lynn, Dorothy, Shelley, Diane, Wendy, Shirley and Freda, Dawn, Alice, Billy and Melinda, Jim and Gayle, Ava, Terry and Celestia, Alisia and Pat to name a few.

  Carolina Mac is the author of more than seventy-five books in six different series. The Regulators biker series, The Quantrall PI series, The Blackmore Agency series, The Paradise Park series, The Broken Spur series and also Misty’s Magic and Mayhem series co-authored with her daughter J.L. Madore.

  Carolina lives with her family in Ontario, Canada.

  To access my author page on Amazon and see all my books out so far, click here.

  Where to find me:

  Carolina Mac: Facebook, Reader Forum, Blog:, Instagram:, Newsletter: sign up

  Regulator Series:

  Lily

  Bad Beat

  Panama Annie

  Coulter

  Searching for Billy

  End of an Era

  Wingman

  Triple Homicide

  The Foundation

  Hotline

  Powell

  The Last Regulator

  Quantrall Series:

  Quantrall

  Ink Minx

  Ray Jay

  Blacky

  The Coven

  You Forgot to say Goodbye

  Payback

  Rags to Rage

  The Corner Office

  Race

  Coma

  No Defense

  Full Circle

  Stick a Needle In Your Eye

  Crude

  Note: For reading order: Quantrall books 14 & 15 follow Backwater – Book 15 in The Blackmore Agency Series.

  The Blackmore Agency Series:

  Double Down

  Splitting Aces

  Dead Man’s Hand

  Drawing Dead

  Under the Gun

  Rivered

  The Turn

  Final Table

  Cat

  Dog

  Vigilance

  Mystere

  Hole in the Heart

  Dead Eye

  Backwater

  Road Kill

  Street Rat

  Hoodoo

  Crowbar

  Night Vipers

  Short Fuse

  Cinnamon

  Parole

  Eight Seconds

  Junkyard Dog

  Revoked

  Paradise Park Series:

  Paradise Park

  Return to Paradise

  Paradise Sparks

  Alone in Paradise

  Together in Paradise

  Prisoner in Paradise

  Escape from Paradise

  Deliverance

  Misty’s Magick & Mayhem Series:

  School for Reluctant Witches

  School for Saucy Sorceresses

  School for Unwitting Wiccans

  Nine Saint Gillian Street

  The Ghost of Pirate’s Alley

  Jinxing Jackson Square

  Broken Spur Series:

  Picking up the Pieces

  Comeback Trail

  Rodeo Ranch.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Sunday, September 27th.

  McKenna Ranch.

  CLAY called from Austin while Jacky and I were eating breakfast and told us the good news. I put my phone on speaker so Jack could hear too.

  “I got great feedback from three different studios. They liked the CD and they’ll call me later in the week. I’m leaving this morning and I’ll be home in time for dinner.”

  “We’ll go to the Spur to celebrate,” said Jack.

  “I’ve missed the Spur,” said Clay.

  “It’s only been four days,” said Jack with a chuckle.

  “Drive safely, Clay,” I said. “That’s a six hour drive. Stop and take a break.”

  “Yeah, I’ll stop for lunch and rest my eyes. Can’t wait to get home.”

  “He sounds homesick,” I said. “What’s going to happen if he has to go on tour or something like that?”

  Jack shrugged. “Cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess. He wants a music career and touring around with your record goes with it.”

  I got up to refill my coffee mug and my cell rang. Not a number I recognized. “This is Logan McKenna.”

  “Hi Logan. I hope I’m not bothering you on a Sunday, but I’m calling to see if you have room for me in your training schedule.”

  “Umm… I’m just about filled up for the fall session and we’re starting tomorrow. What’s your name?”

  “Taylor Watts.”

  “Okay, Taylor, I’m putting you down, but you’re the last one in. You be here at nine in the morning with your horse and your gear.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll be there.”

  “Do you need directions?”

  “Nope. I’ll find your ranch. No problem.”

  Jack glanced up from spreading jam on the last piece of toast. “Another student?”

  “Last one I can take in this two-week session. Six at a time is all I can handle.”

  “Yep, you’re gonna be busy for the next two weeks. I hope the cows don’t start coming in. That would really cramp us up.”

  “I’ve got Doc Stiverson on call all this week. Once the first cows come in we’ll have a better idea what we’re doing.”

  “Makes me nervous,” said Jack. “Wish Daddy was here.”

  “Me too. He’d be excited for this, but Clint’s good and he’ll help us. He’s got lots of experience with birthing foals.”

  “That ain’t the same as bulls.” Jack shook his dark head.

  “Close.”

  “Yeah, I guess it’s close.”

  “I’d better clean up the dishes and make an effort to clean up the house before Darla gets here.”

  Jack groaned. “Is today one of those wedding planning days when all the two of you talk about is wedding stuff?”

  “I don’t have too much to say about it, I mostly listen and nod my head. Her Daddy wants her to have a church wedding and I don’t mind. I do want Darla for my wife.”

  “But do you have to go through all that fancy wedding crap to get her?”

  “I guess you could say that.”

  “I am saying it. I’ll go catch up on my workout at the gym in Preston. Never know I might meet some good looking babe who has muscles bigger than mine.”

  “That would be ugly, Jack.” I made a face picturing it in my head.

  He laughed and ran off and left me with all the cleanup to do by myself.

  DARLA arrived right after lunch. My bride-to-be, was a gorgeous brunette with a perfect body and a drop-dead smile. I loved her like a crazy man and couldn’t wait to marry her. Our wedding was scheduled to happen at Thanksgiving. It had seemed a safe distance in the future when we first set the date but was creeping up on me at a rapid pace.

  Both my brothers were standing up with me because there was no way I could pick one over the other. They were both best men. Compared to a lot of splashier events, our wedding would be on the small side. Fifty people on the guest list—mostly Darla’s family—with our reception at the Broken Spur Roadhouse.

  Miss Jane, the proprietress of the roadhouse was my almost Momma and she insisted we have our celebration at her establishment so she could watch over all the details. She loved Darla and she wanted everything to be perfect for us.

  Lost in wedding dread, Cadence and Rusty, Daddy’s two hounds barked and startled me. They scrambled off the porch when Darla arrived and ran to meet her. I stepped through the screen door to greet her and she took my breath away as she walked up the steps onto the porch.

  Dressed in shorts and an off-the-shoulder top, her body was tanned from a summer of rodeos and her dark brown hair had picked up a couple of sun streaks. She was a perfect picture. At least, I thought so.

  She kissed me on the porch and backed me into the screen door as she explored my mouth with her tongue.

  “Hey, what’s happening?” I asked the question in a whisper.

&n
bsp; “Anybody home?”

  “Nobody but me.”

  “Let’s go upstairs before we start working on the wedding.”

  “I’ve got time for that.” I took her hand and led her up the stairs to my room. “My bed isn’t made.”

  “All the better.” Darla whipped her shorts and top off in seconds leaving me to catch up.

  We rolled on the bed kissing and making out and I couldn’t remember ever feeling this good before. Would it feel like this every day when we were married?

  “Come on, Logan. Give me the big gun.”

  With a growl, I mounted Darla and gave her my best effort. When we were finished, she lay underneath me with her eyes closed panting for breath.

  “Let’s rest for a minute before we get up.”

  That sounded like a great idea but somebody was pounding on the kitchen door downstairs. I pulled my jeans on, closed the bedroom door and hurried down to see who it was.

  “Hey, boss, one of the cows is nearly ready. Want to call the vet?”

  “Yeah, I do. I want Doc Stiverson here for the first one or two. Thanks, Clint. I’ll call and tell him to come, then I’ll have a look for myself.”

  I ran upstairs for my phone and grabbed it off the dresser.

  “Why are you running, sugar?”

  “One of our cows is almost ready and I have to call the vet.”

  “Ooh, I’m getting dressed. I don’t want to miss the first baby.”

  DARLA and I were both at the barn when Doctor Stiverson arrived. He came in and plopped his medical bag down and examined the cow.

  “Yep, won’t be long now. Another couple of hours.”

  “That long?” asked Darla. “I’d better make some iced tea for us all.”

  She took off for the house and Doc Stiverson and I waited, just staring at the cow in labor. My biggest worry was the sex of the newborn. We needed more bulls than cows from a business point of view, but did the cows know that? You get what you get.