Rodeo Queen

by Shannon Taylor Vannatter

  Caitlyn’s shoulders slumped as Mitch took a seat beside her. “Sure you’re comfy?”

  “I was.” Her words came under her breath as if she didn’t mean to say them at all.

  But Mitch heard. She was comfy. Until he got there. “Y’all go first. You might need a head start.”

  “We’re gonna mop the floor with you.” Cody rolled his eyes and drew a card.

  As Caitlyn set the hourglass timer, Cody started drawing. An oblong circle took shape.

  “A bean?” Tara guessed.

  Cody shook his head.

  “A pea?”

  With a theatrical sigh, Cody jabbed his pencil against what he’d drawn.

  “You gotta give me more than that.” Tara laughed. “It looks like a bean or a pea. Corn?”

  Every guess Tara made caused Cody to shake his head with increasing force and jab the paper.

  Mitch watched the last of the sand trickle through the hourglass. “Time’s up.”

  “No fair. He can’t draw worth a flip.” Tara grinned.

  “It’s a banana. Don’t you know a banana when you see one?”

  “That’s one sad-looking banana.” Caitlyn laughed.

  “Well, we can’t all be an artist like Mitch.”

  “The game doesn’t allow time for artistry.” Mitch handed Caitlyn their sketch pad. “Here, I’ll let Caitlyn draw first.”

  “Ready.” Tara turned the timer over. “Go.”

  As Caitlyn drew, Mitch huddled close, her hair brushing against his ear. Her perfume dizzied his brain. A misshapen bird took form on the paper with stick legs and talons, but he didn’t want to give up her closeness, and so he let half the sand drain. “A bird.”

  She nodded, then drew a triangle on the bird’s head.

  A little more sand trickled through as he glanced at the timer. “A cardinal. A blue jay.”

  “Blue jay.” She moved away from him.

  “No fair.” Cody harrumphed. “That was easy.”

  “Not really.” Tara chuckled. “That bird kind of looks like a fly.”

  “Really?” Caitlyn smirked. “Let me see your blue jay.”

  Mitch spent the afternoon soundly beating his brother and sister, interpreting Caitlyn’s stick figures and kitten-resembling lions and sparing the details and perfection in his own sketching while watching her tension fade away. And reveling in her nearness.

  * * *

  The soft yarn and mindless repetitive movement of her crochet hook relaxed Caitlyn. She wasn’t as fast as Mitch’s mom, but she kept a pretty good pace. “It’s really nice to make lap blankets for the nursing-home patients.”

  “Our church has been doing it for several years. Each year, we pick a different nursing home somewhere in Texas, find out how many patients they have and send blankets. I like to think each stitch is crocheted with love and, hopefully, it makes the patients feel not forgotten.”

  Caitlyn glanced toward Mitch. His gaze was still on her. Hers flitted back to her work.

  He’d stared at her all day. If he was seeing someone new, why wouldn’t he stop staring at her?

  Gathered in the family room, the scents of the cedar walls and the sectional sofa’s rich, taupe leather permeated the room. Tara curled up in the window seat reading while Cody played Angry Birds and Grandpa watched Wheel of Fortune.

  Mitch stared at Caitlyn.

  Her shoulders tensed, and she stretched them.

  Three of Lyla’s quilts softened the room—one on the back of each couch section and one hanging on the wall. Caitlyn had once looked forward to receiving one of Mitch’s grandmother’s quilts as a wedding gift.

  “You can take a break if you need to.” Audra gently stilled Caitlyn’s hands.

  “No, I’m fine.” It wasn’t crocheting binding up her muscles.

  “I wish you could go shopping with us tomorrow.” Tara set her novel down.

  “With all the suitcases you brought, you’re going shopping?” Mitch rubbed the back of his neck. “My shoulders haven’t recovered from your trousseau thingy yet.”

  Caitlyn smiled. But she didn’t want to think about his shoulders.

  “I still need a few things for the house. Towels, sheets, dishes—that sort of thing.”

  “After four wedding showers?” Cody never looked up from his Kindle Fire.

  “It takes a lot of stuff to set up a house.” Tara rolled her eyes. “Not all of us aspire to live out of a truck and motels.”

  “Don’t knock it until you try it.”

  “No, thanks.” Tara scrunched her nose. “What is it with men? Mitch’s apartment is barely furnished and last time we were there, he didn’t even have any dishes.”

  “Paper doesn’t require washing. And I don’t really live there—I just sleep there. But look at my cabin.”

  So where did he live? At his new girlfriend’s place? At least he didn’t sleep there. That he admitted, anyway.

  “You win on that one.” Tara rolled her eyes. “Caitlyn, you have to get Mitch to show you his cabin. It’s not very female friendly, but it has a certain charm. It’s like walking through Bass Pro.”

  “I imagine Caitlyn’s never been to Bass Pro.” Cody laughed. “Not her style.”

  “It’s not on my bucket list.” Caitlyn dropped a loop and picked it back up.

  “That’s where we need to take Tara for her dishes, towels and sheets.” Cody framed the air with his hands. “I can see it now. Jared and Tara’s Bass Pro Ranch.”

  “No way.”

  Caitlyn smiled at the gentle teasing. She loved this family. Content to be together—each occupied with their hobbies or interests. Except for Mitch. If only he’d find something to do other than stare at her.

  And this was only week one of her stay. Time stretched before her with Tara’s wedding a week from tomorrow. How would she deal with a whole second week of his proximity?

  * * *

  Why did Cody get to help Caitlyn hop up the stairs for the evening? Why couldn’t Mitch have the easy camaraderie with her that his brother had?

  Being so close to her was paradise. Only with two very large shadows. Number one—she was in danger. Number two—she didn’t want to be close to him.

  Number one he could do something about. He pulled up his phone’s address book and punched a number.

  “Remington Ranch.”

  “Quinn, it’s Mitch Warren. I’ve got a proposition for you.”

  “About Trent’s dad?”

  “I promise we’ll keep Trent safe.”

  “What do you want Trent to do?”

  “The quickest way to land a fish is to use the right bait.”

  “Trent?” Quinn’s tone turned gruff. “No. I won’t endanger the boy. He’s been through enough—thanks to his so-called father.”

  “Just hear me out. We could clear your ranch and replace your employees with rangers. Plus extras. I know every nook and cranny of the place. We’d have it crawling with law enforcement.”

  Silence ticked several seconds away.

  Quinn sighed. “Couldn’t you use a decoy instead of Trent?”

  “Stevens knows his son. And he may be crazy, but he’s not stupid.” Yes, he’d had problems recognizing his wife. But from the picture Mitch had seen, that was understandable.

  “On one condition.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “My family leaves, my employees leave but I’m staying.”

  From what Mitch knew of Quinn, he’d expected it. “Done.”

  “And Trent can’t miss any school. This will have to go down over the weekend.”

  “I’ll contact Timmons at headquarters and he’ll be in contact.”

  “You won’t be involved?”

 
He’d like to be. He’d like to take Stevens in himself. And beat him to a pulp in transport. “I’m protecting the victim.”

  “Just see that you protect Trent. And my family.”

  “You have nothing to worry about. You have my word.” Mitch ended the call.

  “You gonna tell her what’s going on?” Grandpa turned a piece of his jigsaw puzzle every which way trying to make it fit.

  “No. Not until it’s over.”

  If the operation went well, Stevens’s reign of terror would be over. Caitlyn would walk out of Mitch’s life. Again.

  But at least she’d be safe. And in the meantime, he’d spend every possible moment with her.

  * * *

  Saturday morning, Jared arrived and everyone prepared for lunch in Medina and the shopping trip in San Antonio. Except Mitch. And Caitlyn.

  Even Grandpa was going. Mitch knew Grandpa couldn’t care less about shopping, but he took every opportunity to spend time with his family.

  Discontent showed in every tight muscle that made up Caitlyn’s slim form and every line on her face. She sat by Grandpa, staring at a jigsaw puzzle. With her leg healing nicely, her lone crutch leaned against the arm of the couch.

  A vibration startled Mitch. He dug his phone out of his pocket.

  Headquarters. His heart jolted. “Warren here.”

  Caitlyn’s gaze caught his.

  “Stevens was at his brother’s in Fort Worth about thirty minutes ago.” Timmons’s tone sounded grave. “He had a broken bone in his wrist. His brother pretended to go for meds and called police, but Stevens bolted before they got there.”

  Mitch massaged the bridge of his nose. “Keep me updated.”

  “Did something happen?” Caitlyn’s voice trembled.

  “Stevens was in Fort Worth about thirty minutes ago. But he got away.”

  “That means he doesn’t know where I am?” Her mouth formed a small O. “But Natalie’s helping with the store.”

  “He wasn’t anywhere near your store. Besides, she’s safe. You hired a new clerk at each store before you left on business.”

  “No, I didn’t.” She frowned.

  “An undercover ranger.”

  “Oh.” She closed her eyes. “Thank you.”

  “This calls for celebration, I think.” Grandpa slid a piece of the puzzle in place.

  “We didn’t get him.” Mitch frowned.

  “No. But we know he’s five hours away. I think Caitlyn’s got ranch fever. This means she could join our outing today.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Could I?”

  No hovered on Mitch’s tongue. What if Stevens’s brother was providing a cover so Stevens could slip away to Medina? No. If he knew where Caitlyn was, he’d have shown up by now.

  “Come on, son. Lighten up. Even if anything were to go wrong—and it won’t—you’d be right there to keep her safe.”

  Mitch sighed. “You sure your leg’s up for it?”

  “If I get tired, I promise I’ll sit down.”

  “When we intrepid shoppers head for San Antonio, y’all could come back here and tour the ranch.” Grandpa picked up another puzzle piece.

  “Fort Worth is five hours from here.” Mitch shrugged. “We’ll stay gone three hours—max—to be on the safe side.”

  “Agreed.” She stood and picked up her crutches. “Let me go upstairs a minute.”

  “Take your time. Mom and Tara aren’t ready yet. Need help with the stairs?”

  “I’m good.” She slid the crutches under her arms. “And, Mitch—thanks.”

  Finally, he’d done something right with her. “I’m glad you’re getting a break.”

  Slowly, she climbed the stairs.

  * * *

  Wonderful scents of cinnamon and apple emanated from the Apple Store. The shelves burst with syrups, breads and pancake mixes, plus every possible apple-based jam, jelly and preserve. Caitlyn narrowed her purchases to apple-pumpkin bread, apple-peach-cobbler jam and apple butter.

  After the ladies had paid for their goodies, they ordered lunch and sat at a red picnic table in the pavilion-type dining area behind the store.

  “How is it?” Audra sipped her tea.

  Caitlyn dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “I love a good cheeseburger.”

  “Wait till you taste the bread and jellies.” Tara rolled her eyes. “To die for.” She gasped as she realized her word choice.

  “Who’s up for apple pie and ice cream?” Mitch stood.

  “Me.” All voices joined in unison.

  Cody and Jared went along to help with the orders.

  “Are you sure you won’t go shopping with us, Caitlyn?” Tara asked. “It’ll be so much fun.”

  “To be honest, I’m not sure my leg is up to it yet.”

  “Oh, I forgot. But you’ll be all healed soon and this confinement thing won’t last forever. Maybe next week. And in the meantime, Mitch can show you around the ranch.” Tara’s enthusiasm was almost contagious. “You haven’t even seen the river and you can tour the apple orchard here. Next month they open the pumpkin patch and all the schools have field trips. I got to volunteer one year. So much fun.”

  “Surely I’ll be home before October.”

  “And the river might be a bit cool this time of year.” Grandpa chuckled.

  “Not for fishing. Jared and I plan to go tomorrow.”

  “A week before your wedding and you want to go fishing. You’re making your grandpa proud.”

  The men returned, each carrying two bowls. Mitch set one in front of Caitlyn and one in front of Grandpa, then went back to get his own.

  The double-crust pie was the perfect mixture of gooey and flaky sweetness. The apple ice cream melted in her mouth.

  “We were just talking, Mitch. You need to take Caitlyn to the river today.” Tara licked her spoon clean. “She’d love it, and you have to take her to your cabin.”

  Caitlyn’s heart sped up. “I’d just as soon go back to the house.”

  “But you never know when you’ll get another chance to escape.” Tara sounded so natural, as if she had no ulterior motives. “You should take advantage of it.”

  “We could all tour together.” She hoped Tara heard the plea in her tone.

  “By the time Tara buys out all the stores, it’ll be too dark.” Cody grinned. “I’m up for skipping the shopping trip and touring the ranch.”

  “No.” Tara elbowed him. “You have work to do.”

  “I do?”

  “Something about rodeo research.”

  “Oh, that.” Cody cleared his throat. “I’ve got rodeo research to do.”

  “Rodeo research?” Caitlyn eyes narrowed.

  “I need to check the standings. Me and another rider are neck and neck for the lead.”

  Like that took hours. Mitch’s entire family was conspiring to get her alone with him.

  And Caitlyn didn’t want alone time with Mitch. Truth be told—she did. But she didn’t want to want alone time with Mitch. Why did he always confuse her so badly?

  * * *

  Mitch strolled toward Grandpa’s ranch house. The soon-to-be-married couple had barely taken their eyes off each other during lunch. Seeing his sister so happy and loved warmed his heart. If only he could have the woman he loved.

  But a drover could drive a longhorn or two through the gap Caitlyn carefully kept between her and Mitch.

  At least they were alone, with Cody on his research mission.

  His family. Mitch held back a grin. Always eager to help him out, but not always subtle about it.

  “How about we tour the ranch on horseback?” He narrowed the gap.

  Her eyes lit up, but her pace increased. “Maybe I should call it a day.”

 
“Come on.” Mitch checked his watch. “You’ve got another hour and a half before Cinderella’s carriage turns into a pumpkin. This might be the last time you get out of the house for a while.”

  “I don’t have any boots.” Her shoulders slumped.

  “Tara and Mom do. What size do you wear?”

  “Seven.”

  “I’ll check. They’re not your usual style—less sparkle— but they’ll work if they fit. Have a seat on the porch and I’ll check.”

  Caitlyn climbed the steps and settled on the wagon-wheel bench.

  Maybe with his whole family behind him, he could finagle time with her and inch his way back into her heart.

  * * *

  Caitlyn’s rhinestone-studded jeans and blouse didn’t go with Tara’s plain brown boots. But Mitch matched her. He’d changed into riding clothes—a teal Western shirt that blended with her aqua blingy blouse.

  They’d always done that. Shown up wearing similar colors with no preplanning. Caitlyn dreaded the moment his family saw them, well aware Tara would comment on their compatibility. If only compatibility could be based on blending colors instead of life-and-death choices.

  Concentrate on the scenery instead of the man on horseback at her side. The trail behind the ranch led to a narrow crossing at the river. The water rippled over white river rocks, and huge, feathery-leaved cypress trees stretched their clawlike roots into the water.

  Mitch turned his horse toward the cabin path. Reluctantly, Caitlyn followed.

  “Your family hasn’t changed a bit.” Caitlyn tried to relax, letting her body move in rhythm with the palomino. The horse’s buttery coat and creamy mane glistened in the sunlight.

  “They’ve always loved you.” Mitch kept his matching horse in step with hers. “Good thing you don’t get motion sickness on horseback.”

  “No. Just cars, buses and escalators. So far. Natalie’s tried to get me on a plane, but she hasn’t won yet.”

  “How’s Natalie? I heard she married Lane Grey.” Disbelief tinged his voice.

  “Much better. She told me about running into you in a bar last spring.” But not until recently.

  “For the record, I was working a case.”

  “Duh. Mr. Straight-and-Narrow. Thanks for trying to help her. She’s doing great now.”