Rodeo Queen

by T. J. Kline

  Because I can’t lie about something I don’t even believe exists.

  But would it really be a lie? He’d felt lust before and this didn’t even compare. He was worried about her safety, but this wasn’t just concern or even affection.

  You’re in love.

  No sooner had the thought flashed through his mind then he realized he couldn’t deny the truth of it any longer. Ever since he’d met her, Scott had known that Sydney was different. From the first night he’d held her in his arms, everything had felt so right, so perfect, so eternal. He’d known then that he never wanted to let her go. When had he lost sight of that?

  Scott slowed to make the turn into the rodeo grounds, looking in his rearview mirror to see the rest of the trucks pulling in behind him. Why hadn’t she told him about the baby? Didn’t she realize he would have done the honorable thing—or was that exactly why she hadn’t told him? Would she even believe him now if he told her that he loved her, that he always had?

  The question plagued him as they unloaded the animals. “Scott, will you get your head in the game?” Derek shoved him out of the way as one of the bulls barreled through the chute into the pen.

  “Thanks,” he said as he wiped sweat from his forehead onto the back of his arm.

  Derek gave him an odd glance before opening the next chute and stepping back. “Figured out what you want to say to her when you see her yet?”

  Scott shut the gate behind the powerful animal as Clay loaded the next one from behind him. “How’d you know?”

  “You look like a lovesick puppy,” Derek teased. “It’s written all over your face.” Both men moved from the fence as the bull came through the chute, bawling furiously. “Still want to try to convince us that you don’t love her?”

  “I don’t even know if she’d believe me if I told her.” Scott looked over his shoulder at his brother. “I’ve really messed this up.”

  “I might have an idea how to fix it. Jake,” Derek called. “Come take over for me. Clay, have you seen Jen?”

  Clay didn’t take his eyes from the fifteen-hundred-pound beast staring at him on his mount, ready to charge. “She’s unloading the horses.”

  Scott watched as Derek ran to where Jen was leading horses to a corral. He realized that Sydney hadn’t just melted the ice of his heart, but she’d also given Derek a chance to grow up and accept his responsibility to his family. She had turned his world upside down and he had to thank her for it. He just wasn’t sure she was going to give him a chance.

  SYDNEY LAY IN bed, the sheets cool against her heated skin. She’d tried going for a swim, but it only brought back memories, so she’d showered quickly and changed for bed. As she lay staring at the ceiling, she thought about Scott in Flat Rock and how right now he was probably sitting with the crew having a couple of beers, swapping stories and laughing before heading to bed. She slid her hand to her stomach.

  Oh, Scott, if only you knew what we had done. Can you love this baby, even if you don’t love its mother?

  Sydney’s cell phone vibrated on the dresser. She jumped at the sound and went to check the number, wondering who would possibly be calling her so late. Recognizing Jen’s number, she answered it.

  “Sydney?” Her voice was hoarse and raspy as she coughed.

  “Jen? Are you okay? Is everyone all right?”

  “Yeah, I guess. I overheard you talking to your brother the other night, so I know you’re with your parents, but I really need your help.”

  “Anything, Jen,” Sydney assured her.

  “We are doing the new opening that you and Derek organized for the first time this weekend in Flat Rock, but I came down with this awful flu and there is no way I can do it.”

  “Jen, I don’t think . . .”

  “Please, Sydney? I wouldn’t ask, but Mike already told them about it and they are really excited for it. Derek and Clay are playing the parts so you won’t even have to worry about Scott.”

  “But I’d still have to see him.”

  “I heard you tell your brother you wanted to come see him ride. I really need your help, Sydney.”

  She took a deep breath. She had hoped to sneak in, watch her brother ride, and maybe catch a glimpse of Scott unobserved. But after all Mike and Jen had done for her, she couldn’t let him down when he needed her help.

  “Okay. I’ll call you when I leave in the morning. But have Derek or Clay meet me at the gate. And I do not want to have to see Scott. Do you promise?”

  “Thank you, Sydney. You’re the best.”

  “You own me one,” she teased. “If you feel better tomorrow, call and let me know.”

  Sydney knew it wouldn’t stop her from going to the rodeo, but she wanted to do everything in her power to avoid Scott. She wasn’t ready to face him and she certainly couldn’t tell him about the baby while he was working. When sleep finally overtook her, her thoughts of Scott followed her into her slumber, haunting her dreams and stealing her will to forget him. She was again seduced by his smoldering eyes and the touch that could drive her body to frenzied passion.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  * * *

  SYDNEY AWOKE THE next morning wondering how she could feel fearful and excited at the same time. Her parents had asked her to ride with them, but she didn’t want to run the risk of having no escape plan in case she needed it.

  “Besides,” she reasoned with her mother, “it’ll be easier to get in and out in a truck with the stock contractor’s logo.”

  “Baby, I know you don’t want to talk about Scott right now, but you’re going to have to face up to a few things. Better to do it sooner than later.”

  “Mama, I have faced things.” She gave her mother a sad smile. “Scott doesn’t love me, but he never made any promises that he would. It hurts, but I can’t blame him for being honest.”

  Her mother brushed a curl back off of her shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”

  “Let’s get moving.” Sydney’s father was gruffer this morning than usual, but she could hardly blame him. She had told him about the baby last night and he’d wanted to drive to Flat Rock right then. She wasn’t entirely sure how her mother had managed to convince him to stay put, but she was grateful that she had.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to ride with me?” Sydney asked.

  Her mother winked. “I can take care of him. Don’t worry, he just doesn’t like to see his little girl hurting. He’ll keep quiet.”

  “Thanks, Mama.”

  JEN GLANCED AT the text on her phone. “Okay, Sydney is on her way.”

  “I’ll meet her at the gate.” Derek rose and Scott had to fight the surge of jealousy. Derek smiled at Jen conspiratorially. “You know you’re going to have to stay away from her for this to work. You’re supposed to be sick, remember?”

  Scott wished Jen and Derek hadn’t lied to Sydney about Jen having the flu, but it was the only way they could think to get her take part in the opening ceremony, and he appreciated their help in getting her to the rodeo. Their plan might just work, but he would have to stay out of sight and that was going to be nearly impossible.

  “Scott, leave Noble at the trailer today. We’ll need him for the opening. I’ve got the rodeo under control and Mike will be there to make sure it’s all running smoothly.”

  Scott put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I trust you, Derek. Three months ago, I don’t think I could have said that, but now . . .” Scott shrugged and Jen’s eyes misted.

  “Thanks, Scott.” Derek cleared his throat. “I’ll do a quick run-through with Sydney this morning, but it will be just like we practiced last night.”

  Scott stepped out of the trailer, knowing it was where Derek would bring Sydney to get ready and prep her for a quick run-through. He headed to where Mike inspected the roping stock, adjusting the horn wraps in preparation for the overflow of contestants.

  “I’ll take care of those for you, Mike.” He didn’t want to tell him that the offer would give him a perfect vantage point
to watch Sydney practice the opening ceremony while still remaining hidden.

  Mike smiled at Scott and patted his shoulder. “Scott, she’s already told you that she loves you. You’ve got nothing to lose. Calm down, son.”

  “I know.” But knowing she loved him didn’t take away the fear that it was too late. She had given him more chances to admit his feelings for her than he could have ever deserved. He couldn’t expect her to wait until he got his act together—no woman could be that patient, and he certainly didn’t deserve her forgiveness for the way he’d treated her.

  Mike jerked a chin toward his truck, which was pulling toward the back gate where Derek waited. “There she is.”

  Scott’s heart stopped as he caught a glimpse of her in the driver’s seat. With her hair pulled back from her face, she looked like an innocent teen girl. Her auburn curls reflected bright copper in the morning sunlight and his hungry gaze devoured her. She pulled the truck to a stop by Mike’s fifth-wheel trailer. He frowned when he noticed that she avoided his eyes, parking as far away as she could.

  She climbed out of the truck and gave Derek a hug as she pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head. Even in blue jeans and a white t-shirt she was tempting. Scott fought the sharp jab of envy as Derek surrounded her shoulders with his arm. If it hadn’t been for his stupidity and stubborn pride, she would be there now, with him. But, as long as everything went according to Derek’s plan, by tonight it would be his arms that held Sydney.

  DEREK GREETED SYDNEY warmly and she tried to keep her eyes from searching the crew for Scott. She pointed to Jake, attaching a harness to a carriage near the back gate.

  “What in the world is that?”

  “That is your ride, my lady.”

  “My what?” She laughed. “That is not exactly what we talked about. Can you even drive that thing?” She glanced at the long, open design reminiscent of medieval royalty. The deep black with gold accents would shine in the arena.

  “I don’t have to. Pablo is driving it.” He pointed to the jet-black geldings tied nearby. “And those boys have pulled a carriage before. Come on, wait until you see the dress Jen designed.”

  “Okay, hang on.” She locked the truck and pocketed the keys. Her eyes coasted toward the arena, where she saw Scott bent over adjusting horn wraps before they loaded a steer into the chute. As if feeling her gaze, he looked up. His black eyes were unreadable, shadowed by his cowboy hat. Her heart leaped into her throat and her breath lodged in her chest. She felt faint, leaning against the truck to catch herself. She closed her eyes and forced herself to turn away from him.

  “You okay?” Derek rushed to her side.

  “Yeah, I just felt a little lightheaded for a second. I probably should have eaten something.”

  “Come on, let’s see what Jen has.” He led her over to Jen’s trailer, knocking before opening the door.

  “Come in.” Jen’s voice sounded almost cheerful, and Sydney wondered if she couldn’t hide on the hillside with the rest of the spectators.

  One look at Jen crushed any hope for escape Sydney held. She looked horrible. Her normal olive complexion was pallid, her nose and cheeks flush, and her eyes swollen.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Awful.” She pointed toward the small closet beside the bed. “The dress is in there.”

  Sydney reached inside and caught her breath as she pulled out the heavy gown. She was almost afraid to touch the dress. She fingered the medieval costume, the sun catching the silver and gold threads, making them shimmer.

  “Derek, get out so she can put it on. We’ll let you know when she’s ready.”

  “Okay.” He chuckled. “I’ll be back in ten minutes. We don’t have a lot of time, since the rodeo starts in two hours.”

  As soon as Derek had left the trailer, Jen rose from the bed, wearing sweats, her hair pulled back. She coughed into her hand. “Start getting dressed and I’ll be right back.” She rushed to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

  Even the closed door didn’t hide the sounds of Jen vomiting in the bathroom. Sydney felt guilty that she had even thought about turning back on the drive over. She slid her jeans off and pulled the t-shirt over her head before dropping the gown over her shoulders. After wiggling into a few unnatural positions, she was able to zip the back of the dress most of the way up.

  The dress bared her shoulders but fit snugly across them with braided golden trim over the silver metallic brocade. The bodice tapered to a waist that seemed impossibly small, while the sleeves draped from the elbow to the ground. The entire upper portion was made to look like a jacket, while the lower part of the dress was a loose and flowing golden brocade that matched the color of her eyes. The same gold braiding lined the sleeves and the bottom hem of the dress.

  She glanced back at the hanger and saw a bag with what appeared to be a crown. She pulled it off and saw a delicate silver lace veil attached to the gold-and-silver crown. She pulled the rubber band from her ponytail and shook her hair loose, placing the crown on her head as Jen returned.

  “Sydney, you look amazing.” She reached for her comb and a couple of hairpins. “Let’s just pull back a few of your curls and pin them. There. Look,” she instructed.

  Sydney looked in the mirror and gave a girlish giggle. “I can’t believe you designed this. It’s amazing.” She lifted the skirt slightly and noticed her sock-covered feet. “Hmm, I guess boots would probably be best.”

  A knock sounded at the door. “Come on in, Derek,” Jen called.

  Derek stepped into the room and Sydney broke into laughter. He was covered in chain mail and a blue-and-silver tunic, carrying a silver helmet. He arched a brow at her. “This was your idea, you know.”

  “I know, it’s just all so . . .” She searched for the right word.

  “Romantic?” he offered.

  “Ridiculous,” she corrected.

  “All right, you guys don’t have any time to waste,” Jen scolded as she crawled back into the bed. “Sydney, you’ll be in the carriage, and while the announcer is reading the script, you’ll just sit looking regal. Your knight will ride into the arena.” She pointed at Derek, who bowed.

  Jen rolled her eyes and Sydney laughed. “Can we please be serious for just a minute?”

  Sydney pinched her lips between her teeth to hide her smile and Derek winked at her. “Yes, sis.”

  “The Black Knight—” she began.

  “Clay,” Derek interrupted.

  “Will ride in. The announcer will hype the crowd as the two of them fight for you. After Derek wins, he will come lift you onto his horse and you will ride out.”

  “Into the sunset?” Sydney asked.

  “Maybe. They will start with the national anthem and a few introductions, then you guys will go in. Once you exit, Scott will come in as the announcer compares the knights of the past to modern-day cowboys. What do you think?”

  “I think the crowd is going to eat it up,” Sydney laughed.

  “That’s what the Flat Rock rodeo committee is hoping for.”

  SCOTT WAS READY for this day to be over. They had already had the first group of cattle ropers post their times and he was already tired of the complaints. The rodeo hadn’t even started yet, but by the looks of it, it might be a long weekend.

  “Hey, I want to talk with you.”

  Scott turned around, prepared to listen to another cowboy complain about the stock when he recognized the young man. He couldn’t be more than twenty, and Scott couldn’t remember how he knew him, other than seeing him in the chute that morning. It didn’t matter when the younger man shoved him in the chest.

  “Hey, let’s just take a second and calm down. I don’t want you to have to eat dust again.”

  “You don’t remember me, do you?”

  Scott held his hands in front of him in a gesture of guarded friendship. “Other than from this morning?”

  “Chris Thomas. Sydney’s my sister.”

  “Oh, hey!” Scott inst
antly understood the younger man’s attack. “I don’t think you realize what’s going on.”

  “I don’t really care what you think is going on. She’s pregnant and you dumped her?” Chris shoved him back against the metal panels of the corral. The horses inside shied to the other side of the corral as Scott bounced off of them.

  “Look, Chris.” Scott tried to diffuse his indignation. He understood the need for a brother to defend his sister’s honor; he would have done the same thing for Jen. “I’m going to make this right. If you let me go, you’ll see what I mean in just a few minutes.” Chris narrowed his eyes, obviously unsure whether to believe him or not. “Look, if you keep me any longer, I won’t be able to fix this. I have to get to that trailer right now.” Scott pointed to Derek’s trailer.

  Chris looked over as Derek rushed inside. “That knight costume has my name written all over it. But if you’d rather we stand here talking about this, by all means, let’s beat each other’s brains in and accomplish nothing.”

  “How do I know you’re not just trying to save yourself now?”

  Scott didn’t want to insult the kids so he humored his bravado. “If I don’t make this right, you know where to find me after the opening ceremony. I’ll let you beat the crap out of me then, but let me at least try.” Scott eyed him.

  “Fine, go.” Chris waved him off. “But I’ll be watching and waiting back here for you,” he warned.

  THE STANDS WERE packed for the ten o’clock rodeo. Sydney sat in the carriage, waiting for their cue, glancing to the hillside where she saw her parents sitting with her brother. The black geldings pulled against the reins, drawing her attention back to the arena. Pablo easily held them in position until she heard the trumpets sound as the rodeo announcer reached the point in the script where he welcomed the visiting “royalty.” The music played as the wagon jerked to a start, harnesses jangling as the horses broke into a slow gallop into the arena, their hooves pounding even in the soft dirt. The music softened and Sydney waved at the crowd as the carriage circled the arena and came to a halt at one end. The crowd audibly gasped as she came into full view. Sydney glanced to the other end of the arena, knowing that Derek and Clay were both waiting just beyond the view of the audience for their cues.