Beth thankfully took over. “Why, Tanner, what a surprise! I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you’d be off riding a bronc somewhere.”
“Just doing my civic duty.” He grinned at Beth, and then his gaze traveled back to Jules, running slowly from her eyes downward.
Jules felt the heat of a blush and hoped it didn’t show. Forcing her best smile, she greeted him. “Hello, Mr. O’Brien.” Somehow she needed to calm the butterflies he’d set to fluttering in her stomach. His wide grin forced her to do some quick thinking. “I almost didn’t recognize you out of uniform. He cleans up real good, doesn’t he, Beth?”
Tanner’s smile froze on his face, and then he laughed. “Will you excuse us, Beth?” he said, taking Jules by the arm. “This little lady owes me a dance for that remark.”
“No, really, I can’t—” Jules protested.
Beth was no help. “Of course you can, Jules. You two have a lot in common.”
“What’s that?” Tanner asked.
“We do?” Jules asked at the same time.
“Tell him about how you help troubled kids, Jules,” Beth said. “Oh, and about horses, too. Now go on, you two. I think I’ve spotted Michael.”
Jules silently groaned and let Tanner lead her through the crowd to the other end of the ballroom. Of course Beth would locate her fiancé too late to get her out of this predicament. She’d just have to get through it as best she could.
On the dance floor, amid the other couples moving to the music, Tanner drew her into his arms. She swallowed hard at the warmth of his body so close to hers and prayed he didn’t notice her accelerated heartbeat.
“Relax, darlin’,” he whispered. “I don’t bite. Although you do deserve to be bitten for that sharp tongue of yours.”
Searching her mind for a retort, Jules found herself without one. Months of speech therapy wouldn’t help in this situation, not when her mind had gone completely empty. Even her years of experience before judges weren’t helping.
It took her a moment to feel stable enough to reply. “I’d think the Texas two-step would be more your style.”
Tanner’s chuckle reached down to her toes. “Texas two-step? Don’t let anybody in this room hear you say that, darlin’. You’d start a lynch mob, and that neck of yours is too pretty for a rope.”
She looked up to see his gaze caressing her bare shoulders. Good gracious, she thought as her knees weakened. What that man could do with a look!
Gathering her courage, she smiled. “You know what we Kansans say about people in Oklahoma.”
“Yep. Dumb Okies,” he replied with another toe-tingling chuckle. “Must be why we have so many rich and famous people in the state. But I get the idea that doesn’t impress you much.”
She dared to meet his gaze. “I know there are things money can’t buy.”
One black eyebrow lifted. “What hasn’t money bought you, darlin’? I’m sure you haven’t lived a life without cold, hard cash.”
His comment made her uncomfortable. She had seen what not having enough money could do to some people and how those who had it could help. Her parents, for example. But she wasn’t willing to discuss it with him.
“How lucrative is bronc riding?” she asked, turning the tables on him.
His broad shoulders moved in a shrug under her hand. “All depends on how good you are.”
“And how good are you?”
A spark of fire lit his eyes. “Good, darlin’. Real good.”
She couldn’t read what she saw in his eyes. Was it the gleam of a need for danger? Or was it something else?
“About the other night…” she began.
“Thanks for helping us out.” The hard set to his jaw told her he thought she’d interfered when she shouldn’t have, but he quickly relaxed. “Tell me a little about what Beth said, how you work with troubled kids.”
She wasn’t sure this was the time or place, but she had opened the door herself almost a week ago after the rodeo. It was worth a try. “I’ve seen so many children slip through the cracks,” she said, “and I feel that most of them can be helped. All it takes is the right person finding something they’re passionate about and helping them on their way. Sometimes that means taking them out of their environment and putting them into one that’s more beneficial, or helping their own family make the current one better. Most of all they need someone who will listen and give them the compassion and understanding they need.”
“That’s mighty intuitive of you. How does being a lawyer help?”
She looked up to see him studying her. Taking a deep breath, she let it out with a sigh. “You’d be surprised how often it doesn’t, so now I do double duty. In my spare time, I’m what’s called a court-appointed child advocate and work with one child at a time, making him or her my total focus, not just the focus of the law.”
“Then you’re already fully involved in this?”
Nodding, she smiled. “I have been for nearly a year and a half.”
When the music stopped, so did their dance. Jules felt a twinge of disappointment when he returned her to Michael and Beth with a friendly, “Have a nice evening, darlin’,” and walked away. Tanner O’Brien stirred just enough curiosity for her to hope they’d run into each other again. Not to mention a few other stirrings she tried not to think about. This was not the time to let attraction get the better of her. But she found herself too often searching for him the rest of the evening, to no avail.
JULES LOOKED OUT the window of Beth’s Jeep to see Oklahoma City disappear behind them and the open countryside fill the landscape. “Where did you say we’re going?”
“I got a call early this morning for some help with a heifer having a breech birth. Not fun, but nothing out of the ordinary.”
Jules turned to look at her. “I don’t have to watch, do I?”
“Not unless you want to.” Beth gave her a quick grin before returning her attention to the road. “I thought you might want to visit a real cattle ranch.”
“We do raise cattle in Kansas, Beth. Or have you forgotten? You sound as if I was raised in New York City.”
“I don’t recall you paying much attention to the farms and ranches around home.”
“I spent a lot of time at your place when we were kids,” Jules reminded her. “I know horses, even if I can’t ride anymore, and it’s not like I’ve never seen livestock. I have many memories of the two of us feeding and watering the chickens, gathering eggs and a lot of other things.”
Beth’s laughter rang out. “Chickens aren’t exactly livestock. And I spent more time with you at your house or out having fun.”
“And getting into trouble,” Jules said, laughing. She had wonderful memories of the times she and Beth had spent together when they were young. Until she’d met Beth, her life had revolved around horses. Then the accident had happened and she’d met Beth. She still remembered their first meeting in the hospital, and even though Beth had been released long before she had, Beth visited nearly every day and encouraged her throughout her therapy.
Jules’s eyes stung with tears at the memory. “If it hadn’t been for you, I might not have made it.”
“You’d have done fine.” Beth’s smile was soft. “It might have taken a little more time, but sooner or later you’d have come through it. You’ve always been strong.”
“Maybe,” Jules answered, uncertain. But whether or not the notion was true, she’d always be grateful for their friendship.
The countryside rolled by, broken only by the occasional farm or ranch. The air was clear and fresh, still cool, but warming with the morning sun. All in all, it was a picture postcard of rural serenity. When they took a turn onto a narrow dirt lane, Jules looked up to read the carved sign above the wooden arch above them. Rocking O.
“Is this a big ranch?” she asked Beth as the Jeep tires spewed dust behind them.
“Not as big as some, but not small, either,” Beth answered with a shrug. “Successful, though.”
&nb
sp; “And they raise cattle?”
Beth’s eyes slid to her and back to the road again. “A few horses. I’m sure if you’d like to try—”
“Chickens?” Jules asked.
Beth laughed and brought the Jeep to a stop in front of a sprawling, two-story, white farmhouse. “I’m not sure,” she said, switching off the engine. “You can ask Bridey, if you’re really interested.”
Jules admired the house, with a lawn that resembled green velvet and the many old trees that provided shade in just the right places. A quick glance around the rest of the ranch told her that whoever kept it looking so well did so with love.
A woman she guessed to be in her early sixties emerged from the house and walked toward them. Beth climbed out of the Jeep and reached for her bag behind the seat. “Morning, Bridey,” she called.
“Mornin’, Beth,” the woman greeted her, hurrying to help her with her things. “They’re in the barn. They were there most of the night.”
Nodding, Beth started to walk away, then snapped her fingers and spun around. “I nearly forgot,” she told Bridey with a grin. “Would you mind showing my friend, Jules, around the ranch?”
A beautiful smile lit the woman’s round face. “I’d be happy to. You just see what you can do to get that calf out into the world.”
If it hadn’t been for the woman’s smile, Jules would have stayed in the Jeep, but the warmth in it, and in the bright blue eyes, drew her out of the vehicle. “Hello,” she said, walking around the hood and offering her hand. “I’m Jules Vandeveer. Beth and I have been friends since we were kids.”
The woman wiped her hands on a yellow gingham apron before taking her hand. “Bridey Harcourt. I figure you don’t want to go into the barn with Beth for a reason. No harm in that. Can’t say I blame you, either.”
“This is a lovely ranch,” Jules said as Bridey led her to an area enclosed by a tall, white post and rail fence leading from a matching white barn with green trim.
“My brother built it when he was first married. He’s gone now, but his boy has kept it looking nice. Takes some work, though.”
“I’m sure it does.” Up ahead, Jules noticed a young teen bouncing on the back of a horse inside the fenced area.
“That’s my great nephew,” Bridey explained, the pride showing on her face. “One of these days he’ll win Nationals, just like his uncle will soon.”
“Nationals?”
Bridey answered without looking at her, her attention on the boy. “National Finals Rodeo.”
Jules watched the youngster bounce a few seconds longer, before he flew in the air and landed with a thud in the dirt. Her heart hit her throat as a gasp escaped her, and she stood frozen, fearing the worst.
“He’s all right, miss,” the woman said, a twinkle in her eyes. “Getting thrown off Temptation is a daily occurrence for him.”
Jules wasn’t so sure until she saw him push himself to his knees and stand. She had a better view of him as he brushed himself off, and she was surprised when she recognized him as the teenager who’d been with Tanner. She’d wondered at the time if he had a mother. And if Tanner had a wife. She hadn’t mentioned the incident to Beth, so she had no way of knowing. Even after dancing with him, she hadn’t asked about a wife, knowing Beth wouldn’t have encouraged the dancing if he had. And Beth had definitely encouraged it.
“Shawn, come over here and meet Beth’s friend,” Bridey called to him.
The boy looked up. Even from the distance, Jules could see the scowl on his face. With obvious reluctance, he walked toward them, a decided swagger in his gait. He stopped just short of the fence and glared at Jules. She knew that posture well, but it didn’t bother her. Usually it was nothing more than a cover for shyness.
“Miss Vandeveer, this is my grandnephew, Shawnee O’Brien. Shawn—”
“Yeah, I know her. Uh, Miss Vandeveer, I mean,” he muttered.
“Call me Jules,” she told him.
He stared at her outstretched hand and then up at her face. The boy certainly resembled his father. Thick, black hair and lashes, tanned skin and blue eyes—though Shawn’s eyes were a little grayer than Tanner’s. Still, Jules felt sure he had to be one of the most sought-after boys in school. Even his scowl would draw the girls like a magnet.
She looked past him to the horse he’d been riding, which was now trotting placidly around the confined area. “That’s a beautiful horse. How long have you been riding?”
“Shawn was practically born on a horse, just like all the men in the family,” Bridey answered for him.
Shawn gave Jules a measuring look. “Do you ride?”
Jules had answered the question too many times to count, so it didn’t catch her off guard. “I used to, when I was a girl. But nothing quite as wild as that one.”
“Temptation isn’t wild. He can be gentle.” There was no sneer in the boy’s voice, no ridicule. “Come on, I’ll show you. Climb through the fence.”
Jules regarded the horse with trepidation. It did look gentle at the moment, a far cry from how it had looked when Shawn had been on its back. But she wasn’t ready to get close. Not yet. “Maybe another time.”
Bridey stepped closer. “Don’t be afraid, Miss Vandeveer. That horse loves Shawn. And Shawn won’t let anything happen to you.”
Jules didn’t follow as Shawn approached the horse. She saw the animal’s ears go back when he reached out, and then heard the soft nicker when he stroked the horse’s head. She wished she could do the same.
“Come on, Miss—Jules,” Shawn said in a calm, quiet voice.
Jules heard birds singing in the distance and felt a soft breeze moving past her. The scent of horses and ranch surrounded her. But she couldn’t take a step forward. It had been so long ago. She remembered only that her mount had shied at the jump, and she had sailed over his head. Losing two weeks of her life wasn’t much, but the struggle to regain her speech had been long and arduous. She longed to take that first step and climb through the fence to touch the animal, but she couldn’t. She wasn’t ready. Not yet.
WITH THE CALVING over and both cow and calf doing fine, Tanner stepped out of the barn into the yard. After three steps, he stopped. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
Beth, following him, collided with his back. “Sorry. You just stopped and—”
“Why didn’t you tell me you brought her?”
Stepping up beside him, Beth shaded her eyes and looked in the direction he was looking. “To be honest, I forgot. We were busy, remember?”
Tanner looked down at her. “That we were, but all is well, thanks to you.”
“And thanks to good Rocking O stock.”
From the corral, they heard Shawn saying, “Come on, Jules.”
Now Tanner’s attention was on the woman who’d been on his mind for more than a week. A woman with green eyes that took his breath away.
“Come on,” he said, taking Beth’s arm and pulling her along behind him. She stuttered and stammered, but he paid her no heed until she literally dug in her heels.
“No, Tanner. Whatever it is you’re thinking, don’t. I must have been crazy to bring her here. But I had hoped…”
He turned to look at her and saw the stubborn streak he’d heard about but never seen. “What?” It was clear as day that she had hooking them up in mind. It wasn’t the first time someone had put a woman in his way. But why the sudden change of mind?
“She’s…” Beth shook her head, scowled and stared at the ground between them. “You don’t know her, Tanner.” She turned to watch her friend, the scowl turning to a worried frown. “And I’m not so sure I want you to. I never should have introduced you to her.” She started for the corral, but Tanner stopped her.
“Wait just a minute.” His hand gripped her upper arm. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Beth stared up at him and opened her mouth to speak. She glanced at Jules, who stood at the fence shaking her head. “She’s a good person, Tanner,” she said in a quiet voice before
looking him in the eye. “Not that you aren’t, but I know your type. You’re a love-’em-and-leave-’em cowboy. A one-night-stand man.”
He felt about an inch tall and it made him mad. “Says who?”
Her smile was lopsided. “Everybody. I’ve heard the tales.” Her smile vanished. “Unless you’re halfway serious, leave her alone.”
“Well, they’re old tales,” he said between clenched teeth. He’d finished with one-night stands, as few as they were, long ago. And this, coming from a tiny woman not much bigger than the newborn calf she’d just helped birth, was more than he could take. “Hell, I don’t know that I even want to know her.” He clamped his mouth shut and kicked at the dirt.
He couldn’t honestly say that he was immune to the blonde’s charms. She definitely presented a challenge. And he did love a challenge. If he took it, he wouldn’t do any harm to Beth’s friend. And that was a big if.
Without a saying a word, he walked in the direction of the corral. “I see you like horses, Miss Vandeveer,” he called to her.
“I mean it, Tanner.” Behind him, Beth’s voice held a threatening note. “You and Shawn are good at breaking horses. Don’t break Jules.”
“Not on your life.” He watched Jules turn toward them, looking fine and sassy in a pair of blue jeans that hugged her hips and long legs to perfection. He knew for certain her emerald-green T-shirt matched her eyes. He’d have to remember not to pay any attention to the tempting sight.
“Hello, Mr. O’Brien,” she said when he reached the fence to stand beside her. “Your son’s a very intelligent and talented young man.”
Tanner stared at her. “My what?”
“Your son.” She looked at Beth, then back at him, her eyes wide.
“Shawn is Tanner’s nephew, Jules,” Beth said. “His brother’s boy.”
“Oh. I suppose I should’ve asked.”
Tanner couldn’t contain the laughter any longer. “And I guess I’m supposed to have a wife tucked away somewhere.”
“I thought…I didn’t…”
“It’s okay,” he told her with a grin. “There are some people around here who don’t have a high opinion of me.” He shot a look at Beth and turned back to Jules. “No reason to be afraid of Temptation there. He looks rowdier than he is, and Shawn keeps a tight rein on him.”
The Rodeo Rider (Harlequin American Romance) Page 3