The Bull Rider's Son

by Cathy McDavid

  She gaped at him. “You have to ask?”

  “Frankly, yes. A few hours ago, I was holding you naked in my bed and we were deciding whether you, me and Benjie were going out for pizza tonight or staying home and grilling hot dogs.”

  “Did you tell Hoyt to challenge me for custody?”

  “Why would I do that?” He frowned in confusion. “He lives in Wyoming.”

  “Well, he’s threatening to take me to court if I don’t cooperate.”

  “Cooperate how?”

  “Allow more visitation. Let him take Benjie for part of the year.”

  “Did you say no?”

  She suppressed a groan. “It’s not the visitation I object to. It’s his methods. He insists on talking to Benjie alone. Without me. He says Benjie will be more receptive, but what he’s doing is pitting Benjie against me.”

  “That doesn’t sound like Hoyt.”

  “It’s exactly like Hoyt. He bullied me when we were dating.”

  “Bullied is a pretty strong word.”

  “I’m not making this up.”

  “I admit, he can be overbearing.”

  “He said you and he talked and the fishing trip was your suggestion.”

  Shane shook his head. “That’s not true.”

  “You suggested Hoyt take Benjie fishing on Saturday when he gave Benjie the rod and reel.”

  “Hoyt did call me this morning right after you left the trailer and asked about my custody arrangement with Judy.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “I said I value each moment I spend with my daughter and regret the missed years. I suggested he take advantage of every opportunity to see Benjie. All the rest, the fishing trip, visitation, the custody suit, is entirely his doing.”

  Cassidy supposed it was possible for Hoyt to have taken Shane’s words and put his own twist on them. Or maybe Cheryl had influenced him.

  “Look,” Shane continued. “Hoyt is single-minded when he wants something. The more you dig in your heels, the more he’ll push. Give a little, and he’ll give, too. Possibly back off entirely.”

  Deacon had said pretty much the same to Cassidy during their call.

  “Do you really think that?”

  Shane nodded. “I’ll call him later. Talk some sense into him.”

  “Thank you.” Hoyt did listen to Shane.

  He put his arm around her, and she leaned into him rather than resist. He was looking out for her, after all. And, were she honest, she’d admit how good it felt to have someone special in her life to count on.

  “This has me rattled,” she said. “Hoyt keeps saying one thing and doing another.”

  “He’s always been impetuous.”

  Benjie was a lot like that, too. Hardly began one task, and he was off to another.

  Worst case, the lake wasn’t far. If needed, she could drive there and get Benjie. Though, she was probably getting ahead of herself. Hoyt had promised they’d be home by one o’clock.

  A terrifying thought occurred to her. “He won’t be drinking, will he?” A lot of people imbibed while fishing. For some, the two were inseparable.

  “No. Absolutely not.”

  “How can you be sure? He drank and drove when we were dating.”

  “He and Cheryl gave up alcohol when they started fertility treatments.”

  “They did?” She was relieved and impressed.

  Shane pulled her into a warm hug. “I don’t agree with the arm-twisting tactics he pulled on you. And while I did encourage him to spend more time with Benjie, it wasn’t to hurt you.”

  “I know.” She hugged him back.

  “Come on.” He pulled her along with him.

  “Where?”

  “The Dawn to Dusk Coffee Shop.”

  “I should get to work. I’m scheduled to teach a riding class in an hour.”

  “We have time for a caramel latte to go.”

  When it came to arm twisting, Hoyt had nothing on Shane.

  He stopped and, cupping her cheek, bent to brush his lips across hers. “The next few hours are going to be rough for you. Coffee will help.”

  Her mouth dissolved into a smile. “Is this your idea of a bribe?”

  He flashed her that sexy grin she’d grown to love. “It’s my idea of what a boyfriend does for his girlfriend.”

  Coffee did hit the spot. Cassidy sailed through her first riding class. The second one, however, dragged. At eleven forty-five she concocted an excuse to leave the arena in order to be at the house when Benjie returned.

  On the way, she ran into Shane. It pleased her to think he might be watching for her.

  “You won’t mind if I come by later?” he asked, giving her a quick kiss.

  “Not at all.” She lingered for a moment, enjoying the sensation of laying her head on his shoulder.

  On the walk to the house, Cassidy dialed Hoyt’s cell phone, assuming they were on their way, if not nearly home. It rang six times before going to voice mail. Frustrated, she shoved her phone back into her jacket pocket. Maybe they were out of range. Nearby Pinnacle Peak was notorious for interfering with reception.

  Inside the house, she tackled their never lessening mountain of laundry. Every ten to fifteen minutes, she paused to call Hoyt. Each time he didn’t answer, her frustration and anger increased, as did her worry. Why hadn’t she asked for Cheryl’s number, as well?

  By one thirty, she’d abandoned the laundry and paced the house. Was it too soon to call the sheriff’s department and report her son missing?

  Finally, at two-fourteen exactly, and after a dozen attempted calls, Hoyt answered his phone.

  Cassidy instantly laid into him. “Where the hell are you?”

  “We’re still at the marina.”

  “Is Benjie all right?”

  “He’s fine.”

  “I want to talk to him. Put him on the phone.”

  “Cassidy, for God’s sake, will you calm down?”

  “You swore you’d have him home by noon. One at the latest. Am I wrong, or don’t you have a plane to catch?”

  “There’s been a change of plans,” he said slowly.

  “Another one?”

  “Listen to me.”

  “Whatever it is, the answer’s no.” She would not allow him to do this to her a second time. They were establishing ground rules, and the first one was that he didn’t get to run the show. “Benjie has homework to do for school tomorrow. He needs to come home.”

  Hoyt cleared his throat. “I’ve rented a boat. We’re staying overnight on the lake. We won’t be back until later tomorrow.”

  * * *

  AN INCESSANT POUNDING on his trailer door had Shane leaving the water running in the sink to see who the heck was in such a hurry. He hoped there wasn’t a problem with one of the bulls. Come to think of it, Wasabi had been hobbling a bit yesterday.

  He’d barely turned the knob when the door was literally yanked from his hand. Cassidy stood there, jacketless, windblown and flushed.

  “Hi, sweetheart.”

  Not waiting for an invitation, she climbed the steps and pushed past him into the trailer. “Your brother took Benjie.”

  “What!” Shock coursed through Shane. “You’re kidding.”

  “He did.” She faced him across the small space. Tears had left telltale smudges beneath her red, swollen eyes.

  He quickly shut off the water, then took her in his arms, wishing he could erase her pain. “I’m sorry. I can see you’re upset.”

  “With good reason.” She pushed away from him and paced the small space.

  “I agree. We’ll straighten this out. Get Benjie back.”

  Frankly, Shane couldn’t believe his ears. What was his brother thi
nking? Fishing was one thing, but leaving Reckless with Benjie, before he and Cassidy had reached a formal custody agreement...it was heartless and cruel. It would also hurt his case when the time came to appear before the judge.

  Shane reached for his phone on the table, intending to call Hoyt. “They probably haven’t boarded the plane yet. Their flight’s not for another hour.”

  She stared at him, confusion clouding her features. “Plane? What are you talking about?”

  “You said Hoyt took Benjie.”

  “He did.”

  “Aren’t they on their way to the airport?”

  “They’re still at the lake.” Cassidy’s voice broke. “Hoyt rented a boat. They’re staying overnight.”

  “At the lake.” Shane let the information sink in. “Not the airport.”

  “Yes!” Cassidy resumed pacing. “Hoyt promised to have Benjie home by noon. I called and called and called. He didn’t answer until after two. Then it was to tell me he was keeping Benjie. Whether I liked it or not.”

  “Look, I’m not defending Hoyt’s tactics, so don’t misunderstand me.”

  She halted midstep. “Don’t say you’re siding with him.”

  “Of course I’m not siding with him.”

  “Then why would I misunderstand you?”

  “Calm down, and let’s put this in perspective, okay? Benjie’s all right.” Shane paused. “He is all right, yes? You did talk to him?”

  “Not at first. Hoyt wouldn’t let me. We had a big fight, and then he finally put Benjie on.”

  “He shouldn’t have done that. No question. But again, Benjie’s fine, you know where he is and he’ll be home tomorrow. Concentrate on those things.”

  “Hoyt swore he’d have Benjie home today. What guarantee do I have he won’t pull the same stunt tomorrow?”

  “He has a rodeo this coming weekend. And Cheryl works. They have to get home.”

  “And Benjie has school tomorrow, which he’s going to miss.”

  “It’s one day.”

  “That’s not the point!”

  “I understand you’re angry, Cassidy. Hoyt was out of line. He put you through a lot of needless worry. But Benjie is also his son. A son he hardly knows. Wanting to spend more time with him is understandable. You could cut him some slack.”

  “Did you know he was planning on taking Benjie?”

  Shane didn’t like the accusation in her tone. “If I did, I’d have insisted he tell you.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m taking my frustration out on you.” She buried her face in her hands. “I was just so worried. I still am.”

  “Hoyt won’t let anything happen to Benjie.”

  “I just wish you hadn’t encouraged him.”

  “Wait a minute.” Shane straightened. “This isn’t my fault.”

  “Hoyt was ready to leave today. Then, he talked to you.”

  “Benjie had a choice, too. Did you ask him if he wanted to spend the night with his father?”

  “No.”

  “Was that because you didn’t want to hear the answer?”

  Her eyes widened, then narrowed. “The problem here is Hoyt,” she snapped. “Not me or Benjie.”

  “There are two sides to every story.”

  “Implying what, exactly?”

  “It’s possible you’re hanging on too tight to Benjie. Being too controlling.”

  She recoiled as if struck. “I’m no such thing.”

  “You’re used to dictating Benjie’s every action without having to consider anyone else. Now, there’s Hoyt. It’s a big change and will take some getting used to. Judy’s going through the same growing pains with Bria and me.”

  “Have you ever taken Bria without Judy’s permission?”

  “We’ve already agreed Hoyt was wrong. Rehashing it won’t solve the problem.”

  “What will?” She stabbed her chest with her thumb. “Me admitting I’m a control freak?”

  He didn’t react to her anger. “If you are, you come by it naturally. Didn’t you tell me last night how, when your father first came back to Reckless, he strong-armed your mother and forced her to accept him as her business partner?”

  “I am nothing like my father.”

  “You do like to be in charge.”

  “Hoyt broke his promise.”

  Shane swore he could see steam pouring from her ears. “Maybe he wouldn’t have if he’d thought you’d listen to reason.”

  “I let him take Benjie. That was reasonable.”

  “Let him? Benjie isn’t a possession.”

  As if collapsing from the inside, she stacked her hands on the table and laid her head down.

  Shane could have kicked himself. In trying to get through to her, he’d been too harsh.

  “You’re choosing Hoyt over me,” she said in a small, defeated voice.

  “I’m not.” Given the choice, he’d have sat next to her. Since there was no room, he slid into the other side of the table. “You’ve been holding on to Benjie so long and so fiercely, you don’t know how to let go. Even a little.”

  “I don’t want to let go. I’m afraid of what will happen.”

  Right. Her brother. “Did your mother ever let Ryder visit your dad?”

  “Of course not.” Her head shot up. “Dad was an alcoholic.”

  “Say he wasn’t. Would your mom have let Ryder, and you, too, go to Kingman?”

  “I...don’t know. Maybe. But what difference does it make?”

  “If you were to give Benjie a little freedom, he might not abandon you like Ryder did.”

  “There’s a big difference between me giving Benjie freedom and Hoyt taking him,” she snapped.

  “I don’t disagree. Simply making a suggestion.”

  “I could drive to the lake.” Cassidy looked at him expectantly. “You could come with me.”

  Shane sat back. “Don’t do that. You showing up unannounced will make matters worse.”

  “I just want to check on Benjie. Take him some things. He needs pajamas and a toothbrush and clean clothes for tomorrow.”

  “It won’t hurt him to sleep in his clothes one night.” Shane had done much worse during his rodeo days. “And I’m sure the marina store sells toothbrushes.”

  Cassidy wrung her hands. “Benjie’s never been away from home before, except for spending the night at Tatum’s.”

  “Let it go, Cassidy.”

  She stared out the tiny trailer window into the darkness.

  “How about I fix dinner here?” he said. “We’ll go to bed early and start fresh in the morning after a good night’s sleep.”

  She looked at him. “You could drive out there.”

  “I’m not.” Seriously, enough was enough.

  At his sharp reply, Cassidy sprang from the seat. “I thought you cared about me.”

  “I do. Which is why I’ve spent the last twenty minutes listening to you rant.”

  “Rant!”

  “Sorry, wrong choice of words.”

  Her features crumbled. “I trusted you.”

  “I haven’t let you down.”

  “You won’t drive out to the lake.”

  “I would if there was a reason. But Benjie’s fine.”

  “You’re the first man I’ve let get close to me since Hoyt.” She stiffened. “I thought you were different.”

  Shane’s temper snapped. He’d been making allowances for her because she was under enormous stress. No more. “That’s unfair and uncalled-for.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Caring for someone means unconditional support.”

  “I do support you. And I’ll talk to Hoyt. But I’m not going out to the lake like some crazed person and searching for them. Especially when I do
n’t feel Hoyt’s entirely at fault.”

  “And you think I am?”

  He sighed. “This is arguing for the sake of arguing.”

  She whirled and headed for the door.

  Well, she’d warned him about her stubborn streak. “Cassidy, don’t go. Not like this.”

  “We’re done.”

  Good idea. A cooling-off period might benefit them both.

  “I’ll call you later,” he said. “Better yet, I’ll come by the house.”

  “Don’t bother.” She stopped at the door. “I won’t see you.”

  He didn’t like the finality in her voice and crossed the small room in two steps. “Today? Or again?”

  She refused to turn around.

  “Cassidy.”

  “You’re breaking my heart, Shane.” She left without a backward glance.

  He thought of going after her, but didn’t, telling himself she was just being Cassidy. Instead, he returned to work, his way of coping with stress when climbing on the back of a bull wasn’t available.

  Despite her warning not to bother, Shane dropped by the house later to see Cassidy—twice. Once right before supper and once about eight o’clock. Both times, Sunny politely but coolly informed him Cassidy wasn’t available.

  He took the first rejection in stride. She was mad and needed some solitude and space. The second rejection annoyed him. He accepted that people occasionally fought. But in order to compromise, learn and coexist harmoniously, there had to be communication. His parents, happily married for nearly forty years, had taught him that.

  During his second attempt to see her, he’d tried to enlist Sunny’s aid, until she rebuffed him. Probably for the best. Who knew how much Cassidy had told Sunny, or how willing she was to be drawn into an argument that, as far as he was concerned, didn’t involve her?

  And, really, did he want her help? She’d treated Mercer poorly in the past. Shane would rather not receive the same treatment himself, thank you very much.

  Face it, the Becketts were complicated people with a complicated past and who complicated their relationships as much as possible.

  He should wise up and take warning from what had happened with Cassidy today. If every difference of opinion ended up like this one, with the boxing gloves out and her storming off, refusing to speak to him, they didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of making it to next week, much less long term.