Racing Christmas

by Shanna Hatfield

  Jenn Barton wasn’t exactly the people person he envisioned a successful realtor might need to be, but more power to her. He wondered, though, who managed the ranch with her in town and Brylee on the road.

  An older man Shaun recognized ambled out of the barn and grinned as his bow-legged gait carried him their way.

  “Mr. Barton, it’s great to see you!” Shaun reached out and shook the old man’s hand. Brylee’s grandpa looked like a wizened old elf with white hair peeking from beneath the band of his dirty, misshapen hat. Wrinkles carved canyons across his weathered face. He had to be past ninety if he was a day. “I thought you moved to Arizona.”

  “Well, Shaun, it’s nice to see you again, son. I was living down there where it’s always warm and sunny, but I came for a visit at Christmas and somehow ended up staying.” The old man turned to Jason. “I think we might have met a time or two. Ace Barton.”

  “It’s nice to see you again, sir,” Jason said, shaking his hand. “We did meet a few times, back in the day. You used to help with the rodeo here in town quite a bit, didn’t you?”

  “I did for about forty, fifty years. Then I decided to let someone who could move a little faster than me take my place.” Ace grinned and settled a hand on Birch’s shoulder. The boy, who was tall for his age, smiled down at his grandfather. “Me and Birch take care of the ranch while the girls are busy bringing home the bacon.”

  “That’s great, sir,” Shaun said, giving his watch a quick glance. If they left in the next five minutes they could avoid an encounter with Brylee’s mother. Otherwise, Shaun might stuff his shin guards down the back of his britches and hope Jenn didn’t have ready access to a gun.

  He was about to suggest Birch run in the house and see if Brylee was ready to go when he heard a door shut and looked over as Brylee came out of the house with a duffle bag on her shoulder. She’d changed into a pair of jeans and a cotton blouse the same shade of blue as her eyes. As she hurried over to them, he watched her every move. The way her hair swung in the ponytail she’d fashioned at the back of her head. The quick stride she took with just a bit of a hitch where the brace still encumbered her ability to walk. The enticing sway of those curvy hips.

  Ace cackled and slapped Shaun on the shoulder before he ambled forward and held out his arms to Brylee. “There’s my gorgeous girl! How are you, sunshine?”

  “I’m good, Grandpa. How have you been? Birch said you’ve made him tow the line all summer.” Brylee kissed her grandpa’s cheek then hooked her arm around his as she turned and walked toward the truck Shaun hoped to escape in before Jenn Barton arrived at the ranch.

  “Birch is coming right along. We’ll make a rancher out of him, yet, if we can get him to stop roping everything in sight.” Ace looked back at his grandson. “He’s getting purty good at it.”

  “Maybe next week we can do a little practice together,” Shaun said to Birch as they followed Brylee toward the truck.

  Birch stopped and stared at him. “Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope. We’ll be back on Monday. Maybe we can do a little roping Tuesday. When do you have football practice?”

  “I get done at four and then ride the bus home.”

  “How about I pick you up at school? We’ll see what you can do.”

  Birch’s eyes were almost as wide as his grin. “You mean it, Shaun? Really? You’ll rope with me?”

  “Yep. I will. I’ll be at the school at five minutes past four. Don’t be late.” He grinned and tugged on the brim of Birch’s ball cap.

  Brylee was hugging her grandfather and reminding Birch to behave when a small SUV pulled up and parked in the carport beside the house. She shot Shaun a warning look and he nodded his head in agreement.

  Jenn Barton strode over to them and wrapped Brylee in a hug. “What are you doing home, Brylee? I didn’t expect to see you until next week.” She released Brylee and stepped back. Her gaze moved to Jason then stopped like she’d slammed into a concrete wall when she noticed Shaun.

  The welcoming smile melted right off her face, replaced by a hard, cold glare. “What is he doing here?”

  Brylee moved between Shaun and her mother, placing a hand on the woman’s arm, as though that might calm her. “Mom, you remember Shaun and his dad, Jason.”

  “It’s nice to see you again, Jenn.” Jason stepped forward with his hand out.

  Jenn took it and offered him a half-hearted smile. “It’s been a while, Jason. How’s your dad?”

  “Ornery as ever. We had lunch with him, my daughter, and granddaughter earlier today.”

  Jenn nodded. “That’s good. Glad to hear he’s doing well.” Her gaze shifted back to Shaun. “I didn’t expect to ever see you on our ranch again.”

  “Didn’t really expect to be back here, ma’am.” Shaun tried to be polite, but the venomous daggers the woman was shooting at him could have rivaled any Brylee had launched his way. If they decided to gang up on him, they might actually send him to the emergency room.

  Jenn gave him a dismissive sneer then turned back to Brylee. “What is going on?”

  “Well, Mom, I had a little accident and needed a bit of help. Shaun and Jason offered their assistance.” Brylee met her mother’s glare with one of her own. “I wouldn’t have been able to compete the last month if it hadn’t been for them.”

  “What kind of accident, Brylee Elizabeth Barton?” Jenn’s icy tone turned demanding. “I insist you tell me what happened, right now.”

  Shaun held back the urge to tell the bossy woman to mind her own business, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

  “I broke my leg and couldn’t drive. Shaun and Jason invited me to travel with them. If they hadn’t offered, I would have been forced to come home. I owe them, Mom. They’ve been good to me, a huge help.”

  Jenn glared at Brylee for a full minute before she turned to Jason. “Thank you for taking care of our girl. I appreciate it.” She pinned Brylee with a frigid look, the condescension unmistakable on her face. “It was stupid of you to ride with a broken leg. I warned you when you went off on this harebrained scheme you’d end up hurt, in more ways than one. Here you are living up to exactly what I predicted.”

  “Give it a rest, Jenn. The girl’s ranked number one and a shoo-in for the finals. Let her be!” Ace said, glowering at his daughter-in-law while placing a protective arm around Brylee. “If she thought this was the best thing to do, then support her choices, not belittle her after the fact.”

  Ace kissed Brylee’s cheek then waved at Shaun and his dad. “I need to get back to my chores, but thank you boys for taking care of our girl. We appreciate it. It was sure good to see you both.”

  “Nice to see you, too, Mr. Barton.” Jason called after the old man as he hobbled back to the barn.

  “I better help, Grandpa.” Birch looked at Shaun like an excited puppy about to get a treat. “Later, man.”

  Shaun gave him a fist bump then watched the boy run into the barn.

  Jenn took two steps closer to Shaun and shook a finger in his face. “You stay away from my son. You’ve done enough damage without dragging him into trouble, too. I want you off my property, right now!”

  “Mom!” Brylee shouted, grabbing her mother’s hand. She pushed between her and Shaun, as though she intended to protect him.

  He didn’t need to hide behind Brylee, but her mother had turned into one cold, mean woman. Hate and animosity practically rolled off her like angry waves battering the shore.

  Brylee released her mother’s hand and opened the back door to the truck, tossing her bag inside. “I don’t care what you know, or think you know, Mother. There’s no reason to be rude. Shaun and Jason have both been kind and helpful.”

  Jenn looked like she was about to say something, caught the shake of Brylee’s head, then turned and marched into the house. The slamming of the front door resounded as her goodbye.

  Brylee held her head high as she climbed onto the back seat of the truck. Shaun closed her door then slid onto the fro
nt seat while Jason moved behind the wheel and started it.

  As they pulled out on the road, Shaun looked back at Brylee. She stared out the window with tears glistening in her eyes. He sighed. “I take it your mom knows I left you in Vegas?”

  Brylee nodded.

  Desperate to make her smile, he grinned. “I heard she’s a secret spy for Santa, plying him with top-secret details.” Shaun waggled his eyebrows. “I suppose this means I’m on the naughty list for life.”

  A choked laugh escaped from Brylee and she rolled her eyes. “That’s exactly what it means, you dork.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “Two more weeks?” A frustrated sigh worked its way free from Brylee as her doctor fastened the brace back on her leg.

  “I just want to be sure it’s healed, Brylee. It’s not like you’ve been sitting around taking it easy. Congrats, by the way. I see you’re leading the ladies heading to Vegas in December.” The doctor smiled at her as she rolled back her chair and got to her feet.

  “I’m in the lead today. That could change by the end of the week. Nothing is guaranteed in this business.” Brylee got off the exam table and slipped her sneaker back on her foot.

  “I know. As frequently as injuries occur, anything can happen between now and then.” The doctor walked her out of the exam room and toward the waiting room door. “I’m cheering for you to take the world title again this year. What’s it been? Six years since you won?”

  “Close to seven, but who’s counting?” Brylee grinned at the doctor. “Thanks so much, Kelly. I’ll check back in two weeks.”

  “Great. Just make an appointment on your way out so you’re on the schedule.”

  Brylee made the appointment and added the date and time to her phone calendar then walked into the waiting room. Shaun sat jiggling his foot and watching a pair of toddlers fight over a baggie of cereal. When the cereal spilled on the floor, the little ones went after it like they hadn’t eaten in a week.

  Shaun grimaced and Brylee tried to hide her disgust. She couldn’t even begin to consider the germs the little ones were shoving in their mouths, but their mother didn’t seem to care as she flipped through a magazine.

  He glanced up and saw her heading his way. Quickly rising to his feet, he glanced at the brace and gave her a sympathetic look. “Another week or two?”

  “Two,” she said, walking out the door he held open for her.

  “And still no driving?”

  “That’s right. Days like this make me wish Birch at least had his learner’s permit, but his birthday isn’t until November.”

  “I remember. Right before Thanksgiving, isn’t it?”

  Brylee nodded, shocked Shaun paid that much attention to her younger sibling. “Birch hasn’t stopped talking about you picking him up today. It’s nice of you to practice with him.”

  “My pleasure. I don’t get to do much roping just for fun. It’ll be great.” Shaun held Brylee’s door as she slid onto the seat. “I thought your mom would put the kibosh on it.”

  “Grandpa had quite a talk with her. More accurately, according to Birch, they had a shouting match and Grandpa won. Mom’s still plenty furious I didn’t tell her about my broken leg or traveling with you and your dad, although Birch and Grandpa both knew.” Brylee leaned back in the seat as Shaun drove her pickup out of the parking lot and turned toward downtown Walla Walla.

  “I can only assume you didn’t tell her because you knew she’d react exactly as she did. Better to seek forgiveness than ask permission. Is that it?” Shaun asked as they waited at a stoplight.

  “Something like that, although at my age, I don’t think I should have to tell her everything. Since Dad died, it’s like a compulsion for her to be in charge of everything and everyone.”

  Shaun reached over and squeezed her hand. “It’s because she loves you, worries about you. Her methods might need a little work, but the underlying reason behind it is good.”

  “She doesn’t deserve your kindness, Shaun.” Brylee wasn’t sure she did either. After the rodeo in Kennewick, Jason and Shaun had driven her home then went to the Walla Walla rodeo grounds. The Rockin’ K would provide stock for the rodeo although Shaun and Jason weren’t working as the pickup men due to a contract with another stock company.

  Shaun seemed pleased at the idea of having a little more free time than usual. Brylee had mixed feelings about him being around all week. She was surprised that Jason didn’t want to head back to Baker City, but then she found out that he’d gone home that morning. He’d be back Tuesday morning so they could head to the next rodeo a few hours away in Idaho. Since Brylee couldn’t drive, she’d offered Shaun use of her pickup in trade for him taking her to her doctor’s appointment. She hoped he’d be game to continue chauffeuring her around until the doctor cleared her to drive.

  “Where are we headed?” she asked as Shaun turned a block before Main Street and parked in front of one of the trendy restaurants downtown.

  “Lunch. I’m starving.” He got out and hurried around the pickup, offering her a hand, which she accepted without thinking.

  When he held on to her hand, she started to pull her fingers back. Then he looked down at her and gave her a half-smile that did crazy things to the solidity of her knees. He opened the door to the restaurant and she walked inside.

  An hour later, they sat in a booth, laughing over a text Cooper sent Shaun with a video of him humiliating a guy at a rodeo the previous week.

  “Cooper will be here this week won’t he?” Brylee asked as she sipped the last of her raspberry lemonade.

  “Yep. He’s picking up Paige and they’ll be here later tonight.”

  “I really like her, and Jessie Jarrett, too. She and Chase live around here, don’t they?”

  “Hermiston,” Shaun said, pulling up a photo Chase had sent him a few months after he and Jessie had wed. It showed the two of them standing in the snow with her wrapped in a Pendleton wool blanket.

  “That’s incredible,” Brylee said, staring at the photo. “They really are just the cutest couple.”

  “They are pretty darn cute. So are Cooper and Paige. He’d do anything for that woman, even give up his illustrious modeling career.”

  “I heard about him being the um… representative of Lasso Eight when the company’s fashions debuted. I believe there’s another cute guy I know among the roster of models.” Brylee gave him a pointed look as the server brought their bill.

  Shaun smiled. “So you found out I’ve been modeling on the side.”

  “It’s not like I didn’t recognize your…” Brylee stopped herself before she said anything incriminating and snagged the bill off the table. “Your chin.”

  Shaun chuckled and tried to take the bill from her, but Brylee refused to relinquish it.

  “It’s my turn to buy and you’re going to let me.”

  He scowled, but let her pay. Outside, she started for the pickup, but he took her hand and tugged her in the opposite direction. “Let’s look around. I haven’t wandered through downtown for a while. Anything new or different?”

  “Always.” She smiled and led the way down the street and over a block.

  When they made it back to the pickup, Shaun carried a bag of warm caramel corn from the candy store, while Brylee had a new paperback she’d picked up at the bookstore.

  “Hey, I want to run something by you,” Shaun said as he climbed behind the wheel and handed her the bag of caramel corn.

  “Go for it.” She popped a few pieces of the sweet treat in her mouth and grinned.

  Shaun took a handful then started the truck before backing out of the parking space and heading toward Blue Hills Ranch. “Would you have any interest in being a Lasso Eight model? The pay is ridiculously good and you only have to work a few days a year. Paige is in charge of choosing the models. She’s coming with Cooper because the company is doing a big photo shoot in two weeks at Chase and Jessie’s place. It’s for the holiday campaign that will debut during the finals. I th
ink Paige would love to work with you, if you’re interested.”

  Brylee gaped at him. She’d heard ballpark figures from Jason about how much Shaun made as a model. That extra income would go a long way toward paying off the ranch debts and getting them back on track. “I don’t know that I’ve got anything Paige can work with, but I’d love to give it a shot if she’s willing to let me try. I’ve seen ads for their women’s clothing line and it’s all very tasteful. Isn’t Celia’s sister-in-law one of the models?”

  Shaun turned off the road onto the ranch driveway. “Yeah, she is. You remember Tate Morgan, don’t you?”

  Brylee nodded. “Sure, he retired a few years back, but he was an amazing saddle bronc rider.”

  “He lives near Kennewick with his wife. Kenzie Morgan is the other tall model in those ads.”

  “That’s awesome. I do remember hearing something about him getting married.”

  “He and Kenzie are another of those cute couples you talk about. They even have two little ones now.”

  Brylee tried to picture Tate Morgan and his partner in crime, Cort McGraw, as fathers and role-model husbands. All she could envision was them playing pranks on each other and chasing young cowboys away from Celia.

  “Do you really think Paige might be interested in hiring me?”

  “Only one way to find out.” Shaun parked the pickup near the ranch house and took out his phone. He tapped a message to Paige and hit send before Brylee could tell him she’d changed her mind.

  “So, what’s the plan for the rest of the day?” Shaun asked as they sat in the cool interior of the pickup, reluctant to step out into the late August afternoon heat.

  “I rode Rocket this morning, so I’ll probably just help Grandpa for a while.”

  Shaun nodded. “Do you want to come with me when I pick up Birch?”

  “No. He’s looking forward to having you all to himself.” Brylee smiled at him. “For the record, it’s sweet of you to do this for him. He misses roping with dad and Grandpa just isn’t up to doing much these days. As you know, I was never very good at it.”