Racing Christmas

by Shanna Hatfield

  She laughed and pointed to the door. “Get out of my room, cowboy. Oh, and Shaun, thanks for the clothes. I love them. I’ll like them even better when I’m not covered in mud.”

  “You’re welcome. I saw you eyeballing that shirt earlier.” He nodded at her then left the room.

  Brylee rushed to wash the mud from her hair and body, amazed it was even caked between her toes. She toweled dry and dressed, gulped two pain reliever tablets, and then made her way to the front door with the help of the crutches she’d hoped to never need again.

  Through the window next to the door, she could see Jessie on the porch with Ace. Quietly easing the door open, she listened to him tell stories about life on the ranch back when he was a boy during World War II.

  Jessie glanced up and noticed her then rose to her feet. “You shouldn’t be on your feet, Brylee. Take my chair.”

  “I’m doing okay,” she said, sitting next to her grandpa as he rested on a wicker settee. She removed a throw pillow from behind her and set it on the wicker coffee table, then propped her foot on it.

  In the pasture across from them, Birch and Chase straddled the fence, feeding her dad’s old horse carrots while Shaun stretched his hand through the poles, scratching King along his neck.

  “It’s a beautiful place here,” Jessie said, glancing over the serene landscape. Now that the rain had gone, the sun gilded the sky with a brilliant array of crimson and lavender. “I love the sunsets in this area. Some of the prettiest I’ve ever seen have been over the hill by our ranch.”

  Ace asked Jessie questions about where she grew up and talked about how glad he was he didn’t have to spend time in a big city.

  Brylee leaned her head back as her grandpa kept an arm around her and closed her eyes, listening to the hum of conversation, the sounds of birds in the trees, and the laughter of the men over with the horses. The crunch of gravel made her eyes pop open, fearful her mother had returned, but it was just Birch walking across the driveway with Shaun and Chase.

  Her grandfather gave her a knowing look, as though he, too, worried about the explosion that would take place the moment Jenn returned home. Brylee preferred her friends not get caught in the crossfire.

  “I can’t thank you all enough for your help today and taking such good care of me. If I can ever return the favor, please let me know.” She looked at Jessie then Chase.

  “We were more than happy to help, but we better get going,” Jessie said, rising to her feet then bending down to give Brylee a hug. “Take care of yourself. If you ever want to chat or get together, just give me a call.”

  “I’d like that, Jessie. Thank you. And thank you both again.” Brylee smiled as Chase took one of her hands in his and squeezed it.

  “Be sure you ice that foot. You probably already know the routine, but ice will take the swelling out. Heat will help relax the muscles.” Chase smirked and pointed to her foot. “I’ve done something similar to that a time or two myself.”

  “Thanks, Chase.” Brylee shifted her gaze from the departing couple to Shaun. She didn’t know what to say to him. Goodbye seemed like the smartest choice, but the words wouldn’t roll off her tongue.

  He bent down and kissed her cheek. “Call me if you need anything. Promise?”

  “Promise,” she said, although she had no intention of doing so.

  Shaun shook her grandfather’s hand then hooked an arm around Birch’s thin shoulders. “Walk us out?” he asked as the boy fell into step with him. Brylee couldn’t hear what was said, but Birch glanced back at her once then nodded to Shaun.

  Shaun blew her a kiss with a wink while Chase and Jessie waved as they climbed in the SUV and left.

  Before their dust settled in the driveway, Brylee held out a hand to Birch. “Help me back in the house. I sure don’t want to be sitting here when Mom gets home.”

  Ace laughed as Birch pulled her to her feet. Her brother handed her the crutches then moved back as she made her way into the house.

  “I was sure hoping your friends left before Jenn got home,” Ace said. “I had Birch send her a text that we needed some groceries so she’d be late getting back.”

  “Grandpa! I didn’t know you had it in you to be so sneaky.” Brylee grinned at him. “Way to go.”

  Ace cackled as he followed her inside and closed the door.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Brylee parked three blocks away from the real estate office where her mother worked with a dozen other people and took a moment to gather her thoughts. She inhaled a deep breath and sent up a prayer for patience as she opened the door of her pickup and slid out.

  She straightened her navy plaid pencil skirt and glanced down to make sure she hadn’t gotten any mud on her black high-heeled dress boots.

  November wind whipped around her ears and trailed inside the collar of her coat, carrying a frigid bite. Brylee wished she’d remembered to grab a scarf on her way out the door. She’d been so excited when she got the mail and found the check from Lasso Eight for her modeling gig in September, she was lucky she’d remembered to yank on her coat. Paige had warned her it could take eight to ten weeks for the payment to be processed. It had been almost nine weeks since she’d posed with Shaun and the others at Chase and Jessie’s ranch.

  Today, with the overcast skies and the possibility of snow in the forecast, those golden early autumn days with Shaun seemed like a lifetime ago.

  After he’d helped her get home the day she’d sprained her ankle, she’d hardly seen him. She knew the Rockin’ K had contracted to do a few late season rodeos. In direct contrast to her mother’s orders that she stay home and give her body more time to heal and rest, Brylee had driven to Texas in mid-October for the women’s rodeo finals where she came in third. Her ankle had healed quickly and she was more than ready to compete.

  She’d been thrilled to discover the Rockin’ K crew providing stock at the circuit finals in central Washington the first week of November. In spite of her mother’s heated protests about her attending, Brylee had not only participated in the event, she’d also let Birch tag along with her. His presence kept things light between her and Shaun. No matter how badly she wanted to take things to the next level with him, it just wasn’t meant to be.

  Shaun had texted her nearly every day and called once a week to check on her, but he’d made no effort to move their relationship beyond the solid friendship they’d established during the last four months.

  Jason and Shaun had both been a great help and support to her during those final weeks of the summer and into the fall. But Shaun was the one she couldn’t stop thinking about. In fact, his friendship had come to mean more to her now than it ever had back when they were dating.

  She and Shaun had grown up, changed. Since he was no longer drinking, she didn’t have to wonder if she was talking to the real Shaun or Shaun under the influence. And he seemed so much more interested in her as a person.

  Before, their relationship was full of flirting and stolen kisses. In a lot of ways, it seemed superficial as she looked back on it. Now, though, they discussed any number of topics, and had meaningful conversations. The two of them could even defend opposing viewpoints without getting angry because of an underlying respect for the other person.

  Shaun had grown into an incredible man, one some woman would be blessed to marry. Thoughts of that happening, of a woman other than Brylee becoming his wife, made the hardened lump in her chest she used to call a heart throb with pain. She didn’t want to think about him with anyone else. Yet, she couldn’t marry him. Not with all that had gone on in their past. Not with things as they were.

  Her bond with Shaun wasn’t the only thing that kept her awake at night. Brylee’s already strained relationship with her mother had grown ten times worse when Jenn discovered Brylee’s sprained ankle after the Pendleton rodeo.

  True to Grandpa’s predictions, the woman had thrown a hissy fit of legendary proportions. It took two days before the dogs could be coerced to come up on the back p
orch, scared Jenn might still be ranting and raving inside the house.

  As she fussed over Brylee’s foot and changed the ice pack, she’d yelled at her, calling her a brainless moron for chasing such a ridiculous, stupid dream.

  Brylee did her best to hold her tongue because arguing with her mother never accomplished anything except getting everyone worked up. When her mother started blaming Shaun for her accident, Brylee couldn’t hold back anymore. In no uncertain terms, she informed her mother that he ran all the way across the arena just to see if she was okay, bought her a dry set of clothes, and made sure she got home. She reminded Jenn that if it wasn’t for Shaun and the help he’d so selflessly given, they wouldn’t be looking at paying off the ranch debt by the end of the year.

  From there, things were said that shouldn’t have been; heated, hurtful words, mostly from Jenn. Birch and Ace tried to come to Brylee’s defense, which only made her mother even more difficult to handle.

  Honestly, everyone had been walking on eggshells around the woman since September, terrified of setting her off into another tirade. Brylee understood the pressure her mother felt, the gaping chasm in her life that death and disappointment had left behind, but she couldn’t understand why her mother chose to deal with everything by wallowing in bitterness and anger.

  After today, with one of her burdens lifted, perhaps she’d let go of some of her negativity and move back into the land of the living. Truly, she felt like her mother had been going through the motions of life without engaging in the world around her for far too long.

  The saddest part of it all was that her mother had spent the last handful of years missing out on watching Birch grow into an amazing young man. They’d celebrated his fifteenth birthday last week with Brylee taking him and three of his friends to the Tri-Cities for a day of bowling, pizza, movies, barbecue, and a concert. Birch had declared it his best birthday ever, especially when he arrived home to find several gifts awaiting him, including a new rope Shaun had sent with a note he looked forward to helping him break it in.

  Regardless of what Jenn said and everything that had transpired, Birch remained a faithful advocate of Shaun. Brylee pondered if her brother thought Shaun actually possessed the ability to rope the moon for the way he seemed to view him as a hero.

  Wisely, Brylee had hidden the gift from Shaun until it was time for Birch to open it. Her mother had started to offer a nasty comment about it, but a quelling look from Ace had forced her to shut up.

  Brylee didn’t know what she’d do without the steady presence of her grandfather beside her. Together, they made decisions for the ranch while she oversaw most of the responsibilities. She’d kept two of their part-time seasonal workers to help finish up the fall work. They agreed to stay until the day before Thanksgiving, but after that, they were heading south for the winter.

  She couldn’t blame them. The weatherman predicated a long, cold winter. A shudder rolled through Brylee just thinking about it. If she had to spend months cooped up with her mother, she might go insane.

  A year and a half ago, when she decided to get back into pro rodeo, she and her mother had faced off in an epic battle. Unbeknownst to Jenn, Brylee had paid her dues, kept her barrel racing membership up-to-date, and participated in just enough rodeo events to remain active the past five years. She knew if the day ever came when she wanted to return to something she loved doing, she needed to be ready. Once the dust settled, she promised her mother she’d only go on the road for a year and would hang up her rodeo spurs once she competed in Las Vegas.

  The last thing Brylee wanted to do was quit and return to the life she’d led the last several years. Before her father passed away, she’d been devastated by Shaun’s abandonment and the dark days that followed in its wake. Once she’d clawed her way out of that mire, her father had died and she’d been thrust into the role of trying to hold the ranch together while her mother threw herself into her real estate business to bury her pain and bring in much-needed funds to pay the bills.

  Commission on real estate sales didn’t provide the steady income they needed and in a moment of desperation, Jenn had finally agreed to Brylee’s plan of earning the money to pay off the debt through barrel racing. She’d been at the top of the game once, almost twice, before. She knew she could do it again, but she had to get some things settled in her personal life.

  And today would put one big concern to rest.

  Brylee pushed open the door to the office and smiled at Dot, the plump, jolly-faced receptionist who always made her think of Mrs. Claus.

  “Brylee! It’s great to see you,” Dot said, getting up from her desk and giving her a hug. “Is your mom expecting you?”

  “No, I was hoping to catch her between appointments, though.” Brylee glanced toward her mother’s office door.

  “As a matter of fact, her last appointment of the day left about five minutes ago. Go on in.” Dot waved her hand in the direction of Jenn’s office.

  “Thanks, Dot. Great nails, by the way.” Brylee knew the woman got a weekly manicure, often with a seasonal theme. This week, she sported falling leaves on all her nails, except for a plump turkey painted on her left thumbnail.

  Dot giggled and waggled her fingernails.

  Brylee walked over to her mother’s office door and tapped once before sticking her head inside. Jenn was on the phone but motioned for Brylee to come in and take a seat. She perched on the edge of a chair and absorbed the warmth of the room. She hadn’t realized how cold the temperature had dropped until she’d walked from her pickup to the office.

  Jenn wrapped up the call and gave Brylee a studying glance. “It’s nice to see you wearing something besides dusty cowboy boots and jeans. Are you staging a house today?”

  Brylee ignored her mother’s thinly veiled criticism and removed an envelope from her purse. She laid it on the desk in front of her mom.

  “What’s this?” Jenn asked, opening the envelope.

  “Relief,” Brylee said with a smile.

  “What are you talking about? It’s not a roll of antacid tab…” Jenn’s voice trailed off and her mouth gaped open as she stared at the check in her hand.

  “That’s what I earned from modeling for Lasso Eight, Mom. I want you to go with me to the bank so we can pay off our debt. Then you and I are going to make a pact that we never, ever let something like that happen again. Okay?”

  Brylee held out her hand to her mother. Tears glistened in Jenn’s eyes as she closed her mouth and shook Brylee’s hand, giving it a long squeeze.

  The woman leaned back in her chair and drew in a rough breath before she spoke. “Brylee, you should keep this. You’ve worked so hard all year and I know you were disappointed about not winning in Pendleton.”

  Brylee stood. “No. You and I made a deal and I’m sticking to my end of it. Get your coat and let’s go. I want to finish this today so we can close that horrible chapter in our lives and move on. To celebrate, I think we should stop by that place that serves those fancy desserts and eat something decadent.”

  Jenn smiled and saved a document on her computer before turning it off. Brylee held her mother’s coat while she shrugged into it then watched as Jenn gathered her briefcase and purse. Together, they stepped into the hall.

  “Dot, I’m going to be out the rest of the afternoon. Have a good evening.” Jenn motioned for Brylee to follow her outside. “Brr. I think it’s colder now than it was than when I was out showing a place right before lunch,” Jenn commented as they crossed the street and headed back the way Brylee had come to go to the bank.

  Inside, it didn’t take long for them to deposit the check into the loan account. Jenn held Brylee’s hand as the payment was processed and they received a statement that showed the loan balance at zero.

  Brylee wanted to cheer, but she settled for beaming a smile at everyone they encountered between there and the dessert shop. Inside, she ordered a chocolate éclair while her mother ordered an almond croissant. Within moments, they were seate
d at a corner table with a cup of espresso in their hands, relishing the treat.

  Jenn leaned back in her chair, appearing content and relieved. “Now that the loan is paid, you can cancel your trip to Vegas. I was thinking…”

  Brylee didn’t let her finish. “I’m not canceling the trip, Mom. We agreed I’d go when I started this and I’m going.” Brylee set down her fork and tried to rein in her temper. She was tired of fighting against her mother over everything. It wasn’t like she was a child. She was twenty-seven years old and had experienced more pain and heartache than many people endured in a lifetime. In addition, she’d been in charge of running a large wheat and cattle ranch when her mother refused to deal with it.

  Jenn’s lips thinned into a narrow, angry line. “There’s no need for it. The loan is paid. It would be foolhardy to press your luck, Brylee. What if you get hurt again? What if the next time Rocket falls he breaks a leg? What if you end up married to that no-good Casanova who broke your heart? It’s just like you to run right back to him at the first available opportunity.”

  Brylee gave her mother such a cold, harsh look, the woman closed her mouth and pressed it back into that annoying thin line. “What if I succeed, Mom? What if I take the championship title again? What if I win as much money there as I have all year? It could happen, you know, because contrary to your ongoing, belittling, ever-negative opinion, I’m pretty good at what I do. As to what does or does not happen between me and Shaun, that’s my business, not yours. Not anyone’s. Shaun is a wonderful, gentle, caring man and if you’d take five minutes to really see him instead of glaring daggers into his back, you’d realize that for yourself.”

  Jenn jerked back in her chair as though Brylee had reached out and slapped her instead of quietly stating her opinion. Before her mother could launch into a tirade right there in the dessert shop, Brylee slipped on her coat and gathered her things. “Just once, would it kill you to support me instead of treat me like I’m too dumb to tie my own shoes? I know you blame me, and particularly Shaun, for all the heartache our family has faced the last several years, but it’s time for you to let it go and get over it. If I can forgive him and move on, what right do you have to cling to the past and throw it in my face every time I turn around?”