The Bull Rider’s Return Read online

  Best of all, Cody was a part of their lives. She hoped. She no longer wanted just a fling with him. She wanted more. How much more he was prepared to give she didn’t know.

  The buzzer went. Dean had fallen at four seconds. Ha! Take that, you bastard. Kelly resumed her seat, smiling at Ricky to reassure him that she hadn’t lost her mind. Later she would explain her actions in a way he could understand. She wanted him to grow up to like and respect women. Cody would make a fine role model for her son. If—

  No, she wouldn’t speculate too far ahead. She’d learned the hard way not to count her chickens. Nevertheless, a second later she took Ricky’s hand and squeezed, unable to contain her happiness.

  Chapter Ten

  Cody straddled the rails above the chute, elated at his good luck to have Baby Huey as his ride again in the short round. If nothing else he could be certain of a spirited performance from the black bull pawing and snorting in the chute.

  Cody had a good feeling about this round in spite of the nagging pain in his shoulder that even heavy-duty painkillers couldn’t totally erase. This was his big moment. If he won he would get five thousand in prize money plus enough points to put him near the top of the PRCA ladder.

  He could put some money down on that new truck. Or maybe forego that for a while and make a deposit on a small house…

  Hearing the announcer introduce him by name he brushed those thoughts away and his immediate surroundings rushed back. The noise of the crowd, the smell of the bull, the heat and the dust, the awareness that Kelly and Ricky were out in the stands cheering for him.

  Cody lowered himself onto Baby Huey’s back and hooked his hand around the rope, adjusting his seat as the two-ton monster stamped and snorted. He nodded at the cowboy holding the gate. It opened. The bull charged out, bucking and spinning. Baby Huey was having a king-sized tantrum. Cody gritted his teeth, keeping his free hand high in the air, gripping the wide belly of the bull with his legs till his thighs ached. He had no idea of his time, only that he was still riding the maelstrom. Every second felt like an hour. He was whirled and flung up, hitting the bull’s back in a bang, his spine wrenched this way and that, thrown about endlessly. But like a limpet, he held on. And on.

  The buzzer went. His blood thrilled to the sound and he broke into a wide grin. He’d made it. The ride of his life. The crowd was roaring. As he started to disentangle his hand from the rope to dismount he looked up in the stands, searching for Kelly’s face.

  Big mistake.

  Baby Huey didn’t know the ride was over. He continued to buck and spin. Before the horse riders could pull him off, Cody slipped down the bull’s side. The rope tightened around his elbow. He was being dragged beneath the bull. A cloven hoof stepped hard on his calf. The rope got tighter and tighter, biting into his forearm. With a tremendous buck, the bull yanked and Cody’s arm was torn from its socket.

  Pain shrieked through his shoulder. The bullfighters surrounded the bull, dancing him to a standstill long enough for Cody to roll out from under the sweating, panting beast. Another cowboy unwrapped the rope from Cody’s arm and helped him to the rails where two more men boosted him up and over. His arm felt loose and floppy, and it wouldn’t work when he tried to grab the rail. He fell to the ground on the other side of the fence. Winded and dazed, he sat there trying to summon the energy to get to his feet.

  A medic kneeled beside him and gently examined his shoulder. His face changed. “You’d better come to the first-aid tent.”

  “I’m fine,” Cody panted, ignoring the screaming pain. A bead of sweat trickled into his eye, burning, and he blinked it away.

  “You’re not fine,” the medic said. “Not fine at all.”

  Cody looked down and saw his arm dangling at a weird angle. Spots swam in front of his eyes. Everything went black.

  *

  When he came to he was in the first-aid tent, lying on a cot. His right arm was in a sling that was strapped to his chest. An ice pack rested on the shoulder. The medic had left but Kelly was seated on a stool next to him. He tried to sit up but pain made him woozy.

  “Stay still.” Kelly’s feather-light touch on his chest was enough to make him sink back onto the thin pillow.

  “I need to…” His mind blanked. The rodeo was over. There was nothing he needed to do. Nothing he could do.

  He’d wrecked his arm but he couldn’t feel anything. The medic must have given him a shot of painkiller while he was blacked out.

  “You won, by the way.” Kelly was watching him worriedly, probably wondering if he’d been concussed as well. “You got the highest score despite losing a couple of points on the dismount. Your trophy and prize money are being held at the office. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks. Great.” He’d won. It seemed unreal, almost unimportant even though he’d badly wanted it.

  “You don’t sound very happy.” Kelly held the hand on his uninjured side.

  “I am, or I will be. What did the medic say about my shoulder? Where is he?”

  “An ambulance has been called.” Kelly squeezed his hand. “You have torn ligaments and a dislocated shoulder.”

  “That’s not good.” He still couldn’t take it in.

  “Not good at all.” Kelly regarded him soberly. “The doctor will give you a proper prognosis but the medic said he thought you’d be out of action for four or five months.”

  “That’s not going to work for me.”

  “Don’t worry about that now.” She looked up at the sound of a vehicle approaching and doors opening. “Here’s the ambulance. Ricky and I will follow you to the hospital.”

  The next few hours were a blur of X-rays and doctors. He was put under a light anesthetic before the shoulder reduction took place. A physical therapist gave him finger exercises to keep blood circulating and told him to see a therapist again in a week. Finger exercises. Un-frigging-believable.

  Kelly and Ricky came to see him in recovery and tried to cheer him up but he wasn’t in the mood to be cheerful. He was going to miss the next rodeo.

  He managed to rally some good humor when he stopped by pediatrics to fulfill his promise to Judy McReadie. Comparing boo-boos with the kids brought a few laughs and he was glad he’d made the effort. And seeing bald-headed youngsters being so brave made him count his blessings. His shoulder would eventually heal. Some of these children might not survive.

  Kelly drove him back to his rig in the campground late in the afternoon then left to go pack her bags and check out of the motel. Half the tents and trailers were already gone and the other half were being packed up to go. The air swirled with dust from departing vehicles and it was cooler today with a whiff of fall in the air, a chilly breeze bringing with it an atmosphere of loss and decay. Maybe that was just him. He felt numb and angry. Collecting his winnings and the buckle from the rodeo office was an anticlimax. Even seeing a snap of himself on Baby Huey with the clock in the background reading “8 seconds” hadn’t pulled him out of his funk.

  He sat on the steps of his trailer and stared blankly at the caravan of departing vehicles. Folks he didn’t know well waved and shouted congratulations. Friends came over to see how he was doing. It was an effort to be upbeat but he did his best to brush off his injury as just another episode in the wild and crazy life of Cody Starr.

  “Are you still sitting here?” Kelly asked.

  Cody blinked. He hadn’t heard her drive up. Ricky was in the passenger seat. He looked down at himself. He still wore the dusty jeans he’d competed in. The shirt was draped over his right shoulder because the sling made it too tight to put his arm through. The cool breeze puckered his bare skin and he realized suddenly that he was cold.

  “I’m going to get going soon,” he said, making an effort to rouse himself. “Head back to Sweetheart, I guess.” Like a wounded animal he instinctively wanted to head for home where he could hole up and not be bothered by anyone.

  “How?” Kelly asked bluntly. “You can’t shift gears with that arm.”
r />   He scratched his beard scruff, pondering whether to call his long-suffering brother Garret down from the mountain. But even if he did that, he couldn’t leave his rig here. All vehicles had to be cleared from the campground by Monday. Boone, Jesse and Flynn all lived locally. Maybe they could help.

  “Here’s what we’ll do,” Kelly said while he was still fumbling in his mind for a plan. “I’ll drive you and your rig back to Sweetheart. Then you can ask someone, a friend or family member to drive me back here to pick up my car. Okay? Do you know any place in Marietta where I can leave my car for a couple of days?”

  “Sure, I’ve got friends here. But you don’t have to—”

  “Cody, you’re injured. You’re not driving so you’re going to accept my help.” Blunt and firm, she wasn’t taking no for an answer.

  He gave in with as much graciousness as he could muster. “I’ll make a few calls, find someplace to leave your car.”

  Another hour later, they were on the road, Kelly behind the wheel and Ricky in the rumble seat. Having set off late there was no way they were going to drive the whole way, nearly seven hours, in one hit. Near Butte they pulled into a Walmart parking lot, got food from the deli there, ate a quiet meal around the trailer table and then lowered it to make a bed for Kelly and Ricky.

  Cody lay awake long into the night, unable to sleep despite the combination painkiller and sleeping tablet the doctor had given him. He listened to Kelly’s slow, quiet breathing in the other room, wishing she was next to him even if they couldn’t do more than hold each other. He understood why she wasn’t in his bed but he missed her all the same. He was dozing off when he felt movement and a rustle of his blanket. She slipped between the sheets and her warm body in a thin cotton nightgown was pressing against his.

  “I won’t stay long,” she whispered, kissing his neck and rubbing his leg with her foot. “Just wanted to give you a hug.”

  “A hug? You can do better than that.” He gathered her close in his good arm and captured her mouth in a long, deep kiss. His body stirred and hardened. He found her breast beneath the blanket and gently molded her firm, soft flesh, tweaking her nipple until it peaked between his fingertips. She made a soft sound in her throat and his erection jumped. Taking his hand away, he eased apart. “This is a bad idea.”

  “Feels good to me.” She passed her hand down him in one slow stroke that had his blood flaming. Then removed her hand. “But I don’t want to have to explain to Ricky what we’re doing in here.” She rested her hand chastely on his chest. “You’re going to be okay. You do your exercises and given time you’ll be back to normal.”

  “I know.” He said it so she wouldn’t sense the depth of his despair. “But how am I going to survive four months of my mother fussing over me? There’s nothing she loves more than having someone to take care of.”

  “I forgot you live with your parents.”

  “Not as bad as it sounds. I rent the self-contained suite at the back of the house.”

  “How many bedrooms does it have?”

  “Two.” He looked into her face, an inch away. Her eyes were huge in the faint moonlight streaming through the skylight. “Why?”

  “I could move in and look after you until you can take care of yourself.”

  He touched her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

  “You didn’t ask. I offered.” Turning her head, she kissed his hand.

  “Working off your debt?”

  A faint smile quirked her mouth. “I don’t owe you anything, remember?”

  “Glad you’re starting to believe that.”

  Cody thought about what the arrangement would entail, and how he would feel having Kelly and Ricky staying with him. The suite wasn’t large but it could work. The second bedroom held his desk and a weight set but he could move those upstairs—or ask his dad to—and swap them for twin beds. His mother would raise her eyebrows but she wouldn’t object.

  “You don’t have to get back to Reno?” Cody asked.

  “Nothing urgent to get back for. I’m working casual jobs, remember?” She paused. “When I went through Sweetheart I noticed a sign in the window of the Cherry Pit saying, Waitress Wanted. If they’re still hiring I’ll apply. If you don’t mind watching Ricky while I’m working, that is. It’s only temporary.”

  “Yeah, no problem.”

  “Okay, then.” She kissed him again lightly on the mouth and reluctantly got out of bed. “Night.”

  “Night.” He closed his eyes, and finally sleep stole over him.

  *

  Kelly turned the rig in to the Starr Orchards driveway midmorning the next day. A trim blonde woman in her fifties came out of the big log home and ran down the steps to greet them. This must be Cody’s mother. Even though the older woman didn’t have his dark coloring he’d inherited her straight nose and high cheekbones.

  His mom’s surprised smile turned to a frown as Cody swung down from the passenger seat with his arm in a sling. She glanced from her son to Kelly as if she had a better chance of getting straight answers from her.

  “Didn’t you tell your mom about your shoulder?” Kelly said under her breath as she came around the front of the truck to stand next to him. “Or that Ricky and I would be with you?”

  “She would only worry. About my shoulder, that is,” Cody said. “Probably should have warned her about you and Ricky, too, though.” They walked over to meet her, Ricky lagging behind. “Mom, this is Kelly and her son Ricky. This is my mother, Linda.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Linda said warmly to Kelly, shaking her hand. “Hello, there, Ricky. You’re the special little boy I’ve been hearing about.” She cast Cody a wry glance and added pointedly, “On Twitter.” Then she shook her head. “What have you done to your arm?”

  “Dislocated. No big deal,” he said. “Kelly’s going to stay with me for a while. Help out.”

  “Wonderful,” Linda said, still looking worried. “Are you all hungry? I’ve been baking muffins.”

  “Don’t fuss, Ma,” Cody said. “We had breakfast on the road.”

  “What kind of muffins?” Ricky asked.

  “Blueberry,” Linda replied.

  “He’s always hungry these days,” Kelly said, apologetically. “It’s like he’s making up for lost time.”

  “He’s probably going through a growth spurt,” Linda said. “I’ve raised three boys. I’m an expert in the male appetite.”

  Cody grinned. “Careful, Ma, you sound depraved.”

  “Get your mind out of the gutter, Cody Starr.” Linda turned to Kelly. “Is it okay if I take Ricky inside and give him a muffin and milk? I’ll let you get settled downstairs.”

  “Thanks, I’m sure he would love that.” Kelly glanced back at Cody who had gone to get their suitcases out of the trailer with his left hand, seemingly determined not to let his temporary disability stop him from doing things. When she was sure he was out of earshot she said to Linda, “He’ll be okay but his shoulder will take a few months to heal.”

  A look of understanding passed over Linda’s face. “No wonder he’s touchy. Are you sure you’re up for caring for a grouchy rodeo rider who can’t ride?”

  “I consider it a privilege after what he’s done for me and Ricky.” Kelly paused, unsure how Linda felt about her having accepted a small fortune from her son when he could have put it to good use himself. Feeling her way, she said, “I guess his family was kind of surprised at that.”

  “Only because at first he pretended he’d lost it at the casino.” Linda was speaking in a low voice, too. “He thinks he’s a screwup but I wasn’t a bit surprised that he helped you and your son. When he was younger he was always giving away his allowance to kids who had less. And he worked for that pocket money, don’t make any mistake. All our kids had a list of chores a mile long. When you live on an orchard, that’s a given.” Her face softened as she watched her youngest son carry a load around the house to his downstairs suite. “We’r
e very proud of him.”

  Kelly smiled, pleased to have her instincts about Cody confirmed by the woman who knew him best. “He’s a good man. I wish he knew it.”

  Linda met her eyes. “Maybe you can convince him.”

  That afternoon, Garret returned from his weekend adventure tour and Cody roped him into helping move the weight set out of his spare room and replace it with two single beds. Kelly gave them a hand, wondering if anyone but Ricky bought the fiction that she and Cody wouldn’t be sharing his bed at night. Although for how long, she didn’t know. One day at a time. She didn’t know what the future would bring her and Cody. Maybe what they felt for each other was only a fling. Once he was healed, he’d be back on the circuit. She couldn’t count on him, and she wouldn’t.

  Get on with your own life, she told herself firmly.

  To that end, she borrowed Cody’s truck and drove into town to see if that waitressing job was still available at the Cherry Pit.

  Flathead Lake was a blue expanse on her right and the Mission Ranges reared above the town of Sweetheart to her left. The leaves on the cherry trees were starting to turn, their green leaves tipped with red and gold.

  The scent of autumn was in the air. Kelly felt the stirring in her blood that she always got at this time of year. A time for change. She was ready for something different. No matter what happened with her and Cody she suddenly knew she didn’t want to go back to Reno. Most of her memories from there weren’t good. Her mom’s death, her dad’s remarriage and long-distance move, being abandoned by Ricky’s father, dropping out of college. Ricky’s illness. The grinding, lonely years working low-paying jobs. Oh, she would always work to provide for Ricky and pursue her education, but she would do it somewhere new. What she needed was a fresh start.

  The town of Sweetheart was totally gorgeous. There was a pretty park on the lakefront, a historic hotel called the Montrose, cute shops and wide streets. The pace felt slower here, the people friendlier. As she drove along Swan Street she saw folks stopping on the sidewalk and passing the time of day. Baskets of flowers hung from lampposts. She made note of a produce market displaying colorful piles of fresh fruit and vegetables and a bakery. Starr Real Estate. That must be Cody’s father’s business.