Cowgirl Up (22 page)

“I’m
going to look around for a while. Do you need anything?”

“No
thanks. I think we’re fine.” Trinity peered up from the book she was reading.
“And thank you for earlier. I didn’t realize how many friends I really had
until recently.”

Lacey
waved her hand. “No biggie. We have to look out after one another. All part of
the deal.”

“Still.
Thanks.”

Lacey
nodded, then set out on her destination.

Several
minutes later, she spied her target, in the sports medicine room, sitting on a
table while a couple of bull riders were being worked over by the staff.
Without preamble, she marched right over to stop right in front of him.

As soon
as he looked at her, she slapped Gary hard enough to snap his head. Pink
splotching appeared instantly. His eyes narrowed and lips pinched. “What the
fuck was that for?”

The
room grew silent and everyone stared at them. Lacey didn’t care. Instead, she
glorified in the witnesses since she had every intention of reading him the
riot act and wanted as many people as possible to know what he did to her
friend.

Uncaring
if he suffered a hangover and headache or not, she raised her voice so all
could hear clearly. “That was for Trinity. You remember her? The pretty, blonde
barrel racer you’ve been harassing all season. Stole a kiss from her a couple
of nights ago.” She paused dramatically. “Remember combing the barns last
night, drunk, finding her, and attacking her?”

The
entire room collectively gasped.

Lacey
saw a flicker of regret cross his face. Not nearly enough. “Seems when one of
the vets showed up, you had her on the ground, and was trying to rip her
clothes off. She fought and struggled while you ruthlessly tried to rape her.”

“I…”

“Don’t
bother to sputter out some moronic lie or excuse.” Fury drove her hard.
“Because no one gives a fuck. You hurt her, scared her. Drunk or not, that’s a
piss poor man in anyone’s book.”

His jaw
clenched, but he didn’t say a word.

“Get
this straight, you prick. You’re damn lucky. Anyone else would have called the
cops and had your ass thrown in jail. So, shit for brains, time to take a
lesson. Once is all you get. The next time you so much as utter a good morning
to her, I guarantee the ax will fall. Hard.” Finished with her tirade, she
glared at him for another moment, then spun on her heel to leave.

Jared
Winters met her at the door. “Well said.”

She
shrugged. “The least I can do.”

Jared
gave her a nod, then turned his attention to Gary. “Gary. In the office. Now.”
His deep biting command told Lacey that Gary’s day was about to get worse.

For the
first time since learning of last night’s events, Lacey grinned.

The
moment Gary stepped out of the administrative office, Cody blocked his path. “I
have a bone to pick with you, James.” He’d meant to track the bastard down
first thing this morning, but didn’t want to leave Trinity’s side for a while,
just to make sure she was really all right after last night. Finding her pretty
much back to normal, he’d made a couple of calls, discovered Gary was presently
getting his ass chewed by Jared, and decided to do a follow-up of his own.

Gary
sneered and tried to shove past. His red face, lowered eyebrows, and stiff
movements told the story. He was pissed.

Too fucking bad.
That makes two of us.

Cody
stood his ground. “If I had my way, you’d be cooling your jets in jail right
now.” He promised Trinity to keep the cops out of it. That didn’t mean he
couldn’t beat some sense into Gary in order to make sure the fucker learned a
hard lesson.

“Get
out of my fucking way.” Gary shoved Cody hard.

Prepared
for the move, Cody went with the motion, snagged Gary’s arm, then spun him
around. When Gary threw a punch, Cody quickly ducked, then returned the favor.
His fist landed on Gary’s jaw with a satisfying smack.

Gary
reeled, bent over, then glared up at Cody with fury in his eyes.

Cody
knew the feeling. A cauldron of boiling rage rolled through his gut since he
entered the barn last night and found Gary on top of a struggling Trinity. “I
suggest you listen up and listen good. Because I’m only saying this once. Stay
away from Trinity.”

“That’s
between her and me.”

Cody
narrowed his eyes and leashed his temper. “Only a first class jackass would
assault a woman like that.”

“I was
drunk!”

“That’s
no fucking excuse and you know it.” Cody grabbed the smaller man by the
shirtfront and scowled down at him. “You get anywhere near Trinity again and
you’ll have to deal with me.”

Gary’s
lips thinned. “What’s your take in this?”

“She’s
mine. And I’ll beat the shit out of the next man who wants to lay hands on
her.” Cody dropped his voice to a stern growl when Gary opened his mouth. “Just
in case you’re thinking about taking me on, I’ll let you in on a little secret.
I’m a SEAL.”

“So?”

Cody
grinned wolfishly. “Don’t you know anything about SEALs? There’s a reason we’re
sent on black ops missions. We’re trained to kill in dozens of different ways,
all silent and lethal.”

Gary’s
eyes widened before he looked away. His lips pursed before he tried to jerk
free.

“Get
the picture?”

“Yeah.”
Gary spit out the word.

Cody
shook him. “You better have. Next time I won’t be this nice.” Satisfied the
message sank in, Cody released him, shot him one last warning glare, then
strode away.

“Going
to give her another shot tonight, Gary?” one of the young bull riders prompted
with an elbow nudge.

Trinity
overheard his words and bristled as she headed toward the ladies’ shower
facilities. Since she didn’t rent a room, she relied upon what the huge tourist
center in Vegas could provide. Not bad compared to some of the small town
rodeo’s lackluster options.

“Since
you never strike out,” another added in mockery.

A
healthy shot of fear poured into her bloodstream. After last night’s unexpected
attack, she couldn’t quell her nerves today and absolutely had to. Legacy
picked up on all her moods and acted accordingly. For his best run, he needed
to be calm and chipper, not pissed off and tentative.

She
took a couple more steps, intending to ignore their bantering, until another
male voice caught her attention.

“Keep
your eyes in your head, boys, if you know what’s good for you.”

Twisting,
she spied the newcomer. An older man, dressed in jeans, boots, and a white
shirt joined the gathering. An inch or two taller than the shortest of the
group, he carried himself with confidence and ability. Right now his stiff
motions shouted anger in a big way. His hat sat up high enough on his head to
reveal his face. Buck Troutman. Her father.

“She’s
my daughter and you’ll respect her as such.” His low growl and glare seemed to
straighten the men up immediately. They nodded and lowered their heads. He
turned his fury on Gary, stepping forward to snarl in Gary’s face. “You’re one
lucky son of a bitch. If it were up to me, you’d be cooling your jets in jail,
not standing here ready to compete in the finals. But, know this. You ever try
anything like that on my daughter or any other woman, you’ll find my boot
planted so far up your ass, you’ll be belching shit for weeks.” He paused, then
continued. “I still ought to beat the hell out of you for what you did.”

“Someone
already did.” Gary cupped his cheek and wiggled his jaw with a slight grimace.

Buck
fisted his hand in Gary’s shirt. “You sorry asshole.”

Gary
threw up his arms in surrender. “I crossed the line. Big time. I know it and
I’m sorry.”

“I’m
not the one you need to apologize to.” The low growl vibrated from Buck’s
throat.

Glancing
toward her, Gary met her gaze, then flicked back to Buck. “If you’ll let me go,
I’ll do that right now.”

Buck
relented, then crossed his arms over his chest as he watched.

Trinity
steeled herself as Gary approached, a sheepish look on his face. He eyed her
before stopping a few feet away. “I’m sorry, Trinity. I was drunk, but that’s
no excuse. I promise it’ll never happen again.”

While
she wanted to believe his words, she couldn’t. Not with his actions still so
fresh on her mind. “I’ll hold you to that promise.”

“You
forgive me?” The corner of his mouth hitched up slightly, almost in relief.

She
shook her head. “No.”

Surprise
flashed through his eyes.

Taking
the opportunity, she strode past him and waited several feet from her father.

Gary
mumbled to himself, then walked away, the other two falling in behind him, leaving
her alone with her father.

Hope
and confusion intermixed with Buck’s threats. He’d never had anything to do
with her growing up, but now he stepped up to be a paternal figure. The
realization perplexed her entirely and no matter how she tried to wrap her mind
around the facts, she just couldn’t.

She
closed the distance between them, not sure what to say to the man she’d only
known in pictures and stories from her mother. “Thanks.”

His
green eyes expressed sadness while his face remained stoic. “I should have been
there before now.”

Trinity
shrugged. Old news in her book.

“I’m
sorry about your mother. Hell, I’m sorry about lots of things.” He glanced
away, drew in a breath, then focused on her once more. “If only I could go back
and have it to do again.”

She bit
her lip at that all too familiar, yet groundless expression. “We can’t change
the past, only move forward.” Another favorite phrase of her mother’s slipped
out.

He
remained quiet for a couple more beats. “I know it’s too late, but I’d like the
chance to get to know you. To learn about the girl I helped created.”

Her
heart fluttered. For years, she would have given her pigtails to hear such
words. Finally, when she did, she found herself lost and bewildered. “I…might
like to try.” Indecision carried in her tone.

He
nodded. “I know it’s not a good time and you’re still rattled from last night.
But, I’m sincere.” Digging in his pocket, he pulled out a card. “Call me. Any
time. I’ll always answer for you.”

“Thanks…Dad,”
she uttered the word, trying it on for size. A bit awkward, but workable.

A small
grin covered his face. He tipped his hat at her. “It’s a good start, daughter.”
He turned around and walked away, leaving Trinity strangely optimistic, yet
tentative.

“‘Bout
time you stepped up to your responsibility.” Jared stepped out of the shadows
and into Buck’s path. He scowled at the slightly shorter man with checked
anger.

Buck
met his gaze unflinchingly. “None of your business, Winters.”

Jared
didn’t back down an inch. He’d bit his tongue far too many times and refused to
do so again. “Seems to me you dropped the ball years ago. Now, she’s grown into
a fine woman. Still missing her momma, big time, so don’t go screwing with her
right now.”

“I
fucked up. Yeah, I get it. And, I know it’s too late to fill in the role as her
father. But, by damn, I’m going to try. Not because of what happened, but
because she’s a good kid. Whether you believe it or not, I’m proud of her.”

Studying
Buck’s face, Jared determined he spoke the truth. About twenty-five years too
late in Jared’s opinion, but better late than never. “If you hurt her…” He
trailed off with a growl.

Buck
snorted derisively. “You know me better than that. I might have gotten hit with
the stupid stick, but I learn from my mistakes.” His gaze shifted to the left.

Jared
twisted to see what caught the other man’s attention.

“I just
hope that asshole learns from his.” Buck’s tone turned threateningly.

“I
think he just might.” Jared turned back to meet Buck’s gaze. “Between my nephew
knocking him out last night, then reading him the riot act today, Lacey taking
him to task and slapping him in front of several of the other competitors, your
little scene, and my raking him over the coals and threatening to ban him from
the association, I believe the stupid shit might have gotten the hint.”

Buck
blinked. “You didn’t.”

Jared
grinned wolfishly. “Oh, I did. In small words so he could understand. Even the
slightest whisper of him harassing another woman and he’s out of here. Not just
for the region, but for the whole country.”

“
Damn
.” Buck shook his head as his blue
eyes twinkled. “Talk about bringing down the hammer.”

“Yep.”
Jared rubbed his chin. “Take a lesson. Trinity is going through a lot right
now. So, don’t make any promises you can’t keep.” An intense stare followed
right on the heels of the stern warning.

Satisfied
that Buck had received the message loud and clear, Jared walked away.

He
found Cody in the RV collecting a couple of blankets and a pillow. He noted the
folded up cot leaning against the couch and arched an eyebrow. “My snoring
driving you to bunk down with the bulls?”

Cody
spared him a glance complete with wry grin. “Something like that.”

“Or
perhaps there’s a cute little barrel racer who invited you to a bunking party?”
Jared already knew Cody’s plan. Hell, he would have done the very same thing.
Still, he couldn’t let the opportunity pass to yank his nephew’s chain.

Cody
stood up and met Jared’s eyes. “I’m staying the nights with Trinity until the
finals are over.” Leashed tension and anger radiated off Cody.

“She’s
lucky to have you.”

“I’m
doing a pretty shitty job of taking care of her.” He ran on hand through his
hair, leaving the locks a bit tousled.

“No one
had a clue Gary would dip to those depths. But, I guarantee it won’t happen
again.”

Cody
tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows. “How do you know?”

“Because
he might be dumb, but he’s not totally stupid.”

“That
doesn’t fill me with warm fuzzies, Jared.”

Jared
smirked at Cody’s phrase. “Sit down. Let me bring you up to speed.”

Cody
slid into the dining booth. Jared took the seat opposite.

“I
walked into the medic room this morning to find Lacey giving Gary both barrels.
Slapped the hell out of him too.”

Cody’s
eyes widened before worry replaced surprise. “I told her to leave Gary to me.”

Jared
snorted. “I thought you had enough experience with women to know that when one
gets an idea in her head, she’s going to out stubborn a mule to make it
happen.” He waved his hand. “Anyway, she read him the riot act in front of
everyone in the room.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah.
You know how fast gossip spreads around here.”

“Yep.”

Jared
intertwined his fingers and rested them on the table. “After Lacey tore a few
strips off his hide, it was my turn. I hauled his sorry ass into the office and
gave him the ultimatum. One more whisper of misbehavior and I’d ban him from
the circuit and personally call the president of the association to push to
have him banned for life.”

“Oh,
shit.” Cody blinked. “That’s…”

“Deserved.”
Jared finished for him. “Rodeo cowboys have a certain reputation to uphold. If
the public starts to believe the guys are drunks and sexual predators, it would
hurt the whole industry. It’s not just about what Gary did to Trinity, it’s
about the image of the rodeo.”

“True.”

“It
gets better.” Jared blew out a breath. “Seems Gary hitched up with a couple of
his buddies. They caught sight of Trinity and started egging him on about
hitting on Trinity and falling flat.”

Storminess
gathered in Cody’s eyes.

“Buck
Troutman marched right up, got in Gary’s face, and told Gary to keep his eyes
in his head and hands off Trinity, his daughter.”

“Wow.
He actually admitted Trinity was his daughter?”

“Yeah.
Shocked the hell out of me too. After dismissing the bastard, Buck talked to
Trinity. Wants to start being in her life, to make up for his mistakes.”
Jared’s skepticism carried over in his tone.

Cody
must have picked up on it. “You don’t think he was truthful?”

Jared
shrugged. “I don’t think he lied. I just question his motivation and how far
he’s willing to go to bring Trinity back into his life.”

“Seems
a bit late to turn into a doting father and too damn convenient. Wait until her
mother passes away and Trinity is rattled from an overly aggressive jackass,
then step in and try to be the man he should have been from the start.”

Jared
nodded. “I warned him to not play with her emotions. If he wasn’t prepared to
back up his words, then just leave it be.”

“How did
Trinity take it?”

“She
was shocked. Hell, anyone would have been. Here’s a man she’s been told was her
father for twenty plus years, who never had anything to do with her. Suddenly,
he shows up at the finals, confronts her attacker, announces his paternity, and
declares he wants to make amends. That’s enough to rattle the hardiest person,
let alone someone who’s suffered some hard knocks recently.” Jared felt for
Trinity, and truly liked the girl, which was why he stepped in with the verbal
warning to Buck.

“So,
you think what happened spurred him to finally accept and speak to Trinity?”
Cody asked.

“Probably.”
Jared rubbed his chin. “I don’t have a damn clue what goes through Buck’s head.
Never have. Any man who would turn his back on his responsibility is beyond my
understanding and lower than the dried shit on my boots.”

“I
agree. Even if it was a one-night stand, he still bore responsibility.” Cody
sighed. “Trinity doesn’t really speak about it, but I know her and her mother
had a tough time, especially financially.”

“While
Buck topped the money earnings for a handful of years, married another woman,
and had a couple of kids. Spoiled rotten, useless children at that.”

“From
what I’ve heard, yeah. Because he gave them everything they wanted while Trinity
and her mother did without.” Cody’s lips thinned. “Trinity turned out great
despite the difficulties, but it’s not fair. She should have had a father, some
financial support, something.” He rested his elbows on the table.

“Life’s
not fair, son. You know that.”