His Cowgirl Bride (14 page)

“S
o, the big festival is this weekend,” Tacy said the following day. She'd ridden two horses that morning, gone in for her shift at the café, then returned to the round pen for some saddle time on the chestnut. Brent was there getting ready to start working with the roan he'd begun breaking in the day before just after lunch. They were standing outside the corral and as much as she'd been wanting the opportunity to work these horses, she was finding that she was in no hurry to walk away from Brent. He didn't seem to be in much of a hurry, either.

“Yep. I'm supposed to go help App and Stanley test their catapult this evening.”

“So what are their chances?”

He gave her a sly grin. “Better'n most. Those two fellas are pretty with it when it comes to mechanical things. How about your team?”

“They tested it last weekend. I wasn't there, but they said it went a fair distance. They were satisfied. I'm supposed to go there this afternoon, too.” She smiled up at him. “I'll bet you never thought you'd be involved in a pumpkin chunkin contest when you signed on for this project.”

His eyes widened. “There's a whole bunch of things I didn't know I was signing on for.”

“You mean like a nagging next-door neighbor?”

“That'd be an understatement.” He took his felt hat off and ran a hand through his slightly damp hair.

It was a hot day for November, eighty degrees in the sunshine, but she hadn't really noticed until then. She'd been far too focused on Brent.

“Well, this nagging neighbor has to ask you one more time if you've decided to go home for Thanksgiving.”

The sparkle left his eye, and she wanted to kick herself. Why, she asked herself, did she insist on messing up a perfectly, somewhat romantic moment…well, maybe
romantic
was stretching it, but really, her heart had been feeling the thrill of his attention and she'd been enjoying it. So why mess it up?
Because you care for him as a whole person, and you want him to get rid of this guilt hanging over him.
True, she thought with a sigh, but still, did she have to bring it up now?

“Tacy, I'm not going home.”

“Has your mother called and asked you again?” This was really none of her business, and she half expected him to tell her so.

“Yesterday, if you really want to know. I told her I couldn't make it. I'll be here until next Thursday working horses. That's my job.”

“Well, just so you know, I won't be here. I'm heading home Wednesday and coming back late Thursday night. My mom is expecting me, and I can't let her down.” Tacy didn't really care if he liked that or not.

“Fine,” he said. “I don't care what you do.”

“Oh, really. Hey, if you aren't going home to your folks, you're welcome to come along to meet mine.” What was she doing?

He obviously was wondering the same thing since his expression told her that he couldn't believe she'd just offered such a thing. “Okay, so that was a bust,” she said, reaching for the gate latch. “Forget I said anything. Stay here all by your lonesome. I'm sure if you decide you want some turkey and company, there are plenty of folks who'd have you over.”

She opened the gate and strode into the corral. She was a blooming idiot sometimes. The two of them in a truck the three hundred miles to her folks' ranch would be a disaster. Then there were her brothers. Oh, that would be just wrong. Then again, the idea of Brent getting the Jones brothers' interrogation treatment would actually make those scare tactics seem funny.

No one would ever know what it had been like growing up as the little sister of the Jones brothers. Boys had been so terrified of her big brothers that
dates didn't usually hang around after the first or maybe the second night out.

At least she was living her own life now; it was her choice not to have a social life rather than her big brothers' choice. Jacob, Lucas, Tanner, and the worst of them all, Zack. Zack took his role as the eldest to the extreme when it came to his baby sister. Of course, it had been a little while since she'd given them any reason to show their protective instincts.

She was an adult now. Surely they were past all that. It didn't matter anyway because there was no way on earth that Brent Stockwell would take her up on her offer.

And that was a good thing. Right?

 

“Okay, here goes nothin',” App said, breaking into Brent's wandering thoughts. Grinning, App reached out and released the lever.

Instantly, a pumpkin launched skyward like a torpedo in open waters—only instead of flying straight it went slightly to the left and smashed through the window of App's barn!

“Did ya see
that?”
Applegate bellowed. Both he and Stanley were jumping and dancing a jig—hooting and hollering with joy.

Brent gave a short laugh. “Well, I'll be,” he said in quiet disbelief, staring at the hole in Applegate's barn. It might have been off target by a bit, but App's barn was about seven hundred feet away. Not bad for a first shot.

After a few minutes of celebrating, App stopped dancing and turned penetrating eyes on Brent. “So what kind of intel have ya got from Tacy?”

“Now, Applegate, I told you she's not telling me anything.”

“Nothin'?”

He shook his head. “She's been sworn to secrecy, and from what I can tell her lips are sealed.”

Stanley studied him silently. His bushy brows dipped, and he rubbed his chin. “You tried ta sweet-talk her?”

Brent gave a choked laugh. “No, I have not tried to sweet-talk her.”

That got him a glare of disbelief from both men. App was the first to react. “What's wrong with ya?”

“Yeah,” Stanley added. “You're out thar riding with her fer the last few days and ya ain't made a move
yet?
”

Brent crossed his arms across his chest and cocked his head to the side, meeting their glares with one of his own. “Fellas, I'm not going to sweet-talk Tacy to get intel for the two of you. Just forget it.”

“Well, fine and dandy,” Stanley said. “But what about just sweet-talkin' that girl fer the fun of it? What's wrong with you, man?”

“Yeah, that thar is a good little gal. Half this town's cowboy population has been dawdling around like lovesick pups since she come ta town, and yor the first one I seen her be interested in.”

“Yeah,” Stanley echoed.

That got his attention. “What exactly do you mean?”

“She likes you, cowboy, and we think yor okay. We ain't said nothing about yer past mistakes since you arrived. We figure every man's gonna make mistakes in his life. We've been watchin' ya, and we're proud ta see that you seem like you've put yor wilder side aside.”

“Yeah,” Stanley said again. “So we figured not ta stand in yor way when we seen how Tacy looks at you. But what we ain't understanding is why you ain't making no move ta woo her. Are you daft, man?”

Brent was at a loss for words. His past was no secret. Some of the men had recognized him, and it was no big deal. But App and Stanley had never said anything. Not that that was the reason he was speechless. It was the other info that had him gaping like a fish out of water. “How exactly does Tacy look at me?”

App's mouth dropped, forming a cascade of wrinkles. “You mean ta tell us you
are
daft?”

I
t was dark when Tacy pulled into her driveway. There had been several women out at Norma Sue's to watch the first shot of the unbelievably cool catapult. Lacy was there, along with Sugar Rae Denton and her best friend, the local real estate agent, Haley Bell Sutton—who also happened to be Applegate's granddaughter. Haley Bell told Tacy that she just loved it when Norma Sue riled up her grandpa because he secretly enjoyed it. Tacy thought about that all evening. It was clear that Haley loved her grandpa and wanted good things for him. Tacy wanted good things for Brent, too, the stubborn mule.

She was pulling to a stop when she saw headlights on the deserted dirt road. It was an access road to part of Clint Matlock's ranch, and this house and the cabin Brent lived in were the only two places on it. Sure
enough, it was the cowboy, coming home from App's, probably. She closed the truck and was walking toward the porch when he slowed down. His window was open and he stared across at her in the moonlight. Then he turned his truck into her drive and headed slowly her way. Tacy's heart was thundering in her chest as he came to a stop. She'd been around him almost every day for the past three weeks, but this was the first time she'd seen him under the stars, in the moonlight, with the soft mewling of cattle in the distance like a Texas serenade. She suddenly felt nervous about him being here. In this setting, she simply didn't trust herself.

“Evening,” he said, pulling up behind her truck. He didn't get out, but let his arm hang out the window as his disarming gaze connected with hers. It was a wonder she could hear him over the racket her heart was making in her chest.

“Evening,” she managed. Birdy left her pups behind and came to greet him. He cut his motor and stepped to the ground. Stooping to Birdy's level, he gave her a good ear rub while looking up at Tacy with a grin that didn't help her heart calm down at all.

“Have fun tonight?” he asked.

She nodded. “You?” she managed, her stomach churning now. Until Brent, she hadn't given much thought to how a man's arms would feel holding her close or how his lips would feel against hers. She'd simply focused on her plans and that had been all she needed. Brent had totally disrupted everything. When
it came to him, she was so out of her comfort zone she felt like a schoolgirl.

She swallowed when he stood up and tucked his fingers into the pockets of his jeans.

His lips lifted into a slanted smile. “I have to warn you that the competition is going to be tough.”

If he only knew what she'd seen tonight, he might not be thinking that. Norma Sue was a pure wizard when it came to mechanical things. Tacy couldn't believe it. Norma Sue's contraption was interactive and required lots of “pedal power.” “Let's just say that after what I experienced tonight, I know we are up for the challenge. Saturday promises to be one exciting afternoon.”

“Yep,” he said, as an oddly awkward silence stretched between them. He was wearing a Western shirt that was so white it almost glowed in the bright moonlight. His shoulder muscles tensed beneath it as Tacy's gaze drifted to his chest. She felt a longing to lay her head on his shoulder and wrap her arms around his neck. There was just something so compelling about Brent that she'd never felt about anyone before. Feeling strange, she was afraid to look him in the eye.

“It's a nice night,” he said, his voice hoarse as he ran his boot over a rock. Tacy's gaze dropped to his boot, and she watched him worry the rock back and forth.
Was he nervous, too?

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then, looking at him, she yanked a thumb over her shoulder toward the porch. “Would you like to sit on the porch
and have a drink? I've got soda and tea.” What was she doing?

His lips did that slow lift to one side, sending a shiver of happiness over Tacy as he said, “That sounds good.”

“Good—I mean, great.” She spun on her heel and hurried up the walk, willing herself to get a grip. If this kept up she'd be hyperventilating before long.

When she reached the porch, she suddenly realized that there was only the porch swing to sit on. While she stood there contemplating what to do, Brent strode over and took one side of the swing. He leaned back, placed his arm across the top and smiled. “This is nice. Come on over.”

“Um, didn't you want something to drink?”

“I changed my mind. Sit.” He watched her closely. He was probably getting a kick out of seeing her so flustered. She couldn't even remember the last time this had happened to her…probably when Carl Prier had tried to hold her hand on the bus back in sixth grade. Carl was the first boy she'd ever liked, but she'd been too shy then to say anything. Then she'd made the mistake of telling her brothers. After that, Carl had made sure to sit as far away from her on the bus as possible. Not exactly what she'd wanted.

So began her “love” life with four protective brothers and a dad who was worse than all of them put together.

Well, not tonight. She strode to the swing and sank down beside Brent—making sure to leave a space
between them. Not looking at him, she stared at the sky. From the swing she had a straight shot at the huge moon. It was beautiful—and romantic.

“It's a nice night,” she said, and mentally slapped herself. They'd already established that.

“Yep,” he said, pushing the swing with his toe and causing her to lean back.

“Are you going to ride in the rodeo at Clint's Saturday night?” It had been something she was going to ask him, but it had kept slipping her mind.

“I haven't decided.”

She could feel his arm behind her neck and tried to concentrate. “You should. It would be easy pickings for you.”

He chuckled at that. “Maybe not. There are cowboys around here who've worked with horses and cattle all their lives. They may not have competed in the professional rodeo world, but that's probably because they were too busy actually working to haul across the nation after a championship buckle.”

Tacy stared at him. He meant what he said, and she liked that about him, too. He didn't boast about his accomplishments, but rather downplayed them. She knew he hadn't said that about the cowboys just to be saying it. He believed it was true. And what did she know? It might be true. Not every cowboy could afford to devote his time to seeking out points almost every weekend during the season in order to rack up enough to put him in contention for Vegas.

Tacy cleared her throat and smiled, relaxing her
back against the swing and suddenly enjoying the feel of his arm practically draped across her shoulders.

“Are you enjoying working with the horses?” he asked after a few moments of silence.

“You know I am.”

“Good. I really appreciate your helping me. Especially after the way I've treated you.”

“Okay, who are you and what have you done with the real Brent Stockwell?” she asked, smiling and suddenly feeling more like herself.

He laughed. “I thought that would throw you.”

“Well, it did. I know what happened. When you were at Applegate's, you got hit on the head with a pumpkin when it was shot out of the catapult.”

“Hey, telling you I know I've been rough on you isn't that big a deal.”

“Yes, it is,” she said, smiling warmly. Pulling her feet up onto the swing, she wrapped her arms around her knees as he continued to rock them gently.

Right now she was just going to enjoy herself.

“So you're going home next Wednesday night?” he asked, tugging her ponytail gently. The action was unexpected and touched her heart.

Turning her head, she rested her chin on her elbow. “Mmm-hmm,” she murmured, then pulled her head out of the fog and came back to reality. “It should be interesting. All my brothers will be there, so it will be loud and I'll be picked on mercilessly.”

“That bad, huh?”

She laughed. “I'm little sis and they are my sworn
protectors. I think when I was born Dad made them swear an oath or something that they'd take care of me for life.”

“I can't see you letting them push you around.”

“There are
four
of them and only one of me. They are big and brawny, Texas-born-and-bred, protective and pushy, but I wasn't a complete pushover—you tried pushing me around.” She chuckled when his brows dipped at that. “You remind me of them. It sounds as if you were pretty protective of your sister, too.” The minute she said the words she knew she'd made a mistake. His eyes grew troubled, and he looked out toward the moon. Birdy came and rested her chin on his knee as he stopped rocking the swing. He gently rubbed her head, lost in thought. She'd known something was different when he'd gotten out of the truck. She really felt it now.

“You know you miss her,” Tacy pushed, gently.

“I do. I'm proud of her, too. She's handled her troubles like a real trouper.”

“Then why not go see her? I'm sure she's longing to see you.”

“Tacy, don't go there. You don't understand.”

She turned in the seat to face him. Folding one leg beneath her, she laid an arm on top of his on the back of the seat. “Try me.”

He studied her with one of those long stares of his, and she knew he was weighing his options. She found herself praying that he would trust her with what bothered him so. She wasn't sure if anyone else saw
in his eyes how much his past haunted him…but she saw it and that haunted her, too. She wanted Brent to find peace. Was that her real purpose here?

 

Brent took a deep breath of the sultry night air and felt like he needed to shake himself out of the mood he was in. First Jess, then Applegate and Stanley told him they thought Tacy was crazy about him. He'd been lying when he'd tried to ignore what he was feeling toward her. He'd been trying to figure her out, but the woman was tough to read. In some ways, she had as many walls built up as he did.

Looking at her now, he knew he wanted to level with her. “Tacy, I let everyone in my life down,” he said, “including myself. That's not an easy thing to fix.”

“But it can be done. And you don't strike me as a quitter.”

He lifted a brow. “This isn't a competition we're talking about.”

“Well, no. It's much more important than that.”

Her words hit him straight on. “True. Still, when a man loses his self-respect, he doesn't get it back easily. I've hurt everyone in my family. My dad, my mom and my little sister. She's fine now, getting stronger every day, but like I told you before, it's only by the grace of God.”

“Maybe you need to let yourself have some of that grace. You know, God doesn't just pass it out to some people. It's there for everyone.”

“I know God's forgiven me. I know He has the grace to help me through this, but this isn't about God. This is about me.” Brent didn't know if he could make her or anyone else understand what was in his heart or his head. He held Tacy's questioning gaze and found himself wanting her to understand. “I thought I'd grow up to be a man of integrity. I never thought that I'd be the jerk who let his talent and good fortune blow up his ego. That bothers me. I lost faith in myself.”

He thought she'd say something, but instead she ran her hand gently over his arm as if urging him to keep going. As if letting him know it was okay. The gentle act reached inside the dark corners of his heart.

Suddenly, he needed to continue. “The weirdest part was that I'd never been a partier before. I'd been a hard worker, dedicated to making my dream of a world championship a reality. My family was proud of me. But somehow, when it counted the most, I let it all go to my head. I thought I
deserved
all the attention I started getting.”

“You're not the first person that's happened to, and I'm sure you won't be the last.”

He blinked hard, startled by her words. “So I suppose that fixes everything,” he ground out, feeling instantly about as grizzly as it got.

“No,
I didn't say that. I was merely trying to help you see that you aren't the first guy to mess up,” she said. “Brent, you told me early on that the man in those tabloids was dead. Do you believe that?”

“Yes, I do. That wasn't really me. I don't date reality TV stars in real life. That was me in my fool's world. Even though most of the stuff they wrote wasn't even true, I was still out of control. I didn't realize how much until I went home and…” His voice trailed off and he stared at his boots. He'd stopped pushing the swing again. “So there, now you know pretty much every dirty secret there is to know. If you were smart, you'd get up, go inside and forget all about me.”

She was looking at him with calm, kind eyes. He couldn't read what she was thinking, but he waited as she processed his words. Finally, she smiled and her eyes lit up as they touched his lips. That one look sent his pulse into a gallop. He leaned toward her and dipped his head. Tacy started to close her eyes, then shoved him in the shoulder.