The Bull Rider's Collection (21 page)
“I’ve been craving one for weeks, ever since James and JR made plans to ride in the parade.” Lizzie took a bite of the steaming crunch dog. “Besides, James has me on a strict diet at home so this is heaven.”
“You better not get me in trouble. I like being in a partnership with your husband. He’s a freaking genius when it comes to scheduling. We’re working with four new riders this year and have more on a waiting list.” Barb grinned. She patted Lizzie’s stomach. “I can’t believe you’re so big.”
“Twins.” Lizzie ruefully smiled and rubbed her expanding stomach.
Barb squealed and hugged her friend. “When did you find out?”
“Last week. Now James goes around telling everyone I’m carrying an oversized load.” Lizzie polished off the corndog. “He thinks he’s funny.”
“What’s that son of mine done now?” Angie sat down on the other side of Lizzie and handed her a fresh corndog.
“Thanks.” Lizzie took a bite of the second dog, grinning at Barb who shook a finger at her. “He’s been making size comments again.”
“You’d think he’d learn.” Angie stood and called to Jesse, “Make sure you get lots of pictures of JR.”
Jesse waved to the three women, holding the camera up for Angie to see.
“Both those boys are more vinegar than sugar. I don’t know how you put up with them.” Angie patted Lizzie’s belly, leaning down to ask the growing babies, “You two will be sugar and sweet for your momma, won’t you?”
“I hope they sleep.” Lizzie admitted.
“Where’s your Dad and Martha?” Angie scanned the crowd growing on the street waiting for the parade.
“On a cruise. Can you believe it?” Lizzie smiled thinking about her dad on board a cruise ship. “They wanted to get away in plenty of time so they’d be back for the big day.”
“Here they come.” Angie pointed toward the first set of riders positioned behind the color guard with the flag. Angie and Barb pulled Lizzie up so she could stand while the flag passed by.
Then Lizzie saw them. The men who made her life complete. JR looking all grownup on a real horse. He hadn’t wanted a pony. And James, the doting father, watching over his son with a mixture of pride and love. She caught his glance and saw him say something to JR.
Her son turned and searched the stands until he saw her. Then his face lit up. He waved with his free hand.
A year ago she’d been trying to keep a secret. Now, Lizzie realized it hadn’t been her secret to keep. The world had shifted, that was true. But she’d never been this happy. And her happiness revolved around the people in her life. A family she’d never imagined yet now, couldn’t let go.
One of the babies inside her kicked her. Lizzie reached down and rubbed the spot on her stomach.
Yes, sweetheart. You’re going to be part of this crazy life. Just wait. The future has lots of surprises for us all.
Lynn Cahoon
Avon, Massachusetts
This edition published by
Crimson Romance
an imprint of F+W Media, Inc.
10151 Carver Road, Suite 200
Blue Ash, Ohio 45242
Copyright © 2012 by Lynn Cahoon
ISBN 10: 1-4405-5727-6
ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-5727-9
eISBN 10: 1-4405-5728-4
eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-5728-6
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events, or locales in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. The resemblance of any character to actual persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.
Cover art © 123rf.com, iStockPhoto.com/grafikeray
To my BFF and writing partner, Laura Bradford. Thanks for pushing me to finish a book, any book.
And to my own Bella. I miss you little girl.
Chapter 1
If flying was hell, waiting to fly was purgatory. Their plane should have taken off an hour ago. And even though they were on hold, Jesse Sullivan still hadn’t graced the airport with his presence. Barb dialed Jesse’s cell again and immediately got his answering message. “Damn, Jesse — where are you?”
“No luck?” Hunter Martin, prodigal son of Martin Dairy Empires — and potential sponsor for her perpetually late client — opened his blue eyes and looked at her.
Barb had thought the man had been asleep when she’d pulled out the cell one more time. She pasted on a smile she didn’t feel. “Just his voice mail. Maybe he’s stuck in traffic?”
Hunter raised his eyebrows. “In Boise?”
“It happens,” Barb shot back. “He’s been staying at his brother’s spread up near Lucky Peak so maybe a logging truck accident slowed him down.”
Hunter shook his head. “Really?”
“It could happen. Those trucks fly on those narrow roads.” Barb sighed. “I think you’re stuck with me for the flight. I don’t think Jesse will make it.”
“I’m not going to complain.” Hunter’s smile was slow and sexy. He closed his eyes again. “Shake me if they announce our flight. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Barb smiled.
I bet you didn’t.
Hunter Martin was known in Boise social circles as a player. Or at least he had been. All Barb really knew about the thirty-two-year old bachelor was that he liked the Country Star bar — well known for its line dancing classes and generous beer prices — better than the upscale places downtown. She’d seen him at Country Star a few years ago and man, the boy could swing. In all her years around the rodeo, Barb had never been able to relax enough to let her partner lead her around the dance floor. But she felt the music, even if her dancing would put her on a reality show for the Worst Dancers in America.
Rumor had it that Mr. Martin must be involved because he’d been absent from his usual bar stool for months. Barb snuck a glance at his left hand. No ring yet. Although that didn’t mean anything. He still could be engaged.
Barb wished she’d just taken a direct flight to San Francisco. But since she’d had to come up to get another caretaker hired and settled with Mom, she’d jumped at the chance to host a potential new sponsor for the weekend. Martin Dairy had big promotion pockets. Or at least that’s what was rumored. And the company loved to sponsor bull riders. Jesse better not screw this up.
Going into partnership with James, Jesse’s brother, and becoming Jesse’s manager when James had wanted to get off the road to run Hudson’s Spa with Lizzie, his new wife, had seemed like a no brainer. James, Lizzie, and Jesse had been friends since high school in Shawnee. And Barb had managed cowboys for years. She’d taken newcomers from small town rodeos and gotten them into the finals in Las Vegas in no time. But Jesse already had a champion belt buckle. And acted like it. The man was infuriating, at best.
Hunter’s pocket started to vibrate and Barb jumped back, hoping the man hadn’t caught her staring.
Hunter pulled out his Blackberry. Bringing the phone in front of his face before opening his eyes, he squinted at the display. Frowning, he stood. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this.”
Barb watched the man walk away. Cowboy casual in Wranglers and a cotton button-down shirt, Hunter could have been her wayward bull rider. His dark hair had just the right curl, making Barb’s finger’s itch to play with it. The man would give any of the rodeo guys a run for their money in the body department, even though Barb knew Hunter spent his days in a high rise in Boise, managing the large dairy operation. Martin Dairy didn’t just own one dairy farm in the valley. Rumor had it that old man Martin wanted to wipe out the competition and be the only milk producer around. They’d bought out the cheese factory in the next town a few years ago, and now Martin Dairy brand cheese was on supermarket shelves nationwide.
Barb sighed. She could imagine the fun Hunter would be if he weren’t a potential sponsor. And if she weren’t Jesse’s manager. She’d just have to put the drool worthy man out of that part of her mind. Just for the weekend. She shook her head. She needed a life outside the rodeo. A man she could come home to and he’d massage her shoulders. Someone she could tell her dumb stories to who’d laugh and understand. Someone who didn’t mind that she traveled every weekend from late April to December. At twenty-six, she felt like the old maid of the group, especially since Lizzie and James tied the knot.
Yeah, like that was going to happen.
Her cell phone buzzed. Without glancing at the display, she answered. “Where are you?”
“In my living room, why, was I supposed to be somewhere else?” Her mother’s voice quivered.
Barb leaned back in her chair. “No, Mom. I just thought you were someone else. What’s going on?”
Her mother’s voice dropped. “There’s someone in the house.”
“Cassie. Her name’s Cassie.” Barb watched Hunter pace the walkway, a smile on his lips. Yep, there was a woman in the man’s life. She wondered what the mystery girlfriend thought of him taking a weekend alone to go to a rodeo?
“How do you know her name?” Lorraine Carico hissed into the phone. “She just showed up with bags like she was moving in my house.”
“Mom, she is moving in. She’s a trained nurse’s aide and she’ll help you with the house. You’ve been saying you need someone to help around the house.” Barb sighed. This wasn’t the first time she’d told her mom why Cassie was there. In fact, this wasn’t the first live-in nurse’s aide that Barb had hired to help her mom. But each time, the transition was getting harder and harder.
“You hired her?” Lorraine’s voice sounded hesitant, uncertain.
“I hired her yesterday. Remember, she came to the house and we talked to her? She barrel raced as a teenager. She went to high school in McCall.” Barb tried to clue her mother in to the conversation and why Cassie had been such a great match. Why Barb hoped her mother’s stories about how she’d dominated the rodeo queen circuit when she was young wouldn’t bore the young woman to death.
“Well, if she barrel raced, I bet she’d like to see my trophy room.” Her mom’s voice sounded stronger.
Barb noticed jean clad legs in front of her. She looked up into the concerned eyes of Hunter. Cocking her head, she covered the phone and asked, “What’s going on?”
“They just called our boarding group.” Hunter nodded to the gate where people were lining up.
“Mom, I’ve got to go. The plane is boarding.” Barb sighed. She glanced toward the line. Business had to come first, at least today, but she wanted to rent a car and return to her mom’s house.
“Plane? Where are you going?” Lorraine’s voice turned into a sob. “Why are you leaving?”
“I have to go to work.” Barb stood up and grabbed her briefcase with her tablet and the tons of contracts she needed to review for her guys. Barb heard a gentle voice asking her mother to let her talk to Barb.
Cassie’s cheerful voice came over the phone. “Sorry, I’ll get her calmed down. Have a great flight. Man, I wish I was going to Vegas. I hear it’s a great party.”
Barb smiled. “I don’t seem to have time for the party piece anymore. Thanks, Cassie.” She clicked off the phone and followed Hunter to the gate. Countryside Homes had a room on reserve for her mom. Switching caretakers was getting harder and harder. Her mom was taking longer to acclimate. Maybe Barb had made a mistake in trying to stretch out the money with just one more at home caretaker. Maybe it had been time. Exhaustion racked her body. She shouldn’t have to be making these decisions, not now. This was supposed to be her time.
“Everything okay?” Hunter asked, concern lacing his voice.
Barb squared her shoulders. “You know family. And since I’m an only child, there’s no one to share the wealth with … ” For the second time in less than thirty minutes, Barb pasted on her made-for-television smile. “No worries. Now, do you want the window or aisle seat?”