The Cowboy Next Door (The Cash Brothers) (14 page)

“Why’d he fire you?” Mack asked the question.

“Never mind that,” Dixie said. “Let’s hear ideas on how we’re going to save the farm.”

“Maybe we don’t save it,” Buck said. “Maybe we sell the orchards and Dixie keeps the house and the barn.”

“I promised Grandpa Ely that the pecan trees would remain in the family,” Johnny said. “I realize that none of us is gung ho on working the land—”

“Speak for yourself,” Conway said. “Did you ever ask any of us if we wanted to get involved in managing the farm?”

“No, but no one was stopping you from speaking up.”

“Enough!” Dixie sliced her hand through the air and her brothers quit grumbling. “Johnny did what he thought was best for all of us at the time. From now on, we’re in this together. The success of the farm shouldn’t rest on one person’s shoulders.”

Conway wasn’t done picking a fight with Johnny. “If you’d told us about the missed mortgage payments after Grandma died we could have helped.”

“Help how?” Johnny asked. “You weren’t making any money on the rodeo circuit.” He pointed at his brothers. “And the rest of you were more interested in chasing women than working an extra job to pay off debts.”

“It’s different now.” Conway faced his siblings. “I say we vote Johnny out of head of household.”

“For God’s sake, Conway,” Dixie said. “This isn’t an episode of
Big Brother.
”

“I’m serious.” Conway stared Johnny in the eye. “I’ll take over the farm.”

A chorus of “What?” echoed through the room.

“I’ll manage the farm,” Conway said. “I know Grandpa and Grandma left the place to Dixie, but she’s married, expecting a baby and running her own business.” Conway addressed each brother. “Mack, you’re busy with your band and babysitting wannabe cowboys at the dude ranch. Will, you’re picking up more construction work with Ben Wallace’s company. Buck, you’re thinking about buying into Troy Winters’s car-repair business and Porter—” Conway shook his head. “Hell if anyone knows what you’re gonna do with your life.” Conway faced Johnny. “I’m the logical choice to take over the farm. I can cut back on rodeo and—”

“You don’t know a thing about agricultural companies and what I’ve had to deal with the past several years.”

“Then I’ll learn just like you did.” Conway’s brown eyes pleaded with Johnny and it was then he realized his brother was dead serious. Why the brother who was the biggest flirt with women wanted to tie himself down to a pecan orchard was beyond Johnny.

“Let’s put it to a vote,” Dixie said. “All in favor of Conway running the farm raise your hands.”

Dixie, Mack, Buck, Will and Porter all raised their hands. The majority had spoken. Who was Johnny to stand in his brother’s way?

“Good. That’s settled. In the meantime, we need to come up with the cash to pay off the bank,” Dixie said. “I’m broke. Everything Gavin and I have is invested in the gift shop.”

The rest of the Cash brothers volunteered part of their savings to cover the past-due bill from the bank and each of them agreed to contribute toward the monthly mortgage until Conway came up with a plan for the farm.

Dixie and his brothers filed out of the bunkhouse, but Conway stopped at the door. “Johnny.”

“What?”

“You’ve done a lot for all of us through the years. I won’t disappoint you.”

He was ashamed that he’d come down so hard on Conway. “I know you won’t. And I’ll do what I can to help you.”

* * *

J
OHNNY
WIPED
HIS
shirtsleeve across his brow and watched Conway drive the tractor out of the barn. He and his brother had spent the morning tuning up the piece of equipment to see if they could get another year’s harvest out of the fifteen-year-old machine before they were forced to buy a new one.

His cell phone went off and he checked the number—Porter. His younger brother had left a couple of hours ago to compete in the Growler rodeo. “What’s wrong, Porter? Did you get hurt?”

“The rodeo hasn’t even started.”

Johnny checked his watch—ten-thirty. He’d been up since 5:00 a.m. He’d thought more time had passed.

“You’ll never believe who’s here.”

A cold chill raced down Johnny’s spine.

“Shannon.”

“Is Rodriguez there, too?” Johnny asked.

“Haven’t seen him or the Dynasty Boots tent.”

Shannon had gone rogue.

“But that’s not the only thing strange,” Porter said.

“What do you mean?”

“I was walking past the women’s restroom as Shannon stepped out, and when she saw me, she did an about-face and went back into the bathroom.”

“Are you sure it was Shannon?”

“Positive. She walked with a limp.”

What the hell was she doing at the rodeo?

“One more thing.”

“What?”

“When I went to sign in, I asked to look at the roster of bull riders. She signed in as Shane Douglas.”

Damn it.
“When does she ride?”

“One-thirty.”

“Thanks.” Johnny disconnected the call. He didn’t wait to tell Conway he was leaving the farm. He ran to the bunkhouse, grabbed his truck keys and hat, then took off. If he pushed the speed limit, he’d arrive in Growler by one. He forced his thoughts to remain on the road and not drift to Shannon, because if he pictured her competing, he’d go crazy.

He hadn’t seen her since Clive had fired him. Christmas had come and gone and no phone call. No text. Nothing. Since he’d spent time helping her and had lost his job because of it, he’d at least expected her to check in on him, but she hadn’t.

Now you know why she never phoned.
Shannon knew he’d have tried to talk her out of competing today.

Shannon wasn’t ready to ride. She was still grappling with her fear and she hadn’t perfected her dismount off the right side of the bucking machine. Hell, he didn’t even know if she’d practiced on the mechanical bull since he’d been fired. If she was determined to ride in Tucson, why would she risk injury in a two-bit local rodeo?

By the time Johnny arrived at the outdoor rodeo grounds, his heart was hammering inside his chest. He parked in the far corner of the lot and jogged through the maze of vehicles to the event center entrance. He went straight to the cowboy ready area. Shannon was nowhere. Maybe Porter had been mistaken. Then he saw her blue gear bag beneath a stool.

“She’s in there.” Porter nodded to the restroom. “I’ve been hanging out here since I called you. She’s tried twice to leave the bathroom but when she sees me she runs back inside.”

“Bet she’s pissed at you,” Johnny said.

“What are you going to do?”

“Keep her from getting hurt today.” Johnny made his way to the sign-in table and spoke with the rodeo secretary. He explained that
Shane Douglas
would be withdrawing from the bull riding event due to flu-like symptoms.

The secretary objected, insisting
Shane
needed to sign himself out, but Johnny convinced her to scratch him off the list after telling her that he was out in the parking lot puking.

When Johnny returned to the chutes, Porter asked, “What did you do?”

“Signed her out.”

His brother whistled between his teeth. “She isn’t going to like that.”

If Shannon wanted to compete in Tucson she couldn’t risk an injury today. Besides, if she was hell-bent on winning a title, then she should wait until she was a hundred percent healthy.

“I don’t want to be here when she finds out what you did.” Porter patted Johnny on the shoulder and joined his competitors hanging out by the horses.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the...”

Johnny’s ears shut out the announcer as he waited in front of the ladies’ restroom. When Shannon limped out and saw him, the blood drained from her face. She glanced to her right and then to her left, as if searching for an escape. When she realized there was nowhere to run she walked up to him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Protecting you.”

“From what?”

“You’re not ready to ride.”

“The hell I’m not.”

“You limped all the way over here.” He lowered his voice. “Have you practiced dismounting off the right side?”

“All week.”

“What about on a real bull out at P.T.’s place?”

She straightened her shoulders. “I don’t need you to fight my battles and—”

“But I was good enough for you when I lost my job helping you, right?” He hadn’t meant to use that against her, but her stubbornness tested his patience.

“I’m sorry my father fired you, but I’m tired of people telling me what I should and shouldn’t do. I’m not the same little girl who played with your sister at the farm. I’m a grown woman who knows my own limitations. If I say I’m ready to ride, then I’m ready to ride. Now get out of my way.”

“I’m sorry, Shannon, but I made sure your name was removed from the bull riding event.”

She gasped.

“I told them
Shane
had the flu.”

Her eyes glistened with tears. “How could you? You were the one person I thought I could count on supporting me.” She pushed him aside, grabbed her equipment bag and marched off.

Johnny was tempted to go after her and make sure she got home safe, but he worried she’d run him off the road. She’d probably never speak to him again, but at least she was safe.

For today anyway.

Chapter Fourteen

Shannon was spitting mad. How dare Johnny interfere with her bull ride? Porter must have tipped him off when he’d seen her try to leave the bathroom at the rodeo. Just because she and Johnny had slept together didn’t mean he had a say in her rodeo career.

Miles of clay-colored dirt and scrubby cactus whizzed by the truck as she sped down the highway. After a while her anger fizzled to a rolling boil and she admitted—reluctantly—that she was relieved she hadn’t ridden this afternoon. She’d gone to the rodeo because she needed reassurance that she could successfully dismount before she competed in Tucson next weekend. Stick of Dynamite was a twenty-three-point bull and a mean one at that. She doubted she’d have made the buzzer.

And she might have been injured again.

Had Johnny saved her from making a grave mistake?

Whether he had or hadn’t didn’t matter. What hurt the most was that after all the time they’d spent together he didn’t view her as a strong mature woman capable of handling herself. When he looked at her, he saw his little sister’s childhood friend whom he felt compelled to protect.

Two hours later Shannon pulled up to the house and noticed her father’s truck in the driveway. She left her gear bag in the backseat and went to search for him in the barn. She found him in the supply room filling the grain bins.

“You’re back early.” His gaze roamed over her body. “You okay?”

“I didn’t ride.”

The frown lines marring her father’s brow disappeared. “How come?”

“Johnny Cash withdrew me from the event.”

His eyes widened then narrowed. “What’s going on between you and Johnny?”

“Do you have time to talk?”

“Sure.” He scooped grain into a feed bucket and placed the lid over the barrel. Shannon followed him out to the round pen where he set the bucket inside the corral for Bear.

Before she discussed her own problems, she asked, “How’s Fiona’s niece?”

“She’s home from the hospital.”

“Are you and Fiona planning any more trips together?” she asked.

“You going to keep changing the subject or get to what’s on your mind?”

“You shouldn’t have fired Johnny.”

“He didn’t do what I asked him to do, Shannon.”

“Johnny’s been loyal to you all these years and it’s only because he was looking out for me that he didn’t have enough time to train Bear before you returned from the cruise.”

“Johnny knows I don’t approve of you riding bulls.”

Shannon released a quiet sigh. “Everybody knows you want me to quit rodeo.”

“When you were little and mutton bustin’ with your brothers, I was proud of you for beating out all the boys.”

“I was grand champion three times,” she said.

“Then in high school, I was surprised you insisted on riding bulls but they were smaller and not as aggressive, so I didn’t make a fuss.”

He shook his head. “When you joined the circuit instead of going to college, I realized I didn’t know a damned thing about raising a daughter.”

“Am I that much of a disappointment?”

“You’re not a disappointment, daughter.” He kicked a clump of dirt with the toe of his boot. “I feel as if I failed you. You were born a girl and I raised you like a boy. If I could go back in time, I’d do things differently.”

“Like how?”

“Well, for one I would have bought you that Barbie for Christmas instead of the Lego set I got your brothers. And I wouldn’t have insisted you wear Luke’s hand-me-down cowboy boots when you wanted those pink sparkly shoes at Walmart.”

“I did plenty of girl things growing up with Dixie at her farm.”

“I should have tracked your mother down and made her keep in touch with you.”

“Do you honestly believe your parenting technique is the reason I’m riding bulls?”

“You said yourself that you want to win a title because I’ve got one and so have your brothers.”

“That’s true. I do want that title. I’ve come too far now to quit. And I’m not only riding for myself, I’m riding for all the young girls who dream of riding bulls one day.”

Her father’s eyes shimmered as he stared at her. “What if you don’t win the title?” he whispered.

“Then there’s always next year.”

“If you win the title, then what?”

“I’ll cross that road when I come to it.” Her entire life had been devoted to rodeo and she had no idea what she’d do with herself when she retired from the sport.

“Nothing I say will stop you from riding in Tucson?”

“No.”

Her father turned away, but Shannon clutched his arm. “There is one thing I need you to do for me, Dad.”

“What?”

“Give Johnny his job back.”

“We’ve been over this before, Shannon, and—”

“I love him, Dad.” She swallowed hard. “He’s everything I’ve dreamed of in a man.”

“Then why aren’t you two together?”

“I can’t be with Johnny, because he won’t let me fight my own battles.”

Her father shook his head. “You sure don’t know the male mind, do you?”

“What do you mean?”

“When a man loves a woman, he’ll do everything in his power to keep her safe even if it means losing her.”

Shannon watched her father walk off feeling as if she were the one who’d betrayed Johnny, when all along he’d been the one who hadn’t understood her.

* * *

“L
ADIES
AND
GENTLEMEN
, welcome to La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros Rodeo this fine Friday afternoon in Tucson!”

Shannon paced in front of the chutes. She and C.J. would kick off the rodeo with their bull rides.

“Shannon Douglas and C. J. Rodriguez have been traveling the country, promoting women’s roughstock events.” Applause rippled through the stands. “The couple is sponsored by Dynasty Boots and they’ll be competing in a best-of-three ride-off this weekend.”

She tugged on her riding glove, scaled the chute and waved to the crowd.

C.J. joined her and hammed it up for the cameras. “You ready, Douglas?”

“Sure am.”

Keeping his smile in place he whispered, “Heard you scratched in Chula Vista.”

“I got sick with the flu.”

They dropped down from the chute out of view of the cameras. “Look,” C.J. said. “I know how much you want this win but if you’re not ready to compete, then don’t be a fool and ride. We’ll say your leg isn’t a hundred percent. People will believe that after your wreck on Heat Miser.”

“I’m not going to let you walk away with an easy win.”

“If you know I’ll win, why risk your neck?” he asked. C.J. took a step but she snagged his shirtsleeve.

“Just for the record...you’re not going to win.” Shannon focused on the bull the rodeo workers loaded into the chute. Mr. Shorty was a small bull but quick. Bless his heart, he stood docile and calm as the cowboys fished the rope beneath his girth. Mr. Shorty had been on the circuit five years and knew what would happen when the gate opened. Shannon put on her face mask, climbed the rails and straddled his back.

“Better watch out, Douglas.” C.J. appeared at her side. “That bull’s gonna—”

“Up to your old tricks, Rodriguez?” Johnny strode toward C.J. and Shannon’s heart thudded.

“Why are you always so quick to defend her? There’s nothing in it for you if she wins.” C.J.’s gaze bounced between Shannon and Johnny.

“Go find a cowboy your own size and gender to pick on.” Johnny stared until C.J. backed off.

Shannon squeezed her hands into fists to keep from launching herself into Johnny’s arms. She’d missed him terribly since her father had ordered him off the ranch two weeks ago. She needed to tell him how sorry she was that he’d been fired. Needed to tell him that she loved him. Instead, she said, “You came.”

“Folks, Shannon Douglas is ready to ride! She’s comin’ out on Mr. Shorty, a bull from the Bob Evans ranch in Silver City, New Mexico.”

Johnny checked Shannon’s grip. “Mr. Shorty likes to turn to the right. Sit low and inside when he spins.”

“For those of you who keep up with women’s roughstock events, you may have heard Shannon suffered a concussion and broken leg...”

The last thing she needed to hear before the gate opened was a recap of her wreck on Heat Miser. She willed Johnny to make eye contact with her, but his gaze remained on the rope. “How does your grip feel?”

“Good.”

“Count to eight then—”

“Dismount on the right. I’ve been practicing just like you said.”

“You’re ready.” He squeezed her hand, then dropped to the ground outside the chute.

Johnny’s presence calmed her jittery nerves and Shannon focused her thoughts inward, determined not to disappoint him. She clamped down on her back teeth and nodded to the gateman.

Mr. Shorty did his thing—fast, quick bucks and tight spins. Her body felt the physical strain of the ride but her adrenaline gave her the strength to hold on. She ticked off the seconds in her head and when the buzzer sounded, she planted the heel of her right boot against Mr. Shorty’s flank and shoved off. She landed several feet away from the bull, then sprang to her feet and dashed for the rails, ignoring the pain in her Achilles tendon.

“Folks, Shannon Douglas just showed us why she’s one of the best female bull riders in the country.”

The stands erupted in a boot-stomping jamboree as the JumboTron replayed Shannon’s ride. She waved to the crowd and retreated behind the chutes where the TV cameras couldn’t see. Her calf muscle burned as she took off her gear. She didn’t care to stay and watch C.J.’s ride. She assumed he’d make it to eight on his bull. “Let’s go,” she said, grabbing her gear bag.

“He wants a word with you.” Johnny nodded to a reporter standing off to the side.

“I can’t.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

That Shannon hadn’t had to explain herself to Johnny confirmed all over again why she loved and admired him. When he came back, he took her gear and they went outside to his truck, which sat parked next to hers. “Grab your things,” he said.

She didn’t argue. She retrieved her overnight bag and hopped into the passenger seat of his vehicle.

“Where are you staying?” he asked.

“I didn’t get a room.” She hadn’t wanted to jinx herself by assuming today’s ride would be uneventful and she’d make the second go-round tomorrow.

“I’ve got a room at the Holiday Inn Express not too far from here.”

That he’d made a hotel reservation proved his trip to Tucson hadn’t been a sudden decision. She wished she had the courage to ask why he’d come.

Shannon waited in the truck while Johnny went into the motel and checked in. Then he drove to the back of the building and parked. He stared her in the eye. “We’re sharing a room.”

She was afraid to read too much into his words. She’d find out soon enough why he’d come to Tucson.

He carried their bags into the motel and she did her best to disguise her limp. He stopped in the middle of the first-floor hallway and swiped the key card in the lock, then stepped back and allowed her to enter first.

Shannon noted the king-size bed as she made her way to the window. She cracked open the heavy drape, letting in a sliver of sunlight. Johnny set their bags on the floor and when their gazes met across the room, her heart melted and she longed to lose herself in his arms.

Her eyes locked with his as she unbuttoned her shirt. Next, she unbuckled her belt and pushed her jeans over her hips. The denim dropped to the floor. When she reached for the strap of her bra, Johnny moved so quickly her breath caught. His fingers caressed her shoulder before lowering the strap and baring one breast. Then he swung her into his arms and she clung to him.

In Johnny’s embrace she was able to forget her fear and anxiety and rejoice in the feeling of sweet relief that she hadn’t caved in to her fears and scratched today. Shannon was beginning to believe that with Johnny by her side, anything was possible.

* * *

“R
EADY
?” J
OHNNY
ASKED
as he and Shannon stood in the cowboy ready area at the Tucson rodeo grounds. The need to touch her was strong, so he straightened her Kevlar vest and handed her the protective face mask.

They hadn’t said more than a few sentences to each other since they’d woken at the motel several hours ago. He’d read the questions in her eyes... Why had he come to Tucson? What did it mean? He’d come because he couldn’t stay away. Because whether Shannon rode bulls or not, he loved her and he wanted to be by her side no matter what happened, but now wasn’t the time to discuss their relationship. His first priority was to make sure she remained safe.

Last night he’d prayed for the hours to slow to a crawl but damned if they hadn’t flown by, leaving him standing next to the bull chute, experiencing a sense of déjà vu as Shannon prepared for her second ride against Rodriguez.

“Lightning Strikes bucks straight up,” she said. “I can handle him.”

“Yes, you can.” The words sounded convincing, but Johnny had his doubts. Lightning Strikes was a three-time bucking bull of the year. Only seven cowboys had ever made it to the buzzer on him. The odds of Shannon lasting eight seconds weren’t in her favor.

The announcer gave the crowd a brief description of the Dynasty Boots sponsored event and the history between Rodriguez and Shannon along with yesterday’s results—both of them had made it to eight. Shannon and Rodriguez had each scored an eighty-four.

“We got ourselves a tie between cowgirl and cowboy. Let’s see if Shannon Douglas edges out the competition today. The action is at chute five. This cowgirl is going head-to-head with Lightning Strikes!”

Johnny felt as helpless as a newborn baby—unable to protect Shannon from whatever fate awaited her once the gate opened. “Stay low and dismount on the right.”

She hopped onto Lightning Strikes and wrapped the bull rope around her hand. “Shannon.” When she glanced at him, he said, “I’ll be right here when you’re done.”

He backed away from the chute, worried that his hovering would make her more nervous. Besides, the bull had become antsy. The sooner the pair left the chute, the better. Shannon nodded to the rodeo helper and the gate opened. Lightning Strikes lunged for freedom. She stayed centered and low as she came out of the first spin. Johnny wanted to check the clock, but he couldn’t look away from the action.