A Rancher for Their Mom (Rodeo Heroes) (5 page)

That was all it took for the boys to break into a run.

“Be careful,” April called out, hurrying behind the boys as fast as Cora’s little legs could follow. April didn’t let go of her daughter’s hand.

The horses moved restlessly around the corral and after a few moments, Wes pointed. “There’s Sadie. She’s by that brown horse and they’re eating.” Wes looked over his shoulder. “They look okay, Mom.”

“And Helo is beside her.” Todd stood on his left foot with his right foot propped on top of it. “I think they’ve made some friends.”

Standing behind the boys, Joel slipped his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “They seem a good fit with the stock we have.”

April came to a stop beside Joel. She looked at the horses she sold to the rodeo, but her mind went to the man standing next to her. The sturdiness of him reassured her. It wouldn’t be hard to rely on him. She shied away from the thought and stepped back. She wouldn’t rely on a traveling man.

“They’ve been getting along with the other horses, no problem,” Joel added.

She swallowed hard. “Good.”

The boys turned toward him.

“I’m glad. When I started first grade, it was nice to know some kids in my class. They went to our church.” Todd looked back into the corral. “I’m glad they’re happy.”

Cora pulled her hand free from April’s and ran toward her brothers and the horses. April’s heart stopped. Cora was short enough to slide under the lowest bar of the corral and charge straight into the animals.

April lurched forward, but Joel stepped in front of Cora and swept her into his arms, lifting her to his shoulder. Cora screamed with delight.

Still shaking from her daughter’s antics, April stopped and took a deep breath. “Cora Marie, come here.”

The tone of April’s voice cut through her daughter’s giggles.

Cora stilled.

“Please put her down,” April directed. Her tone brooked no defiance.

Joel complied.

April moved to stand in front of her daughter and squatted down. “That was naughty of you. You will hold my hand and behave yourself or I will take you home.”

The boys’ eyes widened. “Mom,” they said together.

April stood. “You both know if Cora had run into that corral she could’ve been hurt. She needs to pay attention around stock just like you boys do, and not because I want to be mean, but because I want her to be safe.”

The boys didn’t protest.

Wes came to Cora’s side. “I’ll help you hold her hand.”

Tears stung April’s eyes at Wes’s thoughtfulness.

Cora patted Wes’s cheek. “’Kay.” Then she looked up at April. “I okay, Mommy.”

A tear slipped down April’s face. She wiped it away. “Good girl.”

The tension seeped out of the situation.

Just then Jack Murphy walked toward them. “Joel, who do we have here?” He stopped and nodded toward April. “Ma’am.”

“This is Mrs. Landers, her sons, Todd, and Wes. And the little one is Cora.”

“So you’re the gentlemen who hired Joel away from me for this week.” Jack shook the boys’ hands. “I’ll have to keep my eye on you.”

The boys stood up straighter.

Jack turned to April. “I’m glad to meet you. I really liked your father-in-law. Vernon was a good man.”

Joel noticed no one mentioned April’s husband and wondered why that was.

“Since you’re here, I have your check for the horses and a little something extra.” Jack threw Joel a grin.

“I appreciate that.”

“If you want to wait at the snack area, I’ll be right back. Maybe you can convince Hank to rustle up some chocolate-chip cookies and milk.”

“Can we, Mom?” Wes asked.

She hesitated. “Well, I’ve always had a weakness for chocolate-chip cookies, so lead the way, Mr. Joel.”

The boys looked around the rodeo with awe.

“Wow, Mom, this is so cool,” Todd whispered as they walked to the concession stand.

Although she gave permission, she fought the irrational fear that her boys might be tempted to follow the rodeo lifestyle when they were grown. And she didn’t want to lose any more Landerses to a roaming lifestyle than she had already.

Chapter Five

J
oel led the way to the concession area. “Hank, I’ve got hungry boys and thirsty adults here who need tending,” he called out.

A grizzled man of indeterminate age appeared out of the back. He grinned when he saw Joel. “Who do you have with you?”

Joel introduced everyone.

“Howdy, guys. You here for some coffee?” Hank’s eyes twinkled.

Wes’s face scrunched into a frown. “No, we came to see Helo and Sadie. We wanted to see if they were okay.”

“They were at our ranch,” Todd added, “and we wanted to be sure they weren’t sad to leave us and come to the rodeo.”

Hank rubbed his chin. “Good idea. Well, I have fresh chocolate-chip cookies and milk. Will that do?” He turned to April. “Coffee and a cookie?”

“I’d like that.”

Hank disappeared into the kitchen while April and the kids settled at one of the picnic tables.

Cora wiggled out of her mother’s arms. April set the girl on her feet and she raced around the table to Joel. She stopped by his side and solemnly looked up at him.

“Up.” She raised her hands.

With a bag of cookies in one hand and two coffee mugs in the other, Hank stood transfixed, as if he’d never seen a little girl before.

Cora continued holding up her hands.

“Remember, you need to pick her up,” Todd informed Joel, breaking into the silence. “She won’t quit until she gets her way.”

Hank grunted. “Ain’t that how it is with females?”

“Cora.” April rushed toward her daughter.

Joel scooped up the little girl and tried to set her on the bench. She wasn’t interested in leaving his arms.

“It seems you’ve acquired a girlfriend,” Hank said, grinning as he set the mugs and bags of cookies on the table. “And a mighty cute one, too.”

April’s cheeks reddened. “I’m sorry, I’ll take her.”

When she tried to scoop up her daughter, the little girl protested.

Joel held up his hand. “It’s okay. It isn’t every day such a lovely lady wants me to hold her in my arms.”

“You sure? I wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of your friends,” April whispered.

“I’m fine with holding Cora.” And they weren’t just words. He felt a special bond with the little girl, much like his dad would’ve had when he held his daughter.

Hank grinned. “I’ll be back with milk for the kids.”

April looked everywhere but at Joel. Cora reached for the cookies. He opened the bag and gave the little munchkin one. The boys also helped themselves to the treats.

“You should try one of these.” Joel waved around the cookie. “They’re good, but it’s his barbecue and potato salad that will stop you in your tracks and make you know you’ve tasted the best.”

“If I didn’t know better, Joel Kaye, I’d say you were buttering me up.” Hank placed three cartons of milk on the table and filled the mugs with coffee.

“I could use one of those, too,” Jack said, pointing to the mug as he walked to the table. He handed April an envelope.

She opened the envelope and looked inside. Slowly, she pulled out the tickets. She threw a puzzled look at Jack and then Joel. “Are these supposed to be in here?”

Jack grinned. “They are. When Joel told me about your boys, well, we wanted them to see the rodeo.”

Wes’s and Todd’s eyes widened.

“Both days?” Wes asked, inching closer to see inside the envelope.

“That’s right,” Jack confirmed.

Smiles of pure joy lit their faces.

“Yes!” Todd yelled. “We’re going to the rodeo.”

April stared down at the envelope. Joel watched as several emotions crossed her face—hope, gratefulness and sadness. What was that about?

Whoa, it wasn’t his business, he told himself. He was here to gain points with each rodeo toward that championship belt buckle. Only this time around, as he and Hank had commiserated last week, it was a little harder on his body than it was at eighteen. Of course, planting, running that tractor wasn’t? Yes, it was, but somehow, someway he felt more energized after a day on the ranch.

The boys happily ate their cookies and asked Jack about the rodeo.

“Are you a cowboy, too, or just a helper?” Todd asked.

April swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, Mr. Murphy. Sometimes children just throw you a surprise.”

Two puzzled faces looked at her.

Joel leaned over the table and whispered loudly, “He’s the boss.”

“Oh.” Wes and Todd found their cookies mighty interesting.

Jack’s eyes twinkled. “I’m a cowboy who is now the boss. I started competing when I was your age. After high school, I went to college and learned about business. I have my own ranch, wife and family, but when the rodeo owners asked me to manage this circuit of the traveling rodeo, I agreed.”

“Can you throw a lariat like Mr. Joel did when he came and got Sadie and Helo?” Todd ventured.

“I can.”

“And when is your birthday?”

Jack’s brow arched.

“It’s important,” Joel said.

“October 10.”

Todd threw a smirk at his brother. When he turned back, he looked at Joel. “Can you show us how to throw a lariat like you did to get Helo and Sadie?” Todd waited patiently for an answer.

Looking into Wes’s and Todd’s faces, Joel couldn’t ignore their plea. And showing them how to throw would help their dreams.

“Boys, I’d be proud to show you how to throw a lariat. If that’s okay with your mom,” he tacked on after catching April’s frown.

The boys turned to their mother. “Please?” Their pleading expressions deserved an Academy Award. Joel didn’t dare smile, but the little guys were good at making their mother feel guilty.

“You sure?” April asked. “You didn’t sign up for tutoring sessions.”

“Not a problem.” He winked at her. “Okay, boys, let’s go learn to throw a lariat.”

Cheers went up.

Joel smiled, looking forward to teaching these boys, but April didn’t look pleased. Why?

* * *

Joel led the little group to the souvenir stand.

“Mike, Millie, anyone home?”

An older woman appeared from the back of the stand. “Hey, Joel, what do you have here?” She looked over the counter at the boys.

“I have two budding young cowboys who want to learn to throw a lariat. You got any of those junior lariats?”

Todd and Wes looked up into Millie’s eyes, waiting for her answer. April knew her boys could melt the hardest of hearts with their expressions. They’d put “the hurt” on her more than once, and Millie was a pushover.

“I do, but they’re in the back. Let me go get them.”

The boys bounced like windup toys, waiting for Millie’s return.

April stepped forward. “Joel, maybe—”

He smiled at her. “It’s okay.”

No, it wasn’t. She needed to pay for her boys’ lariats. It was her responsibility.

Millie appeared with two lariats. “I have just the right thing for these pint-size cowboys.” She opened the side door and walked around the front of the booth. “Here you go, gentlemen.”

The boys took the ropes as if they were made of gold. Wes grinned. “Thank you.”

Joel pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and handed Millie a twenty-dollar bill. She waved him off. “No. It’s my treat.”

April stepped forward, determined to pay for her boys’ lariats. “Thank you, Millie, but I want to pay for these. You need to stay in business yourself.” April knew the effect of the lack of money.

The older woman shook her head. “It’s my gift. I have grandsons that I don’t see often enough.”

April opened her mouth, but Wes cut her off. “I have my birthday money, Mom, and chore money at home. I can bring it with me when we come to the rodeo later.”

Todd nodded solemnly. “Me, too.”

Millie fixed a look on April, her eyebrow raised, questioning if she would object. April’s mouth went dry, but she nodded.

“Then you bring me five dollars to pay for the lariats.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Wes answered.

April fought the emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

Joel cleared his throat. “Now that we’ve got that business taken care of, let’s learn how to throw these and catch us a critter.”

Cora reached out her hands. “Horsey.” She pointed to the stuffed horse hanging at the back of the booth.

Millie touched the buff-colored stuffed pony and said, “This?”

“Yes.”

Taking the horse down, she handed it to the little girl. Cora eagerly accepted the stuffed animal, clutching it to her chest.

“That’s my gift,” Millie told April before she could object.

“But—”

“Are you going to deny me the joy of sharing my bounty with another?”

The comment cut off April’s objection. Was she so determined to provide for her children that she couldn’t accept a gift? “No.”

Millie cupped Cora’s cheek. “You take good care of this horse.”

Cora eagerly nodded. “I will.”

“Okay, boys, we’re going to learn to throw these lariats. Come with me.” Joel turned and led them to a concrete spot used as the waiting area for the contestants before they went into the arena. On the way, he grabbed his own lariat.

Several bales of hay stood around the edge of the waiting area. Joel looked for a piece of lumber. Finally, he found the bottom of a sign and jammed it into the hay. April moved to one of the bales, sat and placed Cora beside her.

Joel motioned the boys toward him and questioned them if they knew the names of the different parts of the lariat. The boys knew, explaining their opa had told them the names.

Joel nodded. “My grandfather helped me a lot when I was a little shaver like you. It sounds like your opa was a very wise man.”

Both boys beamed with pride.

Over the next half hour, Joel explained how to throw the lariat. Neither boy let his attention drift from the instructions. After Joel lassoed the stick several times, he turned to his eager students.

“Okay, now it’s your turn.”

Wes went first, and his first attempt had the lasso falling to the ground. His shoulders slumped.

“That was an okay beginning, but you need to relax your wrist and let the lasso start spinning around.” Joel demonstrated the technique of using his wrist as an axle, then squatted by Wes and held his wrist. With Joel’s hand covering Wes’s, they started to swing the lariat overhead. It took several attempts for Wes to get the rope to where he could throw it.

“I think you got it, now try for yourself.” Joel stood and backed away.

Wes started to swing the rope and had a good loop.

“Now throw it.”

Wes did, but missed. “I can’t do this.”

Joel squatted down again. “You may have failed this time, but true cowboys don’t quit. You practice. Isn’t that right, April?”

Joel’s question caught her off guard. “Yes. You remember the first time I tried to make Oma’s chocolate cake. Was it as good as hers?”

“No,” Wes answered. Todd stuck his tongue out.

Joel’s eyes twinkled.

“Have I gotten better?”

“Yes,” Wes admitted.

“And you asked me to bake that cake on your last birthday, didn’t you?”

Wes nodded.

“It’s the same way with the lariat.”

“Your mom’s right. I think it took me three weeks of practice before I roped my first fence post.”

“Really?” A note of hope laced Wes’s response.

“It takes practice and patience to be a cowboy, but I think you can do it.”

Wes thought about Joel’s answer. “I can practice.”

“Good.”

Todd stepped up and tried to throw the lariat, his attempt no better than his brother’s.

For the next thirty minutes the boys practiced throwing. By the end of the session, there was a collection of cowboys surrounding them, offering support and help.

Jack walked up, watched the cowboys help the boys, but before long the teaching session came to an end.

April scrambled to her feet. “Boys, it’s time to go, but I think you need to thank Mr. Joel and all the cowboys who offered you encouragement.”

Both Wes and Todd thanked the men.

Joel walked with them to their truck.

“You’ve made my sons’ week—really, their month.”

“It was nothing.” He shrugged. “I enjoyed passing along the lessons I learned from my gramps and dad.”

April searched his face, wanting to make sure Joel wasn’t simply snowing her, but it seemed she’d found a man who meant what he said.

“Thank you.” It took several minutes for her to secure all the children in her truck.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, early.”

“The fields have been planted. If you want to say your obligation is over, I’d understand.”

“True, but the boys hired me to help around the ranch for this week, so if you have any major work you need done, make a list. Any fence mending, bridle repair, barn repair. This is the perfect time. Otherwise I’d just be sitting here at the rodeo, bored to death, with nothing to do.”

April doubted that, but she could feel her children waiting on her answer, and she had more than enough work to keep him busy. She thought of something and bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling.

“What?”

“I have a couple of bathrooms that could use a good cleaning.”

The priceless look on Joel’s face made her laugh.

“I’d rather clean out the stables.”

“You got it, cowboy.”

As they pulled out of the parking space, all three children waved to Joel as if he were their long-lost uncle. Exiting the parking lot, April glanced in her rearview mirror and saw the tall cowboy standing among the few trucks and trailers, watching them.

A longing shot through her. How nice it would be to have someone there all the time whom she could depend on. But if Joel left his ranch to follow the rodeo, he wouldn’t be much different from her husband.

The truth dampened her joy.

By eight o’clock that night all three of her children had fallen into bed, dead asleep. She settled on the couch to watch TV, but the show didn’t keep her interest and she kept reliving the day.

The boys had talked about Mr. Joel all the way from the arena, through their errands, through dinner.

According to them, Mr. Joel was the “bestest cowboy in the world.” Who knew her little boys had that many words and could use them in one afternoon? They were like the ground after a long drought, soaking up the rain of Joel’s attention.