Hooked (15 page)

Sure, he was a man and Lilly was one hell of an attractive woman, but as he’d said, sex wasn’t everything. There was so much more he wanted from a relationship. And there were so many more issues keeping them apart. Not in the least was his own pride. That was definitely standing in the way now. She wanted him back just because he’d done what she wanted to begin with and quit riding.

Once a bull rider, always a bull rider. Lilly had never understood that. He may have made the decision to not ride in the pros anymore, but he was still the same man inside.

Luke firmly grabbed Lilly’s hand and placed it back in her own lap, leaving no question this—what she wanted—wasn’t happening tonight or ever.

“But Luke, the way you kissed me before—”

“Lilly, I was half-asleep and still drunk.”

“And you thought I was Annie.” That bitter tone was back in her voice.

He drew in a deep breath. “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be.”

“I’m not. I just want to know.”

“Yes, I was half-asleep and I thought you were Annie.”

“Fine.” Lilly jumped up and stomped, as loudly as her bare feet could, out of the room.

Luke watched her go, then saw Chris, his eyes covered with one hand, come around the corner. “Don’t mind me. I just gotta take a piss.”

“Chris—”

His friend threw up his hand to stop Luke. “Look. It’s none of my business what happens between you two. You’re both of age and I’m not delusional that she’s some kind of virgin after all these years.”

“Nothing happened.”

“Whatever. Fine, but I’m serious, Luke. I don’t want to be stuck in the middle between you and Lilly. You’re my friend, always have been and God willing always will be. She’s my sister—”

“—and always has been and always will be.” Luke sighed. “I am sorry.”

“For what? Lilly being my sister? Eh, she’s not that bad usually.” Chris’s crooked smile had Luke letting out a short laugh.

“No. I’m sorry it didn’t work out between Lilly and I.” Luke shook his head. “That it’s not going to. I truly am.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then I’m really glad nothing happened in here tonight between you two.”

Luke was too. Thank goodness he’d regained his senses and realized it was Lilly in time. He buried his face in his hands. “Things are going to be messed up for a while.”

Chris plopped himself down in the chair next to the couch. “You can’t force it, man. You feel how you feel. Staying together if your heart isn’t in it would be wrong for everybody. I wouldn’t want that for either of you, even if it did mean she’d stop storming around the house ranting about you like she’s done since you broke up. Oops, did that slip out?”

Luke smiled at the devilish look on Chris’s face. “Sorry about that.”

“Me too. Believe me.” Sighing, Chris shook his head. “So, she said during the last temper tantrum right after the funeral that there’s someone else. Is there? You can tell me. I’m neutral in this thing. Like Switzerland.”

For someone insisting he didn’t want to be involved, Chris sure had a lot to say about the situation as he waited with one eyebrow raised expectantly.

Luke considered the answer to that question as his mind traveled back to the last time he’d felt normal, before Chris had delivered the bomb that changed everything. Back to Annie.

He likely would never see Annie again besides on television. Her life was on the circuit, like his used to be. The ranch, the herd, the house and his mom, that was Luke’s life now. His mother couldn’t run this ranch without him. He couldn’t bear to sell it.

His professional riding career would have probably been over in five years anyway, so why did it hit him so hard? Like a fist to the gut.

Chris still watched him too closely.

“There’s nobody.” Nobody he had a viable future with anyway. That disappointment, having to give up any hope of anything more with Annie, seemed as hard to swallow as the end of his pro career. He’d likely find that fact interesting if he wasn’t so miserable.

Chapter Thirteen

With Maverick beneath him, responding to every one of his leg commands as if they were one being, Luke took off after the calf. The little fellow ran when he realized he was being pursued, but he had no chance. Luke circled the rope above his head and let it fly. This time, unlike the last few throws, his aim was true.

As the loop landed around the calf’s neck, Luke leapt from the saddle and landed running. One sure motion had the calf on his back on the ground. Luke grabbed the string from between his teeth and wrapped it around the calf’s feet twice, finishing it off with a half hitch. Meanwhile, Maverick, who had been well trained by Luke’s father and knew the procedure as well as Luke, backed up a step to keep the rope around the calf’s neck taut and prevent him from trying to get up and possibly hurt himself.

Chris rode up beside Luke and jumped down from his own horse. While Luke held the calf still, Chris uncapped the needle and jabbed it through his hide and into the muscle. One quick press of the plunger, then the needle was out again. “Done.”

“Off you go, little fellow.” Luke released the calf’s three feet from the string. Once freed, he took off running for the rest of the herd.

“Was that the last one for vaccinations? We finally done?” Chris squinted at the herd nearby.

“That’s it.” Luke nodded and pulled his hat lower over his eyes against the glare of the sun.

“Well, that only took twice as long as it did last year when I helped your father.” Chris grinned.

“So I’m a little out of practice. Sorry.” Luke shot him a scowl as he coiled his rope and hung it on the horn of his saddle. “My father was the champion roper in the family. Not me.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Chris’s smile told Luke he was only teasing, but it was true. Luke couldn’t rope nearly as well as his dad.

Months after his father’s death, Luke could finally talk about him without feeling that overwhelmingly sick feeling of loss in his stomach. He’d settled into a routine. Taking care of the stock. Making whatever repairs were needed on the fences or the barn. Helping Chris at his family’s place. Accepting help at his own when he needed it.

The times since his retirement that the changes in his life had hurt the most were watching the final competitions of last season on television. He probably would have felt a lot better if he could have just not watched, but it never failed that if bull riding was on, Luke couldn’t resist watching it, even if it did tear open a hole in his heart.

Luckily, the pro tour he’d ridden with had been on a break for two months so Luke couldn’t watch it even if he’d wanted to. There had been nothing to watch. But that break was at an end now. Tonight, at the usual time and on the usual channel, all of his fellow riders—former fellow riders—would be trying to make their eight seconds without him. And Annie would be there interviewing them. His chest tightened at the thought.

As painful as it was, he knew he’d still watch it. He’d drink a few beers, wallow in self-pity and then go to bed. Tomorrow, he’d wake up and go on with his day. Yup, keeping up the routine. That was the key.

Luke planted one boot in the stirrup and swung into the saddle. He turned Maverick back toward the barn at a walk.

Chris’s horse matched the pace next to them. “Why don’t you take a weekend away and go to one of the events? I’ll take care of your place for you while you’re gone.”

“Nah. I don’t think so.”

“I think it’d cheer you up.” Chris was relentless.

Luke had made his decision. He was retired from riding. He’d stay retired. Watching his friends ride when he couldn’t? Or even riding for the weekend and then leaving the tour again? That would only make it all more painful. Seeing the other guys. Seeing Annie…

“I’m fine,” Luke bit out, the words sounding less than convincing.

Head turned toward Luke, Chris raised one brow. “No, you’re not. You’re miserable.”

“I’m not miserable. I’m…fine.” Luke couldn’t come up with a better word.

“You sure as shit ain’t happy.”

Luke didn’t respond. He just kept riding, hoping Chris would take the hint and shut the hell up.

“If you don’t need anything else, I’m just gonna head on back to my place.”

Chris was a good friend and had been a huge help, and Luke was acting like a bastard to him. Guilt overwhelmed him as he glanced at his friend. “Thanks for your help today. Call me when you want to do your herd.”

“Don’t worry about it. Dad and I took care of it already.”

Now Luke felt even worse. “Oh. All right.”

“Talk to you later.” Chris clamped his hat lower on his head and took off at a gallop for his own place before Luke could even ask if he wanted to watch the bull riding together later.

He felt like a rotten friend. Hell, lately he just felt plain old rotten all around. Kicking Maverick into a trot, then a gallop, Luke headed for the barn.

After unsaddling and tending to Maverick, Luke felt a little more settled. He spent extra time brushing the horse, then even cleaned some leather tack. It all relaxed him and took his mind off riding. Finally, his fingers numb from the cold, he meandered back toward the house, realizing he could use something hot to drink, maybe even a bite of food since dinner wouldn’t be for a little bit. The kitchen was his end goal, but the Collins’s car parked in the driveway had him frowning, wondering what was up.

Maybe Chris’s mother was over visiting his mom. That made sense, though he knew from experience this was usually the time both women would be in their respective kitchens, starting to get dinner together for the night. Maybe Mrs. Collins had needed to borrow something. In any case, he’d know the answer soon enough. Not really all that concerned about it, Luke continued his stride toward the back door.

The sight that greeted him when he stepped into the kitchen had him pausing in the doorway. He finally realized he was letting all the heat out and the cold in and closed the door behind him. “Um, hey.”

He scanned the room. The entire Collins family and his mother filled the kitchen. Chris stood while Lilly and the three parents sat in the four chairs surrounding the table. The collective serious looks on their faces as he glanced from one to another had his chest tightening. Luke’s heart began to pound.

“Um, Mom. What’s everyone doing here?” Did someone else die? Did one of the guys get hurt or killed on the way to the event? Were they all here to break it to him?

“We just want to talk to you.”

“Talk? About what? What’s wrong?” Luke’s stomach twisted with fear.

“Nothing’s wrong, sweetie.” His mother glanced around, as if looking for help.

“This is an intervention,” Chris supplied.

“A what?” Luke’s brows shot up. Chris had definitely been watching too much television. “Come on. I don’t drink that much. A few beers while watching TV—”

“It’s not the beers, man. I drink just as much. The problem isn’t with your drinking. It’s with you.”

Luke stared at Chris, confused.

His mother rose from the chair and stepped up to him. She touched his forearm. “Luke, sweetie. We want you to go back to riding.”

Luke’s gaze swept the room. Everyone’s undivided attention was upon him as he tried to absorb what his mother had just said.

He looked back to her. “But the ranch.” Luke’s gaze shifted to Mr. Collins. Amid the confusion, a bad thought niggled into his brain. For the first time in his life, he was suspicious of a good friend’s motives. Did Mr. Collins want the Carpenter land so badly he had convinced both families that it was the best thing for Luke to go back to riding? His eyes narrowed at the older man. “I told you, I don’t want to sell.”

Mr. Collins nodded. “I know and I understand that. I think we’ve worked out a way you don’t have to. Chris, you want to explain it to Luke?”

Chris nodded from his position against the counter. “How many years you figure you got left riding in the pros?”

Luke shook his head. “I don’t know and it doesn’t matter. I’m retired.”

“Okay, get off that now. Let’s pretend you’re not retired. That last year never happened. If you were riding pro still, how many years would you have left?”

Luke shrugged. “At the level I was at when I retired? With no major injuries, I could keep winning for a few more years, but I’d probably be struggling to stay in the top forty rankings in another five or six, at most seven years.”

“Now tell me what you were going to do when you retired from touring with the big guys in another six or seven years.”

“You know all this, Chris. You’ve heard it all before.” Luke’s frustration radiated in every word he spoke. This discussion was pointless. As pointless as this supposed intervention.

“I know, but I think maybe you forgot.” Chris’s eyes remained focused on Luke.

He finally gave in and answered the question. “I wanted to start raising bucking stock.”

“Mmm hmm. And what did I want to do?” Chris raised a brow and waited.

Luke sighed. “You wanted to breed and train roping horses.”

“And we were going to do it together under the L&C brand. Remember? For Luke and Chris…”

Luke let out a short laugh. The boys they’d been when they hatched this plan hadn’t been all that creative with the name of their future ranch. Luke had won the right to have his initial first by winning a heated game of rock, paper, scissor. “Yeah. I remember.”

Chris shrugged. “So why can’t we still do that?”

Because Luke had been so depressed lately it was all he could do to maintain the little bit of stock he and his mom owned now. Forget about start a new herd. He deflected the question with one of his own. “What does this have to do with me going back to riding?”

He glanced at his mother, who smiled and turned to Chris. “We have a plan, don’t we, Chris?”

Luke drew in a deep breath. “A plan.”

“Yup.” Chris nodded enthusiastically. “I start my part of the business here while you go back to riding on the tour for as long as you want.”

“That still doesn’t solve the problem of not having someone here to tend the place for Mom while I’m gone,” Luke reminded them.

“Well, that’s all in the plan. I’ll tend your stock here as well as mine while you’re away riding. When you’re home you’ll work ’em all with me.”