My Give a Damn's Busted (24 page)

“No, but you might win something for mutton busting this afternoon, or else lassoing later on today,” Haley said.

He looked like a Halloween pumpkin with a big snaggle-toothed grin. “I’ll whip you on the mutton, Bobby Dean.”

The little boy tipped the brim of his hat. “You’ll have to work hard. I stayed on that bull and I can stay on the back of a sheep.”

“Girls next or boys?” Henry asked.

“Boys!” a yell went up.

“Girls!” Garnet yelled.

“What do you say, guys? Cowboys are tough but they are respectful of the women, aren’t they?” Henry asked.

It was then that Larissa realized the value of the rodeo. It wasn’t to come to a ranch and have a play day. Henry was teaching them lessons and they thought they were there for fun.

“Boys!” Austin yelled.

“Girls!” Garnet shook her fist at him.

“Charm is part of a cowboy’s way,” Henry said.

“And a cowgirl’s,” Larissa said.

“Well, shucks, go on and let the girls ride. It’ll be over real quick when they get on the bull anyway,” Austin said.

Henry chuckled. “Okay then, ladies, who is first?”

“Me.” Garnet started toward the bull.

“I think Ruby Jane is first,” Larissa said.

Ruby Jane hung back. “Me?”

Larissa pulled her up to her side and laid a hand on each shoulder. “Sure. Bobby Dean tamed that bull down. If you ride him now he won’t be nearly as mean as when Garnet gets through spurring him and making him mad.”

Garnet stuck out her lower lip. “But I want to go.”

“Ah, let Ruby Jane go. She’ll fall off in one second,” Brenda said.

“Bet I won’t.” Ruby Jane marched out to the bull and spit on her hands. She rubbed them together and slipped the glove on. She nodded at Henry who sat her on the bull, wrapped the rope three times, and looked at the bin where the hats were kept.

Henry picked out a pink hat and put it on her head. “Is this cowgirl ready to show this old bull who’s the boss?”

“My name is Ruby Jane and I can ride anything my sister can,” she said with a lisp.

Henry’s smile got even bigger.

Larissa saw him wink at Hank. The ride began and the crowd cheered her on. Henry pulled and Hank yanked. The way they hollered and yelled about it being a tough old bull convinced every kid there that Ruby Jane was riding for her life.

“Eight seconds! Bring out the rodeo clowns to get her off this critter,” Haley yelled.

Hank danced and twirled around, acting like the bull was biting at his rear end and trying to gore him. He finally grabbed Ruby Jane and ran back to the gaggle of giggling girls to set her beside Larissa.

“Your turn,” Ruby Jane said to Garnet.

“If I don’t win one of them pink hats, can I wear yours sometimes?” Garnet asked.

“Yes, you can. But I bet you get one when you ride the sheep. I’m afraid of them,” Ruby Jane said.

Garnet made it seven seconds before she bit the straw. Natalie barely got five and Brenda tied Garnet. They were content to have stayed on long enough to match the boys. The remaining four boys had their ride and the kids all yelled encouragement but none of them made it the full eight seconds.

Next up was the barrel racing contest. Henry set up galvanized milk buckets upside down in a long line down the middle of the area. Then he set a plastic glass full of water on each bucket.

“I’m going to show you how it’s done,” Henry said. “You got to weave in among these barrels without knocking over a single glass of water. Miz Haley is going to keep score. Water spilling is a minus one. I got a prize for any of the kids who make it all the way to the end without spilling a drop.” Henry picked up a hoe with a sock attached to the business end. “This here is old Buster. I’ve ridden him a good many years at this rodeo and he’s a right fine barrel racing horse. I know you kiddos have got smaller horses and you ain’t rode them before. But I’m a stick horse whisperer and we had us a conversation before I took them out of their stick horse stalls today, so they ain’t going to act up. Okay, can I get some yelling out there so old Buster will do his best barrel racing ever?”

The kids yelled loud enough to noise pollute the whole northern side of Palo Pinto County.

Henry slung a leg over the hoe and nodded at Haley, who clicked the stopwatch. He slapped the back of the hoe and took off like lightning, weaving between the buckets. When he reached the end he patted his horse and looked back at Haley who gave him a thumbs-up and wrote down his time.

“Okay, kids, go choose your ponies,” Hank said.

There were ten brown ponies with stuffed toy horse heads on brown sticks. Two purple ones and four pink ones. The boys grabbed the brown ones. Natalie, Brenda, and Garnet laid claim to pink ones and Ruby Jane slipped a purple one out of the cardboard box with “horse stall” written on the front in lopsided letters.

“Who’s first?” Henry asked.

“Girls,” the boys grumbled.

“That’s right gentlemanly of you guys,” Henry said.

“Okay, Garnet, let’s see what you’ve got.”

She whispered in her pony’s ear, slapped his skinny back, and off they went. Her mount slapped a bucket with his hind leg once and a little water spilled out on top of the bucket but she made it to the end without another mistake. Haley gave her a thumbs-up sign and wrote down the time.

When the rides were finished Garnet had a pink bandana tied around her neck and Bobby Dean had a red one.

Next up on the agenda was roping. Henry amazed them with a few tricks before he told them the rules of the game. He rolled a stick horse set into an old rusted milk bucket filled with concrete out into the middle of the arena. “This is one ornery bronc. He’s been runnin’ wild out in the mesquite. His momma never did bring him up to the house so he don’t know anything about bridles or reins. So we’ve got to lasso him and bring him to the corral so I can teach him to be a good horse. I’ll make a loop in the rope and you’ve got to ride your horse all around him. Get him kind of dizzy so he don’t know what’s comin’, like this.” Henry dashed around and moved in close enough to drop the loop around the stick horse.

“Who’s going first?” Haley asked.

Ruby Jane raised her hand and mounted her stick horse.

“Can I ride the mutton first?” Austin asked.

“I’m giving points for good behavior. Remember, I’ve got eyes in the back of my head. So whoever has the best behavior gets to go first at the mutton busting,” Haley told them.

“Ready,” Ruby Jane said and galloped around the bronc four times before she slung her rope and lassoed him.

“Good job,” Larissa yelled and clapped.

When they’d all had a turn Henry opened up a bag and pulled out a silver star to pin on their shirts. “I think everyone got that pony lassoed to bring into the corral for me to tame so everyone gets a star. And now it’s time for a bunch of rodeo stars to get on up to the cookhouse and eat hot dogs. I got any kids that might be hungry after a hard mornin’s work?”

Twelve hands went up with shouts. Ruby Jane kept hold of Larissa’s hand while the rest of the class took off toward the house in a dead run. Haley hung back with Hank and Henry fell into place beside Larissa.

“You look mighty fine in that pink cowboy hat,” Henry told Ruby Jane.

“It’s a cowgirl hat,” she giggled.

He grinned. “Yes, ma’am, it surely is.”

***

Hank would have much rather been next to Larissa. He put a little more speed into his step but Haley kept pace.

“So are you and your sister just visiting the ranch or do you live here permanently? I’m new at the Palo Pinto School and this is my first time out here. The principal said this is a yearly event and to tell the truth I wasn’t looking forward to it. But your dad has been so good with the kids. Bobby Dean and Ruby Jane might come out of their shells because of today. How did he know?”

“He’s good that way but…” Hank had it on the tip of his tongue to tell her that Larissa was not his sister.

Natalie ran up and grabbed the teacher’s leg. “Miz Haley, I got to go to the bathroom and I don’t know where it is.”

“I’ll take her,” Larissa said.

“Thank you, Miz Wells. I never did get your first name.”

“Larissa,” she said as Natalie drug her off toward the front door. “And I’m not Miz Wells.”

“Oh, okay.” Haley blushed and turned to Hank as they walked up on the porch together. “I’m not usually this forward but I’m a very good cook and I’d like to invite you to dinner at my house one day next week. Call it a thank you for what all you are doing today.”

Kids surrounded them and Henry slung open the door. “Do you hear that?”

Every sound stopped and they looked up at him.

“I think that might be, why yes, it is,” he said.

The dinner bell clanked loudly.

They all shouted and high-fived one another.

Larissa and Natalie came out of the bathroom while everyone was lining up for Miss Haley to hand them a wet-wipe to clean their hands before they ate. Oma had set up two card tables at either end of the long dining room table so they could all sit together. She went around the table asking each child their name and visiting with them. Then she grabbed Hank’s arm and pulled him into the kitchen to help her.

“You are about to ruin everything,” she hissed as she put chili and cheese on top of a hot dog in a bun.

He frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Flirtin’ with that schoolteacher right under Miss Larissa’s nose. She ain’t blind or stupid. She can see what’s goin’ on. You want her to trust you? Well, you better do different than you been doin’ today. Not that it’s a bit of my business but I see what I see and I ain’t one to keep my mouth shut. You ain’t goin’ to win her over by making her jealous. You got to win her by showing her that she’s the only one.”

Hank’s temper flared. “I wasn’t doing anything but being a good host. Larissa will understand.”

“If you think that, you got brain fever. Take this plate out to that little boy with the big thick glasses. He needs some help on his ego building so he gets first plate and he already told me what he wants on his hot dog,” she said.

“That’s Bobby Dean and Dad saw the same thing. But Oma, I wasn’t flirting.”

“Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?” she asked.

“Hello, you need some help? I’m just standing in there with nothing to do. Mr. Wells is entertaining the kids with a story about the old chuckwagon days. He’s sure got a way with children. Are you his only child then?” Haley asked.

“Yes, I am his only child.” He picked up a plate and hurried past Haley.

“You can carry these chips out there.” Oma handed her a basket filled with individual bags of chips.

“I can do that, ma’am,” Haley said. “So what does Larissa…”

Larissa came around the corner. “Did someone mention my name?”

“Yes, I’m sorry I thought you were Henry’s daughter. What is your job on the ranch?”

Larissa smiled. “Oma, do I have a job title?”

“Lord no!” Oma exclaimed.

Haley took the chips to the table and passed out a bag to each student.

“Got anymore ready?” Hank joined them.

“Two. Start on the left of Bobby Dean. Deliver these two and get two more orders.” Oma handed him two paper plates.

“Here, I’ll fix Ruby Jane’s and Garnet’s and take theirs out to them. I heard their orders. Nothing but ketchup and wieners,” Larissa said.

Haley returned to the kitchen area and asked, “So is she just a friend of the family?”

“Larissa is a lot more than that,” Oma said.

“I keep hearing my name. I need two with mustard only,” Larissa said.

“I want to know where you fit in here. I asked Hank to dinner at my house one day next week to thank him for today,” Haley said.

“And what did he say?” Larissa asked.

Hank returned for two more plates. “I didn’t say anything because of the circus going on around us. Miss Haley, I thank you for the invitation but I’m involved with someone right now that I’m pretty serious about.”

“Fair enough, but if you are ever uninvolved please give me a call. The invitation stands. Now what else can I do, Oma?”

Oma pointed. “Juice packs all lined up on that tray. Several different flavors for them to choose from. After they finish eating all the hot dogs they can hold we’ve got chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake.”

Haley picked up the tray and said, “You never did answer me about what it is you do on the ranch?”

“She’s that person I’m involved with,” Hank said.

“Oops! Well, this is awkward.” Haley giggled and darted to the dining room table.

“Why’d you do that?” Larissa asked.

“I’d like to stand up on the roof and shout it,” Hank said.

“Don’t you dare!”

“Why? You got someone else you are having dinner with this week?”

“Maybe!”

Hank stood perfectly still. His heart stopped and then only beat at half speed. His stomach tied itself into a pretzel. It had never entered his mind that she might have fallen for someone else between the town meeting and the time they met again in Dallas.

“Who?” he growled.

“Jealous?” she asked.

“As hell.”

“Good. Now you know how I felt when I had to sit across the rodeo arena and watch you two flirt.”

“Who are you having dinner with? And I wasn’t flirting.”

“But you weren’t making her stop when she was,” Larissa said.

“I didn’t know she was flirting. I thought she was just being nice because we are hosting the play day,” he whispered.

“Being nice doesn’t involve batting eyelashes,” Larissa said.

“See. I told you,” Oma said.

“Who are you having dinner with?” he asked.

“Probably Stallone or Luther,” she said.

He swallowed hard. “That’s not funny.”

“Neither was this morning.”

“Are we fighting?” he asked.

“Hell yeah.”

Oma giggled behind them. “Fight all you want but keep your voices down. Them kids don’t need to hear anything but a good time today. When you get finished fightin’ go somewhere and make up.”

“You are right, Oma. We’ve got jobs to do. We’ll finish this later.” Larissa went back to the table to see if her girls needed anything.