Roses and Rodeo (Rough and Ready) (11 page)

Kelsey pulled her hand away and her expression hardened. “There’s nothing wrong between Darryl and me.” Kelsey got to her feet and picked up her sunglasses. “I need to work out now.”

Danica straightened, her heart aching at the same time her blood boiled. She stood. “Will you be here at our usual time on Wednesday?”

With a shrug, Kelsey said, “I’m not sure. Work has been rough lately.”

“Okay.” Anger at Darryl still burned inside Danica but she forced a smile. “I’ve missed you, Kels.”

The hard look that had been on Kelsey’s face melted a little. “I’ve missed you, too.”

Danica reached for Kelsey, hugged her, then drew away. “Why don’t we go out for lunch on Friday?”

“All right.” Kelsey smiled but it looked like it hurt a bit because she winced.

Inwardly, Danica winced, too. “I’ll call you Thursday.”

Kelsey nodded. “Okay.” She picked up her gym bag and went to one of the lockers. Without looking back at Danica, she started changing out of her street clothes and into her workout shorts and T-shirt.

Danica went to her own locker and unlocked the combination lock, her hands shaking from the strength of her anger. She grabbed her bag with everything in it, threw the lock inside, and shut the empty locker. She paused a moment as she looked at Kelsey’s rigid backside.

“See you Thursday for workout,” Danica said. “Or Friday for lunch, whichever comes first.”

Kelsey looked over her shoulder. “See you,” she said before turning away again.

Danica started to leave the locker room. She looked back once at Kelsey’s bent head then turned and walked out.

As she headed out of the club, Danica’s mind turned over and over the fact that Kelsey had been hit and she was certain that Darryl had been the one to do it.

If she confronted Darryl about it, he could go back to Kelsey and become more violent with her.

Frustrated, angry, and concerned for her friend, Danica pushed her hand through her hair. She couldn’t just stand by and watch her friend be abused.

But what should she do?

She narrowed her eyes. When she went to the Sonoita event in two weeks Darryl was sure to be there… And she was going to have a talk with him.

Chapter 14

Just as Barry walked into his home, his cell phone rang. He drew it out of his pocket and checked the caller ID screen.

Mac Dawson.

Barry shut the door behind him and answered, “What do you have for me, Mac?”

“Plenty.” The PI sounded satisfied. “Creed McBride is having an affair with some blonde. When I called you last, you did say the woman you’re protecting from him is a brunette.”

“Yes.” Barry’s mood elevated as he set his car keys on the small table in the foyer. “Tell me what you have.”

“They had dinner together and ended up in her hotel room,” Mac said. “He was there a couple of hours but didn’t spend the night. Next morning he returned to the hotel, was there about an hour, and then they went to breakfast. They returned to the hotel room after breakfast. I’ve got pictures of him coming and going and the date and time is on every picture.”

“Excellent.” A sense of elation went through Barry. He had the sonofabitch and he had him good. “Who’s the woman?”

“I haven’t found out who she is yet,” Mac said, “but when they’re alone they are an intimate little couple. The photos prove it.”

Barry walked through his spacious and elegant home to his office and sat behind his desk where his laptop was set up. “E-mail the pictures to me.”

“You should already have them,” Mac said. “I’m sending over hard copies by courier now.”

Barry pulled up his email program and found the message from Mac. He clicked on the zip folder attachment, opened it, and started clicking on each photo.

McBride was with a woman in each of the photos. Definitely not Danica. He was talking with the blonde, holding her, and the last photograph was of him with his forehead against hers in what looked like a tender moment.

A smile crept across Barry’s face as he looked at the photos with satisfaction. “What else can you tell me?”

Mac proceeded to tell him what he saw, where the couple met, and that he knew the woman would be at the next event, too. He had dug up info about McBride’s past conquests, as well.

“I’m not finished with the investigation and I’m still on McBride’s trail,” Mac said. “He’s on the move traveling the bull riding circuit, so it’s not as easy as it would be if I could catch him in one place, like his hometown.”

Barry frowned. “How did you get all of the information that you do have?”

“You pay me good money to get the info,” Mac said. “Don’t ask me how.”

“Yes, I’m paying you good money.” Irritation prickled Barry’s skin. “So I’d like an answer to my question.”

“Some old-fashioned investigative work,” Mac said smoothly, still evading a direct answer. “I’ll get those photographs to you ASAP, and when the job is completed I’ll provide you with a written report.”

Barry disconnected the call and clicked through the photographs on his computer again. These would show Danica that McBride was nothing but a cheating bastard.

With smug satisfaction, Barry leaned back in his chair and looked at the photographs of McBride with the woman. Danica would see that Barry cared enough about her to investigate the cowboy and realize that the bull rider wasn’t the one for her.

She’d know the truth of it, that Barry loved her and wanted the best for her. She deserved much better than McBride, and she would see that Barry was that man.

Chapter 15

A fluttering sensation teased Danica’s belly as she drove the white Mustang she’d rented from an agency at the airport in Tucson. Moments later, she entered Sonoita where Creed had already arrived.

Her thoughts turned to Barry for a moment. He’d left her a voice mail yesterday, saying he had something important to tell her about her “bull rider boyfriend.” She’d deleted the message. Whatever Barry had to say, she really didn’t care. She shoved thoughts of him out of her mind. She intended to have a great time with Creed and not think about Barry at all.

Red, white, and blue banners fluttered around the area with signs announcing the annual rodeo and new bull riding event that would take place over the weekend. How things had changed over the last couple of years. Then she would never have thought that Sonoita would have the capacity to draw in enough people for the professional bull riding organization’s championship circuit.

Up ahead was the small inn where Creed had stayed last night. After meeting up with him, they would go to her brother’s ranch in the San Rafael Valley, about twenty-five minutes from Sonoita.

After she pulled the car up to the inn, she turned off the engine, climbed out, and stretched her legs. It was good to be out of the car and drinking in the fresh air in the small town that was no bigger than a village.

The inn looked like it could’ve been from the Old West, and the wooden steps and porch creaked beneath her boots. She wore jeans, a button-up red blouse, and her long dark hair fell loose around her shoulders.

A warm summer breeze stirred her hair and cooled her skin at the same time. Anticipation at seeing Creed again lightened her steps.

Just as she was about to walk into the inn, Darryl stepped out of the doorway.

Danica came to an abrupt stop. She hadn’t expected to come face to face with him so soon. Now was as good a time as any to have a talk with him.

“Danica, right?” Darryl said in a Texas drawl and he gave her a grin. “I’d remember a cute little thing like you, anywhere.”

“Kelsey is my closest friend.” Danica tilted her chin. “I want to talk to you about her.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What about?”

Danica clenched her fists at her sides. “I know you hit her.”

“Did she tell you that?” He gave her a long, dark look. “I would never touch her in that way.”

“No, she didn’t tell me. She said she ran into a door.” Danica clenched her hands into fists. “But I know it was you.”

Darryl’s expression darkened. “That’s a mighty strong accusation. And one that isn’t a damned bit true.”

“You’d just better keep your hands off Kelsey.” Danica narrowed her gaze as anger rolled through her, hot and thick.

His scowl almost had her stepping back but she stood her ground. He looked as if he wanted to hit her and could barely restrain himself. He gave her one last glare then turned and walked away, down the street.

Danica took a deep breath and pushed hair off her forehead. She watched him stride away and head to a parked truck. He climbed into the truck, started the engine and headed out toward the arena.

She leaned back against the wall behind her and looked up at the aged wood covering the porch that ran the length of the building. She needed to calm down before she saw Creed. She didn’t want him seeing her upset.

When she had cooled off as much as she could, she called Creed on her cell phone. “I’m here.” She turned her thoughts from Darryl and put a smile in her voice.

“Be right there.”

Her heart pounded a little faster as she waited for him. A few moments later he walked through the inn’s doorway.

He wore a sexy smile that made her belly do flips and his straw Stetson was low over his forehead, shadowing his green eyes. His broad shoulders and muscular arms filled out the blue shirt he was wearing and his Wrangler jeans molded his hips and thighs. He was carrying a black duffel bag with sponsor insignia patches on it.

She smiled at him as he brought her into his arms and kissed her. It had been two weeks since she’d seen him, but it seemed even longer. His kiss was deep and powerful and when he drew away, the sensation of his mouth against hers lingered on her lips.

“I missed you.” He touched her cheek. “I don’t like being separated from you like this.”

“Well, unless you settle down, I guess this is how it’s going to be,” she said, then realized how that might sound. As if she wanted him to settle down with her, which wasn’t what she’d meant at all. Was it?

He smiled, like he was certain that she cared for him enough to think about what it might be like to always be with him. Truth was she had been thinking about that, but with him traveling like he did, and being in the sport he was in, she didn’t know how it would ever work.

Setting those thoughts aside, she reached out and hooked her finger in one of his. “Are you ready?”

“Yep.” He indicated the bag over his shoulder. “My riding gear is stored, so I’ve got everything I need here.”

“Good.” She released his finger and turned to head back to the Mustang. She popped open the trunk and he tossed his bag in beside hers.

He plucked the car keys from her fingers and gave her a little grin. “I like to be in control.”

“I’ve noticed.” She shook her head but she really didn’t mind. He opened the passenger side door for her and she slid into her seat. He shut the door behind her then strode to the driver’s side and climbed in.

As he backed the car away from the inn, she gave him directions to her brother’s house.

“So they’re not going to mind a little extra company?” Creed asked.

“Not at all.” She shook her head. “It’s a big house and Jessie and Zane like company.”

While they drove, she thought about Kelsey. Her friend hadn’t shown up to work out on Thursday and had canceled lunch on Friday. The only thing she’d said was that she wasn’t feeling well and she’d cut the conversation short. Danica hadn’t talked about it with Creed yet because she knew he’d confront Darryl and she’d wanted to be the one to do that.

Now that she had told him to leave Kelsey alone, she wondered if she should tell Creed. She had a feeling he’d go after Darryl and he’d end up getting into a fistfight and maybe even charged with assault. She needed to think it over a little more before she said anything.

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?” Creed asked as she looked out the window. “You’re not usually so quiet.”

“Work.” She offered him a smile. “There’s a lot going on.” At least that was the truth, there was a lot going on.

He gave a nod. “What are you working on now?”

She told him about the new project she’d just started and he asked questions, showing his interest and his understanding of what it was that she did.

It seemed like no time and they were pulling up to the Bar C ranch. Danica and her four brothers had grown up in the huge ranch house that Zane had inherited. Danica, Wayne, Wyatt, and Dillon had each inherited a portion of Cameron lands as well as large sums. Danica had leased her property to Zane as rangelands for his cattle and she had banked her cash. She’d always planned on returning one day and building a house on her property. She just wasn’t ready for that yet.

“So this is where you grew up.” Creed studied the sprawling home as they passed under the sign with the Bar C’s name and brand. The Mustang’s wheels rattled over the cattle guard. “Nice.”

“It was great growing up here.” She smiled as she looked at the native oaks and the stately sycamore trees shading the house. Flowerbeds had been planted in front of the long enclosed porch that ran the length of the house and the colorful flowers danced in the summer breeze. Inside the screened porch was a white loveseat porch swing along with other furniture, and potted plants that Jessie had kept up since she had married Zane.

To the right, an old wooden wagon wheel was propped up against an oak with flowers sprouting around the wheel. A triangular dinner bell hung from one of the lower branches of the oak. On the other side of the house was a covered swing beneath the shade of several old sycamores. The swing was next to a pond with a small waterfall.

On top of the right side of the roof was an old rooster weather vane and behind the house rose a weathered windmill. She imagined the squeaks and scraping sounds the windmill made as the blades turned with the wind.

They pulled up to the house and Creed killed the engine. The front door opened and a pretty red-haired woman carrying a little girl on her hip stepped out through the screen door and headed toward the Mustang. Behind her was a tall dark cowboy.