The Bull Rider's Collection (7 page)

“Now. Now that the hand holding and hard part is done.” She leaned closer, whispering so JR wouldn’t hear, “He needed you before the ride, too. That’s when he was scared and wanting a man to tell him it would be all right. But both you and my father were somewhere else. That left JR alone when he needed you.”

Anger seethed through James. “He wasn’t alone. He had you.”

She shook her head. “No. I’m not the father he just met who promised to be
here
then broke that promise to chase his
grownup
brother. I’m not the grandfather who taught him to mutton bust in the first place when I wanted him to wait another year then deserted him to be who knows where when the time actually came to ride. I’m not a
man
, and that’s what he needed. No, James, I told you. You make a promise to
my
son, you keep it. Period.”

“That’s not fair.” James glanced over at JR, intently watching the team ropers. Or at least pretending to watch. James figured JR was listening to the exchange between him and Lizzie. And trying not to take sides. “I didn’t get the memo on my being a dad until what, five hours ago? And now you’re rating my performance on timing?”

“Not getting the memo didn’t stop you from making a promise you shouldn’t have made if you weren’t going to keep it, James.” Lizzie puffed out an angry breath. “I should have known when you had to make a choice it wouldn’t go in our favor. Jesse has always been top on your list. I was a fool to tell you anything.”

“The only mistake you made was not telling me sooner. You never let me make a choice. You made it for me.”

Before Lizzie could retort, a male voice from behind them said, “JR, hey buddy, was that you out there?”

“Cash!” JR jumped towards the new man. “Did you see me? I was the best, the clown even said.”

“If I’d known you were riding, I would have been down here earlier, getting you pumped up.” Cash hugged the little boy.

Lizzie shot a look at James.

La-tee-dah
, James thought grumpily.
Cash would have been the perfect parent
. Then, because he couldn’t help it,
but not on my watch
.

“That’s okay, Mom was here. Gramps was stuck talking to Mr. Davis.” JR kicked the dirt with the toe of his boot.

“I think this calls for a celebration,” Cash told him. “I have a gallon of vanilla ice cream over at the restaurant for special occasions. And this seems like a special occasion if I ever saw one. Maybe a huckleberry sundae? Or are you a shake man?”

“Sundae. No, shake.” JR looked up at his mother. “Can I have both?”

“You can have one and only after you eat something for dinner.” Lizzie pulled down the cowboy hat over JR’s eyes.

Cash nodded at James. “You’re welcome, of course. And Jesse, too.”

“I’d like that. But Jesse’s a little preoccupied.” No way in heck was Cash going to win over his son with a little ice cream. The man needed to know James was serious about claiming his territory.

A hand slapped his back. “James Sullivan? I thought that was you.” A balding man with a beer gut stepped in between him and Lizzie. “We got here a couple hours ago. Long drive from Utah, but pretty.”

James tried to settle as he turned to one of Jesse’s potential new sponsors. They expected him to be professional when all he wanted to do was fight this out with Lizzie. Even if they were on stage in front of the entire town, the rodeo circuit and every shirttail relation who loved a good party and a good fight. “Mr. Cooper. Glad to see you.”

“Where’s that brother of yours? Out cowboying with some pretty cowgirl?” The man leered at Lizzie who pulled JR closer.

James shrugged. “He’s around here somewhere. I just saw him. He doesn’t ride until tomorrow so you have some time to relax and enjoy.” He put his arm around Lizzie. “I’d like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Lizzie.”

Cash flashed a questioning look at Lizzie who slightly shook her head,
we’ll talk later
.

No, you won’t
, James promised them silently.

“Nice to meet you, Lizzie.” Cooper’s gaze roamed her up and down. The only thing he missed was meeting her eyes.

James wanted to punch him. But instead he pulled JR in front of him and stepped in front of Lizzie. “This is my son, JR. He won the mutton busting competition.”

“Talent must run in the family.” Cooper ignored JR. “Listen, can we talk? I want to go over our contract offer with you before you present it to your brother. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at a few changes I added since we last spoke.”

Groan
.

James glanced at Lizzie. “We were about to grab something to eat.”

She shook her head. “JR and I will go with Cash. Then I’ve got to head home before it gets dark. You go ahead. We’ll finish this later.”

James wasn’t sure what that meant, but it sounded like when she used to say
fine
and didn’t mean fine.

“Later,” Cash called, walking away, a shit-eating grin plastered over his face.

You might have won this battle buddy, but it’s not over. Not by a long shot.

“So Mr. Cooper, you feel like a good steak and a couple beers?” James headed toward the parking lot with Jesse’s future sponsor. Someday he’d be done and Jesse could handle this on his own.

Come hell or high water.

• • •

Lizzie moved pieces of the salmon on her plate around the grilled asparagus. She hoped Cash wouldn’t notice her lack of appetite, but the man spoke as soon as she put her fork down.

“Lizzie, look. I know you have lots on your mind.” Cash reached over and laid his hand on hers.

“That obvious?” Lizzie tried to smile.

“That having James and his brother back in town has thrown you into the river a few hundred times this weekend? A little.” Cash smiled. “Look, you’ve told him the big secret. The ball’s in his court. Will he step up and be a man or keep being one of the boys?”

“Jesse’s won’t like the competition.” Lizzie sipped her iced tea.

“Uncle Jesse loves competition. That’s why he’s a bull rider,” JR announced through a mouthful of French fries.

“Honey, you haven’t even met your Uncle Jesse.” Lizzie leaned over with a napkin and wiped ketchup off JR’s lip.

“Yeah, but I know bull riders. I’m going to be one someday.” JR burped. “’Scuse me.”

Lizzie shook her head. Hopefully this new-found occupation would go the way of the astronaut, the doctor, and the garbage man: out of his thoughts as soon as he found a new hero.

“You ready for your dessert? What did you decide? Sundae or shake?” Cash grinned at the miniature cowboy.

“Shake please. Chocolate?” JR swung his legs. “Did you know my dad from school, too?”

Cash waved over their waitress. “Two chocolate shakes and…?” he focused on Lizzie.

“A small bowl of vanilla ice cream with huckleberry sauce.” Lizzie gave in. For the next few hours she would relax and enjoy and not think coming to some sort of an agreement with James about JR. She’d be a Scarlett tonight; she’d think about hard things tomorrow. “Cash was a year ahead of us. You know he played football though, so he thought he was all that.”

Cash leaned back, pretending to look hurt. “I didn’t think I was all that.” He grinned at JR. “I was all that.”

“Big talk for a small town restaurant owner,” Lizzie teased.

“I love my little place. And for once in my life, I’m happy.” Cash leaned aside as the waitress brought their desserts. “I liked playing football, but I hated all the travel. I guess I’m just a homeboy at heart.”

“I’ve only been to Oregon and Washington.” Lizzie took a bite of her sundae. “I wanted to travel once I left high school, but plans change.”

“My dad travels a lot.” JR stretched to reach his shake.

“Yes he does.” Lizzie wasn’t sure where JR was heading with the statement. Sometimes he just stopped. Other times he came up with some of the strangest correlations.

JR eyed Cash. “You used to travel a lot.”

Cash glanced at Lizzie, raising his eyebrows. She lifted her shoulders indicating she had no clue where JR was heading.

“That’s right. When I played football, I traveled a lot.” Cash paused and tried to change the subject. “Do you like the shake?”

“It’s good,” JR answered but didn’t allow Cash to change the conversation’s direction. He continued, “So maybe my dad will stop traveling and stay home with us like you stopped traveling and started working here.”

Lizzie’s heart dropped. This was why she hadn’t been honest with him or James before. JR was planning an at-home future with a dad who’d still be running around the country nine months out of the year. She cuddled closer to her son. “JR, listen. Just because you know who your dad is doesn’t mean he’ll be here with you. I mean he’ll try to see you as much as he can, but he’s busy.”

Cash chimed in, “And we can do stuff. The three of us. I’m taking your mom to the high school musical next weekend. It’s about pirates. Do you want to come with us?”

JR pushed his shake away, tears forming in his eyes. “Can we go home now?”

“Tired, buddy?” Lizzie tousled his hair. He nodded. “Looks like Cinderella needs to take the pumpkin home.”

“I’m not a pumpkin.” JR curled into a ball on the bench, away from Lizzie.

She ran her hand on top of JR’s head. “Too much excitement. Thanks for dinner.”

“Anytime.”

Lizzie pulled JR to his feet. “Say ‘thank you’ to Cash.”

Without looking up, JR muttered, “Thanks,” and took off for the door.

“It’s been a rough weekend for him.” Lizzie headed after her wounded son.

“I’ll call next week to make plans.”

Lizzie turned and waved when she was at the door, but Cash was already at a diner’s table being the perfect host and owner. She and her son had been dismissed.

He should leave well enough alone, but he couldn’t.

Grimly, James strained to focus on the curvy road up to Lizzie’s place as daylight quickly faded from the sky. Though it was only a few miles and the truck could handle the tight curves without problems, most wildlife versus car accidents occurred at dusk so the drive was taking longer than he wanted.

The rental cabin business Lizzie and her family ran sat on the dirt road winding through the mountains outside Shawnee. The road dead-ended twenty miles past the Hudson’s place at a small mining community. Between Lizzie’s and the road’s end were some of the best brown trout fishing spots in Idaho. Heck, maybe even in the northwest.

He hit the brakes at the sight of eyes flashing in the gathering dark by the river. Yep, a small herd of deer grazed next to the road, probably coming down to drink. James eased off the gas and hoped the deer would cooperate and stay on the side of the road while he edged by.

Mr. Cooper had kept him at the Longhorn long after they’d finished their meal. The man could eat. Sixteen-ounce rib eye, loaded baked potato, a side salad, and cheesecake for dessert. This coupled with strict religious beliefs that didn’t allow for a sip of either alcohol or caffeine. James had kept his drink order alcohol free as well, but Jesse’s drinking was a point of discussion for their upcoming meeting.

“We don’t expect him to follow our moral code.” Mr. Cooper had scooped up a bite of sour cream laden potato. “It’s just we don’t want to be explaining why the face of Cooper’s Country Store had to be bailed out of jail.”

James did his best to alleviate the man’s fears, but drinking a few beers after a big competition came with the lifestyle. Jesse wouldn’t give it up easily. Maybe the size of the contract would help him say no. Or at least when.

Cooper had continued, “We expect you to be the enforcer. We’re paying for a relationship with you as well.” Apprehension must have crossed James’s face because the man clarified, “Of course we’re paying you a bonus to manage your brother. But this is non-negotiable. You’re both part of the Cooper Country Store family.”

The words echoed in James’s head long after the meal ended.

Especially when Jesse hadn’t been at the hotel room when James returned.

He’d flicked on the television, but anxiety and restlessness got the better of him so he turned it back off. If he couldn’t nail down Jesse, he’d go finish his discussion with Lizzie. He had a son, and by God, he would get to know him, not waste more time waiting for his damn brother to show.

He’d left a note for Jesse, but James knew Jesse wouldn’t be the first one back in the room.

As the miles passed, James wondered if showing up without calling first was his best choice. Jesse might be the Sullivan with the reputation for being unreliable, but James knew he himself could sometimes be — and often had been — more than a little impetuous when it came to Lizzie. What if she was still at dinner with Cash? What if they were at the house, curled up together after putting JR to bed, sharing a kiss. Or more.

Damn it, he did not want them sharing anything with JR in the house.

Aw hell. Truthfully, he didn’t want them sharing anything, ever.

“Damn it,” he growled to himself. He shook the vision of what Cash might be doing with Lizzie out of his head. Cash wasn’t a problem — yet. If James didn’t work fast, he would be. But Lizzie wasn’t a jumper. She took her time making up her mind about people. After this afternoon, James knew he was on thin ice. But she had to let him in.

Finally, there was the sign, five years the worse for wear.
Hudson’s Hot Springs — relax in your very own private oasis. Cabins for Rent.

He pulled into the parking lot he’d helped carve out of the other side of the mountain road senior year. From the look of the resort, adding the parking lot was the last improvement completed before Lizzie’s mom started the cancer treatments.

He crossed the deserted road and stepped onto the wooden porch. The floor boards creaked under his weight. The wood-framed cabin at the edge of the road served as the guest cabin check-in, the dining room for Sunday breakfast, and the poolroom and bar for Saturday night. He knocked on the screen door, but a glance inside showed him the empty gathering room. Walking in, he examined the cabin. Perched between the pool table and a big overstuffed couch, a television that had seen better days played some robot movie.