Tomas: Cowboy Homecoming Page 9

  Before he could say anything, Buddy led the horses over. One was white with black flecks and the other a muted gold with a white blaze face.

  “Hey, Tuf,” Buddy said.

  He nodded. “Where did you get the horses?”

  “Over at Angie’s animal rescue. They’ve got some age on ’em and are gentle. I thought they’d be perfect for the girls.”

  “I don’t want to ride,” Sammie said, clinging to Cheyenne’s leg.

  “It’s okay, baby. You don’t have to,” Cheyenne told her.

  Sadie climbed onto the fence. “I’m gonna ride.”

  “Since Sammie’s not, you get to choose,” Buddy said to Sadie. “Which horse do you want?”

  Sadie shrugged.

  “Come on, munchkin,” Tuf urged. “Which one do you like?”

  “That one.” She pointed to the gold one.

  Buddy tied the white horse to the fence and led the gold horse closer. A child’s saddle was on both horses. “You ready?”

  Sadie looked at her mother, then at Tuf and back at the horse. Her eyes flickered with uncertainty. “Come with me, Tuf.”

  Tuf was startled. He thought Sadie would want her mother to ride with her because Cheyenne was an expert horsewoman. But with Sammie attached to her leg, she could barely move.

  He looked at Cheyenne for approval. He wasn’t doing anything without her okay. That lesson he’d already learned.

  “Baby, are you sure?” she asked Sadie.

  “Yep.” Sadie bobbed her head. “If Tuf helps me.”

  “Okay,” Cheyenne said.

  He leaped over the fence and then plucked Sadie off her perch. “Let’s get acquainted with… What are you going to name her?”

  Sadie shook her head.

  Tuf stroked the horse’s face and Sadie tentatively stuck out her hand. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “I’m here.”

  She touched the face and then started petting in earnest. “See, she likes me.”

  “Yes, she does,” he agreed and wondered how old the animal was. She seemed almost sedated, which worked well for a scared little girl.

  “Now I’m going to put you in the saddle, and I’ll swing up behind you. Okay?”

  “’Kay.”

  “But first we have to give her a name.”

  Sadie looked at Cheyenne and then at Buddy. “Grandpa, what’s her name?”

  “She’s just an old horse without a name. You have to give her one.”

  “’Kay.” She touched the horse’s face. “I wanna call her Tuf.”

  “Sadie, baby, you have to give her another name. That’s Tuf’s name.”

  He glanced at Cheyenne and saw she was smiling. He was smiling, too. He’d never been around kids that much and found he liked it, especially Cheyenne’s girls.

  “I wanna call her Tuf,” she insisted with a stubborn lift of her chin.

  “How about if we call her Toughie?” he suggested.

  “’Kay. I’m gonna ride Toughie.”

  “Here we go.” Tuf lifted her into the saddle and held on in case Sadie started screaming. She gripped the saddle horn with both hands but didn’t make a sound. He adjusted the stirrup to her leg length and slipped her purple boot in. He didn’t have to look to know that Sammie’s cowgirl boots were pink.

  Buddy adjusted the other side and Tuf swung up behind Sadie. Buddy handed him the reins.

  “How do we start her, Tuf?” she asked.

  He suppressed a laugh. “Like this.” He kneed the horse and was surprised when the horse actually moved. He could have sworn he heard a snore. They trotted around the corral and Sadie finally let go of the saddle horn. He showed her how to use the reins and she caught on quickly.

  “Look, Mommy, I’m riding.”

  Sammie had finally let go of Cheyenne’s leg, and they had climbed the fence to watch. “I see, baby.”

  Sadie pulled up the horse and turned to look at him. “I can drive by myself now.”

  “No,” Cheyenne was quick to say.

  “I can do it by myself,” Sadie shouted.

  “The horse barely moves, girl. She’ll be fine,” Buddy said to his daughter.

  Indecision filtered across Cheyenne’s pretty face so Tuf made it easy for her. He slid to the ground. “Go slow,” he instructed in a stern voice. Around and around the corral Sadie guided the horse, even being bold enough to stand in the stirrups. He followed her on one side, and Buddy was on the other just in case she took a tumble. When it was clear Sadie had it mastered, he strolled over to Cheyenne.

  “I can’t believe she learned so quickly.”

  Tuf pushed back his hat. “Look who her mother is.”

  She smiled, and he couldn’t look away from the light in her green eyes. “That was a long time ago.”

  He pointed to the barrels outside the fence. “They’re getting rusty. You might spray paint them and see what Sadie can do.”

  “I don’t think she’s ready for that.”

  “Sammie,” Sadie called. “Ride with me. It’s fun.”

  Sammie’s eyes were glued on her twin. Tuf saw the fear in her eyes and knew that was the worst feeling in the world. He’d felt it many times. Mostly when high-powered bullets were whizzing past his helmet or when he had to tell a wounded buddy that everything was going to be okay when in truth he was scared out of his mind. There was only one way to conquer fear—to not let it have control. Sammie was only four, but the fear was just as real.

  He walked to the white horse and led her over. “This is your horse. Do you want to pet her?”

  Sammie’s eyes opened wide and Tuf glanced at Cheyenne. She nodded.

  “Does she bite?” Sammie asked, shocking both adults.

  “Um…no,” he said with certainty. He wasn’t sure the horse was even breathing much less have enough energy to injure someone.

  “Her name is Princess,” Sammie announced, shocking them again.

  Tuf lifted the girl off the fence and felt her tremble. “You don’t have to ride if you don’t want to.”

  “I know,” she replied and reached out a hand to touch the horse, and then she stroked her. “She’s pretty.”

  “Yes, she is.” He gently placed her in the saddle and waited for the crying. None came. He adjusted the stirrup and slid her pink boot in. Buddy hurried to adjust the other side.

  “That’s my girl.” Buddy encouraged her.

  Tuf swung up behind her and kneed the horse. The horse trotted off and Sammie’s trembling grew severe and he held her tight. He didn’t stop the horse or take her off because he knew it was important to her to do what her twin was doing. Tuf knew that feeling, too.

  After about the third trip around the corral with Sadie constantly passing them, the trembling stopped. He showed her how to use the reins and she grew confident. When she looked back at him, he knew it was time to get off, which he did, but he followed along the side.

  Once Sammie had it mastered and Buddy was watching both of them, Tuf walked over to Cheyenne. “You can breathe now.”

  “I can’t believe she did that. Since Ryan…she’s been so clingy and needy, but look at her.” He followed her gaze to see Sammie following Sadie around the corral. “She’s having fun.” Her eyes caught his, and he got lost in her rapturous expression. “All because of you. Neither one of them would have gotten on a horse for Dad or me. We tend to pamper them, but they wanted to impress you.”

  “So they like me?”

  “Yes.”

  He leaned on the fence about six inches from her and stared into her gorgeous eyes. “How about their mother?”

  “She does, too,” she whispered.

  Her pink, full and inviting lips were inches away. He pressed closer, needing to breathe the same air.

  “Cheyenne,” Buddy called, and a curse word slid down Tuf’s throat. “It’s getting late. We’re taking the horses in to rub them down, and Angie sent some horse cookies the girls can feed them.”

  “Okay, Dad.”

  Tuf rai
sed a hand. “Bye, girls.” He hadn’t paid any attention to the time, but the sun was about to slam-dunk another day.

  The girls clamored to get off and Buddy helped. In a split second they charged toward Tuf. He squatted and held out his arms to catch them. “Thank you, Tuf,” they chorused.

  “I’m proud of you. You both did really good.”

  Sadie kissed his right cheek and Sammie kissed the left. Then they ran after Buddy. Tuf swung over the fence and landed by Cheyenne.

  “I’m fixing to start rodeoing so I’ll be gone quite a bit. Do you mind if I call to see how the girls are doing?”

  “No. They would love that.” She gave him her cell number and he entered it into his phone. “My cell is at the house, but when you call I’ll have your number.”

  He slipped his phone back into the case on his leather belt, and his eyes caught hers. The light he saw there gave him the courage to say, “When a cowboy rides away, he usually gets a kiss from a pretty cowgirl.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Are you riding away?”

  “Temporarily.”

  ‘Well, then.” She stood on tiptoes and gently touched his lips. He cupped her face, needing her touch, her caress a little longer. His lips took hers with the same gentleness but he was unable to disguise the fire leaping within him. He pulled away like someone who had just been given CPR. He had what he needed for now—to survive. He strolled toward his truck.

  “Bye, Tuf,” she called in a wistful voice.

  He didn’t turn back. The best was yet to come.

  Chapter Nine

  Cheyenne closed Sleeping Beauty, kissed her daughters and tucked them in for the night. Out of all the new books they had, the girls preferred her to read the classic fairy tales at night. They were from the Little Golden Books collection Cheyenne had as a child. Just like her daughters, she’d dreamed of a prince, too. That was in books, though. In the real world, a prince was very rare. Or realistic.

  Flipping off the light, she watched to make sure the night-light was on, and then she went to the kitchen to prepare the girls’ lesson plan for tomorrow. Her dad was asleep in his chair.

  In the utility room, she pulled a box of school supplies out of a cabinet. In the morning they’d work on motor skills, and in the afternoon they’d color and read. Marbles in a jar, nuts and bolts so they could pick up and screw on, and then pipe filters and beads to make a bracelet. They’d read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. That settled in her mind, she went to her bedroom to finish several jewelry orders.

  But her thoughts kept straying to Tuf and the kiss. She didn’t think twice about kissing him. It felt natural and right. And damn good. She’d been resisting an obvious attraction since she’d met Tuf. Placing her pliers on the table, she decided to stop resisting, to stop comparing Tuf to Ryan and to stop looking for fault where there was none. And to stop being afraid of a simple thing like falling in love. Again.

  Six months ago she would have said that it wasn’t even a possibility.

  But now…she was starting to believe.

  * * *

  THE NEXT MORNING EVERYONE was up early getting ready for the trip to Bozeman. Tuf swallowed one last sip of coffee.

  “Mom, you sure you’re going to be okay?”

  She turned from putting dishes in the dishwasher, giving him one of those looks. “Tomas Hart, I’m fine. I have my nitroglycerin pills in my pocket, in my bedroom and in the office. I wish you kids would stop worrying.”

  He placed his cup in the sink. “Did you ever stop worrying about me?”

  “I’m your mother, and mothers never stop worrying.”

  He kissed her cheek. “I want you around for a long, long time.”

  “I don’t plan on going anywhere.”

  “Good.” He reached for his hat. “I just hate you being alone in this big house.”

  “If it will make you feel better, Leah and the kids are spending the night.”

  “Yep. That makes me happy.”

  She pushed him toward the door. “Now make your mama happy and focus on the rodeo.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  For the next hour, Ace and Colt shouted orders like drill sergeants, but everyone did his or her job without complaining. Colt backed the cattle carrier up to a chute attached to a corral. Tuf rode Ready and herded the saddle broncs into the corral and into the chute. They loaded easily, and Royce closed the first compartment gate. He did the same with the bareback horses. Beau and Gracie followed with the bulls, and they charged into the carrier without a problem.

  That left Midnight to occupy the last compartment alone. Colt ushered him into the corral and managed to get him in the chute, but that’s where Midnight balked. He stopped short, refusing to budge.

  Colt climbed onto the pipe railing. “C’mon, boy.” He rubbed Midnight’s back and the horse reared his head. “C’mon, boy. You’ve done this before. It’s rodeo time. Don’t make me look like an ass.”

  “You don’t need any help from Midnight,” Ace remarked.

  Colt shot him a killer glance. “C’mon, boy,” he said again and slapped Midnight on the rump. The horse darted into the compartment, and Royce slammed the door closed before Midnight could change his mind.

  “Let’s go,” Colt shouted, swinging over the fence.

  Tuf hooked up to the Airstream trailer. The truck bed was loaded with hay and feed and covered with a tarp in case of rain or snow.

  “Let’s go,” Colt shouted again.

  The cattle carrier pulled away from the corral and Tuf followed. They settled in for the long ride. Country music blared on the radio. Tuf sipped his coffee and stayed as close to the cattle carrier as he could.

  But his thoughts were on Cheyenne. He could see her at the kitchen table making jewelry in her green robe and bright slippers. They were friends, and slowly that friendship was developing into something more. He felt it yesterday when she’d kissed him, and he really hoped he wasn’t misreading the signals. The memory of her kiss had to last for a while. That was the easy part. All he had to do was close his eyes and she was there in his arms, touching her sweet lips to his.

  Beau took the wheel of Tuf’s truck for the last leg of the trip. Tuf catnapped. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Beau said, “Hey, we’re heading into Bozeman.”

  The sign for Bozeman appeared ahead, and the right blinkers on the carrier came on.

  Tuf sat up. “Everything okay?”

  “Yep, except Midnight keeps staring at me.”

  Ever since they’d left Roundup, the horse had been watching the truck. “He’s a little restless on the road.”

  “On the road? He’s restless all the time,” Beau told him.

  “Yeah, Ace said they knew that when they purchased him, but they’ve worked wonders since then. If he doesn’t perform well, though, it will be a big loss for Thunder Ranch.”

  “A lot rides on that horse.”

  “You bet.”

  They pulled into the fairgrounds. Colt jumped out of the carrier and walked over. He took a moment to make sure Midnight was okay.

  When Colt reached Tuf, he thumbed over his shoulder. “You do realize you’ll probably have to ride him one of these days.”

  “Yep.” Tuf shoved his hat back on his head. “I’m hoping it’s not this rodeo.”

  Colt laughed. “I’ll check with the coordinator and see where we need to unload.”

  Tuf stretched his legs, as did Beau, who was on his cell with Sierra.

  Colt came back with instructions. They unloaded Midnight in a separate pen because he was a stud and there were too many mares around. Once in the pen, he charged around the perimeter looking for a way out. When he found none, he settled down and drank from a water trough. The rest of the unloading went smoothly.

  They found a spot to park and hook up the Airstream trailer. After that, they fed the animals. His mom had stocked the trailer with food, so they went back to eat and rest before the rodeo.

/>   Bareback riding was first, and Tuf took his rodeo gear to the cowboy-ready area. Colt and Beau handled the stock.

  Tuf took a moment to look out at the stands, full of eager rodeo followers. Sponsors’ signs were plastered around the arena. Vendors sold hotdogs, sandwiches, cotton candy, pretzels and more. The scent of popcorn mixed with the foul odor of manure and rawhide wafted on the air.

  Yep, it was a rodeo.

  The press box was above the chutes, and a Garth Brooks tune played on the loudspeakers. The announcer came on and introduced the cowgirls, who were dressed in white. Circling the arena on horseback, they carried both the Montana state and U.S. flags. They formed a line in the center of the arena and stopped.

  “Ladies and gentlemen—” the announcer’s voice came on “—please stand for the national anthem. Our own Marsha Gates will sing it.”

  Tuf stopped adjusting his chaps and stood with his hand over his heart as the words to “The Star-Spangled Banner” rang out. Someone called his name but he didn’t move nor did he plan to. In his mind’s eye he could see Corporal Charles Hoffman lying with a hole in his chest, blood gushing out.

  “Tuf Hart!”

  Tuf pulled the marine’s body behind a rock to safety. “Everything will be okay,” he promised. But it wasn’t. Charles closed his eyes and died in Tuf’s arms. Nothing would ever be okay again.

  The song ended and Tuf turned to the man calling him.

  “Hey, didn’t you hear me?” a man with a clipboard asked.

  Tuf poked a finger hard into the man’s chest. “Didn’t you hear the national anthem being sung?”

  “Huh?”

  “The national anthem. Don’t you have enough respect to stop for a moment to honor the men and women who died for your freedom?”

  The man drew back with a scowl. “You talk as if you were in the service.”

  “I was. Marines. Staff Sergeant Tomas Hart.”

  The man’s ruddy complexion turned a funny shade of white. “Look, man, I’m just trying to find Tuf Hart.”

  “That’s me.”

  “Oh. I…I just wanted to tell you you’ll be the fifth rider and the horse you drew is Teddy Bear.”

  “I already know that.”

  “Just making sure so everything will run smoothly. Bareback riding should start in about five minutes.” The man walked away.