A Cowboy's Claim (8 page)

Do you really believe what you feel for Tanya is pure lust and nothing more?

Vic hated the stupid voice in his head. If he slept with Tanya again,
feelings
would be involved. He already admired her spunk and determination, and when she smiled at Alex, the softness in her eyes tugged at his heartstrings. He appreciated her kindness toward his nephew and he had no idea what he would have done if she hadn't agreed to help him watch Alex during the height of his rodeo season.

“You look like a real cowboy.” Tanya took a picture of Alex with her phone.

Vic checked his watch. They had two hours to kill before Alex's appointment with the therapist. “Speaking of real cowboys, Alex needs a hat and boots.” Something to remember his uncle by.

“Great idea.” They hopped into the pickup and asked Siri for the location of the nearest Western-wear store. Ten minutes later Vic pulled into the parking lot. When they entered the business, a young man showed them to the children's boot aisle. Alex sat in a chair while the salesman searched for styles in his size. After trying on three different pairs, Alex pointed to the brown boots.

Tanya nudged Vic and then dropped her gaze to his boots. Alex had chosen boots similar to Vic's. His hearted thumped heavily in his chest. He might feel as though he and Alex were struggling to communicate, but Vic must be doing something right if his nephew wanted to copy him.

“Now we need a hat,” Vic said.

The salesman had Alex try on different ones, but again the boy picked a hat like Vic's. When they left the store, Vic spoke to Tanya. “I bet there's a Dave and Buster's close by.”

Tanya's expression lit up. “Pizza sounds good and Alex will like the games.”

Alex didn't comment. He was too preoccupied with his new boots.

“Pizza it is.” A short ride later Vic pulled up to the restaurant and entertainment chain. “I'll get us a table and order the pizza while you two check out the games,” Tanya said.

Alex stared wide-eyed, frozen in place. This was probably too much for him to take in all at once. Vic walked him over to a motorcycle simulator. “Hop on.” Once Alex sat on the small bike seat, Vic swiped the card he'd purchased and the bike moved back and forth in front of a screen that flashed images of busy city streets.

While Alex enjoyed the ride, Vic's gaze searched for Tanya and found her waiting at a table in the dining room. He waved at her to join them, but she shook her head. “We have time for one more ride before we eat. How about you and I try the Typhoon?” They sat side by side in front of another large screen. Vic swiped his card and suddenly they were in a roller coaster. Their seats jiggled and shook as if the ride were real. Alex's eyes grew huge and he reached for Vic's hand.

“You okay, buddy?”

Alex smiled—a happy smile—when his chair rocked sideways.

The ride lasted for a full minute; then the coaster in the video slowed down and their seats stopped moving. “That made me hungry. Let's see if the pizza is ready.”

“You two look like you had fun,” Tanya said.

“Alex liked the Typhoon,” he said. “You should try it.”

“Not after eating, thanks.” The waiter delivered their pizza and Alex gobbled his food in record time—a big change from when the kid had picked at his pancakes the first time they ate a meal with Tanya. After he finished his slice, Vic said, “You've been eyeing that claw machine.” The glass cabinet, standing a few yards away, was filled with neon-colored stuffed animals. “Go ahead and take a look.”

Alex slipped out of his chair and went over to the machine. Vic turned his seat so he could keep an eye on his nephew.

“You're really patient with him,” Tanya said. “If I didn't know better, I'd assume you were a father.”

“I'm winging it, but I appreciate the vote of confidence.” He cleared his throat. “I made an appointment with a therapist for Alex here in town. She's willing to see him at seven.”

“Tonight?”

He nodded. “I don't know how he'll react, but he's comfortable around you and I was hoping...”

“I'll help in any way I can.”

“Thanks.”

“Tell me about your family,” she said.

Vic hated airing his family's dirty laundry. He'd rather no one on the circuit learn about his past. But Tanya deserved to know the truth, since she was a big part of the reason he was able to stick to his rodeo schedule.

“My family's pretty dysfunctional,” he said, never taking his eyes off Alex. “My dad left years ago. I don't remember much about him.”

“I'm sorry.”

If Tanya was saying I'm sorry now, what would she say when she heard the rest of his sordid tale? “My older brother was shot and killed by police during an armed robbery. My eldest sister got pregnant by a gangbanger and ended up committing suicide after she found out she was pregnant.”

Vic had no idea if Maria Fitzgerald had told Cruz what had happened to Camila. His sister had been the reason Vic had borrowed a gun from a friend and had gone to confront the gang leader and demand he do right by Camila. Cruz had tagged along for support, and when Vic pulled the gun out of his pants, Cruz had made a grab for it. The weapon discharged, wounding the gang leader in the shoulder. A few minutes later Cruz was sitting in the backseat of a police car, his rodeo career over.

Tanya squeezed his hand. “So it's just you, your mother and Natalia now?”

“Yeah. I stuck around for a while after Camila died then I left home and started rodeoing.” Vic kept his gaze averted. He didn't want to see sympathy in Tanya's eyes. Bad stuff had happened in Vic's family, but other kids in the barrio had suffered, too—some even more. Most of his friends had lost a sibling or relative to gang shootings, drug overdoses or violent crime.

“I was wondering about Alex's mom.”

“She's in prison for prostitution and my mother's been a drug addict since my father left her.” He sucked in a deep breath. “I think my mother may have gone out to buy drugs and gotten high the night she left Alex home alone.”

“She never came back?”

“The police haven't found her yet.”

Tanya sucked in a quick breath. “I hope nothing bad happened to her.”

Vic didn't care what happened to her. He stopped caring after what she'd done to him. He caught Tanya staring at his face.

“How did you get that scar?” she asked.

“My mother cut me when I was sixteen.”

She gasped. “My God, what happened, Vic?”

“Camila slept with my mother's boyfriend.” Vic's sister had been flirting with the guy for weeks and Vic had warned her to knock it off. “My mother walked in on them. The boyfriend escaped the apartment, but my mother went after Camila with a butcher knife. The yelling woke me up. I tried to talk my mother down, but she was high on drugs.” Vic closed his eyes when an image of his mother's angry face flashed through his mind. “I jumped in front of Camila and the knife got me instead of her.” His mother had fled the apartment and Vic had taken a ride with the paramedics to the hospital.

“They didn't press charges against your mom?”

His mother hadn't even remembered that night when she returned home two days later. She'd been horrified at what she'd done and had promised to quit the drugs. Both Camila and Natalia had begged him not to let the police prosecute their mother, so he hadn't.

“Do you think your mother harmed Alex while she had custody of him?”

“I don't know.” He hoped not.

“I'll see if Alex wants to play the claw machine.” Tanya left the table and Vic expelled a harsh breath.

After that gruesome story he'd be lucky if she didn't wake up tomorrow and announce that she was returning to Colorado instead of heading down the road with him and his nephew.

Chapter Seven

“Ladies and gentlemen, we're about to kick off the saddle-bronc competition here at the Kern County Sheriff Reserve Stampede Days Rodeo in Bakersfield, California!”

Tanya held Alex's hand as they made their way into the stands to watch Vic ride late Saturday afternoon. She and Alex had slept at the Krammers' ranch, but tonight they were staying in town so Dr. Harper could meet with Alex one more time before they headed down the road.

The therapist had spent almost an hour with Alex, and she and Vic had been allowed to observe the session through a two-way mirror. Although Alex hadn't spoken to Dr. Harper, he'd drawn several pictures and had given the therapist an idea of what he was feeling—mostly fear and insecurity. Anyone would have come to that conclusion after the boy's experience. The therapist had asked Vic to bring Alex in for another visit after the rodeo, at which time she'd have a few suggestions prepared to help Alex cope better.

Tanya found a spot in the shade and sat. “If your uncle makes the second go-round today, you'll have the chance to see him compete twice.”

Alex remained quiet, munching on his popcorn. Watching the therapist interview him had been heartbreaking. It was as if he'd shrunk inside himself, hoping to disappear.

“How do you think Slingshot will do today?” She hadn't planned on competing in this rodeo, but when Vic checked in at the scorer's table he'd learned there were still two slots open in the barrel-racing event. He insisted on paying her entry fee and she couldn't refuse. She wanted to find out if the training she'd done with Slingshot at the Krammers' ranch stuck or not.

Because of a traffic accident on Interstate 204, which was holding up three of her competitors, the board of directors switched the order of rodeo events and moved barrel racing to the final competition of the evening.

A pair of clowns entered the arena to entertain the fans, drawing Alex's attention. She snuck a handful of his popcorn and winked at him when he looked at her. Then he offered her the box. “No, thanks, honey. If I eat too much before I compete, I get an upset stomach.” Alex's gaze dropped to her stomach and Tanya leaned close and whispered in his ear. “Don't tell anyone, but I get really nervous before I ride Slingshot. I want to win so badly, but I'm always afraid I won't.”

She hadn't expected a response, so when he patted her thigh as if trying to reassure her, Tanya couldn't resist hugging him. Even though he didn't talk, he knew more than he let on.

“Your uncle is the last one to compete.” Alex was too young to understand just how good a rodeo athlete Vic was. “Maybe one day you'll grow up to ride broncs, too.”

While the announcer went over the rules of the event for the greenhorns, Tanya's gaze zeroed in on the cowboy ready area. Vic stood by himself away from the other cowboys waiting for their names to be called. When she first became aware of him, she'd believed he'd kept to himself because his scar intimidated his competitors. Now she wondered if he'd gone through life solo because he was embarrassed by the tragedies that had struck his family and he wanted to avoid people poking their noses into his personal life.

Tanya's heart ached when she imagined the horrific scene that played out the day Vic's mother had wounded him with a butcher knife. A mother was supposed to protect her children, not harm them. And big brothers shouldn't have to protect little sisters from their mothers, either.

She brushed a lock of hair off Alex's forehead. Aside from the same dark hair and brown eyes, Tanya couldn't see any resemblance between Vic and Alex. “The new haircut looks handsome on you.” The corner of his mouth tilted upward just a fraction. Maybe Alex would gift her with a wide smile before they were forced to part ways for good.

Considering nothing but bad memories waited for Vic in Albuquerque, Tanya admired him for racing to his nephew's aide. Her anger at him for leaving her stranded at the motel was a distant memory. Sure, it would have been nice if he'd woken her to explain why he had to leave, but in all honesty she might have done the same thing had she received such disturbing news about her family.

Life was crazy and full of twists and turns. What would the morning after have been like between her and Vic if he hadn't gotten that phone call? Since they'd begun traveling together, Tanya had caught Vic's heated stare when he thought she wasn't paying attention. The attraction was still there between them, simmering right below the surface.

“There's your uncle. Do you see him?” Tanya pointed to the chute across the arena.

Alex sat up straighter. Even though he wasn't openly affectionate toward his uncle, she noticed the boy was becoming more relaxed around Vic.

“We're down to our last two riders of the evening,” the announcer said. “Eighty-four is the score to beat. We've saved the best competitors for last, and I'm predicting one of these cowboys will go home a winner.”

Tanya applauded and Alex did, too, only he forgot he held the box of popcorn and pieces of the snack flew into the air, landing on their laps. Tanya laughed and Alex almost smiled. By the time they brushed the popcorn from their clothing, the chute gate opened and a cowboy named Russ Terry vaulted into the arena on the back of Demon.

The black gelding spun more than kicked, but the cowboy held on. Tanya was no expert on spurring, but she'd seen enough events to pick out which cowboys were good at it and which ones were mediocre. Russ was good—almost as good as Vic.

The buzzer sounded and the crowd offered a standing ovation. Tanya snickered. The fans would be jumping in the stands after Vic's ride.

“Our final contestant this evening is Victor Vicario from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Vicario's been riding the circuit for over a decade, so this cowboy knows his way around a bronc.” The crowd stomped their boots against the metal bleachers. “If Vicario keeps riding like he's been doing these past few months, then you might see him in Vegas this December.”

A shrill whistle rent the air, and Tanya snapped her head sideways. A group of buckle bunnies waved posters with Vic's name on them. They all looked like beauty queens—gorgeous figures and pretty faces.

Tanya felt dowdy compared to the women. Beau had said she was cute—not pretty, cute. All Vic had to do was snap his fingers and any one of the lovelies would go off with him.

But he took
you
to the motel
.

The thought did little to comfort her. Although the night they'd spent together was always there between them, Vic hadn't attempted to kiss her since he returned from Albuquerque with Alex—and he'd had numerous opportunities.

“Vicario's drawn Torpedo, an explosive bronc known to throw cowboys over his head when he plants his hooves in the dirt. Let's see if Vicario can keep his seat and beat Terry's score of eighty-eight to win first place.”

The crowd grew quiet, their attention on the chute, where Vic straddled Torpedo. He took only a few seconds to prepare for his ride. As soon as he'd threaded the reins through his fingers, he nodded to the gate man and the chute opened. Torpedo escaped his confinement with a vicious buck and Tanya winced when she imagined the strain on Vic's spine. Torpedo spun once, gathered his strength, then arched his back high and tight before kicking out with his hind legs. Vic continued to spur, his rhythm smooth and continuous despite the crazed beast trying to unseat him.

Then Torpedo went in for the kill and twisted midair. Tanya held her breath when Vic's backside lifted off the saddle at the same time his upper body pitched forward. How he managed to maintain his balance and continue to spur was pure magic. The crowd went wild when the buzzer sounded, and a surge of pride filled Tanya. She stuck her fingers in her mouth and let loose a shrill whistle. “Let's find your uncle and congratulate him.”

“There you have it! Victor Vicario has won the saddle-bronc competition with a score of ninety!” When the applause died down, the announcer said, “Stick around, folks. The barrel-racing event begins in a half hour.”

“You were incredible,” Tanya said when she and Alex reached the cowboy ready area.

Vic's mouth curved a fraction. “What did you think, Alex? Was it a winning ride?”

Alex peeked up at Vic, then nodded.

“I better get going,” Tanya said. “I'll meet you outside near the stock barn after my run.”

Vic caught her arm when she stepped past him. His gaze burned into hers. “Be careful.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Don't you mean good luck?”

“That, too.”

Tanya felt his eyes on her as she walked off, so she gave her fanny an extra little twitch. Blasted cowboy. One way or another she'd get him to kiss her again.

* * *

“Y
OU
HUNGRY
,
BUDDY
?”
Vic asked Alex on the way to his truck in the parking lot. His nephew shook his head. Vic opened the door and tossed his gear bag inside, then set the truck alarm again and they returned to the arena.

“Mind if we stop to buy a snack?” They stood in the concession line and waited their turn. Then Vic purchased a soft pretzel and two bottles of water.

“Let's sit closer to the action.” A lot of rodeo fans had left the arena, so he and Alex were able to find empty seats near the arena floor. He tore the pretzel in half and offered one part to Alex. He nibbled on the treat, every once in a while glancing up at Vic. The first barrel racer was announced. The cowgirl and her horse came racing out of the tunnel. Bits of dirt flew into the air as the horse's hooves pounded the ground. When Alex strained to see over the rail in front of them, Vic set him on his lap.

At first Alex stiffened, but after the second and third rider had competed their run around the barrels, his nephew had relaxed against Vic's chest. No doubt the kid was tired. If Vic had to guess, almost-five-year-olds were in their pj's by seven at night.

The announcer broadcasted a break in the action to allow rodeo workers to rake the dirt. Vic felt Alex's eyes on his face and wished he'd thought to sit the boy on the other side of his lap so he didn't have to stare at the scar.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we're down to our last rider of the night. Tanya McGee is from Longmont, Colorado. She and Slingshot will try to beat the winning time of 15.9 seconds.”

Alex tore his gaze away from Vic's face and sat forward, his attention on the alley where Tanya and Slingshot would appear. A moment later she and the horse burst past the electronic eye.

Vic hadn't known he'd held his breath until Slingshot made the turn around the first barrel and raced toward the second one. There was something different about the way Tanya sat in the saddle, but Vic couldn't put his finger on it. Whatever adjustments she'd made, Slingshot appeared to handle them well. As they made the third turn, Slingshot nudged the barrel, but it remained standing and they headed for the straightaway, then disappeared down the alley.

“Look at that, folks, Tanya McGee and Slingshot finished with 15.3 seconds and that's good enough for first place!”

“Tanya won, Alex! She won!” Vic clapped his hands and Alex joined in. Instead of setting Alex on the ground, Vic carried him out to the corral, where Tanya walked Slingshot. Several cowgirls stopped to congratulate her, so Vic waited his turn. When Tanya was finally alone, he moved out of the shadows but paused when a cowboy approached her. The man looked a lot younger than Vic. Whatever he said made Tanya laugh. Vic's stomach burned with jealousy, propelling him forward.

He set Alex on the ground next to her. Keeping one hand on his nephew's shoulder, he offered the other to the stranger. “Victor Vicario.”

The younger man shook his hand, his questioning gaze sliding back to Tanya.

“That was a hell of a ride, Tanya,” Vic said. “You about ready to go back to the motel?”

The younger cowboy's face turned red. Then he tipped his hat and beat a hasty retreat.

“I thought we were taking Alex to see Dr. Harper.”

Damn it, he was acting like a fool. “I guess in all the excitement I forgot.”

“Did you see how well Slingshot ran?” Tanya spoke to Alex. “He was faster than the wind.” Alex nodded. “Let me give Slingshot a rubdown before I put him in his stall for the night.”

Tanya led the gelding into the barn while Vic and Alex waited outside by the calf corral. Until the cowboy had spoken to Tanya, Vic hadn't wanted to admit that he was emotionally involved with Tanya. But there was no denying he wanted more from her than to just share her bed. Why Tanya? Why now when he was chasing a title? Add his protective feelings toward Alex into the mix and the two could easily derail him from his goal.

Twenty minutes later the three of them climbed into Vic's pickup and headed away from the fairgrounds. He drove into town and parked in front of Dr. Harper's office. Ann, the receptionist, had left for the evening and Dr. Harper greeted them in the waiting room. “Hello, Alex,” she said. When Alex inched closer to Tanya, the doctor said, “Why don't you both come into the room with us?”

The four of them sat in child-size chairs around a small table. Dr. Harper pushed a basket of markers and a pad of paper toward Alex. “If you feel like drawing, go ahead,” she said, then spoke to Vic. “How is everyone sleeping at night?” Everyone meaning Alex.

“Sleeping through the night.” He glanced at Tanya and she nodded. Vic suspected the boy's sleep wasn't as deep and restful as his little body needed. In the time they'd been together, Alex hadn't cried out once in his sleep, and Vic assumed the boy had blocked out the day he'd been left alone in the apartment.

“I put together a list of activities and suggestions to help stimulate conversation between everyone.” Dr. Harper nodded to Alex's drawing—a swing with two stick figures. “Playmates would be beneficial.”