At the Cowboy's Mercy (3 page)

He stamped his feet and moved to the end of the RV to get out of the wind. He leaned his head against it and closed his eyes, remembering the summers on the ranch to give his weary mom a break. He'd always wondered if his mom and Red had something going on. His mom was still legally married, though his dad had taken off, but he never could figure out why Red would do such a thing for his mom if they weren't involved. Red had brought them to live with him on the ranch every summer, something Luke had looked forward to all year long, working side by side with Red, who managed to keep Liam in check most of the days. The best days were when Kennedy worked with them. Red didn't want her to ride the events, wanted her to focus on school, but she sure was good with the animals. That's why he didn't have a problem getting her this job.

Even if it meant she was sleeping in his RV and tempting his self-control with every breath she took.

The nights at Red's were even better, dinner, always loud, though it was usually just the four of them. Then a quiet evening on the wrap-around porch with Red, sometimes with Kennedy, resisting the urge to kiss her, to follow her to her room.

Yeah, those had been great days, and miserable nights.

The door opened. He stepped around the corner to see her looking out, her hair wet, wrapped in that damned ugly canvas coat.

"Don't you have something warmer?" Why was it his job to worry about her? She was a few months older than him, for crying out loud.

"No." She stepped outside and grabbed her boots from beneath the steps, then sat to pull them on.
 

"Why not? You sure didn't wear that piece of shit when you were working in Dallas."

"I didn't have any place to keep my clothes when the bank took the house, so I sold some, gave the rest away."

"And kept that?"

"I figured I wouldn't care much if it got dirty."

He looked at her a moment, huddled on the step. "Then get in the truck, damn it. I'll lock up."

She stood and dusted off her ass. "Is there a laundromat nearby? I'm going to run out of jeans soon."

"You could go over to Liam's. He has a washer and dryer in his fifth wheel."

Her eyes widened. "He's doing that well?"

He shrugged. "He's won some big contests. Once the money hits his palm, it's spent. Hell, sometimes before it hits his palm."

"And you?" She looked at the aged RV.

"I'm doing all right." His money went straight back to the land he'd bought out near Gonzales, the land he planned to make a home on. He wasn't going to be doing this for much longer.

"Still love it?"

"I never really loved it."

"You did when you were winning."

"Everyone loves winning." He'd loved how proud he'd made Red, was what it was. And how Kennedy had smiled at him, as if he'd done it just for her. He opened the truck door for her, then walked around, started the ignition and turned on the heater full-blast.

He drove to a barbecue place some distance from the grounds, not wanting to encounter any of the regular guys, the ones who looked at Kennedy with such speculation. He'd heard this place was good.

"When I get my first check, I'll make you dinner," she said as they stood in line to order.
 

"You don't need to do that," he replied, studying the menu board.
 

"I want to. You got me a job, you're putting me up, you're feeding me. I owe you that much."

"You don't owe me anything. Your dad would have done it for me or Liam. Hell, he did."

"Oh."

He glanced down at the tone in her voice. Her lips pressed together, her arms were folded, like he'd hurt her feelings. Something in him felt bad about that.

"All right, fine. A steak dinner with loaded potatoes and homemade bread."

"Does your oven actually work?"

"And I have a grill stowed in the storage compartment."

"I can grill a mean steak."

"I remember." The smile slipped up on him before he could stop it. "What are you going to do after this?" he asked. "Once the rodeo leaves here? Go on to the next one?"

"Not sure yet. I didn't know what I was going to do when I got here. I just hoped." She sucked in a deep breath, like she'd planned to say more.
 

"Do you want to go back to working in television?"

"I'd like to, sure."

So she was slumming until she got back to the big leagues. He got that, he guessed. She'd always been meant for bigger things than the rodeo, hadn't she? The girl he'd fallen in love with when he was a teenager shone brighter than anyone else he'd ever known. She could have taken on the world.

They ordered their meal, got their drinks and sat down. Luke was grateful for the television mounted overhead showing a basketball game. He wouldn't have to worry about conversation.

Only Kennedy didn't get the hint.

"Why do you do it, if you don't love it?" she asked.
 

"If I'm in the money, it's worth it. Past few months, I've been in the money. I bought a piece of land east of here." He took a long drink of sweet tea to hide his grimace. He hadn't intended to share that.

"Did you?" Her eyes lit up and she leaned on the table. "Do you plan on ranching out there?"

He cleared his throat and turned his attention to the game. "Yep."

"Cows? Horses?"

"Bit of both." He blew out a resigned breath. She'd just keep pestering him until he told her anyway. "Between gigs I drive down there, work on it a bit. Right now the big problem is the fence that needs to be replaced."

"Does it have a house? A barn?"

"The barn's the next project. The house can wait. I can live in the RV once the barn is up."

She questioned him until their food was ready, then dug in just as she had the night before. And as she had last night, she stopped when half her food was gone, and asked for a to-go box.

"Lunch tomorrow," she explained when he looked at her.

He finished his meal in silence. How many times would he and Liam have gone hungry if not for Red? She looked better than she had last night, in any case. Color was back in her cheeks, her hair was shiny, and she seemed more relaxed. Good. That was good.
 

He just needed to take this one day at a time.

***

"I'll sleep out here tonight," she said when they entered the RV. "It's too small for you."

"So's the bed."

"But at least you can lay crosswise on the bed. Don't argue with me. You looked miserable out here last night."

He locked up behind them, and suddenly the place felt very small. She edged toward the refrigerator to give him some space.
 

"You're bossy all of a sudden."

She smiled. "Clearly you don't remember the majority or our arguments." Then she realized what he meant--she was bossing him around his own place. "Sorry."

He shook his head. "That couch won't be any more comfortable for you."

He wasn't suggesting they share the bed, was he? Because everything female in her could go along with that. But boy, what a mistake that would be. She depended on him for everything right now. Sleeping with him would be like paying him back with her body, something she couldn't do, not with Luke.

A shudder ran through her at how close she'd come to doing just that with his brother at the bar. That Luke had seen her at her lowest added to the humiliation. She turned away.
 

"I'll just brush my teeth and get out of your way," she said. "Big day tomorrow."
 

Opening night of the two week rodeo. She knew she'd be run off her ass, and he had to do well to continue to compete. She wouldn't mention that she looked forward to seeing him ride for real.
 

What would happen to her if he got out of the competition early? Would he take her to the next place? Back to his ranch? Or dump her here?

She couldn't let herself worry about it. She hoped he'd last at least a week. That would give her time to send out more applications to television stations around the state. Maybe she could ask Luke another favor, that she be able to give the stations his cell phone number as her contact. And she'd pray that not having a permanent address would only show the stations she was willing to relocate, and not that she was a risk.

***

Luke hit the dirt hard, the sound of Rocky's hooves echoing in his ears. He rolled to his knees and shook his head, reaching for his straw hat.

"Goddamnit, Luke, where's your head?" Gary, the horse wrangler, snapped, climbing over the chute.
 

Despite his better judgement, he glanced toward Kennedy, who'd retrieved the steer. She glanced toward him, her brow furrowed. He turned back to Gary, who was red-faced as he looked from one to the other.

"Are you sleeping with her?"

Luke's shoulders tightened and his fists clenched. Gary took a step back, hands raised. Luke rolled his shoulders back and released the tension. "No. Of course not."

"Christ, maybe you should. I've never seen you wound so tight. You'll be going home tonight if you don't get over it." He strode back to the chute.
 

Kennedy walked past him, holding the steer in the halter she'd slipped on him. Her cheeks were red. Of course she heard Gary--the man wasn't quiet. Wondering what she was thinking made him more tense.
 

Because hell, Gary was right. He'd walked out of the bedroom this morning already in a foul mood, and finding her on the couch with one long bare leg exposed had darkened his mood further. Instead, he'd crossed the room, tugged the blanket over her leg with enough force to wake her, then slammed the bathroom door. He didn't even had the privacy to take care of the situation.
 

 
He felt like a damned teenager, sex always on his mind. He hadn't thought about sex this much when he
was
a teenager. He needed to focus on the job, on the money he needed for the ranch. One good jack-off might do the trick. But he already knew whose image would play in his head while he did it.

"You want me to go work somewhere else?" Kennedy asked when he led Rocky back to the chute.

"Yeah. I'm done here."

Gary scowled at his announcement.
 

"Don't want to wear Rocky out before tonight."
 

"I'll take him," Kennedy offered, reaching for the reins.

His fingers tightened on the leather. "I've got it." He thought about telling her not to come back to the RV for a bit, but that was just inviting trouble.
 

He took Rocky to the stable, his nerves buzzing a bit. The next time he touched his horse, he'd be ready to ride. San Antonio's rodeo brought a big crowd in a big arena, and after months in small venues, it could be unnerving. After grooming Rocky, he gave him an apple and headed toward the trailer.
 

Yes, maybe Gary was right. If he got this out of his system, maybe his ride would go smoother tonight.

CHAPTER FOUR

Kennedy slipped into a seat at the arena, one near the chutes. The scent of beer and nachos permeated the big auditorium, the roar of voices echoed off the high ceilings.

And Luke was about to ride.

She had worked since seven this morning and should be collapsed on the couch, but she was going to take advantage of one of the perks and watch the show for free. She caught sight of Luke behind the chutes, laughing with Liam. Her heart lurched. She hadn't seen him do that since she'd been back. Had he taken Gary's advice and gotten laid? He certainly seemed more relaxed. The idea of him seeking out a buckle bunny and taking her back to the trailer ignited a flame of jealousy Kennedy had no right to feel. But something had changed. Maybe all it took for him to relax was for her to keep her distance.

He mounted Rocky, and Liam led the horse into the chute. Maybe his mood had nothing to do with sex at all. Maybe he was just at peace with his brother, a rare enough occasion. She drank in every aspect of his body language, from the grip of his knees on his horse to the angle of his shoulders, to the glance he sent his hazer. Then a brief nod, and the steer was out of the chute, Rocky bolting behind him. With a shift of his weight, Luke was out of the saddle and onto the steer's shoulders, gripping a horn in one hand and the animal's jaw in the other. With an expert twist, he angled the steer's head toward its shoulder and brought the animal down, getting all its legs off the ground.
 

Luke rose to his knees and let the steer up, watching it trot away before he turned his attention to the clock. 4.3 seconds, propelling him ahead of the competition, with two more riders to come. He'd move on to the next round, even if both beat his time, which was unlikely.

He stayed in the chute area as the event continued, his grin widening when he realized he'd finish first. He remained to help his brother set up for the tie-down roping--the Delaney brothers loved to throw themselves from their horses. Liam likewise finished in the money, though second place.
 

Liam was the one to approach her after the event. "We're going to get a drink to celebrate. Want to come?"

She looked past him to Luke, who watched their interaction. "You sure he wants me to come?"

"His idea."

"Probably doesn't want me alone in the trailer."

"Could be that. Could be he wants you to come have a drink with us."

She rose and let Liam take her hand to guide her down the bleachers to where Luke waited.

***

They were not the only rodeo folk celebrating at the bar and grill where she'd ended up the first night. Her stomach tightened as she remembered how desperate and alone she'd been that evening, and how Luke had saved her. That shouldn't be so humiliating, should it? She'd find a way to pay him back somehow.
 

She squashed the feeling and followed Luke and Liam to a table by the far wall. Liam slid into the booth beside her and Luke sat across, picking up a menu from behind the napkin dispenser.
 

"Want something to eat?" he asked her.

Her stomach had started growling the moment she walked in and smelled all the fried foods. She eyed the menu for the cheapest meal. "I'll take a burger and a beer."