Blame It on the Rodeo (7 page)

“Cole left me a message that he sold two horses during the ribbon cutting, and the buyer wants to pick them up today. I had to swing in and do their Coggins reports before they were trailered out.”

Lexi liked to save the Coggins reports for when Billy was around now that he was more familiar with the testing and reporting procedures. Wanting to heed Clay’s advice, she decided to hit the stables early before there was any chance of running into Hunter. Clay told her they’d meet up later, after he had the DNA kit, so he could get a cheek swab from her and she’d write him a check for his expenses.

“You look like you were ridden hard and put away wet,” Shane said. “You feeling okay? I saw you leave early with Clay yesterday.”

Lexi’s head shot up at the declaration. She didn’t know anyone had seen them leave and she certainly hoped no one overheard their conversation.

“I wasn’t feeling well. My stomach’s a little off, probably some type of bug.” Lexi wasn’t lying at this point. Her stomach felt like it could betray her at any moment. When was the last time she ate? Clay had a pizza delivered last night, but Lexi never moved from the couch, saying she wasn’t hungry. She regretted it now, along with the bourbon.

“Are you sure it’s nothing more?”

Oh, no—does he know? Could he possibly?

“I have to go.” Lexi brushed past him. “We’ll talk later.”

“It will have to be a few days from now then. I’m heading to South Dakota tomorrow morning.”

“Oh.” Lexi didn’t think Shane would leave in the middle of his first class, but then again, it was peak rodeo season, and with Shane, the rodeo came above all else. “I hope you have a nice trip. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Look, I’m just going to come right out and ask.” Shane closed the distance between them, his eyes softening, and for a split second, Lexi thought he was going to kiss her. “Do we have a chance of a future?”

If there was any question to catch her off guard, that was the one. They’d danced around the issue since November, but never actually said the words. While the thought wasn’t far from her mind, the timing was terrible.

“Shane, I—I don’t know what our future holds.” Lexi cleared her throat. “We just have to take things slow and see what happens.”

Shane made it impossible for her to avoid meeting his gaze when he tilted her chin toward him. She’d forgotten the feel of his rough, calloused hands against her face and she’d forgotten how much she missed the way he held her and the way he would—

Shane placed both hands on either side of Lexi’s face and kissed her. It was a kiss so passionate, so intense, Lexi thought she had time-warped to that fateful weekend at Devil’s Thumb. Unabashed, Lexi allowed herself this one moment to remember what they’d had, to feel what they’d missed all these years.

“Don’t throw away our past, Lexi.”

Past.
Lexi couldn’t outrun the past any longer. It had caught up with her, and if Hunter proved to be her son—their son—the thought of lying to Shane for the rest of his life seemed a thousand times worse than not knowing who and where the child they created was.

Lexi broke the kiss and pushed Shane away. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Tell me you don’t still feel it, Lex.” Shane tugged her toward him. “Since you moved home, I’ve endured seeing you each and every day. At Jesse’s wedding we agreed to make the most of our friendship and see where it led us. You and I both knew staying away from each other would be impossible.”

“You can’t just kiss me whenever you feel like it,” Lexi hissed. “Especially when I’m working.”

“Are you honestly going to deny you have feelings for me?”

Lexi did have feelings, she did still love him, and even though her heart told her it was time to give him a second chance, the strong possibility Hunter was their son negated everything.

“Listen, Shane.” Lexi jabbed at his chest. “Regardless of how or what I feel, you cannot kiss me while I’m at work, even if you do own the place! Who knows who saw that kiss? I have a reputation to maintain, so I suggest you get your butt on that plane and focus on your next ride.”

“After you admit you still love me.” Shane leisurely leaned against the stall door.

Lexi closed the distance between them and carefully kept her tone low so no one would overhear. “You arrogant, egotistical— How can you think for one minute—we just started—”

“Yep, I knew it.” Shane slapped his thigh with his hat. “Some things never change,
mi ángel de fuego
.”

Lexi was taken off guard to hear Shane refer to her as his angel of fire. The last time he’d used the nickname was before they broke up. Struggling to compose herself, she stared at him, afraid to speak.

Shane didn’t share her problem. “Whenever you get riled up like this and can’t finish a thought, I know I’m right and it kills you.”

If he only knew how much this all really was killing her.

Chapter Six

Shane replayed Lexi’s colorful four-letter-word retort as his plane taxied down the runway the following morning. He expected nothing less from Lexi and was actually relieved to see her fiery passion unleashed. If she was feisty, she was okay and that was all that mattered.

Keep telling yourself that.

There was something definitely going on with Lexi, and as much as he hated not knowing what it was, he trusted Clay to tell him if it was serious. Trying to push all thoughts of her aside for a few hours, Shane tried to focus on the financial reports from the ranch. Truth was, he was more interested in hearing from his agent about the reality show than he was studying figures on how much grain they purchased during the second quarter of the year.

Brock told him what he knew—Keeping it Reel Pictures tended to go for more vanity-type television shows. Shane wasn’t quite sure how he should take their interest in him after hearing that.

“May I get you a drink, sir?” A flight attendant interrupted his thoughts. She was cute, petite, he’d wager a natural blonde, and Shane couldn’t help but notice how she leaned in closer than she should to take his order.

“Just a bottled water, please.” Shane might be the wild one of the family, but he never drank before a competition. You had to be on your game at all times in that rodeo arena. The slightest mistake could cost you your life and he wasn’t willing to take the chance of even having the slightest bit of alcohol in his system.

“Are you sure there’s nothing else I can get for you?” the blonde asked with some added heat to her voice and an extra button undone on her blouse, emphasizing what the good Lord gave her.

She knows who I am.
It amazed Shane the number of people that recognized him outside Ramblewood and away from the arena. Sure, the rodeo was big, but on a commercial flight out of San Antonio, the flight attendants were rarely local. Blondie’s accent leaned more toward Bostonian and there wasn’t a huge following in that part of the country.

“I’m good for now.” Less than a year ago, he’d have found out if she was staying in South Dakota overnight, and if she were, he’d make damn sure she saved a horse and rode a cowboy. Now, the only person he wanted to share his bed with was Lexi, and the way that was going, he’d be collecting social security before she ever even entertained the thought. Clay was right, he might as well consider himself celibate at this point.

Checking the pulse on the side of his neck, Shane confirmed he was still alive. Silently laughing, he pulled his phone from his jeans and dialed the ranch. So much for not thinking about Lexi for a few hours.

“Hello?” Chase answered.

“Hey, how’s it going there?” Shane asked.

“Pretty much the same as it was when you left,” Chase said. “The house is still standing, I haven’t lost a kid and men from outer space haven’t beamed up the ranch.”

“Okay, wise-ass.” Shane smirked. “I was just checking in. Have you seen Lexi this morning?”

“And there’s the real reason why you’re calling.” Chase laughed through the phone. “I’m surprised you didn’t pass her on the way in because she got here a little after you left to check in on Crystal. Looks like it will only be a few days before she foals.”

“I’m hoping I’m home before then.” Shane rubbed his brow. “Dad’s last foal. He would have been sleeping in the barn at this stage.”

“Yeah, he would have.” Chase’s somber tone matched his own. “He’d be out there setting up every video camera known to man trying to capture this birth. I can hear him now—‘This is going to be legendary, son. When this horse makes millions you’ll thank me for recording this.’ He’d get so caught up in the technology side of things, he’d probably end up missing the whole event and have to play it back to see what happened.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” Shane swallowed his laughter for fear it might turn to tears. He missed his father greatly and he’d ride this rodeo in his honor. No matter how old Shane had been, Joe had always accompanied him to the Black Hills Roundup. This was the first year he was going alone.

“I should’ve signed up with you this year,” Chase said. “The school could have managed without us for a few days. You know Dad’s there in spirit with you and he’d be proud of everything we’ve accomplished this past year.”

“Thanks, bro.” Shane swallowed, trying to clear the lump forming in his throat. “I think I really needed to hear that today. And don’t sweat not being here. Those kids need you more than I do.”

“Speaking of such, the boys are waiting for me,” Chase said. “Enjoy your flight, don’t wear out the flight attendants and call me later. Oh, that’s right, you only have eyes for Lexi now. Forget about her while you’re there and focus on your ride.”

“Thanks, I will.” Shane turned off his phone and pocketed it. Easing the seat back a little, he checked his watch.

“Your water, Mr. Langtry.”

“Any idea when we’ll be taking off?”

“It should only be a few more minutes. We’ve had some congestion this morning. Good luck on your ride tonight.”

The last two words were heavy with innuendo, confirming she knew exactly who he was and hadn’t just read his name on the flight manifest. Shane was flattered, but nope, still not interested. He wanted to get this show over with, meet with his sponsors and get home.

Leaving never bothered him before now. He chalked it up to Crystal’s foal and the rodeo school. The boys had a lot to learn during their monthlong stay, and while he knew they were in more than capable hands with Chase, Kyle and the other instructors they’d brought in, he’d have felt better if he was there, too. Hell, even Cole had offered to throw his hat in the ring for a few sessions.

And why not? The Langtry brothers were the main draw to the Ride ’em High! Rodeo School. They were a package deal, and if someone was going to spend that amount of money for instruction, they felt better knowing a trio of rodeo champs were there to show them how it was done.

And once the reality show started taping—correction,
if
the reality show started taping—he wondered how many endorsement deals would come out of it. He’d already had a few from saddle makers, a boot company and other equipment manufacturers, but Shane wanted a nationwide truck campaign under his belt and then he could say he’d truly arrived.

Hunter was the one student he was most sure of—the boy was strong, independent and extremely competitive—and he had the drive needed to succeed. He was more mature than some of the older boys, a maturity Shane definitely didn’t have at that age. The kid had the potential to go far in this business and Shane still debated whether or not to tell his agent about him. It was probably best to discuss it further with his parents when they arrived for Family Day.

“Just five more months and maybe it will all be mine.”

“Excuse me?”

Shane hadn’t realized he’d said the words out loud. He coolly glanced at the man across the aisle. “I’m competing in a rodeo tonight and I’m vying to win the world all-around rodeo champion title at the National Finals in December.”

The man stared at him as if Shane were speaking in tongues, then turned back to his paper.
Clearly not a fan.
The plane began to move and the flight attendant picked up the in-cabin phone and began her announcements, rarely breaking eye contact with him.

Shane closed his eyes and rested his head against the seat. Lexi and yesterday’s kiss came to mind. He couldn’t get the woman out of his head, regardless of who he was with. For the past thirteen and a half years, whenever he closed his eyes, she was there. No one compared to Lexi, and no matter how hard he tried, no one ever would.

* * *

W
ITH
S
HANE
AWAY
, Lexi felt a little more at ease around the stables, especially since she now didn’t have to worry about him kissing her randomly. She walked out of the barn and started toward her car, having avoided everyone from the rodeo school. Lexi knew she needed to keep her distance, and whether Hunter turned out to be her son or not, she had made the decision to give her child to another family a long time ago. There was no going back and Lexi was beginning to question if discovering the truth was wise.

“Done for the day, dear?” Kay asked, walking toward her on the path from Dance of Hope.

“Short list today,” Lexi said. “Just an insemination—everything else looks good. Crystal’s close, though. She’s dripping milk this morning so I give it two days at the most.”

“I never did understand this artificial insemination thing. I know it’s safer for the horse, but do you ever feel like you’re playing God?”

“Most definitely,” Lexi agreed. “I’ll breed them but I don’t want to get involved in genetically altering horses. It’s too risky for me.”

“I wanted to talk to you for a minute. Can you come in for a cup of coffee?”

Lexi sent Ashleigh and Billy ahead to the next ranch and followed Kay into the house. Lexi adored the Langtry home, especially the kitchen. With its open floor plan and use of natural log construction, the house had a cozy atmosphere, despite its vastness. The rooms were defined with the use of oversize furniture and you felt comfortable no matter where you were.

Kay popped a couple of pods into the Keurig coffeemaker and within a minute had two piping cups of coffee. Setting the creamer out, she joined Lexi at the table.

“I just love that machine. I wish we had one when Joe was alive. That man always had to have a fresh pot of coffee. Not like he wasn’t capable of making it himself, he just always had me do it. You know how men can be. Listen to me ramble on. I need a favor and I want you to keep it between us for now.”

“Sure.” There was no telling what the Langtry matriarch had up her sleeve. Lexi had heard stories of her wild younger years. The woman was free-spirited and gutsy, and there wasn’t much she hadn’t tackled in her day.

“My house is getting empty. Two of my boys are married, the other two are hardly ever home, and now that Joe’s gone, I’m feeling a little lonely in this big place. Shane hinted a few times that I need a dog, although I think he’s implying one of the ranch dogs. Don’t get me wrong, I love border collies, but I have a particular dog in mind.”

“I think that’s wonderful.” A dog would be the perfect companion for Kay, filling the void she must feel, always coming home to an empty house. “What breed are you considering?”

“Last week when I was in town, I saw Penny and Bella, that beautiful ‘parti’ poodle of hers. Those partis always remind me of our paint horses. Well, anyway, Penny told me that Bella’s mom had her second litter and one of the puppies was jet-black. It was the only puppy not spoken for and, Lexi, when I stopped over and saw that little black fuzz ball, I felt this instant connection.”

“A standard poodle is a lot of work with regular grooming every few weeks,” Lexi said. “But you wouldn’t have to worry about shedding. I’m assuming this is going to be an indoor dog.”

“I already downloaded a bunch of poodle books to my computer. And Penny would be his groomer. Do you want to see a picture of him?”

Kay was adorable in her enthusiasm over the dog. If she had the patience to raise four surly cowboys and look after a husband, then owning a poodle would be a cakewalk.

“I didn’t want that shedding like we had with Chinook.” Kay flipped through the photos on her iPhone, finally finding the one she wanted. “Loved the dog, but I swear some nights I went to bed with fur-covered eyeballs.”

Lexi fondly remembered the Langtrys’ husky and Joe’s best friend. “Oh, this puppy is so precious.”

“I’ve already named him Barney, and I know you’re an equine vet, but if you have a chance tonight, would you be able to go and see him with me...just to check him out and make sure he’s okay? The breeder said the puppies have been weaned and some are already gone.”

“I love the name Barney, and yes, I will be happy to go with you tonight. I’ll give you a call after I finish my rounds and we’ll head out then. But why don’t you want anyone to know about it?”

“My boys will give me one hell of a ribbing when they hear I want a poodle. I’d rather wait and surprise them with it.”

“I don’t see why they’d tease you. They’re big sturdy dogs and I can’t see you being the type to have one running around in a show cut, so he’ll just look like a curly-coated retriever. I think it’s the perfect choice and poodles are one of the most intelligent breeds.”

Lexi checked her watch. It was almost lunchtime and she needed to catch up with Ashleigh and Billy at her next appointment. Kay walked Lexi outside and the sound of laughter spilled across the road as the Ride ’em High! class ran past on the way to the bunkhouse kitchen.

Hunter’s voice rose above the crowd. It wasn’t because it was louder or stronger, but because Lexi instinctively tuned in to listen just for him.

“They are a proud bunch, aren’t they?” Kay looked toward the crew. “Remind me so much of my boys when they were that age, running around here all full of the rodeo. And all you girls, so sweet on them.”

Kay immediately looked to Lexi. “I’m sorry. Me and my big mouth.”

“It was a long time ago.” Lexi croaked out the words. Almost as if he read her mind, Hunter turned to look in her direction. Their eyes met and he waved.

His smile was akin to looking in a mirror. How could anyone else not see Hunter was Shane’s and her child? She quickly turned to Kay, who was studying her. Did she know?

“What’s bothering you, Lexi?” Kay asked. “You’ve been very pensive the past few days.”

Lexi wanted to follow Hunter. She wanted to sit next to him at lunch and find out his favorite foods, what music he listened to, how he was doing in school, what his family was like.
Family.
He wasn’t her family anymore. She made the choice to put Hunter before herself a long time ago and she didn’t regret it.

Lexi looked to Kay. “Thank you for worrying about me, but I’m fine. I’ll call you later and we’ll go see Barney.”

Lexi forced herself to walk toward her car instead of the path leading to the bunkhouses.
Don’t look back.
Nothing good came from regrets except more regrets.