Ryder (Rope 'n Ride Series Book 2) (13 page)

“Just when were you contacted by Ennis to come ‘check on something?’” Buck was the last to take a step in—West was already a mere foot from the driver.

The guy held up both hands. “I don’t want any trouble here. I’m just doing what I was paid to do.”

“Which is?” Ryder folded his arms just to keep from punching the guy. In what universe did people take money to drill on someone else’s land without all the correct permits in place?

“Ennis Calhoun has asked me to tap one of these veins that heads off the Calhoun ranch.”

“Then go tap it on the other side of the border. It’s about a half mile that direction.” Ryder pointed.

He pulled a paper from his shirt pocket and unfolded it to reveal a hand-drawn map of the Calhoun land. Of course the borders were all wrong and in Ennis’s favor, since he actually did own the adjoining piece of property.

Small and worthless as it was. Landlocked and without water, it couldn’t even be sold.
Most likely without oil too. Otherwise, he’d be drilling there already.

Buck eyed the paper before snatching it from the driver’s hand. He crumpled it in his fist and handed it to West, who pulled out a lighter he always carried in case of emergencies and lit it on fire.

“That’s what we think of your map. Tell your
boss
to keep his people off the Calhoun land. Next time we see you here, it will be down the barrels of our shotguns.” Ryder spat at his feet and turned to Buck’s truck.

West kicked the ashes at his feet with a motion that swept them toward the driver. He grinned at the man and gave a shrill whistle. His horse came running, along with Lane’s.

“We’ve got cows to tend,” Buck said. They all got into the truck, not bothering to wait for the driver to get into his rig. A few minutes later it rolled out.

All afternoon they played ranch vets. After worming the cattle and giving them extra water, they seemed to have sparked up a bit. But Ryder couldn’t shake the thought of that rigger having been so close to the cattle.

“You don’t think Ennis caused this sickness, do you?” he asked Buck, low.

His brother glanced at him. “You mean laying out poison or something?”

He shrugged. “Wouldn’t put it past him. Hell, he’d come into the house and carry off Ma if he thought he’d get what he wanted. This is all we need—another battle. We’re in Bryce Canyon next week.”

“Y’all will be. Channing and I won’t.”

Ryder studied him. “Getting checked?”

“Yeah. She’s far enough along to see more of the baby.”

“No matter what happens, things will work out. We’ll take care of everything.”

“I know.” He sounded choked. “I feel bad about Asher, though. He needs the win as much as I do.”

If Asher wasn’t going to the rodeo, neither were his girls. It was terrible of Ryder, but all he could think about was having Joy nearby without the little Franklin girls standing between them.

Talk about the Crappy Attitudes episode.
This wasn’t him—not by a longshot. At least the camera was pointed away from him at the moment. With luck, they’d leave him alone at the next venue too, because he was going after what he wanted.

And that was Joy.

Chapter Seven

For the past few days, Joy hadn’t been sure she was even coming to Bryce Canyon, Utah. Boy, was she glad she had. She adored the area. The scenery stole her breath away.

But someone else was stealing her heart.

Damn it all, Ryder Calhoun wasn’t leaving her mind anytime soon. Which was why she’d had her stuff packed and loaded into the truck before her father had even mentioned the trip.

Lucky for her, she had a clear view of the object of her desire. She stared at his broad shoulders and hard back that led to this trim waist. His trademark pony-skin chaps hung off his hips and his hat was set back on his head in such a way that she knew whoever he was speaking to could see right into his eyes.

For once she didn’t think about him schmoozing some Buckle Bunny. Now that she knew him better, she realized he was beyond that kind of behavior. And he hadn’t made her question even once that he wanted her. At his side.
In his bed.

If she caught his attention, he’d be all over her regardless of who looked on.

She wanted to call out to him but didn’t. She just watched him covertly until he moved off into the crowd with his brother and a cameraman. A burning sensation in her chest that she could only call longing made her turn away from the site where he’d disappeared.

Only to find Wynonna a few paces off, holding court to a group of fans, men and women alike. This particular rodeo was a big deal in the barrel-racing world, and she was letting everyone know she was a queen. Standing tall, shoulders thrown proudly back and a dimple riding in her cheek, she used her hands to talk. She wore a T-shirt that said “Education is important but barrel racing is importanter.”

Joy burst out laughing. The sound carried, drawing Wynonna’s head up. She dimpled further and waved Joy over.

When they were together, some of the crowd dispersed, and they were able to talk.

“You all ready for your event this afternoon?” Joy asked.

“I don’t have any nerves, which is a good sign.” Wynonna had some of the same mannerisms as Ryder, and that longing came back with a vengeance. “Have you seen Ryder yet?”

“Seen him, yes. Spoken to him, no.” She had to look around to make sure he wasn’t standing behind her or something. Disappointment steamrolled her.

“We love Bryce Canyon. Brought our camping gear and we’re set up already.” Wynonna grabbed Joy’s arm. “You should come to the campsite with me.”

“I couldn’t do that.”

“Sure you can. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Joy eyed her. “Are we?”

Wynonna snorted. “I’m over the whole
Ethan
thing.” She lowered her voice to say his name. But a shred of pain crossed her beautiful features. “Besides, I know you had nothing to do with that story, and thankfully it died out as fast as a Brittany Spears’ hit. You can meet me at the concession stands and we’ll walk to the campsite from there, okay?”

What was she going to say? She wanted to go. Even if she weren’t dying to see Ryder, she was drawn to the whole family. Just being in their presence filled an emptiness she hadn’t known she had before. The hole was probably from a lack of family herself. She’d always wanted siblings, and Wynonna and she had struck an instant friendship. While she hadn’t hung out with the Calhoun brothers, she suspected they’d tease and pick on her like a sister. They were that kind of family.

“Okay, I’ll meet you at the concession stands.”

Wynonna hugged her and there were a few clicks from various cameras taking in the moment. She had no doubt tomorrow their embrace would be all over the papers.

By the time she’d survived several events including Cody’s terrible ride and subsequent show of temper, she was ready to escape to the Calhouns’ campsite.

“Those judges burned me bad,” Cody ranted.

Her father had moved away to give an interview, leaving Joy to deal with the surly cowboy.

“You can’t always have a perfect ride. There are no guarantees in this sport.” She scoured the crowd for Ryder. He’d given his all—again—and come out on top of his own ride. But he hadn’t looked her way. He seemed distracted.

Or done with me.

She dragged in a deep breath. “Look, Cody, it’s not the end for you yet. Tomorrow will be better. And you can show everybody then.”

Apparently she’d said the right thing, because he smiled at her.

At the very moment when Ryder made his appearance. Joy’s body came alive at the sight of his rolling gait—swinging arms and the jiggle of fringe on his chaps more alluring than anything in the world right now.

Her breath caught and her nipples hardened to sharp points. She locked her gaze on his face and wished she hadn’t.

He wore a thunderous expression that made her wonder why he hadn’t earned his own nickname of Thunder. She took a hasty step his way, but he turned and went back into the crowd, leaving her to stare after him and wonder if leaving him back in Cheyenne had ended things before they’d started.

Cody was talking about his chances tomorrow, but she couldn’t hear him anymore. She rested a hand on his arm to stop him. “I have to go. If you see my father, tell him I’m with friends.”

Without waiting for him to react, she went after Ryder. She made it to the concession stands but didn’t see him anywhere. Wynonna was waiting for her, though, and she felt a kernel of hope behind her breastbone.

“Ready?” she asked.

Joy nodded. The walk to the site was long but took longer because too many people stopped them to chat. By the time they made it there, Joy was losing her patience. And she had a lot of patience, so that was saying a lot.

The scents of wood smoke and hot dogs greeted them. Several of the brothers looked up with surprise before offering their smiles of welcome. West and Ridge were having an argument about who banked the fire better.

She couldn’t help but search for Ryder, though.

“Here have a hot dog. Ketchup and mustard are on the table.” Lane flashed his pearly-whites. A young woman was near him, filming. Joy wondered if they ever got used to the intrusion in their lives. Ryder didn’t like it, she knew that much.

She squirted a strip of both condiments down the center of her dog and settled on a lawn chair in front of the fire.

“So your dad’s Thunder Humphries,” Ridge said, his own mouth full of hot dog.

She nodded and took a bite.

“Musta been weird growing up in the rodeo.”

The Calhouns had grown up on their ranch and only gotten involved in the rodeo later. She nodded. “It’s like going to a big family reunion all the time. You know everybody and catch up, but you never really get close.”

He nodded. “Not the easiest, I imagine. Have you ever competed?”

“I used to barrel race in high school but I wasn’t very good.” She threw a look at Wynonna, who had made herself a mountain pie and was juggling it onto a plate West was holding.

“Not many are as good as she is. Too bad she knows it. Her head won’t fit in the tent.”

She chuckled, the hot dog halfway to her mouth, when she spotted Ryder. He rounded the tent.

Shirtless.

Her muscles reacted instantly, and she jumped to her feet. His hair was wet and a few drops of water lingered on his shoulders. She wet her lips.

“Joy.” Her name came out choked as he strode toward her.

He caught her hand and removed the dog from it. He passed it to his brother, who shrugged and added it to his plate. Joy blinked in stunned reaction as Ryder grabbed her by the waist and kissed her.

A few whoops from his family sounded, but Joy was oblivious to anything but the man holding her. She made a noise of surrender, and he growled in answer. Angling his head to thrust his tongue deeper. Working his fingers on her waist, spreading across her lower back and hitching her against his warm, steely body.

“Get a room!” Wynonna called.

Laughing, Joy broke away. Ryder didn’t give her a second to think before he wrapped his fingers around her wrist and hauled her to his truck. Battered black with a crack in the windshield, it showed he was far from a man who flaunted himself.

He stuffed her into the passenger seat.

“Where are we going?” she asked the minute he jumped behind the wheel.

Through thick lashes, he gave her a smoldering glance. “Away from here. And don’t argue. I won’t listen.”

“I’ve missed you.”

Her quiet admission almost brought the truck to a halt. It rolled as slow as a snail riding the back of a turtle. He stared into her eyes, and there was no use in her pretending she hadn’t fallen in love with him.

She’d known it for a week.

Issuing a shaky breath, she said, “You’d better step on the gas if we’re going to get wherever we’re going today.”

The corner of his mouth tipped up and he stomped on the gas, leaving a cloud of light dust hanging over the campsite.

* * * * *

If he didn’t get Joy away—far away—from his family, he couldn’t account for what he’d do in front of them. He’d been
this
close to fucking her on the picnic table. Walking into camp and seeing her had torn away the last thread of his control.

“I didn’t know if you’d come,” he said, turning onto a road that would lead them deeper into the canyon. Red cliffs and dusky blue sky above them. Joy’s gray eyes burning with emotion that he dared not to hope meant more.

He’d take what he could and live in the moment.

“Wynonna and I ran into each other and she invited me to the campsite.”

He nodded. “Maybe my baby sister isn’t such a pain in the ass after all.”

Joy doubled her fist and punched him lightly on the biceps. “Are you saying she did you a favor in finding me since you weren’t going to look?”

He shot her a look. God, could she be any more gorgeous? He wanted to devour her starting with her swollen lips and ending between her legs. He ran his tongue over his lower lip and when she tracked the action, he groaned, low.

“I had all intentions of finding you, Princess. I was just taking care of business earlier or you’d already be hoarse from crying my name.”

She shivered, and he planted his hand on her upper thigh. A scant inch from her pussy. Body heat enveloped his fingertips, and his cock bulged painfully against his fly.

She wiggled down in the seat until the seam of her jeans met his fingers.

“Hell, Joy, I’m going to pull over and have you right here.”

“Good. I’ve been thinking of little else.”

Moaning, he caught sight of a small spot where he could pull off. The canyon park had a lot of visitors right now, but overall they were alone. It would have to do because he wasn’t waiting another minute.

He threw it in park so fast that the truck jerked forward. She fell into his arms, and he yanked her across the console and right into his lap. As soon as her round ass hit his groin, his lips were on hers.

Her flavors and scents sent him reeling out of control. He hadn’t felt so out of it since his first few times on the back of a bull. He clamped onto her hips and ground his cock into her.

“The truck bed,” she whispered between sweeping passes of her tongue through his mouth.

He nodded and reached for the door handle. They tumbled out, clutching each other to remain upright. He was afraid to let her go. He didn’t want her disappearing from his life again. He’d do anything, even tell her what was in his heart, to keep her with him.

She tangled herself around him like a boa constrictor as they made slow progress to the back of the truck. He popped the tailgate and lowered it. She scrambled up and in, shoving a drink cooler out of her path.

“Lucky you have all these sleeping bags here as cushion.” She whipped off her shirt, sending her dark hair flying around her breasts.

His cock expanded, and he couldn’t stand it another second. “I want you under me all night, but I can’t go slow. Not this time, Joy.”

Her eyes darkened a shade as they stripped each other with all haste. He stopped to lick her nipples but not for very long. He didn’t want to embarrass himself, and if he didn’t get inside her fast, then he would.

When she cupped his balls and drew him to lie between her splayed thighs, he thought he’d die a happy man.

“Fuck, condom.” He pushed onto his knees and dragged his jeans closer to rip one from his pocket and fumble it onto his erection. She stared up at him, her nipples hard pink points and her folds wet with desire.

“Hurry, Ryder.”

“I fucking love my name on your lips. Say it as I enter you.” With the condom in position, he poised his cock right at her drenched opening. His balls tightened with the need to blow.

“Ryder,” she gasped as he shoved his full length into her in one fast glide.

* * * * *

Need exploded in her, shooting spears of lust to each corner of her body. She cried out as he withdrew, kissing her slowly, deeply, and pushed back in with equal slowness.

Having her under him again was like a dream. And her admission that she’d missed him gave him a heady feeling of power. He could take on the meanest, baddest bull right now and come out with a record-book score.