The Reluctant Wrangler (11 page)

Before Mac could comment, Bridey walked up and announced there were refreshments. “Be sure to get a piece of the special cake for the boys,” she told them.

Mac noticed that Nikki was surrounded by guests, praising her and the boys. It was her moment, hers and the boys, and he couldn’t have been prouder of all of them.

“Y
OU’VE MET
Kate and Trish, haven’t you?” Jules asked, opening the door and stepping inside the white, two-story farm house.

Nikki followed her into the home of Kate McPherson, one of Jules’s closest friends. “Yes, at the fall festival and today at the boys’ riding exhibition.”

Kate appeared in the entryway. “Wonderful! I’m so glad you decided to join us, Nikki.” She looped her arm with Nikki’s and led her away. “We try to do this once a month. It’s our ladies’ day in, our time to get away from the guys and the kids.”

“Are your twins awake?”

“Tyler and Travis are at Trish’s, with Krista. One of the high school girls is there with them,” Kate explained.

“I still can’t believe you both had your babies on the same day.”

“It’s Trish’s fault,” Kate said. “All the excitement of Krista’s birth put me into labor.”

“It was perfect timing for Paige,” Jules chimed in.

“This is so beautiful,” Nikki said as they stepped into a brightly lit room, filled with flowers and plants.

“Dusty added it onto the house last fall, while I was busy with wedding plans. He’s become quite the do-it-yourselfer since retiring from bull riding.” She picked up a remote control from one of the glass-topped tables and held it up. “I can even bring shades down at the touch of a button. They help keep the room cool in the heat of the day.”

Nikki was in love with the room. “I’d spend every minute out here.”

Jules laughed. “Oh, believe me, she does.”

Kate nodded, laughing, too. “Every chance I get. But let’s go sit on the deck. Trish is out there.”

Nikki stepped through the glass French doors Kate opened for them and walked out into the September evening. Trish Rule, seated in a large, white wicker chair, waved to them. “Hi, Nikki! I’m glad you joined us today. We enjoyed the riding exhibition this afternoon. You’ve done wonders with those boys.”

Nikki’s heart filled with pride as her cheeks heated with a blush. “Thank you. They worked very hard, so it was easy for me. And thanks for including me tonight. I’m glad I came.”

Jules and her friends had treated her as if they’d known her forever, the moment they met. That sort of thing seemed to come with the territory around Desperation. Since she’d arrived, everyone had been kind and welcoming. But she wasn’t so sure that would be true if they knew who she was. Sally wasn’t a favorite among the O’Briens, and more than likely the community
felt the same way. She couldn’t blame them, but her mother had changed, and she hoped would someday be forgiven.

“Paige said she’d be a little late,” Jules said, settling onto a chair next to Trish, who turned to Nikki.

“Have you met Paige?”

Taking the seat across from her, Nikki shook her head. “No, I haven’t.”

Kate poured tea over ice in a glass and handed it to her. “Oh, you’ll love her. She’s Desperation’s doctor.”

“And our city attorney’s sister,” Trish said. “He’s single, by the way,” she added with a wicked grin.

“And good-looking,” Kate chimed in.

“We’ll introduce you to him as soon as we get a chance,” Jules finished with a wink.

Nikki couldn’t keep from laughing. “I see you’re all in the matchmaking business.”

“Kate and I inherited it,” Trish told her. “It’s in our genes.”

Kate nodded. “Good old Aunt Aggie,” she said with a chuckle. “One way or another, she was going to get me married off to Dusty or die trying, no matter how much I didn’t agree with the idea.” She spun around to face Trish. “Don’t you dare tell her I used the word
old.
”

They all burst out laughing. “I swear,” Trish answered, making an
X
on her chest with her finger. “But it took both Aunt Aggie and Hettie to bring Morgan around.”

“And you,” Kate reminded her.

Trish leaned back in her chair and sighed. “Seems like a lifetime ago.” She turned to Jules. “What about Beth? Is she going to make it tonight?”

Jules shook her head and settled on the chair next to Nikki. “She and Michael had things to do,” she said, turning to Nikki. “While we’re letting you in on how we
nabbed our husbands—or they nabbed us—I should tell you that it was Beth who introduced me to Tanner.”

“Beth Weston, the veterinarian?”

“One and the same. We became best friends when we were twelve. Then, too,” she went on, smiling at Kate, “Dusty had a hand in it, although some would argue that he was pushing in the opposite direction.”

“Apart?” Nikki asked, looking from one woman to the other.

Jules wrinkled her nose. “Not really. He just told me how it was with rodeo and let me take it from there. He was right. But to be honest, it was Shawn who stepped in and gave the last push that led us to take the big step.”

A few moments of silence followed, and Nikki suspected that each of them was thinking about the not so distant past, wondering what might have happened if something—anything—had been different. She often wondered the same about her own life.

“I wanted to tell you, Nikki,” Kate said, breaking the silence, “I enjoyed watching you ride today. It was fabulous!”

Nikki felt her face heat with embarrassment again, but managed a smile. “Thanks. Pole bending is similar to barrel racing, which I did when I was much younger.”

Jules slowly turned to look at her. “You’re a barrel racer?”

“Past tense,” Nikki assured her.

Trish leaned forward. “Where did you get that great costume you wore? It was beautiful. The beads, the feathers… Gorgeous.”

Nikki knew she was cornered. She couldn’t tell them it had belonged to her mother. “My grandmother made it. If you really liked it, there’s a Native American celebration scheduled for next weekend in Tahlequah.” Feeling
brave, she turned to Jules. “Maybe Tanner would like to see some Cherokee history.”

Jules shook her head, and then let out a long sigh. “Tanner doesn’t claim his Cherokee roots. He resents his Cherokee mother. She abandoned him, his younger brother and their father when Tanner was seven. He avoids anything connected to Cherokees or Native Americans.”

Nikki’s hopes evaporated. She’d suspected Tanner’s life had been changed when their mother had left, but she hadn’t expected he would feel the way he did.

“But he hired Nikki,” Kate pointed out.

Nikki, feeling the sting of rejection her mother had warned her about, corrected her. “Jules hired me, not Tanner.”

Once again they grew quiet, then Jules sighed. “I’m sorry, Nikki. It really isn’t about you, just…”

Nikki understood completely. If she’d been in Tanner’s shoes, she would probably feel the same. But she’d seen how Sally’s choices had affected her life. She’d been young and hadn’t realized that marriage wasn’t a ticket to freedom and fun. Even as a small child, Nikki had seen the wanderlust in her mother’s eyes when she talked about barrel racing. But Sally had left rodeo and become the kind of mother she knew she should have been from the beginning—sometimes to the extent of smothering. At least now Nikki knew why.

“Nikki?”

Looking up, she saw them all watching her. “I’m sorry. What were you saying?”

“We’re going inside for some food,” Kate said, standing.

Nikki nodded and followed them inside, but her thoughts were on Jules’s revelation about Tanner. It made
a difference. He might never accept her as his sister, considering how he felt about their mother. Rejection, she feared, was a sure thing, and it might be better if she gave more thought to telling him, at least for now.

“Come on. Get in.”

Nikki stared at the classic red sports car and then at Mac. “Why?”

Mac had expected her to be surprised by the car, but he didn’t think she’d be afraid of it. He also knew she’d insist on knowing how he could afford it on a wrangler’s salary.

“I thought we’d take a ride,” he answered.

She’d turned back to look at the car. “A ride to where?”

“Just a ride.” He wasn’t going to tell her where. She’d never get into the car if he did. Not that she seemed even tempted to. “It’s a nice day,” he said, keeping it simple. “Or haven’t you noticed? And it’ll do you good to get away from here for a while.”

She took a step back, still gazing at the car, a frown on her pretty face. She turned to look at him, her eyes narrowed. “Whose car is this?”

“Mine.” He always felt proud saying that and even more so at that moment.

“You stole it?”

His first reaction was to stare at her, but when he realized she was joking, he laughed. “Of course I didn’t steal it. It’s mine, so hop in and we’ll take a spin.”

“But where?”

His frustration climbed with each question she asked. “Does it matter where we’re going?”

Her shoulders rose and sank in a slow shrug. “I guess not.”

“Then get in,” he said, opening the passenger door of the convertible for her.

“What about the boys?”

“Shawn’s with them right now, throwing together a basketball game. And you know how Benito loves his basketball. We won’t be gone all day.”

After closing her door, he went around the front of the car, climbed in behind the wheel and started the engine. The sound of the motor calmed his exasperation. If nothing else, she’d enjoy a comfortable ride.

“Just out of curiosity,” she began, “what kind of car is this?”

He smiled as he turned out of the drive and onto the county road, going slowly so the sand wouldn’t damage his beauty. “It’s a 1967 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III BJ8.”

“The name’s bigger than the car.”

He glanced at her, but she was looking straight ahead, her mouth still pulled down in a slight frown.

“You must be the richest wrangler I ever met,” she said with a glance in his direction.

“I wasn’t a wrangler when I bought it.” He’d decided today wasn’t going to be about him, so he changed the subject. “Better tie down your hair,” he warned. “We’re coming to the highway, and I’m not inclined to baby her today.”

Once he was on blacktop, he pushed hard on the accelerator, pressing her back in her seat, her dark hair
flying in the wind. “Don’t you think you should slow down?” she asked.

“Believe it or not, we’re under the speed limit.”

All conversation stopped as he settled in his seat for the drive and noticed she did the same. The countryside around them was ablaze with the colors of autumn. The browns of tilled fields contrasted with the reds, oranges and yellows of the leaves still clinging to trees.

It wasn’t long before they reached their destination. “Here we are,” he announced, turning onto a long, rock-covered lane.

“Where’s here?”

“Someplace I thought you might be interested in seeing.” When she looked at him, he knew she hadn’t seen the sign before they’d turned. “It’s an EAP facility.”

“Mac, I can’t—”

“We’re only visiting.”

At the end of the quarter-mile lane he brought the car to a stop. As he got out, Nikki did the same, and they were greeted by a smiling, forty-something woman dressed in jeans, a denim shirt and boots.

“Mrs. Dayton?” he asked.

“Belle Dayton,” she said, extending her hand, which he took. “You’re just in time.”

He introduced her to Nikki, and they followed the woman around a large barn to a corral where several teens were gathered in two groups. Two horses stood patiently nearby.

“Looks like a strategy session,” Mac said.

“It is. They’re working in teams,” Mrs. Dayton explained.

“What’s the objective?” Nikki asked.

Mrs. Dayton pointed to the corral. “Each team has
three minutes to get their horse to jump over the board that’s across the two buckets.”

“Seems simple enough,” Mac said, glancing at Nikki.

A slow smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “Not at all simple.” She turned to Mrs. Dayton. “Are there any rules?”

“Only a few. They can’t touch the horse or bribe it in any way. They can’t use anything outside the corral—no ropes, no halters. And once the one-minute strategy session is over, which I see it is, team members can’t talk to one another.”

“How long have they been at it?” Nikki asked, her attention on the activity in the corral.

“Both teams have had two tries. This will be their last.”

Mac noticed that the members of one of the teams were smiling. When they broke up, one boy nodded to another, and the two of them moved in front of the horse. The rest joined in, and in a short time had moved the horse into a holding pen and closed it.

“They’ve got it,” Mrs. Dayton said, excitement in her hushed voice.

The three of them watched as two of the boys picked up the board, while another picked up the buckets and placed them just outside the pen. The board was placed across them. Everyone in the group looked at each other, then one of the girls opened the pen. In unison, they began whistling. The horse, now attentive to what was going on, moved forward and jumped over the board.

Cheers went up from the winning group as the other team looked on, but frowns quickly turned to visible admiration, and the teens all shook hands. “We did it!” one of the boys called to Mrs. Dayton.

“I knew someone would,” she said, flashing them all a victory sign with her fingers. She turned to Nikki. “Would you like to talk with the kids?”

Joy danced in Nikki’s eyes as she nodded. “I’d love to.”

Mac stayed at the fence, while Nikki followed Mrs. Dayton into the corral. Ten minutes later, as the group of teens started to leave, Nikki stood and talked with Mrs. Dayton privately. Mac wished he could hear the conversation. When he’d called to talk to Mrs. Dayton on Jules’s recommendation, he’d asked if she would explain the EAP certification process to Nikki. She’d said she’d be more than happy to.

Mrs. Dayton and Nikki left the corral and joined Mac. When asked if they’d like something cold to drink, both Nikki and Mac accepted. Another half hour spent with Mrs. Dayton was filled with information. By the time they left, Mac felt certain Nikki was more than interested in learning more.

“So what did you think?” Mac asked as they drove home.

“It’s fascinating,” she answered. “I’ve always known how beneficial the interaction is between humans and animals, and what we saw today is proof of that.”

She was in a good mood, giving him the perfect opportunity to plant the seeds. “Are you ready to start working on that certification?” She was quiet for too long, and he finally took his eyes off the road to look at her. “Nikki?”

She shook her head, refusing to look his way. “I can’t,” she said, her voice barely audible over the wind. “There are two strikes against me. The first is that I don’t have the money needed for the seminars.”

“That can be remedied. I’m sure Jules—”

“No.”

“Okay,” he said, refusing to argue with her. “What’s the second reason?”

“I’d have to leave the Bent Tree.” She turned to him, her smile sad and a bit wistful. “That’s something I don’t want to do.”

“But…”

She shook her head again and turned to stare at the road ahead. “I appreciate the time and trouble you went to for the visit, but it isn’t possible for me. And if you don’t mind,” she said, turning to look at him again, “I’d rather not talk about it.”

All Mac could do was hope she would think it through a little more, but he didn’t say anything. He wasn’t going to argue. At the moment her mind—not to mention her heart—was made up.

T
HE MONTHLY
S
UNDAY BARBECUE
for the boys was over, and after making sure all eight of them were in bed, Mac and Nikki headed back to the O’Briens’ backyard.

“I hope Bridey has another dessert for us,” Mac said, rubbing his palms together in anticipation.

“I can’t decide which I like best,” Nikki replied. “Bridey’s Irish Jig or Kate’s strawberry pie.”

Mac peered at her in the evening light. “When did you have Kate’s pie?”

“Last week after the boys’ exhibition,” she answered, rounding the corner of the house. “Kate McPherson invited me, and I went there with Jules.”

“Yeah?”

She looked up at him and smiled. “Yeah.”

“Lucky you.”

“Good, you’re back,” Tanner said when they reached the patio. “Jules wants to discuss ways to raise money
for the Bent Tree. She’s checking on Wyoming, but will be right back. Have a seat.”

Mac noticed that Nikki hesitated before settling on a chair across from Tanner. He was also aware that Tanner seemed to treat her a bit differently lately. And then he remembered what had happened during Nikki’s riding exhibition and the little Jules had told him. He just couldn’t believe Tanner would hold Nikki’s heritage against her.

As if Tanner knew what Mac was thinking, he leaned forward in his chair. “I’m sorry I missed the end of your performance, Nikki. You’re a fine rider.”

“Thank you,” she answered.

“Where did you learn pole bending?”

“A friend of my grandmother’s taught me.”

“Cherokee?”

Nikki nodded and answered, “Yes,” but didn’t elaborate.

“The Cherokee have a knack with horses,” Tanner said, leaning back again. “At least, that’s what I’ve been told.”

“And he has a gold belt buckle to prove it,” Jules said, joining them. “I’m glad you both could come back. The boys seemed a bit restless tonight.”

“Nikki worked them hard this afternoon,” Mac said, glancing at Nikki sitting beside him. “I think they were more tired than usual. It seems to bring out the devil in them.”

“It definitely does with Wyoming,” Jules replied.

But Mac was more interested in what her husband had mentioned. “Tanner said you’re interested in raising money for the ranch. How can we help?”

“Cheryl Bickham mentioned that the state is seri
ously considering sending more boys. It’s not official, but…”

“So where does the need for more money come in, specifically?”

“With more boys, we’ll need more help,” Jules answered. “I’ve interviewed several women I’d like to hire to help Nikki with the boys. I can only choose one, but that would free up both you and Nikki to concentrate more on the horses and the boys’ riding. That would mean more horses, too, which don’t come free.” She glanced at her husband, but continued. “And an on-site counselor would be helpful. The boys are doing much better, now that Nikki is here. But it all means that the more boys we have, the more full-time help we’ll need.”

Mac gave the problem some thought. Having grown up in the marketing business, he knew that people tended to be generous, especially when it came to children. “Donations, if large enough, could help.”

“But how do we get people to donate?” she asked. “There are good people in Desperation who would love to help, but the amount we need is far beyond their means.”

“Advertising,” he said. “Marketing.” And then he saw the sly but hopeful look on her face. “You knew that, you deceptive woman. That’s why you let me stay here and gave me a job.”

“Heavens, no,” Jules cried. “You know me better than that. I only thought of it the other day when I saw—” She jumped up from her chair. “There’s something I want to show you. I’ll be right back.”

Mac looked at Tanner, who shrugged. “I don’t know what it is. She didn’t mention anything to me, but it has her excited.”

Less than a minute later Jules returned with a newspaper in her hands. “I meant to show this to you, Tanner, but completely forgot.” Instead of handing the paper to him, she gave it to Mac. “Take a look and tell me what you think.”

He took it and leaned closer to the nearest light. There was an article written about the riding exhibition the boys had given. Lightly skimming the article, he noticed praise for the Bent Tree, its owners and Nikki. There was even a mention of him, although no name was given, but he didn’t mind.

“What do you think?” she asked when he looked up from the paper.

“Was there a reporter here?” he asked.

“Apparently so. I have a hunch that may have been Hettie’s doing. That’s the Oklahoma City paper.”

“This is the kind of thing that could become very advantageous for the ranch,” he said, handing the paper back to her. “Build on it. If someone would be willing to form a foundation for donations and work to bring in people who could help, it might just get you the money you need.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” He glanced at Nikki, who sat silent beside him, taking it all in.

“I’ll pay you well,” Jules said, the sly look in her eyes returning.

Mac considered it. “I know you would, but…”

“Oh, Mac, please,” she begged. “I know you’re good at it. You know marketing from the bottom up.”

“That’s true,” he answered, chuckling as he thought about the years he’d spent learning the business. “But if I do this, I’ll need some help.”

“Hettie,” Jules answered quickly. “I’m sure she’d love
to be involved, and she has the contacts that could help.” She took a deep breath. “And so do my parents.”

“And mine,” Mac added.

A smile brightened Jules’s face. “Would you be willing to talk to Hettie about it, Mac?”

Surprised at how excited he felt at the prospect, he smiled. “I’ll be happy to. Just tell me how to get in touch with her, and I’ll do it first thing in the morning.”

“I’ll leave it in your hands, then.”

They talked more about who else might be willing to get things rolling, and several names were brought up. But it wasn’t long before they all decided to call it a night. Mac and Nikki thanked their employers for the evening. Hundreds of things ran through Mac’s mind as they walked back to the main building, and adrenaline pumped through him. That’s the way it always was when he faced a new opportunity. This felt right. His dad was one of the best in the marketing world, and Mac suddenly realized how lucky he’d been to be a part of it.