The Roper (Rodeo Nights) (7 page)

 
The guy sat on his chair watching Bobby ride towards him. He stood up, held his hand out shaking Bobby’s. “You must be Bobby. Casey told me about you,” he said.
 
“Have a seat I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”

 
Handing him the coffee he said, “I’m Joey, kinda Casey’s much older brother.”

“You were waiting for me,” Bobby said.
 

“Yeah saw you duck in the trees. You want to talk about Casey.”

“I love her.”

“Yeah. She thinks she loves you too. She’s hurting real bad right now. Maybe I think you’re too old for her. She’s twenty-three, you must have at least ten years on her.”

“Yeah I do. If it doesn’t bother her you shouldn’t be concerned about it.” Bobby said looking him in the eye.

“I’m not. She’s been alone for too long.”

“How do you know Casey?”

“ She was about a week old when they brought her to the orphanage. I was eight and started helping look after her. We grew up together.
 
Then when she was in college she worked for me here at the track,” he said.
 
“She was the best jockey I had. I gave her Gracie three years ago. She’s never had anyone but me, and I’ve never really had anyone but her.

Bobby just looked at him waiting.

“What’s with Gracie?”

“ Casey called me from the clinic and asked Dr. Stevens to come out. Gracie had started bleeding from her nostrils. When it finally stopped she had a hard time breathing. Her heart’s failing fast. Old Doc Stevens just put her down and then drove Casey back to the motel.

“Shit,” Bobby cursed running his hand over his face. “I know what Gracie means to her.”

The guy looked at Bobby over the rim of the coffee cup. “She told me all about you and her.”

“I didn’t do what she thinks.”

“I know what she thinks so you don’t have skirt around it. It’d be a hard thing for most men to resist. I know Jody too,” he snickered. “For some guys she hard to turn down.”

“Not when you love Casey,” Bobby said.

“Like I said, she’s hurting real bad. You’re going to have to have enough patience to wait and not push her. I’m only telling you this because I believe you. Wouldn’t hurt to tell her you love her instead of telling her she’s yours either. I know she loves you.”

“I don’t have much time. Circuit’s over in less than two weeks. I don’t know her last name or where she lives or anything.”

“ Her last name is the same as mine. Smith.
 
She’ll take your head off for following her.”

“Thanks,” Bobby said standing, his hand out to shake.

“Don’t push her, just be there for her. I’m going to tell her we talked.”

“Good,” he said swinging up onto his horse in a hurry to get to Casey. Somehow he had to make everything right for her.

She was waiting for him when he walked his horse up to the stall, her arms crossed, her foot tapping.
 

Mad, she was steaming mad, the hurt still in her eyes and all he wanted to do was hold her, and make everything better.

She slapped him hard across the face.
 

“How dare you follow me,” she said slapping him again. “I loved you. I even wanted what we doing because it was you. I hate you now.” She flew at him hand raised. He stood there taking her slaps. When she stopped he wrapped his arms around her, pulled her tight against him.
 

“I love you Casey,” he whispered.

“You lying bastard.” She was crying, deep sobs wracking her body.

“Don’t Casey,” he whispered. “Please don’t. I can’t stand to see you hurting. I’ll stand here and you can beat on me all want, just please don’t cry.” He pulled her closer.
 

“I followed you because I was worried about you. I couldn’t let you out of my sight. I love you Casey. I need you in my life, close to me loving me, not hating me,” he said holding her tighter. He hadn’t been there for her, to help her, to talk to her and to hold her.

“I have to go,” she said pulling away from him.

 
She was going to run. He felt it then saw it in her eyes. She’d be lost without Gracie, but he’d help her. It might be a long time before she’d believe in him again but he would be there for her. She hadn’t come to him about Gracie and wouldn’t let him help her. She said she had loved him, not did love him.

“Come home with me Casey,” he whispered against her ear.

“No,” she said jerking away from him.

“Then I’ll drive you home. I’m not asking, I’m telling you. “

He held her hand and walked her back to the motel, up the steps and into her room. “Pack up your stuff then we’ll go talk to Bobby and Jody,” he said.

Picking up her bag Bobby wrapped his arm around her and walked her to his room.
 

Casey watched them talk, not really paying any attention to what they were saying. Jody hugged her, telling her how sorry she was.

“See you tomorrow and thanks,” Bobby sad to Dale.

He still was holding her tight when they walked to her truck. “Why are you holding on to me? I can walk,” she asked.

“So you don’t run away from me,” he answered opening the door for her.

They pulled out, the empty trailer behind them. She hadn’t said a word to him and wouldn’t look at him, An hour later he pulled over into the parking lot of a gas station.

 
“Come here,” he whispered pulling her close to him. “I just need to hold you Casey.”

He held her tight to him feeling her body start to shake then tasted the quiet tears running down her face as he lightly kissed her cheek.

“Can you talk to me Casey?” he asked using his thumb to wipe away her tears.

“Amazing Grace. That was her name. She was my best friend. I told her everything, all my secrets and all my thoughts,” she whispered. “I even told her how I felt about you, how you made me feel.”

“I love you Casey. I didn’t fool around with Bobby and Jody.”

“It’s okay,” she said wiping her tears away with her sleeve.

He tipped her chin up and gently kissed her lips. “No, it’s not. I need you to believe me,” he whispered holding her even tighter.
“I need to use the washroom,” she said.

He drove over to the pumps and helped her out of the truck.

 
“I’ll be few minutes,” she said not looking at him.

He filled the tank up, bought two large coffees, chocolate bars and a hot dog each. He was waiting in the truck when she opened the door and climbed in.

“Thank you,” she said taking the coffee and hot dog. Finished eating they pulled back on the highway, heading for Dallas.

An hour later Bobby relaxed. She had curled up on the seat, her head and one hand on his thigh and fell asleep. He rested his hand on her shoulder, needing to touch her and comfort her.

It was dark when he pulled over on the outskirts of Dallas and gently woke her.

 
“I need directions,” he said, his hand brushing her hair off her face. He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers.

“Turn left at the next lights. It’s a rural road. Just go straight and I’ll tell you when to turn.”
 

He drove slowly, trying to miss the potholes, the empty trailer bouncing behind them. Finally she said, “Go real slow and then turn in the next driveway and follow it up to the house.”

Stopping next the house he turned the truck off.

 
“Come in,” she said her voice close to tears. He followed her in and waited until she turned the lights on.

Pulling his boots off, Bobby followed her into the kitchen. Everything was neat and clean without any clutter and no extras. She put coffee on and asked him if he wanted a drink.

“Coffee’s good,” he said watching her.

She handed him a large mug and he followed her into the living room. Sitting next to her taking a sip he waited, praying she would talk to him.

“Thanks for driving me home,” she said. “I know I would have never of made it.”

“I’ll always be here for you Casey.”

“I’m not sorry I hit you.”

“You can beat on me whenever you want to if it helps,” he said. “as long as you talk to me after.”

“I don’t hate you,” she whispered. “I just don’t know what to do now.”

 
She was close to tears, still hurting. He moved closer to her. “Why don’t you take a shower and crawl into bed? I’ll sleep in the truck and see you in the morning.”

“You can sleep on the couch. I’m going to take a shower and then you can too if you want.”
The shower didn’t quite drown out the sounds of her sobs. When she came out in a nightie she said, “Your turn.” He took a quick shower and pulled his jeans back on. She’d left him a pillow and a blanket on the couch and turned the lights down low.

Bobby woke to her snuggled up against him on the couch, her arm around him, his around her. He bent and kissed her forehead.

“I’m sorry,” she said sitting up. “I didn’t want you to wake up.” He picked her up and carried her into her bed, crawled in next to her and held her tight against him. “Go back to sleep,” he whispered. “I’ll just hold you Casey.”
 

He couldn’t sleep, his mind woking overtime. He had to persuade her to come home with him, trust him and love him. She had to know how much he loved her and needed her. He thought about the weather, what he could do to help her and finally how he wanted to make love to her.

The sun poured in the window, bright and warm. Coffee was ready but she wasn’t there. Pulling his boots on he grabbed a cup of coffee and went out side. She had cleaned the trailer out, her saddle sitting on the corral fence. He walked over to the small barn and found her cleaning out a stall.
 
Looking around he saw two stalls with a tack room and feed room. He watched her and listened, relieved that she wasn’t crying.
 

 
“I’ll be back in a bit,” he said. I’m going to borrow your truck.”

She nodded, not stopping, not turning to look at him.

Back in the house Bobby picked up her keys and checked her fridge. Driving back down the rural road he turned at the lights and found a grocery store. Walking the aisles he picked up one of everything he thought she would like or need. Stopping at the deli he bought breakfast sandwiches.

 
Carrying the bags in, he put it all away in the cupboards and fridge. “Breakfast is ready,” he said when she came in.

“Why are you spoiling me?” she asked.

“I love you,” he answered, smiling when she touched his face then wrapped her arms around his waist and held him.

 
“We’ve got all the time in the world,” he said. “I need you to trust me and to know I love you. Casey, will you talk me and ask for help if you need it?”

They sat at the kitchen table. “You have a great home Casey. Did you buy it like this?”

“No, I remodeled the house last year and had the barn built. Gracie paid for everything with our winnings over the last two seasons. My winnings from riding for Joey and my salary from teaching paid for everything else. It was just right for us. There’s a little over an acre,” she said, wanting to tell him that she did love him, but she couldn’t.

They sat in silence, Bobby wanting to tell her how much he loved her and ask her again to come home with him.
 

“I live fairly close,” he said. “Just outside of Woodrow.”

“I think I know you didn’t do anything with Jody and Dale,” she whispered.

“Good. That’s a start,” he said thinking maybe she’d come home with him soon.
 

“I need to call my brother and tell him where I am.”

He pulled his cell out and walked outside.They talked for a while Bobby telling him he wanted a house built as soon as possible.
 

“Against that small bluff,” he said.
 
“Get a crew to dig a half basement then some framers. The plans are on my desk in the trailer. He waited a minute while Don went to get them. “I want that porch to wrap around the house joining a big patio in the back.”

“Who is she?”

“Maybe I’m just tired of the trailer.”

“I’m not stupid, little brother. You’d have slept in that damn tent all year long if I hadn’t hauled that trailer in. You’re also more talkative than you have been in years.”
 

“You’ll meet her soon, I hope.”

“Shit, you haven’t even asked her yet,” he laughed.

“Need a house anyway,” Bobbie said. “Hire as many guys as you can, and get it up fast.”

He hung up. The house design was one he’d found last year in The Rancher, a monthly magazine that had cattle and horse articles, news and advertisements. He’d liked it and could picture it sitting in front of the small bluff. He’d almost threw it out before he left for the circuit then kept it for Dale. He thought Dale would be married by now. He’d had the same girlfriend at home for three years, but then again he’d also spent three months of each year playing with Jody.