“No way,” Tara said without hesitation. “I want that beauty for myself. We always talked about a stately old home in the mountains. I never thought I’d be doing it without him, but here I am. Still living our dreams.”
“I hope when I’m your age I’m as confident and able as you,” she said.
Tara was quiet for a moment, and Merry Anna wondered what she wasn’t saying.
“You know, I heard you’re kind of down on your luck right now,” Tara said. “Don’t let that keep you from staying focused on where you want to be in your life. It’s easy to get sucked into things that don’t matter.”
Down on my luck?That wasn’t true, but she had kind of let people assume that, and if Tara had heard any of Merry Anna’s conversation with Kevin on the phone earlier, she could see where she might have gotten that idea. It had been easier than admitting she’d recently gotten divorced. And what would people think if she started telling them she was trying to live on a budget just to keep from having to pay her ex-husband more alimony?
“I appreciate the advice,” Merry Anna said. “I know folks in a small town love to talk, but I’m not as down on my luck as you seem to think. I’ve got a roof over my head, a job I’m really enjoying, and a lovely new neighbor who just moved in. I think we’ll be friends.”
Tara’s eyes danced. “I believe you’re always going to be just fine.”
7
After a long week ofback-to-back rides, Adam was glad to wake up at home in his own bed. His last ride on Sunday had landed him in the mobile sports-medicine center, and he felt it in every muscle and joint in his body today. He’d made that precious eight-second buzzer, covering Shenandoah Shotgun, but that bull wasn’t about to stop for some whistling noisemaker. The bull twisted just as Adam tried to release, and instead of dismounting, Adam was dragged nearly halfway across that hard dirt arena before the bullfighter got him loose. Then that doggone creature turned and gored him right in the hip.
Thank goodness it was his longtime friend Drew Minton working. Most riders called him Doc. A retired pro bull rider himself, he gave straight talk when it came to injuries, and it wasn’t the first time he’d given Adam the speech about considering another line of work. It wouldn’t have been a welcome discussion coming from anyone else.
Drew did the best on-site stitching of any of them. Rather than drive back Sunday night, Adam had crashed at Doc’s place and then driven on home last night.
Adam rolled over in bed. He curled his toes. Eventheyhurt. He eased himself closer to the edge of the bed, then set hisfeet on the floor. He’d had some good rides, but a couple of them had been brutal. The gore would at least give him a new story to tell, but being dragged around had left him more bruised up than he’d been in a while. He’d almost rather pull a shoulder out of socket or break a bone than be banged up like this. He got out of bed and limped into the bathroom.
One glance at himself was all it took for him to see he looked as bad as he felt.
He twisted the handle in the shower to as hot as it would go, then popped a couple of pain-reliever tablets into his mouth and swallowed them while he waited for the water to warm up.
With his hands on the countertop, he leaned forward and took in a breath. Riding bulls was no easy way to make a living, and he wasn’t as young as he once was, which was why he was so determined to make a change, albeit not too far from the business he loved so much.
He stepped into the shower and let the water run over him. His muscles eased, but the bruises, which were just starting to color, stung to the touch.
He got out of the shower and taped a fat wad of gauze over his hip, where the new stitches pulled tight now that the area had swollen. He tugged on a clean pair of Wrangler jeans and walked back into his bedroom. From there, he could see both the bunkhouse and Grandpa’s old place. It had been a hard decision to sell them, but he finally had the money put aside to partner with a livestock contractor and move to the more sedentary side of the sport.
He knew it was a necessary change. He was ready, but he still had a hard time picturing himself on the sidelines and not in the chute. The excitement of stepping over the rail tosit down on that untamed animal. The rope in his leather-gloved hand, binding him in to help him withstand any leap, jump, or toss. The smell of fear. The threat of injury. The sheer strength of the animal. The thump of the music. The slam of the gate. The roar of the crowd. And nothing better than the sound of the buzzer while still sitting on that beast. Victory!
He slid a fresh shirt off the pile on his dresser and pulled it down over his head, wincing as he pushed his arms through the holes.Whew.He blew out a breath. Tomorrow would likely be even worse.
But today he had plans to teach Merry Anna how to bake a pie. It had seemed like a great idea then, but now he wasn’t so sure he was in any shape to spend time with anyone.
Suck it up, Cowboy.He’d made hundreds of pies over the years—so many that he didn’t even need a recipe anymore.I’ll make it work.Besides, baking always made him feel close to his mom, and he missed spending time with her.
Mom’s apron hung just inside the pantry, as if she might show up and help him out. That wouldn’t happen, though. Ever since his dad had given him the ultimatum about giving up rodeo, there’d been nothing but silence between him and his parents. They’d only come to see him ride that one time.
He’d quit talking about it with them, as if ignoring it might make everything okay again, and it did for a while. But then there was that accident at the PBR finals in Vegas. His injuries were plastered on every sports page, and the footage running on the news clearly showed the bull had won that round. Adam was lucky he came out of those injuries at all.
He stretched his arms over his head and straightened his back.It never will be right again.Unfortunately, that went forhis back and his parents, because when he wouldn’t—couldn’t—give up rodeo, they’d distanced themselves from him and this town.
He went downstairs to the kitchen and gathered the things he’d need for baking with Merry Anna. He rewashed three pie plates that had gathered dust in the drawer.
Adam glanced at the clock on the oven. Merry Anna should be there soon if she were the punctual type.
He took a glass pitcher out of the hutch and made some lemonade. He tried to stay away from sugar, but Mom had taught him how to be a good host, and he didn’t have much else to offer aside from water.
Merry Anna was walking down the driveway when he looked up. Wearing a sundress and flats, she looked casual yet beautiful, with her dark hair moving across her shoulders in the light breeze. The way the sun hit it, her hair had a reddish cast to it he hadn’t noticed before.
Right on time, she knocked on the front door.
After a two-count, he went to the door, hoping not to look too anxious for the casual get-together. “Hey there. Come on in.”
