A Rancher for Their Mom (Rodeo Heroes) (8 page)

BOOK: A Rancher for Their Mom (Rodeo Heroes)
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April turned to the boys. “Do you want to go to the Bakers’ and play this morning?”

“Tell them Greg has the newest game with drag racers. Thunder Alley.”

April relayed the message. They nodded. “I’ll drive them to your house if you’ll drive them back.”

“Thank you.” Kelly hung up.

“Let me make Joel’s lunch and then we’ll go over to the Bakers’.”

Everyone exited the kitchen, leaving April to pack a lunch for Joel. It felt much too personal, but she shook off the silliness. She’d packed lunches before. It was simply making a ham sandwich with all the vegetables. When she finished, she walked outside and handed Joel the brown bag and thermos.

“Hope you packed coffee.”

His teasing broke down the wall she’d been building. “You wouldn’t choke if it was just water.”

“No, but I’d have to turn in my true-blue cowboy card.”

“Don’t let Todd hear you say that.”

They shared a smile.

“Do you have saddlebags?” April asked. “Vernon’s are just inside the barn doors if you need some.”

Joel shook his head and grinned. “I don’t use those too much when competing.”

The screen slammed. “Whatcha doing out there, Mom?” Todd asked.

“Giving Mr. Joel his lunch.”

“We’re ready, except Cora. She put her shoes on the wrong feet,” Todd explained.

April turned. “Why didn’t you help?”

Todd’s eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. “You want me to do that?”

“I’ve got to go.”

Joel and April traded smiles and went different directions.

* * *

All the other fence posts around the Landerses’ ranch turned out okay. He could tell that place had been well cared for by April’s father-in-law. He also found cattle near a stock pond on the property, and all of the animals looked to be in good shape.

Joel stopped by one of the stock ponds and allowed Spice to drink, then rode her to a spot under a cluster of trees. He dismounted and ground tied Spice, allowing her to graze.

“Now, I’m going to trust you, girl. You’re good in the arena, but we haven’t tried out in the field. If you decide to bolt, I’ll be walking back to the barn.”

Spice nodded her head.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He pulled the lunch bag and thermos from the saddlebags and settled under a tree.

He didn’t want to admit to himself that working this week brought back a lot of good memories of growing up. He saw in April’s boys part of himself. He’d never been patient and had always wanted to learn more. He missed his family and needed to call home soon. Maybe what he needed was a family of his own.

The thought startled him.

The work this week had been satisfying, from plowing the fields to riding these fences, making him nostalgic. His dad would’ve laughed himself silly to know how Joel had enjoyed the work after all the complaining he did as a teen. Who would’ve thought? But there it was. He enjoyed the ranch work. But the most satisfying part of the week had been sharing meals with April and her children. This situation, he reminded himself, was only temporary. Nothing more. But later, he could see himself with a family very similar to this one. He could just envision a child that would look like April, but with his eyes and her determination.

He shook his head. Wow, was the sun getting to him? That had to be it.

* * *

Later that night, after April put the kids to bed, she found Joel outside, sitting on her porch swing. The air still held a nip in it. She shivered. “Are you still okay with coming to church?” She sat next to him on the swing.

“I am.”

She shivered again and thought about going inside for a sweater—or she could scoot closer to Joel’s warmth. She stiffened her spine. She’d only be out here for a couple of minutes. “Sunday school is at nine-thirty, but I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow morning.”

“I don’t have any sort of suit. Is that okay?”

“You got a nice shirt and jeans?”

He nodded.

“That will do. But clean boots are a must.” She felt stupid warning him, but she’d seen more than one man being noticed for dirt and other stuff on his boots.

“My mom would’ve grabbed me by the scruff of my neck if I had dirty boots when we went to church. And Grandma would’ve found her yardstick and educated me.”

A cold breeze kicked up, making her grit her teeth. She glanced at him.

“What?”

“Aren’t you a little cold?” She shivered.

“No.” He patted the place next to him. “Scoot over. I promise to behave myself.”

She didn’t question it, but slid across the slats to sit beside him. He didn’t try to put his arm around her, but left it resting on the back of the swing.

His warmth and closeness drove away the cold and most of her thoughts. “The boys will introduce you around, so no one will criticize your dress. You’ll probably get handshakes and back slaps and lots of questions.”

“Then I’m up for it.”

She wanted to talk to him about more, about other things, but she needed to back off. He’d only be here another day or so. “As long as you’re okay with church, that’s what I wanted to know.”

He went still, as if waiting for her to say something more.

“Good night.”

Later, as she snuggled into her bed, April found herself thinking about Joel and going to church with him and her kids. Just like a real family.

Chapter Eight

T
he moment April parked her truck in the church parking lot, the boys scrambled out of the backseat. “Be careful. Lots of people are arriving.” In the next ten minutes, the parking lot would be two-thirds full.

“Out, Mommy,” Cora demanded.

Joel felt funny about having April drive, but she had the car seats in her truck and it only made sense for them to use her vehicle.

After April released Cora from her car seat, the little girl made a beeline for him and he scooped her up.

Putting down the tailgate, April picked up the padded carry tote that held her cake and rolls inside. She also had a second tote with ham, hot dogs and potato salad. Joel took the strap and slipped it over his free shoulder.

“Lead the way.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded and walked into the church. The boys sauntered beside them, waving and smiling at everyone as if they were stars in a parade.

Once inside the church, a boy the same height and age as Wes pulled him aside. “Who is that?” His whisper qualified as a shout as he pointed at Joel.

“He’s with the rodeo, but Todd and me hired him to help at the ranch.”

The boy’s jaw dropped. It was just the beginning of many questions.

* * *

When April dropped the boys off at their Sunday school classes, they let her know they wanted to go to the big people’s service today instead of children’s church.

Walking away from the first-graders’ room, April turned to Joel. “I’ve volunteered to help with Cora’s class for the first service, but I’ll walk you down to my class and introduce you.”

He stopped. “I’ll be happy to help here.”

April wasn’t sure she heard correctly. “In the two-year-old class?”

“Yes.”

“Uh, I don’t know if Martha will let you help since they don’t know you.”

Martha overheard their exchange. “I’m several helpers down, so if Joel would stand at the window and check in the children, that would help.” She explained the check-in system.

“Sounds great.”

Joel didn’t miss a beat and managed to greet each parent who dropped off a child. By the time they made it to the second service, Joel had been introduced to almost everyone in the church. The pastor’s wife came by where April, Joel and the children sat waiting for the service to begin and introduced herself.

“You plan to stay for our lunch on the ground?” Leslie Martin asked.

“He’s going to be here. Wes and I invited him,” Todd explained.

“Good. I’d love to talk with you, and I know my husband will, too, at the lunch.”

April panicked. She didn’t need the pastor and his wife vetting Joel as if he was a potential suitor. She opened her mouth to protest when someone called out to Leslie.

“Coming.” She smiled at Joel, but something in Leslie’s smile warned they were watching him. “Nice meeting you, and I look forward to our chat.” She hurried off.

April studied her hands.

“It’s okay. I’m not offended.”

Her head jerked up. She wanted to argue with his assumption, but the twinkle in his eye let her know he knew the truth. “They just want me to find someone. They knew the family. This congregation has been there for the kids and me with each death.”

“Good.”

She blushed.

“It’s good to know that your church has been there for you. That’s what church is all about.”

She wanted to ask how he knew, but the singers stepped onto the platform and started a praise chorus. Everyone stood and began to sing. Joel didn’t look at the words on the screen at the front of the auditorium but knew the chorus and encouraged the children to sing, too. Her view of him as just a cowboy blowing with the wind took another hit.

For a moment, she had a taste of what it would be like to be the normal family that she always dreamed about with a mother and father and children.

It hurt.

* * *

Kelly caught April at the dessert table. “He cleans up well for church,” she whispered.

“What?”

“Don’t play dumb.”

April watched as Joel talked to the pastor and David Baker, Kelly’s husband. “I guess he’s okay.”

Kelly studied her friend as if she didn’t understand the words coming out of her mouth. “You’re either blind or kidding yourself. Why, every woman who has a child in Cora’s class gushed about the dreamy cowboy who was checking in the two-year-olds. I would’ve known sooner, but I don’t have any two-year-olds. Just three-, four-and six-year-olds and a soon-to-be newborn.”

“Did you finally tell Dave?”

“I did, but you’re not going to divert me. As I said, your ranch help cleans up well.”

“He’ll do.”

“Oh, you have that denial thing
bad
.” Kelly looked over April’s shoulder at said cowboy.

“Okay, he’s nice looking,” April admitted.

“And he worked in the Sunday school class.” Shaking her head, Kelly hooked arms with April and started toward Joel. “Why don’t we join the conversation instead of hiding behind Wilma Olsen’s potato salad?”

April knew she wouldn’t hear the last of this for a long time.

* * *

Joel recognized an interrogation when he was at the wrong end of it. Pastor Terry Martin and Dave Baker sat across from him. The boys and Cora were at the other end of the long table, laughing and teasing with other children.

“So, what did you do before you were on the rodeo circuit?” the pastor asked.

“I ranched most of my life. My folks owned a ranch west of Fort Worth.”

“And what made you leave it and travel with the rodeo?” Dave asked as he took a bite of the cake April had brought.

He explained about his sister and her husband. “Once they married, they gave me the opportunity to follow my dream. It was a good excuse for me to leave the newlyweds alone. Gramps is still there, but I wanted to leave them alone while they worked out things the first year of married life.”

The light seemed to go on in both men’s heads.

“So you didn’t have an itch to be away from your ranch?” the pastor asked.

He thought about it. “I probably wouldn’t have tried my hand at the championship belt buckle again, but the doors all opened for me.”

“And now?” Dave asked.

“Well, I’m in good shape to compete for that prize, but when the boys hired me for the week, I was glad to help April plant her fields.”

The two men studied him.

Cora walked over to Joel. She raised her arms and he picked her up. Looking across the table, Joel said, “Miss Cora has me trained.”

A silent message passed between the two men.

“Women are like that,” Dave said. “No matter what our plans are, the ladies manage to change our direction.”

Dave’s comment lodged in Joel’s heart like a cocklebur no matter how much he wanted to ignore it. As he looked down into Cora’s precious face, the idea of having his own family—wife and babies—tugged at his heart again. And oddly enough, that family resembled the one he’d spent this past week with.

* * *

April grabbed an apple out of the bowl on her kitchen table and walked out to the fence. Spice stood there as if waiting for someone to notice her.

“Hello, pretty lady.” April offered the horse an apple. “Have you enjoyed your time here on the ranch as much as my boys enjoyed having you and Joel here?”

Spice poked her head over the fence and took several bites of the apple. April stroked the horse’s neck while Spice finished her treat. “I know Wes and Todd have loved these last few days, learning how to take care of the ranch and basking in the attention they’ve received.” But what would they do when Joel left?

That dilemma had kept her up last night. Joel had been so good to the boys. Listened to them, taught them how to care for the ranch and showed them how to keep up the equipment.

He hadn’t ignored them or made the boys feel as if they were imposing on him.

And Cora adored Joel.

April didn’t want to examine her feelings for the man. Spice nudged her with her muzzle. “I don’t have anything else, girl.” April stroked the horse’s neck. Spice reveled in the attention. “And I’m sure he takes good care of you, too, doesn’t he?”

Today had taken on a dreamlike quality. Her boys had showed Joel around like a new toy they’d brought for show-and-tell. And when they got home this afternoon after the lunch, Joel had gone to the barn and fixed a couple of bridles that needed repair. She hadn’t said anything to him, but the man observed things that needed to be done and did them without anyone asking or prompting him to do so. She still couldn’t overcome her awe of the man. He didn’t need to be prodded or directed. He saw a need and worked until it was fixed.

Spice stuck her head beside her.

“So tell me, girl, what do you think of him? It certainly would be helpful if you could voice an opinion.”

Without Spice’s input, she’d just have to make her own judgment. But at this point, she didn’t know what that was.

“So, does Joel take as good care of you as he has the things around here?”

“I hope I do.” Joel’s deep voice came from the gathering darkness.

April’s heart jumped into her throat. How a man his size moved so quietly, she didn’t know. “I’m sure you do, but I thought I’d go straight to the horse’s mouth.”

He laughed and she realized what she’d just said. “And has Spice spilled the beans?”

“She just looks content.” She refused to look at him. “I hope you didn’t mind the grilling you got this afternoon.”

He shrugged. “It just shows that your friends and fellow church members care about you.”

“The first time my in-laws took me to church, I found a home.”

“What about your husband?”

She looked at the ground. “I noticed Ross’s reaction to church but chose to ignore it. I told myself surely I was wrong. I wasn’t.”

He didn’t ask any further questions, for which she was thankful. It had been painfully obvious Ross wasn’t interested in church. He’d found so many excuses to avoid going with them on Sundays. She should’ve known something was wrong, but in the first flush of love, she’d conveniently ignored those little warnings. It didn’t matter, she’d told herself.

It did.

Ross had only gone with them because his parents expected it, but she didn’t doubt when Ross was away on a job, he’d never seen the inside of a church or opened a Bible.

Joel reached out and stroked Spice. “I love the evenings out here in the Panhandle. I didn’t realize how mild the nights are during the summer. At home, we can’t catch a break after dark, when it still remains hot after the sun goes down, but I could learn to love this.”

Like musical notes, his words lifted her soul. “Then why are you on the circuit if you love ranch life so much? It seems inconsistent.”

She sounded like a jerk after his wonderful rendition of spring.

His hand closed over hers. “It seems contradictory, doesn’t it?”

She couldn’t concentrate on what he said. Her mind focused on where his hand surrounded hers. As hard as she tried to understand, her brain had gone on overload. “Uh, yes.”

His gaze locked with hers and he slowly lowered his head toward her.

The screen door slammed, bursting the bubble surrounding them. The boys stood on the porch.

“Could you come inside and say good-night, Mr. Joel, before you leave?”

Saved by a screen door. Her heart beat so hard she thought it would jump out of her chest.

His gaze didn’t move from her face for several moments. He broke the connection and looked at the boys. “Of course I’ll come in and say good-night.” He leaned down and whispered, “I’ll be back.”

April watched as her boys waited on Joel. It stole her breath. They were so eager to have a man’s time and attention. And what would the boys do when Joel was gone? Would they pay the price?

And she had allowed it.

* * *

“So what are you going to do tomorrow?” Wes asked as he settled into bed.

“We’re going to get ready for the rodeo. It takes a lot of work.” Joel sat at the end of Wes’s bed.

“Will you be able to come see us?” Todd asked. He pulled his arms out from under the covers.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to come out here, but you two and your sister and mom will get to see the different events on Friday and Saturday. That’s when all the excitement and fun happens. And when you come, I expect you to bring your lariats and show me your progress.”

The boys sat up and nodded their heads.

“I’ll practice every day after school,” Wes replied.

“Me, too,” Todd promised, lying back down. His face clouded over. “I wish we had another week of vacation.”

Joel pulled the covers up to his chin. “I’ll hold you to that promise, because it will show up in your skill on Friday if you’ve practiced every day.”

Todd picked at his sheet.

Resting his palm on Todd’s head, Joel smiled at the little boy.

Wes scooted under his covers. “We’ll miss you.”

Joel’s heart skipped a beat. “Well, boys, you should be proud of yourselves since you helped your mother. I know she’s proud of you. And I’m honored to have worked for you.”

The mood in the room turned solemn.

“I look forward to seeing you on Friday.” Joel winked.

Todd smiled, but it was the saddest smile Joel had ever witnessed on a young boy. With a final good-night, Joel turned off the light and walked out of the room.

Joel’s mood darkened as he walked outside. He wanted to help April and her family with the ranch and catching up on work around the property, but seeing the sadness in the boys’ faces, Joel didn’t know if he’d done the family any favors.

* * *

When Joel walked out of the house, the teasing romantic attitude he’d gone in with had evaporated, putting a damper on April’s giddiness. What had happened? Had the children said something? Had he responded back? The protective mother bear in her rose up.

“Is everything all right?”

“Fine.” His tone called him a liar.

After several moments of silence, he said, “I’ll load Spice in the trailer and head back to the rodeo.”

The dreamy quality of the night evaporated as she slapped up against reality. She should be grateful he seemed so distant, because if things had continued on the road they were on, disaster would’ve been the only possible ending for them.

BOOK: A Rancher for Their Mom (Rodeo Heroes)
12.58Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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