When the Glitter Fades (Cowboys of Whispering Winds) (3 page)

“I want what’s best for the ranch. Jeremy could be a real asset to us.”

“And what’s the rest of the story.”

Lanie gritted her teeth. Her dad knew her too well. “Jeremy’s taking a hit to his life right now. He’s not handling the repercussions of his injuries very well. For so long, he’s seen his identity as the champion bull-rider, but now that he doesn’t have that he needs to find purpose again, discover what gives him value. Bringing him here can help; I know it can. And, in the process, he’ll let Cody back into his life. I have to believe that.” She pleaded her case, convinced in her heart that it was the right thing to do.

“What if it doesn’t work? What if it backfires, like Jase said, and Cody gets hurt worse?” Her dad pulled up a chair directly in front of her, and sat closely, looking at her solemnly.

“Do you really think Cody could hurt worse than he does now, where his father’s concerned? This isn’t a fly-by-night idea; I’ve been thinking about it for a little while now, since the accident and hearing Mr. Raver might be leaving. I truly believe getting him here would be best for all.”

Her dad sighed and leaned back. If the conversation wasn’t so serious, she’d laugh at the identical posture between Jase and their father. “What makes you think he’d want to come here?”

“He won’t, but I’ll convince him.” She projected more confidence than she felt.

Running his fingers through his hair, Everett sighed. “I don’t know, Lanie. After all he’s done to you and Cody…”

“You’re really thinking about trying to get him here, aren’t you?” Jase accused, straightening up in his seat.

“I’m going to level with you guys.” Lanie watched her dad stand and push the chair backward. “If something doesn’t change, and soon, Whispering Winds could be in real trouble.”

Jase jerked his head back in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“The down economy has hit us hard; we’ve been more fortunate than most that we’re just now feeling the strain.”

“I don’t understand,” Lanie said, confused. “This past summer, the lodge was fully booked almost all season. And horse sales were up. How come none of us kids were told about this?  We’ve been running things; don’t you think we had the right to know?”

“When we met with the accountant, after the second quarter, that’s when we found out. Your mom and I, along with Frank and Vera, decided to see what the summer brought. It was enough to carry over a few more months, but then we’ll have to start lay-offs or selling off land. Possibly both.”  Hearing the lassitude in his tone, for the first time, Lanie noticed the lines spidering out from her dad’s eyes, the touch of grey on the edge of his hairline. 

“How does Jeremy play into this?” Jase asked coolly.

“Stock contracting is a lucrative business that we’ve only dabbled in locally for small events. I’ve been thinking of expanding on it and with Jeremy’s contacts, we’d have a foot in the door to higher dollar contracts. But, like Jase, I’d have serious concerns about bringing him here.”

A picture on one of the bookshelves caught Lanie’s attention. The years had faded the ink, but the smiles still remained. Sitting at a picnic table were her mom and dad, along with Mr. and Mrs. Tyndale.  A six-year-old Jase was also at the table, his hand underneath, sneaking half a burger to Scruffy, his childhood dog. Lanie sat at the edge of the table, braiding flowers into Allie’s hair. A guest had snapped the picture and sent it after they’d returned home. All these years later, it was still on display, a reminder of the close ties between the two families and Whispering Winds.

“Don’t worry on my account,” she assured her father. “Jeremy working here won’t bother me; I’ve moved on with my life.  But dad, if we can help the ranch and Cody by getting Jeremy here, don’t you think we owe it to ourselves to give it a shot?”

“Talk to him. See if he’s even willing and we’ll go from there,” Everett conceded, but kept his gaze trained on Jase, daring him to voice his opposition.

“How soon? If someone can be on standby to get Cody from the bus tomorrow, I can go right after I send him off, or go first thing Saturday.”

“Saturday is fine. Take some time to think about it. If you change your mind, say the word and we’ll never discuss it again.”

“It’ll be fine,” Lanie promised, even as her stomach churned with the thought of facing Jeremy.

She saw her dad glance at his watch. “I’m riding out with Shorty in ten minutes. Don’t forget your mom wants a family dinner tonight.”

Jase and she both nodded, acknowledging they’d be there, then her dad left, leaving them alone in the room together.

“Lan…” Jase started, but she cut him off before he’d finished saying her name.

“Don’t start. I get that you’re my brother and feel responsible for me, but you took it too far back there. You humiliated and insulted me, not just as a person, but as a mother.  That hurt.”

“I don’t want to fight. I’m sorry, okay? You took me by surprise and I overreacted. I’m not happy about it, but if you want to give it a try and genuinely think it’s best for Cody, then I’ll find a way to deal with it.”

Her anger lost its edge.  One good thing about her brother- he wasn’t afraid to admit when he was wrong, making it pretty darn hard to stay mad at him.

“Do you think Whispering Winds is in as deep trouble as dad made it seem?” he asked, worry lines creasing his forehead.

“I don’t know, but he’s aged since the beginning of summer.”

“I noticed that too.” Jase stood, replacing his hat atop his head. “Want to run into town with me?”

“How long are you planning to be there?”

“Few hours tops. I’ll buy you lunch.”

“Sure.” While she was there, she’d stop in and surprise Clay, take her mind off her troubles for a few hours.

“We good?” he asked.

“We’re good.”

The championship was on the line; he was neck and neck in points with Brodie Lizarro and this ride would make or break him
.  Griz was the meanest,
orneriest bull on the circuit, a fact which made him rejoice when he’d drawn his name; the feisty bull was sure to bring him some extra points from his crazed antics.
  Brodie had drawn Dozer, a bull past his prime, about to be retired.  His bucks weren’t as high, his spins non-existent, causing Brodie a lower score for no
other
reason but the luck of the draw.  

Methodically, he wove the braided rope between his fingers, securing his grasp. Nodding his head, he gave the signal and the chute opened. A grin spread across his face as the bull blasted into the arena, twisting for all he was worth. This was that he lived for. The thrill, the excitement, the thunderous roar
of the audience. 
His thighs clenched the beast, his free hand circling in the air. He remained upright, matching the mov
ement of his hips with that of Griz’s.  The buzzer rang loudly. Eight seconds of sheer, unadulterated adrenaline creation were over. 

Applause surged through the crowd. He jumped from the bull, every fiber of his being confident that his score would be enough to win the championship. The cheers and gasps announced the number before he saw it. A rare and virtually unattainable, perfect one-hundred. The championship was his. He pumped his right arm up in victory, throwing his hat to the throng of wild fans roaring in the stands.

Clicking the power button, to turn off the television, Jeremy Travers threw the remote control down in disgust. Last time he’d re-watched his final championship ride, he swore he wouldn’t put himself through that agony; yet, here he was doing it again, not even a week later. He’d erroneously fooled himself into thinking that reliving his glory days would take away from feeling like the complete failure that he was.

The doctors hadn’t minced words when they told him his days of competing were over. More than three months later, his left leg was completely healed, but the right had been so severely broken that it still hadn’t mended. He’d been warned, even once it healed, he’d likely have a slight limp for the rest of his life, because the bone was healing crooked. Bad news for a rodeo cowboy. Maybe if the accident had happened a decade earlier when he was still in his prime, he’d have been better equipped to heal. No, he wouldn’t allow himself to go there.

His world had changed on the day of the accident. He’d lost his career and his girlfriend.  Not that Tara had been a big loss, except for his ego. Breaking up with him as soon as she heard he’d not be able to compete again, while he was still in the hospital, went a long way in easing any pain he’d felt at her loss. A buckle bunny- that’s what she was and he’d known it going into the relationship. She’d been nothing but a warm body in his bed at night. Even then, she hadn’t taken away the loneliness which haunted him.

Thank God he hadn’t lost his son. The split second between the collision and hearing Cody’s cries had produced more fear than he’d ever known.  Guilt was his constant companion. The accident replayed in his mind, constantly searching for errors, how he could have avoided the oncoming car that ran a red light. What could he have done differently to protect his son?  He’d been a chump to think he had the capabilities required of a good father, that if he just tried hard enough, he could atone for the years he’d neglected his son. Cody was better off with his mom and that was that.

Even if it hurt like hell to not see him, not take his calls when he answered.

Eventually Lanie would remarry; he was surprised she hadn’t already. That man would be deserving of her, because someone as special as Lanie wouldn’t make the same mistake of marrying a no-good man like him again.  Her new husband wouldn’t dream of cheating on her. And when she did remarry, her new husband would step-in and be a dad to Cody because his son deserved better than his real father could offer. In the meantime, he’d continue his financial support, making sure Cody never wanted for anything. And he’d have his inheritance, something no one but he knew existed for Cody.

There was a knock at the door. If that was J.T, he had some words for him. How many different ways did he have to tell his friend the jeans endorsement was tabled for the time being? He could barely stand on his own feet for more than a minute, let alone worry about a demanding photo shoot. A man had to have some dignity. He also doubted that a former rodeo champ hobbling on crutches was the virile look the team at Eli Denim was going for when he’d signed the deal with them last spring.

Determined to answer the door without artificial support, he hobbled along the edge of the living room, his shoulder periodically propping him up against the wall. Right about the time he reached the foyer, he clenched his teeth, forcing his mind and body to push past the pain. Reaching the door, he paused before opening it. Man, he hated this feeling. What he wouldn’t give to feel whole again, to move around unencumbered. Frustration mounted and the last thing he wanted was to argue with J.T. about the endorsement deal. He opened the door and froze.

Make that the second to last thing.

“Lanie? What are you doing here?”  He looked around to see if Cody or anyone else was out there waiting. He hadn’t been expecting her. Had he agreed to a visitation?

“Cody’s not with me. You don’t have to worry about seeing your son since I know how much you love his company,” Lanie snapped.

Her surly attitude, mixed with the pain in his leg, raised his hackles. “Not in the mood. What do you want?”

“I have a business proposition for you.”

“Whatever J.T. told you or asked you, forget it.  I’m not doing the Eli Denim deal yet. I don’t know what he hoped to gain by dragging you into it.”  With the hand not supporting him against the wall, he wiped the beads of sweat gathered on his forehead. If he didn’t sit down soon, his leg would give out and he’d land on the floor, taking the last of his remaining pride with it.

“What endorsement?” She shook her head, confused. “I haven’t talked to J.T. since…since you and I split.”

“Fine. Come in.” If J.T. hadn’t sent her, and judging by her expression she was telling the truth, he couldn’t imagine why she was here. They’d not had a single conversation that didn’t involve Cody since the divorce. However, hearing her out would get him in a sitting position sooner than arguing with her to leave.

Turning around, he led the way to the kitchen, wishing for everything Lanie didn’t have to see him like this. Even in extreme discomfort, his breath had caught when he saw her at the door. Straight blonde hair with subtle layers framed her face and he knew it would reach the middle of her back.  In all these years, Lanie had never changed her hair style, but it suited her. No frills, just like her, with an understated beauty which radiated warmth like the beams of light beat down by the afternoon sun. Cobalt blue eyes danced with emotions, emotions he’d once been able to read. She was just as beautiful, if not more so, than the day he’d met her when he was still a rising star on the circuit. The best thing he’d ever had and he’d thrown it away for nothing.