The Rodeo Rider (Harlequin American Romance) Page 2

  Filling the awkward silence that followed, Beth laughed and placed her hand on her friend’s arm. “She’s a city girl, Tanner. She’s not used to cowboys like you.”

  “You’ve known each other long?” he asked, focusing on Beth.

  “We met in the hospital when we were twelve. I was there with a bad case of poison oak, and she was—”

  The blonde shook her head. “We learned we lived near each other and became best friends.”

  “A city girl, huh?” he asked, as if it surprised him.

  Beth nodded. “An attorney, as a matter-of-fact.”

  “Beth…” her friend began warningly.

  “Well, now, I guess that leaves me out. I’m just a simple country boy who doesn’t know much about highfalutin city girls, let alone a classy lady lawyer.”

  He’d meant it as compliment, but it hadn’t come out that way. Maybe it had been more of a reminder to himself not to get involved with her or anyone else. But when he stood and looked down at her, their gazes collided.

  “So city girls aren’t your thing,” she said. “I guess that makes us even.”

  As an attorney, she was probably accustomed to winning in a battle of wits, but he wasn’t the dumb cowboy she might think he was. She’d thrown down the gauntlet, and he wasn’t going to let her win this one. “I guess it does,” he replied. “Give me a country girl anytime. One who knows a horse’s backside from its front.”

  Jules smiled, showing white, even teeth, and a dimple. Devastating. Wicked. “Oh, I know the difference,” she said.

  Her voice was so low it was husky, and it rippled through him to settle well below where it should have.

  She was good. It was tempting to stay and continue their duel, but he was afraid he’d say something he’d regret later. “Guess we’re even again” was all he said.

  She nodded.

  Touching his finger to the brim of his hat, he turned to Beth. “Ladies, it’s been a real…interesting time.”

  “You’re not leaving, are you?” Beth asked.

  He got to his feet. “Afraid I have to. It’s a long drive back, and a full day waiting tomorrow.”

  After they both bid him good night, he almost regretted leaving them. But he quickly reminded himself that he’d have the blonde out of his head before he reached home. She wasn’t his type. Her neat, white shirt and pants told him she was definitely out of his league. She looked like money. What would a rough-and-rowdy cowboy like him, who spent half his life on the back of a horse, do with a woman like her?

  It didn’t take much imagination to answer that question.

  JULES WATCHED the cowboy walk away. Wide shoulders stretched the cotton of his shirt tight across his broad back. She could see the muscles move with each step he took. But it was the swagger in his walk that drew her attention to the finest backside she’d ever seen.

  “Nice view, isn’t it?” Beth asked.

  “What?” Jules blinked and turned to stare at her friend.

  Beth laughed. “Back to earth, Jules. It’s obvious.”

  Jules suspected it would be wise to ignore the remark. Beth knew her inside out. They’d been friends too long to try to deny an interest. But her little word war with Tanner O’Brien had started her heart pumping, and she couldn’t stop herself. “And just what do you mean by that?”

  “Oh, just that spark between you two.”

  “He has a quick mind,” Jules replied. “That’s all.”

  “That’s all?” Beth echoed, leaning back in her chair. “You keep yourself holed up in that law office too much. You need to get out more. And what’s with you, anyway? It’s not like you to be so…”

  Jules grinned, knowing she had taken advantage of the situation. “Rude? Sorry, but the temptation was too strong.”

  Her smile faded, and she stared into her drink. She couldn’t be attracted to anyone. Not now. There were too many other things she needed to deal with. Her fear of riding was only one of them. She couldn’t let a good-looking cowboy distract her.

  And Beth would never let her live it down if she knew how that cowboy had pulled at something deep inside her.

  When Jules looked up again, hoping she hadn’t given herself away, she noted a thoughtful expression on her friend’s face.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Tanner so…” Beth shrugged and frowned. “He’s always a perfect gentleman.”

  Jules laughed. “Okay, I surrender. He seemed nice, and I shouldn’t have goaded him. Chalk it up to too many hours in the courtroom.”

  Beth was silent for a moment, and then leaned forward. “When are you going to relax and have fun?”

  “When I find something relaxing,” Jules replied.

  “And Tanner and that drawl aren’t it?” Beth shook her head and sighed. “Hon, you do have a problem.”

  Jules forced herself not to search the room for the object of their conversation. The instant she’d looked into those blue eyes at the arena, her blood had felt like warm honey pouring through her veins, slow and golden. She wasn’t accustomed to reacting like that to any man. She had never been swayed by anything as simple as cute buns or broad shoulders. Or a sexy drawl accompanied by an equally sexy grin. Even as a girl, she had never been boy-crazy. Horses and hunter-jumping had been her life—until she was twelve years old. When her mount had balked at a jump and everything changed in a blink of the eye. Two weeks in a coma and months of speech therapy had made her look at life differently. Law and the children the law touched were her life now, but she was at a crossroads, even where those were concerned.

  “More than you know, Beth. But that’s why I’m here. You’ve always been the one to help me see things more clearly.” By the time Beth’s wedding was over and her month of vacation was up, Jules hoped to return home feeling renewed.

  “I’ll do whatever I can,” Beth said.

  The face of fourteen-year-old Joey Martin drifted into Jules’s mind. She blamed herself and the system for what had happened to Joey, and she wanted somehow to make up for it. She just wasn’t sure she could. Beth knew that. They had spent an endless amount of time on the phone talking about it.

  “To be honest, working on cases in court every day and being a child advocate during my spare time is exhausting. If it wasn’t for your wedding and this vacation…I hate to be gone from my work. I know how much I’m needed, but I don’t want to burn out. At the rate I’ve been going, I’m afraid that’s what will happen.”

  “And you insisted we go to a rodeo?” Beth asked. “That can’t be relaxing, considering.”

  “It will be, I hope, if I can come to terms with my fear of riding. I can’t help others overcome their fears if I can’t get past my own, especially when theirs are so much worse.”

  Beth didn’t comment, just shifted her gaze to Tanner O’Brien.

  “Oh, no, Beth,” Jules warned, knowing exactly what her friend was thinking. “Don’t get any ideas.”

  Beth turned back. “You’re right. I just want to see you happy, that’s all. You need to get out and have some fun, meet new…people.”

  Jules had to laugh. “Now I know why you invited me to Oklahoma when I said I needed a break. Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.”

  “I don’t know, Jules,” Beth said, looking completely unconvinced. “Like your parents, you’ve been giving to others for a long time. Maybe it’s time to think of yourself.”

  A bone-weary tiredness swept over Jules. She knew she might be facing a major career decision. Because of Joey, she had become disillusioned. She wasn’t sure anymore if she could handle both her career and her volunteer work. She’d hoped that getting away from it would help with a decision and also give her time to work on facing her fear.

  “Can we leave now?” she asked, pushing her half-finished drink aside. She hoped they wouldn’t run into the cowboy again. When that hat had landed at her feet, something strange had happened. She’d begun to feel things she’d never felt before. Whatever they were, she didn’t want to deal
with them. She had enough to think about.

  And a blue-eyed cowboy to forget.

  Beth gathered her purse and stood. “It is late, and I don’t have the luxury of sleeping in tomorrow. I’m on emergency call until Friday for Doc Waters. With my luck, somebody’s dog will chew up a rope and swallow it.”

  “Dr. Anders,” someone called out as they walked toward the door.

  “Go on,” Beth told Jules. “I’ll meet you at the car.”

  Jules nodded and continued on. Stepping outside into the balmy summer night, she worked her way through the jammed parking lot toward the car. Suddenly, she noticed a certain bronc rider arguing with a teenager who bore a striking resemblance to him. The boy, who looked about fourteen or fifteen, stood with his fists balled on his hips and his chin jutting out. Their voices rose in the darkness, but Jules couldn’t make out what they were saying. When Tanner O’Brien reached out, the teenager threw up his hands and backed away. Jules wondered if she should ignore them or see if she could help. Considering what had happened with Joey Martin, although one had nothing to do with the other, minding her own business might be the wisest course.

  TANNER FACED Shawn under the bluish lighting in the parking lot. He hated being the bad guy, but the situation with his nephew was getting out of hand. If he didn’t find a way to deal with it soon, he’d lose Shawn the same way he’d lost Shawn’s daddy.

  He drew in a breath of the humid, night air. “You were supposed to get a ride home, Shawn.”

  The boy crossed his arms and glared at his uncle. “I don’t see you gettin’ in early.”

  Shawn was right. But it didn’t excuse the fourteen-year-old standing in front of him, ready to do battle.

  Tanner had promised himself he wouldn’t lose his temper, something hard to stick to lately. “I’m an adult, Shawn. That gives me the right to set my own hours. But that’s not the point. You told me you had a ride back home after the rodeo. Why are you still here?”

  Even Shawn’s shrug was antagonistic. “Just hanging out with my friends.”

  It wasn’t so much what Shawn said as it was his attitude that riled Tanner. “And all of them are at least three years older than you. Why don’t you hang out with someone your own age?”

  With narrowed eyes, Shawn’s lip curled in contempt. “They’re kids.”

  And so are you, Tanner wanted to say, but he mentally counted to five, instead. “I guess you can’t be trusted to get home when you’re supposed to. No more rodeos until I see some responsibility.” He stood watching the boy, expecting an explosion.

  One young shoulder raised and lowered. “Whatever.” Shawn dropped his hands to his sides and walked in the opposite direction of Tanner’s pickup.

  “Get in my truck,” Tanner called to him. When the boy didn’t slow his steps, Tanner went after him and took hold of his arm.

  Shawn spun around. “I’d rather walk,” he growled, trying to pull away.

  “Excuse me.”

  Tanner turned at the sound of the soft voice behind him. Jules Vandeveer was standing a few feet away. “This isn’t your concern,” he replied as politely as he could, and turned back to his nephew.

  Her voice, still quiet and calm, reached out in the darkness beyond the lights. “You’re right, it isn’t, but maybe I can help.”

  Tanner reluctantly released his nephew, expecting him to take off. Instead, Shawn retreated a few steps and stopped, watching them. Tanner took a deep breath and faced Jules. “I don’t know why I should listen to a woman who thinks I’m a horse’s—”

  “I apologize. Truly,” Jules said, cutting him off. “I was very rude, and I’m sorry.”

  The anger drained from Tanner at the sincerity in her voice, the caring he saw in her eyes, until he reminded himself she was butting in where she didn’t belong. “I can handle this.”

  She drew closer. “I’ve seen hundreds of kids go through the court system,” she said, “and I work with those who have slipped through the cracks. There are better ways to handle problems than arguing. And better places to do it than a tavern parking lot.”

  “Now, hold on.” Tanner planted his feet in the gravel of the lot and stared down into her eyes. “I’m trying to get him into the truck so we can go home. If he’d done what he should have—”

  “Try talking to him.”

  Tanner opened his mouth to tell her he’d been trying to do exactly that. Instead, he shut it, his anger gone, replaced by something that was close to admiration. She was gutsy enough to stand up to him. But hadn’t he realized that earlier?

  She laid a hand on his arm, and he felt a warmth go through him like a shot of whiskey before she jerked her hand away. Apparently she’d felt something, too.

  “You’re upset,” she said in that same, smooth voice. “Let me talk to him.”

  Too busy trying to figure out his reaction to her touch, Tanner nodded. He watched her approach Shawn and heard her lowered voice as she spoke to the boy. Tanner shook his head, amazed to see Shawn nodding at whatever she was saying. Lately, agreement from Shawn was rare. Tanner was even more surprised when his nephew walked to the pickup and got in it without an argument.

  “He’ll be okay,” Jules said when she returned. Her lips curved into a smile. “Try talking to him tomorrow when you’re both calmer.”

  The warmth of her smile muddled his mind. And it wasn’t from the one beer he’d shared with Dusty. The woman had an intoxicating effect on him that he couldn’t seem to shake.

  “What did you say to him?”

  She shrugged and glanced toward his pickup, where Shawn waited. “I told him that it’s late and we’re all tired. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day to discuss things.”

  “That’s it?” he asked.

  Her smile was sweet but tired as she nodded, then turned away. He watched her walk to a late-model sedan, knowing he was a fool for letting her distract him. Shawn and qualifying for National Finals Rodeo were his only concerns. But he hadn’t counted on meeting a woman like her. He was sorry he probably wouldn’t see her again.

  Chapter Two

  Jules regarded the opulence of the Grand Ballroom in Oklahoma City’s Waterford Hotel, then reached for a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. She turned to Beth. “This is beautiful. I’m glad you invited me. I’m finally beginning to feel like I’m on vacation.”

  “I wish I weren’t so busy,” Beth answered with a regretful smile. “As soon as Doc Waters gets back, we can spend more time together and have a real vacation.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Just getting away from everything is good.” Taking a sip of her drink, Jules wrinkled her nose at the bubbles and surveyed the crowd. Strains of music from a small orchestra drifted softly throughout the room, while an occasional peal of feminine laughter could be heard above the buzz of conversation. “I didn’t know you traveled in such impressive social circles.”

  Beth tipped her head back and laughed. “Thank Michael for that. Being the soon-to-be-wife of a professor does have its perks. Now that Oklahoma State has opened a campus here in Oklahoma City, things are really happening.” Leaning closer to Jules, she lowered her voice. “Everyone is nice, but still, I’m glad you’re here to share it with me.”

  Even though she didn’t know anyone, Jules enjoyed watching the people. Jewels sparkled and dresses shimmered. Having grown up in a home considered wealthy, she was aware of the power of money and pleased to know this was a fund-raising event for the local arts council. Her parents, who had always been known for their philanthropy, would be happy to learn she was attending something worthy.

  “Where is Michael, anyway?” she asked, still perusing the room.

  Beth craned her neck to search. “He’s here somewhere.” She chuckled and shook her head. “He probably bumped into someone and is deep in conversation, while the two of us stand here like a couple of lost souls.”

  Seeing a group in obviously expensive, custom-tailored tuxedos, Jules scanned the knot of men for Beth’s fian
cé. The back of one particular figure caught her attention and she gave a small, involuntary gasp.

  “Is something wrong?” Beth asked.

  Jules shook her head and silently laughed at herself. Of course it wasn’t who she imagined. How ridiculous! But the resemblance was uncanny. Her gaze took in the black hair and traveled down the wide expanse of exquisitely tailored broad shoulders. Lowering her blatant scrutiny, she checked out his shoes. Black, shiny patent leather. Not cowboy boots. Not even close. She breathed a sigh of relief.

  “I just thought that man over there was—”

  He turned around, causing Jules to swallow a second gasp. What was Tanner O’Brien doing at an arts council fund-raiser? And looking so magnificent?

  Slipping her arm through Beth’s, she turned her in the opposite direction and led her away. “Maybe we should look for Michael.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Wrong?” she asked, doing her best to look and sound innocent. “There’s nothing wrong at all. I just think we should find Michael.”

  “But you said something about a man.” Beth started to turn back in the direction they’d come from.

  “Oh, yes, well…” Jules steered her through the maze of people in the ballroom. Hoping they’d gone far enough to lose themselves in the crowd, she stopped and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, while she scolded herself for being so silly. Tanner O’Brien was nothing to be afraid of. She needn’t go running off at the mere sight of him like a schoolgirl with a crush.

  “Evening, ladies.”

  Jules swung around at the sound of the smooth drawl and found herself gazing into a pair of ice-blue eyes. Eyes she thought she’d be safe from encountering again so soon, if at all.