Her Cowboy Lawman. Pamela Britton

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СКАЧАТЬ heard a lot of good things about Jax Stone,” Bren said. “Been meaning to drive over to his place and introduce myself.”

      “You could do that today,” Kyle said excitedly. “He’s here at the rodeo.”

      “I’m sure Mr. Connelly has more important things to do than meet my brother,” Lauren said gently, forcing a smile.

      “Actually, I don’t.”

      She should have known he’d say that.

      “Mom, pleeeease?” Kyle begged. “Let’s go over there right now, ask him what he thought about my ride.”

      The announcer’s voice grew loud again and they all turned to watch as a steer burst from the chutes, its rider clinging to its back. One jump, two, three. The steer bucked left and then right, the kid never once losing his grip.

      “That’s Pete Hale, one of Bren’s students,” Samson said. “Gonna make it big if he keeps this up.”

      The air horn blew. The boy made it look as if he hopped off a carousel horse. Kyle’s hand found her own. She glanced down, and she saw it then. The hope. The desire. The need to be good at something when he’d only ever been bad at sports. Too short for basketball. Too skinny for football. Perfect for riding steers.

      Don’t ruin this for him.

      She’d been angry about Bren Connelly saying that, but he’d been right. If her son had seen how badly she’d been affected by his ride, he might have realized just how much she didn’t want him riding. He’d give it up for her. He was that kind of kid. Always had been—even before Paul’s death.

      Damn it.

      “All right. Let’s go.”

      “Awesome!” Kyle cried.

Chapter Two

      Nervous mothers.

      They were the bane of a bull rider’s life. His own mom had given up going to rodeos. He suspected Kyle Danners’s mom would be no different. Once she let go of the apron strings, she’d realize it was easier to sit at home and wait for a phone call. Out of sight, out of mind. That’s what his mom used to say.

      “My uncle Jax will love meeting you,” Kyle was saying as they walked around the edge of the rodeo arena. The Via Del Caballo Rodeo Grounds was a small venue compared to Redding’s or Cheyenne’s. They’d used the hillside next to the arena for grandstands, building right into the side of them, and it might be a junior rodeo, but it was still packed. Young and old sat beneath the partly cloudy skies. By the time they made their way through the horses and people milling around the outside of the arena, the steer riding was almost over.

      “Pete Hale is going to win it,” Kyle said, whipping around to face him.

      “Looks that way.”

      “I can’t wait for you to teach me how to ride, too.”

      “Kyle,” Lauren interrupted. “You shouldn’t assume Sheriff Connelly wants you for a student.”

      People watched him walk by, but it was like old home week for him. Usually he spent his time at a rodeo behind the chutes and not in uniform. Half the town seemed to call his name or wave or simply smile. It was a campaign year, which meant every handshake might count for a vote, although in truth he took pride in knowing the names and faces of many Via Del Caballo citizens.

      “Besides, it looks like he probably won’t have time for you.”

      “Actually, I might have time to help him out.”

      “Really?” Kyle cried so loudly a few people glanced in his direction. “Awesome!”

      “Your mom’s right, though. The best thing for you is to learn how to ride. And not just regular riding but how to jump.”

      “What?” Kyle said.

      His mom looked just as perplexed, but she’d stopped at the end of an aisle and he could see a man staring at her, a man a few years younger than he was, which only solidified his earlier assumption that Lauren Danners was at least ten years his junior. Far too young for him, and made to look even younger with her tiny little nose and big hazel eyes. He’d wondered where her husband was.

      “You don’t mean over obstacles, do you?”

      He bit back a smile. “Actually, I do.”

      Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by a man calling out, “Good job, little dude.”

      “Did you see me, Uncle Jax?” Kyle asked with pride on his face. “I did it. I didn’t chicken out.”

      “I saw.”

      They had to bump and nudge their way down the aisle. Someone called out his name again, and Bren waved at them blindly.

      “Jax, this is Bren Connelly,” his sister said, sitting next to her brother, the resemblance startling. They both had dark hair and hazel eyes, but Lauren’s were more green than gold. Looking at them sitting there next to each other, he realized Jax was quite a few years older than his sister.

      “Wait a second,” Jax said. “Brennan Connelly. The bull rider?”

      “One and the same.”

      They shook hands. “Heard a lot about you.”

      “Guesswhatguesswhatguesswhat?” Kyle bounced in his seat.

      “What?” asked Jax.

      “Sheriff Connelly is going to teach me how to ride steers.”

      Jax’s brows lifted in surprise. “You teach steer riding?”

      “Kyle, stop.” Lauren shook her head, shooting both men a look of apology, her long dark hair falling loose around her shoulder. “He has a bad habit of assuming things.”

      “But he said he would.”

      “Actually, what I said was that first you need to learn how to ride.”

      “You said jump,” Kyle said.

      “Which means riding.”

      The rodeo announcer’s voice drowned out the sound of the crowd and they all turned and watched the last rider burst from the chute. The boy threw his arm up in the air and rode for one jump, two and then three. Bren wondered if the kid would cover for eight, but the steer changed directions and the poor boy didn’t stand a chance. In a heartbeat it was all over.

      “Pete won!” Kyle said with youthful enthusiasm tinged by hero worship. “That’s so cool.”

      “Actually, he hasn’t officially won yet. There’s more steer riding tomorrow.”

      People began to stand up. The rodeo announcer thanked everyone for attending. Jax Stone didn’t move.

      “You СКАЧАТЬ