A Cowboy's Claim. Marin Thomas

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СКАЧАТЬ up to get your horse.” A man walked out from behind a flatbed trailer loaded with leftover hay bales from the rodeo.

      “I had some business to take care of,” she said, refusing to think about Victor abandoning her at the Sweet Dreams Inn. The cab fare he’d left for her was a slap in the face.

      “I’ll get him loaded ASAP.” She walked across the lot, each step pounding into the pavement harder than the previous. She’d never been more humiliated and hurt in her life. When would she learn that rodeo cowboys were all the same? The bigheaded lugs only cared about their next ride.

      She’d been a fool to believe last night had meant anything to Vic. That she’d meant something to him. She hopped into her pickup, then backed up to the corral gate and opened the trailer doors. “Mind if I take a few of those bales off your hands?” It would save her time if she didn’t have to stop at a feed store. Besides, the sooner she left Utah, the better.

      “Take as much as you want. The rest is going to the humane society.” He motioned to Slingshot. “You need help?”

      “No, thanks.” She entered the corral. “C’mon, big guy.” She took his lead rope, surprised when he followed without protest. Once he was secure in his trailer stall and she’d loaded the hay, Tanya took off.

      Moriarty, New Mexico, was ten hours away and she had two days to get there. She’d contacted a mobile-home park weeks ago and received permission to use one of their pads to park the truck and horse trailer. They had public showers, free Wi-Fi, a washateria and, according to the owner, an acre of grass for Slingshot. The daily rate was more than she’d budgeted, but she needed to do her laundry.

      If the camping site was a hellhole, then she’d call one of her stepfather’s friends in the area and ask if she could camp out on their property for a day or two. She was nothing if not organized and she’d mapped out an entire season of rodeos after the first of the year. But the one thing she hadn’t planned on was Victor Vicario taking off on her before she woke up.

      She hadn’t gone to the motel room with him expecting anything to come of their night, but she’d held out hope their time together might turn into a... Relationship wasn’t the right word, because Vic was a loner. Fling maybe? She and Victor were bound to cross paths from time to time the remainder of the summer and she’d hoped they’d become friends—friends with benefits. She hadn’t realized how lonely she’d been since she joined the circuit.

      For the millionth time she went over the events of last night in her head but couldn’t figure out what she’d done or hadn’t done that had caused Vic to bolt without saying goodbye.

      Maybe he was worried you’d make last night out to be more than just sex.

      She couldn’t remember every word they’d whispered to each other in the dark, but she was certain she’d never uttered anything threatening like I love you.

      Her brain told her to move on, but her heart wasn’t ready to give up hope. There had to be a reason he left in a hurry, but they didn’t exchange phone numbers, so she had no way of getting in touch with him. Maybe it was best if they didn’t run into each other for a while. By the time they crossed paths again, she might be ready for his apology.

      * * *

      “THANK YOU FOR getting here as soon as you could, Mr. Vicario,” Renee Leonard said as she searched through the folders on the desk.

      He would have arrived an hour ago if he hadn’t first had to stop by the police station and speak with the cop investigating his mother’s disappearance. Officer Darrel Andrews claimed a neighbor phoned 911 at 10:00 p.m. to report a little boy walking alone in the parking lot. When the cops arrived, they discovered his mother’s apartment door wide-open. There were no signs of a robbery and Officer Andrews believed Vic’s mother might have taken off sometime the day before, but Alex wasn’t talking to anyone. Vic wasn’t surprised his nephew refrained from speaking—the kid must have been terrified at being left alone in the apartment.

      Andrews said he’d be in touch as soon as they had any new information, but considering his mother’s history of drug abuse, it was anyone’s guess what had happened to her. He shouldn’t even think it, but the thought crossed his mind anyway—it was probably better for Alex if his grandmother was never found.

      “Before I have Martha bring Alex into my office,” Renee said, “I wanted to go over a few things with you. Are you considering applying for legal custody of Alex?”

      Legal custody? “No.” Vic had nothing to offer a kid like Alex. He’d step up and do his duty until they found a proper foster home for his nephew but nothing more.

      “Alex is experiencing a lot of different emotions and you shouldn’t take his actions or reactions to you personally. Just let him express himself however he feels comfortable. In a few weeks you need to get him to a therapist who will help him process his feelings. I’m sure he’s wondering where his grandmother is and why she left him.”

      This sounded like a lot more than just babysitting the kid for a short while.

      “If you’re worried about the cost of therapy, the state will cover his sessions. There’s a clinic that works with children right down the street from here.” Renee handed him a business card.

      “Alex’s birthday is September twenty-seventh, which is past the cutoff date to enroll him in kindergarten for the fall. He’ll need to wait one more year before he goes to school. There are lots of pre-K programs he could attend and we can help you find one. It’s important that he socialize with other kids.”

      Renee had no clue what Vic’s life was like or that he was too busy chasing a title to socialize himself. Maybe the woman thought rodeo was Vic’s hobby.

      “These are Alex’s medical records.” She handed Vic the paperwork. “A list of his immunizations. He had a checkup with a pediatrician two days ago and the doctor said there’s no physical reason for Alex not to be speaking.” Renee picked up a kid’s backpack from the floor by her chair and handed it to Vic. “Some clothes, a few books and parenting pamphlets that might be of help.”

      The only thing of use to Vic right now was finding a home for his nephew.

      Renee texted on her phone and a moment later another woman walked into her office. “Martha,” Renee said. “This is Alex’s uncle, Victor Vicario. Victor, Martha is in charge of the group home Alex was placed in.”

      Vic caught the wince Martha tried to conceal when she saw his scar. “I’m sure Renee told you that Alex hasn’t said a word since he was brought to the group home. Several of the children have tried to engage him in conversation, but he ignores them.”

      Poor kid.

      “He doesn’t eat a lot and he’s underweight for his age, so be sure to offer him snacks between meals. He may not tell you he’s hungry, but you should encourage him to eat.”

      “How has he been sleeping?” Renee asked.

      “He hasn’t woken with nightmares. But if he does, just reassure him the best you can. He’s not combative and he doesn’t pick fights with the other kids but...” Martha rubbed her brow.

      “What?” Vic asked.

      “He stares out the window all day yet refuses to go outside and join the other kids in the yard.”

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