Certified Cowboy (13 page)

Terror gripped Rachel. What if the bull attacked before Johnny could reach her son?

Chapter Ten

Johnny’s pulse ticked violently, but the only way to rescue Kenny was to remain calm. He’d been charged by a bull before and nearly lost his leg and his life. He couldn’t let the animal hurt Kenny.

“You’re doing great, Kenny,” Johnny murmured. “Remember what I told you about animals. They attack if they feel threatened, and we’re not going to let Elvis think we’re out to hurt him.”

“He looks mad,” Kenny whispered.

“It’s his nature. He hasn’t been broken like the horses we’ve been riding.” Johnny moved one foot forward slowly, then another, treading lightly, careful not to make any sudden noise. “In the rodeo, riders are timed to see how long they stay on him, so bucking is his job.”

Kenny trembled. “I’m scared.”

“I know, bud, but I’m not going to let him hurt you.” Johnny edged closer, holding up a calming hand toward Kenny. A couple more feet and he could touch the little boy.

The bull pawed at the ground, then bellowed in attack mode.

Johnny’s lungs tightened as he tried to control his own fear. Behind him, the tension was palpable as Rachel and the boys anxiously watched. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the cameraman recording every second.

Dammit. He couldn’t lose Kenny.

And if that bull hurt him, it would be plastered all over the news. Everyone would see him as a failure, and believe the ranch was too dangerous for their kids.

Then the BBL would be doomed.

Another inch, then another. Time seemed to stand still.

“Please save him,” Rachel whispered.

“It’s okay, Mom,” Kenny said in a hushed voice. “Mr. J. knows bulls.”

The boy’s simple trust humbled Johnny.

“No need to attack,” Johnny murmured to the bull as he watched him paw the ground again. The bull cocked his head sideways and stared straight up at Johnny as if in challenge.

Johnny lifted Kenny from the ground. “We’re going to back up slowly,” he murmured. “Just hang on and we’ll be out of the pen in no time.”

Holding Kenny to his side like a rag doll, he crept backward. Behind him, the hiss of collective breaths being held taunted him. When he reached the fence, Rachel met him, and he lifted the boy over the rails into her arms. Rachel hugged Kenny against her, then he hauled himself up just as the bull charged.

By the time he dropped to the ground, the bull had raced across the pen and was bellowing and kicking dirt.

The boys broke into cheers. “Yay!”

“You saved him!”

“Way to go, Mr. J.!”

Johnny shrugged off their accolades, angling his head away from the cameraman who was snapping pictures of the rescue and the angry bull.

Tears sparkled in Rachel’s eyes as she clutched Kenny to her. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much.”

Johnny nodded, but now the danger was over and his adrenaline was waning, anger set in. The bull should have been secure in the pen. Safety was of utmost importance when working with animals, especially when children were involved.

How in the hell had he gotten out of his stall and into the arena?

A
COLD SWEAT BROKE OUT
over Rachel. She was trembling as she clutched Kenny, desperately trying to erase the horrible images that had seared her mind at the sight of the bull attacking.

“Oh, Kenny, I was so scared. Are you okay, honey?”

Kenny nodded against her, then pulled back, the fear evaporating from his eyes. “I was at first, Mom, but I trusted Mr. J.”

She wanted to trust him, too. And he had saved her son’s life.

Johnny met her gaze, the relief in his eyes mixed with other emotions she couldn’t define. Worry? Anger?

Then he jerked his head toward the counselors. “Take the boys over to brush down the horses. I’ll meet you in a few minutes.”

Kenny wiggled free from her, obviously undaunted and ready to trail the group.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay with me?” Rachel asked. “That was quite a scare.”

“Cowboys are tough, Mom.” Kenny puffed out his cheeks. “I have to help Willie and the others.”

Johnny placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You can’t watch him every minute, Rachel.”

Anger heated her blood. “My job is to keep him safe.”

“He is safe,” Johnny said. “But he also needs to be a kid.”

Rachel glared at him. “I hardly think you’re qualified to tell me how to parent, especially in light of what just happened.”

Hurt flashed briefly in his eyes, and once again, Rachel realized she’d gone too far. Johnny had done nothing but be good to her and her son. So why did she keep striking back?

Because she was afraid of trusting him, of falling for him and getting hurt….

“You’re right,” he said. “I’m sorry. But I do want what’s best for the boys.”

Rachel noticed the reporter watching them with interest and put some distance between her and Johnny.

She hadn’t meant to make a scene. “I’m sorry, Johnny. I…didn’t mean to be harsh. I…I was just upset.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He lowered his voice. “I need to examine that pen. We can’t afford another slip like that.”

He didn’t need to finish the sentence. His silent message echoed in her head—a slip like that could get someone killed.

Remembering the terror she’d felt a few moments before, she watched him go.

“Ms. Simmons?” June made a beeline for her. “That is your name, right?”

Rachel tensed. She wanted to escape, but avoiding the woman would only raise suspicion. “Yes.”

“That was your son, Kenny, right? The little boy who almost got gored by the bull?”

Her choice of words made Rachel’s heart pound anew. “Yes, he’s my son. But I’d appreciate it if you’d leave his picture out of your story.”

June narrowed her eyes. “Why? I’m sure Kenny would like seeing his face on TV.”

Rachel struggled for an answer. “He doesn’t need a reminder of the scary incident on screen. Maybe you should just focus on Johnny and the fact that he was a hero.”

“We do intend to show that he was, but your son—”

“Would be embarrassed in front of his friends.” June frowned, but Rachel continued. “Besides, the investors at the BBL need publicity to build the camp’s reputation.” The wind tossed a strand of hair loose from her ponytail and she tucked it back. “If you show a child in danger, it might give the ranch a bad reputation.”

June raised an eyebrow. “But if safety standards aren’t up to par, shouldn’t parents and professionals working with these groups be informed?”

Gravel crunched behind them and Johnny suddenly appeared. “I can assure you that this was an isolated event,” Johnny said. “And I will personally see to it that safety precautions are rechecked.” He gave Rachel a curious look, and she wondered if he’d overheard the first part of her conversation with June. “In fact, I’m going to have a powwow with the staff and campers and address safety precautions before dinner.”

“What about your neighbor’s concerns?”

Johnny narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“Come on, Mr. Long,” June said. “Rich Copeland has been very vocal in his feelings about the set-up here. He spoke to me personally just yesterday.” She paused to take a breath. “Don’t you think he has a right to be worried about the possibility of troubled boys or one of your employees endangering him or his property?”

“He’s not in danger,” Johnny said curtly. “We screen our staff, and our counselors are responsible for supervising the campers at all times.”

“Then how did that bull get out?”

“I don’t know,” Johnny said in a clipped tone. “But I intend to find out.”

June hesitated, then looked at Robbie. “Okay, that’s a wrap.”

Robbie began packing up his equipment, and June and Robbie headed toward their SUV.

“Thank you for defending the ranch,” Johnny said after the press had left. “But why don’t you want Kenny’s picture in the paper, Rachel?”

Rachel swallowed hard. “Like I told June, he might be embarrassed.”

Disbelief tinged his eyes. “Right.” His clipped tone sounded angry.

“How
did
the bull get loose?” Rachel asked.

Johnny leaned close so as not to be overheard. “One of the boards in the pen was sawed through.” He hesitated. “That neighbor June mentioned, the one who opposed our ranch, my guess is he hired someone to sabotage us in front of the press.”

“Why didn’t you tell her that?”

“If I incriminated Copeland without evidence, the jerk would probably sue me and Brody and shut down our operation, which would play right into his hands.”

Rachel clenched her hands together. That sounded feasible.

But she still couldn’t help but wonder about her ex. Rex had enjoyed tormenting her.

Would Rex sabotage the ranch to the point of endangering his own son just to scare her?

J
OHNNY STRODE AWAY,
irritated that Rachel wouldn’t confide in him and worried about the upcoming rodeo.

If Copeland had hired someone to mess with them, he’d gone too far.

He sent a text to the counselors and ranch foremen to have everyone convene for a meeting before dinner.

Then he climbed in his truck, phoned Brody and filled him in.

“Dammit,” Brody muttered. “I don’t like this. Maybe we should postpone the rodeo?”

“No, then Copeland wins and the boys lose out,” Johnny said.

“You’re right.” Brody grunted. “Maybe I’ll have another talk with him and be able to convince him to leave us alone.”

“I hope it works this time,” Johnny said. “I’ll have a sit-down with the boys, counselors and staff. Hopefully someone saw something and will come forward.”

Brody cleared his throat. “Thanks, keep me posted.”

He disconnected the call, then spent the rest of the afternoon working on the lineup for the rodeo, dropping by the small groups to oversee the practice rounds, and checking security measures. He carefully examined each pen and stall himself to make sure nothing else had been tampered with.

A team of ranch hands roped off areas for the events for the younger children while Kim helped two college counselors organize items for the stick pony rides, cornfield maze, the horseshoe toss, face painting and the other special events.

Another group worked to designate areas for the food vendors, which included a barbecue pit, Brunswick stew booth, cornbread counter, corn on the cob stand, cowboy caviar corner, Tex-Mex bar, along with several others. Other booths would sell souvenirs including cowboy hats, belt buckles, Western clothing, stuffed ponies and posters. Volunteers would hand out the programs, which also included information on the BBL.

Finally, it was meeting time. Johnny whistled to snag the group’s attention.

As he explained about the problems, unease rippled through the room.

“Listen, guys, believe it or not, I was once your age,” Johnny started, trying to address them with respect and understanding but also adopting a no-nonsense approach. “Everyone enjoys a good prank. I was known to pull a few myself.” He hesitated. “But I also did some dumb stuff, which could have gotten someone hurt or worse, killed. If that had happened, I don’t think I could have lived with myself.”

He watched the faces, searching for guilty looks, whispers of a conspiratorial nature, any sign of the culprit in the crowd. But picking out one guilty face in a sea of kids who’d already seen more trouble and heartache in a lifetime that anyone deserved was hard. A lot of them were angry. Had chips on their shoulders. Had learned to lie and fake innocence to cover their butts. Some of them had had no guidance. Some wanted to save themselves from the brunt of a fist. And some were just plain rebellious.

Still, he had to make his point.

He cleared his throat, his tone firm. “But cutting fencing and breaking pens where dangerous animals can escape is serious business. I hope, and pray, that none of you had anything to do with this, but if you did, or if you know who was responsible, please come to me and we’ll talk. We’re here to have fun, but we also want to teach you how to become responsible men.” He paused for effect. “If you work on a ranch or with powerful animals like horses and cattle, or intend to pursue the rodeo circuit, one of the first rules you learn is that safety is a priority. Never underestimate the power of an animal, in the pen, on a riding trail or in a rodeo arena.”

Boys shifted. A few anxious whispers erupted.

“Now let’s review safety precautions and rules for the rodeo events.”

He displayed charts to illustrate his points and spent the next half hour discussing them and answering questions. By the time he finished, he hoped he’d instilled some healthy fear and respect into the crew.

“Remember, respect the animal and he’ll respect you.” Johnny smiled. “Then you’ll respect yourself.”

When he finally finished his talk, he decided to take another ride across the ranch to check things out. Then he’d circle back and walk Rachel and Kenny home.