Crazy For You (2 page)

So many feelings had swept over her when she’d seen him. The sense of joy and relief that he was still alive had been followed by a surge of anger that had set off her hair-trigger temper. Her hand tingled from having struck him. Maybe she shouldn’t have. Maybe she should have hugged him or something and told him she was glad he was back.

But he’d left all of them—Cody, her parents, and her too—when they’d needed him the most.

Tears pushed at the backs of her eyes again. Damn it but she wasn’t going to cry. She’d cried enough over Clint back when she was a teenager and he’d up and disappeared.

She looked at the arena but didn’t really see the calf roping event that was just finishing up. Instead, in her mind she saw Clint and the man he’d grown into.

Tall and lean, he was still clearly muscular beneath his western shirt. His sleeves had been rolled up and his forearms were tanned, his hands looking larger and stronger than she’d remembered.

Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, he filled out his Wrangler jeans now even better than he had before. She would never have thought that possible. There was something about the way a man’s ass looked in a pair of Wranglers, and his had been mighty fine as she’d walked up behind him. His thighs looked large and muscular beneath the tough cotton, too.

She stopped in the middle of the crowd and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath of the smells of rodeo. Dirt, cattle, horses, beer, and concession food.

As she let out her breath, she pictured the confident way Clint had held himself and the strong lines of his jaws. His stubble had been rough beneath her palm, his skin warm when she’d slapped him. His features had hardened some over the years and she wondered if he still had a dimple when he grinned. Did he ever grin anymore? He’d looked like that wasn’t something he did often these days. She’d always loved the cleft in his chin and the warmth of his brown eyes.

Why did he have to look so damned good? But then again he’d always looked good to her, like he was made just for her to appreciate.

She opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and began shouldering her way through the throng again. She passed by a group of buckle bunnies hanging out on one side of the arena, just waiting for some good-looking cowboy champion to come by. Hell, the cowboys didn’t even have to be good-looking. They just had to be winners.

Ella just didn’t “get” the cowboy groupies, but after all these years she’d gotten used to them. A couple of girls she’d known growing up were now buckle bunnies, and all Ella could do was shake her head.

“Ella!” Bethany’s voice rang out over the crowd noise.

Speak of one of the devil-ettes.

Ella fixed a smile on her face. “Hi, Bethany,” she said as she turned to face her old high school friend.

A tall brunette, Bethany wore tiny jean shorts, new red cowgirl boots, a red blouse tied beneath her breasts, baring her midriff, a red western hat, and a sparkling rhinestone-studded belt buckle. Bethany squeezed her way in between a couple of cowboys and then she jogged toward Ella, large breasts bouncing.

“Was that Clint McBride?” Bethany looked breathless as she reached Ella. “I saw you with him and
omigod
but is he even hotter than he was the last time I saw him.”

Ella shrugged. “Yeah. Apparently he’s back.” But who knew how long he’d be here or if he was even going to Prescott?

“Where has he been?” Bethany reached up on her toes and looked over the crowd. “I don’t see him anymore.”

“I don’t know where he’s been or where he’s run off to now.” Ella brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes impatiently. “And frankly, I don’t care.”

Bethany looked at Ella and rolled her eyes. “Bullshit, girl. You had the biggest crush on him. Everyone knew that.”

Ella’s cheeks grew warm again. There was no sense in denying it. “That was a long time ago.”

Bethany gave a shrug of her slender shoulders. “He’s even better looking than he was before. I’d sure love to give him a go-round. Think he’s getting back into rodeo?”

A surge of jealousy came out of nowhere, catching Ella off guard. She didn’t give a damn about Clint, so why would she feel jealous? “I have no idea what he’s doing or if he’s even going to hang around. For all I know he’s going to take off again.”

Bethany grinned. “You still have a thing for him.”

Ella ground her teeth. “I don’t have a
thing
for that—that—” She couldn’t think of what she wanted to say. Jerk? Ass?

With a laugh, Bethany shook her head. “You’ve always been as easy to read as a book, honey.”

Ella took in a deep breath. “I’ve got to go. Johnny is going to be riding soon and I don’t want to miss it.”

“You know that boy’s in love with you.” Bethany put her hand on one hip. “He’d be jealous as hell if he knew you’d been talking to Clint.”

“What is it with everyone?” Ella nearly stomped her boot. “Johnny Parker and I have been friends since we were kids. That’s it.” Ella scowled. “And the last thing anyone would be jealous of is me talking to Clint.”

“Uh-huh.” Bethany smirked. “Just keep telling yourself that.”

“I’ve really got to go.” Ella gave a strained smile. “See you later,” she added before she turned and strode away.

The moment she left Bethany, Ella’s thoughts went straight back to Clint. Damn him, anyway. She’d probably never see him again which was just fine with her. Right?

Why in the hell had he come back to Prescott? Clint shook his head as he drove the rented black Mustang toward town. No, he wasn’t even sure why he was here.

In the trunk of the car were the only possessions he’d brought with him from his life away from the States. Everything he now owned was crammed inside a large backpack made for long expeditions. The pack was like the one he’d used to hike through country after country, but had replaced long ago.

Every now and then the full moon broke through the clouds and caressed the land with an eerie silver glow making all that was around him seem somewhat surreal.

He hadn’t planned on coming back. He’d landed in Phoenix with a four-hour layover before his connecting flight to Montana. The next thing he’d known, he’d found himself at the Cave Creek Rodeo after seeing an advertisement in the local news that he’d been reading on his iPad in the airport. He hadn’t been to a rodeo since he’d left the States. He’d rented the Mustang and had driven straight to the rodeo grounds, knowing he had plenty of time before his flight to Montana.

But seeing Walt and Ella had made him realize he needed to return home, even if it was only long enough to see his brother. To say Cody wasn’t going to be happy was more than an understatement. His younger brother had always had something of a temper when it came to the two of them and Clint had a feeling this would top anything Clint had done in the past to piss off his brother.

Clint pulled the Mustang over to the side of the lonely road and parked on the shoulder, letting the motor run. He sat for a moment, surveying the landscape as moonlight again illuminated the land.

Deep in thought, he opened the driver’s side door and climbed out of the powerful car, the engine rumbling in the night.

He sucked in a lungful of air, breathing in the clean scent. There was nothing like the smell of home. He’d forgotten just how sweet it was. A cool breeze brushed his skin and a sea of grass on the other side of a barbed wire fence ruffled in the moonlight.

Clint knelt and grasped a handful of soil then let it slip through his fingers. It was a tangible feeling of home that he felt straight to his soul. Damn, but he’d missed this place, more than he’d ever realized.

He straightened, brushing his hands together to get the dust off as he stood. He hooked his thumbs in his pockets and let his gaze drift over the land.

Home.

He was home.

The feeling building inside him was surprising. He hadn’t expected it to feel so good to be back.

But was this where he belonged?

He’d learned to slow down and wonder at life with his senses. Life was about the little things, the connections, not money and fame. There was a time that he and Bucky had thought only money and fame were important.

Clint knew the truth now. Life and living it to the fullest, and not taking anything for granted were truly the things that were important.

But by leaving behind everything he’d ever known, had he forsaken all that meant anything at all?

The truth hit him hard. Truth that he’d been denying for years. Forsaking everything was exactly what he’d done.

He climbed back into the Mustang, shifted the vehicle into first gear, and pulled onto the road. He mulled over the past years and the lessons he’d thought he’d learned. Before he knew it, he’d reached town.

Memories came to him, one after another, as he passed businesses where he’d hung out before he left. His favorite steakhouse; the Highlander, a pool hall he’d gone to every Friday night; the barbershop; a pizza joint; and other places he’d frequented over the years. The Johnson family had owned most everything, and Clint wondered if that was still true.

There’d been a lot of changes from what he could see. A bakery called Sweet Things had replaced what had been a drugstore where the locals had still been able to get an old-fashioned milkshake. A new restaurant called the Hummingbird was near an equally new convenience store, and next to the Hummingbird, where the Chuck Wagon had once been, was what looked to be an upscale bar called Nectars.

The streets were deserted as he drove through town, the cloudy, dark night reflecting the direction his mood had turned. It was after two a.m. and even the bars were closed. He drove past a place called Jo-Jo’s that looked nicer than the bars where he’d hung out during his rowdy past.

A lot of good memories passed through his mind. Growing up in this part of the country on the ranch with his brother, Cody; participating in 4-H activities; spending time with friends he’d grown up with from the time he was just a kid until he’d graduated from high school; the mischief he and Bucky had gotten into; and of course, rodeo. Rodeo had been his life.

All were good memories he didn’t think he deserved. Not when he’d left the way he had and not when lives had been torn apart thanks to Bucky’s accident.

Clint’s head ached and he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. He needed to check into a motel before he got too tired to drive.

Like it had so many times since earlier today at the rodeo in Cave Creek, his mind turned to Ella. To say that she’d matured over the past seven years was an understatement. She was so damned pretty. Smooth, beautiful skin, big blue eyes that flashed with fire when she was mad, and a cute, curvy figure.

He could almost taste her as he kissed her full lips and could almost feel her firm flesh as he ran his palms over the contours of her body. Her hair would feel silky to his touch as he slid his fingers through the soft strands.

“Dammit.” He smacked his hand hard against the steering wheel as the car rumbled through town. He had no business thinking of Ella in that way. No business at all. Hell, she was so much younger than him. He’d known her since she was a toddler when he used to buy her cherry lollipops, her favorite until she grew older and thought she was too big for lollipops.

He rubbed his jaw where she’d slapped him earlier today and he could almost feel the imprint of her hand and the sting of her palm against his cheek. She’d packed some power behind her slap and he knew he deserved more than that.

But he’d seen a depth of caring that her anger hadn’t been able to hide. She was genuinely angry with him for leaving, not just for her brother’s death. Clint had loved the Fisher family as if they’d been his own. But once Bucky died, Clint had known he would have only served as a reminder to her family of what they’d lost. Their own son.

As he passed an auto shop, Clint’s mind turned to the old muscle car that he’d worked on with his dad up until he’d passed on. Working on that GTO had forged a bond between them that nothing else could have. It had also helped heal their hearts when Mom had died.

Clint wondered where the old GTO was now. Had Cody fixed it up, maybe sold it? The thought of the car being gone sat heavy in Clint’s gut. But that had been a part of his life he’d shoved aside, just like everything else.

He dragged his hand down his face. Maybe he shouldn’t have stayed away so long. Or maybe he shouldn’t have come back.

An older motel came into sight as he drove. He was so tired he didn’t care where he stayed at that point. He pulled into the parking lot, up to the front entrance, and parked the car in an empty space. For a long moment he sat in the car, his hand on the steering wheel as he stared out into the night.

He shook his head and climbed out of the Mustang, locked it, and headed into the small lobby of the motel.

A young brunette with almond-shaped brown eyes came out from the back and she gave him a smile. “Hi.” She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. “I know you.” She tapped her finger to her lips and then her smile brightened. “Clint. You’re Clint McBride.”

He nodded. “You look familiar…”

“I was sixteen the last time you saw me and I’ve cut my hair and grown some since then.” She laughed and held out her hand. “I’m Ella Fisher’s best friend, Cara.”

“That’s right.” He squeezed her hand before releasing it. “Hi, Cara.”

“I take it you need a room.” She started typing on a computer. “A king or a double queen?”

He leaned one arm on the countertop. “A king is fine.”

“You’ve got it.” Her fingers raced over the computer keyboard. After she took his credit card for incidentals, she swiped a keycard for him and handed it to him with a map and pointed to a location on it. “Your room is right here.”

“Great.” He took the keycard and the map and gave her a quick smile. “Nice to see you, Cara.”

“Right back atcha.” She gave him a little wave as he turned and walked out into the night.

Two days after the rodeo and Ella couldn’t get Clint off her mind. Where was he? Had he bothered to come back to Prescott? Or had he gone on his way? Wherever that might be.