Rodeo Reunion (12 page)

“Ah, I get it. So you could be in control.” Sarcasm dripped from Slade's tone.

“Maybe I do like to be in control, but I'm not gonna stand around and watch you hurt Tori. Or Raquel.”

“All I've done is try to get to know my sister and help Raquel and Hunter.”

“Are you staying in Aubrey?”

“To tell you the truth, I'd like to.” Slade lowered his
gaze to the arena floor. “But I don't know what God has in store for me.”

“Tori is here to stay. And so is Rock. Neither one of them needs to get attached to you and then you end up leaving. And Hunter certainly doesn't need to get attached to you. He and Rock have been through enough.”

“I'm aware of that.” His gut twisted. “And that's why I've made a point to keep my relationship on a friends basis. With both of them.”

“See that it stays that way.”

“But there's not much you can do about blood. Tori's my sister and you can't change that.”

“We'll see about that.” Brant turned back toward the stands and left him standing there.

We'll see about that?
There wasn't a thing Brant could do about it. Slade would get to know Tori. They would have a relationship, whether he went back on the road or not.

And with all his caution and all his just-friends talk, Slade wanted to be way more than friends with Raquel.

But Brant's remark knocked Slade back to reality. With his future up in the air, he had no right to pursue Raquel. Not unless he planned to stay in Aubrey and settle down for good. Especially since Raquel and Hunter had already been hurt by Dylan's death.

What's next, Lord?
I still don't know and I'd really like it if You'd let me in on my future.

* * *

The boys lined up together, amazingly clean and spiffy in their red baseball uniforms, with their way-too-good-looking coach in the center for the team picture.

Finally April, their first game, and Raquel's insides wouldn't settle as she and Lacie leaned against the dugout. “How do you know the photographer? She looks familiar.”

“Kendra's a friend from church.” Lacie was all baseball mom with her blond ponytail sticking out of the hole in the back of her cap. “You've probably seen her and her husband, Stetson, at Moms on Main. He's one of the bullfighters at the Cowtown rodeo. We're lucky to get her. She used to work for some big fancy advertising firm in Dallas.”

“How did she go from there to Little League?”

“She went freelance, so she can work her schedule around her kids. Kind of like how you went from an ER nurse to a school nurse. Kids change everything.”

“True.” Though there was more to Raquel's decision.

“So you and Slade seem cozy.”

“I told you, we're just friends.” Raquel cocked her head to the side.

“Hunter told Max that Slade comes to y'all's house for supper on Tuesdays. And I know y'all eat at Moms on Fridays since you've invited us.”

“I got him into this, so I figure I owe him a few cooked meals.” Her stomach tumbled. Nerves over the first game or Lacie's line of questioning? A little of both. “He felt like he owed me for cooking for him. We just kind of fell into a comfortable routine. He's only here for two more months, so we don't have time for anything other than friendship.”

“He's looking pretty comfy in Aubrey.”

“All right, boys, take the field,” Slade called, and the boys scurried to the field as he helped Kendra gather her things and then walked toward the dugout. “Thanks for doing this, Kendra.”

“No problem. I enjoyed it. Hey, that was some ride the other night.”

“Yeah.” Slade folded her camera tripod. “Let me help you get this stuff to your car and then I'd better get to work. Let me know when the pictures are ready.”

“Will do.” Kendra adjusted the strap on her camera and turned toward the parking lot. “Nice to meet you, Raquel.”

“You too.”

Ride? Slade must have gone to the rodeo over the weekend. Brant and Tori had invited Raquel several times, but bulls made her nervous and she couldn't imagine why anyone would want to ride one. She couldn't even stand to watch. If Slade liked attending rodeos, that was just one more reason they were destined to be just friends.

Now, if she could just get her erratic heart to understand that.

Raquel and Lacie settled on the bleachers as the pregame practice started up. The other team's boys were big. Really big.

Oh, Lord, at least let our boys play well, whether they win or lose.

Praying about Little League baseball? But she knew if they lost, and especially if they lost because of bad plays, the boys would be crushed.

A familiar couple with a baby stroller crossed her line of vision. “Brant, Tori, I didn't think y'all would come.”

“I wouldn't miss my favorite nephew's baseball game. Not for anything.” Brant's gaze locked on Slade.

“You promised to be good.” Tori threaded her fingers through Brant's and sat beside Raquel.

“Is she awake?” Raquel peered into the stroller Brant parked by the end of the stands where he sat. Bright eyed, Lorraine looked up and smiled. “Give her to me.”

Brant got Lorraine out of the stroller and passed her down to Raquel.

“What do you think, Lorraine? Your first ball game. That's your cousin, Hunter, in the dugout. Just wait till you see him bat.”

Another familiar couple with a stroller approached. “Mitch, Caitlyn, I didn't know y'all were coming.” Raquel moved her feet so they could sit in front of her.

“We had to see Hunter's first game.” Caitlyn sat down
on the bleachers. “And Mitch wanted to check out this Slade guy.”

Raquel's face heated.

“Hunter talks about him all the time,” Mitch whispered. “I had to come see if he passed muster. Not just anybody can get away with spending time with my favorite single mom.”

“Let me hold that beautiful baby,” Lacie gushed. “No worries. Slade is great. Exactly what Raquel and Hunter need.”

“Excuse me?” Raquel's face steamed. “Hunter is all I need.”

Brant clenched his jaw.

Thankfully, the game got into gear. The opposing team was up to bat first. After what seemed like an eternity, Hunter's team finally got the third out.

In the home team's first inning, some of the boys hit base runs, and some struck out or got tagged before they got to the base. When Hunter came up to the plate, Raquel's insides stilled.

Thwack. Hunter hit the first pitch. The home team cheered and Raquel didn't breathe until he made it safely to first base. But the next batter struck out and Hunter's team had to take the field.

Halfway through the inning, the opposing team hit a grounder and it went straight for Hunter. He bent down with his glove between his legs, but the ball rolled right between his feet.

Raquel closed her eyes. He'd be upset for days about that. The kid in the outfield missed it, too. Several minutes passed before he caught up with the ball and lobbed it back to the field. At least the bases hadn't been loaded and their opponent got only two runs out of it.

“Good try, boys,” Slade called. Even tempered, calm, encouraging—not an ounce of frustration or disappoint
ment in his tone. “Be sure and get down with your glove in the dirt, against the ground, so the ball can't get through.” He squatted to demonstrate.

And her heart warmed toward him again. He really was great with the kids.

The boys ended up losing by four runs. Not bad at all, but Raquel knew exactly how upset they were. Lined up in the dugout, heads down, eyes on the dirt with the parents waiting off to the side.

“This was only our first game.” Slade leaned on a bat. “And yes, we lost, but only by four runs. We learned some things about what we need to work on. All in all, I'm pretty pumped about our team. Baseball is about learning—with every game we play, we learn and develop our skills.

“And in the meantime, a very generous donor offered to buy every boy on the team a burger, fries and a Coke at Moms on Main after each game all season. I already checked with your parents on this, so let's go.”

“Even though we lost?” Hunter piped up.

“Yep. And if we win, you each get an ice-cream sundae, too.”

A cheer rose up from the dugout. She'd have to remember to tell Tori to thank Garrett Steele again. Food always cheered up the male species.

“And while we eat, we'll talk strategy. Everybody in.”

The boys stood, piling their fists on top of Slade's.

“Go team!” they shouted in unison.

Each boy scurried to his waiting family. Hunter hurried to Raquel.

Brant and Tori and Mitch and Caitlyn had already gone. And Raquel was the only one alone. Many of the boys had stepfathers or moms' boyfriends, the result of divorces or, like Hunter and Max, death. But Max and Lacie had Quinn now. While Raquel and Hunter were still alone.

How awesome it would be to have an intact family. A husband. A father. Maybe even more children.

Who was she kidding? Her gaze settled on Slade as he approached. How awesome it would be to have Slade as a husband. As a stepfather for Hunter.

“Did Tori and Brant leave?” The object of her thoughts spoke.

“Yeah, Lorraine was tired.”

“Mom, can Max ride with us?”

“Sure. Just ask his parents.”

Hunter darted off.

Disappointment shone in Slade's eyes. “I was hoping Tori would go to Moms with us.”

“I invited them, but Brant's still being kind of stubborn about things.”

“He checked my records at the hospital. He knows my paternity test is real. I even gave Tori a copy of the will. Lancaster marked out the amount, but that's not the point anyway.”

“Brant knows you're on the up and up.” She closed her eyes. “But he still doesn't trust you. I'm hoping seeing you coach the kids might help.”

“How?”

“You were very patient and encouraging. I have this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by watching them interact with kids.”

“And I passed.”

“With flying colors.”

Every test. The test of her heart. The test of her son. If only he could pass the test of her brother and stay in Aubrey.

But would that test God?

* * *

The team had lost Thursday night, too. But again, it hadn't been a blowout, at least. And Slade had gotten to see Tori and Raquel several times thanks to baseball.

The bronc spun to his right and Slade cleared his mind to focus. The bronc was tough. But Slade was determined to be tougher. He kept his form in perfect rhythm with the horse until the buzzer sounded. He dismounted and landed safely, but the bronc gave a final kick. Too close. Slade dove out of the way and the horse's hoof connected with his right shin.

Pain exploded in his leg as the back of his head slammed into the metal railing surrounding the arena.

White-hot heat blasted through his crown as he collapsed in a heap against the fence. A dark tunnel widened before him, threatening to block his vision.

He blinked several times.

“Ooh,” Quinn summed it up. “That was a brutal blow.”

The pickup men wrangled the bronc to the exit gate. Slade's head throbbed with the pulse of the blaring rock music. Holding his breath, he managed to stand, wobble to the fence and climb out of the arena. His shin was nothing compared to his head. He didn't even hear his score as the paramedics converged on him.

The older man asked him questions about the pain and probed his head wound. Slade could barely concentrate enough to answer and pressed his face into the crook of his arm.

Deep breaths. Push the pain down.
You got this.

No. He didn't. He really didn't.

The medic shone the flashlight in his eyes and that made everything hurt worse. “Your leg's just bruised and you have a grade one concussion.”

His head pounded in agreement. Why had he thought bronc riding was a good idea?

“You're one lucky bronc rider.” The medic turned off the piercing light. “I'll let your wife know you're free to go.”

“I don't have a wife.” He covered his face with his hands, willing the throbbing to stop. It didn't.

A hand touched his shoulder. “I can drive you home.”

Tori.

“You're here.” He moved his hands.

“Of course I'm here. I couldn't let my brother drive himself home after a wreck like that.” Tori grinned. “I'll hog-tie you if I have to.”

“Got any Demerol?”

“Sorry, I'm slap out.” Humor radiated in her tone.

“You were in the stands tonight? Is Brant here?”

“No.” She lowered her voice. “He thinks I'm having dinner with my aunt Loretta.”

From the little he knew of her, he could picture her crossing her fingers behind her back. He grinned. But that hurt, too.

“Are you ready?” Tori helped him stand, supporting his weight with her arm around his waist.

“Past ready.” He tried not to grimace. If they knew how bad he hurt, they might not let him leave.

Tiny. She was absolutely tiny. If he fell, he'd take them both out and squash her flat.

“Tori.” Star caught up with them. “Let Wyatt help.”

“Gladly.” Tori giggled. “He weighs a ton.”

“I'll drive him home in his truck and Star can follow us.” Wyatt opened the lobby door.

“That would be great, but I'll take him home.” Tori dug in her purse for her keys. “And probably stay the night. I'd feel better if he wasn't alone.”

“I'm fine,” Slade mumbled. Why were they talking around him? “I don't need a babysitter.”

“Is Brant here?” Star asked.

“No. He's at home with Lorraine.”

“Will Brant be okay with you taking him home?” Wyatt sounded odd as they exited the coliseum. “And spending the night?”