Ryder (Rope 'n Ride Series Book 2) (11 page)

As soon as her father’s black hat had disappeared, Ryder gave her a look. A long, smoldering demand for her attention that she couldn’t deny.

She hurried from the stands and made her way down. The minute she spotted Ryder, she was also in his arms. He yanked her flush against him, gazed into her eyes and kissed her.

Every ounce of resistance she might have still possessed faded like shadows did at dawn. And she put her arms around him and kissed him back with all the fervor in the world.

He worked his warm hand up under her hair to cradle her skull, making her feel delicate and precious and loved.

Loved? No. Lust for sure.

She pulled free and they stared at each other, chests rising and falling as if they’d sprinted a mile in the time it had taken to kiss.

“Good ride, cowboy.”

Amusement tipped the corner of his lips but he narrowed his snapping eyes. “Just good?”

“Yeah, because I’ve seen what else you can do.”

His grin widened as he hovered over her, his lips a scant inch from hers. “And what kind of score do I get for that performance?”

“I’ll need another round out of you before I can decide, but I’ll give you twenty points just for those fine chaps,” she teased, running a forefinger over his shirt buttons all the way to his waistband. The belt holding up his signature chaps emphasized his state of need.

His abs flexed under her touch and he released a throaty noise that puckered her nipples harder than ever. “You’ll get it, Princess.”

Reality jolted her. “Cody’s up soon. I can’t miss it.”

“Gonzales?” He straightened away from her.

“Yes, if I miss it, my father will know I’ve been…distracted.”

Ryder made another noise that sounded like a grunt. She clasped the sides of his leather vest and yanked him against her at the same moment she went on tiptoe. Brushing her lips over his wasn’t enough—not by a longshot.

She left him standing there and hurried to watch Cody’s ride. Her father’s shoulders were tense. “What are you doing down here?” he asked her without glancing away from his rider in the chute.

“Cheering.”

“You’ve never come down here before.” His accusatory tone reminded her of every time he’d ever told her to stay away from rodeo men. She shot a glance at Cody. Did he think she had a thing for the bull rider? Daddy was shooting for a target, all right, but his aim was off.

She wanted to look around for Ryder. Her skin still tingled from the rough scratch of his five o’clock shadow. But she didn’t dare miss the chute opening because her father would ask her opinion about Cody’s shoulder set, his grip, the position of his legs. How a man left the chute often dictated his entire ride.

Cody had it all, though. He moved with every whip and turn just as he’d been shown for weeks on their ranch. But he was no Ryder Calhoun. Everything about Ryder—from his vintage chaps to the crown of his Stetson screamed champion.

From behind her, she heard a deep throat-clearing noise that raised the hairs on her spine. Was he standing right there? She issued a shaky breath just as Cody completed his eight seconds.

That’s not a ride that will beat Ryder’s.
Was it terrible that she hoped it didn’t? Ryder’s run would forever be emblazoned on her mind. Long after they stopped this insane thing they were doing, she’d draw on that memory and recall his strength and skill in everything he did.

She remembered to open her mouth and cheer and clap for Cody as he came off his bull. He did a victory dance that entertained the crowd before falling to one knee in a prayer of thanks.

She knew from the
Rope ‘n Ride
show that the Calhouns all did this in private—together—after the closing events.

She glanced to the side to see them all clustered around Ryder. With only the tip of his hat visible, she had no idea what was going on—until the bodies of two cameramen parted and she was given a look at his straining shoulders and stiff spine.

Oh no. Now what?

His rumbling tone reached her even over the din of cheers for Cody. Then Wynonna and Lane turned and looked straight at her.

Heart dropping, she nearly swallowed her tongue. What was going on?

Before she could think, Cody was standing before her. Without asking first, he took her in his arms and yanked her off her feet. The toes of her boots dangled, and it felt as if every eye in the place was on her.

Please don’t let that be on the rodeo highlights later.

When she pushed away from him and he set her back on her feet, her face burned. Daddy was staring at her, and as soon as they were alone he’d blister her ears for something that was only going on in Cody’s mind.

Then she looked over to see Ryder swiping the camera down and away from him just as he shot off toward the exit.

More than a few Calhouns were looking at her.
Great, now they think even worse of me.

This whole attraction between her and Ryder had to end. She wasn’t strong enough to withstand the Calhouns’ ire, let alone her father’s. She hated drama—did everything in her power to avoid it.

Their non-relationship was like Romeo and Juliet’s, a twisted mess of family intrigue, and going against their wishes wasn’t worth it. Or was it? Being with Ryder was…

Well it felt like standing on a cliff edge, scary and exhilarating at the same time. While she was on the ledge, she never wanted it to end. And like an adrenaline junkie, she would risk almost anything to get back to that spot.

She met Wynonna’s gaze and saw the disgusted curl of her lip before the woman turned away and disappeared with her family. Leaving Joy looking between a beaming Cody Gonzales and her father, who’d gotten his name for more than his bull rides. She wasn’t about to just experience the thunder and lightning but a whole super-storm.

* * * * *

“What the hell’s going on with that woman?” Buck demanded.

When Ryder didn’t respond, he clamped his fingers on his shoulder and forced him around. Ryder had barely held it together back there when Gonzales had locked Joy to him and pulled her off her feet in a victory hug. Only his siblings had kept him corralled like a wild animal. He still felt out of his head, deranged by jealousy.

In the back of his mind, he had a good glimpse of Joy’s feelings when she’d learned about a past lover who’d tried to foist her baby on him or his brother’s teasing that he always had a girl on third base with him.

He was only going so crazy because he liked her so much. And maybe…

Maybe she feels the same.

He blinked at Buck, his mind focused for the first time in several minutes.

“Are you sleeping with Thunder Humphries’ daughter?” Buck asked.

“Do I really need to say it? You know me better than anyone.”

“Hell, Ryder. She’s so off-limits she practically has an armed guard. You’ve heard all the stories, seen the documentaries about him.”

“Yeah.” The word came out as a challenge, which was on par with how he was feeling. He wanted Joy Humphries, and he’d do almost anything to have her. “I have to find her.”

When he pushed by his brother, Buck grabbed him by the arm. They stared at each other. “Look, I can tell you have feelings for her. I’ve never seen you this way—ever. What you do is your business, except when you’re out of control and threatening the crew or doing things that will end this show for us.”

Ryder twisted his arm from Buck’s hold. “I got it.”

Buck snatched his arm back, fingers steely and bruising. “Do you? I need this money, Ryder.”

“What’s so important about money?”

“It’s what money will do for my family.” His voice broke and he let go of his arm, falling back a little. The slump of his shoulders and the look of total despair on his face stopped Ryder dead.

“What’s going on, Buck?”

“The baby…they think something’s wrong with it.”

Ryder shook his head. “But it’s early. No one can tell.”

“Channing’s far enough along that her preliminary numbers came back wrong. The baby could have a defect but we won’t know more until later.”

“Jesus.” Ryder’s throat closed.

Buck pressed his lips together, holding back a dam of emotion. First their father, then their fight for the land, and now a battle for the health of Buck’s child?

“You can have all my earnings. I only need enough to get to the next venue.”

Buck bowed his head, throat working. “Without insurance, who knows what we’re facing. But I can’t take your money, Ryder.” Finding insurance to take this on now would be difficult—if not impossible.

He hooked his brother around the shoulders. “Can and will, dammit. I won’t take no for an answer. And I swear I’ll keep my temper under control. You need this show—we all do.”

Buck met his gaze. “Don’t tell anybody about this. Especially Wynonna or Ma.”

“You got it. Just take care of that family of yours and let me know if I can bear some of the stress for you.”

“There’s actually something you can do,” Buck said.

“Anything. What is it?”

“Take Asher’s hellions off Channing’s hands for the night.”

* * * * *

“Ryder.” The shock wasn’t concealed in Joy’s tone as she came face-to-face-to-face-to-face with Ryder and two little imps hanging off him. The older Franklin girl sat atop his shoulders while the younger one hung upside down, knees hooked over his strong forearm and her long black hair nearly skimming the ground.

“Joy.”

The closing ceremonies had awarded a huge prize to Ryder, and Cody had taken second place. For an hour afterward, she’d had to listen to her father give Cody a pep talk that finally turned to the lecture she’d been expecting. Of course, she’d denied any relations with Cody, and her father had reluctantly let it go.

“This looks…fun.” She couldn’t help but smile at the upside down face and the googly eyes the little girl was making.

He swung the child down and set her on her little pink cowgirl boots. A short tutu stuck straight out from her hips and her unicorn T-shirt had a red blot down it that looked suspiciously like she’d had a cherry snow cone.

Ryder’s intense gaze was on hers. Unsmiling. Joy sobered too.

“We need to talk.”

Both girls watched them.

With a noise in the back of his throat that sounded like tearing, Ryder drew the older child off his shoulders and set her on her feet too. They leaned against Ryder’s legs.

“This is Maddie, and this is Montana.” He pointed from younger to older.

Joy smiled at them. “Nice to meet you. I’m Joy.”

“We know who you are. Uncle Ryder’s been talking about you,” Montana piped up.

Joy blinked.

“Like I said, we need to talk.” He looked around. The fairgrounds weren’t remotely empty yet. People were enjoying the carnival food and a few rides. He twitched his head toward the carousel that Joy had passed earlier, thinking the faces of the animals on the ride were something off a creepy movie.

“Do you girls want to ride the carousel?”

“Yes, yes!” Maddie jumped up and down and Montana bobbed her head so violently that her ponytail, which had slipped to the side, flicked like a horse’s tail.

Ryder’s gaze smoldered beneath the brim of his hat. “Will you come along?” he asked Joy.

Her stomach hollowed out. A stampede of bison couldn’t stand in her way. She nodded, and Ryder rounded up the girls and herded them in the direction of the carousel.

When they passed a booth with balloons and darts, Montana asked if they could play that too. He responded with a “maybe later.” With every step they took and every word he said to the girls, Joy fell more and more for Ryder. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do.

Except make her father happy. At least not as her boyfriend.

Not boyfriend—lover.

Her errant thought sent a ripple of heat through her. They reached the ride and Ryder bought not one ticket but four for each girl. He and Joy helped them choose which animal they wanted to sit on. Maddie chose a defunct-looking horse, kicking her little boots into the bloated sides, and Montana picked a cross-eyed seal balancing a ball on its nose.

As they stepped away and the goofy music began, Ryder passed a hand over his face. “God, how do parents do it?”

She gave a small laugh. “I suppose it’s easier if they belong to you.”

“Do you want kids?” He suddenly turned to her.

“Well yeah. I guess. I’m far from that point, though.” She thought of that Buckle Bunny and how she’d obviously put the cart before the horse with some cowboy. Not that there was anything wrong with it—Joy just wanted the ring and the picket fence first.

“I do. Or I did.” Redness worked upward from his throat.

She put a hand on his arm. Beneath her fingers, his muscles flexed, his flesh warm from the sun. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s Buck. Channing’s expecting, and he told me today something might be wrong with the baby. Numbers coming back wrong or something.”

She knew little of things like that but her heart went out to them. All of them. Such a problem would hurt the entire family.