Barbara Dunlop - A Cowboy Comes Home

But once the barrel-racing event started, he got caught up with the cheering, coming to his feet when Mandy galloped into the arena. She made a very respectable run. Halfway through the competition, and she was in second place.

She joined him sitting in the stands for the last few competitors, leaning up against him as they laughed and cheered. She managed to hang on to third place until the last competitor knocked her to fourth, just out of the money.

Caleb gave her a conciliatory hug, telling her he was sorry.

But she shrugged philosophically. “Easy come, easy go.”

“I’ll spring for a corn dog if it’ll make you feel better,” he offered.

She turned up her nose. “What corn dog? I’m holding out for Rio.”

He pretended to ponder for a moment. “I suppose I could do both.”

“Truly?” She blinked ingenuously up at him.

“Yes,” he told her sincerely. He realized in that moment he’d give her anything she wanted.

“You’re a gentleman, Caleb Terrell,” she cooed, threading her arm through his.

“And, dust notwithstanding-” he pretended to wipe a smudge off her cheek “-you, Mandy Jacobs, are a lady.”

Her face was scrubbed clean of makeup today, and her hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail, but in the sunshine she looked just as beautiful as she had last night. He had trouble tearing his gaze away from her.

Her attention went to the ring. She cheered and gave a shrill whistle as the barrel-race winners received their awards in the middle of the arena.

“You just whistled.” He laughed.

“Bet the girls back in Chicago don’t do that.”

“They don’t eat corn dogs, either.”

“Poor things. They don’t know what they’re missing.”

The team roping had started. Caleb couldn’t help but admire the talent of the cowboys and the rapt attention of well-bred horses. A few of the steers escaped, but most were swiftly roped and released by the cowboys.

“Here we go.” Mandy leaned forward as her brothers lined up in the box. The steer was released, and the men sprang to action, horses hooves thundering, ropes spinning around their heads. Travis took the head, turned the spotted steer, and Seth quickly followed-up with the heels.

The horses stilled, and the flag waved. Their time was five point three seconds, causing Mandy to shout and punch a fist in the air. The time had put them in first place. They released their ropes and tipped their hats to the crowd, acknowledging the cheers.

They shook hands as they rode out of the arena, and Seth playfully knocked off Travis’s hat. One of the clowns retrieved it for him, and the two disappeared from sight around the end of the fence.

Caleb felt another hitch in his chest. His reaction was silly. Even if he did meet his brother after all these years, it wasn’t as if they’d be doing any team roping. Caleb was way too far out of practice. Besides, he was too old to come off a horse.

“Are you hungry?” Mandy asked.

“You don’t seriously want a corn dog.”

“I was thinking a funnel cake. Sprinkled with sugar, please.”

“How on earth do you stay so slim?” Most of the women he knew in Chicago survived on leaf lettuce and bok choy.

“Exercise and clean living,” she answered.

“So, you’re serious?”

“I never joke about funnel cake.”

Caleb shook his head in amazement, coming to his feet. “One funnel cake, coming up. You going to eat the whole thing, or will you share?”

“With you, I guess I could share.”

He gave her a wink and made his way down the worn wooden benches, meeting Travis and Seth at the bottom.

“Nice.” He nodded, shaking each of their hands in congratulations. He checked the board to find them still on top with six competitors left. “Looks like you might finish in the money.”

“Seven-hundred and fifty bucks,” Travis confirmed with a sharp nod. “That’ll pay for the trip.”

“I’m going on a funnel-cake run. Anyone interested?”

“Gads, no,” said Seth. “I don’t know how Mandy eats those things.”

“She’s got a sweet tooth,” said Travis. His level gaze stayed on Caleb for a couple of beats.

Caleb raised his brows. If Travis had something to say, he might as well spit it out.

Seth glanced between the two men.

“You heard anything from Reed?” Travis asked, surprising Caleb.

The question triggered emotions that were close to the surface today, and it took him a second to recover. He shook his head. “Not a word.”

“He still takes first in the steer wrestling every year,” said Travis.

Caleb nodded his acknowledgment but didn’t answer.

But Travis wasn’t finished yet. “Mandy thinks you should talk to him before you sell the ranch.”

The announcer’s voice became more animated over the loudspeaker as the next team of ropers left the box, stirring up a cloud of dust.

“Mandy thinks a lot of things,” said Caleb.

“I’m not sure she’s wrong on this.”

“Well, I can’t talk to him if he’s not here.” Caleb made to leave.

“You can hold off on the sale,” said Travis.

“You’re selling?” asked Seth, an obvious note of incredulity in his voice. “Why on earth would you do that?”

“Yes,” Caleb answered shortly, pivoting in the dust and starting to walk away.

“Whoa,” Seth caught up to him, but Travis, at least, had the good grace to stay behind. “What gives?”

“What gives is that I’m not explaining myself to you and Travis in the middle of a rodeo crowd.”

“Fair enough.” Seth nodded easily, keeping pace. “But what about Reed? He get a say in this?”

“Reed left town, no forwarding address, no phone number.”

“But how can you sell it without him?” Seth paused. “You know, I honestly thought he’d inherit the whole thing.”

Caleb altered his course to angle toward the concession stands. “Well, he didn’t. I did.”

“Not the whole thing.”

“Yes, the whole thing.”

“But-”

“Haven’t a clue,” Caleb preempted the obvious question.

Seth’s tone turned thoughtful. “And that’s why Reed disappeared.”

“I would think so.” They came to the lineup and joined the end.

“Are you getting a funnel cake?” Caleb asked Seth.

“Just keeping you company.”

“Not necessary.”

But Seth didn’t leave. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke up again. “Do you need the money?”

Caleb laughed darkly at that suggestion. “The money’s Reed’s. It’s going to sit in a bank account until he shows his face.”

“And the rush is?”

“Has it occurred to you that this is none of your business?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then, go away.”

“Has it occurred to you that I’m your friend?”

Caleb couldn’t form an answer to that one. He liked and respected Seth, but he was beginning to feel as if he was surrounded by kind, well-meaning, meddlers, pushing him in a direction he didn’t want to go.

“Seriously, Caleb. This is a huge decision.”

“It’s already listed.”

“Unlist it.”

“I don’t want it,” Caleb barked. “I don’t need it. And Reed’s better off without it.” He glared at Seth, while the festival swirled around them, midway rides jangling, children shrieking and the rodeo announcements blaring in the distance.

After a long minute, Seth gave a curt nod of acquiescence. And Caleb turned to the teenager in the paper hat and placed his order.

The trip to Lyndon and the rodeo day over and done with, Mandy and the local vet were working their way through a list of minor injuries and ailments in the ranch’s horses. Midafternoon, they were inside the barn looking at a quarter-horse colt who’d been limping on and off for about a week. The colt’s left fetlock felt warm, and Mandy was worried about infection.

“Mandy?” a whispered voice questioned from behind them, the person obviously being careful not to spook the colt.

Mandy smoothly rose from the colt’s leg and turned to find Robby, one of the young hands, waiting.

“There’s someone on the office phone for you,” he told her quietly. “Danielle something? She’s pretty insistent.”

“I’ll take it,” Mandy agreed, optimism rising within her. “Can you give Dr. Peters a hand while I’m gone, Robby?” She dusted her hands off on her jeans and moved from the stall to the main barn aisle.

The young man set aside his manure fork and took Mandy’s place in the stall.

Anticipation tightened Mandy’s stomach as she paced her way quickly to the small office that sat just inside the main door of the barn.

She closed the door behind her for privacy and picked up the phone. “Danielle?”

“Mandy?”

“It’s me.” Mandy forced herself to sit down on the leather chair with wheels, telling herself to stay calm. “You have news?”

“I do. Enrico found Reed.”

Mandy’s spirit soured. “Yes!” They’d found him. They’d finally found him. “Thank you.”

“Right now, he’s staying at a hotel in Helena.”

“Really?” That information surprised Mandy. “Reed is in Montana?” She’d assumed he was at least still in Colorado.

“The Bearberry Inn. He’s been there a couple of days, but there’s no way of knowing how long he’ll stay.”

“Don’t worry. I’m leaving right away.” Mandy hopped up from the chair, cataloging exactly what she’d have to do to get to the airport, get to Helena and find Reed. When she did, she was cornering him and demanding to know what the heck he thought he was doing.

Okay, maybe she wouldn’t demand. Maybe she’d just ask him. But, first, maybe she’d just hug him. After the past few weeks like he’d had, the man was going to need a hug.

“Call me when you get there,” said Danielle. “And please, please convince him to come home. Whatever it takes.”

“I will,” Mandy promised.

“If we can wrap this up by Wednesday, my life gets a whole lot easier.”

“Uh, okay.” Two days. “I’ll do my best.” Mandy signed off.

As she headed across the yard, toward the house, she remembered the Brazilian deadline was looming. That was obviously the rush. Danielle was going to do everything in her power to get Caleb to Sao Paulo in time to deal with the banking regulators.

That meant there was every chance he’d be gone before Mandy got back. As soon as Reed agreed to return, she’d have to call Danielle. Danielle would obviously call Caleb, and Caleb would have no reason to stay in Colorado, especially if his business depended on him getting to Brazil.

That meant the two brothers might not even see each other. They might not get a chance to talk. And once the crisis was over, things could easily go back to the status quo, Reed here, Caleb there, still estranged from each other.

Mandy trotted up the stairs, across the porch and into the ranch house foyer. Maybe keeping Danielle’s search a secret from Caleb had been the wrong idea. Taking Caleb with her to Helena made much more sense. If he’d come, he’d have to talk to Reed. That would break the ice. And he’d still have time to make it to Brazil. And, afterward, maybe he’d come back.

She pulled off her boots in the front foyer and headed for the second floor, intending to have a quick shower and pack an overnight case.

She warmed to her modified plan. Reed was sure to be happy with Caleb’s honor and generosity. The two brothers could talk in Helena, resolve things and then… Well, the plan got a little fuzzy after that, but at least it was a start.

She stripped of her shirt, peeled off her jeans, discarded her underwear and stepped into a hot shower.

She hadn’t talked to Caleb since they’d returned from Lyndon last night after the rodeo. Seth and Travis had finished in second place, and after a celebratory beer and a round of burgers, she and Caleb had driven back together.

He’d been unusually quiet on the drive, but had kissed her good-night, and he’d told her he was going to miss her overnight. Nothing wrong with that. Everything was fine between them. She could safely broach the subject of Reed.

Perhaps she could do it between kisses. That would be manipulating the situation. But it was for a good cause.

Then again, that was probably a bad idea. She’d go with a straight-up outline of the facts. Caleb liked facts, and the facts were on her side in this.

She dressed, blow-dried her hair, put on a touch of makeup, a pair of clean jeans, a striped T-shirt and a navy blazer. Then she tossed a few clothes into the overnight bag, left a note to her brothers, saying she’d call them when she got to Helena, and jumped into a pickup truck.

The ride to the Terrell ranch took its usual twenty minutes, but it felt much longer. She pulled up to the house, took a very deep, bracing breath and set out to reason with Caleb.

When she knocked, he called out a huffed “come in.”