The Bull Rider's Plan

PLAY FOR MONEY. Right. If he and Emma played for money, she’d have to buy the gas instead of him. She was a good player, but she also had the most ridiculous luck. Nobody pulled the fourth jack on the turn up. But Emma did. Len had been good, but Emma was a natural with numbers. She’d gone to college with the hope of becoming an engineer, but had quit after the funeral, settling at home and choosing to work a variety of part-time jobs.

Jess hadn’t really kept up with her, but he’d seen her around town, working in various capacities. Funny how Selma was nuts about her getting married, but hadn’t hounded her about finishing her education. Maybe because she knew, as Jess did, that Emma would finish it when she was ready.

He rolled over in the bunk. Maybe Selma had wanted Emma to get married because it would help ground her while she mourned. It was a dumb idea, but Selma was also mourning, and people didn’t always think straight during rough times.

A good example was him agreeing to let Emma travel with him.

For a while anyway. He didn’t see her lasting for all four weeks of his tour, but if it helped her to get away for a while, then he was game.

The next morning he was up early—well before seven—so when Emma knocked, he’d already showered and the coffee was on. He never ate breakfast on the days that he rode, and he rarely ate lunch, unlike his brother, who was counting protein calories and doing yoga. He settled into his head and waited for his ride, going over it, anticipating every move the animal could make, so that his reaction would be automatic. So far it had worked. He had a decent record, but if there was one certainty in bull riding, it was that there was no certainty.

The same rule kind of applied to Emma.

“You have coffee, right?” She was on the pot in a heartbeat, making Jess glad that he’d left her a cup instead of waiting until she got there to make more. He might have to buy a bigger percolator.

She brought the cup to her lips, her eyes closing as she first inhaled and then drank. “Sweet manna of life.”

“I didn’t know you were a coffee freak.”

She slid into her spot behind the table, resting her elbows on the surface and cupping the mug with both hands. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she said, her full lips tilting up on one side. She really did have an amazing mouth. “Telling me to scram didn’t make you privy to my many secrets.”

He thought about it and had to agree. He didn’t know that much about her. Not the things that she held close anyway.

“What do I need to know?”

Her lips started to twitch in a way he didn’t like, as if she’d just heard a great joke but didn’t want to let him in on the punch line. “What?”

“That jerk Benny Two Feathers just asked me all snide-like if we were shacking up and I told him we were on our honeymoon. That shut him up.”

“Good one, Em.” He let out a breath. It didn’t matter. It really didn’t. And knowing Benny, he fully understood why she’d done that. The guy was a jerk.

He just hoped word didn’t get back to Selma. The last thing he needed was for her to set her sights on him as Emma’s future husband.

Chapter Four (#u8c6fd416-9653-5fb1-809c-169e1165c61e)

“You married Emma Sullivan?”

Jess stopped stretching and turned toward Benny Two Feathers, who was smirking at him, as if being married to Em was a bad thing. “We’re not married.”

“Maybe you should tell Emma that.”

“She was yanking your chain,” Jess said tightly, settling his hands at the belt of his fringed chaps. “Possibly because you were out of line.”

“Hey. I was just curious.”

“Yeah. Well, to satisfy your curiosity, Emma is traveling with me to help with the driving.” Benny’s smirk became more pronounced and Jess had to work to keep his fingers from tightening on his belt. It didn’t matter what Benny thought, even if he did have the biggest mouth around. “Em’s brother died not all that long ago and she just called off her wedding. She wanted some time away to get her head together. I offered to let her ride along.” Kind of. “She doesn’t need you spreading rumors about us on top of everything else.”

“I, uh—”

“She’s my dead best friend’s little sister.” Jess took a step closer to Benny. “And you’d better leave her alone.”

Benny put his chest up, but he didn’t have a lot of fight in his eyes as he said, “I meant no harm.”

“Doesn’t matter what you meant.”

Benny gave a curt nod and took a step back. “I’ll, uh, tell her I’m sorry next time I see her.”

“She’d probably appreciate that.”

Jess went back to his stretching, ignoring Benny as he drifted away. One rumor squelched. And since Benny was a talker, everyone would soon know that Em had called off her wedding and that they weren’t married. The latter was the more important of the two.

“You’re married?”

Jess looked up to see Lara Wynam standing a few yards behind him, her big sorrel barrel horse standing at her shoulder. “I’m not married.”

She shot a frowning look toward the field where the competitors parked, then back at him. “That guy.”

“Benny?”

“Yes. He told me you and Emma were on your honeymoon.”

“He was messing with you.”

She drew in a breath. “I have to admit to being surprised to hear you were married. I’ve never seen you out with Emma.”

“She just called off her real wedding. She’s traveling with me to get away for a while.” Jess wondered how many times he was going to have to retell the story. “The canceled wedding, Len’s death...get the picture?”

“Oh. Poor kid.”

“Yeah. She’s pretty broken up. I needed a driver and this worked out for both of us.”

Lara’s smile brightened and she pushed her shiny dark hair over her shoulder. “Sorry to have jumped you like that. I was...surprised. And I guess it makes sense, since she’s Len’s little sister.”

He and Lara had dated for a while, and he could see where it would be surprising to hear that he was suddenly married. “If you hear anyone asking about my marriage, would you mind setting them straight?”

“I’d be happy to.” She smiled again, the dimple that had once so fascinated him showing beneath the corner of her mouth. “Good luck today.”

“You, too, WW.”

She cocked an eyebrow at the use of her nickname, then turned and led her horse toward the practice arena. Jess watched the sway of fringe across the back of her shirt as she left. Good-looking woman. Center of her own world. They’d parted friends—or as close to being friends as Lara was capable of.

Enough distraction.

He was stretched out; his rope was prepped. The last section of barrel racers was about to begin and after that the bulls would be loaded.