Cathy Mcdavid - The Comeback Cowboy

“This is my friend Reese Carter. She’s engaged t-to…” Adele stammered, then recovered. “She lives on the ranch next door.”

Ty’s chest suddenly constricted, and he cautioned himself not to jump to conclusions. Markton boasted more than one rodeo family; Seven Cedars had more than one neighbor.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, and shook the hand Reese offered. “Are you ladies in the market for horse pellets?”

“We were just killing a little time before going for lunch at the Spotted Horse.”

“They serve food?”

“Surprisingly good food.” Reese smiled brightly.

She sure didn’t look as if she’d grown up on a ranch, not with her high heels and the designer sunglasses propped on her head.

“Well, it was nice running into you.” Adele looked ready to bolt, and clamped on to her friend’s arm. “See you later at the ranch.”

“Would you like to join us for lunch?” Reese asked.

“I’m sure he’s busy.” Adele cut in before Ty could answer.

Because she seemed in such an all-fired hurry to get away from him, he answered, “I’d like that very much. Appreciate the invitation.”

Adele’s mouth, usually lush and pretty, tightened.

Finding her discomfort amusing, Ty followed the ladies to the door and held it open for them. They crossed the street at the corner and went up half a block to the saloon entrance.

Inside, Reese informed the hostess her fiancé would be joining them.

“I’ll show him to your table.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Reese peered past the hostess, her face alight. “Here he comes now.”

Everyone looked over to see a handsome cowboy making his way toward them, his swagger confident.

The same anxiety that had gripped Ty that first day at Cowboy College, the one he thought he’d successfully conquered, returned with a vengeance. Too late, he realized his mistake—he’d misread Adele completely. At the least, he should have asked Reese her fiancé’s name before barging in on her and Adele’s lunch date.

Then he wouldn’t be stuck sitting across the table from the man who had beat him in team and tie-down roping last December, stealing the title of World Champion and the Iron Grip sponsorship deal from him.

EACH BITE OF TY’S Swiss-cheese-and-mushroom burger tasted like paste and sat in his stomach like a lead ball. He couldn’t fault Garth Maitland for his unappetizing meal. The guy had been nothing but decent all during lunch. He always was, even when Ty lost to him at Nationals.

Until then, Ty and Garth had been friendly rivals, getting along well, real well even, when they weren’t competing. Not the same could be said when they were in the arena. Both of them were out to win, and a mutual liking and respect of each other’s abilities went only so far. After losing the title, Ty had kept his distance from Garth. Not because he resented the man; Garth had won fair and square. The problem was Ty’s, who felt he was staring his personal failings square in the face each time he looked at Garth.

The lunch conversation, stilted at first, soon settled into a congenial rhythm, carried mostly by his companions. Ty injected a comment every now and then just to keep anyone from noticing his discomfort.

Except one person did.

“I’m sorry,” Adele whispered under her breath, when Garth and Reese were busy speaking to each other and momentarily ignoring them. “I tried to—”

“Not your fault,” Ty whispered back. They were seated together in the booth, the only positive thing about lunch as far as he was concerned. “It’s okay.”

“Really?” She appeared genuinely distraught.

He flashed his best interview smile, hoping to reassure her. “Really.”

She’d tried to avoid this disaster earlier at the feed store. He had no one to blame but himself.

“What brings you to Cowboy College, Ty?” Reese asked, her demeanor curious but friendly.

Instantly, silence descended on the table. Adele gnawed her lower lip. Garth’s eyebrows raised in curiosity.

Ty got annoyed—with himself and the situation. Okay, he’d lost the world championship title and a profitable sponsorship deal. To the man with whom he’d just eaten lunch. No reason for everyone to act as if he had an incurable disease.

“I apologize if I said something wrong.” Reese looked contrite.

“You didn’t.” Ty gave her credit for not ignoring the sudden tension. “I came to Cowboy College for Adele’s help with my new horse.” The glossed-over explanation sounded better than the truth.

“It was a shame about your other horse,” Garth said sympathetically. “And bad timing.”

“It was. But these things happen.”

“They do. My old partner fell and busted his kneecap last September. He won’t be competing again until this fall, and even that’s iffy.”

“Here’s to this season.” Ty lifted his mug of beer in a toast.

“To this season,” Garth repeated, and lifted his own, a glint in his eyes. He was obviously looking forward to the next time they went up against each other.

Determination surged inside Ty. Residing next door to his rival might have some advantages. At the very least, the constant reminder would help motivate him and keep him focused on his goal.

Reese’s glance traveled from one man to the other. “Is something going here on I don’t get?” Garth chuckled.

Ty wanted to but wasn’t able to let his guard down enough to explain.

The remainder of their meal went well, until it came time to pay the server.

“I’ve got it.” Ty reached for the bill.

“No problem.” Garth beat him to the punch by a scant second. “I already told the waitress lunch was on me.” He signed the slip with a flourish.

“All right. I’ll buy next time.”

“Deal.” Garth grinned, and for a moment they were friends again.

Outside the saloon, they made plans to go their separate ways.

“You need to head back to the ranch right away?” Reese asked Adele.

“If you don’t mind. I’ve got a bunch of work at the office stacked up.”

“It’s Sunday. Don’t you ever take any time off?”

“I just did.”

“You work way too hard,” Reese scolded, and slung an arm around Adele’s shoulders. “Come on, we’ll drive you home.”

“She can ride with me,” Ty offered. He’d assumed Adele had driven herself, or he would have offered earlier.

“You don’t have to,” she answered a little too quickly.

“No problem. I’m going that way.”

“I hate cutting your trip to town short.”

“You’re not. I was just thinking of heading back to the ranch.” In truth, he’d been planning on driving down the road to Little Twister Creek and the fishing spot Stick had mentioned earlier. Noting Adele’s hesitancy, Ty couldn’t help himself and pressed the point, if only to see if she’d rather inconvenience her friends than ride with him.

“Why don’t you come by one day for a visit?” Garth suggested. “Have a look around.”

Ty had seen pictures of Garth’s place in various rodeo publications. It was a roper’s dream. Part of him wanted to go, just to check out the setup and salivate. The other part of him resisted. He would, after all, be walking into the enemy’s camp.

“Thanks. I may take you up on that one day.”

“Bring your horse. When you and Adele have worked out the kinks,” he added.

Ty bristled. With competitiveness, not anger. He recognized a challenge when it was issued, and would like nothing better than to take Hamm over to Garth’s and show him what he could expect to see on the circuit next month.

“I’ll do that. Soon.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“I don’t know about you,” Reese said to Adele with exaggerated weariness, “but I’ve had just about as much testosterone as I can handle in one day.” She looped her arm through Garth’s. “It was really nice meeting you, Ty. And I do hope you’ll come for a visit. With or without your horse. Bye, sweetie.” She blew Adele a kiss. “Call me tomorrow.”