Taming a Texas Rascal (Bad Boy Ranch #6) - Katie Lane Page 0,13
laughed. “As you can tell, I’m more like Doris and Cookie. According to my mama, I came out of the womb three weeks early and haven’t waited for anything since.”
“It’s hard to wait in your youth. You want everything now. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to grab life with both hands.” He blew on his coffee. “But as you get older you realize more isn’t always better. You stop grabbing and just enjoy what you have.” He glanced at her. “So what are you grabbing for?”
She didn’t hesitate to answer. “I want to be the best saddle bronc rider in the world—male or female. And I want a ranch just like this one with plenty of horses to keep me company.”
“That’s a pretty big grab.”
“I can do it. I know I can. It looks like you and Lucas did. I heard you were damn good bronc riders.”
“I was fair. Lucas was better. He could stay on anything. I used to get so mad when he beat me because I worked twice as hard as he did. Winning meant everything to me and Lucas didn’t seem to care if he won or lost.”
“Like Sawyer. He doesn’t seem to care either.”
“He cares. That boy cares a lot. He just hides it well behind a carefree smile.” He took a sip of his coffee and she figured hers was finally cool enough that she could join him. Chester hadn’t been lying. The coffee was strong, but it was also exactly what she needed after her restless night. “Lincoln says you’ve been winning a lot,” Chester continued. “That boy is darn proud of you. Although I think he wishes you had chosen a different profession. He worries.”
“Join the club. Everyone worries about me.”
He squinted at her. “It’s better than no one worrying about you.”
“True. But sometimes I’d just like people to support me without trying to get me to quit. Bronc riding is in me. It’s what I want to do. People can accept that from a man. Why can’t they accept it from a woman?”
“I have to admit the idea of a woman bronc rider takes some getting used to. But give people a good ride and they’ll get used to it. People love to be entertained.” Chester set his coffee cup down on the small table between the rockers and got to his feet. “I better go check on that horse. He wouldn’t let me put some salve on his wounds last night, but maybe he will today.” He started to leave, but she stopped him.
“Thank you for taking care of him, Chester. And for all your hospitality to me.”
Chester nodded. “You are welcome to stay as long as you like.”
“Thank you, but I think I’ll be heading out this morning.” She paused. “But I was wondering if it would be okay if I came back and looked around a little. I mean I know you didn’t really like my daddy, but I just need to . . .” She couldn’t finish because she didn’t know what she needed to do. Thankfully, Chester seemed to understand.
“You need to close the book. I’d be happy to let you look around, but most of this land isn’t Lucas’s and mine any more. We gave it to our boys. And the land most likely to have your daddy’s body is Sawyer’s. That’s where Holden’s dog Boomer found the bone and where that ass Willaby took Dixie and planned to kill her. But I’m sure Sawyer won’t mind you looking around.”
The screen door squeaked open. “Looking around for what?”
Maisy turned to see Sawyer stepping on the porch. At just the sight of him, guilt filled her. Guilt that had kept her up most the night.
She’d just wanted to get back at him for hurting her feelings. She hadn’t planned on keeping up the lie. She’d planned on telling him the truth as soon as her ride was over. But then she’d been bucked off and Sawyer had jumped in to save her, and in the process gotten a concussion that would take him out of rodeo for the rest of the season—or maybe the rest of his life if the doctor she had overheard in the emergency room was right. She had listened intently as the doctor had talked on and on about how Sawyer could possibly suffer from degenerative brain disease if he continued in bronc riding.
And the last concussion was all Maisy’s fault.
She knew Sawyer jumped into the arena for one reason and