she said dreamily. “He calls me about every hour to check in. Speaking of…” She dug her phone out of her back pocket and grinned at the screen. “Right on time. Give me a sec.” Bringing the phone to her ear, she backed away as though she didn’t want Wes to hear their lovey-dovey newlywed talk. Fine by him. He’d never been one for all that sugary sentimental crap. Though he couldn’t deny something about seeing his sister so happy—so fulfilled—made him wonder if he could make room in his life for something like what Jane and Toby had…
And there he went, thinking again. He didn’t have room in his life for a family. Not with the constant traveling. And then there was the fact that he faced off with bucking bulls on a regular basis. One wrong move and an animal like Tantrum could end him.
“Yo, Wes.” His boss, Craig, strode over from the line of trailers parked along the perimeter of the bleachers. “Hey, awesome job out there today.” The man took Wes’s hand in a firm shake.
“Thanks.” As Wes was the most junior member of the team, it used to be that Craig never acknowledged him, but lately he’d made a point to find him after each event. “I figure it’s always a success when the riders walk away.” There’d only been a few times on his watch that hadn’t happened.
“You got that right.” Craig removed his black cowboy hat and mopped sweat from his forehead. “You’ve got one of the best records of anyone out there these days. In fact, I want you on team lead next week.”
Team lead. Wes tightened his jaw so his mouth wouldn’t fall open. “Really?” That was a huge step. He’d started working in the rodeo world as an assistant handler for the bovine athletes, and it had taken him years to find himself in the arena, only to realize that each new position was like starting all over in the chain of command.
“Yeah.” Craig slipped his hat back on. “You’re hot right now, Harding. Careful, but also entertaining for the crowd. You’re exactly what they want out there. It’s time to put you at the top.”
“Great.” Wes made sure to punctuate the words with a casual shrug. No big deal. He was just getting a huge promotion. Maybe this was it—the step that would finally give him more than the fleeting rush of adrenaline. He was ready for this—for something bigger.
Of course, he had to play it cool with Craig. “I’m ready. Whatever you need.”
“I knew you would be.” Craig gave him a businesslike nod. “I have to go catch up with Gabe, but we’ll talk soon.”
Wes let him walk away before he grinned.
“Wow. Team lead, huh?” Jane walked back over. She must’ve been within earshot the whole time. “Look at you—” A gasp cut her off. His sister’s eyes widened with the sudden intake of air, and both of her hands cradled her belly.
“What is it?” Wes studied her face. She didn’t look so good. “You okay?”
Instead of answering, his sister hunched over and exhaled with a whimper.
“Jane?” Wes moved in front of her. Her face had paled. “Is it the baby?”
“Not sure.” She inhaled deeply and straightened back up. “That was a weird pain, but it’s going away now.”
Thank God for that. Pain during pregnancy couldn’t be good. “Where’s the pain?”
“My stomach.” She massaged her belly. “I’ve felt it a few times on and off today, but it always goes away.” She peered up at him with mild concern in her eyes. “Maybe it’s Braxton Hicks.”
Braxton what? He shot her a look. What the hell did that mean? He knew nothing about this stuff—about pregnancy and babies…
“False contractions.” She seemed to shrug it off. “From everything I’ve read, they’re no big deal.”
“I sure hope they’re no big deal.” He wasn’t equipped to deal with anything like contractions, and with Toby out of town, Wes was all she had. Lucky her. “Maybe we should go to the doctor—”
His sister’s squeal cut him off. She doubled over again, clutching at her stomach. “Oh God, oh God, oh, it hurts…”
Whoa. Wes’s heart bucked around his chest like one of those bulls back there. Panic brought on a totally different kind of rush. “Okay, okay.” He put his arm around her to support her. “Can you make it to my truck? We need to get you to the doctor. Now.” She wasn’t supposed to be in pain. She wasn’t supposed to be