Cowboy Kind of Reckless Read online

  Chapter One

  Tuck and roll. She barely had time to think it before she landed hard on her shoulder. Grit filled Jody Caine’s mouth as she came to a quick stop in the sandy arena.

  Like the angel he was, Splash A’ Flash came to a dead halt and looked back over his shoulder at her. His expression was entirely innocent—the fall was her fault, not his. As were all of them.

  “You okay down there, Jody?” The announcer’s voice rang out over the PA.

  Shoulder aching, Jody rolled to her feet, grabbed her hat, and managed to hide the jolt of pain that ripped through her left side as she took a quick bow while the crowd erupted. To his credit, Splash curled one leg and bowed too. Sometimes she swore he knew exactly what she was thinking, but he’d always loved performing. The overo gelding was better at it than she was. She jogged to Splash and vaulted over his rump into the saddle even as her muscles protested.

  Splash broke into a slow lope and carried her back to the gate.

  Stupid, stupid. Jody forced a smile at the gate attendant. She’d been trick riding since her teens, and accidents happened, but she’d been distracted. Should’ve canceled her performance for today. Maybe—definitely—shouldn’t have had two beers for breakfast. Stunt riding was dangerous enough without adding alcohol. Her mentor would’ve killed her if she’d known Jody was drinking.

  But what did she have to lose?

  Jody slid down Splash’s side outside the arena. The sooner she got out of her stupid spangled costume, the better. It gathered sweat at her armpits and stuck to her skin under the hot Oklahoma sun. Fall weather hadn’t officially made its appearance yet.

  “You okay, Jody?”

  She groaned and pressed her head against Splash’s bay and white neck. The salty scent of horse sweat and dirt masked the nauseating smell of burning meat from the cook shack.

  “What do you want?” She raised her face and looked between Luke Michaels and Will Baxter. Two over-protective brothers she didn’t need interfering with...well, anything in her life.

  “That was some performance.”

  Not even a hint of sarcasm in Will’s voice. They resembled one another with dark hair and eyes. The high cheekbones and the tall builds. Or, he would’ve been tall—taller than her, but not as tall as Luke—if he wasn’t confined to a wheelchair. Jody admired him for not letting his paraplegia ruin his life. Other than that, she didn’t want anything to do with her long-lost brother or his close-knit family.

  “Ended on a sour note. Sometimes they do.” She gathered Splash’s reins in her fist. “Excuse me. I’m going to untack him, then I’ve got to run.”

  Luke kept pace beside her while Will hung back a little out of respect for Splash and the nervous eyeball he was giving the electric wheelchair.

  “Faith left a couple of voicemails for you about the cookout. You don’t have to bring anything.”

  “I assumed my silence would be enough to tell you that I don’t want to come to your cookout.” Ignoring the voicemails seemed more polite than outright telling Luke’s pregnant wife no way. “No offense, but I didn’t introduce myself to you people so we could bond over hot dogs.” From the corner of her eye, she caught Luke’s frown.

  Will sped around her and Splash, then stopped in their path. “You came here for a reason, Jody. Not only to tell me Dad is dead. If that was all, you’d have gone back to Stillwater.”

  She gritted her teeth. Their dad had passed away months ago from alcohol induced liver failure. She’d originally planned to keep it from Will, the brother she’d never met, but curiosity killed the cat. With nothing tying her down in Stillwater, she’d packed up her meager belongings, Splash’s tack, and settled in Swells. Before she knew what was happening, Will’s wife Jessi had finangled Jody’s phone number out of her and now the Baxters and the Michaels wouldn’t leave her alone.

  They’d found out she was performing some trick riding—her one great passion—at the Tulsa Expo Center and the whole clan had stopped in to say hi before her show.

  “You’re making Splash nervous.”

  Not true. He stood at attention, ears pricked forward, sniffing Will’s direction, but he blinked calmly and stayed still.

  “Come to the damn cookout. Jess won’t get off my back about inviting you. I think she’s waiting to ambush you at your trailer. Say yes now and save yourself some hassle.”

  “Splash—”

  “Will be fine slumming at the Tumblin’ B,” Luke interrupted. “He might have to drink well water instead of that fancy filtered stuff they serve where you board him, but I think he’ll survive for one evening.”

  “He drinks well water at Peach’s too,” she muttered. “He’s not spoiled.”

  “Not in the least.” Luke extended his hand for Splash to smell. “C’mon. Give in. Our powers of persuasion are irresistible.”

  “Your powers of irritating me are undeniable.” She jerked her chin at Will to get him to move. “I don’t know why any of you want me there.”

  Will grinned. “For your sunny disposition, of course.”

  Luke narrowed his eyes at Will. “She is one hundred percent your sister. Stubborn, difficult, immovable.”

  “Like granite and don’t you forget it.” She led Splash around Will. “Thanks from the bottom of my heart, but no.”

  “What heart?” Will muttered.

  She didn’t waste time throwing a glare over her shoulder. Will had a wicked sense of humor. If she hadn’t been so irritated with him, she might’ve laughed.

  Jody stopped dead when Faith and her two kids melted out of the crowd. Anyone who didn’t know would think Dusty and Shep were Luke’s. The whole family was blond, although varying shades, and either had blue or gray eyes. Odds seemed pretty good that Luke and Faith’s forthcoming baby wouldn’t fall too far from the genetically beautiful tree.

  Pregnancy gave Faith a rosy glow, but Jody’s heart thumped hard as she failed to ignore the baby bump. Regret and guilt, her old friends, fell on her shoulders like weights. She managed a half-hearted wave as the kids rushed up.

  Moving slower, Faith joined them. “Hi, Jody. That was some performance. The kids enjoyed it.”

  “Except for the last part?” She forced her gaze up to meet Faith’s gray-blue eyes. “I must’ve looked pretty ridiculous in the dirt.”

  “Everybody falls sometimes.” Dusty, wise beyond her eight years, stared longingly at Splash. “Could you teach me to do that?”

  “Fall? I think you’ve got that one down, kiddo.” Luke winked at his stepdaughter.

  “Ha ha, Dad.” Dusty rolled her eyes. She took another step toward Splash. “It would be fun to learn trick riding.”

  “You have to be pretty strong. It takes a lot of core strength and muscle to do the tricks.” Jody brushed her hand over the sequins sewn on her Spandex outfit. “Hours and hours of practice.”

  “She’d like nothing better.” Faith rested her hand on her daughter’s head. “She’s already attached to Fudge at the hip.”

  Uncomfortable, Jody shifted. “I need to unsaddle him. He’s earned some rest just by having to put up with his dumb rider.”

  “You’re not dumb. You were really good.” Dusty beamed. “Next time you’ll do better.”

  Jody managed a half-hearted smile. At least someone believed in her. “Thanks, kid.”

  “The cookout starts at five. Plenty of time to get Splash back to the stable and for you to get cleaned up.” Faith gestured at Luke. “C’mon, guys. Let her take care of the horse. We’ll see you later, Jody.”

  Much, much later. She gave Faith a nod, then led Splash away.

  His head hung over her shoulder, nosy as usual.

  “What?”

  He, of course, said
nothing.

  “I’m not going. I don’t want to.”

  Splash blew air out through his nose.

  “I don’t belong there. Will and Luke have plenty of people to worry about without adding me to the mix. I don’t want anyone to worry about me. We’re fine on our own.”

  Splash raised his head as a trio of horses passed by. He called out to them with a loud neigh.

  One of the riders waved at Jody. Someone from the stable where she boarded Splash. She waved back, then lowered her head.

  “You don’t know what it’s like to go to a cookout. It’s not even fun. There’s smoke and bugs. It’s hot out today. And I’m not hungry.” That much was true. Her stomach tied itself in knots. In the last week she’d lost three pounds because her appetite simply wasn’t there.

  No wonder she felt so shaky. The best thing to do would be take Splash to the stable, then get herself home and into the shower. Where she could be alone without anyone nagging her.

  She led Splash to her battered pickup and the equally battered single horse trailer behind it.

  The last thing she wanted to see was Jessi Baxter’s smiling face. She held her son’s hand. He smiled at her too. His eyes were Will’s, although his hair was lighter. Bear was undoubtedly one of the cutest kids she’d ever seen.

  Jody’s heart gave another painful lurch. She tore her gaze away from him and nodded at Jessi. “Hey. Look, I can’t make the cookout. I’ve got other things to do, but thanks for inviting me. Maybe next time.”

  Jessi’s smile faded. “You’ve been avoiding us. What’s the problem? It’s no trouble feeding one more person.”

  Jody slipped the halter hanging on the trailer around Splash’s neck. “I like… you know, being alone.”

  “You look thinner. And tired.” Jessi’s gaze roved over her. “Are you okay?”

  Jody turned her back on her sister-in-law to slip the bridle from Splash’s head. “I’m great.” She snuck a peek at Jessi.

  The other woman folded her arms and stared.

  Jessi excelled at major guilt trips. “That might work with Will, but—”

  “A couple of hours with us isn’t going to kill you.”

  Jody uncinched her saddle. It might. “I’m not the family get-together type. Sorry to disappoint.”

  Bear came forward and looked up at her. “Please, Aunt Jody? We’re having apple pie.”

  “Homemade?” The plea in his eyes was almost too much. Will and Luke and their wives could cajole all they wanted, but with Bear, all she saw was herself at his age, begging her dad for some attention.

  “Yeah, Mama made it.” Bear gave her a charming smile that was more Jessi than Will.

  The kid had the corner on cute.

  The old throb of guilt nagged at her again. For her own sanity, she shouldn’t. You can’t miss what you never had. One of her dad’s favorite sayings. One she mostly managed to live by. Except for in a few cases. Today, her nephew was one of them.

  “I’m taking Splash back to the stable, but I’ll be there at six.”

  “You promise?” Bear squinted at her.

  “I promise.”

  Jessi smiled smugly. “Great. Don’t keep us waiting.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.” There went her long, relaxing shower.

  Chapter Two

  Jody stepped out of her truck, then shut the door. Her head ached and her parched throat practically begged for a beer. At Will and Jessi’s house, she’d limited herself to two. Neither Luke nor Will seemed particularly inclined toward drinking. Funny, given everything she’d heard about their mother and the years she’d spent watching her dad succumb to alcoholism.

  Casa Piedra, one of Swells’ nicest bars, was closest to the shack she called a rental home and the best place to avoid getting hit on by some of the town’s shadier types. The last thing she wanted tonight was more company.

  Bear charmed her, of course, despite her best efforts not to let him. And she had to admit Faith’s kids were sweet and curious. Dusty never stopped talking horses and even Shep went on about how Luke was already letting him ride mutton. She couldn’t help liking them. The cookout had gone fine, even if she would’ve rather been anywhere else. At least she’d gotten a head start on drinking, although it wasn’t nearly enough to dull the dark thoughts looming in her head.

  The bar door swung open and a man staggered out into the parking lot. He stumbled off the concrete sidewalk straight into a pot hole. He managed to catch himself before his face smashed into the gravel.

  “Ow.” But laughter followed.

  Jody hesitated. Not in the mood to talk to anyone except the bartender who’d fetch her beer, she didn’t want to get involved with Nolan Locke.

  The only reason she knew it was him was because of the ridiculously large sign outside the Locke Ranch with pictures of the brothers, ropes in mid-swing, riding after a steer. A sign that proclaimed them team roping champions. Like everyone in town didn’t know that anyway. What was the point of bragging?

  Nolan got to his knees and turned his hands palms up. In the orangish glow from the lights, blood welled from a few scrapes.

  Jody sighed, pushed dark hair behind her ears, and moved forward. “Did you hurt your roping arm?”

  He looked up at her, eyes red rimmed and a little unfocused. “No. Mostly my pride, but that’s been in shambles all evening.”

  “You drunk?” A stupid question. Obviously he wouldn’t have tripped over his own feet unless he was already a couple of sheets to the wind.

  “Only a little.” He brushed himself off, then rose. “They cut me off inside, but I’m celebratin’.”

  His words slurred as he swayed.

  “I’ll call you a cab.” She reached for the cell phone in her back pocket. “You go home and get some rest.”

  He held out his hands. “I’m bleeding.”

  “Yeah, I see.”

  He broke out in laughter.

  “What?” Annoyed, she did a search on her phone for cab companies, but it came up empty.

  “We don’t have cabs here. There’s like…like three hunnerd people in this town.”

  Of course. Most people lived outside of city limits. She gritted her teeth. Might’ve guessed. “Then call your brother. You don’t need to drive.”

  “Can’t.” Nolan shook his head and grinned like a moron.

  “Why not?” She tapped one boot against the gravel.

  “He’s celebratin’.” His smiled faded. “With Nat and Casey.”

  Jody grimaced. Like Faith, Austin’s wife Natalie was expecting in the fall. What was it with all the women in this town getting knocked up? “They didn’t invite you to join them?”

  He nodded solemnly. “Figgered they needed alone time. I’d be in the way. It’s a girl. Cheers.” He raised an invisible champagne glass. “I need s’more beer.”

  “Looks like that’s the last thing you need.” She sighed again. “I’ll take you home.”

  His turn to grimace. “It’s empty.”

  “Your fridge?” She shook her head. “Probably for the best. Come on.”

  “The house.” He sounded pathetic. “Just me there. Tiffany left me.”

  She remembered seeing him at the feed store with some made-up woman in tight jeans and a crop top. “Your girlfriend?”

  “Yeah. She had to find herself.” He made air quotes, then flinched before he looked at his palms again. “In California. What the hell’s California got that we don’t?”

  “An ocean? Avocado trees? Smoothie bowls?”

  He frowned. “And Tiffany.”

  “Well, we’re better off without her. You still have to go home. You can’t sit outside the bar all night and I don’t want to be out on the road while you’re plastered and behind the wheel. So you can ride with me or I’ll find a way to get ahold of your brother and let him sort this out.”

  “Don’t do that to them.”

  “How considerate of you.” She nodded to her truck. “Get in, tiger. Let’s
get this part of the evening over with.”

  “Wait.” He gagged, then bent over.

  Jody pressed her hand to her mouth and turned away as he lost his supper in the gravel. Not that she hadn’t been in a similar situation a couple of times in the last week, but the sound didn’t do anything to soothe her already troubled stomach.

  At least he hadn’t puked in her truck.

  Nolan drew in a ragged breath. “Sorry.”

  She cleared her throat. “I hope you feel better.”

  “’M good for a while.”

  She led the way to her truck. “Roll the window down and breathe that way, okay?”

  “Sure thing.” He got in, then used the hand crank to roll the window down about six inches. He pressed his cheek against the glass and closed his eyes.

  Jody got into the driver’s seat, then put on her seatbelt. “You’re a hot mess, Locke.”

  He cracked one eye open. “Tiff always told me I’m hot.”

  “Not that kinda hot,” she muttered as she put the key in the ignition. The starter growled before the engine caught. The damn thing was liable to go out any day. She wasn’t about to fix it with new parts, not when she had a horse to provide for. But if she wanted to get to him, she’d have to visit the salvage yard and find a used starter. Splash was way more important than her old beater. But sooner or later—and probably sooner—she’d have to ask Will or Luke if one of them could look after Splash. She hated asking favors. The lone hot dog she’d eaten at the cookout churned in her stomach.

  Nolan stayed quiet on the way out of town, but she was certain he hadn’t fallen asleep. Maybe he was fighting car sickness or planning his next drink. Either way, he wasn’t saying much and that suited her fine.

  It took about twenty minutes for her to reach the driveway—and that dumb sign—to Nolan’s house. Easily seen from the road in the daylight, the big Victorian house looked haunted and creepy under the moon. No wonder he didn’t want to come home.

  Gravel crunched under her tires as they rolled toward it. The only light shining from the big white monster was a yellow porch light Nolan had left on.

  “Home sweet home.” She parked the truck. “Have a nice night.”