CHAPTER TEN

JOSH TRIED TO join in the festive mood as the Shelton Rodeo Daze week started.

On Sunday, Kathleen’s patchwork quilt went to the Veterans’ Hall for display and judging. For the first time, she took the Best of Show award and she glowed with quiet pleasure at her achievement.

Events devoted to children took over on Monday, with Harry’s rodeo workshop crowning the evening. Josh did a roping demonstration at Harry’s request, then stepped back and let the older man take center stage. Within a minute, Harry had both the youngsters and onlookers enthralled.

“Amazing, isn’t he?” Kelly murmured.

“He has a great rapport with the kids,” Josh agreed.

She rose up on tiptoes to whisper in his ear. “The prevailing theory is that he gets along with them so well because he never actually grew up himself.”

Josh grinned. Kelly had long since recognized her father’s faults, but it was encouraging to know she still loved and appreciated the good things about him.

“Your family is having a successful week,” he said.

“Yes, and the twins are enjoying themselves. They’ll be even more excited when the carnival opens on Thursday.”

The brief, upward sweep of her blue eyes reminded him that Casey and Marc were also his family. Pride filled Josh. The boys were their grandfather’s “assistants,” and despite their young age, it was clear they’d already learned much of what Harry was teaching the other children.

Yet it also brought back a thought that had been haunting him. Kelly was right. For good or bad, he was going to be a role model for Casey and Marc—both as a man and a person. What did he have to offer except as a professional rodeo cowboy?

While many of his skills were applicable to ranching, nobody stood up to cheer when a cow was roped out on the range. And bucking horses were specially bred for the job; they weren’t used for working stock. Basically, he had a name recognized in rodeo circles and a fine ranch where the cowhands took orders from someone else. That was all, aside from the proposals he’d received to be in commercials and ads for various products.

Was it enough to offer the two sons he’d just met?

“You have the oddest expression,” Kelly murmured.

He forced a smile. “Do I? You know, despite all the rodeos I’ve competed in over the years, I’ve never paid attention to the surrounding festivities. Look at what I’ve missed. They’re even selling raffle tickets for a ride in a helicopter.”

“Not all rodeos are like this.”

“Some are, though. I enjoy the sense of community here.”

Kelly cocked her head. “Surely you have that at your ranch. McKeon’s Choice is near a town, right?”

Josh shrugged. “Close enough.”

Except to become part of a community, he needed to be there more. It was time to make real plans for the future and set them in motion, for his own sake, as well as for the twins. The question was what to do.

* * *

THE NEXT DAY, after a busy morning of ranch work, the entire family headed into town for the chili cook-off. Susannah was allowed to have helpers, both for cooking and serving samples, but she was in charge. The rules required the chili to be cooked on-site, though accompaniments such as bread or tortilla chips could be prepared elsewhere or purchased commercially.

“I’m going to win the grand prize. You should just pack your stuff and go home,” Leonard called to Susannah as he stirred a gigantic kettle. He had a second kettle as well, and he was only one of twenty-four contestants, five of whom had never competed before. The amount of chili being prepared was phenomenal, but so was the growing size of the crowd.

“I’ll go home the year you do,” Susannah retorted. She was in high spirits, enjoying every minute.

Josh’s mouth watered as he stirred one of the pots. The rich scent of beef and chilies rose from the contents, which were mostly meat, green chilies, a few tomatoes and other natural flavors. The rules called for beans, possibly an effort to level the playing field for entrants who weren’t cattle ranchers, so Susannah had added just enough black beans to satisfy the judges. It would be delicious with the cheese-and-onion corn bread Kathleen had baked early that morning.

Shelton, which had been so quiet during his prior visits to the town, now had huge crowds milling everywhere. Craft vendors were stationed on the feeder streets, helping to keep hungry visitors entertained before the main event.

He stayed in the rear of the booth, trying not to be recognized, as people began queuing up for samples. Harry, on the other hand, planted himself at the front, chatting with the visitors, telling them about the rodeo and his successes as a professional rodeo cowboy.

“Josh, could you and my father take the boys to sample the different entries?” Kelly asked after a few minutes.

He glanced at the restless line waiting for a taste of Susannah’s chili. Harry’s gregariousness was limiting the number of samples that could be served, meaning Susannah Flannigan would be disadvantaged in the popular vote, particularly with so many strangers in town.

“No problem. Harry,” he called in a louder voice. “Collect your grandsons. We’ve been cut loose to do our own taste tests.”

With luck, the temptation of circulating among even more people would be too much for him.

Harry looked torn, but finally nodded. “Okay. Casey, Marc, let’s get out of here and eat chili.”

The boys joined them excitedly.

They walked the small town square park, sampling the various entries, but Josh didn’t think any of them came close to Susannah’s chili. Flavors ranged from mild to hot, but most of the booths also had “child friendly” offerings that Casey and Marc could enjoy. The samples were generous and Josh got to the point he could barely swallow another bite.

It was actually a relief when some of the lines were too long and they decided to bypass them. He kept his hat pulled low, still hoping to avoid autograph seekers. It wasn’t that he minded giving autographs, but there was a time and a place, and right now he wanted to simply experience the cook-off with his sons.

As they completed the circuit, he spotted paramedics at the edge of the square, along with Grant Latham, who seemed to be assisting them. A group of cowboys were seated on benches behind the Hot Diggity Dog booth, red-faced and gulping bottles of water, except for one who was pouring a quart of milk down his throat. From the amusement on Grant’s and the paramedics’ faces, their conditions weren’t serious.

“I wonder what’s up,” Jake murmured.

Harry chuckled. “Looks as if they couldn’t take the heat. Every few years a contestant decides they’ll win by kicking up the spice to an atomic level. Inevitably, a few yahoos can’t resist challenging each other to prove which one is tougher.”

“And then somebody decides they’re having a heart attack or stroke,” Josh guessed. “Any guesses about who made the hotter-than-Hades chili? I haven’t tasted anything that spicy myself, but we bypassed a few of the booths.”

Speculation grew on Harry’s face. “Maybe it wasn’t the chili. I heard someone say there was a loaded salsa on Leonard Crabtree’s condiment table. We had a couple of remarks last year that some of the chili entries lacked authority, so Leonard may have kicked things up a notch with his toppings. I feel for the guy. My mother-in-law is a force to be reckoned with.”

Josh agreed.

They went over and he saw a prominent caution sign on the Hot Diggity Dog’s salsa; beneath it was a roughly drawn skull and crossbones. Anyone sampling the salsa was being given fair warning of what they were getting into.

“You aren’t going to try that, are you?” Grant asked. “It’s practically lethal.”

Josh looked at the veterinarian. “Nope. I enjoy spicy food, but I’m not a masochist. Don’t your patients usually have four legs?”

Grant shrugged. “A few of them have feathers, but I saw a commotion and came over to help.” He looked down at the twins. “Hey, guys. Are you enjoying yourselves?”

Casey bobbed his head vigorously.

“It’s awesome,” Marc declared. Awesome had become his favorite word over the past few days.

Kelly smiled at Grant from inside her grandmother’s booth and Josh tried to decide if it contained a special warmth. Then kicked himself. His feelings toward Kelly were getting more tangled by the day. She was a former girlfriend and the mother of his children. The hypocrisy of being jealous was beyond understanding.

Then Josh abruptly realized he wasn’t jealous. He simply envied the uncomplicated way she was looking at another man.

He wasn’t sure she’d ever looked at him that way.

* * *

ON THURSDAY MORNING after the parade, Kelly crossed her fingers as the mayor began announcing the chili cook-off awards at the official opening of the rodeo. Nellie Pruitt was given fourth place by the judges and an honorable mention in the popular vote. Emmy Carson took fourth in the popular vote, while a first-time contestant, Jorge Mendez, won third in both categories.

“We had so many tasty entries that this was a tough call for our judges,” the mayor said through the loudspeaker. “But they finally came to an agreement—Leonard Crabtree of the Hot Diggity Dog Café wins second place, also in the popular vote, and Susannah Flannigan receives the grand prize for getting first place in both categories.”

Kelly cheered as Grams and Leonard went up together to accept their awards. After Leonard spoke, Susannah stepped to the podium. “Thank you to everybody,” she said into the microphone, “especially to my family and Josh McKeon, for all their help. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Another loud round of applause and cheers sounded. A glance suggested at least three-fourths of the audience members weren’t from the Shelton area, so some of their enthusiasm could be from hearing Josh’s name.

The reality of his celebrity had been coming home to Kelly all week. It was one thing to hear Harry talk about Josh being a champion, another to understand what it meant to have so many people willing to travel huge distances, just to see him compete or to compete against him.

“Your grandmother looks pleased,” Josh said.

“She has a right to be.”

They were standing side by side, keeping the twins in front of them. The crowd was large enough, with so many people she didn’t know, that she wanted to keep a particularly close watch. Granddad was over by the platform, looking as proud as if he’d won the prize himself.

He put out a hand to help Grams walk down the steps, then gave her a tender kiss. Onlookers applauded again.

Kelly blinked away a sentimental tear. Her grandparents were living proof that two people could spend a lifetime loving and supporting each other. She wasn’t as sure about her parents. It wasn’t that they didn’t love each other, but she wasn’t sure they were always happy the way her grandparents were happy.

“You okay?” Josh murmured in her ear.

“I’m fine.”

His grin widened. “I think your soft side is showing. I’m glad that part of you hasn’t changed. Not that I thought it had after hearing about the retired horses you keep at the Gillespie ranch. Or the way you rescued Lady Sadie.”

She shrugged. “I’m not the only rancher who won’t sell off horses too old to work. I bet you don’t, either.”

Josh’s face turned serious. “I haven’t owned McKeon’s Choice long enough to face that decision, but you’re probably right.”

She knew she was right.

Josh had his faults, but he’d be loyal to horses that had become friends. She wanted to stay focused on his faults, but it was hard. The other day at the chili contest was a good example; he’d quickly understood the traffic jam Harry was causing. No need to explain. He’d simply gotten Harry and the boys away from the booth. Would Josh have done that seven years ago, or would he have joined Harry to chat up the visitors? Intuition hadn’t been his strongest quality when they were together, but it seemed to have developed since then.

Kelly’s grandparents made their way through the crowd and Grams held up her trophy—a giant pewter chili pepper mounted on a polished wood base.

“Congratulations,” Kelly said, giving her a hug.

They’d talked a few days ago about Josh, the same day Kelly had spoken to her mother. She’d told both of them that Josh hadn’t known about Casey and Marc, so he couldn’t be blamed for not being part of their lives. Kathleen had seemed puzzled at the news—she really did live in her own world most of the time—but Grams had suspected for a while. She shared her granddaughter’s concerns, at the same time wanting to believe that Josh would do the right thing when it came to the boys.

Problem was, Kelly was no longer sure what the “right thing” might be.

* * *

ON SATURDAY JOSH positioned himself over a snorting bull, wrapping the bull rope around his gloved hand.

The thought crossed his mind that if the worst happened during the ride, he’d never get to truly know his sons and be part of their lives.

Stop.

He forced the thought away, as he’d forced it away during the first go-round, along with other hazardous events like saddle and bareback bronc riding. Being too aware of his own mortality was a liability.

Yet he wasn’t afraid; it was simply the knowledge of how much more now that he had to lose.

He put his free arm up and nodded to show he was ready.

The gate opened and the bull charged forward. Time seemed to slow as Josh’s instincts and experience kicked into place. Up, down, whirling madly, the animal got angrier the longer the human irritant on his back remained, matching him move for move.

The eight-second buzzer sounded.

Josh stayed on another couple of seconds, then jumped away in the unbroken motion he’d practiced countless times. The judges scored on style, as well as the quality of the ride.

Screams and cheering from the audience filtered into his head as he moved one way and the protection “bullfighter” athletes steered the bull in the opposite direction. He lifted his hat to the crowd, but there was only one face he looked for in the grandstand.

Kelly’s.

It was reminiscent of old times. Her hair was fiery in the sunshine, and while he was too far away to read the expression on her face, she was clapping, along with her mother, grandparents and the boys. As his score was announced, the twins shot to their feet with the rest of the audience, pumping their small fists in the air.

Determined to avoid any appearance of showboating, he waved and exited the arena before the cheers died away. He shook hands with several of his fellow contestants, some of whom had opted for a re-ride because their bull had performed badly. A re-ride was chancy since you might lose out on getting any score, but it was a risk Josh had always taken.

Harry was there, as well. He’d been thrown before the required eight seconds on both go-rounds. Kelly had mentioned that he refused to join the rodeo association for senior competitors. Now Josh wondered if he was seeing his own future. He was at the peak of his performance, but it couldn’t last.

Watching Harry and the strain his lifestyle had put on Kelly and the rest of the family had been an education. More and more he agreed with Kelly that the boys needed a balanced view of rodeo life. He knew rodeo cowboys who’d hung on, destroying their marriages and becoming strangers to their children, even when they had no hope of being successful. He wanted his sons to be happy, and he didn’t want them getting hurt unnecessarily.

“You okay?” Josh asked, spotting the bandage on Harry’s forehead, stained with a blotch of red.

“Nothing important got broke. You did terrific. Nobody ever gets that high of a score in the Shelton rodeo.”

“I’ve been fortunate to draw a couple of feisty bulls.”

A roar rose from the audience as another contestant was announced and Josh recognized the teenager he’d met at the Shelton Saddle and Boot shop. Bull and rider shot from the chute. He did well and received a respectable rating from the judges.

“Congratulations,” he said when the kid returned. “You have a nice technique.”

Owen Corcoran’s face lit up. “Gee, thanks, Mr. McKeon.”

“Hey, it’s Josh.”

They chatted for another few minutes and he could have been talking to a younger version of himself, except Owen didn’t want to become a professional rodeo cowboy. Not that he needed to go on the professional circuit unless competing was his passion; his family already owned a ranch.

You own one now, too, Josh reminded himself. But somehow, a ranch compared with his sons was becoming less important, the same way stardom had lost most of its appeal.

* * *

FROM HER POSITION on the edge of the grandstand, Kelly could see little of the activity behind the chutes. She looked anyway, trying to spot her father and Josh.

Though he’d downplayed the showmanship side of competition, for each event Josh had worn a snug light blue Western shirt, long sleeves rolled to his elbows, with twisted red and blue bandannas around his neck. She’d seen enough pictures of him to know it had become his signature look. He also didn’t wear a protective helmet, just a plain tan cowboy hat that matched his chaps.

She tried to suppress the memory of how she’d once tied bandannas around his neck. Combining the two colors was something she’d started, as if she was branding him with her own special touch. Did he remember, too?

Women of all ages in the audience seemed to sigh with longing whenever he appeared. Kelly didn’t blame them. Josh was unusually tall for a rodeo cowboy and rode a horse as if born to be there. He was strong and coordinated and always looked in control, even on a wild bull or bronc.

That doesn’t mean he can’t get hurt.

Kelly’s stomach clenched. Even after all these years, she was still torn between admiration of Josh’s skill and the old fear that he’d be injured.

“I’m going for a cup of coffee,” Granddad said. “Anyone want to come with me to stretch their legs?”

The boys shook their heads, but Kathleen and Grams rose to their feet. They eased along the crowded row of seats to the staircase.

“Mom, why doesn’t Grandpa Harry come out to watch with us?” Casey asked when two other bull riders had finished their turn. “The loudspeaker guy said he got ’liminated.”

She pushed the small cowboy hat up her son’s forehead to see his face better. “He stays with the other contestants so he can encourage them and offer advice,” she said gently.

Marc shoulder-bumped his brother, a superior expression on his face. “Yeah. Don’t you remember from last year? Mom wouldn’t let us see the bull riding, but Grandpa didn’t come out during the other events.”

“I remember.” Casey glared at his twin. “But he told Grandma Kathleen that things are gonna be different now. Remember?”

Kelly was glad the rest of the family had stepped away. Kathleen didn’t need to hear her grandsons squabbling about their grandfather.

“That’s enough,” Kelly said before Marc could respond. “Grandpa Harry didn’t go to several of the spring rodeos he usually attends, but the Shelton Rodeo Daze is extra special.”

They recognized her tone; it meant the dispute was over. Period. She often let them settle things between themselves, just not in the middle of a large crowd wanting to enjoy the rodeo. And certainly not with her mother returning, coffee cup in hand.

Kathleen’s expression was more relaxed now that her husband had competed in his last event. The audience had been kind, despite Harry’s poor showing, but it made Kelly sad. For years he’d been the unofficial star of the Shelton Rodeo Daze and now someone else was center stage. He had to be feeling displaced. Still, her father was also responsible for Josh being in Shelton in the first place.

Was that karma, or just poor timing?

“Who did I miss?” Kathleen asked as she sat down.

“Owen Corcoran and a cowboy from the professional rodeo association in California. Both got decent scores. Depending on how Owen does tomorrow in the final short go, he’ll probably win the memorial buckle. That’ll almost be like keeping it in the family.”

Casey tugged on Kelly’s arm. “What d’ya mean, Mom?”

“Once upon a time your great-great-uncle Patrick was going to marry Owen’s grandmother. If Uncle Patrick had lived, she would have been your great-great-aunt.”

Casey settled down, digesting the relationship. “So Owen is kinda like a cousin, ’cept he isn’t, ’cause Uncle Patrick died.”

“That’s right,” Kelly said.

Another contestant was announced, drawing their attention. The bull charged from the chute, twisted once, throwing his rider. His hand remained tangled in the bull rope and a collective gasp came from the onlookers as he was dragged by the spinning, kicking animal.

The bullfighters raced to assist.

Kelly tried to cover Casey’s eyes at the same moment Kathleen reached for Marc, but the boys ducked away, watching excitedly as the rider was finally freed. It seemed horrific, but somehow he stood, waved at the audience and walked unassisted from the arena.

Kelly’s heart was still pounding when she looked back at the twins. They didn’t seem fazed. Casey was swinging his legs, chewing on the short straw from his snow cone, while Marc was pulling the last tufts of his cotton candy from a bag. Perhaps they were too young to understand how bad it could have turned out.

She’d struggled with the decision to let them watch the bull riding, but how could she have kept them away? This might be the last chance they’d have to see Josh compete, at his peak, at least. He wasn’t likely to be in the Shelton rodeo again; there were bigger venues, with much bigger purses. Besides, even Grams, who was notoriously protective, had pointed out that the chances were minimal of Casey and Marc being there when a serious injury occurred.

“Mom, where are Grams and Granddad?” she asked.

“Here we are,” called Grams, coming down the row of seats. “The lines are long and we were getting treats for you and the boys. We don’t have enough opportunities to spoil you the way grandparents are supposed to.”

Kelly grinned as she accepted a cup of coffee and a plate covered with a funnel cake, topped with strawberries, whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate. This year the vendors had upped their game and added mini chocolate chips, as well. The twins were thrilled to see Granddad had gotten them batter-coated deep-fried candy bars—a first—and another bag of cotton candy each. Nutrition went out the window during the Shelton Rodeo Daze.

Kelly put the cup next to her, balanced the funnel cake on her knees and ate a bite.

Mmm. Culinary heaven.

“I see that,” Josh’s voice murmured close to her ear.

She looked and saw him standing next to the grandstand. He put a finger to his lips, but she wasn’t sure if he was telling her to stay quiet about his presence or promising not to tease about her decadent dessert. She broke off a chunk of the funnel cake and gave it to him, along with the coffee.

“I understand why you like this stuff so much,” he said after munching it down. Kelly handed him a napkin and pointed to the corner of his mouth. He wiped the fleck of whipped cream away with a grin.

“Hi, Josh.” Casey abruptly leaned over her knees, almost upending her plate. She rescued it just in time. “When did you get here?”

“A couple of minutes ago. Are you having fun?”

“Yup. You were real good on the bull and Grandpa Liam got us fried candy bars. They’re yummy. Wanna bite?”

“Uh, no, thanks. I’m fine.” Josh seemed disconcerted and Kelly bent closer.

“They were excited to see you compete, but that was a half hour ago and Granddad just brought them deep-fried chocolate to eat,” she whispered.

A thoughtful expression filled his eyes. “That’s okay. It was just a ride. Not even a very long one.”

She ate more of her funnel cake, wishing she knew what he was thinking. The twins finished the latest indulgence and asked her to guard their bags of cotton candy while they went with Grandpa Liam to wash their hands.

“Faces, too, please,” she said. Their mouths were stained with snow-cone syrup and mustard from the corn dogs, and now chocolate had joined the color palette.

They rolled their eyes, but Granddad winked. “Will do.”

Grams and her mother decided to go along again.

After a minute, Kelly handed Josh the second half of her funnel cake. “Can you finish this? I’m full.”

He quickly ate it between gulps of coffee and went to deposit the plate and cup in a trash can at the front of the grandstand. “Isn’t that Dr. Latham?” he asked upon returning.

She looked toward the arena and spotted Grant with Betsy Hartner by the fence. It was nice to see him with Betsy…and a relief. Kelly still felt bad about refusing Grant’s proposal, even though she’d known he didn’t really love her.

“Yes, with Betsy Hartner. She’s new in town. I met her at the barbecue and we’ve run into each other several times this week. Twice with Grant, and once with her landlady. Betsy must be a force of nature to get Maya Mapleton out in a crowd. Maya is notoriously shy.”

“Grant and Betsy look as if they’re discussing something intense.”

Kelly gave Josh a glance, remembering when he’d tried to find out if she and Grant were involved. In retrospect, she suspected it was his attempt to discover if another man could be the twins’ father. Would he have been relieved to discover he hadn’t committed parenthood after all?

“Grant and Betsy seem to spar a lot,” she said lightly. “When I saw them on Thursday at the carnival, they were in a heated debate as to whether Shakespeare’s comedies or tragedies are the best. The other time it was something else.”

“Sparks, then.”

“I suppose, but Betsy is a travel writer who moves from place to place every few weeks. It doesn’t bode well for them having a future.”

Kelly just hoped that Betsy’s friendship with Grant would remind him that there were other possibilities for romance beyond a woman who kept giving her heart to the same wrong guy.

Kept giving her heart…?

A chill ran through Kelly.

Surely she wasn’t falling for Josh again. It would be a mistake. He wasn’t a terrible person, but they couldn’t make a relationship work now, any more than they could have made one work seven years ago.

Josh quirked an eyebrow at her. “The future isn’t the only reason that two people date.”

Kelly gulped, trying to regain her composure. “Actually, it may be more of a frenemy situation. I gather the committee had fun throwing them together during the rodeo prep.”

“Like watching gladiators in the arena?”

“Along those lines.”

Thankfully, movement in the aisle grabbed her attention and she saw the others were returning. The boys led the way, followed by her mother and grandparents. She should have gone with them to avoid being alone with Josh.

It was getting dangerous to her heart.