Betting the Rainbow (Harmony) (16 page)

Chapter 26

TRUMAN FARM

R
EAGAN FELT SHE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A MERRY-GO-ROUND.
For two days people had been at her farm offering to help. It seemed everyone who didn’t want to play poker wanted to watch. With all the money going to support the library, except first prize, even people who didn’t approve of gambling saw this night as a good cause.

Women’s groups delivered desserts, and half the businesses in town pitched in with paper goods, bottled water, and decorations. The library committee couldn’t agree on a theme for the night, so they simply went with
Summertime
.

Maria, Joe’s wife, had brought her two youngest children over about noon on the day of the game and said she’d keep Utah for the rest of the evening.

Reagan was surprised at how hard it was to let him go. The little fellow mattered to her more than she wanted to admit. Even though she’d only had him a short time, if his mother came back, it would be hard to turn him over to a woman who seemed to care so little. She’d smoked with him in the car, called him “it,” as if he were a thing, and driven away without glancing back. Just thinking about how little his mother had cared about him made Reagan want to run upstairs and hug Utah one more time today.

Only by the time people started coming in to pay their money to play, Reagan was lost in preparations. The Friends of the Library had set up offices in her kitchen and were running everything as if the room were a command post. Players were taking their seats, food was moving into ovens, drink table were being set up.

When Reagan had heard her front door bang open, she’d been the only one who even seemed to notice.

“Rea.” Noah’s voice sounded loud and clear above the hum of worker bees. “Rea, are you in here?”

For a second she almost jumped up and ran to him like she always did. The need to feel him lift her in his arms ran all the way back to their high school days when they’d said they would always be best friends.

“Rea,” he said more calmly as he stepped into the kitchen and spotted her working with several others. “There’s my girl.” His smile was wide and open.

Reagan thought she heard her heart breaking over the noise around her. She turned and watched the tall, lean cowboy move toward her. He’d become exactly what he said he’d be the first time they’d talked in high school. He’d said he would be one hunk of a good-looking man when his body filled out and his face cleared up. His laughing brown eyes now reflected his sharp mind and his warm brown hair was a bit too long, silently marking him as a rebel.

Three of the women at the table jumped up to hug him. McAllens were related to half the people in town, and everyone kept up with Harmony’s favorite son, the great bull rider Noah McAllen.

Everyone wanted to know how he’d been and how the rides were going. One said she watched him on TV last week. Another gray-haired woman said she had to have a kiss. Then they all joined the line forming. They all loved him, and he loved playing to the crowd.

Reagan just watched. She’d realized a long time ago that part of him belonged to the town.

Noah was the hometown hero. He’d gone higher than even his father had with the rodeo, and folks still talked about Adam McAllen.

Looking over the gray hair, Noah winked at Reagan as if to say he was sorry, but he had to play the role.

Ten minutes later he grabbed her hand and pulled her out the back door, with all the ladies giggling.

Reagan shoved away from him as soon as they were out of sight of everyone.

He just smiled that killer smile of his. “Hey, Rea, I know I’ve been gone a long time, but it’s me, remember, the guy who loves you and has since he first saw you in high school. Dear God, I’ve missed you and that wild hair of yours. Even when you were more kid than woman I spent hours thinking about what that hair would feel like in my hands.”

When she didn’t move toward him, he grinned and held out his arms. “I’m sorry, Rea. You know I’d rather be here with you, so get over being mad at me and come closer. I’m home now.”

“I don’t want to hug you, Noah, until you answer a few questions.” Her words cut their way along the inside of her throat. She didn’t want to say what had to be said.

He almost pulled off looking serious. “Go ahead, play hard to get, Rea. We both know where this is going to end up. I busted my butt getting home in time to help with this little party you’re throwing. I know you haven’t got time for me right now. I’m here to help. But tonight when everyone finally leaves, it’ll be just you and me.”

She folded her arms to keep from touching him. “You were due three weeks ago.”

“I know, but I had a chance to ride up north and I couldn’t turn it down. If I’m ever going to walk away with enough money to fix up my old place, I’ve got to keep going.”

She wasn’t even sure if the ranch was his dream anymore. It was more likely just something that he said when he was home. They’d had the same conversation for three years and he was no closer to coming back to Harmony to stay than he was then.

“Noah, you don’t have to ‘bust your butt’ coming back to Harmony any more, or to me. You can stay on the road as long as you want. I’m finished waiting for you.”

He opened his mouth to say something, then stopped. Her words finally registered in his mind. “Rea, don’t kid me. I haven’t had any sleep in two days. You almost sound as if you’re breaking up with me, and we both know that’ll never happen.” His gaze narrowed on her face and for a blink she saw the flash of doubt across his handsome face.

“Noah, I
am
breaking up with you. ‘Never’
has happened
.”

“No.” He shook his head. “You can’t, not like this. Not because I didn’t make it in as soon as I said I would. If it’s that important, I’ll promise I’ll be in next time I say I’m coming.”

She wanted to run as far away as she could from him, from them. The hurt in his eyes shattered her heart, but she’d made up her mind. “You’d promise that the way you promised not to sleep with anyone else while you were on the road.”

“I haven’t . . .” he started, but she saw the lie in his hesitation.

Reagan knew she had to get it all out. If they were going to have even a polite friendship left when this was over, she had to be honest now.

“A woman came by several days ago. She left something for you. She said she’d had sex with you like ‘sleeping with a bull rider’ had been on her bucket list. She handed me one of the wooden boxes I ship apples in. Said it was what you store your gear in on the road. Inside was a three-week-old baby. Your baby.”

Noah was shaking his head, but she didn’t give him time to talk.

“She said you were drunk and you called her by my name.” Almost in a whisper she added, “You called her my name, Noah. How could you do that?”

Noah closed his eyes.

“She named the baby Utah. Said you’d know why.”

The name had been the last blow. Noah looked like he’d been stomped on by a herd of bulls. It took him a few minutes to find words.

Reagan waited as if silently facing a firing squad.

“I was drunk that night in Salt Lake. I swear, Rea, I don’t even know how she got in my room. She was just there. I knew it was wrong from the start, but I was so lonely that night. I thought that it wouldn’t matter. It meant nothing to me.”

Reagan raised her head. “Thank you for being honest. The baby has your eyes. I see you in him every time I look at him.”

He took each word like a silent blow.

Reagan stood, a soldier determined to deliver the entire report no matter how much it hurt. “I couldn’t believe she just left him here. She said she had other kids at home and a husband who wouldn’t be happy about her bringing home a bastard. She said she wouldn’t claim him even if you found her.”

“Where is he now?”

“He’s upstairs with Maria.”

Noah tossed his hat aside and dug his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know if I can handle this, Rea. A baby. I don’t even remember what the woman looked like, or her name.” He faced Reagan. “I don’t guess there’s a chance in hell of you believing me when I say that was the only time it happened. Sure, women hang on me all the time, but I never took any to bed. Not before or after that one. That night I was so drunk when I woke up I wasn’t sure if it happened or I dreamed it.”

“It doesn’t matter. Utah is here now. You can have a test to make sure, but the woman didn’t have any reason to lie. If she’d been after money, I wouldn’t have believed her. She seemed to want this kept quiet as much as you probably do. She said she’d never, ever come back.”

He sat down on the back step. The great bull rider had just taken the tumble of his life, and Reagan had no idea how he’d handle it. Because this time she wouldn’t be there by his side.

She knew she had to get back to the preparations, but things had to be said between them. “One thing, Noah. If you decide you can’t keep the baby, I can. I’ll not keep him for you. If I take him he’ll be mine legally, but you can still see him. Whether you tell him you’re his father is up to you. But from now on there is no us.”

She walked back into the house trying her best not to shatter into a million pieces. Before she could think about what had just happened, people began calling her, first from one direction, then another. They needed help. The biggest fund-raiser of the year was under way and Reagan had to turn her mind to all that had to be done and close away her breaking heart.

An hour passed before she had time to glance out the back door.

Noah was gone.

Reagan climbed the stairs and took a sleeping Utah into her arms. For a while she just rocked him, wishing she could talk to him. Silently promising him that if she had her way he’d never be tossed around from home to home.

A child no one wanted.

A kid like she’d been.

Closing her eyes, she could still see the hurt in Noah’s face. Her words had crushed him far more than any bull ever would or could.

Reagan let tears fall as she remembered all the loving, kind, funny things he’d done to make her laugh and love. Could she really give him up? Could she live without her Noah in her life?

Could she live with a liar . . . or a man who could walk away from his own son?

Maria found her and the baby asleep in the rocker half an hour later. She’d been drifting, wishing today were a dream and she’d wake up. The only problem was that today had been the nightmare she had to wake up to.

Reagan handed Utah to her gently.

“You go,” Maria said. “Many are looking for you.”

Reagan nodded and stood. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Once the second round of games start, maybe I can give him his bottle.”

“You come, but don’t send that cowboy. He made so much noise coming up the stairs he woke up the baby.” She huffed. “Then he said he had to hold Utah, but I don’t know why. I swear that man never held a newborn before in his life.”

Reagan walked out of the room realizing Noah must have climbed the stairs to see his son. An eight-pound baby had devastated both their worlds, and Reagan had no idea where the next step in her life would lead.

All she knew was that she wouldn’t be holding Noah’s hand for the rest of the journey.

Chapter 27

BUFFALO’S BAR

N
OAH POUNDED ON THE DOOR OF
B
UFFALO’S
B
AR FOR FIVE
minutes before Harley, the owner, finally opened up.

“What you doing here?” he grumbled. “I thought you’d be at the poker game if you were in town.”

Noah didn’t want to talk. He didn’t want to think. He only wanted to drink. He walked to the bar and leaned against it as if the wood would somehow give him comfort.

It didn’t.

Half an hour later the place was starting to fill up with people who didn’t care about the poker game going on over at the Truman farm and losers who were out in the first round.

Everyone who knew Noah offered to buy him a drink, and Noah didn’t turn down a one of them.

By dark he stumbled out on the deck and stared in the direction of Reagan’s farm. Though miles away, he swore he could see the glow of lights from the orchard. She was there, all alone in a crowd of people. He knew her so well. He knew why she’d agreed to have the fund-raiser. Harmony was her town, her home. She cared about the town and the people. He also knew why she said she’d keep the baby. Reagan had spent the first fifteen years of her life being tossed around.

He called himself every name he could think of, but
damn fool
seemed to be his favorite. A hundred
what-if
s danced with the
maybe
s in his mind. What if he’d come home and told her the night after it happened ten months ago? Would she have forgiven him then? Maybe he should have come back five months ago when he had downtime. She would have married him then, and maybe they’d have worked this out together.

Reagan had always been the one he loved. Even before he figured his life out and ran around with wild women on the circuit, he knew that someday he’d come home to her. She was the one he wanted to grow old with. She was the one he made love to in his dreams.

She didn’t understand how hard it was on the road. All the world gets mixed up when your whole life revolves around eight seconds. Bad food and hotel rooms that all look the same. Bars that smell the same. Women who act the same, always coming on to him. Always wanting him to be their one wild moment.

Reagan was his base. The only place where he could step away from all the noise and smoke and crowds. The one person who understood him.

Noah tossed the empty beer bottle he’d downed into a trash can that looked like it had served as a bumper pad for the steps for years. Damn it, he understood her too. He knew what it had taken for her to tell him good-bye. He felt her hurt as much as he felt his own. When they’d met, he’d always been the one to make her feel like she belonged. Folks were nice to her from the first because they knew she was his friend. She needed him as dearly as he needed her. They fit together.

Only she’d said she didn’t want to see him again. Never! He was no longer a part of her life.

Noah remembered all the times she’d been afraid and down. He’d always been the one who pulled her up and made her laugh.

He wasn’t drunk enough to see the answer, but he was sober enough to know he had to try. He had to go back and convince her that this was something they could handle together. If she wanted the baby, she’d have to take him too. In the years they’d been friends and lovers, there had never been a problem they couldn’t work out.

Noah started to his pickup and realized he couldn’t drive. His big sister, Alex Matheson, was the sheriff, and if she caught him one point over the limit she’d lecture him all the way to jail.

A guy he used to know from high school walked out and waved at him.

“Where you headed?” Noah asked, guessing where he’d be going tonight.

“Thought I’d go back to the tournament. It shouldn’t be long until the last round will be played, and I want to see who made the final table.”

“Mind if I ride along with you?”

“No, come on. I’ve still got two beer tickets to use.”

Ten minutes later Noah was in the crowd. He didn’t care anything about the few tables still playing the second round of cards. All he wanted to do was find Reagan and reason with her.

It took a while, but finally he saw her standing near the stage listening to Beau Yates play. The sadness in the way she held herself, her arms folded across her, as if she believed no one would ever hold her, tore at his heart. The knowledge that all this was his fault stabbed at him.

For a moment, on that night more than ten months ago, he’d known what he was doing was wrong. The woman hadn’t felt right in his arms. She was tall and her hair blond, not curly red like Reagan’s. He should have stopped and ordered her out, but instead he’d closed his eyes and pretended Reagan was with him.

It hadn’t worked. Even when he was having sex, it didn’t feel right. Reagan wasn’t in his arms. He’d rolled away and fallen asleep, wishing he’d stopped and calling himself a fool for going all the way with a woman he didn’t even know.

He had to convince Reagan the woman meant nothing. Reagan was his world and it took this to know it.

“Reagan,” he said from a few feet behind her. “Rea, you got to talk to me.”

She twirled around and faced him. “No, I don’t. Not here. Not now. Maybe not ever. Go away, Noah.”

He grabbed her arm. “We’re going to work this out. We have to. It hurts too badly.”

She jerked out of his grip. “You’re drunk, Noah. Go away.”

“No. I’m not going away. Not until you talk to me. Not until I make you understand—”

Before he could clear his head enough to think of what to say to make her stay, huge arms locked around him from behind and lifted him off the ground.

Noah was kicking and fighting, but the human forklift who had him didn’t loosen his grip. They were moving away from the crowd. Away from Reagan. Away from the one person who made his life worth living.

“The lady says she doesn’t want to talk to you, cowboy, so maybe you should go away.”

“Biggs!” Noah stopped fighting. “Put me down, Big. You’re not part of this. This is between Rea and me, no one else.”

They were still on the edge of the crowd, but Big set him down hard.

Noah stumbled, trying not to fall. “Stay out of this, Big. This is not your problem. I came to talk to Rea.”

“You’ve always been my problem, McAllen. I’d have to be a blind man not to see that you’ve hurt Reagan again. And this time if she says she doesn’t want to see you, I plan to make sure you stay away.”

Noah swung wildly and Big ducked. The huge construction worker shoved Noah hard, sending him flying into a huddle of men who’d decided this show was part of the entertainment. A few guys seemed to catch Noah and toss him back toward Big.

Swinging again, Noah hit his mark on the second try, and Big’s head jerked from the blow.

“I don’t want to fight you, Noah.” Big swore and shook his head as if clearing away the pain. “I only want you gone. So leave.”

“Well, I’m fighting you, Big. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s time you stepped out from between me and my girl. You’ve been the third wheel for long enough.”

“I’ve been her friend,” Big corrected. “And she ain’t your girl anymore. From what I saw she wants no part of you. Whatever you did this time, Preacher, you hurt her bad.”

Noah didn’t react to the nickname folks used to call him years ago when he rode. “What makes you think I did anything? There’s always two sides. Maybe she’s the one who is being stubborn for not even listening to my side.”

“You don’t have a side. Not the way I see it.” Big widened his stance. “It’s always your fault, to my way of thinking. So get off her farm and leave her alone.”

Noah knew Big had a serious girlfriend. He also knew the grown-up thug loved Reagan.

“I’m not leaving.” He swung again, plowing a fist into Big’s middle. “Maybe
you
should go.”

The giant didn’t move. “I’m not fighting you. Wouldn’t want to mess up that pretty face, Preacher. Since you’ve already knocked out all your brains riding, way I see it, all you got left is your looks.”

A crowd gathered, offering advice about the battle they’d all seen coming for years. Suddenly their argument was drawing more fans than the poker game.

Noah swung again. “You’re fighting me, because I’m not leaving until you do.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Preacher.” Big almost sounded like he was trying to reason while Noah continued to swing.

“What makes you think you’ll hurt me? I ride thousand-pound bulls for a living.”

Big ducked again before he answered, “Yeah, and I move mountains for a living. So don’t push me and stop swinging. You’re about as bothersome as a giant horsefly. I don’t want to put a dent in that pretty face, Noah.”

Cowboys were lining up behind Noah. Men in steel-toed boots were backing up Big. If a brawl started, twenty or more men were ready to jump into the battle, and none seemed interested in why the two men were fighting.

Suddenly, a huge Dodge Ram, with a rack of bright lights mounted on top, dug its way through the crowd.

Before Noah could move, his sister, the sheriff, and her husband climbed out, pushing back the crowd. Hank Matheson wasn’t as tall as Big, but his bulk could have taken Big on if need be. Only he ignored Big and turned to Noah.

“This is stopping right now!” Alex yelled in her official voice. “Noah, get in the truck. Big, back down or I’m taking you both to jail. We’re not having a fight here tonight. Do you both hear me?”

“Good, put us in the same cell and we’ll settle this.” Noah took a step toward Big, and his brother-in-law shoved him back into place.

Big didn’t budge an inch. He might as well have been planted in one spot.

Noah watched his sister scan the crowd. He knew she was dealing with a mob, and once again tonight it was all his fault. If a fight broke out this close to the house, Reagan would have damage to her place. One more thing to blame him for.

Hank climbed onto the bed of his truck. “Noah, Big, this isn’t happening here. You two are not ruining this night for everyone else.”

“We’re fighting this out tonight, Hank. Here or in jail, I plan on teaching this idiot to stop butting into my life.” Noah was still yelling, but an ounce of the fight was gone. No matter how old he got, one look from his big sister could always remind him of the fool he was making of himself.

“Not here.” Hank’s words were almost calm.

“Then where?” Big demanded.

“Up past the orchard is a pass-over to my land. You can trade blows out there but not on Truman land.”

Everyone started moving toward the trees except Noah.

His sister stood in front of him, blocking any way out. “Don’t do this, Noah. Whatever this is about, don’t fight Big.”

“I have to,” Noah said as he stepped around her and headed toward the trees. “You’ll have to arrest me to stop me.”

He saw her glance at her husband.

Noah heard Hank’s words as he headed up the trail to the orchard. “It’ll be a fair fight on plowed ground. That’s all I can promise. You can’t stop this, Alex. It’s been a long time coming.”

Noah didn’t know if his sister replied. She’d been protecting him since their big brother, Warren, was killed eleven years ago, but she couldn’t protect him from the hurting now. Nothing Big could do to him would be nearly as painful as the last look Reagan had given him.

The fight was nothing. Noah wanted it. He needed it. Maybe it would beat some sense into him.

Hank made the men who came to watch stay at the fence line between the Truman and Matheson properties. Noah and Big walked twenty feet out into a field bumpy with dirt clods.

“Anyone want to tell me what this trouble is about?” Hank asked as he stood between them.

“No,” both said at once.

Noah wanted Biggs mad. If the big guy was going to hit him, he welcomed the blows. Hell, he deserved them. “I’m going to teach a lesson to this brain-dead fool who thinks he can come between Rea and me.”

Big puffed up just like Noah knew he would. “I’m tired of listening to you, cowboy. You think you’re hot stuff just because you can stay on a bull for eight seconds, but you can’t even stay home long enough to make someone who loves you happy.”

“That’s right, Big, she loves me. Not you, me.”

“I’ve had enough. This ain’t going to be much of a fight, but it’s about time I knocked some sense into you. You’re fixing to get religion real fast, Preacher, and the blood you’re going to be washed in is gonna be your own.”

Noah rushed forward swinging.

Biggs took a blow to the nose and another to the middle before he shoved Noah off him.

Landing in the dirt, Noah jumped up and ran at Big again.

Blood flew from Big’s nose as he dodged.

Noah caught him on the chin and Big fell backward.

Finally, Big threw a punch hard and fast. His massive fist landed one hit against Noah’s chin, ending the fight and knocking Noah out cold.