Road to Glory (19 page)

“Like someone tried to make cube steak out of my hide.”

Travis pursed his lips to disguise the chuckle that formed. “That good, huh?”

His remark garnered him a dark look. “Pull up a chair if you want to swap tales.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Travis replied, pulling over a straight-backed chair from its resting place against the wall.

“I’d feel a lot better if that she-bear in the other room hadn’t hid my trousers.”

Travis looked up as he took his seat. His brows arched toward his hairline. “Don’t you have more than one pair?”

“Others are in the wash,” Mickey grumbled.

“Doctor said you should rest, and you will.” Alma’s voice drifted in. “Won’t kill you for one day.”

“Confounded woman.” Travis heard the snarl, low enough Alma wouldn’t hear. This time there was no covering the grin that split his face ear to ear.

“What kind of look is that?”

Travis hoped the expression on his face was one of pure innocence. “The kind that isn’t sure if he believes you or not.”

The sour expression puckered Mickey’s lips. “You didn’t come here to laugh at me. What’s on your mind?”

Travis grew sober. Opening his hands, he rubbed his damp palms across the thighs of his jeans. “I went by the tack shop outside of town this morning.”

“Saw them posters I put up, didn’t you?” Mickey nodded.

“Yeah, about that…” Travis gave him the evil eye. “Whose bright idea was it to list me as a competitor?”

Mickey shifted a little beneath the sheet. “Saw that too, did you?”

“I tend to read things when I see my name on ’em.”

“I was goin’ to tell you,” Mickey began, with a generous look of apology on his face. “I guess things sort of snowballed.”

“I guess,” Travis agreed.

“Look, we got a lot of boys lookin’ up to you after this clinic we’re doin’. You got to ride. Might as well start it off right.” His finger pointed toward Travis’ chest. “You’ll be demonstratin’, tellin’ them how it’s done, so might as well step on board, forget that fear.”

Travis shook his head. “Let’s hope, ’cause if not, there are a lot of people who will be disappointed.”

Mickey shrugged his shoulders. “People are goin’ to come lookin’ for a train wreck anyway. It’s the nature of the sport. But half will be there thrilled to see you back up.”

Travis snorted. “The other half will be hoping the bull finishes what the first one started.”

The corners of Mickey’s mouth turned upwards. “The Travis Hargrove I know won’t fail. He doesn’t have it in him.”

“You sure got a mess of confidence.” Travis glowered. “Don’t hold back, Mickey. Be sure and share.”

Mickey’s eyes narrowed. “I watched you grow from a gangly greenhorn to a savvy bull rider. I know good talent when I see it. The only thing you lack is self-confidence. But that’s not your fault. I blame your daddy.”

Travis’ heart slammed against his ribs. “How do you know so much about my father?”

Mickey harrumphed. “A lot more than you think I do.”

Travis watched him adjust the blanket for a moment, chin jutted out in defense. “Your dad and me were partners once. Shared everything, the good times and the bad. I watched him fall in love with the wrong woman and then wither away into a bottle when she left.”

Travis gritted his teeth. Part of him didn’t want to hear this. And part of him wanted to pump Mickey for all the information his father never would give. “What does this have to do with my self-confidence?”

“Your pappy’s transferred that loss to you. You didn’t cause it. That was unfair.”

Travis sat back and stared at Mickey.

“Think about it. He all but ran you and your brother away from home, didn’t he? Put you both down. How many times did he tell you that you’d never make it?”

Travis stared at his boots, his mouth dry.

“I bet he didn’t like it one bit when I took you on, all them years ago.”

He hadn’t. It had been one of the worst fights ever. Loud voices, fist pounding on the table, he could still recall his sister’s tear-streaked face as she rushed from the room. He’d packed up that night and left. Other than Emma’s graduation, he hadn’t been back. “No, can’t say he was pleased.”

“Yeah.” Mickey’s voice sounded just as disgruntled. “I bet not. Well, now, you got a chance to show him you got grit. You can be one of the best—”

“I’ll do what I can,” Travis broke in. “I’m just not sure my body is ready.”

“Give yourself some credit, kid.” Mickey gave a sigh and lay back.

Recognizing the signs that Mickey was getting tired, Travis stood up. He’d come to ask about Glory, but instead the conversation had opened a wound of a new sort. “I’ll bring Glory by later.”

“Yeah, do that.” Mickey nodded. His eyes closed. “See yourself out, if you don’t mind.”

Travis pulled the chair back to the wall. “Sure, Mickey, not a problem.”

And he walked out of the room to find Alma in the kitchen, snapping a bowl of beans. “He settled down?” she asked, not even bothering to look up.

“Yeah, I guess I wore him out.”

“Maybe.” She nodded.

He watched her dark hands fly over the beans, breaking them in half. Seeing the empty chair across from her, Travis sat down. The sound of the beans breaking filled the air.

“If you’re going to ask that question, you’d best do so, or I’ll put you to work.”

“Met a cowboy in town, today,” Travis began.

“Did you now,” she replied without looking up from her work. “What’s so important about this cowboy that brings you here?”

“His name is Jax Martin.”

Alma’s hands stopped. His gaze traveled to her face. Her dark eyes seemed wary. “You say Jax Martin?”

Travis nodded.

“Well.” She brought her hands down to her lap. “Don’t that beat all,” she whispered. “All this time, and he has the gall to show up.” She gave him a piercing glance. “I know Mickey mentioned it the other night, but does Glory know?”

Travis shook his head. “I don’t think so. She hasn’t said anything to me.”

“She won’t,” came Alma’s abrupt reply. Travis waited as she picked up her towel and wiped her hands. “I guess he brought his no-count self back here for the rodeo.”

“Could be.” He looked down at the tablecloth. “Glory and Jax, they have a history?”

Alma nodded. “They do.”

The knot in his stomach tightened. “May I ask what?”

“Before I tell you, I got the right to know something.”

“All right,” Travis nodded.

Alma put down the cloth and gave him a no-nonsense glare that made him shrink against the chair like he was back beneath his father’s thumb.

“Do you love her?”

Chapter Fourteen

Travis’ heart hammered to a halt. It came down to one central question.
Did he love her?
Seconds ticked by.
Do I?
The thought of commitment lathered his body with a cold sweat. It was so easy to commit to eight seconds, but a lifetime? He dampened his dry lips with a brush of his tongue.

“It’s not a hard question.” Alma said. “Either yes or no.”

Silence seemed to stretch to infinity. He heard the heavy thump of the dishtowel as the housekeeper slapped it down in disgust. Heat crawled up Travis’ neck. The chair scraped across the floor, sounding more like the roll of drums for a condemned man facing a firing squad. The vibrations in the air echoed in his ears.

“I thought more of you than this, cowboy.” Alma’s harsh tongue broke into his thoughts. “Glory deserves more than this.”

“Alma, it’s not that easy,” he defended himself.

His protest got nothing more than a raised eyebrow from her. “Easy’s what you want, is it?” she sneered. Travis winced. He’d given the wrong answer.

“Easy is for books and movies. This is life, boy. You of all people should know that. Why, you are just going through the motions. Life’s got you by the tail, and should be the other way around.”

“You don’t understand.” Travis shook his head.

“No.” Alma’s sharp defiance surprised him. His head came up, and he found himself locked in her unforgiving gaze. “No, it’s you who don’t understand.” She took a step forward and closed in on him. Like a sword fighter, she was about to deliver the
coup de grace
. “Life is for living. It means you make choices. You give up something”—she shook that finger at him—“in order to get the most important thing of all.”

“What’s that?”

Alma’s grin softened the anger in her features. “Why, boy, here I thought you knew it all.” She clucked her tongue. “The most important thing is love. In all the world, there’s nothing that can compare to the love between a woman and a man. It begins all life, and the memory of its sweetness can bring peace when one of you isn’t here no more.”

Her simple words tore down the last bit of the wall he’d built around his heart. “But how do you know? The love I’ve seen can kill the strongest man,” he admitted.

“Then that’s the wrong kind. God…” She nodded. “He made a whole universe, and in its vastness there is only one soul mate for each of us.”

He could tell her words were spoken from the heart. A rush of raw emotion lashed her eyes.

“That’s why we search. That’s why men like you move around from place to place until they find it. Goin’ to take a special kind of woman for you, cowboy.” To his surprise, Alma winked at him. “You need a woman who dreams big. My Glory, she’s got big dreams. Oughta see if yours match.”

“What about Jax?”

Alma’s lips formed a thin line. “He never thought past his own nose. All him or nothin’. That man’s got no room for anyone else’s dreams. Men like him are always up to no good, looking for a way to get ahead, even if it means stepping on a woman’s heart.”

“Jax used Glory,” Travis murmured as a shaft of anger lanced his heart.

Alma blew out a deep breath, then nodded. “Nearly broke her, he did.” She turned and carried the bowl to the counter. “That’s why I got the right to know.” She turned to face him.

Travis caught the glimmer of tears in her dark eyes.

“If you love her, stay and fight. Make her know she’s the one for you. But if you don’t”—she shrugged her shoulders—“don’t go no further. Pack your things and leave. Don’t break that girl’s heart.”

He nodded and slowly drew himself up to stand. “I understand where you are coming from, Alma. I’ll think on it.”

“Think on it hard, cowboy, ’cause your future depends on it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he murmured as he walked away.

****

Glory sat behind the table and looked over the gear box that moved the mechanical bull. At the same time she glanced up regularly to watch Travis speak to the crowd of eight young men, who listened carefully to each spoken word as if it were gold. She wasn’t sure how or why, but he had a firm grasp of their attention. She studied him, noting the squaring of his shoulders and the way his gaze moved around to each cowboy’s face as if his words were meant only for them. She’d felt the same way last night when he’d taken her into his arms as if nothing else existed. Glory took a deep breath and sighed.

“Here’s a cold soda,” Connie whispered as she took the empty seat beside her at the table. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen my son’s face with such concentration since high school exams.”

Her remark made Glory smile. “It’s good he’s taking this so seriously.”

“All of them are.” Connie nodded.

“They’ll need this concentration, this weekend.” Glory watched Connie’s eyes widen. “We’ll use the real thing then.”

“This weekend…” Connie echoed.

“They’ll be out at the fairgrounds with twenty bulls from the local ranches,” Glory explained. “Mickey wants us to shoot video of two rounds of rides, one in the morning, one in the afternoon. Then we’ll get together here in the evening and watch the rides, with Mickey and Travis pointing out their problems.”

“They’re doing this every day until then, right?”

Glory gave a nod. “Yes, Mickey said it would be intense. I just hope these guys can hold out.”

“If they want to ride, they will,” Connie said. “Well, I’d best get back to work. I can tell you, business has picked up. Lots of new folks are coming in, asking questions about Travis, and the rodeo.”

“So I hear,” Glory replied. “Thanks for the drink.”

“No problem.” Connie grinned. “I’ll be at the bar if you need me.”

Glory’s brow wrinkled. “Isn’t that Angel’s place? I saw her at Mickey’s and she said she was working tonight.”

“She is. But this mess with her dad really shook her. Poor thing, I’ve seen her cry more in the past two days than in her whole life. She is just so drained and peaked-looking. I thought I’d give her a hand.”

“Ah, sorry to hear that.” Glory nodded. She noted that Connie stayed close as if she had something else to say.

Before she could ask, Travis called out, “Hey, Glory, you ready?”

She reached out and put her hand on the knob, giving the mechanized bull a spin. “First victim,” she sang out. Her sweet smile fooled no one. Eight stern faces glared back at her. “Tough crowd,” she muttered.

“We’ll go in order,” Travis said. “Tonight, concentrate on your hold and balance. Later we’ll work on your showmanship.”

He crossed over the uneven surface of the safety mats that covered the sandy floor and caught her glance as he settled on the edge of the table. Glory felt the warmth of his smile before he addressed the kids standing nervously across the way.

“Use the rosin, boys. Shake a layer on your glove hand, on the inside of your knees, pass the bag to the man behind you, and dust your seat.”

He turned his head and spoke to Glory. “Go easy on the first two turns for each man. Let them get the feel of the motion. Reverse direction and pick up the speed, two rounds to the left, two to the right.” His words drifted off with a whisper of expectation.

“And then?”

He gave her the impish grin she’d grown to love.

“You devil,” she whispered with a soft chuckle. He winked and reached over for her soda.

“They got to know a bull is full of surprises. Learn to anticipate his actions by the feel of the muscles beneath their legs.” He brought the cup to his lips, and she watched his Adam’s apple bob as he took a swallow.

Her eyes followed the motion of his hands placing the cup back on the table. Glory focused on his fingers, her mind recalling how he had caressed her face and teased her body into a passion as yet unfulfilled. Despite being in public, heat pooled in her belly and she lost track of time, relishing the memory of his caring touch last night…