Along Came a Cowboy (27 page)

He pulls me a little closer, and I can see the concern in his eyes. “You okay?”

“Overheated, I think.” The sun is surely baking my brain for me to be having such crazy thoughts.

“Let's go get you some water.” He releases me but not my hand, and I follow him up the hill.

A
s we walk up toward the contest, I recognize a patient's daughter onstage, belting out “God Bless America.” Jack looks over at me. “Wow. She's got a great set of pipes.”

“Rachel!”

I look down into my mother's face. “Mom! Dad! I didn't know y'all were here.”

Dad motions for us to join them on their blanket. “Actually, we were just going to get Rachel a drink.”

Mom smiles and pulls a bottle of water from their cooler. “Have a seat.”

I take the bottle from her, but inwardly I'm marveling at how much friendlier they are to me when Jack is around. Is that my imagination? Or do they like him better than me?

I try to think positively. Maybe he just serves as a buffer, and that's why it's easier with him around.

I sink down beside Mom and look up at the stage. “Think she'll win?”

She nods. “We think she's the best candidate for the national anthem at the rodeo. Hopefully the judges will agree with us.”

“Who's judging?” I would never want that job. I can't
imagine having to dash anyone's hopes of being a singer, even if it's just for a small town event. I sure hope there isn't a Simon Cowell in one of the judge's seats today.

“I know Blair Winchester is one of them.” Dad narrows his eyes. “She's probably going to show the less talented ones on one of her reality segments.”

Obviously he still hasn't gotten completely over his anger from her accusations against Jack and me. I quietly congratulate myself for not making the obvious comparison between Blair and the famous
AI
judge. Well, at least not out loud.

“We're about to compete in the canoe race with Jennifer and Dirk if y'all want to come watch,” Jack says.

Mom looks at Dad. “Oh, Alton, that sounds like fun.”

He nods. “We'll be over to cheer you on.”

When the girl finishes and the crowd breaks into wild applause, Jack and I head toward the boat dock. In the distance, I see Jenn and Dirk waiting for us, along with a crowd of other racers. “So you think it's okay for them to be holding hands?” I ask when we're still a good ways away.

Jack looks at me thoughtfully then down at our own entwined hands. “I think so. They seem like they're not going to push the boundaries.”

I glance at them again. They really are good kids. “I think you're right.”

“I never thought about it, but I guess these are the kinds of things parents have to talk over and decide.” He shakes his head. “Every detail is important.”

“Scary prospect, huh?” “It is, but I still think I might be up to the challenge someday.” He squeezes my hand. “With the right person.”

Whoa. Have I lost my mind? I'm letting this wonderful, amazing man mentally plan a future with me. This man who
has already told me that honesty means so much to him.

The race hasn't started yet, but my canoe is already sunk.

“Are we sure about this?” I ask Jack as I fasten my life jacket.

He shrugs. “Too late to be having doubts. We're already committed.”

Why does everything seem to have a double meaning today? I glance at the four-man canoe. Two heats have already been completed, and we're in the third and final one. Guess there's no putting it off. “Who rides where?”

Dirk steps up. “I've been watching the other teams get in their canoes—the big guy needs to sit in the back.” He grins at Jack. “That's you, boss.”

Jack salutes, and we all laugh.

“And I'll take the front.”

I look at Jenn. “I guess that leaves us in the middle.”

“Okay.” She double-checks her life jacket and steps in, climbing into the seat behind the front one.

Jack and I exchange an amused look at her obvious hurry to get the seat closest to Dirk.

Jack holds out his hand to help me in. “Ready?” “As ready as I'll ever be.”

After I'm settled in my seat, Jenn twists around. “Look. Up on the bank.”

I follow her direction and see Lark, Craig, and my parents all waving. Beside them, Victoria and Adam, as well as Allie's mom and Katie and Miranda are waving, too.

“We're here to cheer you on, shugah,” Victoria calls and pushes her sunglasses on top of her head.

Over the loudspeaker, a familiar voice announces that contestants can paddle around and warm up a little. The contest
will begin shortly. Blair is pulling double duty today, having left her post as Shady Grove Idol judge to come over and be the announcer of the canoe race. I'm trying just to tune out her voice.

Jack climbs in and gets settled; then Dirk jumps in the front.

I twist in my seat to look at Jack. “Captain, do you have any instructions for your crew?”

He laughs. “Y'all have been in canoes as much as I have. But I've never raced one, so I'm not sure I have much of a strategy. How about we just row together in rhythm as hard as we can?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Dirk seems to have finally lost some of his shyness. “I think our other plan should be to try not to tip over.”

“Good idea.” I definitely don't want to end up in the lake. We paddle around for a little while with Jack directing us, until I think we have the hang of it. “This is not as comfortable as being in a saddle, but it's kind of fun.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth,” Jack says, just as Blair calls us over to the starting line.

She counts down with enthusiasm. “Five—four—three—two—one—go!”

We set off, rowing with all our might. Our competition is a team of volunteer firemen and a group of teachers from the elementary school.

“Go, Rachel! Go, Jenn!” I can hear our friends, and even my parents, screaming from the bank.

The volunteer firemen are a boat's length ahead of us. “Y'all are doing great.” Jack's voice is steady. “Let's try and get our oars in sync. Row hard and don't look behind us.”

Jack starts calling out commands in rhythm, and our canoe
seems to fly over the water. I can hear the screams of the crowd as we catch up to the firemen.

“Just a little farther.” Jack's voice guides us from the back of the boat.

Suddenly, we're at the bank. Jenn and Dirk cheer. Jack helps me climb out of the boat and gives me a big hug. A big hug that, despite the life jackets between us, still makes me a little shaky.

“That was so much fun.” I high-five Dirk and Jenn. “Way to go team!” The firemen and elementary teachers yell congratulations, and we wave.

“One more race to go before victory is ours.” Jack motions for us to gather around him. “Same strategy. I'll call out the commands. You guys row as hard as you can. Sound good?”

We all nod.

“Okay, let's do it.” Jack puts out his hand, and one by one we put ours on top of his. “Row, row, row, on three. One—two—three. . .”

We all cheer and climb back into the boat. For the championship, we'll be rowing toward the crowd. This time we're racing the winners of the first two heats—a group of paramedics and the four Jones boys who are home from college for the summer.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the Shady Grove Annual Canoe Racing championship. It looks like all of our teams are ready.” Blair's voice reverberates from the loudspeaker. “Five—four—three—two—one—go!”

We take off, using the same strategy as before. Jack is in the back, Dirk is in the front, and Jenn and I are in the middle.

Jack's voice guides us as we row.

Our competition is tougher this time, and we're practically neck and neck with both of the other boats.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this race looks tighter than ever,” Blair drones on from the announcer's box, and I can't help but listen to her commentary. “It appears that the local paramedics might be the team to beat. They look like they're in pretty good shape. But don't count out the Jones boys. Their mom told me they're all weight lifters.” She pauses.

“Keep rowing, slow and steady,” Jack calls from behind me. “Just ignore the announcer.”

“And the third team includes Shady Grove's newest power couple, chiropractor Dr. Rachel Donavan and rodeo hotshot Jack Westwood.” Blair's voice cuts to my core. “If they can concentrate on the task at hand instead of each other, maybe they'll have a shot.”

For a split second I quit rowing.

“Rach, just keep going. Don't let her get to you.” Jack calls to me from the back of the canoe. “It's not worth it.”

I glance at Jenn in front of me, the daughter I gave up. The daughter who will probably never forgive me if she finds out the truth. I feel Jack's gaze on me from behind. Jack, who loves me for my honesty and is determined to convince me that we have a future together.

And sitting there in the middle, it hits me. I've been desperately hanging on to that middle ground, as if I could have my secrets and still keep Jenn and Jack. But there never was any middle ground. If I'm going to have a relationship with this man, I will have to tell my deepest secrets and possibly ruin the lives of those I love best. What kind of dangerous game have I been playing?

“Come on, Aunt Rachel, you can do it.” Jenn's prompting breaks my thoughts. I grip my oar and start rowing on Jack's command.

“Let's go, Rachel and Jenn! Go, Dirk and Jack!” The Pinkies
are cheering for us as we get closer to the bank.

Just as we're about to reach the finish, the Jones boys power ahead.

“Second place is nothing to sneeze at.” My dad helps Dirk and then Jenn out of the canoe. He holds his hand out to me, and I grasp it.

“You're exactly right. That was a great job.” Jack climbs out of the canoe and pulls me into a loose hug.

“I guess you just couldn't keep up with the Joneses,” Adam teases us.

Victoria punches him. “I think he was hoping they'd beat you just so he could make that joke.”

“You know how to hurt a man, Vicky,” he says.

The chatter goes on, but I can't help but think about freezing up back there. I've got to put an end to this conflict inside me.

P
atriotic music blares as we make our way out of the crowd and start up the tiny trail. The orange sun casts long shadows ahead of us.

“It was nice of your parents to ask Jenn and Dirk to sit with them during the fireworks. I think they knew you could relax a little bit if you didn't have to keep a constant eye on her.” Jack leads the way up the trail that he and Craig scouted out earlier.

“Yeah. I know my dad will be watching them like a hawk.” I laugh. “No matter how romantic watching fireworks in the dark is, I have a feeling sitting with the Grands will take it down a notch.”

“Lucky for us, we'll be the only ones on our blanket.” Jack's voice is husky.