Love & Rodeo (14 page)

Kallie placed second that weekend, while Levi placed third. They had a celebratory dinner with his family and then started for Bismarck. It was the last stop before they went to Vegas. Kallie won the purse in Bismarck while Levi placed second. They were off to Vegas.

“
So something weird happened.” Levi pulled her from her thoughts.

They were a day away from their destination.

“
Oh yeah?”

“
Travis called me.”

“
What?”

“
Yeah.”

“
Well, what’d he say?”

“
He said he was sorry and that he wants to meet up in Vegas.”

“
Hmm.”

“
Yeah.”

“
Good. I’m glad.” Kallie smiled at him.

She went back to reading her book. She hadn’t talked to her sister in over a week. The last time they talked, she begged Kallie to come home. How could she explain to her that this was what she wanted to do? How could she make a twelve-year-old understand? When she thought about it, it made her sick. She felt like if she chose this life, she was abandoning her sister. If she chose her sister, she would lose Levi. Either way, she hurt someone she loved. She looked across the cab at him. His elbow was propped up on the door while the other hand was holding the wheel. The need to be close to him took over and she cuddled against him. She closed her eyes and slept for a little while.

That night when they laid down, she waited for him to fall asleep and called Nora.

“
Hey, Nor.”

“
Are you all right? We haven’t heard from you for a week.”

“
I’m fine. I won in Bismarck.”

“
We saw. We also saw Levi Cavanaugh kiss you.”

Kallie’s breath caught. “Oh yeah?”

“
Are you seeing Levi Cavanaugh?”

Kallie took a deep breath. “Yeah but, Nor, it’s not serious.”

Nora didn’t say anything.

“
Just tell me now. You’re not coming back, are you?”

“
I don’t know, Nor.”

“
You promised! You promised me you were coming back to get me.”

“
I know, and I am. I just don’t know when.”

“
Just save it! Go back to Levi and the circuit! But you remember! They’re not your family! Me and Grams are, and we miss you.”

Her sister hung up the phone before she could respond. Kallie sat on the couch and hugged her legs to her chest. She cried into her knees until Levi walked out. He turned on the light and walked over, crouching down in front of her.

“
What’s wrong? Did you have another dream?”

She looked at him, and for a brief moment she thought about telling him, but then she remembered what Joan had told her in the kitchen. She couldn’t expect Levi to help her raise her sister. She couldn’t ask Levi to give up his life on the circuit for her. Instead of telling him she just hugged him. He didn’t say anything else or ask any questions. They went back to bed and Kallie stared at the wall. She didn’t want to think about it anymore, but she couldn’t fall asleep either.

* * * *

The following morning, Levi woke Kallie. She looked at the clock. It was nine.

“
I have to go grain Blaze.”

“
I already did it. If we leave now, we’ll be in Vegas by six.”

Kallie looked at him through sleepy eyes.

“
Come on.”

Kallie got up and took her pillow and blanket with her to the truck. She slept most of the drive. She woke about four with a growling stomach.

A couple hours later they pulled into The Thomas and Mack Center for the NBRA World Finals. They looked at one another with the biggest smiles on their faces.

“
I have a good feeling about this,” Levi told her.

“
Me too.”

They pulled into a spot and tended to Blaze. It was almost seven, and neither of them had eaten yet, so they fancied themselves up and walked the strip in search of a place to eat. They found the PBR Rock Bar and Grill and went inside. They were seated right away. As they ate, Travis and Deuce walked in. They waved and started for the table as Levi took her hand.

“
Hey, Levi.” Travis looked at Kallie. “Kallie.” The way Travis looked at her sent chills down her spine. It was clear he’d been drinking.

“
Hey, Travis. Deuce,” Kallie said to them.

“
What’s going on?” Levi asked.

“
All the guys are meeting up and going out tonight. You should come.”

Clearly Kallie wasn’t included in that. Levi looked at her.

“
You should go. I’m just going to go back and go to bed.”

His eyes bore into hers. “You’ve been sleeping all day.”

“
Driving does that to me.”

“
Are you sure? I mean, we could walk the strip, see the sights.”

“
I’m sure. I’m tired,” Kallie shrugged her shoulders.

Levi stared at her long and hard and then looked at Travis.

“
Where are you guys meeting?”

“
At the hotel.”

“
Text me the address.”

Travis slapped Levi’s back.

“
Great!”

Kallie watched as they went to the bar and then went back to eating her meal.

“
When are your parents coming in?”

“
They’ll be here in the morning.”

“
It’ll be good to see them again.”

“
They really liked you. Now, when Mama calls, she doesn’t ask how I am, she asks how you are.” Levi smiled at her.

“
I can’t help that your family likes me better than you.”

Kallie flashed him a playful smile. Over Levi’s shoulder she saw Deuce and Travis at the bar. It was clear Travis needed his best friend.

Kallie and Levi finished up and walked back to the trailer. She changed into her pajamas and climbed onto the couch with a book. Levi walked out from the bathroom and stood in the hallway staring at her.

“
Is it bad that I just want to curl up next to you?”

Kallie wanted that so badly. Only two more days until she had to make her decision. She looked up at him wearing his dark jeans and button-down shirt; at his stubbled face, and his wavy hair. The man standing in the hall was the man she called hers. She wanted to go to him. She wanted to tell him to stay and make love to her. She wanted to lay naked in his arms like she did that day in the hay field, but instead she told him what a good girlfriend would say, knowing there was a good chance Levi would need his best friends soon.

“
Go hang out with your buddies. Travis looked like he really missed you.”

“
He didn’t look good.”

“
No he didn’t, but maybe that’s why he reached out to you.”

“
Maybe.”

Levi kissed her and then left, leaving her to herself. She read for a little and then turned in. She was so tired lately.

A couple hours later, Kallie woke to Levi’s hard body on top of her. He kissed her neck.

“
I’m drunk and I’m horny.”

Kallie laughed out loud. She didn’t stop him from making love to her before she fell back to sleep in his arms.

Chapter Fifteen

The following day, all the riders met in the arena. There were two rounds for the barrel racers. There were only twenty girls running in total. They’d all run tonight. The top ten best times moved on to tomorrow night. Tonight’s purse was twenty thousand and tomorrow night’s was fifty. Kallie’s heart raced when she thought about the money. She could start her own ranch with that kind of cash.

The bull riders were the same. They’d all ride tonight and the top twenty guys would move on to tomorrow night.

“
Mama and Daddy should be at the hotel now. Should we go get them?” Levi asked once the meeting concluded.

“
That sounds good.”

He turned around and she jumped up on his back. As they walked, she caught Travis giving her a dirty look. Her smile faded and she looked ahead. Was he jealous of her?

Twenty minutes later, they were in the hotel lobby with Emma, John, and Joan.

“
Where’s Jenna?” Kallie asked as she hugged each of them.

“
She stayed home. Something about her friends,” Joan told her.

Kallie hugged Emma a little longer than she should have. She missed her sister like crazy.

About that time a tall man and a woman walked up beside them and that was when Kallie realized it was Mark and Jolie. Kallie and Jolie’s eyes met.

“
Kallie?”

“
Hey, Jolie!”

They hugged one another.

“
You’re going for world number two?”

Kallie smiled. “That’s what it looks like.”

She turned her attention to Mark and extended her hand. He looked at it and then hugged her.

“
From what I understand, you’re practically family already.” Mark squeezed.

“
Oh, and thank you for the gift basket. You didn’t have to do that,” Jolie told her.

“
Well, it was the least I could do since you guys let us stay at your house. It was nice to sleep in a real bed.”

“
So what’s the plan for today?” John asked.

“
Go see the sites?” Levi asked.

“
I want to go look at the horses,” Emma cried.

“
Emma, you live on a horse ranch. You see horses every day,” Mark told her.

“
Yeah, but not horses that are at World. Not horses that could win national titles. These horses are the best of the best.”

Kallie watched Jolie turn to Mark. “I agree with Emma. It would be nice to see some of the girls.”

Kallie watched Mark break in front of her.

“
All right, why don’t the girls go look at horses and do some shopping. Dad, Levi, and I will go walk the strip.”

“
That sounds reasonable,” Joan said.

They parted their ways. Kallie and the girls went to the barn area. They ran into some of the girls and Jolie talked for a few minutes, while Emma and Kallie walked from stall to stall looking at the horses. There were only twenty, so it didn’t take them long. After that, they hailed a cab and the four of them squeezed in the back.

“
Do you have a dress for the banquet?” Jolie asked.

Her eyes went wide and she looked at Jolie. “I hadn’t thought about that. I didn’t go last year.”

“
Well, that’s why we’re here,” Jolie told her.

Jolie gave the cab driver a name of a store and he drove them there. Soon they were all looking through racks of dresses until they found the perfect one. It was a strapless white lace dress that hugged Kallie’s curves and fell mid thigh. It was a little short for her liking, but Jolie insisted. She stood in front of the mirror looking at herself.

“
Are you going to show us?” Emma called to her.

She opened the door of the fitting room and walked out. “I think it’s a little short,” Kallie started to tell them.

“
Oh no, dear, it’s perfect. Levi is going to love you in this,” Joan told her.

Kallie smiled shyly.

“
You look really pretty, Kallie,” Emma told her.

“
So I guess this is it, then?”

“
I’d say so,” Jolie told her.

Jolie grabbed a pair of dressy cowgirl boots for her as they made their way to the counter. She paid for her things and they started back to the hotel.

* * * *

“
What are you doing in here?” Mark asked Levi.

He was looking at necklaces for Kallie.

“
Oh, is this for Kallie?” Mark asked.

“
Yeah. I want to buy her something nice.”

Mark looked at him. “You’re in love with her.”

Levi smiled. “I love her more than anything. I’ve had my share of relationships, but this is different.”

Mark smiled at him. “That’s how it was with Jolie. It’s like nothing else matters but her.”

“
Exactly. It’s crazy.”