Love & Rodeo (19 page)

Kallie sat on the couch behind Nora and braided her long curly hair. For fifteen, Nora was what the guys her age would consider to be a knockout, but she was oblivious to it and Kallie was thankful for that. She didn’t think she could handle that on top of running a ranch. Kallie twirled her hair into a bun on the back of her head, and Nora turned to look at her. It was like she was looking at herself at fifteen. Looking at her sister now, she knew that she’d made the right decision three years ago. They were closer than ever and Kallie wouldn’t have it any other way.

Her heart warmed as Nora hugged her around the waist. “Oh! What’s this for?” Nora caught her off guard.

“
I just missed my big sis.”

“
I missed you too.” Kallie returned the hug and squeezed extra tight.

They cuddled on the couch until late in the night watching movies. Kallie covered a sleeping Nora up and went to her room. As she readied herself for bed, she couldn’t help but think about Levi. He was engaged and her heart ached at the thought of it. She wondered if he and Danielle had what they had. Did that mean there was someone else out there for her? After everything with Levi, Kallie had been content being alone. She thought of it as her punishment for abandoning such a precious relationship. But now? Did she still believe that? Kallie climbed into her large bed and closed her eyes as memories of Levi invaded her dreams.

* * * *

The following morning, Kallie woke at six o’clock. She went out to grain the horses and feed the bulls before she headed inside to make Nora breakfast. About halfway through, Nora walked in.

“
Mmm… It smells so good in here.”

“
I knew it would wake you up.”

Nora sat at the bar as Kallie put a plate of eggs and bacon in front of her. She sat beside her sister and ate her eggs. They finished, showered, and readied themselves to head into town. It had become a Sunday ritual for the two of them to wear their sundresses into town to run errands, and today was no different. Nora came down the steps in her pink sundress, while Kallie decided on her yellow one. She climbed into the passenger seat as she threw her sister the keys.

A half-hour later, they were driving through the small town of Tonkawa, Oklahoma. Nora pulled into the feed store and Kallie went inside to let them know she was ready for her weekly order. When she came back outside, she spotted Nora standing by the bed of the truck watching Nolan, the store owner’s son, loading the truck. It was pretty clear Nora was crushing on him. She smiled and pulled her sister toward the only clothing store in town.

“
You might want to wipe that drool from the corner of your mouth.” Kallie laughed.

“
What do you mean?”

“
You were staring at him!”

“
Maybe I was, maybe I wasn’t.”

Kallie laughed. “I love you, but be careful.”

“
Always!”

They spent the next hour scanning the racks for school clothes. Nora went back in a week, and while Kallie had all of her school supplies purchased already, she wanted her to have a few new outfits to go back in. Once Nora seemed pleased with what they found, they took their bags to the truck where Nolan was waiting. Kallie let Nora talk to him for a few minutes before she came to the window.

“
Kallie! Nolan says they have miniature goats for sale. Can we go look at them? Please?”

Kallie looked at her sister who was giving her puppy dog eyes. She took a deep breath.

“
Fine! Let’s go.”

Nora climbed into the driver seat while Nolan rode in the back. A few minutes later they pulled into Nolan’s driveway. As soon as the girls got out they were met by two huge dogs.

“Down, Sassy! Duke!” Nolan yelled. “I’m sorry. They’re not used to visitors,” Nolan explained.

The dogs listened and retreated toward the house. Kallie stayed a little ways back from Nolan and Nora as they walked to the pen. She kind of felt like a third wheel. When Kallie got there she was looking at five miniature goats staring up at her. There was a dark black one that looked to be the runt. The goats
baa’d
at them as Nolan opened the pen. Kallie squeezed in and immediately scooped up the black one.

“
Oh, Kal! He’s so cute!” Nora cooed.

“
Isn’t he?”

Kallie pulled out her phone and took a picture of herself and the little goat. She sent it to Luke and waited for his response. As she waited, the little goat nibbled on her nose and
baa’d
at her. Finally her phone dinged in her pocket and she pulled it out.

“
New Ranch Pet?”

“
Luke! I want it!”

“You’re taking care of it!”

“
:)”

“
So how much are you asking?” Kallie asked.

“
Um, I think Daddy was hoping for a hundred a piece, but I’m sure he’d take less for you, Ms. Davis.”

“
Nolan, please call me Kallie,” she told him as she shifted the goat in her arms.

“
Well, I’m sure Daddy would take less for you.”

“
No. I’ll give you a hundred, but you have to show me what to feed it.”

“
We’ve got everything at the store. We’d better hurry though. Daddy will be closing up soon.”

“
Let’s go.”

Nora walked beside her sister petting the little goat.

“
Our first pet,” Nora said as they climbed into the truck.

“
It only took us three years,” Kallie said.

Kallie held the goat in her lap as he stared up at her.

“
You look like a Chip.”

“
Chip?” Nora asked.

“
What’s wrong with Chip?”

Nora laughed. “Nothing. I think it’s perfect.”

Nora reached across the cab and patted Chip on the head.

“
Both hands on the wheel!” Kallie told her.

A few minutes later they were back at the store. Nolan showed them the feed and then got them a lead and a collar for the little guy, letting Nora pick out the colors. Kallie paid and sat in the truck for a few minutes before Nora joined her.

“
You’re really crushing on Nolan?” Kallie joked as they started for the house.

Kallie’s phone dinged again and she pulled it out. It was a text message from Luke.

“
My replacement will be at the ranch around seven.”

“
Who is your replacement?”

Kallie waited for a response but never got one. She looked at the clock. It was four-thirty. They’d be home in a half hour. It gave her just enough time to feed the animals and then get dinner going. Kallie went into overdrive and got down to business.

A few hours later, the animals were fed, laundry done, and dinner was finishing up, while Nora played with Chip outside. Kallie pulled the casserole dish out of the oven in time for Nora to come in announcing that someone had pulled up.

Chapter Twenty

“
Hello?” Levi answered his cell phone.

“
Levi?”

“
Luke?”

“
Hey, man! How have you been?”

“
I’ve been better. Danielle walked out on me a few weeks ago. It’s been rough, but I’ve been staying at Mama and Daddy’s. What’s going on with you?”

“
Sophie is being induced in a week.”

“
Wow! Congratulations!”

“
Thanks, but I’ve got a little bit of a problem.”

“
What’s that?”

“
We have so much we have to do before then and I’m supposed to be teaching a clinic for the next two weeks at the ranch.”

“
What are you asking me?”

“
Can you fill in for me?”

“
You want me to fill in for you?” Levi asked surprised.

“
Levi, you’re my last resort. If you don’t say yes, we have to cancel with people who’ve been scheduled for a year. It’s bad business.”

“
Luke, I’m sure they’d understand. You’re having a baby.”

“
It doesn’t work like that. These people pay a lot of money and refunding all that money would hurt.”

Levi looked around the hotel room and shoved his hand through his hair. He exhaled noisily into the phone.

“
Please, man. I’ll owe you big time.” Levi heard the distress in Luke’s voice and it tugged at him.

While he and Luke were never close when they rode on the circuit, after, Luke kept him posted on Kallie and helped him through a rough patch. He kind of owed him, even if it meant seeing
her
again.

“
Yeah, you will.”

“
Is that a yes?”

“
I don’t know. Let me think about it okay?”

“
I don’t really have a lot of time.”

“
Just give me an hour.”

“
All right.”

Levi hung up the phone and rubbed his throbbing head. He felt movement on the other side of the bed and looked over to see the brunette lying on her stomach, wrapped in the hotel sheets. He thought about the night before and barely remembered the drive to the hotel. He didn’t recall her name, he just knew that she looked like
her
and that would do. He closed his eyes as he remembered the details from the night before.

Travis came into town to visit, so they hit Tulsa. They hopped from bar to bar until they found one they liked. It also happened to be the bar where Levi met the brunette. They hit it off, but Levi wanted only one thing from her; the only thing he ever wanted from women who weren’t
her.
They drove to a hotel nearby in Levi’s Dodge. They talked a little bit, but he couldn’t really remember the conversation. He did remember that as soon as the door to the hotel room was closed, he pulled her shirt over her head to reveal a white lace bra. Any man would’ve thought she was beautiful, but all he could think about was
her
and how
her
breasts would’ve looked inside the bra.

He leaned in and kissed the top of the brunette’s breasts imagining they were
hers.
He let his hands explore her body remembering
her
curves and how they responded to his touch. He closed his eyes and breathed her in, smelling honeysuckle. As the woman shimmied out of her jeans, Levi tugged at his own. He needed resolution. He needed to be inside and feel her need. He climbed on top of the woman, but not before he rolled on a condom. He waited for her signal and as soon as she gave it, he pushed himself deep inside of her. She called out his name and Levi pushed inside of her harder and continued until she cried out in passion. He pushed on a few more strokes before calling out to
her
as he achieved ecstasy. As he rolled over she told him that her name was Carly, not Kallie. He grunted and passed out.

He sat on the edge of the bed. This is what his life had become, and he was a little ashamed of himself. He scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to wake himself up before he stood to find the shower.

The water beat down on him and it was all he had in him to stand under the water. His mind went back to the conversation he had with his father the day before. Levi was finishing up his barn chores when his father cornered him.

“
What are you doing, son?”

Levi looked at him as if he didn’t know what he meant. “I’m mucking the stall.”

“
That’s not what I meant and you know it. What are you doing with your life?”

“
Well tonight my life is taking me into Tulsa with Travis,” he said sarcastically.

“
Who are you?”

Levi looked into his father’s eyes and saw the shame there. The eyes that used to look at him proudly were looking at him as if he didn’t know Levi at all. Damn, that hurt.

“
I know you’re hurting, son, but you’ve got to get back in the saddle. You’ve got to take the bull by the horns and get you’re life back on track.”

He shoved his hand through his hair. “How am I supposed to do that when she took everything from me. I gave her all of me, and she just walked away from it.”

“
I know it hurts, son, but she had her reasons. You may not know them, but she had ’em, and she thought they were good enough to walk away. You have to let it go. You have to let her go. Only then will you find closure and be able to move on.” Levi felt his father’s hand on his shoulder.