Randall Pride (7 page)

“Listen, handsome,” one of the women whispered. “I’ve got a free dance when you’re ready.”

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. Excuse me,” he added as he moved forward again. Breaking free, he reached out and tapped the cowboy’s shoulder. “My turn.”

An old friend turned around. “Why, Toby. Welcome back,”

“Hi, Joe. Mind if I cut in?”

“I sure do! She’s been engaged until tonight. Why would I want to share her with her cousin?” the man asked, grinning.

“Because if you don’t,” Toby said, smiling grimly, “I’m going to ram your tongue down your throat.”

His friend looked a little startled, then relented.
“Plenty of dances to go around, Tobe. No need to get violent.”

Elizabeth, who’d said nothing so far, smiled at Joe. “I’ll save you the next one.”

“All right, darlin’,” Joe agreed, looking happier.

Toby slid his arm around Elizabeth’s small waist and moved her away.

“Why did you do that?” she demanded in a whisper.

“Do what?”

“Stop Joe from dancing with me? He’s a nice guy and a friend of yours.”

“I have a better question. Why are you dancing with people after what happened to you last night?”

“These are my friends. They wouldn’t hurt me,” Elizabeth protested.

He frowned even more deeply. “Damn it! Why do you want to dance with them? Why couldn’t you just stay put, rest, hell, I don’t know, join a nunnery or something?”

Elizabeth stopped in the middle of the dance floor, her hands on her hips, which only drew notice to the short denim skirt that fit her snugly.

“Damn, are you trying to drive men crazy, tempting them?” he demanded, moving forward to take hold of her again.

She struck at his hands, turned and left the dance floor.

Toby swore he’d never understand women, but he followed her through the crowd, ignoring those who
hadn’t spoken to him yet and wanted him to stop a minute.

When he finally reached the table, his cousin Russ was sitting there, talking to Abby and Elizabeth.

“Hey, Toby, did you notice they refinished the dance floor?” Russ asked. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”

Toby stared at him. “No. I didn’t notice.”

“He’s too busy trying to run everyone’s lives,” Elizabeth put in. “He thinks I should join a nunnery.”

Abby stared at him. “Why?”

Russ, too, seemed dumbfounded. “Yeah, why?”

“I just thought she ought to give herself time to—to adjust to—she had a tough time last night!”

“Toby, I’m not fragile. And I won’t let Cleve make me afraid of my own shadow.”

“Not afraid, honey, but a little slower to get back to the water trough.” Toby thought he’d put that delicately enough. But apparently Elizabeth didn’t.

She glared at him. “If you’re going to sit at our table, stay out of my business.”

Since Joe, with the new music starting, appeared at her side, she said nothing else until she’d stood and taken Joe’s hand. “You’ll excuse me, won’t you, Toby?”

He saw the line drawn in the sand. “Sure. You two enjoy yourselves. I’ll wait right here.”

And that was where he drew his own line.

Elizabeth had always seen Toby as her hero, her protector, her…whatever. She wasn’t feeling quite so appreciative now. By the time the evening ended, she was ready to slug him if he even spoke to her.

She’d never danced so much in her life, but she accepted every invitation just to show Toby Randall he couldn’t run her life. So it was his fault she thought she was rubbing a blister with her new boots.

“Finally ready to go?” Toby asked, glaring at her, his hands on his hips. “Or did you want to spend the night here?”

“What difference does it make to you? You have your truck. You can go home whenever.”

“Come on, Lizzie,” Caroline intervened. “You know he’s trying to take care of you. Give him a break.”

“It’s amazing how I managed the past six years while he was away earning fame and fortune, hanging out with all those models!”

Russ and Abby left the dance floor as the last song
ended and arrived at the table. “Ready to go?” Russ asked.

“I think so if we can get these two to stop fighting,” Caroline said with a chuckle. “Maybe I’ll ride with you so they can sort things out.”

Elizabeth wasn’t about to agree to that. But she didn’t have a good reason until Russ called good-night to someone named Bill. This nudged her memory about the job with Bill Johnson. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten to tell Russ at once to call the accountant.

“Oh! Oh, Russ I have to talk to you. You come ride with me and Toby can see Caroline home.” She assumed they’d all agree and started toward the door.

“Ride with my brother?” Caroline protested. “He’ll give me the third degree!”

“I’m serious,” Elizabeth promised her cousin. “I was supposed to have Russ call—call someone. I promise.”

Caroline accepted her excuse and managed to get them all outside to the vehicles. Toby stared at Elizabeth as she slipped behind the wheel.

“We’ll follow you,” he growled, as if he expected her to run away from home.

“Right,” she agreed and shut the door. But she couldn’t leave yet. Russ was saying goodbye to Abby. Elizabeth frowned. She’d thought Abby was interested in Toby, but after initially greeting him, Abby hadn’t paid much attention to him tonight. Of course,
who would? He’d been a real bear. He hadn’t danced even once after he’d interrupted her dance with Joe.

Russ opened the door and slid in. “Want me to drive or are you okay?”

Elizabeth grimaced. “Don’t pull the Toby routine, Russ. He’s driven me crazy tonight.” She put the car in gear and pressed on the gas.

Russ looked over his shoulder to see Toby pull in behind them. “Looks like he’s still doing it.”

“I know. Did you and Abby—I mean, you sure talked a lot tonight.”

“Haven’t seen her in a while,” he said casually, but Elizabeth noticed he stared out the window, averting his gaze.

“We teach together, you know.”

“Yeah, she told me all about the bachelor auction and how you came up with the idea.”

“She looked pretty tonight,” Elizabeth added, watching him closely.

“She always has.”

Finally, she gave up the subtle approach. “Are you going to ask her out?”

He appeared startled. “Look, I just came along with Toby to make sure he didn’t—he was upset that you went out.”

Elizabeth’s eyebrows soared. “That’s ridiculous! There’s no reason I shouldn’t go to town.”

Russ shrugged his shoulders. “Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”

She’d forgotten again. “No. No, but I promised Bill Johnson you’d call him.”

“Bill Johnson? Why?”

“You know Cleve was going to join his firm, only it didn’t work out. And—and I told him you might be interested.”

Russ stared at her, confusion on his face.

In the truck behind, Toby was trying to talk to his sister.

“Caro, this was a crazy idea. Why did you suggest it?”

“You’d prefer that she sat home and felt miserable?” Caroline asked, her eyebrows raised. “She didn’t love him, and I didn’t want him to make her feel bad.”

“Of course not, but—I’ve tried to teach both of you to be on guard.”

“She will be. But you’re not always going to be around. She has to learn to take care of herself. She was fighting last night. You saved her quickly, but I think she would’ve saved herself eventually.”

Toby grunted, his gaze on the car in front of them.

His sister’s next question caught him off guard.

“Why did you decide to come home?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I was tired of the rodeo life.”

“It didn’t have anything to do with Elizabeth’s engagement?”

“Why would you ask that?”

“I’ve always thought you were partial to Elizabeth.”

Toby slowed down and stared at his sister. “You think I prefer her to you?”

“Don’t be silly, Toby. Look, I’ve had a lot of psychology classes and I think—”

Toby groaned. “I should’ve guessed. You can take your theories from psych class and write a novel or something. I don’t need your ridiculous ideas just because I want you girls safe.”

“But, Toby—”

“No, I don’t want to hear it. Now, tell me how your classes are going.”

He kept a steady conversation going with his sister, his gaze steadily fixed on Elizabeth, until they reached home.

E
LIZABETH
was still angry with Toby. When he’d protected her in the past, when she’d been a young girl, the threats had been real, if not life-threatening. But he hadn’t interfered in her choices. Last night, he’d tried to keep her from dancing with anyone! So, of course, she’d danced with everyone.

She might have missed him, but she wasn’t going to encourage such macho behavior. She came down, dressed for church in a demure suit, prepared to snub him.

He wasn’t there.

“Is Toby sleeping in?” she asked after she was seated. At their age, most of the kids didn’t have a
curfew on Saturday night. But they were expected to be at the breakfast table dressed for church on Sunday morning.

“He’s gone,” Russ said as he served himself some eggs.

“What?” Elizabeth demanded, her voice higher than she intended. “You mean he went back to the rodeo?”

B.J. provided the answer. “Just for a few days. One of his friends called, wanted to buy Cocoa. Toby didn’t feel he could sell his horse, but he agreed to lend him to his friend for a few days. He’s staying with him to be sure Cocoa is all right.”

“Oh.” It was as if the sun had set. All her enthusiasm for the day was gone. She had nothing to look forward to. Toby wasn’t here. And maybe he wouldn’t come back. After coming home and finding how boring it could be here, he might change his mind. Stay at the rodeo.

“You don’t think he’ll stay, do you?”

At first Elizabeth thought she’d said those words. Then she realized her voice wasn’t a deep boom. It was Jake who’d said that.

B.J. kept her eyes on the eggs she was eating but said quietly, “I don’t know. He said he’d be back next weekend.”

Rich looked up from his breakfast. “I guess Cocoa is almost as famous as Toby. He’s had some outrageous offers to buy him.”

“A good horse can make a difference,” Pete said.
“I was thinking about telling him he should start training horses to sell. He’d make good money. It’d help pay the bills for him when the price of beef is down.”

“Hey, that’s right! Good idea, Pete. I’d forgotten he trained Cocoa himself,” Jake said, smiling again.

“Isn’t he leaving you in a lurch, going off without notice?” Elizabeth asked, her voice stiff.

The older men looked up, stared at her and then each other. Finally Jake answered. “We told him if he changed his mind, it was all right, Elizabeth. But he asked me before he decided to go. I won’t hold a child of mine who doesn’t want to be at home. That’s why we let him go in the first place.”

She knew that. But it didn’t make it any easier to bear that Toby was gone. She wanted him back. She’d had four or five days with him back in her life. She might’ve gotten irritated with him, but she missed him.

Her mother reached over and took her hand as it rested in her lap. “I’m sure he’ll be back. I was in the kitchen when he took the call. He wasn’t excited about going back. The friend had to beg him to help. It seems the friend is on the trail to the nationals. His horse will only be out this week, but he’ll miss a lot of points if he doesn’t perform.”

“I’m sure Toby couldn’t refuse in those circumstances,” Jake said.

“Yeah, or people would say he was jealous,” Josh added. “Though no one would believe it!”

Several agreed with Toby’s little brother.

Red got up from the table. “You all still eating? You’d better hurry or we’ll all be late.”

Soon Toby’s circumstances were forgotten by most of them as they filled several vehicles for the trip to the local church, where Randall marriages usually took place.

Elizabeth caught a ride with her parents, but her thoughts remained on Toby. In church she added a special prayer for his return.

T
OBY LEANED AGAINST
the rails of the corral, watching Lonnie practice roping the calf. When his friend had dismounted, bound three of the calf’s legs and thrown his hands in the air, he clicked the stopwatch.

“How’d I do?” Lonnie hollered across the arena.

“Good. Five-point-seven.”

Lonnie threw his hands in the air. “You know that won’t win me much.”

“Depends.” He watched his friend stride to the fence, leading Cocoa.

“What can I do?”

Toby debated how much to say. Finally, he cleared his throat. “Well, you’re wasting time telling Cocoa what to do. He’ll take care of his job so you can tend to yours.”

“What do you mean?”

Toby began to detail how Cocoa was trained. He’d trained his horse to be his best partner.

When he finished, Lonnie gave a nod of comprehension and headed back to try again.

“Hi, cowboy. You lonesome?” a silky soprano voice said. Turning around, Toby found an old friend at his elbow. “Hi, Sally. Long time no see. How’s Wes?”

Sally was a barrel rider married to one of the bronc riders. She’d been following the rodeo for more than ten years.

“I wouldn’t know. We separated about a month ago, just before you pulled out. Are you back?”

“Just temporarily.” He was caught by a shout from Lonnie. “Ready!” he yelled in return and clicked the stopwatch.

Sally stood silently beside him as they watched Lonnie rope another calf and tie it up.

“Better,” Toby called when Lonnie turned to look at him. “Five-two. And that calf fought you a little. Good job.”

“I’m going again!” Lonnie said, a smile on his face.

Toby nodded.

“I’m looking for a partner,” Sally said, surprising him. “You interested?”

That question brought his attention back to the woman beside him. “Uh, I’m going back home at the end of the week.”

“Why? Why did you leave rodeo in the first place?” Sally asked.

“I was tired of this life. I missed my family.” He
wouldn’t have had the nerve to say that when he was younger. But now he knew what was important.

Sally slid her arms around his neck. She was a beautiful woman, strong and fit. Many considered her the best-looking woman on the circuit. “I could be your family.”

Toby held back his laughter. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “Sally, honey, you’re a beauty, and you know it. Half the cowboys here would fall down at your feet if you just smiled at them. But I’ve got a huge family, and I want to be with them. I can’t stay…even for you.”

“I don’t want just anyone. I want you. I’ve always wanted you. That’s why Wes was never very friendly to you. He knew how I felt.”

Toby was appalled. What kind of hell was that, married to a woman who wanted someone else? He took hold of her arms and lowered them from his neck. “I’m sorry, Sally, but I’m going home.”

“Must be a girl there.”

“Maybe.” He’d been trying to do some thinking about that situation while he was away.

“Ready?” Lonnie called.

Toby waved and clicked the stopwatch as Lonnie urged Cocoa after the calf. He kept his eyes on his friend, but he felt Sally drift away. He was glad. He’d been approached by several women since he’d gotten back. Whether for a night or for a year or two, they’d all offered to take him in and provide some entertainment, too.

He’d turned them all down. Clicking the time when Lonnie finished, he called, “Four-nine. Now you’re cookin’.”

Around five o’clock, when he figured Elizabeth would be home, he called the ranch.

E
LIZABETH
had just gotten a cup of coffee and headed for a seat at the table when the phone rang. “I’ll get it,” she called to Red. After all, she was already standing.

“Randall Ranch,” she said.

“Elizabeth?”

“Yes, who—”

“It’s Toby. Have you forgotten me already?”

“No, of course not. How are you?” she asked, turning her back to the others, in particular, B.J. Once she discovered it was her son on the phone, she’d want to talk to him.

“How’s everything at the ranch?”

“Fine. They brought in the herd of steers you were rounding up yesterday. The brothers were pleased.” That was how the second generation referred to the original four Randalls.

“Good.”

“How—how are things there?”

“Good. Lonnie placed last night in both events. He’s thrilled with Cocoa, of course. Wants me to train him a horse.”

“Uncle Pete was talking about that on Sunday.”

“He was?”

“Yes, he thinks you should make it a business,” she said. Probably she should have left this conversation to Pete, but she wanted to give Toby a reason to come home.

“Good idea. How are your classes?”

“Fine.” Then she remembered something he might be interested in. “Russ is thinking about working with Bill Johnson in town a few hours a week.”

“Really? What brought that on?”

“Uh, I did. I thought he wanted something else to do besides the ranch work and he’s always been good with numbers.”

“So he’s happy with it?”

“I think so.”

“That really leaves the brothers shorthanded. I’d better hurry back.”

Elizabeth almost cheered out loud. She wanted him to have lots of reasons to come back.