Rank (9 page)

It was just over a six-hour drive to Leduc from Saskatoon. I left earlier than I needed to because I wanted to be gone before my mom came home with Cole. I was worried he would get all upset that I was taking the camper to Mutt. I only had half the money I needed for Stella, so I borrowed the rest from my dad’s insurance settlement and transferred it into my bank account to cover the cheque I wrote for Ron Miller.

I arrived on Thursday just before five o’clock and parked in the competitors’ area next to Mutt’s truck. By the time I got out of the cab, he was already giving the camper the once over. “Hey, Billy. She’s a beaut.”

“Yeah, she was good while she lasted.” I unhitched it and handed over the keys. “Take care of her.” I looked at the camper one last time. It wasn’t a good feeling to hand over something worth twenty thousand dollars. It made me want to puke actually. I tipped my hat, then walked out to the back pens looking for Ron. He was sitting on the top rail of a fence, reading through some documents. “Hey.”

“Hey, how’s your brother?”

“They discharged him from the hospital today. He’s probably home by now.”

“Do you think he’ll ride again this season?”

“I doubt it.” I pulled the cheque out of my shirt pocket. “Here’s your money.”

He took it and folded it into his wallet. “She’s doing good, eh?”

“Yeah.”

“You should let Shae ride her. Tawnie’s not good enough to really show buyers what Stella’s capable of.”

“Yeah, I’ll think about it. So, we’re square?”

“I’ll have my lawyer send over some papers for you to sign, but we’re square.”

“All right, see you around.” I started to walk away.

“Billy.”

I turned to face him.

He took his hat off and scratched his head. “Um, I’m not sure if it’s really my place to mention this, but Cole owes some people quite a bit of money.”

“I know. I just gave Mutt the camper. We’re square.”

“He also owes Tyson’s Uncle Lyle.”

“For what?”

“Lyle runs some illegal betting on the side. The rumour is that Cole’s been getting in deeper over the past couple weeks.”

“How deep?”

“Twenty, maybe thirty thousand and the juice is running.”

“Jesus Christ.” I took my hat off and paced back and forth. The nauseous feeling returned. “What happens if they can’t collect?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, and I don’t want to know, but it’s probably not good.”

“I can’t believe Tyson didn’t tell me.”

“I don’t think he knows. Blake does though. He’s the one who got Cole into it.”

I shook my head and patted my pockets hoping that a pack of gum or better yet, chew, would materialize.

“We’re sponsoring a special event at the stock show this year. All the rankest bulls. One hundred thousand dollars goes to the last man standing in each category. If Cole can’t ride, you could.”

“I’m retired.” I turned and kept walking. “Thanks for the heads up on Lyle.”

“Think about riding. You don’t want to owe the wrong people,” he hollered.

Tyson didn’t return my text, so I wandered around looking for either him or Blake. I was just exiting the arena when Tawnie saw me. She walked over with her hands shoved in her back pockets. “So, are we going to repeat this every time?”

“Sorry I haven’t called. I’ve got some serious issues that I’m trying to deal with. My mom needs me to help her, and with work, and taking care of my brother’s shit, I don’t have time to make a long distance relationship work.”

“Why didn’t you just call me and say that? I would have understood.”

“Sorry.” I hung my head and looked down at my boots because I really didn’t want to talk to her.

She stepped closer and I felt her arms slide around my neck. “Maybe I could help, or if you just want to talk, I’m a good listener.”

I stood there for a long time just feeling the rise of her body as she breathed. Eventually, I said, “I’m sorry, Tawnie. You seem like a really nice girl, but I can’t do this.” Then I walked away.

“Billy.”

I kept walking.

Tyson and Blake weren’t anywhere on the grounds, so I got in my truck and drove to the hotel that most of the competitors were staying in. The girl behind the lobby desk looked at my belt buckle and smiled. “Welcome. How may I help you?”

“Could you please tell me which room Tyson and Blake Wiese are staying in?”

“I can’t tell you the room number, but if they’re staying here I can call the room for you.” She moved the mouse on the computer and typed something on the keyboard. She scrolled through a list then shook her head. “They must not be staying here.”

“All right. Thanks.”

“Do you need a room?”

“Yeah, I guess I do.” I pulled out my wallet. “Just one night.” While she was typing on the computer, I texted Tyson again to ask where they were staying.

She slid the key card across the counter. “I get off at eight if you’ve got no plans.”

I glanced at her. She was good looking even in the unflattering beige uniform she was wearing. “Uh, I’ve got some business I need to take care of. Thanks anyway.”

She smiled and wrote her name and number on the back of one of the hotel business cards. “If you change your mind, we’re all going to a bar called The River.”

I tucked it into my shirt pocket and took the stairs to my room.

I waited around in my room until ten o’clock, then caught a cab to The River. If Tyson and Blake were in town, they’d be at the bar. It was really busy and the first person I recognized was the girl from the hotel. She was dancing with a group of girls on the dance floor. I didn’t want her to see me, so I stood at the far side of the bar and ordered a drink.

There was no sign of Tyson or Blake, but a champion bronc rider named Nate Nashlund stepped up to the bar to order a round of six drinks. “Hey Billy, I didn’t see you hiding there. How the hell are you?”

I shrugged. “Been better.”

“Sorry to hear that. Are you riding this weekend?”

“No. How about you?”

“Yup. First one back in a while. It’ll be my last though.”

“Why? Are you retiring?”

“Yeah, I’m opening up my own veterinary clinic in Calgary. I won’t have time for rodeo.”

“Congratulations. Seems like not that long ago when you found out you got accepted to vet school.”

“Yeah, life’s crazy fast. I graduated, bought a house, and signed the lease on the clinic all in the same month. Now I just need to find myself a nice girl and I’ll be set. Speaking of which, I’ve got my eye on one right now, so I should get back to the table. Do you want to join us?”

“No thanks. I’m trying to track down the Wiese boys. You haven’t seen either of them, have you?”

“No, not tonight. Nice seeing you, Billy. Take care.” His hands were big enough to wrap around three glasses each. He squeezed them together and picked up all six drinks. It was impressive.

“Yeah, you take care too. Good luck with everything.”

As he disappeared into the crowd, Tawnie stepped up beside me. She looked at me with one eye open and the other one drooping. “Hey,” she said. She had to steady herself by leaning her elbow on the bar. “Who was that? He’s dreamy.”

“Nate Nashlund.”

“Oh, my God, really? I heard he’s the perfect man — smart, brawny, funny, romantic, rich.”

“Yeah, he’s perfect. How much have you had to drink?”

“Just a little bit,” she slurred and held her fingers up to indicate a tiny amount.

“You need to ride tomorrow. Maybe you should shut it down for tonight.”

“Maybe you should mind your own business. I’m celebrating.”

“Yeah? What are you celebrating?”

“I’m single. The guy I wanted to date doesn’t like me, so I’m going to find myself a different cowboy. Do you want to celebrate my singleness with me? Maybe Nate Nashlund would like some company.” She waved the bartender over. “I’ll have a shot of tequila.” She turned to me. “What do you want to drink?”

“Nothing.”

She pouted. “Don’t be a party pooper.”

I scanned the bar searching for Rochelle, hoping she would come over and take care of Tawnie. I couldn’t see her. The bartender slid Tawnie’s shot across the bar. He didn’t make her pay for it. She glared at me, then threw her head back to drink it. The girl from the hotel stepped up behind Tawnie and leaned her elbows on the bar to shout at the bartender. As he mixed her order, she glanced over and saw me. “Hey,” she said in a sexy way.

I nodded, and Tawnie turned to see who I was saying hello to.

“Who’s that?”

“She works at the hotel.”

“Are you here with her?”

“No.”

“She’s giving you the fuck-me look. Maybe you should offer to give her a ride back to the hotel in your truck.” She reached over and took a sip from my beer before she whispered in my ear, “So you can fuck in your truck like a duck who got hit in the head with a puck because he has no luck and forgot to duck then he fell in the muck like a schmuck.” She laughed at herself. “You suck, Billy.”

“Maybe you should stop drinking before you embarrass yourself.”

“I already embarrassed myself by sleeping with you.” She pointed at my chest and lost her balance a little bit. She turned and said to the hotel girl, “He’s not that good in bed, honey. Don’t waste your time.”

The girl gave Tawnie a
you’re pathetic
lip curl, grabbed her drinks, and left.

Tawnie turned back towards me and leaned on my shoulder. “I just said that to get rid of her. You’re really good in bed. Really, really good.” She stood on her tiptoes and tried to kiss me.

I pulled away. “You’re getting sloppy, Tawnie. You need to find Rochelle and go back to the hotel.”

“Don’t tell me what to do. You’re not my boyfriend. Even if you were my boyfriend, you couldn’t tell me what to do. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. Don’t forget it.”

My phone rang. It was Tyson. “Excuse me. I have to take this.” I walked away from Tawnie and she stumbled once I wasn’t there to lean on. “Hey, Ty. Hold on a second. I need to go somewhere quieter.” I walked down the hall where the bathrooms were and leaned against a vending machine. “Hi. Sorry. Are you in Leduc?”

“No. I had to skip it because of work. What are you doing there? Are you competing or is Cole?”

“Neither. I came to deliver the camper to Mutt.” Two girls exited the ladies’ washroom and gave me the eye before walking down the hall. “What do you know about the betting your uncle does on the side?”

“I try to know nothing about it, why?”

“Blake got Cole involved, and apparently he owes a lot of money.”

“How much?”

“Maybe thirty thousand dollars.”

“Shit. I didn’t know. I would have told you if I knew.”

Tawnie staggered down the hall towards me. She smiled and leaned her body against mine. I wedged my left hand against her hip and pushed her back so our bodies weren’t touching. “I need your uncle’s phone number so I can get it straightened out.” Tawnie leaned in and sucked on my earlobe. I jerked my head away.

“I only have Blake’s number on me right now. Do you want that, or do you want to wait until I can get his dad’s number?”

Tawnie’s hand slid down below my belt buckle and over my fly, then she fondled me. I grabbed her wrist and moved her hand, but she used her other hand to pop the buckle. “Cut it out.”

“What?” Tyson asked.

“Not you. Sorry. I’ve got a drunk chick molesting me.”

He laughed.

“It’s not funny.”

“Who is it?”

“Nobody.” She kissed my neck and used her left hand to unbutton my fly. “Shit,” I mumbled.

He laughed again. “You want to call me back when you’re not so distracted?”

“No. Give me Blake’s number.”

“Hold on. I have to look it up in my contacts.”

Tawnie’s hand slipped down into my jeans and she massaged me. “Please, stop,” I said and lifted her hand out.

“Me?” Tyson asked.

“No, not you.”

Tawnie dropped down to her knees and pulled the waistband of my boxer briefs down to expose my increasing erection.

“Shit. What are you doing?” I protested.

“Okay, you ready?” Tyson asked.

Tawnie leaned in and the warmth of her mouth slid along my skin. “Damn. Tyson. Just text it to me. I gotta go.” I hung up and put my hand on the top of her head. My brain was telling me to make her stop, but my body was telling me to let her go at it. I closed my eyes and put pressure on her head to make her slow down. “Shit.” I leaned back against the vending machine and clutched her hair as she moved back and forth repeatedly.

A girl’s voice gasped, “Holy shit.”

I opened my eyes and turned my head. Lee-Anne was standing in the hall gawking at us. Tawnie’s head kept bobbing.

“Billy Ray Ryan and Tawnie Lang, you have just officially earned the title of trashiest couple on the rodeo circuit.” She reached to her side and covered the eyes of the girl who had just stepped up from behind her. “You shouldn’t see this, Shae.”

I pushed Tawnie’s forehead away and she fell back against the wall, slumped into the corner. Shae-Lynn stood next to her sister and watched with wide eyes and a gaping mouth as I tried to stuff my hard dick back into my jeans. She made a weird wheezing sound as her gaze darted between Tawnie and me. Her hand clamped over her mouth and her eyelids squeezed shut before she turned and rushed back down the hall towards the bar.

Lee-Anne kept staring at me with the biggest grin on her face. “That was so totally awesome. And gross.”

Tawnie moaned.

Lee-Anne shook her head in complete disapproval before she spun around on her heel and trotted down the hall shouting, “Rochelle! Hey, where’s Rochelle at? She’s going to want to hear this.” She disappeared around the corner.

I wanted to sneak out the back door and drive back to Saskatoon to leave all the bullshit behind forever, but I couldn’t leave Tawnie lying there, passed out. I picked her up and draped her over my shoulder like a sack of feed. She moaned again as I kicked the back door open and walked out to the street and hailed a cab. The driver didn’t look overly thrilled to be helping me take a passed out girl back to the hotel, but he didn’t say anything.