Rodeo Daddy: Book 3 in the Stubborn Texas Siblings Trilogy (2 page)

Jeff was at his next stop and he found himself searching the
crowd looking for a particular red-head. He was climbing
off another bull after another successful ride when he
spotted her sitting on the sidelines, watching him. She was
wearing a soft looking pine green turtleneck sweater and
tight blue jeans. Given the light dusting of snow on the
ground, the look was sexy as well as practical.

He offered her his trademark smile and nodded his head
towards the trailers. She grinned back at him and pushed
her way past the people around her and made a beeline
towards his trailer, managing to beat him there somehow.

She offered him a sexy smile and stepped boldly towards
him, running her fingers down his chest towards his
waistline. “Are we really going to waste time with
niceties?” she asked leaning in so that her face was well
within kissing distance.

Jeff grinned wickedly, shook his head negatively, swept her
up into his arms and carried her into his trailer and straight
to his bed where he wasted no time whatsoever taking
things where he knew they both wanted them to go.
When it was over Dana looked at Jeff, “so, are we on again
the same time next stop?” Jeff grinned at her wickedly and
nodded his head in the agreement. “I can hardly wait.”

“I’m not being too pushy am I?” The nerves in Dana’s
voice showed and Jeff was well aware of how much this
meant to her. This was usually the point in a relationship
when he would cut and run, but there was something about
Dana that got to him in a way that no other woman ever
had. He was nervous and he wasn’t sure that he should be
doing what he was but unable to help himself he answered
her anyway. “No, you’re not too pushy. I happen to be
pretty crazy about how addicted you are to me. It helps me
feel better about the way I feel about you. I don’t do
commitment; I’m putting that out there right now. But as
long as you’re willing to play I’ll be happy to be with only
you.”

A deep sigh of regret came out of Dana’s mouth and she
nodded her head sadly. “I suppose I am,” she answered
quietly. “I never imagined I’d be involved with a rodeo
cowboy. Until I saw you riding that bull, I thought the
whole idea was nothing but a joke. But one look at you up
there holding on for dear life to an animal that wanted
nothing more than to kill you, I saw the power in you and I
couldn’t seem to help myself. You must know I’m not the
sort of woman who normally does this kind of thing... But
if it’s all you’ve got to give I’m greedy enough to take it.”

The smile that covered Jeff’s face said it all. Dana knew
she’d never be able to hold onto him and that made her sad;
but in that moment, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt
that she didn’t have it in her to just walk away, not yet. So
what she did next was the only thing she could do. She
snuggled in to his side, laid her head on his chest, closed
her eyes and faded off to sleep. Come morning, she would
leave before he awoke just like she had the time before, and
for as long as he would have her she would keep coming
back and doing it again and again. The cycle would not
stop until he no longer wanted her, and that would just have
to be enough.

It had been well over a year since that first time they been
together and by this time Jeff was hooked. He couldn’t
even remember the last time he’d looked at another woman.
Instead every single event he went to, his eyes eagerly
scanned the stands looking for that one beautiful face with
the gorgeous ginger hair. Every time he saw her his day
brightened. There was no way he was going to ever admit
the things that she made him feel; everything about it was
wrong. He was determined to stay single. He wasn’t
supposed to get serious about anyone and Dana was no
exception. Still that didn’t stop him from looking for her at
every stop, or of taking advantage of her desire for him.

He was finished with his ride and eagerly scanning the
stands just as he had every single event for so long he’d
forgotten just how long it had been. A frown covered his
face and his eyebrows puckered as he realized she wasn’t in
the stands. His feet moved quickly as he ran for his trailer
hoping she was there. He’d become addicted to her and
couldn’t imagine the idea of sleeping with any other buckle
bunny. How had that happened? He didn’t know nor did he
care. All he knew was he needed to find her, and fast. His
body was already primed and ready for her, the idea that
she might not have come was ridiculous; she’d not failed
him yet and the last time he’d seen her she’d promised to
be there.

Dana had to be there somewhere; he just had to find her.
Sure there was a good explanation for why she wasn’t
where she normally was, Jeff ran the rest of the way to his
trailer. Once inside panic ensued, she wasn’t there either.

Months had gone by with his eyes eagerly scanning the
stands, in search for Dana… Every time when he couldn’t
find her there, he’d search the grounds and his trailer in
vein. It was one such day yet again and he sunk to his knees
in the middle of his trailer, sobbing so hard, it physically
hurt.

“Where are you?” Jeff asked sadly. “Why aren’t you here?
Was it something I did, something I said? I’m supposed to
be the one that gets tired of things and shuts down or ends
it… Not you; it was never supposed to be you.” Realizing
just how upset he really was Jeff took his hat off and threw
it at the bed running his hands nervously over his head in
agitation.
“I can’t lose her… When did this happen?… What the hell
am I going to do?” They were all very good questions; it
was just too bad Jeff had no answers to any of them. All he
knew was that he was sad, angry, hurt, confused and lost
without her. Maybe it was a good thing she’d decided for
whatever reason to end things with him. Somehow along
the way he’d gotten attached. Much more attached than
he’d ever intended or anticipated. As hard as letting go
would be, Jeff knew he had no alternative.

They’d agreed not to exchange phone
numbers, addresses
or anything else… Their relationship was never supposed
to be serious enough to warrant having them. Even if that
weren’t the case, Jeff knew it was time to let go. His
emotions were already ten times more involved than he was
comfortable with. The fact that his heart physically hurt
was something he would just have to find a way to get
over.

It had been two and a half
long years since he’d last seen
Dana. Not a single day had gone by when Jeff hadn’t
wondered what it was that he had said or done that had
scared her away. As into him as she had been from very
moment she’d seen him, he knew that there was no way
there was any other reason for her absence.

Sure he’d been with his fair share of other buckle bunn
ies
over the years, but none of them compared to Dana. It
drove him around the bend that with every woman he
looked at he found himself thinking of her… Picturing her
beautiful face thinking how much more lovely she was than
the woman he was currently with. Remembering the way
her long red hair spread out over his pillow, or her soft
womanly curves felt pressed against his hard body; no
other woman was good enough for him.

With a little over a full month between his rodeo events
Jeff was spending some much-needed time at home. The
previous morning, he had been visiting with his oldest
brother Eric and his family. It had been a horrifying
moment for him when Jeff realized that part of him longed
for that mysterious thing that his brother had found with his
wife Madeline.
Frustration at himself and the situation at large filled Jeff.
He had no intention of letting himself get involved
emotionally. He’d seen firsthand the pain that a man has to
go through when he loses the woman he loves and he didn’t
want that for himself. He still remembered the day that his
mother had died like it was yesterday. He’d found his
father standing in the middle of the wheat field surrounded
by cattle; they had gotten loose but his dad hadn’t cared nor
had he noticed. He was too deep in his own grief.

Jeff had never seen his father cry before. His Pa was the
strongest man that Jeff had ever seen. Days, weeks,
months, even years had gone by and still his father had
been a mess. He’d been useless at work, with the animals,
their crops, and even worse with his own children. For all
intents and purposes, Eric had had to step up even then to
help raise his two younger siblings, because their father
hadn’t been able to do it.

Eventually the guilt and shame combined with the sorrow
and loss had ended up killing their old man as well. Then
still wet behind the ears Eric had fallen in love and hard.
He was still in high school when he proposed to his first
wife Victoria. They’d been blissfully happy and married
weeks after graduation. For a while Jeff that allowed
himself to hope, but then death had come calling to Eric’s
loving home; taking away his happiness as well. Victoria
had died a horrifying death and Jeff had to look on and
listen as his brother sobbed hysterically.

If he lived to be a hundred he would never forget the look
on Eric’s face when Madeline called him from the car to
tell him the good news that her doctor had let her know she
was ready for the in-vitro procedure they had been eagerly
awaiting. A reckless teenager out for a joyride in his dad’s
car had run her off the road while she was in the middle of
that phone call and both men had heard her horrifying
screams along with the screech of her tires as she tried in
vain to bring the car under control.

That day something in both Schmidt brothers had died. It
might’ve been their hope, it could’ve been their ability to
love, or quite possibly it was just the willingness to try.
Eric had eventually figured out a way to move on with his
life and he was happily married again. Jeff was thrilled for
his brother that he’d found happiness a second time; but
that didn’t mean that he’d learned to trust. Loving people
was a scary endeavor and with all the loss he’d seen over
the years Jeff hadn’t wanted anything to do with the
emotion outside of what he felt for his siblings.

For a while Jeff had thought their sister; Laurie had felt the
same way he did. It’d been hard for him to accept that she
was just as weak as their brother was when it came to
allowing herself to love. He was still nowhere near ready to
accept that the things he was feeling for Dana were
anything more than missed opportunities. The fact that it’d
been so long since he’d even seen her and yet he wanted
her with every breath he took didn’t mean anything. It
couldn’t; he wouldn’t let it.

He was in town at the local pharmacy picking up some
ointment for an open wound he’d gotten when gouged by a
bulls horns at the last rodeo when his feet froze mid-step.
Standing just three aisles over with her back facing him he
spotted a figure he would never forget even if he lived to be
hundred. Her wavy long red hair that he’d loved so much
had been cut. It no longer hung down to her waist line;
instead it was cut into a short bob that barely brushed her
shoulder blades. The shopping cart that she held onto was
filled with medications bandages and other such
paraphernalia, but that wasn’t what drew his eye. There
was a toddler sitting in the front of the cart… A little girl; if
he had to wager a guess Jeff would’ve put her at about two
years old.

A lump formed in his throat as his feet ate up the distance
between them. Standing just behind her, Jeff reached out a
shaky hand and settled it on her shoulder. Nerves made his
voice sound unlike its normal smooth cadence. “Dana?”

Her body stiffened and she slowly turned around to look
him in the eye. He watched as she visibly swallowed the
lump in her throat and her fingers whitened as they
tightened on the handle of the cart. “Jeff, I’m surprised to
see you,” she said nervously.

His eyes went from her to the baby and back in question
and Dana shifted awkwardly. “So… Shouldn’t you be off
riding some surly bull?” she asked searching for a way to
take his attention away from the little girl in the cart.

Jeff shrugged his shoulders and purposefully looked down
at the injury on his leg. “You know how it can be; bull got
angry that I was trying to ride him and after he bucked me
off, he skewered my leg with his one of his horns like a
shish kebab. I didn’t like it none, but Doc didn’t give me
much of a choice. I have to take a few weeks off so I
figured I’d come home and spend a little time with my
family. Of course my brother is over the moon that I’m
here even though he’s worried as he always is for my
safety. My sister is as stubborn as always and makes a point
to tell me every time she sees me how much of an idiot she
thinks I am. What about you? What brings you to these
parts? Dare I hope you’re here to pick things back up with
me?” he asked hopefully.

Placing a shaky hand on her face Jeff felt his emotions
swell in his chest and his voice became husky with it. “I’ve
missed you Dana, why did you leave me?” The raw need
and hurt in his voice was impossible to miss and Jeff hated
himself for his weakness.

Dana offered him a sad smile and shrugged her shoulders
awkwardly. “I had to come home… My sister is the only
family I have left other than Alexis here. Believe me I
would have stayed far away had I known that this was
where you lived. Even now I would leave if I could, but
Mandy needs me. She’s dying Jeff; the only thing she
wants… The only thing she claims to need is me, here with
her until the end.”

“You didn’t answer my other question,” Jeff pointed out
quietly, not knowing what to say about her sister other than
to spout empty platitudes about how he knew firsthand
how unfair life could be when it came to the people you
allowed yourself to love. It sucked that a woman would die
and leave behind such a young daughter. It made sense to
him though, that Dana with her soft heart would drop
everything to run when her sister called to take care of a
dying woman and her toddler daughter. He wondered what
would become of the child once her mother died, but there
was no way he was going to ask Dana. This had to be hard
enough on her as it was. The last thing she needed was to
think about such horrors as a child being left behind when
their only parent dies.

“
We had agreed not to allow things to become serious,
Jeff,” Dana said shrugging her shoulders sadly. “And yet,
we’d been together every week for well over a year;
sometimes every day of a given week. I had allowed myself
to become attached to you and I just knew. It was time to
let you go before I couldn’t do it anymore…”

“You could have at least given me a chance to say
goodbye,” he said, his voice cracking as he said the words
that had echoed in his head too many times to count since
the last time he’d held her in his arms. “It would have been
nice if I’d known that last time that it would be the last.
Instead, I was left wondering what had happened… what
I’d done or said. I never got my closure, Dana; and it’s
driven me batty trying to come to terms with it ever since.”

“What do you want me to say, Jeff?” she asked with tears
filling her eyes. “The idea of looking you in the eye and
telling you goodbye hurt too much. I couldn’t do it. I just
didn’t have it in me.”

Alexis started to cry and Dana lifted her up into her arms,
snuggling her and loving her sweet baby powder smell as
well as the feel of her tiny nose burrowing into the curve of
her neck seeking comfort. “I have to go… It’s past time I
get back to my sister. Take care of yourself,” she said,
looking pointedly at his injured leg.

Not saying another word, Dana spun the cart away from
him and pushed it quickly towards the check-out stand. The
faster she got away from Jeff the better off she’d be. Seeing
him again had been hard for her. She’d meant every word
she’d told him. She was just glad he hadn’t pushed her
about anything else. She would just consider it a narrow
escape and call it good.

The decision made, she paid for the supplies and carried
Alexis and her bags out to her sister’s car. With any luck,
she wouldn’t run into Jeff again while they were both in the
same town. It was a silly thought really. It was a very small
town… everyone knew everyone else. The fact that her
sister had moved to such a tiny town in the first place had
startled Dana; and that had been well over a decade before.
It hadn’t occurred to her that since this was also the same
town she’d first seen Jeff in that he might live there. She’d
figured since he was there with the rodeo, just like every
other place she’d followed him to, that he had just been
passing through.

When and if she could find a way to fit her question into a
conversation with Mandy without managing to stir her
sister’s suspicions, Dana had every intention of finding out
just how far away the Schmidt family lived… She had to
know just how hard she was going to have to work to avoid
the rodeo cowboy she’d fallen head over reckless foot in
love with.