A Rancher for Their Mom (Rodeo Heroes) Read online

  “What are we doing, Mr. Joel?” Wes asked.

  The screen door slammed and April and Cora appeared.

  “If you’re going to own a horse, you’re going to need to learn to groom him. Had your opa shown you how to do that?”

  “He did, but Todd might need to be shown again.”

  Joel heard a choked laugh. He didn’t look at April because he knew he’d laugh, too.

  “Then we’ll do that.”

  With a couple of buckets of soapy water, a wooden step stool he found in the barn and Buckwheat and Sammie tied up, Joel gave a sponge to each boy.

  “Is this just a boy party or can the girls help?”

  The boys glanced at Joel.

  “Of course. I know Cora’s going to need to learn this, too.” Joel motioned them forward. “Mom, you might want to keep Miss Cora toward the front of Sammie.”

  They began to wash both horses, with Joel adding commentary on what to do. He held Cora up so she could run the sudsy sponge over Sammie’s back. “Let’s rinse off Sammie and Buckwheat.”

  Wes picked up the hose and sprayed Buckwheat. When he handed the hose to his brother, Todd accidentally sprayed Joel in the face.

  “Oh.” Todd’s face went white.

  Everyone froze, unsure of Joel’s reaction. Even the horses stilled. Joel threw back his head and laughed. He snatched the hose and spritzed Todd. When April started to object, he aimed the water dead center at her chest. She looked down at the wet spot, lunged for the hose and got a face full of water. The water fight was on.

  Twenty minutes later everyone was soaked. Joel turned off the hose. He hadn’t had a water fight since he was in the fifth grade.

  Water fell off him in rivulets.

  April looked at him, then snorted, drawing the boys’ attention.

  Todd laughed first, followed by Wes, Cora, Joel and April.

  The horses shook, sending more water flying, bringing another round of laughs.

  April handed out towels, drying the kids before she wiped down Sammie. Joel took care of Buckwheat.

  The laughter died when a truck drove up and Beth Moore opened the driver’s door. She observed the dripping kids and adults. “A water fight?”

  “We wash horseys.” Cora pointed at Wes. “Brother sprayed Mr. Joel. Mr. Joel sprayed brother and Mama.” She giggled. “Me, too.”

  The truck’s passenger door opened and a man in his early fifties slid out. His right arm was in a sling and he sported a goose egg on the right side of his forehead.

  The children fell silent.

  “How are you feeling today, Albert?” April walked to the truck.

  “I’m doing fine, but Beth and I were worried how you’d get your fields planted.”

  Joel saw April blush as drops of water continued to drip off her shirt.

  “The boys hired Joel for this week. He’s with the rodeo, and he’s helping us plant the fields and taking care of some chores.”

  Beth surveyed the group. “I see,” she said, but laughter colored her words.

  “Joel gave the kids instructions on how to bathe their horses, but things got a little out of hand.” She shrugged. “And a little foolish.”

  Al remained quiet, but his gaze missed nothing.

  “Well, we were concerned and planned to call the church to get volunteers to come out and help you, but it looks like you have things under control,” Beth explained.

  Water continued to drip off Joel, drawing the couple’s attention. Joel tried to keep his smile casual to cover his awkwardness. Nothing like standing in the middle of the yard dripping wet and laughing to make folks think you were nuts.

  Beth leaned close and whispered to April. She drew back, her eyes wide.

  “You be sure to call the church secretary and tell her what you’re bringing for Sunday’s lunch on the ground.” Beth opened the driver’s door and slipped in.

  “I’ll do that.” April stepped toward Al. “How are you doing?”

  “He’s milking this for all it’s worth,” Beth answered before Al opened his mouth, “that’s how he’s doing.” She started the truck. “C’mon, old man. You need your nap.”

  April closed the passenger door for Al. “I wish that accident never happened. You be sure and let me know when you get the bill. I want to pay for it.”

  Al rested his hand on April’s. “I know you will, but God sees needs and sends miracles.”

  Frowning, April stepped back and watched the truck drive away.

  She turned to Joel. “Let’s finish with the horses, then I think we all need a change of clothes.”

  “Mr. Joel doesn’t have any dry clothes,” Wes pointed out.

  “Not to worry. Once y’all are dried, the wind should’ve taken care of me. ’Sides, I won’t melt.”

  The boys gave him a puzzled look. “Why would you melt?” Todd asked.

  “Your mom can explain it later.”

  After drying the horses, Joel walked them to the corral, while April took the children inside.

  Leaning against the fence, Joel thought of the water fight. It did his soul good to laugh and play. He hadn’t been that foolish since he was a teen. But he knew it helped April and her children more than it did him or the horses. The expression on her face when she got smacked with the stream of water had been priceless. It had taken her several moments to understand he was playing, as if she couldn’t recall how to do it. But once she keyed in to the play, she’d embraced the fun. Too bad the older couple had showed up and robbed the situation of all its pleasure.

  He felt a nuzzle by his right ear. He glanced over his shoulder, reached up and rubbed Sammie’s neck. “You looking for a treat? Not happy with just a bath but want a reward, too?”

  The horse nodded.

  “Well, I can’t go inside and drip all over April’s kitchen floor.”

  The screen door slamming brought his attention to the house. Todd stood outside, his face grim.

  “Your horse wants a carrot. Would you like to get him one?”

  Todd nodded and disappeared into the kitchen only to reemerge moments later with a carrot. Walking to the fence, he handed Joel the treat.

  “Don’t you want to give it to Sammie yourself?”

  “No.” He walked to the side of the barn and sat on the ground, his back against the wooden siding. It looked as if the weight of the world sat on those small shoulders, which tugged at Joel’s heart. What had happened that changed Todd’s attitude from laughing and playful to down and troubled?

  Joel searched his mind. The only thing he could think of was the Moores driving up. The boys had mentioned that their mother’s help had been hurt, but was there something else there?

  Casually, Joel walked to where Todd sat. The boy didn’t look up or acknowledge him in any way. Settling by Todd, Joel leaned back against the barn, his knees raised. He rested his forearm on his knees, knowing he couldn’t push this youngster any more than he could’ve rushed Sadie and Helo a couple days ago.

  In the corral before them, Joel watched the two horses. “I think Buckwheat and Sammie enjoyed their bath. I know the rest of us did. Didn’t you?”

  Todd found the dirt by his small boot extremely interesting. “Yeah.”

  So much for a light conversation. Apparently, Todd wasn’t going to make this easy. He needed to rope this problem from a different direction. “Is this your favorite place to think?”

  Todd shrugged.

  “When I was growing up, I had a place in our barn, in the hayloft. It was a good thinking place. I sometimes went there when I did something I knew would get me in trouble.

  “One time, my mom had made a birthday cake for my grandmother. Chocolate with Gran’s special icing.” He paused and made an appreciative sound. “I tried to sneak a big finger full of icing off the cake, but instead I pushed the cake off the counter. It made such a terrible sound when it hit the floor and the plate shattered into a million pieces, with cake and icing exploding all over the kitchen.” It had been
a spectacular mess.

  Todd looked at him.

  “I can’t tell you how scared I was. I ran out into the barn and hid. Of course, my sister ratted me out.”

  “But you didn’t hurt your grandmother.” Todd’s voice quivered with emotion.

  Joel’s heart ached. “True, but we had no cake that birthday.”

  Todd hugged his knees and rested his head against his thighs.

  “What happened, Todd?”

  Tears rolled down the boy’s cheeks. “After you picked up Sadie and Helo, Mr. Moore came to work. He got the pitchfork down, but Mom called him up to the house. I wanted to help, so I got the fork and tried to put straw in Sammie’s stall. Wes walked into the barn and saw me. He said he’d tell on me for messing with the pitchfork. I got scared and put it against the stall wall and left the barn.” He shrugged. “I guess it fell down and that’s how Mr. Moore stepped on it. It was my fault.”

  It was, but this little boy didn’t need that rebuke. “Do you see why you were told not to mess with the pitchfork?”

  He nodded and with the back of his sleeve wiped the tears from his face.

  “I understand that you never would’ve wanted Mr. Moore to get hurt.”

  “I didn’t want that” came the wobbly reply.

  “I didn’t mean to ruin my grandma’s cake, either. We have to fess up when we do wrong. Gran and Ma forgave me, but my sister wasn’t as nice and reminded me of it often.”

  Todd glanced up at him. “Girls are like that.”

  “True.” Joel heard a movement and glanced over his shoulder. April stood at the corner of the barn. Todd didn’t notice.

  “I think you need to tell your mom what happened. You’ll feel better.”

  Todd stared at his hands. “Really? We can’t just keep it a secret between us?”

  “I think it’s best if you tell your mom.”

  Taking a deep breath, Todd thought a moment. “’Kay.” He stood and waited for Joel to stand. “Let’s go.”

  Todd marched to the house, much like a condemned man to the gallows.

  Admiration filled Joel’s heart for this little cowboy.

  * * *

  April finished putting sandwiches on the table when Joel and Todd walked into the kitchen. When she’d gone out earlier to look for the boys, she’d overheard Joel and Todd talking. She’d quietly backed away and rushed inside the house. The last thing she heard was “Tell your mom.”

  “Lunch is just sandwiches and cookies, but I’m told I make a mean sandwich.”

  “I’d like that.” Joel nodded toward Todd.

  Thanks, she mouthed.

  After the blessing, the kids dug into their lunch. Todd reached for his sandwich but rested his hands by his plate.

  “Todd, aren’t you hungry?”

  He shook his head.

  April leaned close and whispered, “Do you need to talk to me?”

  He nodded.

  “Joel, would you watch things for a few minutes?”

  “Sure.”

  Todd slipped from his chair and headed toward the office.

  April followed.

  “What’s happening?” Wes asked.

  April didn’t hear Joel’s explanation, but followed her son into the office.

  “I got to tell you something,” Todd began.

  April closed the door and sat in her chair. “What do you need to tell me?”

  Todd’s lips quivered. “It’s my fault that Mr. Moore got hurt.”

  “Oh.”

  “I know I wasn’t supposed to touch it, but I wanted to help Mr. Moore feed the horses, so when you called him, I picked up the pitchfork and tried to move the hay to help. It was heavy.” He stopped and took a breath. “Wes saw me and ran out of the barn. I got scared and left the pitchfork against the stalls and ran out. It must’ve fallen and Mr. Moore stepped on it.”

  He spoke the last words so softly that April had to lean forward to hear. She sat back and looked at her son.

  “I’m sorry, Mom. Mr. Joel told me I needed to tell you. I didn’t mean for Mr. Moore to get hurt, but—” He looked up at her, his fear and sorrow clear in his eyes.

  “But he did,” April softly finished.

  His bottom lip quivered.

  “We have rules to help us be safe, and that’s why I expect you to obey them.”

  His shoulders hunched.

  April wished her husband had learned to follow the safety rules on the oil rig. Maybe he would be alive today.

  “Do you promise me you’ll follow the rules from now on?”

  He nodded his head.

  She wrapped her arms around her precious little boy and hugged him.

  Lord, how am I going to raise them?

  Todd started to squirm. She released him, trying to keep the tears out of her own eyes.

  “I’m hungry, Mom.”

  April didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Then let’s go eat.”

  When they walked into the kitchen, the others at the table stopped eating.

  “Is everything okay?” Joel asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Mom,” Wes said, “while you were gone, I asked Mr. Joel how Sadie and Helo were doing. Could we go see them?”

  Todd perked up.

  The request took April by surprise. She looked around the table and three little eager faces stared back at her. The fields were planted and the fun time they’d had grooming Buckwheat and Sammie seemed to have revitalized the kids. It had been a hard time since Vernon’s death. They could use a little break. Besides, she hadn’t picked up her money.

  “Okay. We can visit and see the horses, then I need to go by the grocery store.”

  A cheer went up.

  “But I’ll need to run some errands, so we can’t stay all afternoon.”

  Todd smiled up at her. “Thanks, Mom.”

  Glancing up, she caught Joel’s smile, which did funny things to her stomach. Maybe this trip to the rodeo wasn’t a good idea. But the children’s excitement drowned out her doubts.

  * * *

  Joel parked his truck by the other trailers behind the coliseum, and April stopped hers beside his. He helped the kids out and they walked into the building.

  A temporary corral housing the horses stood in the back of the coliseum by a large set of double doors leading to the outside. A smaller door by the double doors was how most of the cowboys went in and out after the initial conversion of the coliseum into a rodeo arena.

  “There they are.” Joel pointed toward the horses.

  That was all it took for the boys to break into a run.

  “Be careful,” April called out, hurrying behind the boys as fast as Cora’s little legs could follow. April didn’t let go of her daughter’s hand.

  The horses moved restlessly around the corral and after a few moments, Wes pointed. “There’s Sadie. She’s by that brown horse and they’re eating.” Wes looked over his shoulder. “They look okay, Mom.”

  “And Helo is beside her.” Todd stood on his left foot with his right foot propped on top of it. “I think they’ve made some friends.”

  Standing behind the boys, Joel slipped his hands into the back pockets of his jeans. “They seem a good fit with the stock we have.”

  April came to a stop beside Joel. She looked at the horses she sold to the rodeo, but her mind went to the man standing next to her. The sturdiness of him reassured her. It wouldn’t be hard to rely on him. She shied away from the thought and stepped back. She wouldn’t rely on a traveling man.

  “They’ve been getting along with the other horses, no problem,” Joel added.

  She swallowed hard. “Good.”

  The boys turned toward him.

  “I’m glad. When I started first grade, it was nice to know some kids in my class. They went to our church.” Todd looked back into the corral. “I’m glad they’re happy.”

  Cora pulled her hand free from April’s and ran toward her brothers and the horses. April’s heart stopped. Cora w
as short enough to slide under the lowest bar of the corral and charge straight into the animals.

  April lurched forward, but Joel stepped in front of Cora and swept her into his arms, lifting her to his shoulder. Cora screamed with delight.

  Still shaking from her daughter’s antics, April stopped and took a deep breath. “Cora Marie, come here.”

  The tone of April’s voice cut through her daughter’s giggles.

  Cora stilled.

  “Please put her down,” April directed. Her tone brooked no defiance.

  Joel complied.

  April moved to stand in front of her daughter and squatted down. “That was naughty of you. You will hold my hand and behave yourself or I will take you home.”

  The boys’ eyes widened. “Mom,” they said together.

  April stood. “You both know if Cora had run into that corral she could’ve been hurt. She needs to pay attention around stock just like you boys do, and not because I want to be mean, but because I want her to be safe.”

  The boys didn’t protest.

  Wes came to Cora’s side. “I’ll help you hold her hand.”

  Tears stung April’s eyes at Wes’s thoughtfulness.

  Cora patted Wes’s cheek. “’Kay.” Then she looked up at April. “I okay, Mommy.”

  A tear slipped down April’s face. She wiped it away. “Good girl.”

  The tension seeped out of the situation.

  Just then Jack Murphy walked toward them. “Joel, who do we have here?” He stopped and nodded toward April. “Ma’am.”

  “This is Mrs. Landers, her sons, Todd, and Wes. And the little one is Cora.”

  “So you’re the gentlemen who hired Joel away from me for this week.” Jack shook the boys’ hands. “I’ll have to keep my eye on you.”

  The boys stood up straighter.

  Jack turned to April. “I’m glad to meet you. I really liked your father-in-law. Vernon was a good man.”

  Joel noticed no one mentioned April’s husband and wondered why that was.

  “Since you’re here, I have your check for the horses and a little something extra.” Jack threw Joel a grin.

  “I appreciate that.”

  “If you want to wait at the snack area, I’ll be right back. Maybe you can convince Hank to rustle up some chocolate-chip cookies and milk.”