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Authors: T. J. Kline
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for several generations. His father loved the ranch, raised his boys on it. In fact, he’d been furious when David’s brother had chosen to buy a ranch instead of running theirs. It might be a lot of work and, with his injury worsening, David knew it was difficult for his father to keep up, but he couldn’t picture it being sold to a stranger. “What did Christian say?”
“He knows the ranch is just sucking money at this point. It needs repairs I can’t afford. I’ll just buy a modular and put it on his property. It will be easier for everyone.” His father eyed him as if waiting for David to bite at the bait he offered.
What his father wasn’t saying was that if he sold the place, he wouldn’t have to work at all and could continue to drink his pain away in privacy. He wondered how much of that money would be used for liquor or gambling. David couldn’t help his father if he wouldn’t admit there was a problem and Colt had no desire to face his demons.
“I hate to see you sell the place, Dad. Is there something I can do to help?”
“Yeah, win.” His father looked around to see if anyone was nearby and lowered his voice. “If you paid off the mortgage I took out on it, it could stay in the family. But you’d need to find someone to run it when you’re gone. My leg . . .” He pressed his hand against his thigh, as if trying to remind David of the painful injury. Like the man ever let either of his sons forget what he’d sacrificed.
And when did his father take out a mortgage? The property had been paid in full for years. He had no idea his father had taken out a loan against it but he didn’t have the funds to pay it off nor did he know anyone who could run a ranch of that size while he was driving across the country, rodeoing.
“Dad, I . . .” David shrugged. “I would if I could.” He looked down at the ground, ashamed to turn his father down.
Colt sighed, his disgust obvious. “That’s what I figured.” He shook his head. “I thought I did better than this with you boys.”
“Dad—”
“No,” he interrupted David, holding up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it. I’ll let you know when the sale goes through. Maybe between now and then you can find some sort of miracle for your old man.”
David didn’t miss the caustic tone, just one more barb his father passed along to his boys. Wasn’t it bad enough he’d antagonized their mother until she ran out, but now he seemed intent on pushing his sons away, too. David watched his father limp away, pasting on a smile when several younger cowboys stopped him, asking for his autograph. He was grateful for the sense of family loyalty his mother and brother instilled in him growing up but, right now, it was nothing more than another boulder on the mountainous pressure weighing him down. So I’m supposed to carry on the family name and win the title while somehow saving the ranch? David’s hand curled into a fist and he wished he could find something to punch.
Chapter Five
----
A LICIA LEANED FORWARD on the fence, watching the last of the barrel racers making their runs. So far her time was holding strong; no one had even come near it, but she wasn’t ready to celebrate yet. There were three more girls to go and one of those was Delilah and the $200,000 horse her father bought to help her win. Her stomach twisted and did a backflip when she heard Delilah’s name called over the loudspeaker. Alicia watched her charge into the arena, leather quirt between her teeth. Determination was etched on her brow and Alicia felt sorry for the horse, knowing Delilah would be whipping it for more speed in the stretch.
As Delilah came around the first turn, Alicia found herself willing the barrel to topple and her heart leapt when she saw how closely Delilah cut the second barrel, certain it would fall. She cringed when she didn’t even seem to touch it and her horse continued its furious pace toward the second and then third barrels
“He knows the ranch is just sucking money at this point. It needs repairs I can’t afford. I’ll just buy a modular and put it on his property. It will be easier for everyone.” His father eyed him as if waiting for David to bite at the bait he offered.
What his father wasn’t saying was that if he sold the place, he wouldn’t have to work at all and could continue to drink his pain away in privacy. He wondered how much of that money would be used for liquor or gambling. David couldn’t help his father if he wouldn’t admit there was a problem and Colt had no desire to face his demons.
“I hate to see you sell the place, Dad. Is there something I can do to help?”
“Yeah, win.” His father looked around to see if anyone was nearby and lowered his voice. “If you paid off the mortgage I took out on it, it could stay in the family. But you’d need to find someone to run it when you’re gone. My leg . . .” He pressed his hand against his thigh, as if trying to remind David of the painful injury. Like the man ever let either of his sons forget what he’d sacrificed.
And when did his father take out a mortgage? The property had been paid in full for years. He had no idea his father had taken out a loan against it but he didn’t have the funds to pay it off nor did he know anyone who could run a ranch of that size while he was driving across the country, rodeoing.
“Dad, I . . .” David shrugged. “I would if I could.” He looked down at the ground, ashamed to turn his father down.
Colt sighed, his disgust obvious. “That’s what I figured.” He shook his head. “I thought I did better than this with you boys.”
“Dad—”
“No,” he interrupted David, holding up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it. I’ll let you know when the sale goes through. Maybe between now and then you can find some sort of miracle for your old man.”
David didn’t miss the caustic tone, just one more barb his father passed along to his boys. Wasn’t it bad enough he’d antagonized their mother until she ran out, but now he seemed intent on pushing his sons away, too. David watched his father limp away, pasting on a smile when several younger cowboys stopped him, asking for his autograph. He was grateful for the sense of family loyalty his mother and brother instilled in him growing up but, right now, it was nothing more than another boulder on the mountainous pressure weighing him down. So I’m supposed to carry on the family name and win the title while somehow saving the ranch? David’s hand curled into a fist and he wished he could find something to punch.
Chapter Five
----
A LICIA LEANED FORWARD on the fence, watching the last of the barrel racers making their runs. So far her time was holding strong; no one had even come near it, but she wasn’t ready to celebrate yet. There were three more girls to go and one of those was Delilah and the $200,000 horse her father bought to help her win. Her stomach twisted and did a backflip when she heard Delilah’s name called over the loudspeaker. Alicia watched her charge into the arena, leather quirt between her teeth. Determination was etched on her brow and Alicia felt sorry for the horse, knowing Delilah would be whipping it for more speed in the stretch.
As Delilah came around the first turn, Alicia found herself willing the barrel to topple and her heart leapt when she saw how closely Delilah cut the second barrel, certain it would fall. She cringed when she didn’t even seem to touch it and her horse continued its furious pace toward the second and then third barrels
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