Rough Rider (Hot Cowboy Nights, #2)(27)

Grady gave a careless shrug. “Who cares about that wasteland anyway? We should just pull the hell out. They’ll do themselves in eventually without any help from us.”

Looking uncomfortable, Janice maintained silence. “So are you two back to traveling together now?” she asked as soon as the waitress returned with their food.

“Yes—”

“No—”

Janice frowned over the cup that was poised to her lips, looking from Dirk to Grady and back again. “Well? Which is it?”

“Told you last night that I’m looking to get in as many rides as I can to qualify for the finals,” Grady replied, “while it seems Pretty Boy here don’t know what the hell he wants.”

Dirk had to admit that truer words had never been spoken.

College had gone by too damn fast. He might be four years older, but he sure as hell wasn’t any wiser. He still hadn’t figured out what he wanted to do with his life. Although ranching ran in his blood four generations deep, and he knew it would be what he turned to eventually, right now the idea of going home made him feel caged. Smothered. It was the same reaction he’d had when Rachel started dropping hints about an engagement. He just wasn’t ready to settle down.

For the past few years, rodeo had seemed the perfect answer. Life on the road was rough and unpredictable as hell, but he’d enjoyed the freedom of it more than he’d minded the discomforts. When in the money, he and Grady had lived high on the hog, dining out on T-bones and sleeping in air-conditioned motels, but losing meant more than aches and bruises. It was a diet of saltine crackers and nights spent in the truck bed.

For four years now riding rough stock had taken the edge off, had relieved some of the restlessness that shadowed him, but now the twitchy feeling was back with a vengeance and he didn’t know if rodeo was still the answer. There had to be something more, something to fill the void he felt deep in his gut. He just wished to hell he knew what it was.

He looked up to find Janice watching him. She quickly diverted her gaze back to her plate. Janice. That whole situation really had his head all screwed up. He never should have gone to her last night in the shape he was in. He felt a trace of guilt but had a hard time summoning any regret over it. On the one hand, he damn sure wasn’t ready to jump feetfirst into a new relationship, but on the other, Grady’s sniffing around her almost had him spitting nails.

Over breakfast, Grady’s gaze tracked continually back and forth between them. It was obvious he suspected something. Dirk wasn’t sure why he felt so compelled to hide what had happened between him and Janice. It just seemed wrong to reveal to the world what they’d shared in private. On top of that, the situation would get awkward as hell if the three of them were going down the road together.

As fidgety as she looked, he guessed Janice was thinking the same thing.

“You’re awful quiet, Sweet Cheeks. Whatcha thinkin’?” Grady asked.

Janice glanced up at him, flushed-faced and looking guilty as sin. “Nothing much,” she replied, plucking at her napkin. “Just dreading a whole summer spent on the road.”

“I was wonderin’ ’bout that,” Dirk said. “How is it that you’re running the stock alone now? Where’s your ol’ man?”

“He’s been under the weather for months,” Janice said. “He’s never been sick in his whole life, but he’s lost a lot of weight and has stomach complaints and back pain that won’t go away. He saw a chiropractor for a while, but it didn’t help any. When his eyes started turning kinda yellow, we convinced him to go to the family doc for a full checkup. That was last week. The doc didn’t say much but ordered a bunch of tests that he’s s’posed to have soon. I can’t help fearing it’s liver failure or something like that.”

“I’m sorry to hear it,” Dirk said. “What about your other hands? Isn’t there anyone else to help you?”

“Not anymore. Ace walked out. Wanted more money than we could pay, even though he wasn’t worth half what he was making to begin with. He was drunk most of the time and way too rough with the stock. I told Daddy I could do better, but he’s a chauvinist to the bone. He didn’t want to give me a shot until he didn’t have any other choice. Truth be told, I’ve had to work twice as hard just to be thought half as good my whole life, but I don’t see how I can do it all. If the doc confirms the worst, I’ll be needed at home, but I can’t be there and work the rodeos. We can’t afford to lose the contracts, but if I can’t find some help, things’ll go to hell in a handbasket real fast. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve worried about this, how much it’s been weighing on me.”

Dirk was thoughtful. “I don’t see why me and Grady couldn’t lend you a hand for a while—long as you’d let us work around the rodeo schedule. What do ya think?”

Dirk looked to his traveling buddy, who slouched back in his seat.

“Don’t see why not,” Grady said. “We’re traveling together anyhow and I’ve got nothing else lined up. ’Sides, I could use the extra cash—”

Dirk glowered at him. “Who said anything about money? Janice is a friend in need. We shouldn’t take advantage of that.”

“It’s a reasonable request to get paid, Dirk,” Janice protested. “I’d have to pay someone else anyway, so it might as well be you two.”