Rough Rider (Hot Cowboy Nights, #2)(44)

Armed with a bright smile, she approached their table. “Hey, Wade. Been a long time.”

He stared blankly for a few seconds, then recognition dawned. “Janice Combes? I’ll be damned. I didn’t know you were back in town.”

His reaction didn’t surprise her. She hardly recognized herself anymore—either inside or out. Janice Combes had left Montana as a tall and gangly girl but the brown eyes that gazed back at her in the mirror were darkly shadowed from years of sleepless nights. She felt so much older than her barely thirty years. She also felt suddenly self-conscious.

“I never thought I’d set foot back here either, but I had nowhere else to go with my kid and all.” She always hated having to explain, but the subject inevitably came up along with all the awkward questions.

“I was sorry to hear about what happened to Grady.” Wade shook his head with a sympathetic look. “What a gruesome way to go.”

It was gruesome. The stuff of nightmares, but Janice didn’t care to rehash all the sordid details. The papers and the Cowboy Sports News had already done that…and then some. The worst part of it was when her son discovered videos of it on YouTube. Cody would probably carry the scars his entire life. It was part of the reason she hadn’t come home sooner. She hadn’t wanted him to have to deal with the questions or the looks of pity. So they’d stayed in Vegas.

Although the anonymity of the city had been her shield, it was no place to raise a kid—especially a boy without a father—so they’d eventually packed up and come home to Montana. Maybe three years wasn’t long enough for the scandal to die altogether, but at least now it was all old news.

“He knew as well as anyone that it was bound to happen sooner or later. With the bulls, it’s never a question of if you’re gonna get hurt—it’s just when and how bad. Least he didn’t suffer much. He never regained consciousness.” She shrugged, hoping Wade wouldn’t ask any more about it, and that he’d interpret her terse response as stoicism rather than coldheartedness. After all this time, it was still hard to deal with, but at least she was free.

“I’m glad Dirk gave up rodeo, though the way it turned out for him, maybe joining the marines wasn’t the best choice either,” Wade said.

“I haven’t seen him around. How’s he doing?” Janice asked in what she hoped was an offhand manner.

Wade shrugged. “As well as can be expected, I guess, but he hardly leaves the ranch.”

She wondered if he’d become some kind of recluse, but that seemed so out of character, she could hardly wrap her mind around it.

“You know about his injuries, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I heard.” When she’d first learned about it, her heart had bled for him.

“He’s changed a lot from what he was before.”

“I’d expect as much.” Janice knew she should leave the couple alone now, but she was almost desperate for more news about Dirk. She bit the bullet and asked, “He seein’ anyone?”

“Dirk?” Wade shook his head. “Not to my knowledge.”

“Think he’d mind if I dropped by?”

“Don’t know,” Wade replied. “But I think he could use some old friends—as long as you aren’t put off by his surly, badass behavior.”

Janice almost laughed. “You’re kidding, right? I’m not thin-skinned. Could never afford to be. You don’t know what it’s like to be a woman working the chutes with all those bulls and rough riders.” She’d spent the better part of a decade in the rodeos and bull-riding circuits, even though it now seemed like another person’s life. “For the record, I can give every bit as good as I get.”

“Forgive me, Nikki,” Wade addressed the brunette who had been eyeing Janice with open curiosity. “This is—”

“Janice,” she supplied smoothly, extending her hand. “I grew up here and just recently moved back.”

“Nikki Powell from Atlanta.” The brunette briefly shook her hand.

“Welcome to Montana. First time?” Janice asked.

“Yes, and likely my last. Wade’s helping me with some personal business. My father passed away.”

“Oh,” Janice replied, feeling awkward. “My condolences.”

“We just came from the mortuary,” Wade explained. “I thought she could use a drink.”

Janice forced another smile. “Then you came to the right place. What’ll you have?”

“The usual for me. The bartender knows.” Wade looked to Nikki. “Sorry, I don’t know your poison.”

“I’ll take a shot of Patrón.”

“Salt and lime?” Janice asked.

“Of course,” Nikki said. “What?” she answered Wade’s querying look. “You thought I’d order some girlie umbrella drink?”

“Yeah, it was pretty much what I expected over straight tequila.”

“This seemed like a tequila occasion,” Nikki replied.

“You are full of surprises.” Wade chuckled as Janice hustled away to fill their order.

“A shot of Patrón and the usual for Wade, whatever that is,” Janice told Moe, the bartender.

She was surprised when he went in the back and returned with a bottle of nonalcoholic beer. “I keep a case for him,” Moe said. “He’s the only one around here who drinks this stuff.”