Just like old times. Lucas rambled into his older brother’s kitchen, greeted by the greasy smell of bacon and eggs and the sizzle of the fryer. Lance stood at the stove stirring and flipping while Levi and their father sat at the table discussing the latest PBR standings as they waited for their breakfast.
“They’ve got you trained, huh?” Lucas asked, lightly socking Lance in the side as he moved past him and sat at the other end of the table.
“I don’t think Levi even knows how to hold a spatula,” his brother said, low enough so that the other two didn’t hear. “And have you ever tasted Dad’s eggs?”
“No, actually. I can’t say I have.” That was because Lance had cooked breakfast for all of them ever since their mom left. It likely had something to do with the fact that Lance had watched her leave early one morning before the sun had even crested the peaks. Lucas had walked into the kitchen when Lance was putting the finishing touches on omelets. Before that, he hadn’t known his brother even knew how to crack an egg. But he’d figured it out that day. They’d all spent those years figuring things out.
“Morning, son.” Luis folded the sports section of the newspaper into neat quarters and laid it on the table in front of him.
“Morning, Dad.” Didn’t matter how many times he said it, that never got old. After he went to prison Lucas didn’t talk to Luis for ten years. He couldn’t stomach the shame he’d seen on the man’s face. But then his father had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and Jessa had called him to come home. That was all he’d needed. An invitation. He’d been welcomed by his father, who was hunched and arthritic, suffering from persistent tremors and balance issues, though the most recent medication they had him on seemed to be making a difference.
“What happened to your truck?” his father asked. “Didn’t see it outside this morning.”
“It broke down.” The last thing his father needed to hear was how it had broken down. He had enough to worry about.
“I’ll take you to pick it up after our meeting this morning,” Lance said, lugging the food over to the table.
“What meeting?” Levi wasted no time piling his plate full.
Lance hesitated, and Lucas didn’t blame him. They didn’t exactly involve their younger brother in much of the ranch’s business. He was too busy reveling in his bull rider fame and sponsorship opportunities to concern himself with the logistics of a stock contracting operation.
“I’d forgotten Jones was coming today,” Luis said gruffly. He hated forgetting stuff, that much was obvious, but it happened more and more.
“Jones?” Levi repeated skeptically. “As in Brady Jones?”
Everyone connected to the bull-riding world had heard of Brady Jones. The former champion who’d once competed against Luis was now the director of livestock for the largest rodeo circuit in the country.
“Yeah. It’s a big day,” Lance said, his face grim. Over the last six months Lance had invested in new livestock, mainly bucking bulls, to get his operation up and running. Lucas had consulted on a limited basis, but he’d been down in Pueblo off and on, and Bill McGowen had all but told him he’d fire his ass if he sensed any conflict of interest between the two operations. Lucas wasn’t sure he wanted to lose that job.
“If Jones doesn’t contract two or three of our bulls, I’m screwed,” Lance muttered, still looking doubtful.
Lucas wished he felt better about things than his brother did, but he’d seen the bulls Lance had purchased. While they had promise, they weren’t there yet, and Jones was coming today to scout for the next several events. If they didn’t get picked, Lance didn’t get paid, and Lucas happened to know his brother had invested most of his savings.
“I’m happy to stick around and shoot the breeze with him,” Levi offered. He’d already wolfed down most of his breakfast and was casually sipping coffee. Lucas marveled at how young he still looked. It was obvious the three of them were related, but while he and Lance looked more like Luis, Levi reminded him of their mother. His skin was fairer and unmarred by the stress Lance and Lucas had endured over the years.
And yet he didn’t resent his brother. He was glad one of them had had it easier. That’d been the idea when he’d taken the punishment for Levi. He was proud of him. Given the way things had gone after their mother left, Levi could’ve been a complete screwup, but he’d straightened out, left home to train with bull-riding legend Gunner Raines, and become one of the infamous Raines’ Renegades, a group of traveling riders who also made quite the haul in sponsorships.
“Actually, I could use your help patching some siding today,” Luis said to his youngest son. Lucas had to smile. Their father didn’t think Levi should get involved any more than they did. Besides that, someone had to watch Luis when he did projects. They couldn’t have him falling off a ladder or something.
“Lance and I have got this.” He finished off his own breakfast quickly then shoved his plate toward Levi. “And since Lance cooked, you’re on dish duty.” Before Levi could argue, Lucas motioned to Lance and the two of them pushed back from the table and walked out of the house grinning. Yep. Just like old times.
Over the next hour, they worked with Tucker, the stable manager, to get the bulls ready. But even hosing them down, feeding them, and getting them riled up didn’t put Lucas at ease. He’d been purchasing and training bulls for McGowen for so long, he could spot a potential bovine champion, and these bulls didn’t seem to have it.
“You’re worried,” Lance said, standing next to him on the outside of the corral while Tucker gated Inferno.
Was his worry that obvious? That bull was supposed to be Lance’s best bet, but he didn’t have the fire, and Brady Jones would recognize that right away. “How much did you pay for him, again?” he asked, dreading the answer.
“A couple hundred grand.” Lance seemed to dread saying it, too. Lucas didn’t tell him he’d gotten screwed. He likely already knew.
The sound of a truck crawling up behind them made his stomach pull into a tight knot. Brady Jones got out and sauntered over, thumbs hooked into his belt loops, tall cowboy hat casting a shadow over his eyes. He was a good five years younger than their father, but his face was marked by a few scars and the same sun damage. “Gentlemen,” he said, giving each of them a hearty handshake.
“Good to see you, Jones. Thanks for coming,” Lance said.
“Surprised to see you here, Lucas.” The man eyed him suspiciously. “You give up on McGowen? Or just home for a visit?”
“Home for a visit,” he said quickly. Word would travel fast, and Bill McGowen would not appreciate the fact that Lucas was attending a meeting for the competition. He hung back and let Lance walk Jones around the facilities, showing off each of the bulls his brother had purchased.
When they came back to the fence, Lucas could tell Jones had already made a decision. He’d done enough business with the man to recognize that dispassionate expression. “Well, Cortez, I gotta say, I’m not seeing anything I haven’t seen before.” The man was always direct. It was something Lucas used to appreciate about him.
“You’ve got a good start here, but none of these guys are ready for the big stage.”
Lance didn’t seem to know what to say. He simply nodded.
Jones clapped him on the shoulder. “Give me a call in a few years when you’ve got more experience under your belt.”
“Sure. Of course.”
Lucas had to hand it to his brother. He wasn’t letting his disappointment show. But he could feel it, and he couldn’t let Lance lose what he’d worked for.
“Wait,” Lucas said, just as Jones started to retreat to his truck. The man stopped, turned, made a show of glancing at his watch. He didn’t like people wasting his time, but Lucas knew he’d want to hear him out. “Come back in a few weeks.” Preferably after the wedding.
Irritation pulled at the man’s mouth. “I shouldn’t have come this week. This operation isn’t ready.”
“He’s got another purchase in the works.”
“I do?” Lance mumbled.
Lucas shut him up with a look and strode over to Jones, facing him directly. “There’s a private auction next week. For one of Day of Reckoning’s offspring.” Day of Reckoning was the most decorated bovine champion to ever grace the sport. Bill McGowen had enlisted Lucas to go to the auction and outbid everyone else. He’d also told him not to spread the word, but Lance was desperate. Reckoning II had already competed in a few lower level events and he’d thrown every rider within three seconds. “Lance has an in and it’s looking like a done deal. So you’ll want to come back soon and take a look at him.”
“You get Reckoning’s offspring and I’ll be here,” Jones said. Without a goodbye, he climbed into his rig and left them in a cloud of dust.
His brother eyed him. “Let me guess. You’re supposed to purchase that bull for McGowen.”
He shrugged. “McGowen has plenty of bulls.” The man ran a multimillion-dollar operation. It wouldn’t kill him to lose out on one.
“I don’t know what I was thinking.” Lance glanced over at Inferno, still penned up in a stall. “I don’t have much more to invest in this.” Not a shock, considering all of the stock he’d purchased recently. His brother had won some significant purses and a championship last year, but that didn’t go so far when you were talking millions to get an operation up and running. And Lance had never gravitated toward the sponsorships to supplement his income the way Levi had.
“You can’t give up yet,” Lucas insisted. “We’ll sell some off some of your stock. All you need is one champion. I’ll help you figure it out.”
His brother seemed to assess him. “You gonna lose your job for this?”
“Maybe.” He hadn’t thought that far ahead when he’d mentioned the auction.
“That okay with you?” Lance asked hopefully. He’d been trying to get Lucas on board to stick around the ranch and help him run the operation. But there was one problem with that. No one else wanted him around. The McGowen Ranch had been his safety net. It’d provided him the chance to start over. And if he came back to Topaz Falls for good, he’d go right back to being the kid convicted of arson. But he couldn’t worry about that now. His brother needed him. He shrugged off Lance’s concern.
“I’ll figure it out. I can handle Bill McGowen.”
If only he felt as confident as he sounded.
* * *
The only thing worse than having his truck vandalized was having Officer Dev Jenkins show up to see the mess.
Lucas liked Dev all right, but he hadn’t seen much of him in ten years. Back in high school they’d raised all kinds of hell together, which may have been what inspired Dev to become an officer of the law. He’d always been a hell of a guy—honest, hardworking, loyal. If Lucas would’ve stuck around, they likely would’ve still been friends. But while Dev worked his way up the ranks and became a town hero, Lucas had become the town’s shame, the wayward son who’d gone and stained his family’s good name. In everyone else’s eyes they’d taken two starkly different paths. And even though Dev never brought it up, it still simmered between them.
“Did you have to call him?” Lucas asked Lance. They were both leaning against the left fender of his damaged truck watching as the patrol car swerved around the long curve from the east. After the meeting with Jones, Lucas told his brother what had happened to his truck. Next thing he knew, Lance was on the phone demanding that Dev come check out the “crime scene.” Lucas had planned to go into town and buy some new tires, then hitch a ride out to change them himself. That’d teach him to mention anything to his brother.
“Some punk ass kid vandalized your car,” Lance muttered, as ticked as if it’d been his own. “Last I checked that’s a misdemeanor.”
Lance would know. He’d done plenty of vandalizing back in the day.
“Dev can figure this out. Give the little shit a good scare. Then they’ll let you be.”
“They’re not gonna let me be.” Lucas lifted his hand in a wave as Dev pulled up behind the truck. “And what makes you think it was a kid?” It could’ve been anyone in town. Marshal Dobbins still hated him. His dad had been the rodeo commissioner, and after the fire he’d been out of a job. Then he’d left Topaz Falls and his family behind, headed for greener pastures in California. Even if it wasn’t Dobbins, there was a whole list of others who’d made a career out of holding a grudge. Hell, just last week old Mrs. Eckles—who’d earned a reputation for being the sweetest woman in town—crossed the street so she wouldn’t have to walk past him. He’d seen her cross back over once she’d cleared the bakery.
“No one but a kid would mess with you,” Lance insisted.
“Yeah, well, Dev won’t find anything. I’ve already looked.” There was no evidence left behind. No empty spray paint cans, no knife blade. Not even a damn footprint. Whoever had jacked up his truck had done it right. It’d been planned.
“Mornin’.” Dev pushed open the door to his patrol car and took his time sauntering over to the truck. He hadn’t changed much since he’d played defensive tackle for the Topaz High School Miners back in the day. Still big and brawny. Dark, clipped hair and a broad jaw that put Hercules to shame. Looking at him, most would mistake the man for a big dumb oaf, but before he’d come back to keep the streets of Topaz Falls safe, he’d gone to CU and graduated in the top ten percent of his class.
That’s where Lucas was supposed to have gone, too. They’d planned to room together. Instead he’d roomed with a bunch of thugs who found themselves behind bars for assault, grand larceny, and drug-related offenses. Not that he was complaining. It could’ve been a hell of a lot worse.
“Thanks for coming, Dev.” Lance caught the man’s beefy hand in a firm shake while Lucas simply gave him a nod. He was pretty sure this was a waste of all of their time.
“So you got any idea who would’ve come after you?” Dev asked, walking the length of the truck as he sized up the damage.
“Mrs. Eckles?” Lucas joked.
Dev cracked a grin. “Woman sure can hold a grudge.” He eyed the sagging tires on the truck. “But I’d doubt she owns a high-quality switchblade.”
“What about Shane and Carter?” Lance suggested. “Those two are always doing stupid shit.”
“The Werner boys?” Dev shook his head. “Nah. They’ve straightened up since I let ’em spend a night in jail for trespassing on the Blairs’ farm.” He aimed a curious gaze at Lucas. “Have you gotten any threats? Had any confrontations?”
“Nope. Plenty of dirty looks and a couple offhand comments at the bar. Nothing serious, though.”
“This is pretty damn serious, if you ask me,” his brother said.
Dev took a knee and looked underneath the truck. “Whoever did it was careful. Didn’t want to get caught.” He heaved himself back to his feet. “I’ll check into it. Ask around.”
“That’s it?” Lance demanded, following him to the rear of the truck.
“Thanks, Dev,” Lucas cut in before his brother made a complete ass out of himself. Of course that was it. What’d Lance expect him to do? Dust for fingerprints? This wasn’t a murder scene.
“No problem.” Dev ignored Lance and faced Lucas. “I’m sure this won’t be the last of it, so pay attention. Got it? Let me know if anything seems off.”
“Will do,” he promised, shaking the man’s hand. “But I’ll only be in town for a few more weeks, so not sure there’s anything to worry about.”
His old friend tilted his head with a stern look. “Gonna let ’em run you out of here again, huh?”
“That’s exactly what he’s doing,” Lance growled.
Lucas glared back at his brother. “Doesn’t count as getting run off if you want to go.” At least he’d thought he wanted to go. Then Naomi had gone and nearly taken him out with her car. Now he wasn’t so sure.
“You shouldn’t let them get to you, Cortez.” Dev started to lumber back to his patrol car. “It’s been good having you back. And whoever these bastards are…they’ll get over it.”
“Thanks.” It was good to know not everyone in town hated him. Having the law on his side was something, he guessed.
Dev slid into his car. “I’ll call out a tow truck for you. Get you all fixed up. Let me know if you need anything else.”
How about an idea for how to win over the woman he’d lost ten years ago? Unfortunately, Dev didn’t seem any more adept in the relationship department than he was, seeing as how they were both bachelors nearing thirty. “Hopefully I won’t need you again, but thanks.”
With a wave, Dev turned onto the highway.
“You don’t have to go back to McGowen’s, you know,” Lance said as they walked to his truck.
“Not this again.” They’d had the same conversation at least thirty times since he’d been home, but his argument had started to weaken.
“Your family’s here. Dad’s here.” Lance leveled him with a smug look. “Naomi’s here.”
“I can come back and visit,” he said, avoiding the Naomi issue completely. He couldn’t let himself go there. If her distance in the car yesterday was any indication, she wanted him to go back to Pueblo. As soon as possible. Maybe she held his past against him, too. Which brought him back to his point. “Would you want to stay someplace you weren’t wanted?”
“No,” Lance said grudgingly. “I don’t know. Maybe. If I had the right motivation.”
“Sure. If I had the right motivation, maybe I’d stay.” But his brother had no idea what it was like for him here. Lance was the superstar who’d followed in their dad’s footsteps. Last year may have been rocky for him, but after he’d won Worlds, everyone had forgotten about his struggles. Now he was getting married to the woman of his dreams. A woman everyone in town seemed to love. And according to their estimations his older brother deserved all of it, while Lucas deserved to suffer the consequences of his mistakes forever.
“What if you could do something to change everyone’s mind?” His brother got the same thoughtful look that took over his features whenever he was generating a plan.
He laughed. Lance made it sound so easy. “What’d you have in mind? Hang out on Main Street and help Mrs. Eckles carry her groceries across the street? Become a Boy Scout?” That ship had sailed a long time ago.
“No.” Lance straightened, taking on that authoritative older brother stance. The man had never known when to quit. “You could volunteer. Do something to help out the town. I heard they’re gonna start some fire mitigation work over on Topaz Mountain. It’s been so dry this spring they’re worried one bolt of lightning will torch the whole thing.”
“And you really think me cutting down some dead trees is gonna win people over?” He was impressed. He’d never thought of his brother as an optimist, but every once in a while Lance surprised him.
“I think it’s a start.”
“And what if I can’t earn my way back into their good graces?” A familiar bitterness slithered through the words. “Why should I even have to earn my way back in?” He’d spent three years in prison. Wasn’t that enough?
“You should do it for Naomi.”
Those simple words cut through him, bleeding out the excuses, the pride, the desire to run. Lance knew his weakness. Knew he’d do anything for her. “Naomi’s not interested,” he said, hating the gruff tenor of the words. “She’s made it pretty clear.”
His brother’s humorless laugh mocked him. “You really are as clueless as Jessa says you are.”
“I don’t need this.” Lance might be older, but Lucas didn’t have to listen to him. He went to walk around the truck but Lance grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. “If the town wasn’t an issue—if people left you alone and didn’t treat you like a criminal—would you stay? Would you want a life with Naomi?”
Yes. He couldn’t even say it because it was impossible. He didn’t have to say it. His brother had always been able to read him the way Lucas read the river when he was fishing.
“Maybe they’ll never forgive you. Maybe you’ll work your ass off volunteering and subjecting yourself to public humiliation for nothing.” Lance leaned in. “But maybe—maybe—it would be worth it. Maybe if you stood your ground and went after what you really wanted, something would change.”
For the last ten years of his life, Lucas hadn’t entertained any maybes. He hadn’t had that luxury. He’d had to go with the guarantees. The guarantee for money. For food. For a roof. For the necessities. He hadn’t exactly lost hope, but it hadn’t been something he’d held onto, either.
“You have nothing to lose,” his brother said emphatically, as though offering his closing argument. “If it doesn’t work you go back to the McGowen place. But if it does…”
He trailed off, and Lucas filled in the blanks. If it did work, if he won the town over, he could stay. He could work with his brother on the family ranch.
Not only that. He could also make it a hell of a lot harder for Naomi to ignore him.