No Ordinary Cowboy

“Quit harassing me. You’re worse than my parents.” Lucy had thought long and hard before making the decision to start up the Pony Express. She’d weighed the pros and cons, but in the end the only thing that had mattered was saving lives.

Halfway to Yuma, Bobby Ray crawled into the third seat and fell asleep. His quiet snores served as background music to Billy John’s conversation with Tony about border security.

Lucy followed the GPS map and ended up at the Desert Sands Apartments. “Which way?” she asked, turning into the entrance.

“Third building on the right.” Billy John unbuckled his belt when the van stopped. “How much do we owe you?”

“Nothing. The Pony Express is free, but if you’re feeling generous you can leave a tip to help pay for gas.” Lucy held out a mason jar and Billy John dropped a five-dollar bill in it then roused Bobby Ray.

Tony steadied the man as he stumbled from the van.

“Stay home the rest of the night, okay?” Lucy said.

“Yes, ma’am.” Billy John lugged his friend up the sidewalk to the apartment.

Lucy waited until the men went inside before pulling away. Tony remained quiet, but she sensed he had something to say. “You might as well spit it out.”

“I underestimated you.”

“How so?”

“You’re a rich, spoiled girl.”

“Yes, I am.” Or she had been until her father cut off her inheritance.

“I never imagined you caring about what happens to lowlifes.”

“Just because a cowboy drinks a little too much doesn’t mean he’s scum. Most of the guys who catch a lift home from the Pony Express are hardworking ranch hands or down-on-their-luck rodeo cowboys.”

Lucy tuned the radio to a country station and returned to the Saguaro Cactus Lounge. Tony remained quiet during the drive and she found his silence comforting, not nerve-racking. As soon as she pulled into the parking lot of the bar her phone rang. Shannon Douglas. “Sorry, I have to take this call.”

“No problem. Thanks for the ride-along, and watch yourself tonight.” Tony hopped out and shut the door before she had a chance to hand him his truck keys. He’d probably forgotten she had them from earlier in the evening.

“Hi, Shannon, what’s up?” Lucy’s blood pumped faster through her veins as she listened to the good news.

“Great. Thanks so much. I’ll arrive at the rodeo a couple of hours before my ride.” Lucy grabbed the pen and notepad she kept in the van and scribbled down information about the Ajo rodeo the middle of May. “I promise I won’t embarrass you.”

When Shannon lectured her on the importance of being in top physical shape, Lucy said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I’ve found someone to help me train for the rodeo.” She crossed her fingers, hoping she hadn’t told a lie.

After disconnecting the call, she let out a whoop of joy. Shannon had persuaded Wrangler to allow Lucy to ride in three summer rodeos to raise money for the Pony Express. The two rodeos following Ajo were yet to be determined. Lucy left the van and waited for Tony to come out of the bar.

“Looking for these?” She jingled the keychain when he stepped outside. “I have a huge favor to ask, but I’m positive you’ll say no.” She handed over the keys.

“Then why ask?”

“I have no one else to turn to.”

“What do you need help with?”

“Teach me to ride bulls.”

His mouth sagged.

“Please, Tony. I’ve organized a fundraiser—”

“No.”

“Is that a no or a maybe no?”

“No means no, Lucy.”

“I realize this came out of left field, but—”

“You have no business on the back of a bull.” Good God, Tony thought. The woman was small-boned, five-feet-six or -seven inches tall at the most, and probably weighed less than one-ten, sopping wet.

“This is important, Tony.”

He’d worked for the border patrol long enough to tell the difference between people who were serious and sane and those who were serious and insane. Lucy was dead serious—whether she was sane or insane was anyone’s guess. “Why do you need to ride a bull?”

“I’m raising—” A rowdy group of cowboys leaving the bar interrupted her.

Tony took her by the arm and helped her into the front seat of his truck. He started the engine then flipped the air-conditioning on high, hoping the blast of cold air would mask the scent of Lucy’s honeysuckle perfume.

“Hear me out,” she said.

Did he have a choice?

“When I came up with the idea for the Pony Express I expected my father to object, but he didn’t.”

“Why not?” Tony sure in hell would have.

“My mother told him to back off, because she was worried I wouldn’t remain in Stagecoach.”

“You had plans to go somewhere else?”

“Right before I graduated, I received a job offer from a marketing firm in Phoenix, but because my mother was having a difficult time coping with Michael’s death I declined the job and moved back home.” Lucy waved a hand in the air. “Anyway, my father expected the Pony Express to fail, so he stayed out of my way as I got the business off the ground.”

“What does all this have to do with bull riding?”

“The federal grant I receive to run the Pony Express was reduced by half. When my father found out, he cut off access to my trust fund, which I’d been dipping into to keep the business afloat.”

Tony thought he might have done the same thing if it had been his daughter.

“If I don’t find a way to raise $20,000 this summer, the Pony Express will go bankrupt before the end of the year.”

“Besides gas and maintenance on the van, what other expenses do you have?” he asked.

She counted off on her fingers. “Hector’s salary and his—”