Whirlwind (The Champions 1)

The plan suited Shane. His strained relationship with Lexie had worsened over the past weeks, to the point that she was avoiding him. In his pride, he’d hurt her in ways he’d never intended. He still loved her, still wanted her. But what if he’d already pushed her too far? What if she’d already washed her hands of him?

As far as he could see, the only solution was an honest conversation. Talking might only make matters worse. But that was a chance he’d have to take. At least the ride in the ATV would give him some time alone with her.

He was waiting on the porch when she came around the house in the ATV and stopped at the foot of the ramp. From that point, Shane could use his upper-body strength to transfer from the chair to the passenger seat of the ATV.

Lexie gave him an edgy smile. She looked pretty this morning, all in blue, with her hair in a ponytail and a straw Stetson keeping the morning sun off her face. Shane resisted the urge to sweep her into his arms, kiss her soundly, and end this standoff between them once and for all.

If only it were that easy.

“Thanks for picking me up,” he said. “Since we’ve got a little extra time, would you mind driving up around the north pasture? I’d like to check on the cows and calves up there.”

“No problem.” She started the vehicle and headed up the narrow trail that skirted the pastures, circled along the property line, and ended at the bucking corral, where Tess, Ruben, and the boys were already setting up. The engine of the ATV was too loud for easy conversation. But Shane had a plan to get around that.

The sturdy wheels climbed the trail that led along the fence line to the upper edge of the property. From here they could see much of the ranch and the livestock—the Hereford steers grazing in the grassy scrub that bordered the reservation, the pedigreed cows, their offspring, and the bucking bulls in the well-tended pastures.

As they came up on a level spot with a good view, he touched her arm. “Let’s stop for a minute,” he said. “We’ve got time. And there’s something I need to say to you.”

* * *

Lexie switched off the engine. She’d guessed that Shane hadn’t really wanted to look at cows. Now here it was, the moment of truth—a truth that had been a long time coming. They were finished—as they had been from the day she’d brought Shane home to the ranch.

All she could do to salvage her pride was beat him to the final punch.

“I’ve got something to say to you, too,” she said. “How about letting the lady go first?”

“Suits me. Go ahead.” He smiled and leaned back against the seat. Lexie willed herself not to soften. He wouldn’t likely be smiling by the time she finished.

“I’ve decided to go back to school,” she said. “I left because Tess needed me. But now that Val’s home and you’re here, and now that Pedro’s coming with his wife, I won’t be needed anymore—not even by you.”

His easy smile had changed to a look of surprise. “How long have you been thinking about this?”

“Quite a while, really. But I wanted to be sure before I told anybody. Last night I sent in my application. Everything should be in place for winter semester, at least, if not for fall.”

He shook his head. “I feel like I’ve been bucked off out of the gate. I don’t know what to say.”

Say you don’t want me to go, Shane. Say you need me. Say you love me.

But that wasn’t going to happen. Her man had too much pride.

“You shouldn’t have to worry about your place here,” she said. “You’ve proven your worth to Tess. And once you’re able to get around the ranch on your own, you’ll be able to do even more. With a custom saddle and the right horse, you should even be able to ride again. You won’t need me, or anybody.”

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as if mentally counting. “Lexie, I came here mostly because of you,” he said.

She gave him a smile, blinking back the tears she didn’t want him to see. “Well, we both know how that worked out, don’t we?” she said. “Now, what was it you wanted to say to me?”

He turned away from her, his mouth a hard line. “There’s no need for it now,” he said. “All I can do is wish you the best. Let’s get going. They’ll be waiting for us at the corral.”

* * *

The bucking trials took most of the morning. Of the thirteen two-year-old bulls that were bucked with the dummy, seven showed promise, some more than others. The rest would be sold at auction in the fall. The young bulls had no names, only numbers. The names would come later, when and if they were ready for competition.

Lexie left Shane in the ATV by the chutes and mounted up to help move the bulls in and out of the corral and rope any animal that threatened to misbehave. She’d already asked Val to drive Shane back to the house, sparing him the awkwardness of spending more time alone with her. They were finished. There was nothing more to say.

The hot summer wind dried her tears as she worked the corral. She remembered the red bull, so strong and full of spirit, who should have been bucking with the others today, instead of lying in the arroyo, his bones long since picked clean by scavengers. There was no way Callie would have unlocked the pasture gate and left it open. Somebody else had done that and more, and Lexie was going to find out who—starting tomorrow when she searched Aaron’s place.

* * *

With people getting ready for the busy weekend, supper was a grab-and-go affair, with leftover lasagna and garlic bread available for microwaving and the last of the chocolate cake for dessert. When everyone had finished, Lexie cleaned up, pulled two cold lemon sodas out of the fridge, and went outside. She found Val, as expected, sitting on the porch, watching the last of the sunset fade above the pass.