“As a heart attack. Poor Mitch had to identify the bodies, and of course, Allison’s folks didn’t take with her marrying a rancher-slash-roofer.” Man, Leanne was warming up. “So, after she died, they went on a thing to get the kids from Mitch, took him to court and everything. It was a wild mess, and now they don’t have anything to do with the kids. In fact, I’m not sure the little one ever so much as met them. You know, Allison died having her, right?”
“Yeah. I mean, I don’t know the details because?—”
“She had an aneurysm, totally unexpected. I mean, she just died. They did an emergency cesarean, and there he was trying to explain to number one and two that momma was gone and trying to raise number three and make a living…”
Cam just didn’t get it. Of course, he wasn’t bi, so he didn’t have that worry really. But three kids…that wasn’t an accident.
“Well, that’s terrible. And I’m sorry he doesn’t have anybody there to help him, but surely?—”
“Bubba, you’re the only one who doesn’t have a nine-to-five job, including Momma. And I know what you do is important. I’m not saying that, but Momma’s right. You won a couple of stock shows this year, you’re going to make it to the NFR justfine, you’ve got tons of money coming in from sponsors and stuff, so you can take a couple of months off after this weekend and come help.”
Jesus Christ on a sparkly crutch. He didn’t say that out loud because she would simply yell at him for blasphemy, and he was sure he was on speaker anyway. But still. “Sister, I don’t think Mitch would want me to be the one to come help. You know, we haven’t spoken since I left town.”
“Well, maybe it’s time you started. I can’t imagine that you two actually hate each other. You were always such good friends.”
He blew out a sigh. “Do you have to be on her side?”
“I kind of do. You know how I feel about this town. I love it here. I know you never did, but it’s a good place, Bubba. And this man could really use some help.”
Her tone was so earnest, and she meant it. He knew it, and he hated it. But… “Look, I’ll try to get home after this weekend and see what’s what.” He’d come home and try to talk to Mitch, and he could prove the man wanted nothing to do with him. Then that would shut everybody up.
“I really appreciate it. So does Momma and everybody else. I know it’s ridiculous, but he’s so sad and so worried, and you were his best friend.”
He rolled his eyes like dice.
“I was more than his best friend, sister.” He thought he needed to get that right out there.
“I know that. I mean, it’s not like it was a secret, and it’s not like we asked you to make it a secret. It’s not your fault he wanted to settle down, and it’s not his fault he didn’t want to be a rodeo…whatever you call that. Would it be a buckle bunny?”
“No! No, he would never have been a buckle bunny. He would just have been my partner out here on the road.”
“Oh, okay, well that’s cool.”
He shook his head, getting het up again. “Look, not everybody is like Beaver Cleaver. Some of us don’t want to get married. Some of us don’t want to be tied down to the land. Some of us are just fine with our horses and ourselves.”
“Sounds good to me. Don’t you have to board your horse when you’re not in rodeo season? Isn’t that a thing?”
“Shut up, sister.”
She giggled, the sound reminding him of when she was young, which she really wasn’t anymore. And on the phone it always made him think of when they were kids. “So, when are you going to be here?”
“I’ll come down as soon as the weekend is over. It’ll probably be Tuesday though. I’ll be at the Cody Stampede, so I won’t be too far away, but I have a sponsorship thing the day after the rodeo ends.”
“Cody, huh? Maybe I’ll come up and see you ride.”
“Sure, come on up. You know I don’t mind getting you a family ticket.”
“I’ll let you know. Momma would probably have a fit if I left now. I’ve been taking food over to Mitch, at least, and that seems to help.” She yawned, and he had to laugh at her because she sounded exhausted. She was still dealing with a pretty new baby after all.
“You just say the word.” He cleared his throat. “I love you, sister.”
“I love you too. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.”
“Bye.” Well, at least he hadn’t had to talk to his momma again. That had been an ordeal.
As soon as he hung up, he headed over to the mini-fridge in his hotel room that looked like every other good-enough-to-not-have-bed-bugs hotel room in Colorado and grabbed a beer. What a mess.
He didn’t want to go back home to his little town in southern Colorado and deal with his family and all that baggage that came with the place. He’d gotten out and started on the rodeo circuit because he needed to get away and because he wasn’t going to be stuck there in the mud like so many of his family.
