Chapter Twenty-One
Chase thought aboutElla a lot over the next few days. Luckily, he had another rodeo to go to so he couldn’t stay at the ranch and depress himself more. But being at the rodeo was just as bad. He couldn’t call Ella. He didn’t want a buckle bunny. Reading or watching TV in his dumpy hotel room was as good as it got.
He still loved the rodeo. Ella wasn’t wrong about that. But honestly, he’d achieved his dream. He’d won the world championship twice. He couldn’t qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo this year, so he’d have to wait until the new season started to even think about winning the championship again.
But the idea didn’t hold as much appeal as it had once. Yes, he loved the rodeo, but he loved horses as well. The idea came to him when he was scrambling to get out of the way of the horse that had just thrown him. Horses.
He loved the horses on the ranch. But the paints were Marshall’s and Damaris’s thing. Still, who said they could only raise paints? They had plenty of land. What if he decided to raise bucking horses? It wasn’t an outrageous idea. He’d have to expand, build more stables especially for the broodmares and their foals, and maybe free up more pasture. Put in another tank. But it could all be done. He even knew who he wanted his first broodmare to be. Sugar Lips. Any horse that could throw him like he was a rank amateur should be a great broodmare.
He had the money he’d managed to save from his winnings, not a fortune, but a decent sum. And he had what Kelly Boots had been paying him, minus what had gone toward upkeep on the ranch. He’d have to refigure how he paid for that and almost certainly get a bank loan for the new business, but he didn’t think that would be a problem.
Damn. Kelly Boots. He’d have to tell them if he planned to retire. They’d keep him on for a while, until they could get someone newer. But that endorsement deal would dry up sooner or later. Well, it couldn’t be helped. He’d be upfront with them and see what they said. They might surprise him.
Sure, he’d miss competing but there was a lot he wouldn’t miss, like he’d told Marshall the night he and Ella broke up. There were parts of it, though, that he downright loved. The ride itself. The eight seconds that was just him and the horse. The sound of the crowds, the sounds and smells of the horses and the cattle. The announcer talking over the loudspeaker. Cowboys, cowgirls and everyone else who worked at a rodeo.
But even if he wasn’t riding professionally anymore, he’d still be very involved in that world and it would be a new kind of competition. His horses would compete. Fortunately, once he got his head out of his ass, he had some good rides and wound up with a little prize money. He went home resolved to figure out his retirement plan, talk to Wyatt Kelly, and talk to Marshall again, and Damaris, who didn’t know anything about what he’d been considering.
For obvious reasons he wouldn’t tell Ella until he had everything figured out. If he tried to tell her before that she wouldn’t believe he’d done it for himself. She still might not, but he’d worry about that later. He had plenty to keep him busy.
*
When Chase gothome he found Damaris in the den, leafing through aHorse and Ridermagazine and looking decidedly grumpy. “Hey, when’s your sentence up?” he asked her.
“If you mean when do I get to quit being treated like an invalid, I have no idea. But the doctor said I can go back to work next week. He’s no longer so worried about the concussion. Of course, the ribs are a limiting factor.”
“I hear you,” he said sympathetically, recalling some of his own injuries. “Where’s Marshall? I need to talk to both of you.”
“You’re not going to try to fire Ella, are you?”
“Of course not. Why would I do that?”
“Well, she did break up with you.”
He frowned. “I have a plan to change that. Besides, I wouldn’t fire her anyway. She’s the best ranch manager we’ve had.”
Since Damaris didn’t know where Marshall was he texted him. “Meeting in the library in one hour. About future plans. Ella not invited.”
“Now I’m really curious,” Damaris said, reading the text over his shoulder.
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
An hour later he and Damaris were waiting in the library when Marshall strolled in. “What’s so all-fired important? And if it’s about the ranch why couldn’t I tell Ella?”
“Sit down and I’ll tell you.”
Marshall sprawled in the chair by the window, propped his booted foot on his knee and said, “Hit it.”
“I’m going to retire. I have two more rodeos scheduled and I’ll go to those but then I’m done.”
Neither of them looked surprised. He’d talked to Marshall so of course he wasn’t, but he hadn’t said anything to his sister.
“Because of Ella,” Damaris said. “Do you think that’s a good idea, Chase?”
“Not because of Ella. Not completely, anyway. Because I want to. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and I’ve come up with a plan. But you two have to buy off on it.”
“What if we don’t?” Marshall said.
“Hear me out and then we’ll discuss it. I want to raise bucking horses in addition to the paints. As you both know, supplying bucking stock for rodeos is a good business. I know what makes a good bucking horse and I’ve got my eye on a horse who’ll make a great broodmare.”
