Certified Cowboy

But his blood was still boiling.

Determined that she wouldn’t escape him, he raked through the small desk in the corner, searching for any clue as to where she might take his son next. He’d been chasing her for months from one small Podunk town to another, from divey hotels to rental houses to cabins not fit for a dog to live in, much less his kid.

She was turning Kenny against him. His own son looked at him as if he was a monster just because of the filthy lies that came from that woman’s mouth.

How could she do this to him?

She’d vowed to love him, to honor him and cherish him, but she’d turned on him. She’d told filthy lies about him. Used his son to bargain her way into earning sympathy from that snotty lawyer lady.

Hell, she’d probably spread her legs and slept with the bastard judge to get him to sign those damn divorce papers.

Both of them would pay for that.

Blind rage ate at him, and he jerked open the dresser drawers, yanking out the contents. Satin panties, bras, tank tops—he ripped them all to shreds and dropped the remnants on the tattered carpet. Again, he searched for a notepad, address book, brochure, anything that might tell him where she was running to this time, but found nothing except receipts for the cabin, which she’d paid for in cash.

She was learning not to leave a paper trail.

She’d pay for that, too.

Balling his hand into a fist, he raced to the kitchen and searched the drawers. No address or notes there, either.

But he found a hammer in a kitchen drawer and he slammed it against the counter, cracking the cheap surface, then used it to obliterate the glass-front china cabinet, breaking the door and smashing the dishes inside.

Then he went back to the bedroom and smashed the mirror above the dresser, then the bathroom mirror, watching as glass shattered and sprayed the floor.

His blood pounded through his veins as he headed back to his car. Heaving with unspent anger, he stepped outside in the night air. A smile curved his mouth as he removed the wedding ring she’d thrown back at him from his pocket and rubbed it between his fingers. The gold band was simple, but it was an unbroken circle, which symbolized how their lives were supposed to be entwined.

An image of Rachel wearing that white wedding dress the day they’d married at that little country chapel flashed in his mind, and he squeezed the ring so hard that his knuckles turned white.

He had put that ring on her finger and made her his wife. And she had agreed to love him until death parted them.

To hell with the judge.

Divorce papers couldn’t separate them.

Only death would.

Chapter Two

Johnny gritted his teeth at the sight of the bruises on the woman’s throat. Her long, curly black hair, which looked dyed, swirled around her neck, and she’d tied a scarf around it to hide the worst, but the purple-and-black marks were still visible and looked stark against her pale skin.

Someone had hurt her, bad.

Her husband? Boyfriend? Lover? Or a stranger?

His temper rose, his protective instincts kicking in. Having a younger sister had done that to him. Taught him to respect women, not to use his physical power to get what he wanted.

No matter what the press might have said.

He opened his mouth to ask her who had tried to choke her, but the wary look in her eyes and the way she quickly tried to cover up the bruises made him pause.

“My name is Rachel Simmons, and this is my son Kenny. I saw the ad in the paper,” she said, straightening her spine.

He sensed she wanted to look tough, but he towered over her, and soaking wet, she probably didn’t weigh a hundred and ten pounds.

“Right, a job,” Johnny said, collecting himself. He glanced down at the little boy and immediately checked for bruises but didn’t see any, so he breathed a sigh of relief. Still, the kid looked scared and kept his head bowed.

“Come on in.”

Rachel nodded, and she and her little boy followed him through the entryway into one of the offices adjoining Brody’s. Because all of the contributors had their own ranches to run and needed to keep in touch while they volunteered at the BBL, he’d designated several smaller offices for them to use, complete with state-of-the-art computer systems, faxes and phones.

Rachel looked surprised at the office furnishings. “Wow, I thought this was going to be a working ranch.”

“It is,” Johnny said. “Don’t let this setup fool you. Outdoors, it’s all ranching. But running an operation like the BBL requires organization, funding, volunteers, employees.”

“Of course it does,” she said. “It’s a wonderful idea. The concept of helping kids in need through hard work and counseling, of giving them role models, is very admirable.”

Finally, the little boy looked up at him, his curiosity overcoming his fear. But his voice sounded timid. “Are you a real cowboy?”

Johnny smiled at the kid and nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been riding since I was born.”

“You own all these horses here?” Kenny asked.

Johnny shook his head. “No, they belong to the Bucking Bronc. But I have horses and cattle on my ranch at home.” He almost spouted off the impressive number of cattle he owned and the champion horse breeding he was so proud of, but decided now was not the time to brag.

Kenny’s eyes widened. “I seen you before. You was on TV.” He moved closer, tipping his head back and looking up at Johnny with starstruck eyes. “You’re famous.”

Johnny slanted a look toward Rachel and wondered what she’d heard. Judging from her wary expression, obviously the rumor mill had made its way around, including the good, the bad and the ugly. “Fame’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” he muttered, but the kid scrunched his nose as if he didn’t understand.

Rachel didn’t give him time to say more. Instead, her look turned chilly. “The ad said to contact Brody Bloodworth. Is he here?”

Johnny shook his head, sensing she didn’t want to talk to him. Dammit. Maybe his reputation had preceded him. It bothered him more than he wanted to think.

“Afraid not. Brody had business in town.” He gestured toward a comfy leather couch facing an oak coffee table loaded with horse and ranching magazines along with brochures about the services, accommodations, camps, trail rides and other programs the BBL offered. “We’re just getting set up now, so there’s a million things to do. But I can get you an application.”

Through the window, Kenny noticed Kim working with a quarter horse in the pen and tugged at Rachel’s hand. “Can I watch the horses, Mommy?”

“Of course, buddy.” Rachel squeezed his shoulder and gave him such a tender, motherly smile that something moved inside Johnny’s chest.

The apprehension the little boy had had earlier seemed to dissipate slightly as he raced over and looked out the window.

When Johnny glanced back at Rachel, he had to swallow hard. Earlier, all he’d seen was a bruised and frightened woman, one who was likely running scared.

Now he realized how attractive Rachel Simmons really was, and his gut tightened. He’d sworn off women after that fiasco in Durango, and the last thing he needed to do was get tangled up with a filly in trouble. For all he knew, she might have pulled a con on some poor Joe, run off with his money, and the bruises were a sign that she’d been caught in the act.

But more likely, she’d been victimized and needed a helping hand. Wasn’t that the goal of the BBL?

“What kind of job are you looking for?” he asked.

Rachel twisted her hands together. “I can do anything—cook, clean houses or cabins, work with the kids, muck stalls, groom horses.”

“Have you worked on a ranch before?”

A nervous flitter entered her eyes. “Not exactly, but I’ve done lots of odd jobs.”

“What kind of jobs?”

She sighed. “Waitressing. Dishwasher. Factory work. Cleaning. Retail sales. Receptionist—”

He held up his hand. “Okay, I get the point.” She sounded educated, but all those odd jobs…

“Where are you from?”

She curled her fingers tighter inside her palms, another sign that she was trying to hide a case of nerves. Or lies.

“Here and there. We’ve moved around a lot.”

Uh-huh. Definitely sounded like someone running from trouble.

He lowered his voice, “And the boy’s father?”

She quickly glanced at her son, then back at him. “It’s just the two of us.”

“I see.” He reached inside the desk and removed an application for employment. “Here, fill this out and list your references. Then we’ll see what we can do.”

Her hand trembled as she took the application, then she cast a worried look at her son.

“I…don’t have any references to offer,” she said quietly. “Like I said, we haven’t stayed in one place very long this last year.” She drew a deep breath, making her chest rise and fall, and drawing attention to how thin she was. It looked as if she hadn’t had a good meal in days. The little boy looked a little on the lean side, too.

“But I’m a hard worker and a fast learner. And…” She gestured toward the brochure. “I’d like to be a part of what you’re doing here.”

He clenched his jaw so hard that it ached. Those protective instincts that had kicked in earlier roared off the charts.

“All right.” He made a snap decision and hoped to hell he wouldn’t regret it. “You can cook?”

She nodded a little too eagerly. “I’ve been cooking since I was born,” she said as if mirroring his earlier comment about riding.

“She makes the bestest blueberry pancakes on the planet,” Kenny said as he inched back to her side.

Rachel ruffled his hair with an affectionate hand, and Johnny’s reservations faded. He couldn’t turn her and this little boy away. He would give her a job.

At least temporarily.

“I’m afraid the salary’s not great, but we have a small cabin near the dining hall, where you and your son can stay, that’s included with the job. And Kenny can also participate in the camps as a perk.”

Rachel gave him such a relieved and appreciative smile that his chest clenched.

“That sounds wonderful.” She hugged Kenny to her, her smile deepening to reveal dimples. “Thank you so much.”

Johnny amended his earlier thought. She wasn’t attractive. The woman was downright drop-dead gorgeous.

But hell, that didn’t mean he trusted her.

Or that he would get close to her.

As soon as he showed her around and got her settled in a cabin, he’d run a background check and find out just exactly who she was. And if she was a criminal or dangerous, he’d send her packing.

RACHEL HOPED HER DESPERATION didn’t show, but she’d read the pitch for the BBL, with its promises, wide stretches of open land and location miles and miles away from San Antonio, and realized it was a perfect hideaway for her and her son.

And the type of place Rex might never think to look for her.

Rex liked city life, fancy shows, expensive restaurants and the glitzy nightlife. He wouldn’t be caught dead riding a horse, cleaning a stall or touching a cow, and had adamantly refused Kenny any kind of pet.

That had been another sign that he wasn’t the man she’d thought she’d married.

Besides, she and Kenny both needed to breathe some fresh air, take a break from the city hopping they’d been doing for months, and have some semblance of a normal life.

But Kenny would start school in the fall, and then what? She supposed she could homeschool, but their life had been difficult enough. Kenny needed friends his own age. Here, there would be other children and animals and land. At least for a little while…

“I can show you around and then take you to the cabin to settle in,” Johnny said.

“Thank you. I can start anytime.”

“Tomorrow’s good enough. We don’t have kids here tonight, but in the morning a group of teens from an orphanage are coming in, and we’re starting our first camps.”

Rachel tried to ignore the way her stomach fluttered at the sound of his rugged voice. He sounded excited at the prospect of the children’s arrival.

But she’d been fooled by Rex at the beginning, by his charm. She’d never make that mistake again.

Johnny led her and Kenny outside to his pickup truck, a big, shiny, red vehicle with a gigantic cab, backseat and a truck bed nicer than any car she’d ever owned. As he drove them across the property, he gave a running monologue describing the size of the ranch, pointing out the stables, pens, creek, river, pastures and rolling hills where they would eventually expand and add to the herd.

“We’re planning to teach the kids to ride, how to groom and take care of the animals—responsibility will be part of their discipline and therapy,” he clarified, “and we’ll organize trail rides, camps, shows and competitions.”

His enthusiasm seemed so genuine that the man intrigued her. And Kenny was staring out the window of the backseat in awe.

“We’ll also teach the boys how to rope and do tricks and maybe even help on a cattle drive. But in exchange they’ll have to work the ranch. Help clean stalls, mend fences, build pens, feed the animals.” Johnny paused. “Hard work builds character.”

Rachel nodded. Rex’s theory had been that money built character.

Instead, Johnny was a hands-on guy. And he had big, broad, callused hands… Sexy hands. No wonder all the women had found Johnny Long so irresistible.

But she had to be immune.

Not that he was interested in her or ever would be.

For God’s sake, she had a child and a dangerous ex. And she was certainly not his type.

No, the news had shown photo after photo of him with voluptuous young blondes and redheads who followed him on the road. Rodeo groupies whose names were Candy and Brandi with an i, women who didn’t have dishpan hands or tired, lank hair or nails chewed down to the quick from worrying about money and a son she needed to care for and protect.

Her throat thick with emotions and exhaustion, she massaged her temple, battling an unexpected rash of tears.

“There are the bunkhouses for the campers,” Johnny pointed out. “They’re set up like dorms and divided into quadrants according to ages. We hired some college students as camp counselors. Hopefully, as the camp and our reputation grow, we’ll have returning youth who will assume that role.”

“It’s impressive,” Rachel said, and meant it. “But I’m surprised your investors are actually physically working with the program themselves.”

Johnny shifted, looking uncomfortable. When he parked at a long building with a wooden sign that read Dining Hall and looked up at her, pain flashed briefly across his face.

“Not all of us were born with money or had things handed to us on a silver platter.” His voice held a defensive hint. “Some of us…had problems of our own. Now we want to give back.”

Rachel’s heart stuttered at the lost-little-boy look in his eyes as his gaze met hers. She hadn’t meant to sound condescending, but she must have pushed a button.

She tried to remember what she’d read about him. Something about a woman making accusations against him.

But Kenny released a squeal of excitement, halting her thoughts, and threw open his door. “Mommy, look, there’s a dog! A real dog!”

Rachel glanced at the mutt and nearly choked on a laugh. Cleo was a mixed mutt of some kind, a cross between a basset hound and a beagle and God knew what else.

Johnny’s troubled look faded at her son’s outburst, and he turned to Kenny with a smile. “That’s Cleopatra, but we call her Cleo,” Johnny said. “Come on, Kenny. She’s been lonely and needs a friend.”

Rachel sensed he wasn’t just talking about the dog. That he had figured out more about her from their initial meeting than she’d intended to reveal.

No…that wasn’t possible.

Not unless Rex had followed her or somehow discovered she’d been checking out this ranch. If he had, he could have already contacted the people here. Maybe he’d called Johnny and spouted off his book of lies.

What if he’d asked Johnny to play nice to her, to lull her into a sense of safety until Rex could show up?

Her head was churning with suspicions, her panic-voice urging her to run again, so loudly that she hadn’t noticed that Johnny had helped Kenny down from the truck and they were playing with the dog.

The pathetic, bony-looking animal had sprawled on the ground and was salivating as Kenny scratched between her floppy ears.

Rachel climbed down to join them, the joy on her son’s face deflating her earlier worries. She was just being paranoid. There was no way Rex could know she was here.

“Mom, Cleo and I are gonna be best friends.”

She knotted her hands, ready to deny him. But Johnny stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. A gentle hand that made her look up into his eyes. Eyes that were usually flirty but eyes that looked soulful now, as if he saw too much.

The realization made her shift uncomfortably.

“Cleo was a stray I found on the side of the road,” he said quietly. “She’d been abandoned and abused. She needs someone to love her.”

Tears burned Rachel’s throat. He sounded so sincere.

And somehow he’d sensed the fact that her son needed stability. Peace. Normalcy.

The BBL offered all those things. The kind of comfort and home neither of them had had in a very long time.

She let him guide her toward the dining hall. They would stay, she decided.

But at the first sign of trouble, that Rex had followed them, they’d hit the road and never look back.

Chapter Three

Johnny noted the skittish gleam in Rachel’s eyes but forced himself not to push for the reason. Breaking horses had taught him patience, that it took time to win an animal’s trust, and he figured the same for her.

Besides, did he really want to know about her problems?

No. He couldn’t get caught up in her life. He was here to help the lost kids, not become involved with a woman.

But the sight of Kenny’s excited face as Cleo licked his hand stirred emotions deep inside him. And so did Rachel’s obvious love for her son.

Unlike his own mother…

Don’t go there, Johnny.

“Let’s step inside the dining hall and I’ll introduce you to Ms. Ellen. She’ll be the main cook and is the head honcho in the kitchen.”

“Can I stay out here and play with Cleo?” Kenny asked.

Rachel glanced around the property, then chewed on her bottom lip as if debating whether she should leave him alone.

“It’s okay,” Johnny assured her. “It’s safe here, Rachel.”

Her gaze jerked to his, and for a brief second fear registered. That and distrust.

Did she think he would hurt her?

Maybe she had seen that news story…

But she conducted another visual sweep of the area, then gave a reluctant nod to her son. “Okay, Kenny, but stay here by the building. Don’t wander off.”

Kenny plunked down on the grass under a Texas red oak, and Cleo rested her head in his lap. “Then we can see the puppies?”

Johnny nodded. “Do as your mama says and yes, then we’ll see Cleo’s pups.”

Kenny’s crooked teeth shone as he bobbed his head up and down, then he cuddled the dog and began to rub her belly.

“He’s always wanted a pet,” Rachel confessed as they climbed the porch steps and entered the cafeteria-style room. “But I hope he doesn’t become too attached.”

Meaning she probably didn’t plan on sticking around. “We’ll probably be looking for homes for the pups,” Johnny said anyway.

She glanced at him, but again that wary expression returned. But she was saved from answering by Ms. Ellen, who came bounding around the corner of the kitchen.

The scent of homemade cinnamon rolls filled the air, and Johnny’s stomach growled.

“Well, if it ain’t the Johnny Long,” Ms. Ellen said. “You must have smelled the buns in the oven.”

“Thought I was smelling heaven,” Johnny said with a wink. Ms. Ellen was a plump middle-aged woman with a smile as broad as her hips and a heart that never quit giving. When Brody had mentioned needing a cook, Johnny had visited one of the homeless shelters near San Antonio and found the gem of a woman.

After all, she needed a second chance herself, so hiring her was the perfect solution.

Ms. Ellen wiped her hands on her apron and looked at Rachel. “And who is this, Mr. J.? Your girlfriend?”

Rachel’s face blanched, and Johnny nearly choked. “No…uh…she’s your new assistant cook.”

“Well, thank the Lord,” Ms. Ellen said. “With all those hungry kids and the hands coming in, I need some help.” She narrowed her eyes. “But you’re awfully skinny, girl. You really know how to cook?”

Rachel smiled, seemingly grateful to have the awkward moment pass. “Yes, ma’am.”

Ms. Ellen made a smacking sound with her mouth. “Well, then, welcome to Ms. Ellen’s kitchen. How about I show you around?”

“Can it wait till tomorrow?” Johnny said. “She just arrived, so I need to give her a tour of the rest of the ranch and settle her into a cabin.”

Ms. Ellen nodded, then bundled up them both some cinnamon rolls before she allowed them to leave. Johnny dug into one as they walked back outside, then handed one to Kenny, whose face lit up as he sank his teeth into the gooey pastry.

Rachel laughed, and the three of them, plus Cleo, climbed back into his truck for the rest of the tour. He showed her the stables where they kept the quarter horses, the pens for training and for riding lessons, the arena where they planned to hold the rodeo, and the barn and pastures for the beef cattle and calves.

Kenny seemed to loosen up, his excitement mounting with each discovery, and Rachel finally relaxed. And when Johnny showed them inside the barn, and Kenny saw the puppies, he thought he detected tears in Rachel’s eyes.

“Kenny,” Johnny said gruffly. “If you’re going to stay here, you have to earn your keep.”

Kenny’s smile faded and apprehension streaked his little face. Then he inched closer to his mother and ducked behind her, his big eyes frightened again. “Yes, sir.”

Johnny grimaced at the sudden change in the boy’s demeanor.

“What does he have to do?” Rachel asked, her tone defensive.

Johnny knelt in front of Kenny and scooped up one of the puppies. “I thought you’d look after Cleo and her boys. Make sure Cleo gets food and water every day, and play with the pups. They’re just babies and need exercise.”

The frightened expression in Kenny’s eyes morphed from relief to childlike glee in a millisecond.

“Do you think you can do that for me?” Johnny asked, careful to use a gentle voice. “It would really help me out.”

“Yes, sir, I can do it.” Kenny squared his shoulders as if he was a little man and had just been given an important job.

Johnny gave him a high five, but the boy’s reaction still troubled him. Kenny had expected something worse to be asked of him. Just what had happened to the kid?

Johnny glanced at Rachel and noticed she was trembling slightly.

Dammit. He hadn’t meant to frighten her or the boy. But someone else obviously had. And he intended to find out who it was.

Then he’d see to it that it never happened again.

RACHEL SAVORED THE FRESH night air as Johnny showed them to the cabin, yet her eyes constantly scanned the area for signs that Rex had followed them.

“The cabin isn’t large,” Johnny said almost apologetically. “But it’s clean and furnished and you’ll have your own kitchen, so you can make meals on your days off and if you and Kenny decide not to eat every meal in the dining hall.”

He unlocked the door and Kenny bounded in, racing through the den/kitchen combination to explore.

“There are two bedrooms,” Johnny said. “But you’ll share a bath.”