Page 60 of Cowboy Wolf's Secret Baby

“What? There is nothing wrong with saying butt. We all have one and it’s better than saying a…”

“Okay. Point made.” Conner laughed.

They got to the corral and Conner grabbed Taryn’s arm. “Stop. Don’t say anything.”

He got out his camera and started taking pictures. Kelly was messing around with Taryn’s saddle blanket. After he had several pictures, he stormed over to the rodeo queen.

“What in the hell do you think you are doing?” he asked.

Kelly looked startled. All of the color drained from her face. “I… I was… I was just admiring her blanket.”

The rodeo manager had heard Conner’s yell and rushed over. “What’s going on?”

Conner showed the manager the pictures from his phone. He picked up Taryn’s blanket. It was covered in burrs.

“What were you doing?” he asked.

“I just thought that if she left the rodeo, neither of them would come around, and I could have Conner to myself,” she said.

By this time, a group of people had gathered around, watching the scene.

“This is outrageous,” the manager said. “Your conduct is despicable. You do not deserve the title of rodeo queen. You are not to set foot near my rodeo ever again.”

He waved his arm. “Gideon, bring over security.”

“Wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t think she would get seriously hurt. I just figured she would get bucked off and they would go away.”

She turned to Conner, grabbed his arm, and said, “I’m in love with you. I just want to be with you.”

Conner breathed hard to control the rage that was pulsating through him.

“You tried to hurt my daughter. As far as I’m concerned, you should be very thankful that there is a crowd of witnesses here. If you had actually managed to hurt her, I would rip you to pieces in front of everyone.”

Two armed security officers arrived. “This woman is to gather her gear, hook her truck up to her trailer, and be escorted off the premises immediately,” the manager said. “If she fights in any way, I want her arrested for trespassing and assault on a minor.”

“Yes, sir,” one of them said. “Let’s go,” they told Kelly.

Beth rushed up just as Kelly was leaving. “What’s wrong?” she asked breathlessly.

Conner quickly explained the situation.

“You can press charges against her, ma’am,” the rodeo manager said. “She will lose her crown and will never be allowed to be a part of my rodeo again. Word will get out. Her career is done.”

Beth looked at Taryn, who shook her head.

“As long as she never comes near my daughter again, I won’t press charges. I suspect that what she’s about to go through is going to be worse than three hots and a cot.”

Conner wrapped his arms around them both. “We still have about an hour,” he said. “I feel like throwing darts at balloons and baseballs at bottles.”

They laughed and walked off together as a family.

21

Beth

That same morning, Beth woke up and untangled herself from Conner’s arms. He had confessed his love for her. She pinched herself to make sure that she was awake and hadn’t gotten lost in one of her dreams that always haunted her after she had cried herself to sleep.

After they left for the rodeo grounds, Beth called Savvy.

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