Page 3 of Roping Reba

“I have to go where my work takes me. Mac doesn’t need much help with his horses because he has your papa and the guys.”

“Maybe, but Papa needs help sometimes. Lady help.”

Jax’s little eyebrows rose and came back down as he concentrated more on the facial expression than what he was saying.

I chuckled. “What do you know about lady help?”

“Not much, but I hear Mr. Mac and Ms. Athena tell Papa all the time that he needs a lady. I just figured he needs help with something.”

“Maybe he does, buddy, but I’m probably not the lady he needs to be helping him.”

“Maybe Beauty can help?” he said, pointing at my horse, who was happy in her own world grazing on the grass.

“You know what? I think you’re right in a way. He can’t have my Beauty because she belongs to Mr. Hawkins’ ranch, but we can make sure he gets some nice lady horses. Deal?”

“Deal!”

I lay in the grass while Jax ran around, being the little boy I always knew him to be. When I’d been barrel racing and traveling the rodeo circuit, I’d seen him more. Johnny had still been bull riding and a bunch of the guys would compete. I hadn’t minded watching Jax when his grandmother couldn’t make the trip. He’d been a sweet baby and a hilarious kid as he grew up. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss him. But the closer I’d gotten to him, the more I wanted something I could never have, so distance was best. Distance gave me a peace of mind I didn’t have when Johnny was close.

A little while later, Johnny returned with a packed lunch from the Ranch. He tossed a sandwich at me before sitting on the grass beside Jax, who was already tearing into his meal. For a kid who wasn’t hungry, he certainly didn’t waste any time.

“Brought extra,” Johnny said, setting out some fruit and chips. “Figured you might still be living off coffee and stubbornness.”

I huffed. “I see you’re still as smug as ever.”

Jax munched happily between us, oblivious to the tension thrumming under the surface. “Papa makes the best sandwiches,” he said proudly. “He always puts extra cheese on it.”

“Glad to know you’ve got standards, buddy.” I smirked at Johnny before taking a bite, begrudgingly admitting to myself that it was good. Extra cheese was always good. It was just Johnny’s smirk telling me he knew it, that wasn’t good. It was annoying as hell. Especially when I was willing to bet the only part he had in making the sandwiches was to ask Chef Connor or one of his kitchen staff to prepare them for him.

For a few minutes, silence settled between us, surprisingly comfortable. Jax rambled about school and ranch life, filling in the gaps as Johnny and I exchanged wary glances. The past sat between us, heavy and unspoken, but for now, with Jax’s laughter echoing through the air, we let it be. There was something special about Jax. Since there weren’t many kids on Mac’s ranch, he spent a lot of time with adults. He knew how to handle himself when he needed to but watching him just be a kid and enjoy everything around him was special in ways nothing else was.

When the food was gone, Johnny stood, dusting himself off. “Time to head back?”

Jax groaned and looked up at me rather than his father. “Do we have to?”

“Afraid so, buddy. I can’t have anyone thinking I ran off with Black Beauty.”

Johnny raised a brow. “Wouldn’t be the first time you ran from something.”

I stiffened, but before I could snap back, Jax tugged my hand. “Can we race again?”

I forced a smile and nodded. Jax cheered, taking off toward Beauty and hollering. “I’m riding back with Ms. Reba!”

I followed, feeling Johnny’s gaze on my back the whole way. Whatever this was between us, it wasn’t over. He may be right. I ran because of the feeling that we had unsettled business. It made me uneasy, and I hated everything about that. Now facedwith the reality of needing to work beside him for the next week or so, my anxiety spiked. The only thing calming me was my horse and the kid who had his arms raised for me to boost him onto her back.

“Ready?”

“Yeah!”

I lifted him up before hoisting myself into the saddle, taking off back the way we came, leaving Johnny to clean up lunch and to trail behind us. I had work to get done this afternoon and if Jax wanted to hang out, I’d need to find a way to ditch Johnny. I hated the feeling of failure I had whenever he was around, so I texted Jagger and set up a time for Johnny to be there. By the time he rode in behind us, he was already late.

“Jagger’s waiting on you.”

“We weren’t supposed to meet until the morning.”

I held my phone up with a laugh as Jax chatted with some of the other kids in the barn. “Not anymore.”

“You are evil, Reba, you know that?” I laughed again as he turned to Jax. “Come on buddy, let’s cool down the horses and head to Jagger’s.”

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