Page 10 of Rough Stock
In the end, it was revealed that she and Michael, who conveniently happened to be a doctor at the hospital, had been fooling around for at least six months and no one, not even her family or her maid of honor, had a clue. Everyone was stunned, hurt, and disappointed, but no one more so than Jensen.
And that was that. The university hadn’t called him for a week. After all, half his colleagues had been at the wedding that never was, and they all knew what had happened. In the meantime, his parents spent their time consoling him and talking with him about his future. By the time the dean called him, he’d written a letter of resignation, had the house on the market, and had decided to rodeo full time. Why not? There was nothing to hold him there.
Ten years. That’s how long he’d been at it, living in the trailer and driving from rodeo to rodeo. Sure, he went home to SouthCarolina for holidays, but that was about it. Every time he set foot in Forrestville, he saw someone he knew, and that was exactly what he wanted to avoid. He knew people asked his mother constantly if he’d found someone, gotten married, and settled down, and he also knew it embarrassed her to tell them he hadn’t.
She and Michael had only lasted about eight months, and from what he heard, she was on husband number two. Bothhusbands men she’d met after Michael. From time to time he thought back, sure he’d missed the signs, but there were none. His parents hadn’t seen it coming. Her parents hadn’t seen it coming. No one had suspected anything. It just hit out of the blue and took them all by surprise.
No more surprises. That was Jensen’s take on the world. Except for the unfortunate things that might happen during an event, he didn’t want any surprises, not even for birthdays or Christmas. Oh, he’d been surprised by a few injuries, but that was about it, and those he expected from time to time. Even when he was laid up with an injury, he didn’t go back to SouthCarolina. He just followed the circuit, sometimes going to rodeos put on by other organizations just to check them out.
But Shyanna was a surprise, that was for sure. The more he thought about her, the more beautiful he realized she was. He’d gotten out of the habit of looking at women that way, but she was a looker. How he’d missed that the first time he’d seen her, he wasn’t sure, but she was definitely worth a second look… and a third, and a fourth, and then more.
Enough of that, he told himself and sat up. He had laundry to do, and he had to get busy. Once it was gathered up and in the basket, he carried it to the truck and drove the three miles to the nearest laundromat. Several pickup trucks he’d seen at the arena were there, and he wondered who he’d see when he stepped in.
At least two of the guys in the laundromat were cowboys he knew, Richard and Brian. Several more were there, guys he recognized, but he didn’t know their names, and in the back was a little cluster of girls who appeared to be barrel racers, based on all the western shirts in their baskets. The roll of quarters in his pocket was heavy, and he set down his basket and started pulling things out, throwing them into a washer. As soon as he started it, he heard a male voice say, “Well, who do we have here?”
Shyanna made her way from the front door to the first table she saw and set down her basket. “Look at that! Hey, honey, since you’re here, why don’t you do our laundry too? It’s a shame we’re having to do it, seeing as how it’s girls’ work,” some man Jensen didn’t know said as the others laughed. Shyanna ignored him.
Another man?Jensen thought his name was Chuck?walked up to Shyanna’s basket and reached in. He pulled out a bra and held it up. “The new cowboy attire!” he crowed as the rest laughed. As Jensen watched, Shyanna’s head dropped lower and lower, and she struggled to get her things into a washer with three of the men standing between her and the machine, bobbing back and forth to keep her from reaching it. When she tried again, he didn’t see what she had in her hand, but one of the men snatched it.
A pair of panties. He held them to his face and sniffed. “Lawd have mercy, darlin’, smells like a heifer!”
That was the tipping point. Jensen thundered up to the group, snatched the panties out of the cowboy’s hand, and tossed them back in Shyanna’s basket. “Cut it the hell out and leave her alone. She’s not interfering with your laundry, so don’t interfere with hers.”
“Jensen, don’t…” Shyanna started.
“Yeah, Jensen, don’t!” one of them mocked in a squealy tone, and they all laughed.
Two of the guys were taller than Jensen, but none of them were brawnier. “Don’t you guys have something better to do than pick on a lady?”
“That’s no lady. That’s a cowboy!” one of them sang out and the others laughed.
Jensen stepped up to him and glared into his face. “What. Did. You. Say?”
“Jensen, it’s okay,” he heard Shyanna say and felt her grip his arm.
“No. It’s not okay. How would you feel if I talked about your mama like that?” Jensen asked.
“You leave my mama out of this!” the man yelled.
“Why? Did it ever occur to you that she could be somebody’s mama? Hmmm? Back off or I’ll help you back off,” Jensen warned.
“And what exactly will you do?” one of the men asked.
“Hey,” a voice said, cutting through the noise. “Listen to him and leave her alone.” In his peripheral vision, Jensen could see Richard.
“What business is it of yours?” another man asked. Jensen thought his name was Travis, but he wasn’t sure.
“It’s my business,” yet another voice said and, without checking, Jensen was pretty sure it was Brian. “You heard Strader. Leave her the hell alone.”
“God, can’t take a joke,” one of them said.
“It’s no joke. It’s harassment,” Jensen muttered, his voice smoldering. “I’ll be watching all of you. You mess with her, you’re messing with me.”
“And me,” Richard echoed.
Brian added, “Me too.”
As they walked away, occasionally turning to stare at the three men who’d come to her defense, Shyanna sighed. “You shouldn’t have done that. Now they’ll target the three of you. I can handle myself,” she said in a voice that was strong and determined.
