Renegade Cowboy

Book 3: Rocky Mountain Riders

by Sara Richardson

Genres: Family Life; Small Town & Rural; Women's Fiction; Contemporary Romance; Multicultural & Interracial Romance; Western Romance

Synopsis

"Filled with humor, heart, and love, this page-turner is one wild ride." -- Jennifer Ryan, New York Times bestselling author on Hometown Cowboy A Cowboy's Homecoming Cassidy Greer knows that cowboys are nothing but trouble. But when her childhood crush comes riding into town, she starts to have second thoughts. Levi's a world-class bull rider now and more handsome than ever. It's a good thing she's getting out of Dodge soon or she just might be tempted . . . As a famous rodeo star, Levi Cortez could have his pick of any woman on the circuit. But when he reconnects with Cassidy, sweet memories come rushing back. Levi knows Cass doesn't want to get roped into a relationship. Not with a cowboy. The only question is, can he convince her he's more than just a renegade cowboy before the summer's over?

Release date: December 19, 2017

Publisher: Forever

Print pages: 352

Sample

Chapter One

Welcome to Topaz Falls, Colorado
Elevation 7,083 feet

Cassidy Greer blew past the green welcome sign, knowing full well she had another two miles before she’d pass Dev’s patrol car. The deputy would likely be stashed off to the south side of the highway while he waited for unsuspecting drivers he could slap with a $300 fine. The town had to make money somehow, but since it was May, their modest ski hill wasn’t open. So during the spring and summer, traffic tickets were the town’s main revenue source.

Right at mile marker 316, she tapped the brakes, bringing her old Subaru’s speed down. She knew pretty much everything there was to know about Topaz Falls. Living within the same eight square miles for her entire twenty-four years meant there were few surprises in her life.

She knew that every Tuesday and Thursday, Betty Osterman and her group of blue-haired matriarchs did their morning jog-walks down Main Street, arms swishing, hips swinging, while they gossiped about which names had shown up in the latest Police Calls column of the local paper.

She knew that when she drove past the fire station on Sunday mornings, all those hot volunteers would be in the third bay with the garage door rolled up while they pumped iron, shirtless and sweating. A girl had to satisfy her cravings somehow. It was fair to say she hadn’t over the last six years. She’d been too busy putting herself through nursing school, working as an EMT, and trying to keep her mother alive. Which was why every Sunday morning, she, along with at least twelve other women ranging in age from sixteen to ninety-three, made sure to take the long way to the grocery store, passing by the fire station nice and slow to keep her lady parts activated. Because someday she might actually have time for a social life. A cautious wave of excitement rippled deep inside her chest.

Slowing the car, Cassidy took a quick right on Main Street. The town looked the same as it always did. Eclectic shops and small restaurants were all laid out along the cobblestone sidewalks. Nothing had changed, and yet today everything looked different. Topaz Falls had always been her home, but it might not be for much longer.

She applied more pressure to the accelerator. She hadn’t seen Dev’s patrol car, and she was in a hurry. She’d just come from Denver. From an interview with one of the most prestigious pediatric nurse residency programs in the country, and it had gone well. Really well. They told her they’d let her know within a month, but the director had given her a smile as she’d shaken her hand. Kind of a silent don’t worry.

Don’t. Worry.

All Cassidy had to do was catch a glimpse of her house down the street and pure, unadulterated worry crammed itself into her stomach so tight she couldn’t find the space to take a breath. Now she knew why she hadn’t seen Dev’s patrol car out on the highway. He was at her little house on Amethyst Street, cruiser parked at an angle, lights flashing.

She floored it down the block and jerked the wheel, bouncing the car to a stop in the crumbling driveway. “What the hell happened?” she called as she threw open the driver’s door.

Dev stood on the front stoop, his broad shoulders barely stuffed into the crisp navy blue uniform. She’d gone to school with Dev back in the day. He’d always been a man of few words, and true to form, he waited for her to hightail it up the steps to where he stood.

“Got a call from Turnasky,” he said, eyeing the front door as if he half expected a serial killer to emerge.

“What did he say this time?” Turnasky was a tyrant who lived in the house behind hers. He always had something to complain about—the leaves from her aspen tree falling into his yard, “her” weeds growing through the fence…

“It’s an indecent exposure call,” Dev clarified awkwardly. “Seems your mom’s runnin’ around the backyard without any clothes on.”

That inspired a contemplative pause. Well, shit. This was a new one.

“Turnasky claims he yelled at her to go inside, and she threw a handful of elk scat at him.”

Now that sounded like her mother. “Why doesn’t she have any clothes on?” Cassidy demanded, shoving past him. “How did this happen?”

The deputy stayed right where he was on the stoop, poking his head inside the doorway and squeezing his eyes shut like he wanted to make sure he wouldn’t witness anything he couldn’t unsee. “Hell, I don’t know, Cass. Okay? All I know is Turnasky called me and said your mom was jogging around the backyard in her birthday suit and that the little kids next door were standing on the fence laughin’.”

That last part put another kick in her step. She loved little Mellie and Theo. She’d hate to see them move away because of one of her mother’s episodes.

Skirting the kitchen table—which was strewn with empty wine bottles—she bolted out the open back door. Sure enough, there was her mother, now crawling across the grass on her hands and knees, white butt in the air while she called to Loki, their cat, who was cowering behind the overgrown juniper bushes in the corner of the yard.

The kids were gone, thank the lord, but Turnasky was standing on a chair on the other side of the fence, getting quite an eyeful.

Cassidy gave him the look of death and hurried to her mom, snatching a cushion off the wicker loveseat on the way. “Mom?” She knelt down next to her, nearly knocked over by the same pain that pinged her heart whenever she smelled the woman’s lilac scent. It was the fragrance Cassidy remembered from her childhood. The scent that used to mean comfort and security and assurance.

“Cass-a-frass!” Her mom turned, white hair frizzed and unwashed, her eyes glazed with the telltale gloss of a drunk. “You’re home!” she sang, completely oblivious to the fact that Dev now stood behind them on the deck, his hand covering his eyes.

“Is she okay?” he asked, eye protection still firmly in place.

“Of course I’m okay!” Lulu Greer sang. She abruptly stood, dusting off her thighs the way she might’ve done with pants, had she been wearing any.

Cassidy quickly shielded her mother’s skinny front half with the cushion. “Mom…” She wasn’t oblivious to the fact that this was the same tone her mother used to use on her and Cash when they’d done something stupid. But that was before her brother had died. Before her mother broke and Cassidy was forced to become the adult in the relationship.

“What happened to your clothes?” Cassidy demanded. “Why are you out in the backyard naked?”

Her mother laughed. “It’s our backyard, honey,” she said as though that made a difference. “It’s not like I’m running down the middle of the street giving the neighbors a show.”

“Actually, you are giving the neighbors a show,” Cassidy pointed out, nodding toward Turnasky. When they all looked at him, he quickly climbed down from the chair and dragged it away.

She turned back to her mother, a familiar sorrow leaking through the anger. Once again she wondered how they’d gotten here. How had her healthy, devoted, superhero of a mom collapsed? “You can’t do this. You can’t walk outside naked.” Add that to the list of things she never thought she’d have to say to her mother. “The neighbors have little kids,” she reminded her.

“Well, what was I supposed to do?” Her mother placed her hands onto her bony hips. “I was in the bath, and Loki climbed right out the window. I had to go after him! He knows he’s not supposed to go outside.”

Cassidy uttered a silent prayer of thanksgiving that her mother had gotten out of the bathtub. What would’ve happened if she’d passed out and drowned? That was all it took to diffuse the exasperation. “Come on,” Cassidy murmured, nudging her mom toward the back door. “Let’s go inside.”

Lulu stomped through the door like a pouting two-year-old and headed straight for the hallway that led to their bedrooms. “Sheesh. A woman can’t even step out into her own backyard without a public inquiry anymore,” she muttered.

“Put some clothes on, Mom,” Cassidy called after her. “We have to be at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in thirty minutes.” Which would be about as much fun as finding her mother wandering around the backyard naked. She had no desire to see Levi Cortez receive a standing ovation for his work rebuilding the rodeo grounds over the last year, but she’d lost a bet with her friend Darla.

Before she forgot, she dashed back outside and crawled through the prickly bush until she reached Loki. “Come on, you turd.” She grabbed him by the scruff of the neck before bringing him in close for a snuggle. “Look what happens when I leave you in charge,” she muttered as she hauled the cat back inside and set him on the floor. He promptly swung his rear end in her direction and pranced to his favorite spot underneath the table.

Dev had already retreated into the living room and was hanging out by the front door pretending to be completely engrossed in the old pictures she’d hung on the wall—ones of her previous life, her perfect family. If she didn’t have the proof in the pictures, she’d question whether it had been real.

“I’m sorry about this, Dev,” she said, walking him outside. “I was gone overnight. She doesn’t do so well on her own when I’m away.” Which would really throw a wrench in her plans to go to a nurse residency program. She’d thought about it all the way home. Maybe Mom could come with her and they could get an apartment close to the hospital. But the truth was that she’d be working full time—twelve hours a day at least three days a week. She wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on her mother. And who knew what kind of trouble Lulu would get into in a big city like Denver.

Sighing, Dev gave her that empathetic look she’d come to hate. The one that blended pity with embarrassment. “Yeah, I get it. No big deal. Just make sure it doesn’t happen again. Got it? You don’t want your neighbors to press charges.”

“Nope. Definitely don’t want that.” She didn’t have the money to bail out her mother or pay any fines. While Cassidy worked long hours as an EMT and Lulu received a modest retirement check from her years as a mail carrier, there wasn’t exactly anything extra.

Dev hesitated before he got into his cruiser. “Hey, Cass…have you thought about getting her some help? Maybe you could take her to an AA meeting or something.”

“Yeah, I’ll look into it,” she said, brushing him off. She’d tried a few times in the last couple of years, but her mother wasn’t interested in AA. In all honesty, alcohol wasn’t Lulu’s biggest problem. It was depression. The heavy weight that seemed to cling to her, that told her to stay in bed, that’s why she drank. She was trying to lighten her load.

“Let me know if I can help out. Okay?” Dev slid into the driver’s seat. “I can give you some brochures. There’re a lot of resources out there.”

“Sounds great.” She strained the muscles in her cheeks to keep her smile intact. “Thanks, Dev.”

After a polite nod, he tore out of there, and she turned to face her little dilapidated house. She’d purchased the small two-bedroom for her and her mother after her dad decided he couldn’t handle the grief and left for Texas. While the shutters might’ve been the wrong color blue, and the entire house the epitome of a bad 1970s remodel, Cassidy loved the house because it was hers.

She trudged back up the walkway. Facing the house was the easy part. Facing what was inside would hurt more, but she didn’t have a choice. This had to stop. Bailing her mom out of trouble. Begging her to get up, to get dressed, to eat something.

Somewhere inside that shell of a woman, Lulu Greer was still there. She was still funny and compassionate and friendly and honest. She was still Cassidy’s mother.

Rolling up the sleeves of her sweatshirt, Cassidy opened the door armed with a purpose and a deadline. If she got into that nurse residency program, she had less than two months to turn her mother into a functioning adult again so Cassidy could move on and have her own life.

Which meant she’d better start now.

*  *  *

Levi Cortez had spent his fair share of time in front of cameras.

As a bull rider, he’d competed in front of cameras, he’d done interviews in front of cameras, he’d posed with fans in front of cameras.

Hell, his main sponsor—Renegade Jeans Company—had even taken countless pictures of his ass filling out designer denim. So he was no stranger to cameras. No stranger to attention from large crowds. Even in an arena filled with thousands of spectators, he’d never once been nervous.

Until now.

As he made his way to the cheap, portable podium the town council had set up in front of their new rodeo facility, the hundred or so people gathered around whispered and elbowed one another. Some wore scowls while others narrowed their eyes with suspicion as though they were waiting for him to screw up. Again.

Admittedly, he’d made plenty of mistakes in his life. The worst one being letting his brother take the fall and go to prison for three years because of something Levi had done. When the truth had come out last year, everyone discovered he was the one responsible for burning down the rodeo grounds when he was a delinquent teen, and these same people had done their best to run him off.

Hank Green, the uncontested mayor of the town, had even started a Facebook page calling for Levi’s voluntary banishment. But Levi couldn’t do it. He couldn’t leave. For once in his life, he’d stuck around, determined to make things right.

Levi placed one hand on either side of the podium and faced the crowd directly. Their faces blurred together. A dribble of sweat itched on his back. Speaking in front of cameras was a hell of a lot easier than speaking in front of a whole crowd of people you’d disappointed. Cameras didn’t tend to see through a facade the way people did.

But this was it. This was him. A screwup who’d hurt the town, disgraced his family, and spent the last year doing penance to save his career and reputation.

He inhaled a deep, even breath. Don’t let them smell fear…

“I wanted to thank you all for coming out today,” he said, well aware that some of them had likely been bribed by his brother Lance and sister-in-law Jessa. Those two stood in the very front row, Jessa snapping pictures on her phone like a proud mom.

She waved at him, and he gave her a grateful smile.

“Over the last year, I’ve worked diligently to make up for the hardships my actions caused…” That was an understatement. He’d spent every hour he wasn’t competing raising funds and draining his own investments in order to rebuild an arena and stables, a place where the town could host rodeos again. “Which is why we’re here.” He glanced over his shoulder at the new facility.

It was ten times nicer than the old one—complete with a covered metal roof. The old arena had consisted of stands, a small call box, and lackluster stables. But during the rebuilding phase, he’d gone big. “My goal in leading this effort was to give our town a place to gather, a place to compete, and a place that will make Topaz Falls one of the most popular stops on the circuit again.”

A murmur buzzed around the crowd. Someone actually applauded.

Levi eased out a breath, grateful for even the minimal show of support.

“There’s still more work to do. But I’m thrilled to be here today to dedicate phase one of the project. And I will keep working until we expand the stables and add the educational spaces we’ve promised.”

This time Jessa started to clap. She elbowed Lance, and he joined her, rolling his eyes. The rest of his family started in on the applause too—his father, Luis, and Evie…Levi still wasn’t sure exactly what to label her. Girlfriend, probably, though neither one of them would admit it. And then there were his brother Lucas and sister-in-law Naomi, who stood off to the side. She had only a month until her due date and was fanning herself with the flyer they’d passed out earlier.

Levi scanned the crowd again. More people had started to clap. That was a good sign, right? The tension that had pulled at his neck dissolved. “I’m proud to officially welcome you all to the Cash Greer Memorial Arena.” A tremor ran through his voice, but he didn’t care. Cash had been his best friend, and everyone knew it.

As they’d rehearsed, Hank Green walked forward and handed him a pair of giant scissors. Levi cut the large red ribbon that Jessa had made. Then he gritted his teeth and shook Hank’s hand. They both walked back to the podium, and Levi stood to the side while Hank launched into one of the monologues he was famous for. The man loved to hear himself talk.

“I would like to thank Mr. Cortez for his contributions to ensuring that our town will…”

Levi gazed out at the blur of faces. No one seemed to be listening. Most people were either staring at their phones or chatting. He squinted to see the back row. A punch of air hit him in the lungs.

Cassidy Greer stood next to her friend Darla. Shock rolled through him, rooting his boots to the ground. She’d come. And she looked good—like she was dressed to go out. The sleeveless sundress she wore showed off her tanned shoulders. Her mid-length blond hair was wavy, shining in the evening sun.

Daaammmnnn. His body heated. He shouldn’t be looking. He knew that. She was Cash’s little sister, and she’d always been off limits. That was how she seemed to want things anyway. Ever since he’d come back to Topaz Falls, she’d blown him off. If she wasn’t glaring at him, she was ignoring him. And he got it. He knew she blamed him for what had happened to her brother. She seemed to blame all bull riders.

But she’d still come…

“We’d like to invite everyone far and wide to our first rodeo event in twelve years,” Hank said dramatically into the crackling microphone. “Mr. Cortez has put together a benefit rodeo featuring some of his famous friends to raise money for the completion of the facility. You should have received a schedule of events when you arrived. We hope to see you all tomorrow.”

Another round of applause rose, louder this time, actually bordering on enthusiastic. A newspaper reporter stepped forward and snapped a quick picture, but Levi wasn’t looking.

He held his gaze on Cassidy as the crowd started to scatter. She’d already made it to the edge of the dirt parking lot when he finally caught up with her. “You came,” he said behind her.

She stopped but didn’t turn around. “I didn’t have a choice. Darla made me.” Her tone could’ve formed icicles in his eyebrows.

He moved in front of her so she’d have to look at him. Hadn’t she punished him long enough? Everyone else in town had forgiven him for his past sins. Hell, they’d actually cheered him on up there. Everyone except for Cassidy Greer.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he said, wondering how things could be so awkward with this woman he’d once been so close to.

“I can’t stay.” She looked past him. “My mother’s waiting in the car.”

Lulu had come? Wow. He hadn’t seen much of her since he’d been back either. “You should go get her. I’m sure she’d love to see the sign with Cash’s name on it.”

Cassidy’s striking blue eyes dulled. “She’s not feeling well.”

She went to walk around him, but he reached out and snagged her shoulder. He couldn’t let her walk away again. Not this time. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, emotion mucking up his throat. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it from happening. I’m sorry I couldn’t save him.”

Her full lips parted in surprise as she stared up at him. “Seriously?” A lengthy sigh condemned his ignorance. “I don’t blame you for Cash’s death, Levi.”

“Well, you obviously blame me for something,” he shot back before she walked away. This was the closest thing they’d had to a real conversation in years. “You’ve been giving me shit ever since I came back, so I just assumed…”

“Cash’s death was an accident.” Her voice had softened. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t wish I could go back.” It had been only him and Cash out in the corral that day. Training, trying to one-up each other like always. They’d done it so many times. But his friend had lost his grip and slid off the back of the bull, getting trampled before Levi could save him.

“None of us can go back.” Her gaze targeted his. “We all had to move on. It wasn’t as easy for some of us as it was for others.”

The insinuation jabbed him. Yeah. He’d walked away. He hadn’t been able to face everything in Topaz Falls after Cash’s death, so he’d left as soon as he could. Was that why she couldn’t stand him?

“I need to get Mom home.” Without a goodbye, she hurried across the parking lot and got into her car.

“Wow, you sure know what to say to a woman,” Lance said as he walked over. Levi’s eldest brother never missed an opportunity to give him a hard time. “I think she was actually jogging to get away from you.”

“Not in the mood right now.” He turned to walk away, but Lance followed on his heels.

“Why does it bother you so much? So she doesn’t like you. Who cares?”

He paused. Why indeed. “Cass is…” Special. There. He said it. Okay, he thought it. She was special to him. They’d grown up together. He’d been a part of her family. And there was a time when she’d liked him a whole lot.

His brother’s eyes narrowed. “Cass is what?” he asked suspiciously.

He and his brothers had come a long way in the last year and a half, but Lance didn’t need to know what he thought of Cass. If Levi told him how he really felt, he’d never hear the end of it. “She’s a friend. She was a friend,” he clarified. Once. They’d been close. They shared a history and a deep grief. Instead of bringing them together, that’s what stood between them.

But maybe it didn’t have to.

Chapter Two

The gang was back together, but something told Levi they weren’t thrilled about it.

He sauntered to the bar and ordered drinks for Ty Forrester, Mateo Torres, and Charity Stone. Beer for the two men and a straight-up scotch for the woman. She’d always been able to outdrink the lot of them.

“Drinks are on me,” he called, carting over the booze on a tray like their own personal waiter. Usually he preferred to be waited on, but he owed it to these three. Without them, the rodeo wouldn’t be sold out.

Years ago, the four of them had trained together under Gunner Raines, famed all-around cowboy champion, and each had become a champion in his or her own right. Ty as a bull rider, Mateo as a bronc rider, and Charity as a barrel racer. They’d lived on Gunner’s ranch, training and competing and gaining notoriety, thanks to their mentor. He’d become a master at publicity, and in no time, he’d secured them a sponsorship with Renegade Jeans Company.

“When is this thing supposed to start, anyway?” Charity demanded. She might look like a sweet Midwestern farm girl with that long blond hair and dimpled smile, but the woman was a force.

“Fifteen minutes before our fans start showing up.” He slid her scotch across the table, where he’d set up for the pre-rodeo party at the Tumble Inn, which was the town’s only country western bar. “Which means you’d best use up the attitude now.” This was supposed to be an autographing party for the kids, so she needed to be on her best behavior.

“No one I’d rather use it up on.” She raised her glass in a mock toast and threw back a shot. She might’ve given him attitude, but underneath it all she loved him like a brother.

Ty and Mateo sauntered over to collect their free beers. “Gotta hand it to ya, Cortez. Looks like you pulled it off.” Ty straddled a stool, resting his elbows and meaty forearms on the pub table. He was taller than most riders and built like an MLB star with a stocky upper body.

“Didn’t think you had it in you,” Mateo added, taking a seat on the other side of the table. He was shorter than both Ty and Levi, which was what made him such a good bronc rider. With his longer dark hair and light gray eyes, he was popular with the ladies. Gave Levi some serious competition. He’d emigrated from Mexico with Gunner’s help, which apparently made him exotic too. “. . .