climbed up and checked his bull rope. The stench of bull and urine filled his nostrils. At this point his stomach started to churn, and it took a moment for the feeling to subside. The stands were full tonight with eager, noisy fans. The bright lights beamed onto the arena. A hush came over the crowd as he eased on to the back of the huge, muscled, angry bull, who snorted and moved restlessly. Phoenix felt the enormous power beneath him, sucked air into his lungs and adjusted the braided bull rope to get the feel that he needed. With his glove on, he worked his hand into the handle on the rope.
Pax was on the chute to help him. “Have you got a good grip?”
“I got it.”
This is for you, Dad. He said that to himself before every ride.
He raised his left arm and nodded. The gate flung open, and Buster jumped head-down into the arena, kicking out with his back legs and going into a spin. Phoenix held on, his mind whirling as he counted in his head. Eight seconds always felt like thirty. He maintained his position, even spurring the bull so he would jump higher. At the buzzer he leaped off, stumbled and rolled toward the fence. The bullfighters had Buster headed toward the open gate.
He got to his feet, picked up his hat and waited for the score. Eighty-five. Damn. He’d expected it to be higher. That was the nature of riding.
The rodeo came to an end on Saturday night. Paxton and Phoenix placed first and second. It had been a long season and they would finish out in October before Vegas, just to keep practicing and maintaining their skill. They’d worked a lot of years to get to this point. It could all go wrong in a second, though.
At the arena, the cowboys were packing up, getting ready to move on to another rodeo. Eden, their brother Falcon’s daughter, had joined them. She was in college, but she barrel-raced occasionally.
“Hey, y’all going out to party tonight?” Cole Bryant, another bull rider, asked.
“You bet,” Paxton told him. “We’re taking Eden out for the evening.”
“If Eden’s going, then I’m coming, too.”
Phoenix threw an arm across Cole’s shoulder. “You touch my niece and I’ll have to hurt you.”
Cole held up his hands. “Okay. I got it, but why don’t you let her make up her own mind?”
“And why don’t I just punch you in the face?”
“Come on, guys.” Paxton got between them. “It’s Saturday night. Let’s have some fun.”
Eden, pretty as a picture with dark hair and green eyes, walked up. “Where are we going tonight?” She wiggled her hips. “I’m eager to dance, especially with my uncs.”
Rosemary strolled by, leading her horse and not casting an eye their way. There was just something about her that drew Phoenix’s attention. A sadness that he could feel, which was crazy. He must have hit his head in the arena.
“One of these days, I’m going to ride as good as her,” Eden said.
Before anyone could respond, Phoenix’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and froze as he saw the name. Ms. Henshaw. “Excuse me. I have to take this.” He walked to the fence and leaned against the pipe railing.
“Ms. Henshaw?”
“Mr. Rebel, I have news for you.”
“You have the results from the DNA test?”
“Yes.”
He sucked in a deep breath as if he was going to ride the meanest bull in the world. “What are they?”
“You’re the father. Ninety-nine point nine, and that’s as close as you can get. There’s no doubt.”
He slid down the fence like a drunk who’d had one too many. Sitting there on the ground, with the smell of the manure and the animals of the rodeo around him, he suddenly knew his life had just changed. Fun-loving Phoenix would be no more. He had to be a responsible, mature adult now. He had to be a father.
“Mr. Rebel, are you there?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Off in the distance, he could see the moon casting a beam that seemed to guide him toward the future, whatever that might be. But it would include a little boy named Jake.
“Did you mean what you said that day I met with you at your home?”
“What was that?”
“That you would take responsibility.”
Phoenix closed his eyes, and in his mind he could hear his father’s voice. Always take responsibility. Like Jude and Falcon, who had also become fathers unexpectedly, he would never do anything to dishonor his father. “Yes, ma’am. I will take responsibility for my son. What do I do now?”
“Are you sure about this? The CPS worker in Denver told me she has two couples who want the little boy.”
All the doubts in his mind vanished. “No. Jake belongs to me, and I will take full responsibility for him. What do I have to do?”
“Tomorrow is Sunday, but I’ll meet you in my office in Austin in the morning. Jake needs to be with his family as soon as possible. I will give you the papers you’ll need and you will fly to Denver. Make plane reservations as soon as you can. There will be a hearing before a judge on Monday morning. Valerie Green’s maternal rights will be terminated and you will be granted full custody. The CPS worker there will meet you and you can visit with Jake. After the hearing, you can bring him home and he will be legally yours.”
“I can do that. Give me the address of your office. Oh, wait. I don’t have a pen. Just text it to me.”
“Okay. I will also text a list of things you will need for the little boy, like a bed, diapers, milk and such. Have you ever been around children?”
“Yes, some of my brothers have children. So I do have some experience.”
“Very good. I will send you a text in case you want to pick up some things tonight, and I will see you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Ms. Henshaw.”
He sat there in the warmth of the night, staring at his phone. He didn’t have to wait any longer. He was Jake’s father. How could that be? How could he also not know about it? How could he be so irresponsible? A lot of his family members could answer that before he could snap his fingers. Yep, he was about to pay for his upbringing.
Paxton and Eden came over. “What are you doing sitting there on the ground?” Paxton asked. “Let’s go.”
“I have to go home.”
Paxton and Eden stared at each other, and then they sank down beside him. “Should I say congratulations or I’m sorry?” Paxton grimaced.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But I’m that little boy’s father, and now I have to live up to the title.”
Eden put her arm around his shoulders. “You’re going to make a great father. You’re a big kid yourself.”
“I
