him or his brother’s teasing that he always had a girl on third base with him.
He was only going so crazy because he liked her so much. And maybe…
Maybe she feels the same.
He blinked at Buck, his mind focused for the first time in several minutes.
“Are you sleeping with Thunder Humphries’ daughter?” Buck asked.
“Do I really need to say it? You know me better than anyone.”
“Hell, Ryder. She’s so off-limits she practically has an armed guard. You’ve heard all the stories, seen the documentaries about him.”
“Yeah.” The word came out as a challenge, which was on par with how he was feeling. He wanted Joy Humphries, and he’d do almost anything to have her. “I have to find her.”
When he pushed by his brother, Buck grabbed him by the arm. They stared at each other. “Look, I can tell you have feelings for her. I’ve never seen you this way—ever. What you do is your business, except when you’re out of control and threatening the crew or doing things that will end this show for us.”
Ryder twisted his arm from Buck’s hold. “I got it.”
Buck snatched his arm back, fingers steely and bruising. “Do you? I need this money, Ryder.”
“What’s so important about money?”
“It’s what money will do for my family.” His voice broke and he let go of his arm, falling back a little. The slump of his shoulders and the look of total despair on his face stopped Ryder dead.
“What’s going on, Buck?”
“The baby…they think something’s wrong with it.”
Ryder shook his head. “But it’s early. No one can tell.”
“Channing’s far enough along that her preliminary numbers came back wrong. The baby could have a defect but we won’t know more until later.”
“Jesus.” Ryder’s throat closed.
Buck pressed his lips together, holding back a dam of emotion. First their father, then their fight for the land, and now a battle for the health of Buck’s child?
“You can have all my earnings. I only need enough to get to the next venue.”
Buck bowed his head, throat working. “Without insurance, who knows what we’re facing. But I can’t take your money, Ryder.” Finding insurance to take this on now would be difficult—if not impossible.
He hooked his brother around the shoulders. “Can and will, dammit. I won’t take no for an answer. And I swear I’ll keep my temper under control. You need this show—we all do.”
Buck met his gaze. “Don’t tell anybody about this. Especially Wynonna or Ma.”
“You got it. Just take care of that family of yours and let me know if I can bear some of the stress for you.”
“There’s actually something you can do,” Buck said.
“Anything. What is it?”
“Take Asher’s hellions off Channing’s hands for the night.”
* * * * *
“Ryder.” The shock wasn’t concealed in Joy’s tone as she came face-to-face-to-face-to-face with Ryder and two little imps hanging off him. The older Franklin girl sat atop his shoulders while the younger one hung upside down, knees hooked over his strong forearm and her long black hair nearly skimming the ground.
“Joy.”
The closing ceremonies had awarded a huge prize to Ryder, and Cody had taken second place. For an hour afterward, she’d had to listen to her father give Cody a pep talk that finally turned to the lecture she’d been expecting. Of course, she’d denied any relations with Cody, and her father had reluctantly let it go.
“This looks…fun.” She couldn’t help but smile at the upside down face and the googly eyes the little girl was making.
He swung the child down and set her on her little pink cowgirl boots. A short tutu stuck straight out from her hips and her unicorn T-shirt had a red blot down it that looked suspiciously like she’d had a cherry snow cone.
Ryder’s intense gaze was on hers. Unsmiling. Joy sobered too.
“We need to talk.”
Both girls watched them.
With a noise in the back of his throat that sounded like tearing, Ryder
He was only going so crazy because he liked her so much. And maybe…
Maybe she feels the same.
He blinked at Buck, his mind focused for the first time in several minutes.
“Are you sleeping with Thunder Humphries’ daughter?” Buck asked.
“Do I really need to say it? You know me better than anyone.”
“Hell, Ryder. She’s so off-limits she practically has an armed guard. You’ve heard all the stories, seen the documentaries about him.”
“Yeah.” The word came out as a challenge, which was on par with how he was feeling. He wanted Joy Humphries, and he’d do almost anything to have her. “I have to find her.”
When he pushed by his brother, Buck grabbed him by the arm. They stared at each other. “Look, I can tell you have feelings for her. I’ve never seen you this way—ever. What you do is your business, except when you’re out of control and threatening the crew or doing things that will end this show for us.”
Ryder twisted his arm from Buck’s hold. “I got it.”
Buck snatched his arm back, fingers steely and bruising. “Do you? I need this money, Ryder.”
“What’s so important about money?”
“It’s what money will do for my family.” His voice broke and he let go of his arm, falling back a little. The slump of his shoulders and the look of total despair on his face stopped Ryder dead.
“What’s going on, Buck?”
“The baby…they think something’s wrong with it.”
Ryder shook his head. “But it’s early. No one can tell.”
“Channing’s far enough along that her preliminary numbers came back wrong. The baby could have a defect but we won’t know more until later.”
“Jesus.” Ryder’s throat closed.
Buck pressed his lips together, holding back a dam of emotion. First their father, then their fight for the land, and now a battle for the health of Buck’s child?
“You can have all my earnings. I only need enough to get to the next venue.”
Buck bowed his head, throat working. “Without insurance, who knows what we’re facing. But I can’t take your money, Ryder.” Finding insurance to take this on now would be difficult—if not impossible.
He hooked his brother around the shoulders. “Can and will, dammit. I won’t take no for an answer. And I swear I’ll keep my temper under control. You need this show—we all do.”
Buck met his gaze. “Don’t tell anybody about this. Especially Wynonna or Ma.”
“You got it. Just take care of that family of yours and let me know if I can bear some of the stress for you.”
“There’s actually something you can do,” Buck said.
“Anything. What is it?”
“Take Asher’s hellions off Channing’s hands for the night.”
* * * * *
“Ryder.” The shock wasn’t concealed in Joy’s tone as she came face-to-face-to-face-to-face with Ryder and two little imps hanging off him. The older Franklin girl sat atop his shoulders while the younger one hung upside down, knees hooked over his strong forearm and her long black hair nearly skimming the ground.
“Joy.”
The closing ceremonies had awarded a huge prize to Ryder, and Cody had taken second place. For an hour afterward, she’d had to listen to her father give Cody a pep talk that finally turned to the lecture she’d been expecting. Of course, she’d denied any relations with Cody, and her father had reluctantly let it go.
“This looks…fun.” She couldn’t help but smile at the upside down face and the googly eyes the little girl was making.
He swung the child down and set her on her little pink cowgirl boots. A short tutu stuck straight out from her hips and her unicorn T-shirt had a red blot down it that looked suspiciously like she’d had a cherry snow cone.
Ryder’s intense gaze was on hers. Unsmiling. Joy sobered too.
“We need to talk.”
Both girls watched them.
With a noise in the back of his throat that sounded like tearing, Ryder
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