Chapter 23 Reed
reed
Penn was pulling me, her little legs pumping as quickly as she could go, trying to get into the gates of the rodeo as fast as humanly possible.
I don’t think I’d ever seen her so excited.
Her face was going to be hurting by the end of the night with how big she was grinning.
Zac Brown’s “Chicken Fried” was playing over the stadium speakers, while the announcer’s voice boomed over the cheering crowd, making her little boots skip.
I chuckled. Her joy was contagious, and it warmed my heart to see her so happy.
I wanted nothing more than to give her the happiest childhood I could afford.
Her mother hadn’t called asking to see her or speak to her. She hadn’t tried to come get her, either. It hurt my heart knowing that this was Penn’s reality.
The summer heat was stifling, causing me to remove my hat and wipe the sweat from my brow. Good thing I found some sunscreen. Otherwise, Penn would be fried to a crisp, just like all the rodeo food that saturated the air.
“Reed!” Jude and Romy were standing at the entrance, noise-canceling headphones covering the ears of the baby in the carrier Jude was wearing.
The crowd milled around them.
“We’re at a rodeo!” Penn squealed, slipping from my hold, making her way around the maze of people to Jude and Romy.
She held her cowboy hat to her head.
“Look at you!” Romy preened. “You look ready for the Fourth of July.”
Penn was wearing jean shorts and a tank top with red and blue stars, American flag bows at the ends of her braids she had begged Lina to do before she left.
Lina, already dressed in her rodeo gear, took the time to sit on the grass beside the horse trailer with my daughter.
Penn didn’t even hesitate to plop into her lap, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and my heart clenched.
My chest felt so tight, watching her gently do Penn’s hair while they talked softly together.
“I am! I’m ready to cheer on Lina and Mushu!” She couldn’t stop moving, bouncing on her brown cowboy boots.
“What’s up, man?” Jude asked, bumping my fist.
We exchanged greetings, then followed them to the seats Chuck and Sage saved for us. The crowd was deafening while a saddle bronc rider held on during his ride in the arena.
“Where’s Hazel?” I asked, Penn and I taking a seat on the metal stadium rafters.
Romy’s eyes went sad, and I immediately felt like an ass for asking. I liked the woman, though. I was hoping to get to know her better and see the former rodeo queen in her element.
“She wasn’t ready to be out here,” Chuck replied.
I nodded with a grimace. “I understand. Sorry I asked. I should’ve figured as much.”
“It’s all right.” Romy shrugged.
Chuck stood, giving me a firm pat on my shoulder as he shuffled out of the seat. “I gotta be ready to lead Lina in, now that y’all are here.”
I couldn’t help scanning the stadium for her mysterious stalker—or Junior. Everything that was happening at once didn’t sit right with me. None of this felt like a coincidence. While I surveyed the audience, my gaze was drawn to my daughter, who was in complete awe of her surroundings.
Penn sat riveted, her eyes large, whooping and hollering at the top of her lungs while we watched the saddle broncs.
“You may be in trouble with that one,” Sage teased. “You got a cowgirl on your hands.”
“Don’t I know it.” Penn shared a smile with me. Pretty sure she knew it, too.
The barrel racers were up next, followed by the bull doggers and bull riders.
“When’s it Lina and Mushu’s turn?” Penn asked after every participant entered the arena.
“Soon,” I repeated each time.
Jude and I walked with Penn to the concessions to grab hot dogs for everyone. Lina had just finished her run and was probably already untacking Mushu. She’d won the race, beating her last Willows Rodeo time. I was dying to see her, but Penn was whining that she was starving.
“I’ll grab the beer,” Jude offered, passing the rodeo bar.
“Mama!” Penn yelled, catching us both off guard.
Just as she’d done when we entered the rodeo to greet Romy and Jude, she pulled from my grasp. And before I could stop her, she was rushing over to where Elise and Junior were exiting the bar.
“Oh, my baby!” Elise cried, dropping to her knees in front of Penn and taking her into her arms. Penn was so forceful in her hug, she almost knocked her over.
My gut knotted up seeing both of them now within reach of Penn. Jude and I hurried over.
“Come here, princess,” I called, wanting her to come back to me, out of their grasp.
“Let’s let your mom and Junior get back to their drinks.
” I attempted to make my voice gentle for Penn, but it sounded too harsh to my ears.
A flash of fear washed over me when Elise glared at me over Penn’s shoulder.
My whole body tensed, and I could almost feel Jude vibrating beside me. I could hear his knuckles crack, as if he were preparing for a fight.
“You need to let her see her daughter.” Junior’s voice was threatening. Asshole.
I barely gave him a glance, but I hoped he saw the warning in them. “Penn, come on. Let’s go get hot dogs, and then we can go see Lina.”
“Better go check on your slut before someone else does.” Junior’s words were like acid on my brain, burning and fueling my rising fury.
“What the fuck did you just say?” Jude fired at him.
At the same time, I said, “Shut your fucking mouth.”
“You heard me,” he pressed, his gaze turning to Jude.
“You have something to do with Lina being stalked?” Jude hissed through his gritted teeth.
I needed to get Penn out of here before this turned ugly. She didn’t need to see either one of us losing it in front of her. But hearing what Junior said—and then Jude’s question—made the alarm bells go off. How the fuck would he know Lina was being stalked unless he had something to do with it?
“Penn. Now,” I ordered sternly.
“Can Mama come sit with us?” she asked.
My heart fucking broke hearing her ask that.
Of course she was missing her mom, but Elise had put in zero effort to show up for our daughter.
As much as I hated the thought of her growing up without her, I needed to protect Penn from the really poor decisions Elise was making right now. She didn’t know or understand that.
“No, princess, you need to come with me now.” My hyper-vigilant dad radar was on high alert, bouncing between where Elise had her arms wrapped around our daughter and where Jude was mean-mugging Junior.
“The way she puts out, I’m not surprised she has unwanted attention. She probably gets off on it.”
My head swung to Junior. I couldn’t take this any longer. I took one big step, getting into his face. I was larger than him, and standing toe-to-toe, I forced him to look up at me.
“What? No gun this time?” he jeered, a snide grin spreading across his face.
“Who said I’m not packing?” I stared him down, right into his beady eyes, waiting for him to back down. He didn’t. Junior was a fucking idiot.
Junior scoffed. “Nothing’s going to happen in front of Penn.”
“Don’t you dare say my daughter’s name. I will fucking tear that tongue straight out of your mouth if I hear you speak her name again. You might be Elise’s fiancé, but you have no say in what I will or will not do in front of my daughter. Ever.”
I could feel Jude step up beside me, backing me up. Junior’s eyes flicked briefly to the side, seeing him. Jude had knocked him out with one punch before and could easily do it again with those prized hands of his. Junior’s bravery faltered before returning his narrowed gaze on me.
“Take your girl and leave—now!” Jude growled. “I don’t have a contract to worry about this time, and I’m pretty sure after what you tried to pull last summer, law enforcement will be on my side if you go whining that I knocked your sorry ass out again.”
“You fucking Larsens are all the same.”
“Same with you Matheuses, it would seem.”
“Fuck you, Jude. You don’t own this town.”
“Pretty close to it. I’m sure those two uniforms coming this way will appreciate knowing what you two have been consuming today. Not to mention what you two were into while a child was under your care.”
I turned my attention to Elise, whose face grew pale. She looked like she was about ready to throw up. “Come on, Penn,” I said calmly, even though I felt anything but.
“Please, Reed. Can I please see her?” Elise slurred her ‘pleases,’ tears choking her words. She was two seconds from causing a scene.
“Penn, give your mama one last hug. We need to go see Lina before she loads up Mushu.”
“Bye, Mama,” Penn said, giving her mom one last squeeze.
She looked hesitantly between her mom, Jude and Junior, and me.
She was a perceptive child, so I wasn’t surprised she was reading the room.
If I could shield her from all of this, I would.
But this was the best I could do right now, and if it meant keeping her away from her mother until she got the help she needed and dumped Junior’s ass, I had to do it.
“Reed, please.” Elise was crying now.
“Get your girl,” Jude said to Junior again. “You’re about to get more attention than you want.” Jude nodded at the two police officers who were meandering our way. They hadn’t noticed yet, but they were about to.
Junior backed away, gripping Elise by the arm and pulling her to her feet. “Let’s go, baby.”
She released Penn when she stood and I swooped her up, holding her tight, as if she could be ripped from me at any moment. My heart was pounding. Blood rushed in my ears like a siren, warning me of the threats to my daughter.
“Reed, please.” Elise was still pleading through her inebriated tears.
“I’ll have my lawyer contact you,” I said simply, taking hurried strides away from them and wishing there was a whole continent between Elise, Junior, and me.