26. Warren
The door to the conference room opens, and an older man steps out. After looking down the hallway, his gaze settles on me, and he strides over.
“Warren Burke?”
Standing with my hat in hand, I nod. “Yes, sir. That’s me.”
He offers me his hand. “Bob Black. I’m the Competition and Rules Liaison for the Professional Rodeo Board. I was told I could find you out here.”
He motions for me to take the chair I stood from, and he sits in one next to me. We’re sitting in a hotel hallway in the city where the entire professional rodeo board set a meeting for Dane. He and Clarence have been in a meeting for almost an hour.
“Dane has himself in a situation, and since he’s your partner, this affects you too.”
“Should I be in the room?”
He waves a hand in the air. “Nah, I wanted to meet you and ask you something away from all that pomp and pageantry.” He chuckles to himself. “Not that we don’t take this kind of thing seriously, but sometimes you can’t get a good read on things. What we decide needs to consider many factors.”
My gaze drops to the tiny rainbow flag pin on his lapel.
“Okay. Ask away.”
“You only just teamed up with Dane this year and have a few team events under your belt. Did you know about his past, then?”
“No sir. That is a recent discovery.”
“And at any point did you ever think he cheated when he beat you all those times in the past?”
I shake my head hard. “Not once. Dane isn’t like that.”
“How do you feel associated with him now if he has rodeo sanctions against him?”
Puffing out a breath, I can only tell the truth. “I’ll never be ashamed of him. I’m sad this happened, and he’ll miss rodeo, but he made a mistake. It doesn’t define who he is. It doesn’t change who I fell in love with.”
Bob smiles and stands. “That’s what I thought. Thank you, Warren. He shouldn’t be much longer.”
Bob strides back to the boardroom door, his cowboy boots clicking on the floor, and I sag back in the chair. I don’t know if that conversation was a good or bad thing, but I meant it. I’ll still love him, and it changes nothing between us except I might be out of team roping for a while.
The door opens a few minutes later with Clarence and Dane spilling out, and I don’t have any longer to wait.
“Well?”
Dane pulls me into a hug and holds me while Clarence fills me in.
“They sympathize with his situation and won’t place a lifetime ban.
However, they don’t want to set a precedent with no punishment either.
He’s suspended for the rest of this year.
No appeal.” Clarence pauses. “Whatever you said to Bob, I think it gave the lesser punishment. The board regards the Burke family highly. Dad may have burned bridges in his younger years, but he definitely built a few that aren’t going anywhere. ”
Dane finally releases me with a sigh. “I was hoping they would let it go and we could keep competing. I’m sorry, Warren.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. This is almost the best-case scenario, really.”
“I know, but I was just getting used to being on the road with you.”
“You can still come with me sometimes. They suspended you from competing, not from being a spectator.”
Pressing my lips to Dane’s, I hope it eases his sadness even just a little. If I lost rodeo like this, it would be tough. I stepped away by choice, and that was difficult enough.
Clarence clears his throat. “I’m going to leave you two alone and get back. I’m sorry I couldn’t convince them to let it go entirely, but Warren is right. This is a good thing.”
“You were amazing, Clarence.” Dane offers his hand, and Clarence hesitates before batting it away and pulling Dane into a hug.
“Just doing my job. Be good to my brother, or I’ll change my mind.” Clarence clears his throat. “We still need to discuss the case with Henry, but not right now. Absorb this change, and we’ll meet next week.”
“Sounds good. Thanks again, Clarence.”
Clarence turns and offers me a hug, too. He isn’t big on hugs for his family most days. Today he’s hugged me and Dane. That should concern me. I hold him a little closer and whisper next to his ear. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Go enjoy the day with him. You both deserve it.”
Clarence releases me with a wave and heads off to his car, leaving me in the lobby with Dane.
“So…I guess it’s Plan B?”
Dane grabs my hand as we walk out into the sunshine.
“Plan W, I think. Plan B was at least three years ago.” Dane sighs with a weight I wish I could help carry. “We’ll get back out there next year, Warren. You and I will be team champions for years. I know it.”
“We will.” After climbing into my truck, Dane settles back into the seat, and I know he’s struggling with everything, but all I can do is hold his hand and wait for him to decompress. I’m disappointed they’ve cut our season short with the decision, but it’s the best thing for him right now.
“I know I’ve said this before, but I’m so sorry for everything. If only I weren’t so arrogant when I first met you, maybe all this could be different now.”
“Maybe, but it’s the past, and we look ahead now. We can’t change it. So let’s concentrate on what we can.”
He blows a breath out and rubs his palms on his jeans.
“Right. I should call your dad then.”
Laughing, I kiss his cheek before starting the truck. “Or you can wait until we get home. I guarantee he already has the agreement drawn up.”
Dane is silent as I pull onto the highway, and he remains that way for some time until I reach over to touch his thigh.
“Hey. You said you were okay, but you’re awfully quiet. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. I’m just wondering what I did to have all this.
My life was at rock bottom three months ago.
I thought I’d be living out of my truck the rest of my life and never have…
family again.” He swallows so hard it must hurt.
“No rodeo would have been a death sentence for me without you and your family, Warren. I’m not being dramatic.
What your dad proposed is more than generous, and I’m not sure he understands how much it means to me. ”
I know very well how Hunter Burke can make you feel once he’s welcomed you into his fold.
He always said his journey was for a reason, and he’ll pay it forward until he’s dead.
So far, I’ve lost track of everything he’s done, but adopting me and two others was no small task.
He knows exactly what it means to finally catch a break.
“Dad doesn’t make offers lightly. He believes in you. He didn’t do it to make me happy. He sees you, Dane. All of your potential. I bet he knows what it means, but I know he’d appreciate it if you could tell him that.”
“Maybe I’m just in shock. I can’t believe I’m about to own a business I’ve dreamed about since the first time I helped my dad in the shop. It’s just…” He puffs out another breath. “If I can find words, I’ll tell him.”
“They’ve been out there a long time.”
Jesse sits next to me on the sofa. When we came home from Dane’s rodeo hearing, I had planned to take him on an actual date. We’d have dinner, maybe dance, and we’d go back to my favourite star-gazing pocket. Dane had other ideas, and he was so passionate about it that I couldn’t deny his request.
We came back to the ranch, and he immediately got to work making phone calls before finally calling my dad and asking him if he’d be available for a chat.
Of course, my dad excused himself from his time with Maise.
He’d already started teaching her to ride on the pony he’d picked out with Jesse’s approval, and he’d taken her to the giant tack shop to pick out new boots, a saddle, and lord knows what else because a girl needs new things, he’d said.
None of us commented on the riding boots he showed up with that match Maise’s.
“I’m not worried,” I answer. “I’m actually happy they’ve found each other.”
Jesse chuckles. “Is it a bromance?”
“Sort of.” Smiling, I turn to Jesse. “We’ve all been through some shit, and we have each other.
Dad and Pops found us young, and we had a second chance.
Dane…he’s no different except he misses his parents.
He had a family that fell apart, which is heartbreaking, and I don’t think he’s grieved his loss properly.
I think Dad gets that, and it’s helping Dane. ”
“That makes sense. He was thrown into the decision-maker and caregiver roles right away. Sounds like he’s been in survival mode all these years.” Jesse nods. “We’ve all kinda been there, haven’t we?”
“Yeah. I wish everyone could have a Hunter Burke in their life.”
Pops walks into the room with a sly smile.
“Uh, no.” He laughs as he flops into the armchair.
“He can’t save the world. He thinks he can, and it makes me love him more every time.
After he found Clarence and we had the three of you under this roof all within a year, I had to gently remind him that large farmhouse or not, we were only two people, and I still wanted quality time with my kids. ”
“Did Dad want more of us?” I ask, but I think I already know the answer.
“He did, and it’s sort of funny when I think about it.
When I met your dad, he didn’t even want to be married.
When he met you, Warren, we had only just started thinking about being foster parents.
But your dad wastes no time when he wants something or sees potential.
That’s how he built the rodeo school. It’s how all of you found a home here, and it’s why he’s still outside with Dane. ”
Finally, the front door opens, and I stand to greet Dad and Dane. Dane’s smile is the biggest I’ve ever seen. Both of them also have red-rimmed eyes, and I won’t comment on that.
“I was starting to worry about you two.”
“Nothing to worry about, son. Just a long business meeting.”
“So it’s done?”
Dane grins and smiles at Dad. “Yep. You’re looking at the new owners of Walker’s Mobile Mechanic Services. We’ll be sourcing a vehicle this week, and while I get it retrofitted, I’ll rent a space in the rodeo school.”
“He can use the old storage building out back. It’s just wasted space.
As long as it’s okay with you and your brothers, of course.
” Dad grimaces, and I laugh. “Sometimes I forget I don’t have a say anymore, but it could be a great partnership.
His ideal clients will be in and out of there all the time. ”
“Sounds like we need to celebrate,” I say.
Jesse joins us at the door and pulls on his boots. “Only if it can wait. My nanny just texted and said Maise isn’t feeling well. She won’t want to miss a party.”
“She was fine when I was with her,” Dad says. His brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?”
“You probably just let her eat her weight in hot dogs, and she has a tummy ache. He’s not concerned, but I’m going to check on them, anyway. Keep me posted.” He nods to Dane. “Welcome to the family, and this brother thinks it’s a great idea. I don’t think renting space will be an issue.”
Jesse exits, and Dad joins Pops, leaving Dane and me alone in the entranceway. Dane reaches out and brushes the hair off my forehead. “I love you, Warren. So much I’m afraid of it sometimes.”
“I’m really not that scary. I have a rabbit tattoo, after all.”
He laughs. “You do, and it’s so you.”
“Soft and cute?”
“Something like that.”
Closing the space between us, I wrap my arms around his neck and press my lips to his. “How should we celebrate and try to make some of that fear go away?”
“Well…” he mumbles between kisses while his hands drift down my back to my ass. “I was thinking we should go to your star pocket and make better memories there. Naked ones.”
“I like that plan.”
We kiss more until finally I step back and stare at the man who was my most hated rival for years, and wonder how I could be so wrong about someone for so long.
“What?”
“Just thinking that if I were to never rope again, it wouldn’t matter. I roped the best thing ever when I partnered with you.”
“Even when you have to take a year off without me?”
“Even then.”
It’s true. I’d rather have a year of no rodeos with him at my side than a lifetime of him not in my life.
A throat clears behind us, and I turn to find Pops standing awkwardly.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping, but I heard you’re going out. I left you a container on the table. Take it and enjoy this time together. A whole new chapter begins tomorrow.” Pops nods. “Goodnight, boys.”
After walking into the kitchen, I find a cooler bag packed with sandwiches, beer, ginger ale, and even some of his amazing cinnamon rolls. Dane meets me at the door with a bag, and together we walk out to his truck.
“Ready for a new beginning?” he asks as he starts up the truck and heads down the driveway.
“With you, I’m ready for anything.”