Chapter 22
Kenzie
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
The voice seemed far away, enough so I managed to ignore it, although the tone while rough was dreamy. Or maybe I was just dreaming.
“I knew your father was up to something. What a freaking nightmare.”
Nightmare? What was he saying?
With that statement, I lifted my head, yawning as I tried to focus.
“What?” I shifted and immediately a dull ache drifted into my body, a bigger one behind my temples.
Oh, my God. How much had I had to drink the night before?
Blinking again, I noticed the bottle of booze on the nightstand. It was two thirds empty.
No. No. I buried my face into the pillow.
There was a dull noise in the background. Whatever it was echoed in my ears.
No wonder my head hurt like a son of a bitch. As soon as I shifted again, I realized how much my body ached. With a dull throb between my legs, I squeezed my thighs shut, rolling back and forth.
“What time is it?”
My words sounded garbled to me.
“Tell me about the exciting event, John. The Missoula Roughriders. I like the sound of that. What can we expect?”
“Well, Marjorie, from the information received here at the station, the one-day rodeo event will be held at the brand-new Sterling Stadium.”
The ones on the television weren’t.
Jerking up, I glared at the screen, blinking several times to try to focus. “What?” Oh, that was a mistake, my stomach churning.
“Just wait for it,” Axe snarled. He had his arms folded, pacing the floor while tossing the most hateful look at the small screen. “I cannot fucking believe what your father did.”
“Shush.” I fought with the sheets until I was able to climb off the end of the bed. Still woozy, I swayed as I took a step closer.
But almost immediately I was wide awake, and without the pain of drinking too much.
Axe was right. What in the hell did my fucking father think he was doing?
John, the reporter turned his full attention to the cameras, allowing a piece of artwork that had been created for the event to be positioned on the side.
“Oh. My. God.” I could barely get the words out.
“Uh-huh. What in the hell does he think he’s doing?”
I cringed deep inside as the reporter went on to talk about the date and time, setting the parameters for it to be a rough-stock event including bull and bareback riding events.
Which of course were the events that not only Axe had won during his time on the circuit but was the very suggestion I’d made in passing.
“I don’t know. I swear to God, I’m going to kill that man. I can’t get everything ready by the first of August. That would take a miracle.”
“Yeah, it would. What did you tell your father?” His demand was full of anger.
“I didn’t tell him anything other than that the timing was ridiculously short and that I needed time to think about whether I wanted to be involved.”
“You’re not telling me the truth.”
Groaning, I rubbed my temple before forcing myself to look at him.
“After he said something about me spending time with you and that you weren’t good enough for me, I told him not to worry in that you wouldn’t have anything to do with the rodeo.
Obviously, he’s doing this to get back at me. He thinks you’re going to help.”
His laugh was entirely different than I’d heard before. “Maybe he’s getting back at me for fucking his daughter.”
“Oh, please.”
“Well, it sure looks a lot like you already suggested me to help save his bacon. I guess it doesn’t matter your father hates my fucking guts. Does it? If I can help grease his palm, then what the fuck? Let bygones be bygones. Right?”
While Axe’s anger was completely understood, I couldn’t remember a time he’d been close to frothing at the mouth.
“Whoa! You think I did this on purpose?”
“Local hero assisting a big charity event. What else am I supposed to think?”
I also hadn’t seen him so furious. “That’s not fair.”
“No, that’s not fair.” He pointed to the television screen. “I trusted you.”
“I didn’t betray your trust. Do you think I lured you into helping the rodeo?”
“You’re certainly a charmer.”
After folding my arms, I backed away, angry and hurt with both men. “You bastard. How dare you say this.”
“What exactly am I doing, Kenzie? You suddenly had a great idea, managed to make a deal, and look what miraculous thing appeared on the television. I’m not doing it, Kenz. I don’t care what you promised him or anyone else.”
“What are you talking about? Do you really think I’m lying to you?”
“You said so yourself that you don’t want your father to lose the ranch.” His face was so red, contorted from anger. This stupid childish feud had gotten out of hand.
I was taken aback by his vehemence. “No, I don’t. But I also am not going to be behind a failure from the start nor would I tie anyone to the event.” The crush of knowing he believed I’d sabotaged him was heavy.
“You sure about that? Maybe you said you could sweet-talk me.”
There was no reason for me to be as hurt as I was, but his fury was so off the scale that I couldn’t seem to find the right words. “I would never do that to you.”
His eyes flared and a part of me wanted to launch into him for his lack of trust, but my real anger was at my father. I should have known better than to even come back to Missoula. My father had always had an angle. He thought by advertising the event, there was no chance I would say no.
He was dead wrong.
I just didn’t know what this was, but I wanted no part of it.
He cinched his eyes shut, rubbing them. “I’m not committing to this shakedown and if I had to guess, I’d say that’s what it was.”
A tiny hint of feeling as if I should take up for my father almost spiraled into saying some things I’d regret.
“Maybe so. Just allow me to listen to what’s being said. Please.” Inching even closer, I was rattled enough paying attention was difficult.
“In just one day of the tickets being on sale, Sterling Stadium has already sold nearly thirty percent of the almost ten thousand tickets. That’s great news for Missoula.” John grinned, glancing at Marjorie for the takeover.
“Well, then I have to assume that’s based on the fact our hometown hero is going to be giving a one-time performance.”
“I wonder if he can keep his record. It’s unbeatable as of today. A little friendly competition perhaps?”
“What?” we both yelled at the television at the same time as Axe’s pictures were flashed on the screen.
Several were from his heyday winning rodeos, more recent ones in his smokejumper uniform and even some catching him while working on a fire.
Oh, this was bad. So bad. Axe would never believe I didn’t have a hand in this.
My father had decided that since I’d spent time with Axe, he’d include him as being a part of the rodeo.
As a headliner.
Just to spite me.
With that, Axe stormed toward the door of the motel, fighting with the chain. So much so I was certain he would rip it off. When he threw open the door, it bypassed the measly door stopper, slamming into the wall.
Cringing, I was thankful I was wearing a shirt just in case there was anyone standing outside. But not my shirt. His tee shirt.
So he could close the door behind him, he had to turn all the way around. The look he gave me was unforgiving.
Only he wasn’t just angry with me or with my father. He was either furious with himself or something else that he’d yet to share.
And it wasn’t my place to ask.
The reporters continued discussing how he’d saved a life of another smokejumper and went into the story about his brother’s tragic death once again. He wouldn’t be able to walk down the street without being accosted by someone.
You bet I felt responsible for the nightmare. If I’d shut my father down right away, this wouldn’t be happening.
Turning the television off, I stood in the quiet of the room, trying to make sense of why my father would dare push me unwittingly into this ridiculous situation without my approval. If my father was one thing, it was completely conniving.
Plus, whatever mess my father had gotten himself involved in was worse than I’d thought.
What were the chances the arson fire at the old mill didn’t have some correlation to the stadium?
I wasn’t suggesting he’d hire someone to start a fire.
But what if someone else would to keep the stadium from opening?
God, I hated the man right now.
I sat on the end of the bed for a few seconds until I realized Axe wasn’t coming back into the room any time soon.
Well, we were both stranded so I had no clue what his thoughts could be.
As the frustration grew, I stood, pacing back and forth.
Then I turned in a full circle before sitting back down.
Oh, this was ridiculous. I moved to the window, pulling back the ugly curtains. Of course he was leaning over the chintzy looking railing, staring at the mountains. He used to do that all the time when he was young. The man had an on-off switch like no one else I knew.
Coffee. I needed coffee. This was a damn bridal suite. There better be a machine of some kind.
Thank God, I found one. While there were only two packets and the powdery kind of creamer, right now I didn’t care. I stared at the door while both were brewing, hoping both he would and wouldn’t walk through the door.
I wasn’t in the mood for an argument. Not until I heard what my father had to say. Then I’d exact my level of rage toward him before figuring out how to get out of this mess.
I would just walk away if he hadn’t attached Axe to the event. How dare he do that without asking me or asking Axe for that matter? Oh, when this nightmare was finished, I’d never speak to my father again.
Or my brother for that matter.
How dare they use me.
It took me a few seconds, but I found my panties. With the shirt being long enough to be a mini-dress, I didn’t feel the need to take it off until we were ready to leave.