A Cowboy's Claim by Marin Thomas

Author:Marin Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Vic parked in the lot behind the Amarillo National Center, where the Amarillo Tri-Sate Fair and Rodeo was taking place the second weekend of August. He glanced in the rearview mirror and watched Tanya pull her horse trailer up to the corral. He blamed the tension between him and Tanya on the piss-poor way he’d handled her win in Mesquite.

He’d been frustrated with his performance that night and had blamed his inability to focus on Tanya and Alex, which wasn’t fair when his nephew had no control over his situation and Tanya was only doing Vic a favor by helping him take care of Alex so he could compete. If anyone was responsible for the mess he was in, it was his mother and sister. Their actions had set into motion the circumstances Vic found himself in. He’d believed he’d escaped the barrio and had left his sordid past behind when in truth he could never run from who he was or where he’d come from.

“Are you tired of all the rodeos, Alex?” He checked over his shoulder—his nephew was fast asleep. By now he’d expected to hear from Renee that they’d located a home for Alex. Twice he’d dialed her number, but something had stopped him from completing the call. Even though Alex never engaged in conversation, he was showing more facial expressions and nodding yes or shaking his head no when asked a question. And the vacant stares were becoming few and far between, which made Vic believe the boy wasn’t thinking about the past as often. He gave most of the credit to Tanya’s upbeat attitude with Alex, and her non-stop efforts to engage him in conversation.

In all the years Vic had rodeoed, this was the first time he’d traveled with anyone. Giving up his privacy hadn’t been as difficult as he’d expected. He enjoyed having company when he drove and someone to eat with at the end of the day. He’d focused on his goal for so long that he’d shut himself off from feeling any emotion. Then a pint-size kid and a stubborn barrel racer showed up in his life and thawed the chunk of ice in his chest. Thinking about saying goodbye to them felt...uncomfortable.

Vic’s phone beeped and he checked the number—Judge Hamel. If she was reaching out to him it must be important. “This is Vic.”

“Victor, this is Judge Hamel. There’s been a development in Alex’s case.”

He held his breath, anticipating the news that they’d found his nephew a foster home.

“Natalia’s being paroled early from prison and she’s asked the courts to give her custody of Alex.”

He had a tough time believing his sister was that eager to be a mother again. “How can she take care of him when she doesn’t have a job or a place to live?”

“I don’t know all the details, but Alex’s social worker would like you to bring him to Albuquerque, where they’ll evaluate the situation. When can Renee expect you?”

He couldn’t think straight. “Why haven’t they found a foster home for Alex?”

“Too many kids and not enough homes.

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