Priceless

Chapter 5: Pursuit

Nessa followed Bailey from the house towards the office, pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail as she walked. His ankle still bothered him enough to use crutches but his pace was fast enough that she had to jog a couple steps to catch up.

She eyed him as she drew alongside him, saying, "Judging from the way you're running a marathon on those things, I'm guessing you end up using crutches a lot."

Bailey grinned, giving her a nod. "And you'd be correct. Between working on the ranch and riding bulls and broncs, these things are a staple around here."

"Why does your Mom dislike the rodeo so much? Was she as hard on your brother when he rode?"

Bailey snorted his displeasure. "You bet. And now that he quit, he's become the favorite child. Though I think he's always been the favorite anyway."

Nessa's eyebrows went up in surprise, not sure if Bailey was joking or complaining. "Why is that?"

Bailey looked over at her, the expression on his face saying she should already know. "In case you hadn't noticed, I had a son when I was sixteen. I've always been the wild child around here, even after I got my act together."

"I can't believe that Thane's never done anything to upset your parents."

"It's not that. He's not a saint and he got in trouble plenty when we were growing up. But when it came to the big stuff – like accepting Jesus, being responsible, saving sex for marriage – he always made the right choice. That's just who he is. He tends to play it safe." Bailey stopped then, pivoting on the crutches to face her. "I love my brother and I wouldn't be where I am today without him. And my parents have never played favorites. But Thane has always made the decisions that please my Mom. The rodeo was the one place where we both were in the doghouse. But then he got injured and never went back. My Mom's been much more adamant about me quitting ever since."

"I'm sure she's just concerned about your safety, especially after Thane's injury. I mean, people get killed doing this stuff. Ever heard of Lane Frost?"

Bailey scowled at her and Nessa laughed.

"I'm just poking fun, Bailey, don't get mad. I'm just saying I understand her point of view."

Bailey turned then, starting that swinging gate towards the office again. "I thought you liked the rodeo. That is what you planned to do this summer, isn't it? Watch a bunch of rodeos?"

Nessa nodded. "I do. But I don't know any of those guys personally. I don't have to nurse them back to health after every ride or live in fear that the next ride might be there last. It's different when you're more than a spectator."

"Yeah, I guess," Bailey grudgingly agreed. "I just get tired of hearing it after every rodeo, especially if I get hurt. Technically, I get hurt every time I ride. Some injuries are just more noticeable than others."

They drew to a stop outside the office and Bailey motioned with his head for her to go inside. "Go ahead in. I want to check on my Dad and Thane, make sure they've got it all under control. I'll be back to help, I promise."

Nessa nodded. "No sweat. What time do people start arriving?"

"Around eight. The trail rides start at nine and we ask everyone to be here an hour before to make sure we have time to go over the basics before putting them on a horse."

"Got it. Well, I'll go in and dig up your reservation list for today. I can make sure everyone who's here is checked in and paid."

Bailey offered a relieved smile. "Thank you Nessa. We owe you big time for this."