Free A Cowboy's Claim by Marin Thomas

late for answers—Alex returned to the booth with his sundae.
    â€œThis kiddo prefers chocolate ice cream over vanilla. Doesn’t like the cherries but loves nuts and whipped cream.” Sally winked at Alex, then escaped to take another couple’s order.
    â€œWhere’s home for you?” Tanya knew he was from Albuquerque but didn’t know if he lived there or somewhere else when he wasn’t riding the circuit.
    â€œThe road.”
    â€œAre you still planning to rodeo now that you have...” Her eyes flicked to Alex.
    â€œYes.”
    He was dead serious.
    â€œWhere are you staying for the Wichita rodeo?” he asked.
    â€œI’m boarding Slingshot in Vernon for a couple of days until I compete.”
    â€œWhat do you do when you’re not barrel racing?”
    â€œCatch up on laundry. Make phone calls. Surf the web on my laptop.” She checked her phone for the time. “The manager at Windy Acres said I could use the cot in his barn.” It wasn’t the greatest setup, but she didn’t have to pay for a motel room and she could keep a close eye on Slingshot—a win-win in her opinion. “What are your plans after Wichita Falls?” Surely he wasn’t going to keep the same frantic pace now that he had to care for his nephew.
    â€œBakersfield, California, then Texas and Nevada.” He must have read the question in her eyes, because he said, “Alex doesn’t turn five until the end of September, so he can’t enroll in kindergarten for another year.”
    â€œHe’s awfully young to drag around the country with you.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew she’d overstepped her bounds. Vic clenched his jaw, and the scar across his cheek turned white.
    â€œI’ve had my schedule planned out since last year. As long as I keep riding well, I’ll be in Vegas this December. This might be my last shot at a title.” He stared at Alex. “Besides, CYFD is hoping to place him in a home before the end of summer.”
    Tanya understood Vic’s urgency. He wasn’t getting any younger and he had another good year, maybe two, left in the sport. But Alex was family, and the little boy, not Vic’s rodeo schedule, should be a priority.
    â€œWe’ll be fine, won’t we, buddy?” Vic ruffled Alex’s hair, but the boy barely acknowledged his uncle’s affectionate touch. Tanya got the sense that there was a lot more involved with Alex’s situation than Vic having temporary custody of him.
    Her heart broke for the little guy. She wanted to ask what had happened to the person who’d been caring for Alex while his mother was in prison, but now wasn’t the time.
    â€œWhere are you competing after Wichita Falls?” Vic asked.
    â€œI’m not sure.” If she didn’t win any money in the rodeo, she’d seriously have to consider returning to Colorado. Going into debt just because she wanted one last season before she put barrel racing behind her wasn’t smart. She just needed a little more time to wrap her head around leaving the sport. At least when she walked away from rodeo for good, she’d go back to a job she loved—training her stepfather’s Appaloosas.
    â€œTanya, I’m really sorry about—”
    She waved off his apology. “No worries.” She couldn’t hold a grudge against Vic when Alex was the reason he’d left. She was relieved that he hadn’t taken off because he regretted sleeping with her.
    A stilted silence hovered between them, and Tanya’s gaze swung to the boy. It wasn’t just her and Vic anymore, trying to cross paths with their rodeo schedules. “I better go. I want to arrive in Vernon before dark.” She dropped a ten-dollar bill on the table and slid from the booth. “Alex, it was nice meeting you.” She smiled. “Have fun at the rodeos with your uncle.” She purposefully