Free Rodeo Reunion by Shannon Taylor Vannatter Page A

encourage the kids not to depend on sports for their future but to have a backup plan. Just in case. Just in case they ended up like him.
    He ducked into the office and a gray-haired lady looked up at him. “I’m Slade Walker. Career Day. Eighth grade.”
    â€œYes. Of course. You’re in Ms. Newman’s class today. That’s four doors down.”
    â€œThanks.” He stepped back into the hallway just as a door marked Nurse opened.
    Raquel stepped into the hall and her eyes widened. “Slade? What are you doing here?”
    â€œI got wrangled into Career Day.” Slade shrugged.
    â€œAhh, I heard Mikey plotting that.” She shifted the files she held. “Have you checked in?”
    â€œAll checked in.” He pointed down the hall. “Third door down?”
    â€œFourth. I’m headed that way.”
    Just admit it—he’d agreed to Career Day on the off chance of running into her. And it had worked. He slowed his pace to prolong their walk together.
    He lived next door to the woman and saw her every Tuesday and Friday night. For the past two weeks, they’d fallen into a comfortable routine: Raquel cooked on Tuesdays and he took her and Hunter to Moms on Main on Fridays.
    But on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and weekends, he missed her. March couldn’t be over with fast enough to suit him. At least in April he’d see her at games on Mondays and Thursdays, too.
    Her heels clicked with each step and her perfume stamped its scent on his heart.
    How had this happened? He’d tried to keep his distance. But Raquel was everything he’d always dreamed of. Smart, strong, beautiful, kind, a great mom and a great cook.
    When March wrapped up, he’d be a month closer to going back on the circuit and leaving Raquel behind. He needed time to slow. Not speed up.
    â€œHere we are—Ms. Newman’s class.” She gestured toward the door. “You might pop your head in to let her know you’re here, but when the bell rings, step back or they’ll flatten you. It’s like they all charge the corral at the same time.”
    â€œThanks for the heads-up.”
    â€œGood luck.” She hurried down the hall, leaving him to stare—and dream. How had she wrangled her way into his dreams?
    And sidetracked him from Tori? His sister was the reason he’d come to town, and after meeting her, he longed to tell her who he was. But deep down, he got the feeling he should keep his distance for a while and pray Brant would warm up to him.
    So instead of thinking about Tori, he dreamed about Raquel. A woman he very probably could never have.
    * * *
    â€œCan me and Max sit at our own booth?” Hunter’s question caught Raquel off guard.
    Last week he’d sat with her and Slade at Moms on Main. But tonight Hunter had invited Max, while Lacie and Quinn had turned down her invitation—leaving her to sit with Slade. Alone.
    â€œMay Max and I?” She tousled Hunter’s hair.
    â€œYou want to sit with Max?” Hunter frowned and Slade snickered.
    â€œNo.” Raquel rolled her eyes. “Your grammar.”
    â€œOh. So, can we?”
    â€œMay we? Yes, you may.”
    â€œTell me what y’all want, sport.” Slade turned to Raquel. “Then y’all can go ahead and find a booth, if it’s okay with your mom.”
    The boys rattled off their orders and even though Hunter loved cheese, once Max said cheese was yucky and not to put it on his burger, Hunter agreed.
    â€œI’ll pay for ours.” Raquel dug out her wallet.
    â€œI’ll get it. Tell me what you want and go have a seat.”
    It was easier not to argue, so she told him what she wanted and went to supervise the boys.
    Minutes later Slade claimed the seat across from her a few tables away from Hunter and Max’s booth. “He’s a great kid.”
    â€œThanks.” She kept her gaze on the table.
    â€œHe seems well