Once Upon A Rodeo

Prologue

Brantley Nash was growing impatient.

Methodically, he was tapping his fingers on the wooden surface of the bar that he was sitting at. He had been there for over fifteen minutes, with out so much as a glance from the bartender. Propping his chin up with his free hand, he let out a tired sigh.

It had been a long, irritating day.

Sunburn stretched across his back and up over his neck and caked on dirt covered most of his boots and some of his jeans. It was proof of his work; of the hours that he had spent out in the Tennessee sun, wrangling in his horses that had gotten loose that day. One was still missing.

Boy, was he glad it was Friday.

"What can I get for you, sweetheart?"

The bartender approached him just when he had let his thoughts drift away. Brantley returned his gaze to meet hers. Abby, as her name tag read, was a woman in her mid thirties with tired eyes and smile lines around her mouth.

When she spoke, she beamed at him. Even overwhelmed, the woman was bright and friendly. Brantley took in a deep breath, roping in his impatience. Twenty three years of his mother instilling southern manners into him would not allow him to be rude to this woman.

"Jack and coke, please."

A thick southern accent rolled off of his tongue as he spoke, and Brantley sat back in his seat as he watched her pour a generous amount of Jack Daniels into a cup. Good, he thought. He needed it. After she slid the glass across the bar at him, he took a long drink and set it back down.

The Walkers.

Brantley nearly felt himself bristle at the mere thought of the family name. He had lived in Hudson, Tennessee for four years - since he was nineteen. There had been business opportunities for his family that they could not pass up. His mother and father owned and operated a very large farm with many crops, while Brantley himself had began his own ranch - with animals in instead of crops - with the money that he had saved up since he was just a freshman in high school.

The Walker family had been the bane of his existence since the day that they had arrived in Hudson. They had picked and picked and picked about everything from the property line to how Brantley kept his cows.

Like it was any of his damn business. Brantley thought bitterly.

Five and a half months ago, the only Walker family member remaining in Hudson had died. Josiah Walker had been an old, grumpy man who made the Nash family life miserable every chance that he got. In no way had Brantley wished the man dead. He would never have wished for that. But he could not lie and say that his life hadn't been easier. He felt guilty every time he thought of it, but he couldn't say it wasn't true.

And now this.

The state government had a law that would let the state action off land if it wasn't claimed by next of kin in six months. The Nash family intended to buy that land, and the six month deadline had hit on Monday.

The land was within arm's reach of him. He could almost taste it. He was just about to go the realtor when the news came. Just hours after he had finished getting the money together, he found out someone had bought it the very day it went up for sale. Right out from under his nose! The man, by mistake, had let a name slip. Some Valentine girl.

"Another Jack and Coke, please," Brantley said, holding up the empty cup. Less busy, she was able to make it immediately.

His hand twitched around the glass as he gripped it harder.

He would get over it; he knew he would. He just needed time. There was other land. Not as profitable, nor as expansive but it was there. It was an unexpected bump in the road, but he would get over it.

"I'm sorry, but no."

Brantley heard the female voice behind him that called his attention immediately. He turned his head ever so slightly, his ears tuned in. Her voice was on edge, worried even.

A male voice broke in then, one he recognized as Ty Jennings. Ty was drunker than drunk as he spoke, his voice on edge - but a different sort of edge than the girls. His edge was aggressive.

"Come on, baby. I know you want it."

"I said no."

"Just let loose a little bit. Let's go."

Brantley heard some sort of scuffle around him and turned around just in time to see Ty stumbling back as if the girl had pushed him. Ty was very mad.

"You little cunt," He swore, raising his hand up to backhand the girl.

In one swift motion, Brantley grabbed Ty around the wrist and moved between the two with his back to the girl. In his drunken state, it took him a moment to realize what had happened. When Ty finally looked him in the eye, Brantley spoke in a low and dangerous voice.

One thing he did not tolerate was a man hitting a woman. Ever.

"Wrong move, Ty," He snapped, glaring at him. "You know damn well what happens when you put your hands on a woman around here. So unless you want to take this outside, I suggest you hightail your ass out of here. Now."

Ty's eyes widened at the threat. The two knew each other and Brantley had no doubt that Ty knew he was not bluffing. His ego, clearly bruised by Brantley, made him bristle. He yanked his wrist out of Brantley's grip and took a few steps backwards.

"Go fuck yourself."

Ty turned around then, staggering out of the bar like Brantley knew he would. The threat had not been a bluff, and Ty had realized that. Brantley was bigger, stronger, faster and most importantly - sober. Brantley waited until Ty walked out of the bar before he turned around, getting a good luck at the girl for the first time.

She was small, whoever she was. She barely made it to his shoulders. She was petite, but not too thin. She had tan skin with freckles scattered across her shoulders and some on her nose and bright, icy blue eyes. Long, curly chocolate brown hair reached her mid back.

"Are you okay?"

Brantley asked the girl, who still seemed a little bit shaken. She was trying to hide it though, her eyes trained on the door in which Ty had just left from. After a moment, she seemed to realize that Brantley was even talking to her. Her eyes met his.

"Y-yes. Yes. I'm alright. Thank you for that."

"We don't stand for that shit around here. Let me buy you a drink, calm your nerves."

She looked at the door again, and then back at Brantley and gave him a nod.

"My name is Brantley. Brantley Nash."

He stuck out his hand in for a handshake, and she took it as she spoke her own name.

"I am Kennedy Valentine."