It’s been a while since I’ve hosted Velia Armano from the Bull Rider Series for a Short Snippet Saturday post. This one comes from Howdy, Ma’am.
Set-up: A couple days before this snippet, Velia’s father and two of his men had flown in from Chicago to accompany her to court in Tucson, Arizona. While in court the day before this snippet, her ex had threatened her. Her dad sent one of his, ahem, men home with Velia in case Justin followed her back to where she rented an upstairs apartment from an elderly couple. It also happened to be the first night Velia had invited Caulder to dinner. Caulder had arrived right after a horrific incident to find Velia passed out on the floor. Along with Roy, Caulder had spent the night to keep an eye on her, but he had left earlier. (He must’ve had to practice on a bull.) 🐂 Well, now mamma is in Tucson, too. This snippet takes place the next morning.
Revised from the original to avoid spoilers.
Ric and Lidia Armano arrived at the door the next day. Roy promptly followed his boss to the car where they met Nero. They stood talking for some time.
Later, she walked back and forth from her window to the door, debating on going out. Her mother sat on the bed, watching her pace across the room. Velia’s head pain had eased, but her bruises had worsened. When her mom saw them, she cried, and when her dad saw them, he’d probably send for his lawyer to take care of Justin in court…or otherwise.
Justin.
Why couldn’t he leave well enough alone? What would he have done if Roy hadn’t been here? Would he have hurt Alice and Edward? Would she be alive today?
She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the chill from the horrible thoughts. Lidia hugged her and Velia cried. Her mother’s familiar, loving arms comforted her, and she let it all out as her mom smoothed her hair and cuddled her like a child.
“Your father will be in soon. You can’t hide from him forever.” She handed Velia a scented lace handkerchief like she’d done when she was small. She inhaled the perfume that spoke madre. Velia wiped her eyes then went to the bathroom to hold a wet washcloth over them and reapplied makeup to the non-swollen eye.
She headed downstairs when Edward let her father inside. Her dad wrapped his arms around her. His eyes misted when he saw the bruises. “He has done this before. I do not understand why you didn’t tell me. You’re a strong woman. Why did you put up with this, Velia?”
Velia wanted to think up a lie, but she had done enough lying while living with Justin.
“Why did you not tell me?”
She whispered, “I know what would’ve happened.”
“Sì, and then…” He pointed to her face. “This would not have happened.”
“I’m sorry.” Velia lowered her voice. “I couldn’t allow something to happen to him.”
“So you sacrificed yourself?” His voice grew louder.
“I suppose. What’s going to happen to Justin now?”
Ric shook his head. “Our lawyer will encourage the prosecutor to ask for time in jail for assault and breaking and entering.”
“But he didn’t break in, padre.”
“Yes, he did. Did he not break in, Roy?” her father asked.
“Yes, sir,” Roy replied. “He nearly broke the door down.”
Velia glanced at Roy. She knew it had to be this way. “He’s a crazy fool. Do you think he’ll get out on bail? I have to leave for my tour with Caulder soon, and I don’t want to worry about Justin following us.”
Ric placed his hand on her shoulder. “I can’t say for sure, but Lauren will do what he can to keep him in jail.”
“If he gets out, I won’t go with Caulder. I’ll be putting him and who knows who else in danger.”
“I understand this, angel, but Justin will never hurt you again.” Ric lowered his voice and embraced her. “You’ll be safe, even if I have to send Roy on tour with you. Si?”
Velia knew if her dad said it, it would be true, but she’d never allow Roy to babysit her on the road. She didn’t want to know what else her dad had planned concerning Justin.
Learn more about the Bull Rider Series on the series page here. Available at Apple, Nook, Amazon, and Kobo.
Meet Velia on the Meet Our Heroines page.
Read an interview with Velia.
Thanks for reading. Enjoy your weekend.
If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again. ~Flavia Weedn, Flavia and the Dream Maker, ©Flavia.com
with Jake Lawton as a foreman and now owns part of Jake’s ranching supply business. However, his luck with women sucks. Isn’t it awful for a romance hero’s love life to suck? In all fairness, he hasn’t been a book hero, but I’ve had so much fun turning him into one. Wade is worthy of being called a romance hero now.
Well, now that I’ve taken care of my own questions and answers, I must admit… It took me two weeks to decide to unpublish. Right after, I nearly hyperventilated. I had to take deep breaths and laps around my apartment. My chest hurt. I thought I might have a heart attack. Then, suddenly, the tension of making the decision rolled off my shoulders.
Let’s put some boots on our guy’s feet. The cowboy boot fits nicely into the stirrup. They’re sturdy for whatever jobs he has to take care of during the day or night. He has more than one pair of boots. Sometimes you’ll find his boots to be dusty and worn—his favorites, but sometimes they’ll be shiny and new. Some ranchers are now wearing lace up boots for working. He’ll spill coffee on them, step in horse or cattle manure, or do a two-step on the dance floor. Hey, cowgirls… Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. That’s why they make soap and hand sanitizer. He’s your guy. When he’s dog-tired after a long day of hard work, feel free to pull them off for him. He’ll thank ya for it. *Wink* Remember to thank him for it, when he does the same for you. He will on occasion.
said? I can tell you, my knees buckle when he shoots that dangerous grin my way. Oooh, what about his to-die-for wanton smile? You know the one where it shows in his eyes, too? The one he gives when you wonder what he’s up to next? But, goodness, when his face lights up with that special look, it TELLS you what he’s up to next. When he smiles at you in this way, you know your feet won’t be on the floor much longer. Am I right? Sigh. Who moved my fan? (I’ll use one of my own cowboys for an example–Caulder McCutchen, my bull rider.)
