Blame It on the Rodeo by Amanda Renee Read Free Book Online Page A

wear anyone out and Shane reasoned Lexi had probably overdone it, rushing around trying to be Wonder Woman. The rising temperatures were getting to all of them and Shane decided to end class early so the kids could go down to the river for a swim and cool off before they demonstrated some of their techniques for the crowd later.
    Opting to stay behind, Shane had successfully avoided spending any length of time around children since he lost Dylan. One-or two-day rodeo clinics meant attachments were impossible. When Cole and Tess adopted Ever, he became an instant uncle to a precocious four-year-old. By her fifth birthday in April she’d grown to be such a part of his life, he actually sought her out every day. It pained him to think he’d once stood in the way of her progress at the ranch. In eight months, her ability to walk doubled. And with a hippotherapy facility in her own backyard, she didn’t have to travel the three hours to therapy anymore.
    Once Shane saw the children and adults come to Dance of Hope for therapy evaluation before the grand opening, he finally understood why this project was so dear to his father. It might be too late to apologize for trying to block the facility from being built, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t do everything in his power to make his family proud of him. He not only wanted their approval, but he also wanted Lexi’s.
    With all the children on the ranch, thoughts of Dylan had hit him harder than they had in a decade. Shane wondered if the teen ever sat in the stands during his rodeo events. There were times he caught himself checking the rider roster for Tab’s name even though Shane knew he’d long since retired.
    Plodding toward the small stand-alone office behind the main stables, Shane entered the air-conditioned building. A built-in table wrapped around the entire room and the computers were connected to the main office inside the barn, saving people from traipsing across the courtyard. Shane logged on to the system and opened the web browser.
    Cole dropped paperwork into the inbox on the wall as he entered the office. “I’m surprised you didn’t go with everyone else down to the river.”
    “Nah.” Shane typed Dylan Fanning into the search engine. “I have some things to finish up.”
    “Don’t do it, Shane.” Cole stood behind him, staring down at the words on the screen. “Leave it in the past. You know he has a good life with Tab. Why are you dredging this up now?”
    Because all these kids remind me of what might have been.
    “Note to self, buy a laptop so I can have some privacy.” If he knew more about Dylan, he’d have some peace and closure. Anything was better than not knowing. At the very least Shane wanted to find out if he was riding in any of the junior rodeos.
    “For the little you use the internet, I’d go with an iPad,” Cole said.
    “You know you sound just like Dad?” Shane glanced up at his brother, wishing Cole would leave him alone. This wasn’t a moment he wanted to share with anyone.
    “Dad would have told you to look it up on your phone. It’s capable of doing the same thing.”
    Shane continued to stare at his brother incredulously. Turning back toward the screen, he let his finger hover above the enter key. Shane swore silently, knowing his brother was right. He pressed and held the delete key until all the letters in Dylan’s name disappeared. Annoyed with himself, he stormed from the office and went to check on Siempre, one of their newborn foals. Animals loved you unconditionally, no matter how much of an ass you made of yourself.
    * * *
    L ATER THAT AFTERNOON Mayor Darren Fox stood before a microphone in front of the equine facility, Kay by his side. “Thank you for joining us today for this momentous event. I am pleased to introduce Kay Langtry, CEO of Dance of Hope.”
    Applause spread throughout the ranch when Kay took her place at the microphone, the townsfolk gathered before her.
    “Thank you.” Pulling a tissue