Wrangling the Cowboy Page 12

“Yeah. Considering you ride a few times during the rodeo, it’s typically easier to be here than to commute.”

  When we make it to the giant fifth wheel, I get ready to knock.

  Maize glances over at me. “Do you miss it?”

  I look at her and contemplate my answer. “At times, but it’s dangerous as fuck and a rough sport. It’s well-known that each time you go out there, it’s not a matter of if you’ll get hurt, but when. After I went pro at eighteen, I pressed my luck a lot and knew I had to call it quits before I ultimately regretted it.”

  “Do you? Regret it, I mean?”

  I don’t have to think about it. “No. Retiring when I was at my prime was a good decision. I’ll always be known as a two-time world champion who stopped riding after my final win. I still get calls for interviews and reunion rides, all which I’ve declined. I’ve broken too many ribs and tore too many muscles and ligaments over the years to have the desire to do it again. And concussions? I’ve lost count. Trust me when I say I don’t regret stopping.”

  Maize’s expression softens, and she shoos me forward. I tap on the door, and seconds later, Cooper opens it wearing just his jeans.

  “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize a lady was present. I’ll be right out.” The door clicks shut.

  I turn to Maize. “So, do you know the rules?”

  “Of what?”

  “Bull riding.”

  She shakes her head. “I know some, but you’ll have to give me the CliffsNotes version, so I know what’s going on.”

  A few moments later, Cooper comes out fully dressed in a nice button-down shirt and jeans. Of course, he has on his black Stetson and flashes his million-dollar smile.

  “Ready?” he asks us.

  I chuckle. “Ready as you are, cowboy.”

  Cooper leads the way, and we follow him.

  “You gettin’ nervous?” I ask Cooper, and he slows down his pace, stepping in line with us.

  “Truthfully?”

  I answer with a nod.

  “I’m kinda losing my shit inside because what if I get hurt?”

  I point at my temple. “You gotta get your mind right before you go out there. We talked about this before. Each time you get on a bull, it could be your last. It’s why you have to respect the sport. When you’re out there, what do you need to focus on?”

  Cooper swallows hard. “Safety, my form, and the animal.”

  I pat him on the shoulder. “That’s right because you already know the risk.”

  The lights from the arena splash across the ground, and I hear the noise of the crowd. Just seeing all the people causes a spike of adrenaline to rush through me. It’s probably only a tenth of what Cooper is feeling. When Maize notices my shift, she grabs my hand and squeezes, but I stiffen.

  “Great. Now I’m getting nervous,” she tells me with a chuckle.

  “We’re gonna stay on the ground floor and watch. I’ll be with Cooper when he climbs on the bull until they let him loose. Now, about those rules,” I say, my voice dropping an octave.

  I think I see her shiver. “I’m waitin’.”

  Cooper goes to check in, and Maize and I stand in the dirt by the bleachers. When I look down, I notice she’s wearing cowboy boots, and it makes me smile.

  “There’s a rope around the bull’s neck with a bell on it. The bell is supposed to help the rope drop when the cowboy falls off. We use this stuff called resin to make the rope stickier, so it’s easier to grip.”

  “Learn something new every day.” She gives me a genuine smile. “So why eight seconds? I always hear that being talked about.”

  I nod. “Ahh. Yes. Well, eight seconds is the amount of time it takes for a bull to wear out and for the adrenaline to decrease. So, it’s a quick spurt of them being powerful motherfuckers, and then they kinda calm down after it. Trust me when I say seconds feel like minutes.” Though I don’t tell her that time seems to stand still in the same way when I'm with her.

  Her mouth falls open slightly, and I can tell she’s impressed. “That’s insanity.”

  An announcer comes on the loudspeaker, and Cooper returns. “I’m rider number eight. I’m gonna go sit on the bench and meditate or some shit,” he says with a grunt.

  “You’re gonna do just fine. We’ve practiced this over and over.”

  He gives me a nervous grin and leaves Maize and me to our conversation.

  “So judging. The rider is judged up to twenty-five points, and so is the animal.” I point over to where the judges are sitting. “Perfect score is a hundred, but it’s as rare as getting struck by lightning or winning the lottery.”

  “Well shit,” she mumbles.

  Her response makes me laugh. “You know how you always see riders with their arms up in the air?” I lift my hand and show her.

  She snorts and mocks me. “Mm-hmm, the typical cowboy riding a buckin’ bronco pose.”

  “That’s the one, and it’s for a good reason. Once the gate opens, you can’t touch yourself or the animal. You can only hold on with that one hand, and the other has to stay free, or you don’t get scored.”

  “You get disqualified? That’s messed up.”

  “Basically. Takes a lot of practice to keep that other hand away because you want to hold on with both because it’s a long-ass fall to the ground.”

  Maize glances over at me. “I think I have a newfound respect for these cowboys. I had no idea it was so intense.”

  I take my hat off and tip it at her.

  “Wait, how’d ya know what bull you’re gonna get?”

  “Ahh. Good one. You’re matched up. At some competitions, you can choose, but usually, it’s random.”

  “So it’s not like Tinder where you can swipe right or left?” She snickers, and I join in on her sentiment.

  Soon, the first rider is being loaded in the chute. Though the announcer says something, and the clock starts, I’m brought back to the last time I rode as soon as the gate opens. The bull was known for cycloning, which I fucking hated more than anything because I understood its dangers. When I fell off, he charged after me, and thankfully, one of the rodeo clowns deterred him. The moment I looked that big angry fucker in the face and stood on my feet, I decided right then it was my last ride regardless of how I placed. Little did I know, my score was ninety-seven, and I ended up winning the whole damn competition on one of the most notorious bulls at the championship.

  The only thing that brings me back to reality is Maize’s gasp. The guy falls and gets up and runs as fast as he can to the edge, where two people help him climb up. The clowns make a show out of getting the animal's attention, and the crowd goes wild. If it weren’t so risky, I’d find it entertaining. Maybe one day, I will.

  More men go, their scores not that high, and I know it’s getting close for Cooper. I take Maize’s hand and lead her to where the rest of the riders are impatiently waiting for their turn. Cooper comes and stands next to me, and I let go of her hand so I can give him a pep talk.

  “The scores on the board right now, you can beat them. You’ve got the upper hand. Stay out of your head. Keep focused, and you can win this and qualify. Guaranteed. Don’t be passive in that chute, Cooper. You gotta be aggressive and take control of that animal. If you need anything while you’re in there, you tell those guys who are helping you load.”

  He nods and lets out a howl. “I think I’m ready.”

  The man before Cooper gets ready to go, and the chute boss lets him know he’s next. Cooper waits to be situated on Troublemaker, a fire engine red bull who’s already pissed as hell. I never understood why and how they got names like this. Doesn’t make anyone feel good about getting on their backs.

  Maize stands off to the side, and I shoot her a wink as I climb the metal railing and keep giving Cooper positive reinforcements. Safety is what I’m focused on right now because the last thing I want is for my rider to get hurt. We’ve practiced for months, and he’s got it as long as he doesn’t psych himself out when he climbs on.

>   “You’ve got this,” I tell him one last time, then go stand next to Maize, watching his every move.

  Cooper puts on his helmet and mouthpiece, then gets in the bucket shoot. The guy who’s gonna be pulling on the rope to tighten it for him hands it over. He grabs the opposite side of the railing and puts his foot on the bulls back to let him know he’s there and is about to get situated. After a few seconds, he sits, putting his feet forward so he doesn’t break an ankle. Cooper starts loosening the rope and warms it up, then he asks for it to be tightened. The bull is already losing his mind, moving around and kicking the gate. A spotter holds on to Cooper, making sure he doesn’t fall or break something before they let him go.

  I’ve done this process a hundred times, but my nerves are fucking wrecked because it’s all so unpredictable. Maize stands next to me, and I don’t think she’s taken a single breath.

  He gets the rosin hot by roughly running his hand up and down it, and I can tell it’s getting real sticky. After he taps his fists against the rope, the helper releases it, giving him enough slack to grab it when he’s ready. The music is loud as hell, and the crowd is already excited. Funny how when you’re in the pen, you can barely hear anything other than your heart and erratic breathing.

  Once he’s finished warming his rope, Cooper puts his palm in position and wraps it the way I taught him. At any second now, he’ll give the nod, letting them know he’s ready for the chute to be opened. Those ten seconds pass so slow, but when he does, it all goes by so fast.

  His positioning is perfect with a straight back and his chin tucked. With his toes forward, Cooper rides with total control. I watch him and glance up at the clock. Five seconds. Six seconds. And right as it switches to eight, the buzzer goes off, and he purposely falls. He quickly bounces up with a big ass grin on his face and rushes out, waving to the crowd. I cup my hands around my mouth and yell his name. He sees me and points right in my direction, happy as can be.

  Maize’s beaming when I glance over at her. “He’s going to win, isn’t he?”

  “Yeah! He just won this whole damn thing! There’s no way the competitors can catch up to his score now.”

  She squeals and wraps her arms around me, and I love seeing her so excited about a sport I’m so passionate about.

  Cooper eventually finds me, and he’s on cloud nine. “I did it. I kept it simple just like you said. I felt like I was fucking flying!”

  I pat him hard on his back. “Fuck yeah. You placed, man. That means if you keep it up, you could go pro, join PBR, and become a world champ.”

  Cooper gives me a tight hug. “Thanks, Gavin.”

  “You’re welcome. Now get ready to go out there and smile real big for the cameras when you get your fuckin’ buckle. Congrats. You made me proud.”

  Cooper’s family meets him by the stands, and he goes over to them. They’re head over heels excited for him, just as I am. I let out a deep breath as I lead Maize over to the stands. We finish watching the riders, and I can tell she’s really into it. After it’s over, Cooper’s brought to the center of the arena where he’s declared the Eldorado Rodeo winner. He does just as I said and shows all his teeth when he’s handed his first buckle. I’m sure he’ll win many more after riding like that. The crowd cheers for him, and he eats up the attention. Hell, when I was his age, I did too.

  As the people disperse, Cooper finds me and lets me know he won’t be staying on-site tonight, so I can have the camper if I want. I happily take the keys, glad not to be driving home after all the excitement. After Cooper’s gone, I wrap my arm around Maize and pull her tight.

  “So, whatcha think?”

  She melts in my arms. “I’m impressed, like totally blown away by all of it. I’m just not sure how you did that for so long.”

  I grin. “Me neither.”

  We walk around the rodeo and grab some food because we’re both hungry. When I look at the clock, I see it’s just past nine.

  “You nervous ’bout tomorrow?” I ask her just as we finish our blooming onion and fried shrimp.

  “Yeah. But after seeing guys nearly get trampled by thousand-pound animals, I realize I don’t have it so bad.” She snickers. “And if I don’t place, I’ll just try harder next year.”

  “But if you do?” I ask.

  “Then I might gloat a little,” she admits.

  “You should ’cause you deserve it. You work too hard not to be recognized on a high level like this.”

  A blush hits her cheek, and in the distance, I think I hear a band play. “You like to dance?”

  She points at herself. “Who me?”

  I laugh.

  “Not getting amnesia again, are you?” I pop an eyebrow at her. She picks up a shrimp tail and throws it at me but misses.

  “I’ve been known to two-step a few times,” she admits.

  After we clean our mess, I lead her over to where a cover band is playing. A temporary stage was erected, and some people have blankets on the ground watching while others dance in the grass.

  I place my arms around her body as the group plays “Keeper of the Stars” by Tracy Byrd, a country classic. Her body fits with mine perfectly as we sway to the music. Maize looks up at the sky, and I follow her lead, humming the melody. The lyrics make way more sense with her in my arms like this. I silently thank the keeper of the stars for this moment.

  “Oh look, you can see Regulus perfectly,” she says, pointing up at the sky. I smile because all this time, I’ve been so amazed by her to notice the sky is full of stars. When another song begins, she looks up at me, and I place my hand under her chin and capture her lips in mine. Our tongues twist together, and that same fire I felt the first night we were together nearly burns me alive.

  She becomes breathless, and I want to lose control with her again, but I refuse to be the one to pursue it.

  “Gavin,” she whispers when we finally pull apart.

  “Hmm?” I say, leading her away so we can have more privacy.

  “Take me home with you tonight,” she tells me without hesitation.

  “You’re sure?” I ask, needing to know she wants me as much as I’ve always wanted her.

  “Absolutely.”

  The confidence in her voice is all I need to hear. I thread our fingers together, and we rush back to the RV, barely able to keep our hands off one another. It seems as if the sexual tension between us has finally snapped, and I’m not complaining one bit.

  Chapter Eleven

  MAIZE

  Right now, I need Gavin like I need air. He’s the only reason I didn’t completely lose my mind after delivering the food to the judges. Knowing I’d have the opportunity to spend time with Gavin tonight gave me something else to look forward to. As much as I’ve tried to turn off my attraction to him, I’ve found it impossible. My resolve has completely crumbled.

  When he unlocks the RV, and I step inside, my eyes go wide. This is a huge change from the small campers we used to camp in as kids. It’s like a damn mansion on wheels with a kitchen island, residential fridge, and recessed lighting. I rub my hand against the marble countertop, and my mouth falls open. “This is crazy.”

  “I know. They have way more options now than when I was traveling.” He grins, the continues, “You thirsty?”

  I pop a suspicious eyebrow and he chuckles, which is contagious.

  “Loaded question,” I say with a laugh.

  Gavin removes the space between us and captures my mouth with his. Immediately, my heart races as his strong hands seem to memorize my body. A moan escapes me, and I want him to dominate me and make me his again. Carefully, he removes my hair from the ponytail I’ve been sporting all day, and it falls around my face.

  “You’re so goddamn beautiful,” he says, studying me. “And you smell like barbecue.”

  A howl of a laugh escapes me. “Does this thing have a shower?” I ask, knowing it probably does.

  Gavin takes my hand and leads me to the front. We climb a few stairs, and he opens th
e door to a full walk-in shower with glass doors and his and her sinks. There’s even a real toilet. I turn and look at him with wide eyes because I’m actually shocked. “You’re kidding me right now. This is nicer than my bathroom at home.”

  “I know, it’s fancy. Shocks the shit out of me each time I walk into one of these things.”

  Slowly, he moves toward me and undresses me. His calloused fingers brush along my skin, and goose bumps form where he touches. I’m floating as he takes my chin and lifts my mouth to meet his again. I get lost as our tongues twist together, and I don’t know how much longer I can wait to have him. I’ve been fantasizing about this as much as I’ve been trying to forget it.

  Though we’ve had our ups and downs since he started working on the ranch, I’ve never stopped thinking about how he made me feel. Hell, I’d be willing to bet that’s impossible. Now that he’s standing before me, undressing me, I don’t want to think about anything but his mouth and hands on me. I want to live in the moment with him.

  After he unsnaps my bra and it falls to the floor, Gavin takes a step back and admires my body, lingering on my breasts.

  “You’re beautiful, Maze,” he says, and it only builds my confidence.

  “Thank you.” I move forward and slip my fingers in the loops of his jeans and pull him to me before undoing his belt buckle and top button. I move the zipper down and forcefully push his jeans to his ankles, leaving him in only his boxer shorts.

  Gavin bends over and takes off his boots and pants, then takes off his shirt. When I gaze down his body, I notice just how hard he is, and it makes me smirk. Gavin hooks his fingers in my panties and slides them down my body. It’s the first time I’ve been naked with him in way too long.

  His fingers thread through my hair, and I nearly melt into him as we greedily kiss. There’s so much pent-up sexual tension between us that it nearly slices through the air as he leads me into the shower. The water is the perfect temperature as he washes my hair and body. One thing about the man is he pays attention to detail and doesn’t miss an inch. When his fingers brush against my clit, I’m nearly putty in his hands. It doesn’t go unnoticed as he palms my breast. After I’m washed, I return the favor.