Thirty-eight
Bree sat on the bleachers beside Harper. Sitting with them was Sophie, snapping away with her camera at the crowd, the bugs swirling high on the lights, the arena, and pretty much everything that moved. She was as happy as Harper was showing off her new hat.
‘Oh, look. Ash texted me this photo.’ Harper held up her phone screen, showing an image of Ryder all dressed up to ride a freaking bull.
The stubborn fool!
What’s worse, Charlie stood on one side of Ryder, with Cowboy Craig on the other. As a man with a deep love for the sport, the retired rodeo champion seemed truly delighted to share his knowledge with someone like Ryder.
Maybe Ryder wasn’t such a fool after all.
‘Harper, can you send me that photo?’
‘Sure.’ Harper tapped away on the screen.
In a few moments, Bree’s phone buzzed in her handbag. She dug it out, saving the image as her new screensaver. It’d been a long time since she’d seen Charlie back among the local rodeo crowd again, wearing a pride you couldn’t buy.
Then the bank of towering lights became brighter, and the music died down.
‘It’s about to begin…’ Bree sat higher. ‘Get your camera ready, Sophie.’
A voice boomed over the speakers, welcoming everyone to the event, then introduced each rodeo rider into the rodeo arena as part of the opening parade. ‘Cowboy Craig…’
Craig came out, waving his hat in the air to a chorus of wolf whistles from the ladies in the crowd. He was clearly popular.
‘Ryder Riggs.’
Bree tried to hide her smile, watching Ryder with that sexy, powerful swagger, his thick thighs flexing with each step as he stood beside Craig. No smile. No wave of the hat, just his usual grumpy arse.
She put her fingers to her lips and whistled super loud. It echoed, while making the people sitting in front of her wince. ‘Sorry.’ Not sorry. Because she got Ryder’s attention, who patted down his vest like a proud peacock.
Bree blew him a kiss.
Finally, he found his smile.
Craig said something to Ryder, and they chuckled between them while standing in line with all the other rodeo riders. It was good they got along. Craig was a part of Charlie’s family. As for Ryder Riggs…
‘I can’t believe Ryder is doing this,’ said Harper. ‘You know, he didn’t talk to me for a month when I first came out here. He still barely does.’
‘Me too. No, wait, Ryder gave me the big brother's speech.’ Sophie then said in a deep voice as if to imitate Ryder, ‘Hurt my brother and I hurt you.’
‘That sounds nothing like Ryder.’ But it had them giggling like teenagers on the bleachers.
After introducing all the rider’s names, the MC tucked the clipboard under his arm, as he spoke to the crowd over the microphone that bellowed through the speakers surrounding the arena. ‘Before we begin tonight…’
‘Here we go,’ said Bree, on the edge of her seat.
‘I’d like you all to welcome a local legend. A three-time Australian Bull Riding Champion, with a trophy case full of awards to prove it. Please give a round of applause to our very own local champion, Charlie Splinter Splint.’
Hot tears peskily blurred her vision as she watched Ash and Dex help push Charlie into the arena. With that bandy-legged swagger of a rodeo rider who’d lived in the saddle for most of his life, Charlie waved to the crowd.
Bree clapped harder and cheered louder for her grandfather as he walked past the younger rodeo riders who clapped for him, to stand between Ryder and Craig.
In Charlie’s lifetime, he’d done many amazing things, and bull riding was one of his passions that he shared with many a rider over the years, many becoming champions themselves. But this moment, among his local peers, was priceless.
Again, the MC’s voice boomed over the speakers. ‘I only recently learned that Charlie’s brother, Harry Splint, whose remains were found in a cave, was proven innocent in a sixty-year-old murder mystery—solved by our very own Senior Constable Porter.’
It was easy spotting Porter patrolling the crowd in his police uniform, and the way he dropped his head, getting all humble when his name was mentioned. Porter deserved the public recognition, especially among the locals.
The MC addressed the crowd: ‘I’d like to extend our condolences to Harry’s family, especially his brother Charlie, and ask you all to join us in a minute of silence to honour the passing of a fellow stockman.’
In an arena filled with wide-brimmed hats, the crowd rose to their feet and removed them in unison. Men, women, and children all took part, as their excited voices, cheers, and conversations all became silent.
Not even a horse nickered, nor a bull made a sound, as the seconds passed, and the entire arena bowed their head in silence for Harry Splint.
Charlie had never wanted to give his brother a funeral, in fear of the local backlash. This was so much better.
Bree sniffed, dabbing at the tears threatening to trickle down her cheeks and ruin her make-up, her heart glowing for those in the centre arena where her grandfather stood beside Ryder and Craig.
Charlie looked up at her and gave her a nod—his silent way of saying, Thank you, kid. The gesture filled her with a warmth that almost started a gush of tears. Her feeling of guilt for not supporting her grandfather over Harry had finally been put to rest, and her grandfather could lift his head proudly with their family name now publicly cleared.
But when Ryder caught her gaze, his nod communicated so much more. She felt it, deep within her chest, even deeper in her heart, and into her soul.
Then a much more terrifying thought charged at her like bull, leaving her both breathless and terrified over Ryder, in his rodeo rigging, preparing to throw his life away for an eight-second ride. It had every muscle inside her body coiling with tension.
She recognised that feeling all too well. It was the same fear that had haunted her nightmares when she was younger—the fear of losing someone you loved. Only this time, it was a thousand times stronger than she had ever felt before.
It was only then she realised… She was falling in love with Ryder Riggs!