Stockman’s Showdown (The Stockmen #4)

Forty

The crowd roared as Ryder entered the rodeo arena on the back of a bucking cross-bred Brahman bull named Chainsaw.

Bree was on her feet, her heart in her throat as the massive beast plunged, leaped, and spun in the air, stirring up the dust, with Ryder holding on with one hand, his other arm in the air, in the most dangerous sport on the planet.

Chainsaw snorted in fury, his eyes white and wild, twisting his body desperately to get that man off his back. The seconds seemed to trickle into hours as she watched on, horrified.

How on earth did her grandmother survive watching Charlie ride rodeo bulls, driving interstate for a simple eight-second ride, when there was nothing simple about this. Eight seconds he had to hold on for, and not touch the bull or himself with his free arm that he held high in the air.

Poor Granny Bea, watching those sharp horns gouge into her grandfather’s chest, injuring him so gravely that it took Charlie a year before he rode a horse again. He was lucky to be alive.

And Ryder. Whatever possessed the normally sane, stern, plan-everything and do-nothing-spontaneous Captain, to ride a one-tonne bucking bull!

She counted down the seconds in her head. Three… Four… Five…

The crowd started counting. ‘Six… Seven…’

Bree couldn’t tear her eyes off the scene, holding her breath with her fingers crossed.

A siren blasted.

And the crowd erupted in cheers. Some threw their hats in the air.

Behind the arena’s fence, on the working part of the rodeo, Charlie, Craig, Dex and Ash all took turns hugging each other, jubilant for Ryder.

Ryder jumped off the bull.

He’d made it.

Only then did Bree breathe.

Ryder raised his hat to the cheering crowd as Chainsaw safely trotted away through the open gate.

Bree clapped her hands, the numbness swapped for the prickles in her fingers as she smiled at him. He’d done it.

But instead of returning to the back of the arena, with all the other rodeo riders, Ryder strode across the arena. He climbed up and over the railed fence that protected the audience, then hiked up the bleachers with the tassels shifting on his leather chaps, his eyes shaded by his black hat, heading straight for her.

‘What are you doing?’

‘This.’ He took off his black hat and placed it on her head.

‘You did not just do the cowboy-hat rule on me!’ In front of the entire town!

‘A bet is a bet, lady.’ Bundling her up in his arms he brushed his mouth against hers, softly, slowly caressing her in a kiss that felt like more than just a kiss.

‘I’m claiming my prize,’ he mumbled against her lips.

She gripped his shirt with her fist. ‘Promise me, you’ll never do that again.’

He paused.

‘I will not go through that again. Not like my grandmother did for Charlie. No more bulls.’

His smile grew, and it was slow and sexy, she was helpless to resist.

‘I promise. Now let’s seal that deal with a kiss.’

She should have fought against it, but the way he kissed her it was drugging her, as his strong arms cocooned her to lean her back in a Hollywood style–kiss, leaving her with no choice but to hold his shoulder, and his hat on her head, as he claimed her with a kiss that was long, slow and tender as the rest of the world faded away and it was just her and Ryder.

There was no hiding their relationship now.