31. Reid
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
reid
LAST DECEMBER: THE NATIONAL FINALS RODEO, LAS VEGAS, NV
W elcome to the tenth and final night of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo!”
Adrenaline coursed through my veins as the announcer welcomed fans into the Thomas they were already starting the next event and we’d have to rope soon.
“Are you all right?” Colter asked, voice low and rumbling.
“Mm-hmm, yep. Fine. I’m fine.” I choked out a wobbly string of words, attempting to reassure Colter but failing to convince myself.
He gave me a suspicious look, like he didn’t quite believe me, but he didn’t push the subject.
Breathe, Reid.
I looked around, subconsciously identifying five things I could see: the dirt on the arena floor, Colter, the bucking chutes, flags hanging from the arena rafters, and the full grandstands; three things I could hear: horses and livestock, the cheering of fans, music playing in the arena; and something I could feel: sweat, warm and sticky, pooling on my palms.
“Ladies and gentlemen, our next event is the team roping. You’ve seen them compete all week now. We’ve got the fifteen best headers and heelers in the world tonight! Let’s kick it off with…” The announcer called out the first team roping pair.
We were set to rope thirteenth in the lineup. There was no predicting the time we’d have to clock tonight; on any given night, it could be in the three-second range or the five-second range—you just didn’t know how everyone else would compete.
We waited for our names to be called, keeping our arms warm by occasionally swinging our ropes and calming our restless horses.
Five-point-two.
Four-point-seven .
Four-point-three.
Each time a team roping duo moved up the leaderboard, I made a mental note of what our time would have to be to win the round.
“Our next team roping duo comes out of Silver Creek, Montana. They’re neck and neck for the number-one spot in the world standings right now, sitting second with total earnings of $217,246 and $215,382 respectively.” The announcer read off our stats, and I tried my best to block out all of the noise surrounding me. “Rodeo fans, let’s hear it for Colter Carson and Reid Lawson!”
Colter nodded to me, and we rode our horses into the roping boxes.
I tilted my head both ways, cracking my neck and closing my eyes. Chants and cheers amplified, and my senses were overwhelmed by the atmosphere.
I snapped my eyes open, looking over at Colter and giving him my signal that I was ready. I gripped my rope and the reins harder, focusing all of my attention on roping.
Then Colter nodded and the chute was opened.
The steer bolted from the chute, and Colter’s horse waited a split second before exploding out of the box in a show of pure athleticism. My horse followed shortly after, racing after the steer.
As Colter swung his rope, pressure crept up my skin, making my stomach drop and my body itch. I blinked, trying to focus as I started swinging my rope.
“That’s a clean catch for Colter Carson!” the announcer called out.
Come on, Reid!
I followed, ready to throw my rope as Colter turned the steer .
We need perfect timing. We need this.
Two more swings over my head, and I saw my opening. I locked my eyes on the honda and my target and threw the rope. The loop seemed to float—suspended in the air—time moving in slow motion.
Colter’s eyes grew wide, and the arena teemed with anticipation from the crowd.
And then everything froze.
The rope missed the steer’s leg by half an inch, and it kept running as the rope fell to the ground. Dust flew into the air, and the thud of rope hitting the ground seemed to repeat in my head like an echo chamber—though it was too loud in the arena to actually hear it—as the reality of what happened sunk in.
I missed.
Knuckles rapped against my hotel room door.
“Colter, go away. I don’t want to talk,” I grumbled loud enough that he could hear from outside.
“It’s me.” Isa’s voice floated through the air.
I got up to walk over to the door, looking through the peephole to make sure Ellison or any of the guys weren’t with her. I didn’t have the courage to face Colter right now. Or any of the others for that matter.
It was only her, so I opened the door to let her in. “Hi.”
“Hi.” She walked past me—her arm brushing against mine—heading to the couch in my room.
I followed her, letting the door slam and the lock click firmly in place .
“Did Colter or Ellison send you?” I asked, a slight accusation in my voice.
A pained expression flashed across her face before she shook her head. “Nope. I came on my own terms.” She sighed. “I wanted to make sure you’re okay. I know you’re disappointed.”
I sat next to her. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.” For the first time in my life, I felt like I had let Colter down. I was the reason he didn’t have a World Championship buckle. “It’s my fault.”
“It’s not. It could have happened to anyone, Reid.”
“I let him down. I knew how badly he wanted this. We were so close…” My shoulders slumped, and I looked down at my feet, the weight of shame crushing me.
“Look at how far you’ve come, though. There’s always next year. And the year after that.” She wasn’t wrong, but it didn’t stop the intense guilt from gnawing at my brain.
“I just wish I could have done better. For Colter.”
“I know. But Colter isn’t going to hold it against you. And I know you know that.”
I looked back up at her, seeing the concern in her eyes. “Thank you,” I whispered.
She studied my face, her expression soft. “For what?”
“For coming here.”
“I’ll always be here for you, Reid. You can come to me with anything, you know that right?”
“Yeah, I know.” I hung my head again, my shoulders drooping and the disappointment coming off me in waves, before taking a deep breath—one with my whole body. “You too, okay? Doesn’t matter what it’s about. You don’t have anyone else? Come to me.”
“Okay.”