Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Cam was heading back to the pens behind the arena to get Fire some feed and make sure he had water when his buddy Dale Brooks stopped him with a shout from across the times event gates.
“Cam! Hey, man, I got a favor to ask.”
Aw shit. Here it went. He’d managed to avoid most of the guys who always needed favors for four days. Looked like his number was up.
“Hey, man.” They shook hands after Dale jogged up to him. Lord, that was a big boy. Cam wasn’t small like a roughstock guy, but Dale was a bulldogger, and he had some heft to him.
“My hazer is sick. Food poisoning from the cheap-ass shrimp buffet last night. You think you could stand in?”
He pondered that, chewing his lower lip. “Not on Fire. I tried hazing on him once, and he bit the bulldogger’s horse.”
Dale hooted. “Sounds like your damn gelding. You could use Terry’s horse. He already gave me permission.”
He fought not to sigh. It was what? Twenty minutes of work from saddling the horse to finishing the run? “Okay, yeah. Sure. When are you up? I don’t have a day sheet yet.”
“I’m doing my run, third in. I really appreciate this, man. It should be just up-down, you know? I wrestle that bitch to the ground, and then we’re done.” Dale grinned at him, one gold tooth shining.
“Yeah, no problem. It ain’t no big thing. I’m happy to help.” Besides, at some point, he’d need a favor of his own, wouldn’t he?
“Thanks, man. You’re riding nice.”
He nodded, because so far so good. “I’m in the money, ready to get home and do Christmas.”
“Yeah, I hear you got kids to go home to.”
“Do you now?” Shit, gossip moved fast around here. “Who did you hear that from?”
He got this chuckle. “I heard it from Elmer. I think Elmer’s sister Ashley knows your sister Kacey.”
He nodded. Shit, it was a small world, incredibly tiny. “So, what is the rumor now since it’s come down this far?”
Dale shrugged. “Just that you hooked up with a guy who was bad hurt, that there’s three kids, so there’s a little Cowboy Santa collection being taken up for the girls.”
Cam blinked, not sure if he ought to be pleased or embarrassed because he could take care of his kids.
Except they weren’t his kids.
But they were kind of his kids, and he could make sure they got Christmas, but it was awful sweet that folks were thinking of Mitch.
He may be—God, he was tired of having to think so damn much and feel things.
It was just asinine. Did everybody have to feel all this shit all the time?
How did he manage to go thirty-some-odd years and not ever have to feel a goddamn thing, and then all of a sudden he had kids and worries and pride and love shit to deal with.
It sort of pissed him off.
Kinda made him feel like an idiot too.
But then again, it made him smile.
“Show me where this horse is. Gelding or mare?”
“Mare.”
Oh, God help him. God knew Fire could be temperamental, but mares could be downright evil.
“Goodie. Just what I need.”
Dale snorted. “Oh, don’t worry. She’s a sweetheart. She knows her job. Copper Penny just goes up and down like a dream. She could probably do it without somebody on her back.”
“Aw, she’s one of those, is she?” He liked to hear that.
“Yeah. She’s steady as all get-out. No worries.”
“Well, I like to hear that.” He followed Dale over to introduce himself. And sure enough, the red mare was standing there looking around ready to work. “Well, look at you, pretty lady, how’s it going?”
She blew her lips in greeting, and he stroked her nose, loving on her.
“We’re going to help Dale out, you and I. Then we’ll be done for the day, hmm?” Because he wasn’t going to haze for anyone else, dammit.
She bobbed her head at him, as if she absolutely understood him. Hell, he knew she got it. She had a job, then she got feed and brushing, and at the end of the event, she got a whole month before the stock show season started in January.
They took a couple of turns out on the soccer field just to get a feel for one another, and he had to say, Dale had been right. She was easy as all get-out to ride, totally happy to be out here doing her job. And when it was time to line up, there she went. She was trained to a treat.
Cam would buy this little girl from Terry in a half second. Somehow he didn’t think Terry would be near as enthusiastic about that idea as he was.
Still, he might could ask if he could take her home. Let Copper Penny and Fire hang out. Find a stud for her. Hell, stallions were problematic. He’d get himself a couple straws and take care of that problem.
He’d have to watch it though. If he even thought about another horse too hard, Fire would bite the fuck out of him when he got into his stall.
He nodded to Dale as they got up, watching the guy before him, a big old boy named Leon. The man was quick to be that size — fast as fuck and deadly accurate, like a rhino in the savannah.
He didn’t think Dale had a chance in hell to make the time, but that wasn’t none of his. He didn’t have to worry about it. All he had to do was show up and ride.
When it was their turn, the calf busted out through the barrier, and Cam steered right along, keeping that poor critter straight and narrow while Dale followed on its heels.
He’d feel more sorry for him, but the better that steer ran, the longer he got to live and not be hamburger, so…
Dale slid off his horse and grabbed the steer, all was good and well, the critter on his back in fairly good time.
He and Copper Penny got right out of the way, and that was that. He was going to be done, and then he’d get to the hotel and—
He recognized the sound of something hitting the arena floor in front of the horse about a half second before the firework exploded.
The world turned red, yellow, and blue for a heartbeat before Copper Penny reared up, damn near screaming.
Clinging to the horn, for a second, Cam thought he had it; he really did, but then she slammed down with her front feet trying to kill whatever it was that was burning.
Fuck him.
He went right up over her head, his eyes filled with a thousand colored sparks before everything went black.