Chapter 25
Cole had never been to an event in New Orleans and he was beginning to remember why. It was one thing to wander around in the heat with an ice coffee, it was another to load up Bodie and all of his gear and drag their butts to the event.
He’d called them an Uber. Bodie could blame it on him, tell everyone the suit didn’t want to walk a mile and some in the heat for all he cared. It was too damn hot to schlep, and he wanted Bodie fresh and ready for his ride.
Every little bit helped, right?
He was also a little wired on sugar and caffeine. He’d had a gooey pain perdu for breakfast and two iced coffees since. Bodie was spoiling him rotten.
They’d been on two ghost tours, they’d been on a trolley, and they’d hit about thirty bars.
They spent hours sitting in the shade, people-watching. They’d been swimming, taken long afternoon naps to avoid the hottest parts of the day, and long cool showers together.
He’d known eventually they’d end up here, back in an arena, but it had been a perfect week. He was an idiot in love. Big-time love.
And he was an idiot in love with a man who threw himself on top of bulls and tried not to die.
Which probably made them both idiots.
He chuckled to himself as he went to find his place in the stands and squinted out over the dirt to see if his cowboy was warming up. It was one of the best parts of the event after all.
Cowboy calisthenics were some of the best things ever. The squats. The lunges. The twisting? Damn. He could just watch that and go home.
Sure enough there were a few cowboys out there, but he didn’t see Bodie yet. That wasn’t too surprising, since his cowboy rode close to last, if not absolutely last.
He hated this part. He’d never loved worrying about his clients, but he’d never been in love with one before. This was almost painful. It certainly made him sick to his stomach at least, and the long wait for Bodie’s turn to ride didn’t make that easier.
Just then, he caught a flash of a familiar smile and realized Bodie was out there after all, loose-limbed, laughing with the others, not worried at all.
That was supposed to help him feel better, right?
This was supposed to feel better?
Bodie’s confidence was almost enough. Almost. He knew everyone worried now and then—mothers, wives, friends—he could try not to be one more heart adding worry to the air.
He took a breath and found a smile, then waved to Bodie, letting his cowboy know he was there and he was watching.
Bodie grinned at him, nodded, then went back to stretching and loosening his arm.
That was what he needed to do, and Bodie’s warm grin made him smile.
Now he’d get to work, concentrate on something else—someone else. A new rider to represent. He had his eye on a few this season, he’d see who gave Bodie the toughest run for his money and then make an offer.
He could represent a number of riders, make some good money, and Bodie could relax.
Something deep in him whispered, ‘retire’.
They’d talked around the idea a couple of times, but he couldn’t ask. Not yet. Not until Bodie won the championship again. It wasn’t far off, but it was far from a sure thing. There were no sure things in bull riding. The only sure thing was them.
But after that, after Bodie won, the endorsements and media offers would be a sure thing too. After Bodie won his second round, he could ask the world.
He could, and he would.
So his cowboy had better fucking win. That was the energy he wanted to put out into this arena. Into what was left of the circuit.
Bodie gave interviews, cheered on the rookies, gave good face, and Cole loved how much of a pro his man was. A professional, a good man, someone to look up to.
Someone the league would want to represent them. Would he rather keep Bodie to himself? Sure. Sometimes. But this could be a way out without really getting out. Win-win, right? And there was plenty they kept just between themselves.
He took his seat, nodding to the familiar faces of family and friends around him.
“I heard about what Bodie did last weekend,” Mitch’s hubby Chris leaned over and said to him. “He’s a good guy, balls to bones.”
He nodded, going for professional even though half the people around him probably knew better—or assumed. “He’s a class act. He makes it easy to represent him, for sure. Don’t tell him that, though, he’ll just say it’s what anyone would have done.”
“Yes, but it’s not what anyone but him did.”
“Agreed.” He snorted. “I don’t know if he was brave or stupid or both, but it got the job done.”
“Oh, he’s a cowboy. Both. Absolutely both with a shot of deep belief in his immortality.”
He nodded slowly. “Mhm. And I’m just getting a grasp on that last bit.”
“It took us all a while.” Chris winked at him. “Bodie’s one of the most logical.”
Yeah, they weren’t fooling Chris at all, were they? He grinned. “He’s got a plan, for sure. He knew what he wanted when he tracked me down. I think we’re working well together.”
“It looks like it. I’m pleased. Bodie deserves folks in his corner.” Chris winked and sat back in his seat.
He couldn’t have agreed more. Bodie deserved a lot of good things, and he was trying to be one of them.
He leaned back and stretched his legs as much as he could manage in the stands. As they’d been talking, the cowboys had left the arena and now the pre-show antics were almost over. All that was left was the riding.
Please, let his cowboy ride and make it through the weekend uninjured.
Please.
Bodie was flying.
Three over ninety-point rides.
Three!
That won him the event, got him an amazing check, a guaranteed in for finals, and a shit-ton of points.
He was ready to hit the town for one last evening of partying and then take his man home to Boulder for two whole weeks.
Cole came out of the bathroom in this birthday suit, whistling, damp hair combed neatly. “What does one wear to celebrate one’s lover kicking ass?”
“Jeans and a T-shirt, for lo, it’s hot out there.” Mmm… pretty, pretty. He approved.
“Only cowboys wear jeans in hot weather.” Cole dug in his suitcase, pulled on briefs and found a pair of shorts. “I want a cold drink and maybe… maybe a hot dance.”
“Sounds perfect. I want some shrimp too.” He loved them, and they were good for him.
“Spicy shrimp.” Cole agreed, strapping his feet into a pair of sport sandals. “I’m so ready.” Cole took a couple of quick steps toward him. “Champ.”
He grinned, nodding. “Still love how that sounds. I am gunning for a second championship, dammit.”
It wasn’t a definite thing, but it was becoming more and more possible.
“As you should be. With the media and endorsements you’ll get, you could even retire on a second championship.” Cole blinked at him. “Uh. You know, if that’s what you wanted to do.”
Bodie tilted his head. “I told you what I wanted when we met, honey.”
He wanted to have enough to get out of the game without being hurt, dammit.
“I know.” Cole nodded. “You did. But circumstances were a little different then.”
“Not this. I want to get out of the game with money and my health. That’s what I want.” Pure and simple.
Cole pulled him into a gentle kiss. “You handle the health part, and I’ll handle the money.”
“Then you tell me when I’m ready to do this, huh?”
“I will. Not today.” Cole winked at him. “But today we get to celebrate a killer weekend.”
“With one hell of a paycheck!” He grabbed Cole and took a hard, happy kiss. “Come play with me, honey.”
“You know it.” Cole smiled at him, and he was struck again by how young Cole looked when he was smiling. He spent so much time conducting business, talking money and acting older. Cole hurried to their hotel room door and opened it. “Shrimp, here we come.”
“Nom nom nom, honey.” He cracked up, tickling the shit out of himself. “Having a good day?”
Because he sure as shit was.
“I can’t imagine a better one.” Cole followed him out. “So Chris knows. About us.”
“Not surprising. He and his guy have been retired a while, and he still keeps his finger on the pulse of things.” Skylar knew. Hell, probably a number of the guys ‘in the know’ knew.
“He gave me a little nod of support at the event yesterday. It felt good to be acknowledged. Included.”
“Do you want me to do more?” He usually didn’t make his private life public, but he could, if Cole needed him to.
“No, I didn’t mean that. I just meant it was nice to know where the allies are, you know?” They stepped out into the warm evening, and Cole sighed.
“You ready to head home? Get back to the mountains?”
“I am. I have had the best time, really—you showing me around, the exciting event, being able to fly under the radar a little. But I’m ready to be in my bed.”
“I’m ready to be in your bed too.” Bodie bumped their shoulders together. Hell, he was ready to be in bed, in the mountains, out of the humidity.
“Our bed. Home where we belong. God, it’s hot out here.” Cole chuckled. “Where are the shrimp?”
“I bet we can find them in a restaurant,” he teased. “Come on, sexy.”
“Okay, then.” Cole took his hand. He wondered how long it would take him to get used to that.
“Hey, I think that’s the bull rider. We saw him last night.”
He didn’t look around, because he wasn’t supposed to hear the words, obviously, but it was so hard, to not let Cole’s hand go.
He didn’t, though.
He held on.
Cole squeezed his fingers, and he figured Cole had heard the words too. They just kept walking silently, until the moment had long passed.
That had felt fairly serious, and he wasn’t sure what to say, so he didn’t. He breathed.
“Okay. Well, that happened.” Cole stopped and looked at him.
“It did, and the world didn’t stop turning.” Bodie started to grin.
Cole searched his eyes for a second, then slowly smiled back. “It didn’t. And we’re still hungry for shrimp.”
“We so are. I try not to eat seafood in landlocked states.” But he could eat his weight in shrimp here.
They hadn’t taken two more steps before someone else was calling his name.