Chapter 22
Gemma’s spurs jingled against the chute as she climbed up the side. Not far away, Holly was busy pitching a real hissy fit in her stroller. She didn’t even stop crying when Trace picked her up and held her close to his vest. He’d ridden just minutes before and beat both Billy’s and Coby’s tie of eighty points by one point. Now all she had to do was put the baby’s cries out of her mind, do her eight seconds, and beat them all.
She felt the horse tense against her knees. She cleared her mind, got prepared for the mark out, then nodded.
The announcer screamed above the Omaha fans and said more in eight seconds than Gemma could have thought in eight hours. “Look at her ride, cowboys, and cowgirls. She’s got that bronc under control. The only woman in the contest this year, Miss Gemma O’Donnell, and she’s showing the boys how it’s done again, let me tell you.” He went on and on, but the only thing Gemma heard was, “And there’s the buzzer. She’s stayed with him the whole time. Let’s see what the judges have to say about that ride from Gemma from Ringgold, Texas.”
She was on the ground with her hat in her hand when she heard the news. “Well, darlin’, that was one helluva ride, and you taught that big black bruiser who was boss, but it looks like Trace Coleman wins this round. You racked up eighty points to make it a three-way tie for second place. You didn’t win this round, honey, but we’ll see all four of you again in Vegas in December where it’s anybody’s game and the stakes are high. And now we’ll go right into the bull riding.”
Gemma bowed to a noisy crowd and walked out of the arena. The tie that started back in Lovington had finally been broken. Trace was ahead by ten thousand dollars, but they were both going to the finals.
A cold breeze kicked up, and Gemma hurried to the place where she’d left Trace and Holly. Her cell phone rang, and she answered it without missing a step.
“So, do I put the next shamrock on the horseshoe that has playoffs written in silver glitter and is hanging on the side of the refrigerator?” Maddie asked.
“No, Mama. I missed it. Second place with a three-way tie, but I’m going to Vegas. So is Billy Washington, Coby Taylor, and Trace.”
“I’m sorry, darlin’,” Maddie said. “I know you wanted to go as the number one contestant, but the important thing is that you’ll be going to the finals. We’ll all be there. Whole bunch of us are flying from Dallas out there. Except for Jasmine and Ace. She says she can have a baby in the plane, at the rodeo, or in a Vegas hospital, but Ace says she is not flying when she’s that close to her due date. Done got a whole suite of rooms reserved so don’t be making any hotel plans. How’s that baby girl?”
“I’m surprised you can’t hear her. I’m heading right toward her and she’s screaming her head off. Here, Trace, take this phone and give me that child,” Gemma said.
“Hello?” Trace said.
Gemma crooned to Holly. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m here. I should’ve taken you with me. I could’ve held you in my rein hand and still got a high score.”
“Congratulations, Trace,” Maddie said.
“Thank you. Will we see you in Vegas?” he asked.
“Oh, yes, but we will see you and the baby a couple of weeks before that. My house rule is that all my kids come home for Thanksgiving,” Maddie told him.
“Is that an invitation?” Trace asked.
“No, that is an order. Now give the phone back to Gemma. If she could ride a bronc and hold a baby at the same time like I just now heard her say, then she can hold a baby and talk to me,” Maddie said.
Trace handed the phone to Gemma.
“Yes, ma’am,” she said. “We will. I promise. Call everyone for me.”
She jammed it into her vest pocket and looked at him.
“What?” she asked.
He grabbed her around the waist and hugged both her and Holly at the same time. “We made it, Gemma. We’re going to the finals.”
“Was there ever a doubt? I’m still going to whip your sorry old ass even though I’m in love with you, cowboy.”
“We’ll see about that, darlin’.”
“What now?”
“Now we go home to Goodnight and live until the second weekend in December.” He kept an arm around her shoulders and pushed the stroller with the other hand as they started toward the stands.
“Hey, you two—good rides!” Coby yelled from the shadows.
“Same back atcha,” Gemma hollered.
“See you in Vegas where neither one of you is going home with the cash or the glory,” Coby said.
“Bring it on, big boy,” Gemma taunted.
“You should’ve left the rodeo with me the night you passed out and you wouldn’t be strapped down with a baby,” he smarted off.
Gemma handed Holly to Trace and covered the ground between them in long strides. “What did you say? Were you the one who dosed my beer that night?”
“Figure it out for yourself. But remember, I could’ve offered you a helluva lot more than Trace Coleman has given you,” he whispered.
Gemma moved up to within an inch of Coby’s nose. “Thank you. If you hadn’t put that in my drink, I’d have never fallen in love with Trace.”
Coby’s blush was so crimson that Gemma could’ve lit a cigarette off the end of his nose. He opened his mouth, but nothing would come out.
“When you get on the bronc in Vegas, you remember that losers seldom win anything and only a loser would dope a woman’s drink to get her into bed. A real man doesn’t have to use anything but charm,” Gemma threw over her shoulder.
“What was that all about?” Trace asked.
“He’s the one who drugged my beer that night. I was thanking him because I got you out of the deal,” she answered.
“Okay, let’s take Holly up in the stands and watch the rest of the rodeo.”
“I figured I’d have to fight you when you found that out,” she said.
“Darlin’, you told me way back there that you fought your own battles. And besides, I agree with Teamer. You are as big a force as Grandma Coleman,” Trace said with a chuckle.
Chopper McBride swaggered over to them and stuck out his hand. “Congratulations, son. I was on my way to buy a beer. Can I get you kids one?”
Trace shook with the old rodeo legend. “Thank you, sir. We’re on our way to the stands. We’ll get one on the way. Appreciate the offer, though.”
“Y’all both gave us a run for our money all season.” He chuckled. “Truth is I made a few hundred bettin’ on one or the other of you all summer. And now I don’t know where to put my bet for the finals. I reckon you could tame the devil, Trace, but Gemma, she’s going to make you work your ass off for it. She might even whip your sorry old butt when the time comes. So, who do I put my money on?” he asked with a gleam in his eyes.
“On me,” Gemma said. “I’m going to win.”
“What you got to say about that?” Chopper asked Trace.
“I’d say that she is full of hot air,” Trace answered.
Chopper guffawed. “Okay, then, I’m going to put half my money on Trace and the other half on Gemma. That way I win no matter what. Now turn that baby around here and let me look at her. Y’all look like a regular family, but you got to get her some chaps and boots. Can’t never start ’em too early.”