Chapter 15
Hayden
It was stupid to think I wouldn’t be affected by being here.
It’s opening night of the Cole County Rodeo, and I’m not competing.
It was one thing to end the season on the sidelines, but starting a new one in the same position feels a lot like an omen.
And a bad one. I take several slow breaths as I watch from my place along the fence.
“Hey, cowboy.”
I turn, stepping back in surprise when I lock eyes with Miranda. I haven’t seen her since that awkward as hell meal we shared after returning from picking up the mares. Her full lips are curved into an inviting smile, and it takes me a moment before my brain registers that she spoke to me.
“Hey, Miranda.” I give her a small smile.
“Doing okay?”
I focus my attention on the arena before answering.
The screens light up as the announcer begins his opening ceremony presentation.
There’s no stopping my wince when I see photos of myself during the montage from last season.
Especially knowing there’s a good chance those are some of the last images of me on the back of a bucking bronco.
It’s not like I need to compete to make a living; I own a cattle ranch, which allows me to live comfortably.
But being a bronc rider is what I know. It’s what I love. It’s who I am.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I somehow manage to answer even though I feel like I’ve swallowed sand.
Miranda remains quiet beside me, but I feel her gaze. When I finally turn to face her, she doesn’t look away. Instead, she studies my face with eyes that just might be looking right through me. It’s unsettling.
When she still doesn’t speak, I break the silence between us. “You’re staring at me.”
“Sorry,” she says with a small smile.
Silence stretches between us for several long moments before we both turn our attention back to the arena.
I watch as Trinity enters on her chestnut mare, carrying the American flag.
We don’t have a chance to say anything further before the national anthem begins crackling through the speakers.
Quickly removing my hat, I give them my full attention.
And when it’s over, I turn back in time to see Miranda walking toward the stables.
As much as I want to watch until she disappears behind the weathered walls, I force my attention back to the arena, reminding myself it’s amateur night, so I wouldn’t be competing anyway…
But that doesn’t do much to lighten my mood as I watch the weekend competitors line up to be announced.
This will be the first opening ceremony of the season that I’m not lining up with them since…
well, since I can remember. A weight settles in my chest as I think back on all the rodeo seasons I’ve participated in.
I can’t even remember a time when the rodeo wasn’t a part of my life.
Instead of paying attention to the ceremony, my mind drifts back to my first memories of Boulder Ranch.
As the son of a rancher in Cole County, Boulder Ranch has always been a big part of my summers as a kid.
As soon as school would let out for the summer, this is where I’d spend my free time.
I didn’t have a lot of it since I am an only child and the family ranch took so much of my time, but it was an incentive to get all my chores done.
The sooner I finished with chores, the sooner I could rush here to get in some practice rides and hang out with my friends.
Looking around, not much has changed aside from the newly constructed cottages that sit behind the main house.
The same tattered wooden fence borders the property along the entrance.
If I close my eyes, the sights and smells transport me back thirty years to the Boulder Ranch I knew and loved as a kid just starting out.
“Hey.”
Tate’s voice grabs my attention, and I spin to find him standing off to the side with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.
We’ve been friends for a long time, so no doubt he can tell I’m struggling over here on this side of the gate.
Hell, what man would be okay watching people do the one thing that’s been taken away from him?
“Hey, Tate. How’s it going?”
He huffs. “I came here to ask you that.”
Folding my arms across my chest, I mirror the stance of my long-time friend. His expression is riddled with concern, which only makes my mood spiral further. I take a slow breath before turning back to face the arena.
“Yeah, I’m good, boss.”
I look over in time to catch him flick his gaze toward the heavens. “I’ve known you for a lot of years…”
He doesn’t elaborate, but he doesn’t need to. I’m full of shit, and he knows it. When I fully face him again, I find him in the same spot with his gaze still narrowed at me.
“I’ll be fine. Just have to get used to being on this side of the arena, I guess.”
After a moment, he uncrosses his arms and leans against the gate, watching from beside me.
The timed events are first, and I watch as the first tie-down roper lines up.
I don’t recognize him from last season, but when he races out of the gate after the calf, it’s obvious he knows what he is doing.
The crowd goes wild, and even I find myself standing closer to the gate as he secures the rope around three of the calf’s legs.
Quickly glancing at the clock, I see a little over five seconds.
Impressive. I look closer once again, and he still doesn’t look familiar.
It isn’t surprising, considering this isn’t one of my events and there are always new faces at these smaller rodeos.
But usually, someone with this much skill has been around the circuit.
“Not, bad, right?” Tate says from beside me as if reading my mind.
“Damned good, actually.”
“I met him over at Silver Fox Ranch last year and convinced him to come out here and compete. As good as he is, he’ll have a good chance at bringing home a win,” Tate explains.
I grunt in agreement. He’s right. It’s not often we see someone compete here for the first time and go out like they’ve been here a hundred times.
The event is the same regardless of where the competition is held, but no matter the sport, people tend to perform better when they are familiar with the location.
“Nice. I hope he comes back to compete for the rest of the season. He’s impressive.
Anyway, you need me to do anything? I don’t plan to stand here and watch all night.
Obviously, I’ll be out there to help with the new bronc riders, but if there’s something I could be doing to help out in the meantime… ”
Tate drags his hand over his beard before looking in the direction of the stables. “We decided not to have the new girl come in tonight since the start of the season is always a bit chaotic. I’m sure Joy could use some help in there since it’s just her and Miranda.”
I struggle not to react to his suggestion. Of course, I have no problem helping in the stables; I’m not good for much else with this fucking shoulder. But I was really hoping he’d need me somewhere else. Somewhere that isn’t right beside the woman I’ve been trying my damnedest not to think about.
“Unless there’s some reason you don’t want to work in the stables?” Tate suggests, his eyes boring into mine.
I don’t look away, but his dark gaze tells me all I need to know.
He suspects something is going on between Miranda and me.
It wouldn’t be hard for him to put things together.
To figure out she was the person I was with in the supply room when we bumped into each other at the end of last season.
And for some reason, I don’t want to deny anything to him.
“Well, I better get in there. You know where to find me if you need me for anything else.”
Without another word, I turn and make my way into the stables. There’s an odd combination of hope and dread filling my veins as I get closer to the entrance of the large wooden structure. As soon as I lay eyes on Miranda’s light brown tresses, all feelings of dread vanish.