12. Twelve
Twelve
Rhett
“One more ride.” Lachlan’s voice rang in my ears as I walked Buckle up to the gate.
“One more,” I repeated. “This was too long of a trip,” I admitted, even to myself. Tonight, I’d be packing up my mare, pulling Wyatt away from the buckle bunnies and making my way back to the ranch. Darren, Jaxson, me, then home.
“It’s been ten days,” Lachlan grumbled.
“Ten days too long.”
“You’ve been gone longer. Speaking of . . .”
“Ha, I knew it.” Having a phone call from Lachlan was unusual when I was on the circuit. I would get a few texts here or there, but once I saw his name on my phone, I knew there was something that he needed an extra set of hands for. If I didn’t answer, I would hear about it later. “What needs fixed?”
“A fence out in the field, a windstorm blew it over.”
“Kyla didn’t mention a windstorm.” I furrowed my brow.
“Why would Kyla have mentioned it?”
“We talk . . .” I slipped my foot in the stirrup, using my free hand to hoist myself into the saddle. “A lot.”
He gave a small mmhmm . “She was probably in the house, or at your place. I was on the land. It was a big storm, but to her it was probably just another day. She spends most of her time with Abi, actually. When she’s not with Aunt Lottie or reading with Stetson, you can find her with Abi.”
I swallowed, the lump falling into the pit of my stomach. Just envisioning Kyla at the ranch made my entire world freeze around me. Seeing her with Stetson, with Abi, cooking with my mother, it all seemed possible. Keeping her. I didn’t hear the cheers from the crowd or Wyatt as he talked about the event. All I could focus on was Kyla at the ranch.
“She even got Abi to open up about Sylas,” Lachlan continued, hitting me with a curve ball I hadn’t seen coming. Abi never talked about Sylas. “In a way, it feels like she belongs here.”
She belongs here.
I swear my heart skipped a beat. A small flutter filled my chest.
She belongs here . . .
“That’s a no score for Darren.” I heard Wyatt’s voice boom over the speaker. “A no score.”
I blinked, a shaky sigh leaving my lips, forcing my attention back on to the event, on Buckle under me .
“That’s um . . .” I stammered. “That’s big.”
“Yeah, I’m not too sure what Abi is going to do once she moves on out. But anyway, that fence, you’ll be home for a while after this tour, right?”
Lachlan had no idea what he was saying. This was a normal conversation for him, but a hopeful realization for me. Could I get her to stay?
“. . . sometimes they get a runner, a few broken barriers, and next thing you know your standing drops. The no score may bump Darren down a few.” Wyatt’s fellow announcer, Sam, added to the dramatics. “But up next, we have Jaxson Hue who is currently sitting at . . .”
I closed my eyes tight, willing my heart to beat normally. “Yeah—yes. I’ll be home, but now . . .” I looked around for a rodeo hand, someone to force me back to the event.
“One last ride. See ya soon.” Lachlan hung up without even saying goodbye, and my screen went black. I tossed it to the assistant.
Trotting Buckle up the gate, I saw Darren leave, his chin down, the rim of his hat clouding his eyes.
“Had a runner?” I asked as he passed, thankful for the distraction to pull me back into the here and now. I needed to stop thinking about what Lachlan had said.
“I need a drink,” he murmured back, lifting his chin up.
“Meet after?”
He waved his arm in the air, not answering my question.
I coughed a laugh as I passed him, my hands feeling for the rope on the horn, instantly picking it up and shoving it between my teeth. Jaxson flew from the gate, chasing and roping that calf down for his fastest time this season, and then it was my turn. Back in the moment I took a deep breath as the chute dropped, the calf bolted free, and I took off, stopping Buckle at the right moment for me to jump off to wrangle the calf down, throwing up my hands to signal I was done.
It didn’t matter how many times I did this. It was a rush. Every. Single. Time.
She belongs here.
The crowd cheered as I tipped my hat as I climbed back on Buckle and waited the six seconds, but once that calf was free, Buckle bounded back to the gates. I patted her neck and did my best to ignore the little voice in my head.
“Rhett Hartwell giving us quite the show, with a 7.8!” Sam’s voice boomed. “You know your brother, Wyatt, do you think he’s trying to beat his time?”
“Always, Sam. I’ve never seen Rhett back down a ride, he knows that his best was a 7.6 and he sure as hell knows he can beat it one day,” Wyatt answered.
Damn straight I’m going to beat it.
“Back home he’s beaten the NFR World Record at a 6.2, but he knows those calves and how they work. Here he only knows Buckle, but man do those two make the team. Rhett currently holds first place for tonight, let’s see if he can hold it there.” Wyatt’s voice faded as I left the gates, with Buckle’s hooves hitting the pavement.
I jumped off Buckle, digging in my pocket for a peppermint to give her as a reward for a great run, and she nudged me with her nose. I scratched her nose, proud of my girl.
“7.8, Hartwell?” I heard a voice come up from behind me. “You ain’t gonna beat that 7.6 this year. ”
Zeke was a friend—a fellow roper—who had been with me almost my entire career. Currently he holds the number two slot for the national standings. He had a mocking tone to his voice, but behind it there was a hint of jealousy. Zeke always strived to be the best. He wouldn’t take a fellow roper down by any means, but his comment still stung a tiny bit.
“And who walked away with a broken barrier,” I reminded him, grabbing Buckle’s reins. “Come on Zeke, you know we aren’t in competition.”
“But we are,” he added, catching up to me and Buckle. “We may be friends, but there’s nothing wrong with a little taunting.”
“A little?” I side-eyed him. “‘You ain’t gonna beat that 7.6 this year.’” I quoted him.
“All in good fun.” He slapped my back.
“Need I remind you, I’m in first, asshole.”
Zeke scoffed, rolling his eyes before taking his hat off. “How’s the city girl, the one who’s been keeping you from drinks every night.”
“Not every night, and she’s just a friend.”
Except Lachlan’s words still ran in my head. It feels like she belongs here.
Inhaling and opening Buckle’s stall, I shook the thoughts from my mind.
“Yeah . . .” Zeke groaned, leaning against the gate. “Just a friend.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I changed the subject as fast as I could. “How’s that broken barrier going to affect your score?” I asked, unhooking Buckle’s saddle .
Zeke groaned. “One broken barrier doesn’t mean anything in the long run. It won’t hurt my chances at getting to Vegas.” He smiled, the groan completely vanishing as he gained his confidence back. “At least I got the calf.” He chuckled, referencing Jaxson’s run. “We meeting at the bar tonight?”
“I’ll be there.”
“On the phone?”
“Nope. Having a drink with the boys. Then home for the Fourth. You’re coming to that right? You signed up?”
“I did, and hell yeah I’ll be there.” He pushed himself off the gate. “I never miss it. Will the city girl be there? Will I get to meet her?” he prodded.
I held back the glare. As much as I wanted her to be there . . . “I doubt it.”
Giving me hum he smacked the metal gate. “Yeah, well . . . see ya tonight.”
I gave him a quick wave and turned my focus back to my horse. She bobbed her head as the reins came free, leaning down to the hay that sat on the floor. Giving her another scratch I reached for my phone, bringing it to life to see a text from Kyla, and my lips curved up.
Kyla
Abi . . . has asked me . . .
What? I furrowed my brow and watched as the three dots danced.
Kyla
TO HELP BIRTH A COW!
I let out a laugh and Buckle pulled her head back up to me, turning and nudging me with her nose.
Pulling off my glove with my teeth I responded back as fast as I could.
Me
Go into my closet and grab a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. You don’t want to wear your clothes doing that. It’s a once in a lifetime experience, Baby. Just add it to that list.
Kyla
Yeah, COWBOY. MY LIST? Never even thought about being a part of something like this.
Me
Go experience it. Then you can tell me all about it when I see you.
Kyla
Oh, I bet it will be quite the story of me staying out of the way.
Oh yeah, I thought to myself as I imagined Kyla in the birthing pen, she belongs here.