A Montana Rodeo Star (Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts #7)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

This was it.

His whole life was spent leading up to this moment and he was going to make it count.

Brent had been in a couple rodeo events over the years but nothing too difficult.

He’d tried out barrel racing before he realized that it was usually a woman’s sport.

Then he’d tried reining competitions but realized he didn’t have a knack for controlling his horse like that and training for the events at home would have raised several red flags.

He was good at the tie-down roping, but he didn’t get the kick of adrenaline that he did when he merely thought about getting on a bucking bronco.

The courage it took to get on an unpredictable animal in the first place was daunting.

His heart pounded hard in his chest as he placed a boot on the rail of a fence and watched Tate Dennison stay bareback on a horse that definitely didn’t want him there.

Guys like Tate and his brother Jason were naturals.

They were well on their way to becoming stars like Jacob Hines. That man was a legend.

This was only practice but there was nothing like getting in the arena and showing what he was worth. One day he was going to be good enough to garner the attention of a sponsor. That was the dream anyway. As long as his parents didn’t stand in his way.

His forearms rested on the metal bars, and he heaved a sigh.

Judd and Heather Gilley might live on the ranch with their whole extended family, but his folks didn’t seem to fit.

His mother had grown up on a ranch. Her sister, Brent’s aunt Jennifer, helped run Sagebrush Ranch with his uncle Eli.

And those two were country folk through and through.

They knew how to roll up their sleeves and do what it took to run a ranch with livestock and farmland.

Not for the first time did Judd wonder why his parents had agreed to move to Sagebrush. To be closer to family, sure. But his parents didn’t have much of a hand in working the property. Instead, they let their sons do the work any ranch hand could.

Brent wanted more. He wanted the whole lifestyle.

His eyes followed Tate as the man was finally flung free from the horse he’d been working with. He landed with a grunt and scrambled toward the fence before the horse could get to him. He sported the widest and quite possibly wildest smile known to man.

That.

That right there was why Brent wanted this.

He wanted to live, to take chances, to get messy.

He’d spent far too much of his twenty-five years playing the obedient son.

What did he have to show for it? He wasn’t married.

He didn’t have kids. Heck, he didn’t even have a career he liked.

Sure, he enjoyed working at the family’s ranch, but there was something missing.

Brent saw in real time how his older brother had changed once he found the right career path. Now the guy was working to be a horse dentist. Who in their right mind wanted to be a dentist let alone one that worked on horses?

He shook his head and chuckled to himself then pulled away from the fence as Tate came closer.

“Hey man! What’s up?” Tate looked identical to his brother. They were both tall, broad, and fit. They had brown hair and dark eyes. A smile could light up their faces, but if you got on their bad side… Well, it was best to run the other way.

Brent pulled him in for a guy hug. “That was awesome. You competing tonight?”

Tate ran a hand through his sweat-dampened hair and glanced over to where his brother was preparing for his turn. “Nah. Tonight’s more for the rookies.”

Nodding, Brent fell into step beside him. “Right. So that’s why I’m here.”

Tate stopped and turned toward him. “Brent…” That tone. The single word paired with an arch of his brow said it all. He knew all about the rules in the Gilley household. “Do you think that’s good idea?”

“I’m an adult. I can do what I want.”

“You’re an adult who still lives with his folks,” Tate pointed out.

“Yeah, well, I’m not married and it’s nice to live at the ranch when that’s where I work.”

Tate chuckled. “And what about that fight you had with your parents? I heard it got bad.”

Brent waved a dismissive hand. “I’ve competed before.”

“But tonight’s show is all about the riding events. You’ve steered clear of those so far.”

“And I’m done doing that,” Brent insisted. “That was always the plan, remember? I’m not getting any younger.”

Tate shook his head. “And you haven’t trained enough to make it worth it, either.”

“So, train me.”

They stared at each other. The topic of training had come up a couple times, but mostly when they’d been joking around late into the night.

Brent had never been serious about it. This desire to make something of himself had only started to burn brighter as he’d witnessed his cousins moving on and starting families.

“Come on, Tate. You’re one of the best I know.”

He scoffed. “What about Jacob?”

Brent shook his head. “He’s too close to Hallie. At some point she’d figure it out and then she might tell my parents. I’m not willing to risk it.”

Amused, Tate cocked his head. “So, you’re admitting he is better.”

“Technically speaking, he is a star with a contract and a sponsor… so…” They grinned at each other, then Brent sighed. “There’s a big event at the end of the summer. If I can practice enough over the next several months, then I might have a chance to get some attention. Can you help me?”

Tate’s eyes searched his face as if he’d find the answer to his own questions there.

Behind him, Jason had climbed onto the back of the bronco they’d been working with.

The animal spun and coiled like a spring before jumping and twirling.

Jason took it all in stride, holding on like the pro he was.

But Tate didn’t give him any attention. Finally, he sighed.

“You’re set on doing this, aren’t you.” It wasn’t a question.

“With or without you,” Brent confirmed.

He blew out a breath and gazed up at the bright blue sky. A gentle spring breeze ruffled his hair and he gave a short nod. “Compete tonight. Jason and I will watch. We’ll make our decision after we see what you got.”

Brent could have whooped right there, but he refrained. “Thanks man. See you there.”

Shaking out his hands, Brent shuffled from foot to foot. He’d thought his nerves were bad this morning when he’d asked Tate for help in training him.

Nope. Those nerves were nothing compared to the anxiety plaguing him now.

He was about to be called up for his turn and he wasn’t sure how it was going to go.

He’d opted for the traditional bronc riding competition rather than the bareback.

He figured the familiarity of the saddle would help but he could be wrong.

The stirrups were free-swinging, there was no saddle horn, and all he had was a cotton rope to hang onto.

It wasn’t that he was scared of getting hurt. That was the furthest thing from his mind. Honestly, he just wanted to stay in the saddle for the eight seconds. That was the bare minimum.

The cowboy before him got situated in the saddle and held the rope out high. He nodded to the gate operator and the bronco was released.

Cheers in the stands ripped through the air, adding to the surge of tension that filled the stadium. Brent watched his technique, how the cowboy held on, the way he relaxed his muscles, his foot positions, and everything else he could soak in before his own turn came up.

Tate and Jason stood off to the side, arms folded as they took in the current rider as well. They were too far away to hear, but their heads were together as they spoke to one another.

Time to show the Dennison twins what he was made of.

“Number thirty-seven. You’re up.”

Brent nodded and strode toward the chute. He climbed up and into the enclosure and got ready.

“Yo, Brent.”

He lifted his head and found Tate draped over the gate nearby. “Don’t forget to lift your spurs above the horse’s shoulders when you exit. It’d be a rookie mistake.”

Brent nodded. He was aware of the rule, but in the moment he wasn’t sure he would have remembered to do so.

Swallowing hard, he nodded to the gate operator and the horse shot out.

Everything was a blur. Time slowed to a crawl as Brent focused on staying in the saddle.

Could his brain knock around in his skull?

Because that was what it felt like. One hand in the air and the other tightly gripping the rope, he made sure to focus on not falling.

Eight seconds felt like an eternity when it came to not falling out of this dang saddle.

Back and forth. Up and down. Around and around. His breathing was heavy and his muscles ached. He was definitely going to be sore after this.

And just as quickly as it had begun, it ended.

Everything went black for a split second and when he opened his eyes, he was staring at the sky overhead.

Someone grabbed his hand and yanked him to his feet to help him out of the arena.

Adrenaline still coursed through his body and yet he felt a little dizzy.

He made it to the metal enclosure and climbed out of the arena.

A heavy clap on the back and laughter rang in his ears and he winced. Maybe he had a concussion.

“You did good, man. Barely made it the eight seconds, but you got it.” Tate was speaking. And he was smiling. That was a good thing, right? His eyes lifted to Brent’s forehead, and he frowned then turned to his brother. “Get Faith. She should probably look at that cut.”

Brent lifted his fingers to his forehead and they came back bloody. He cursed. “Do I need stiches?” He wouldn’t be able to hide that from his parents.

“Don’t think so,” Tate assured him. “But you should probably get it cleaned.”

Nodding, Brent found Jason already returning with Faith at his side. She was beaming at him like she always did. Out of all of Tate’s sisters, she was the one he liked the most. She was quiet, kind, and smart as a whip. Her laugh was the absolute best.

“You did amazing, Brent! I can’t believe that was your first time.” A little groove formed between her brows and she lifted her fingers to the tender spot on his forehead.

He sucked in a sharp breath.

“Sorry,” she murmured. Faith took his face in her warm palms and moved his head side to side, dragging his face closer to hers.

He could smell cinnamon on her breath, and it mingled with the floral scent of her shampoo.

It was familiar and comforting. They weren’t close by any means.

No one was really allowed to get close to Tate’s sisters.

He and his twin were too protective, and they’d made it clear in no uncertain terms that Faith, Wren, and Lydia were off limits to the cowboys living in Rocky Ridge.

“The good news is that I don’t think you need stiches,” Faith chirped. “The bad news is that it’s gonna sting like no other when I clean it. I should probably use a butterfly bandage, too.”

Tate clapped Brent on the back again. “Good work, Gilley. Let Faith patch you up and then come find my brother and me. We want to talk.”

A thrill of excitement overtook all the aches and pains from that first attempt at bronc riding. He’d done it. He’d proven he had some modicum of talent to excel in this field.

“Come on, cowboy,” Faith said with a smile. “Let’s find a place to get you cleaned up.”

They settled on a bench a good distance from the bustle of the arena. She sat in front of him and made quick work of disinfecting his cut. He watched her face, noticing the little lines of concentration that formed between her brows when she wanted to ensure she was doing something right.

Her blue eyes found his and she smiled warmly.

She had golden brown hair and usually it was pulled back from her face.

Today was no different and there were whisps of hair that had fallen out of the ponytail.

“Jason said that you want him and Tate to train you for the national event at the end of the summer?”

“Yeah,” Brent said. Then he winced when she pressed the alcohol swab to his wound.

She flinched. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s not your fault. Honestly, it’s not so bad.”

She nodded, but didn’t say anything.

“You’re really good at this stuff.”

Her eyes found his before flicking away. “I’ve got lots of practice fixing up my two boneheaded brothers. Honestly, I can’t tell if they can even feel pain.”

Brent chuckled. “You ever consider going into nursing or something?”

“Or something,” she bit back a smile. Her eyes locked with his for another moment. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why did you do this? The rodeo isn’t exactly for the faint of heart. I’m sure you know that, but… I just never saw you as the type to willingly put your body at risk.”

“I don’t see it that way,” he confessed.

“It’s more…” He squinted and stared up at the sky.

“It’s more like a calling. I’ve loved the rodeo since before I can remember.

My parents have never been interested and didn’t take me, but when I’d come to visit my cousins in the summers when I was a teenager, I came to every rodeo I could.

The cowboys riding those bucking broncs are…

” He blew out a breath. “It’s amazing, you know. And it calls to me.”

She finished pressing the bandage to his forehead and her hands fell to her lap. “Yeah, I suppose I can understand that.”

He lifted his fingers to the bandage. “You think this will scar?”

Faith shrugged. “Probably. But hey, girls like scars, right?”

Brent huffed out a chuckle. “I guess you would know.”

Her cheeks pinked and she turned to gather her things. “Tate and Jason said they’d wait for you over by the south side of the arena. Good luck.”

“Thanks, Faith.” He pointed to his head. “For your help.”

“It’s nothing.”

Brent grinned and headed toward the arena. Time to face the music. He wasn’t sure how he’d react if Tate and Jason refused his request. He just had to pray they’d take pity on him and get him on the right track.