Chapter Eight #2
Oh, wonderful, he remembered me trying to talk to him while his girlfriend sucked his brains out. “Yes, Mr. Nash. I apologize for interrupting you and your girlfriend. I was hoping this would be a better time?”
He sighed and looked down, kicking the dirt with his cowboy boots. “I was hopin’ I would get a chance to apologize to you. That was-”
I held up my hand. “Please, that was unfortunate timing on my part.” I took a long breath, hoping it would make me feel more confident than I did. “Is now a good time?”
It obviously wasn’t. He had been off the horse for more than 60 seconds, was shaking from an adrenaline crash, and looked like all he wanted was a chair and water. But he nodded and gave me a big smile. “Of course, ma’am.”
The announcer was introducing the next event, steer wrestling, and it was getting loud again.
“Um, let’s find a quiet place,” Colton said, throwing a glance over his shoulder. “Please,” he gestured forward. I waited for him to go first so we could follow, but he placed his ungloved hand on the middle of my back to guide me forward. Billy was practically skipping behind us.
I could’ve died right there.
His hand was warm from the glove, and I could practically feel the calluses through my dress.
After a few feet, to my disappointment, he dropped his hand. He led Billy and me a few yards away from the arena, next to a few horse trailers. “Is this alright?”
“Perfect,” Billy answered, aiming the camera in his face.
He was wearing a burgundy shirt that made his cheeks look even rosier than they were. I couldn’t help but look at the fabric wrapped tightly around his muscular arms.
I smiled at him, hoping my face didn’t look as weird as it felt. “So, Mr. Nash-”
He took off his other glove and shoved it in his pocket. “Colton, please call me Colton.”
Noted. Not one person I’d met on this trip had preferred to go by their last name. “Right, I apologize. Colton.”
“What’s your name?” He asked, leaning back on the trailer and tilting his head ever so slightly.
I tucked a loose hair behind my ear. “Um, sorry, I should have introduced myself. I’m Allegra Ford.”
He nodded. “My dad really likes you. Jimmy does too. I’ve heard a lot about you from them. I just wanted to make sure I had the right person before I complimented you.”
Billy swung the camera in my direction. The obnoxiously bright light hanging off of it was not making my face any less red. I pushed the camera gently back toward Colton.
“That’s kind of them,” I said as casually as I could. I switched back into corporate mode. “Colton, you just rode Bone Crusher for eight seconds. When you’re locked into that riggin’, what’s the one thing you have to trust completely, more than muscle memory, to walk away from a ride like that?”
He sucked in a breath. “As you said, the muscle memory is crucial, but it’s all about the gear. You gotta have equipment that’s gonna hold up.”
Perfect. I could kill a sound bite with that sentence. Now to tie it in without my interview with Jimmy. “Your family is a rodeo legacy, from what I’ve learned. What’s the main lesson your dad or brothers taught you about preparing for a ride like that–the part the crowd doesn’t see?”
He looked back at his brothers, Alan and Dean, who were getting ready for the team roping event.
“That’s a good question. My dad is a legend, so he advises on our rides every day.
My brother Jimmy is a natural who pushes me to rely on my instincts.
My brothers Alan and Dean have taught me to lean on people who care about me. ”
I liked that; it was an authentic answer, just what Agri-Corp would want. “One more question and I’ll get out of your hair,” I promised.
Your perfect silky hair under that hat.
“No rush,” he said, winking at Billy. “All I’ve got left to do is watch my brothers get thrown around the dirt.”
He was being nice; he was obviously tired, so I didn’t waste time. “You’re on the fast track to the NFR. Looking back, what do you wish you could’ve told yourself when you were starting?”
He smiled. “The ride is worth the fall.”
Chills covered my arms.
I was out of words. He was staring at me, and I couldn’t even remember what state I was in.
Luckily, Billy, the freshman in college with star doodles on her sneakers, was more professional than I was. She lowered her camera. “Awesome. Thanks, Colton. You’re all set.”
He slowly tore his gaze away from mine and nodded at her.
“Y’all are great,” he complimented her. He turned back to me.
“I hope to see you around. My dad said you’re travelin’ with the rodeo for the rest of the season.
I look forward to gettin’ to know you better, Ally.
” He gave one last heartbreaker smile and walked away.
I felt like I had been gut-punched.
Ally.
My stomach was in knots, tears filled my eyes, and I wanted to collapse in the dirt. Billy was saying something, but her words were bouncing off my ears.
Ally.
I hadn’t been called that for almost thirteen years.
Not since the day my dad died.