Chapter Forty-Two
The Sioux Falls arena was…intense.
An indoor stadium, huge LED screens, four times the size of the one in Oklahoma, polished concrete tunnels, professional locker rooms, and the crowd, an astounding ten thousand people, would be watching, not including the cameras broadcasting the show to every honky tonk in the country.
All eyes would be on Colton for eight seconds.
We were alone in a medical room behind the locker rooms.
Earlier, Jo had watched Colton sneeze and grab his ribs in pain and had gotten worried. She called in a favor and asked a doctor to meet him before the show, not letting him get on a horse until someone with a medical license said he was okay.
I hugged her tightly after that.
Colton was sitting on the table with his shirt off.
The doctor in Wranglers and boots had just left.
He had done a full physical exam, even checking inside Colton’s mouth and in his ears. In the end, he had put his hand on Colton’s shoulder and told Jo she had nothing to worry about.
Colton had bruised his ribs, which was obvious, but they were not broken.
Riding tonight would cause him more pain, a lot of pain, but wouldn’t damage his body.
You can’t promise that.
He was cleared to ride.
I know it’s horrible, but a tiny part of me was hoping he had a tiny crack in his ribs and he would have to sit out tonight.
Which would crush him, and then I would feel horrible, so in the end, I was almost as relieved as Colton.
“How ya feelin’, bud?” Dennis asked as the door closed.
Colton took a breath, not able to hide the smile on his face. “I’m ready.”
Jo hugged her son, already misty-eyed. “Colton, I couldn’t be prouder of you. I can’t believe we’re here! You made it to the top twenty!”
Colton nodded enthusiastically when she released him. “Thanks, Ma. I wouldn’t be here without you.”
“You’re gonna do great,” Dennis promised. “We’ll be ready to celebrate with you as soon as the whistle blows.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Colton said, goosebumps starting to cover his arms.
“We’ll let you get ready,” Jo said, pulling Dennis out and shooting a glance at me. “Allegra, we’ll save you a seat?”
I held up my expired all-access pass. “I’ve still got some work to do,” I lied.
She nodded and hugged me quickly, whispering, “He’s gonna be okay,” before she released me.
I fought back tears and watched them leave.
Colton opened his legs and gestured for me to come closer.
I obliged and stood between his knees, my thumb rubbing his cheek. “You’re ready?” I asked, my voice shaking like a leaf.
He looked at me, his brown eyes soft under his strong eyebrows. His smile was softer now, but still there. “Eight seconds, Ally. Then I’m all yours until Vegas.”
He leaned his forehead against mine, holding the back of my head tightly. I could smell his peppermint gum, a hint of rosin, and his sheer stubborn determination.
“Eight more seconds,” I whispered breathlessly.
“Eight more seconds and then I’m done till December,” he confirmed. “I’ll be the most borin’ cowboy you’ve ever met till then,” he promised.
I laughed, but it came out wet and shaky. “I’ll hold you to that.”
He was so excited, I could feel it in his entire body. He was shaking, his smile impossible to take off his face, and he kept taking short breaths. I hated that I couldn’t be just as excited for him.
“Ally?”
I blinked as I realized I had been staring at him in complete silence for the last sixty seconds. I nodded. “Yes?”
He pushed a single piece of hair that had fallen out of my bun and tucked it behind my ear. “It’s gonna be okay. I’m gonna be okay, and then you won’t have to worry.”
I had watched him sleep last night, breathing in and out so slowly. He was so peaceful, so safe.
When he rode, I felt like a piece of my heart was outside my body.
I just nodded, blinking hard. “I know you can do this.”
That was never the question. Colton was one of the most naturally skilled riders there ever was. He had a gift that couldn’t be taught. I knew he could ride.
It was the horse I couldn’t trust.
Eight more seconds of worrying, then he would be safe until December.
I leaned down and kissed him as slowly as I could. His bare chest was pressed against my shirt as he wrapped his arms around me and brought me as close as he could. He squeezed my hips.
“I love you,” I said, putting my hand on his chest.
He put his hand over mine. “I love you.” He glanced up at the clock on the wall. “I gotta get ready,” he said with a hint of eagerness. “I’ll see you after?”
“Yes,” I promised. “After you get off, I’ll be right behind the chute.”
~~~
“SOUTH DAKOTA, ARE YOU READY FOR ONE LAST BAREBACK brONC!?”
Here it was.
I leaned against the fence, standing beside the dozens of photographers, staring up at the ten thousand screaming fans, dressed in their nicest hats and cleanest boots.
I didn’t know how Colton did this with all those people staring at him.
I got nervous doing presentations in front of a dozen colleagues.
The nervous energy in the stadium was palpable.
The rock song blaring over the speakers was so loud that it was making the ground shake.
“Our last cowboy is one you’re gonna wanna watch! We’ve got a rookie with raw talent and a heart of gold here tonight. COLTON NAAASH! He’s fightin’ tooth and nail on a horse they call The Womanizer. Let’s give this Oklahoma cowboy the attention he deserves! Let’s get it!”
I looked behind me to see Colton already on the horse.
He was staring straight ahead, his eyes glossy, in his own world. He clenched his jaw, looked up, and gave a sharp nod.
I was close enough to hear him shout, “Gate!”
The chute swung open.
I pressed my body against the fence, physically pulled to the ride.
The horse launched into the air, a mass of trembling muscle and fury that was defying gravity.
Colton was a blur of blue denim and dust, his body snapping back like a whip with every leap of the horse.
I watched his free hand, the one that had been holding me only a few minutes ago, raking through the air, perfectly balanced against the violent, jagged rhythm of the bronc.
My hands were gripping the fence so tightly that my knuckles were white.
Every time the horse’s hooves slammed back down into the dirt, the sound echoed like a gunshot.
Colton’s chin was tucked, his spurs moving in a rhythmic, desperate dance from the horse’s shoulders to the rigging.
One. Two. Three.
I was able to let out a small breath as I realized he wasn’t just hanging on for dear life; he was dominating.
Despite his bruised ribs and immense pressure he was under, he looked like he had been born for this exact ride.
The horse spun harshly, a move that would’ve sent any other rider into the dirt, but Colton stayed in control, his eyes locked on his hand.
Four. Five. Six.
“LOOK AT THIS OKLAHOMA KID GO! GIVE HIM THE BOOST HE NEEDS TO FINISH THIS RIDE!”
The horse gave one final frantic lunge, twisting its body mid-air, but Colton met the movement with raw perfection.
Seven.
The whistle screamed.
“EIGHT SECONDS! LET’S GIVE IT UP FOR THE NEW KING OF THE DIRT!”
Colton didn’t wait for the pickup men to reach him. He pulled his hand from the rigging and vaulted off the back of the horse.
His boots hit the dirt with a solid thud that made relief flood my body.
I’m sure I was shaking almost as badly as Colton was.
He stood tall, dust swirling around his boots.
He didn’t look at the scoreboard as the “96” flashed in giant glowing LEDs.
He didn’t look at his screaming parents in the stands.
He turned his head and found me in the gap in the fence.
His chest was heaving with his heavy breaths, a huge smile breaking through the sweat and dirt.
I locked eyes with him.
He tapped his hat twice and threw it to my chest, giving me a single slow nod.
The crowd was screaming.
The music was deafening.
It all faded away as I stared at him, my hand on my chest as I tried to control my own erratic breaths.
Colton had done it.
Not only that, he had shattered records. He had blown the rest of the cowboys out of the water entirely.
He ran to the fence, vaulting over it like a track star.
I barely stepped back in time before he landed right in front of me.
He threw his arms around me and spun me around again and again.
I could feel his body trembling against mine.
Colton leaned back to look at me.
I could barely see between the thousands of flashes from the cameras–all aimed at us.
He was grinning so hard, and he had never looked so beautiful. He was full of pure joy and well-earned satisfaction.
He pulled me close and kissed me, hard and passionately.
His gloved hand wiped a tear from my cheek before I realized I was crying. “You okay?” He yelled over the roar of the crowd and booming music.
I put my hands on his shoulders, smiling as hard as he was. “You did it!”
It was all I had wanted, to jump up and down and celebrate his wins with him. In that moment, I could truly say I was beyond happy for him; I had never felt such pride for another person in my life. I wanted to scream from the rooftops that this was my cowboy.
He looked relieved on top of his ecstatic happiness.
He was number one.
He was going to the finals.
And I was beyond excited to be there, standing by his side, when he won the whole thing.