by Allie Bock
Mr. Dillard leaned back in his chair, snacking on a bag of potato chips. His double chins wiggled as he chewed. Melanie looped my arm with hers and marched to his office. I struggled to keep up with her in her high heels and tight skirt. She knocked sharply on the door frame.
“Mr. Dillard, do you have a minute?” She turned on a megawatt smile towards him. He sputtered and wiped his fingers on the side of his shirt.
“Yes, ladies come in. What can I do for you?” He straightened in his seat and hastily stood up. He extended his beefy hand towards each of us. It was sweaty and sticky. I tried not to cringe with all the germs on it.
“Melanie and I have the money to secure the loan for our startup costs-” I started.
“Here’s the business plan that we put together for the therapeutic riding stable.” Melanie interrupted me and passed him the black folder. He paged through the several sheets that Melanie and I had pieced together.
“It looks good, ladies. We can get started on the paperwork. Have you found a place to rent or buy?” He settled back in his chair and stacked the papers on the side of the corner of his big desk.
“We are in the process of negotiating rental terms with Mr. Giffery’s attorney.” I shifted my weight from foot to foot. I met his gaze when his face fell.
“Sorry, girls. That property was bought this morning.” My stomach dropped. The attorney was sure that he could work out a rental agreement until it was sold. It was a big piece of property that had been for sale for the last six months. “I can get the paperwork ready for the loan within the next couple of days. Think about where you want to have your new business. You can always check with a realtor.” We would have to start over on our search, again. I drew in a deep breath and held it to hold the frustration at bay while Melanie had a blank look on her face.
We stood and left the bank.
“I could ask Pete if he could rent us some space for our therapeutic riding stable?” She twisted her hands. “I hate asking him though. The ranch is finally doing good on its own and he uses every available inch.”
“It’s alright. I may run the idea by Lindsay and her uncle, too.” The rain had slacked when we got outside. The sun peaked through the clouds, glistening on the puddles in the parking lot. There had to be a place to rent. Tabitha and those other children needed a place to ride.
A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER, I bounced on my toes as I waited outside of Melanie’s dress shop. She was due any moment to pick me up. The rain had finally stopped, and the sun was scorching the water off the sidewalk. I rolled my shoulders and pulled my baseball hat down to block the intense rays. Pete’s truck came down Main Street. It sidled next to the curb. Its engine rumbling as Pete waved at me. I hurried over to the passenger side. Melanie slid across the worn seat. She wrapped her hand into Pete’s.
“Pete said he found the perfect place to have the stable.” She smiled over at me.
I jumped in the truck. “Really, where is it?”
“I’ll show you.” He pulled his sunglasses on and swung away from the curb.
I groaned. I forgot Pete loved to do surprises. The truck straightened out of town in the direction of the Kisment Ranch. My heart ached at the familiar sight. I reminded myself that maybe it wasn’t meant to be. That’s what Nanna had said. We’d been talking and texting, but I hadn’t seen him in weeks, and last time we talked he wasn’t coming home for a long time. Acres of hay fields and pasture ground rolled by. The driveway to the Kisment Ranch appeared next to us. Pete slowed the truck down but turned in the driveway across the road from the Kisment Ranch. Melanie’s jaw dropped as I squealed.
“We were told it was sold,” I said as I leaned out the windows.
“Yup, it was.” He answered as he dodged potholes. The main house appeared on the left, but Pete followed the driveway to the right. Up ahead, a rambling white barn with a red roof opened into small paddocks. A large, covered arena sat next to the barn. When he pulled to a stop, Penny’s head popped over her door. She nickered at us as we climbed out of the truck.
“How did you talk the new owners into renting to us?” I asked. I was in a daze. All the therapy horses were munching on hay in the stalls that lined the barn. Penny blew her nose in my direction as I searched my pockets for a peppermint.
“He didn’t talk me into anything,” Kade said softly behind me.
I spun around to find myself nose to nose with the most handsome man I had ever seen. His muscles rippled as he stepped forward and grasped my hands. He brought them to his lips and kissed my wrists. A tingle started in my hands and ran up my arms. I shivered slightly. His eyes shifted to my arms as he gently ran his hands up and down them.
“I’ve missed you these past couple of weeks. I’ve spent my whole life traveling, looking for that missing piece of me. But it was always you. You’re the person that I think about every moment of every day.” He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. “It just took me a while to figure it out. Walking out that door for the second time in our relationship was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” He kissed the corners of my eyes and traveled to the tip of my nose. “I want you to be happy. So, with the money I won, I bought Mr. Giffery’s place.” He kissed me fully on the lips, slipping his hands around the back of my head, tilting it. My world was spinning, and I grasped on to his shoulders. He pulled back slightly. “I am donating the barn and the twenty-five acres here to your therapeutic riding stable.”
I gasped and pulled him close for another kiss. Melanie and Pete cheered.
Epilogue January
Delilah’s heart was in her throat as the last few cowboys were getting ready to ride. It was the final round of the event. The cowboy that won this round went home with a shiny new Montana Silversmith buckle and a pile of money. The people on either side jostled her. She pulled her bulky coat close to her and stamped her feet. Chicago was cold in January and the wind whipped around the stadium.
The funnyman was on the arena floor, lighting sparklers and pulling pranks on his partner bullfighters. The crowd roared with laughter as one of the men’s pants exploded, sending sparks into the air. The smell of sulfur and burnt cotton wafted to the stands. A concession man walked up and down the stairs hawking cotton candy and peanuts for sale. Delilah couldn’t think about eating at this moment. Nerves fluttered in her belly and she twisted her hands in her lap. She sat on the edge of her seat as the announcer called Kade’s name to be the final bull rider for the night.
“Please keep him safe.” She murmured and clutched her seat
“Ladies and gentlemen, our last contestant for the night is our current champion, Kade Kisment!” The announcer called.
The crowd roared to life. Delilah leaped to her feet.
“He drew the big black bull named Hades, who has never been ridden. Can he do it?” Queen played over the speakers as the crowd stomped and clapped to the beat. Delilah strained to see Kade.
THIS PART ALWAYS PUMPED him up. The crowd cheering, clapping, and stomping. He slapped both thighs before throwing his leg over the chute. Hades was a big bull and filled up the chute from nose to tail. Kade settled his rope and crouched over his back. As he sat down, he slid his hand into the rope, tightening it down. Hades shook his horns and blew out snot.
“Alright, big fella. It’s just you and me.”
He ran a hand over Hades neck and shoulder. The bull stood still. Kade nodded. The chute swung open. Hades jumped two big jumps out, twisting his back to the side. He landed on the left lead and spun into a tight circle to the left. Kade kept over his hand, moving his free hand in time with the jumps. Hades reared straight up and kicked out before landing and spinning to the right. Kade moved his hips over to keep time with him. The sweat poured down his back and over his eyes. The buzzer rang out. Kade jumped free, landing on both feet. He tossed his hat into the crowd. A little girl caught it and beamed down at him. Delilah stood a little way down the fence. He climbed the gates and placed a big kiss on her lips.
“Folks, that w
as a 92-point ride! The winner is Kade Kisment!” The speakers crackled with his voice.
Kade was escorted to the top of the bull pit. A couple of girls in bikinis presented him with an oversized poster board check and a belt buckle and the announcer held the microphone in front of him.
“Congratulations, Kade. How does it feel to be the first person to ride Hades?”
“It felt great. He is a great bull who is cared for by a great stock contractor. I can’t wait to ride him again.”
“What can we expect in the up and coming months?”
“I’m working to stay at the top with good bulls and great rides.” Kade paused and looked around the stage. He saw Delilah beaming at him from out in the stands. “None of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for the dedication and love from my family...Delilah, sweetheart, I can’t thank you enough for being my strength in the time of my greatest trial. Without you, I would be riding the couch eating potato chips and whining about my life.” The crowd oohed and ahhed. Kade reached into his pocket and knelt on one knee. “I needed you in my life. It just took me a while to figure it out. I want what we have now to last forever. Will you marry me?”
Tears streamed down Delilah’s face when the camera panned to her. She nodded her head vigorously. With a whoop, Kade vaulted from the stage and climbed the panels.
“I have loved you for as long as I can remember.” He took her face in his hands and drew her in.
“I love you too.” She murmured as his lips met hers. Fireworks erupted from the arena and the crowd cheered.
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Did you love Second Chance with My Bull Rider? Then you should read My Unwanted Cowboy by Allie Bock!
Lindsay was shocked when her uncle's will was read. She has to get married to save the ranch or sell the only home she has known.
As Lindsay struggles with her decision, Kurt Kisment struggles with where is his life is heading. Being a billionaire lawyer in the big city comes with costs and he is not satisified with his life.
He moves back home to Sunnydale and bumps into Lindsay. He can't believe his eyes. She is no longer the ugly duckling from high school. Will she believe him that he has changed? Is Kurt the only chance to save her family's ranch?
Read more at Allie Bock’s site.
Also by Allie Bock
Cowboys of Sunnydale
My Cowboy Crush
Falling For My Cowboy
Second Chance with My Bull Rider (Coming Soon)
My Unwanted Cowboy (Coming Soon)
Watch for more at Allie Bock’s site.
About the Author
After living all over the country, Allie resides in Minnesota where she spends the daylight hours working as a large animal veterinarian. In the evening, she escapes to imaginary worlds that reside within her mind. She loves to write about strong heroines that overcome adversary to fall in love with handsome cowboys.
When she is not working or writing, she can be found reading and spending time with the love of her life and their two Dachshunds. When they aren’t in the house, they are working cows or riding their horses across open fields.
Read more at Allie Bock’s site.