by Mandy Magro
‘Mm-hmm.’
‘Look, I know country people are super likable folk, but this is your job. This is everything you’ve worked so hard for, and you need this article to prove to the big boss that you deserve the promotion. The photo shoot went really well, but we need this article to be the best you’ve ever done. Please don’t make me look like a fool for recommending you.’
Charlize sucked in a deep breath, and then slowly blew it away as she straightened her stooped shoulders. She could do this. She just had to. Her life was already going to be an absolute mess when she returned to Sydney, having to go through the mayhem of a divorce and everything that came with it, and she needed her job to be the anchor. ‘I promise you I’ll make it the best article it can possibly be.’
Katherine and Reg suddenly reappeared in front of her, their arms full of rodeo delights. Not wanting them to pick up on anything, she smiled through her wretchedness. ‘I have to go, Jasper, but I’ll be back in touch on Tuesday afternoon, okay?’
‘Okay.’ Jasper offered a resigned sigh. ‘Please don’t think I’m being heartless, darling. I’m just trying to think of your best interests, that’s all.’
‘Yes, I know, and that’s why I love you. Talk soon.’ And she hung up.
‘Here, love, can you take the coffees while I get settled please?’ Reg passed her a tray with three delicious smelling caffeine fixes. And by Christ she needed one right now. A bottle of wine wouldn’t go astray either.
She pointed to the dagwood dog in his hands, dripping in tomato sauce. ‘Oh my god, that thing looks lethal.’
Reg chuckled as he sat on a cushion he’d brought along especially. ‘Trust me, even though they’re not the healthiest thing to eat, they’re delicious. It used to be one of the highlights whenever Nancy and I went to a rodeo, so it’d be sacrilege if I didn’t have one.’ He smiled sentimentally.
Wondering what parts of the animals were used to make such a hideous looking sausage, Charlize grimaced as she watched him take a bite.
Reg licked the tomato sauce from around his lips and grinned playfully at her, and even though she was still reeling from the phone call with Jasper she couldn’t help but laugh at him. ‘You’re a big kid.’
‘He’s never grown up,’ Katherine said, smiling lovingly towards her father. She passed Charlize a polystyrene container the size of a small baking tray. ‘They were a bit light on the vegetarian offerings I’m afraid, but here’s your chips. Homemade by the ladies at the CWA stand.’
Charlize looked at the size of container and chuckled. ‘I thought they’d come in a cup, not a boat.’
Katherine smirked. ‘This is a rodeo. Everything is bigger and better—and made to feed a man’s man.’
She popped open the lid and almost drooled, which was unusual for her when it came to anything deep-fried. As well as the chips, there were containers of sour cream, sweet chilli sauce, and guacamole to dip them into. ‘Oh my god, yum.’
Katherine popped open hers and grinned like a kid at Christmas. ‘Yup, these are the best dang chips you’ll ever taste.’ She plucked a chip out and dunked it in her container of gravy before shoving it in her mouth and moaning in pleasure. She pointed to a bag at her feet. ‘And I’ve got us some doughnuts for dessert too.’
Charlize could hear the top button of her jeans squealing in protest, but she thought what the hell. This was most probably going to be her first and last rodeo, so she was going to make the most of it, as well as making the most of the Rodeo Ball tomorrow night.
She pushed the fact she was going to be paying a visit to Vivien on Tuesday to the back of her mind, and turned her focus on the goings on around her. True to country form there was plenty to take her mind off things, including one very dashing cowboy sitting atop the railings and looking in her direction.
The country music playing over the massive suspended speakers began to fade away as the compere’s voice stole the show once again. ‘Howdy folks! Now we’ve all had time to fill our bellies, let’s get back to what we’ve all come here for, shall we? A bucking good time!’
The crowd roared its agreement.
The announcer allowed the applause to fade before speaking. ‘We have six more courageous riders battling it out to win the title of Australia’s National Bull Riding Champion tonight and, with prize money of one hundred thousand dollars up for grabs, I wonder which one of them is gonna be taking home the glory and the gold.’
The crowd began to chant, and Charlize could make out two names, Dallas and Grant. Pride swelled inside of her, and she could tell from the looks on Katherine’s and Reg’s faces that they, too, felt the same.
She sat glued to her seat with her camera glued to her face as rider after rider was announced and came tearing out into the centre ring on the back of monster-sized bulls. She had to give credit where credit was due—these men had balls, and nerves, of steel. Of the first five, three were bucked off before the eight seconds—one being a very sore loser as he’d stomped out of the arena—one disqualified, and the other, Grant, made the eight seconds to the rowdy cheers of the crowd.
Which meant Dallas was in with a chance.
Her heart squeezed. Five down meant that he was up next. Her stomach slam-dunked, several times.
The announcer’s twangy voice claimed the speakers. ‘Righto folks, up next is a bull rider we’re very honoured to have as one of our very own here in Grenfell, Dallas Armstrong. Like his late father, he’s aspiring to be Australian Champion. And just to throw my ten bobs worth in, I reckon he’s got a damn good chance of achieving that tonight.’
The crowd leapt to their feet in an eruption of applause.
The announcer’s voice became shriller, matching the tempo of the crowd. ‘And he’s drawn one of the heavyweights of the rodeo circuit; Lucifer, the black bull straight from the depths of bucking hell.’
There was a collective gasp and people began to sit back down. This was bad. Very, very bad. Charlize felt the colour drain from her face. She turned to Katherine, who looked as white as a ghost.
She offered Charlize a wobbly smile as she sat. ‘He’ll be okay.’
But it was as if Katherine was telling herself that, and not believing it.
Charlize then looked to Reg, who was seated with his hand over his mouth.
Oh no.
Reg caught her eyes and she smiled as confidently as she could. She sat and grabbed Katherine’s hand, noting how shaky it was.
The compere’s voice came back into her focus. ‘If he can ride this bull for eight seconds tonight, folks, I dare say we’ll be naming our local boy Australian Bull Riding Champion. So let’s show him our support by cheering him on as loudly as we can.’
The crowd roared and began to chant his name in chorus. Dallas! Dallas! Dallas!
But Charlize couldn’t find the strength to join them.
With her heart in her throat, she watched him climb onto the back of the bull in the chute. People jumped to their feet once more. Lucifer was bucking and snorting, wanting to be let out of the confines. If Dallas fell off in there, the bull would crush him to death, or gore him with his massive horns. Charlize felt dread in the pit of her stomach. Katherine gripped her hand like a vice. Reg sat motionless. Dallas nodded his head. Anticipation rippled through the crowd.
The gate flew open. The black bull came out charging while belting out high-kicking bucks, bounding as if it was weightless, determined to get Dallas off its back as it went into a left-handed spin. One second felt like an absolute eternity as Lucifer lived up to his reputation—he was hell on hoofs. The next second crawled by. And by the third second Charlize had entirely stopped breathing. Fourth, fifth and sixth she couldn’t blink for fear as Dallas slipped a little to the side of the bull. The crowd gasped collectively. But he held on tight with one arm high in the air. As the seventh second passed she prayed with all she had to let Dallas win this, and stay safe doing it. Then she shot to a stand, as did Katherine, Reg, and everyone else in the crowded arena. The
throng began to roar loader, and then the buzzer announced Dallas had made the eight seconds. Finally she remembered to breathe and sucked in a desperate breath.
Dallas grinned triumphantly as he leapt from the bull’s back. Landing on his feet, he ducked away from the deadly horns with the help of the gutsy bullfighters. Craftily, though, Lucifer evaded them and veered back towards Dallas, a fierce glint in his eye. Charlize’s hands flew up to cover her gaping mouth as her breath caught in her throat. Images of Dallas being gored filled her mind once again.
But Dallas hightailed it across the arena with the bull in tow, and swiftly heaved himself up and over the fence and out of Lucifer’s path—as easy as that.
Things are only ever hard if you make them …
The bull skidded to a halt, kicking and snorting and glaring at Dallas. Dallas laughed and tipped his hat to the bull, and the crowd, who’d been holding their breaths, erupted in whoops and hollers and whistles. The bull backed up and then dashed around the perimeter of the ring, snorting, its head held high, its eyes piercing as it searched for another enemy to attack. Two men came galloping into the arena on exquisite looking horses and they worked alongside the bullfighters to push the bull out towards the open gate that led to the holding yards.
‘And there you have it folks, what a ripper of a ride.’ The announcer’s voice was filled with animation. ‘The points are in, and Dallas Armstrong has finally done it. He’s our new Australian Bull Riding Champion.’
The crowd hollered louder than ever, and Charlize felt goosebumps rising on her skin.
Crisis averted and a lifelong dream achieved, Dallas punched the air, whooping along with them.
A smile erupted on Charlize’s face as she, Katherine and Reg enjoyed a group hug. Katherine was crying with joy and Reg wasn’t too far behind her as he sniffled loudly. She looked over to where Dallas was now sitting on the rails, waiting for Lucifer to be taken out of the arena, his face lit up like a Christmas tree.
Their eyes met across the arena and they both smiled in a way that spoke of the intense feelings they harboured for each other.
‘Congratulations,’ she mouthed.
‘Thanks,’ he mouthed back, just as a group of giggly women distracted him by pinching his hat from his head. He jumped down amongst the buckle bunnies, playfully trying to pinch it back. Charlize felt a surge of jealousy as a leggy blonde put it on her head and then planted a kiss on his cheek. She wanted to look away but she couldn’t as Dallas smiled chivalrously while more women gathered like vultures, each of them vying for his attention as they snapped selfies with him—their hands all over him like he was a prized possession.
Charlize’s bubble burst. This was the life of a champion cowboy—one she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to handle. It reminded her of how women swarmed around Alistair. She would never allow herself to be with a man that had so much temptation around him.
Sooner or later, he just couldn’t help himself.
CHAPTER
23
The Rodeo Ball was well underway by the time Charlize and Katherine pulled into the car park, fashionably late, as her mum would say—although her dad would call it tardy. He was forever waiting on her mum to get ready and Charlize had taken on the trait, more often than not running out the door in a frantic state because she was running late.
It had caused many an argument with Alistair on the way to wherever they were going, quite often ending with her close to tears and him brooding and not talking to her for the rest of the evening. Then she’d spend the next day tiptoeing around him so she didn’t piss him off even further, praying for the moment when he would snap out of his mood so they could at least act somewhat normal around each other.
Thank God she was never going back to that. Brad Paisley’s song, ‘Waitin’ on a Woman’ came to mind again and she couldn’t help the dreamy smile that claimed her ruby red lips. Dallas was the polar opposite of Alistair, in so many wonderful ways, and she would be forever grateful that in crossing paths with him she’d learnt that there were good men who’d treat a woman the way she deserved to be treated. If only she could have him by her side forever, that would be magical. But things were never that cut and dry.
While Katherine hunted down a free parking space, Charlize did a quick check to make sure her boobs were in place and her hair was behaving itself. She sucked in a breath and quietly let it out. She was surprised how nervous she was. Considering she’d been to hundreds of events in her lifetime, and had rubbed shoulders with the elite of Sydney while doing her job, a Rodeo Ball shouldn’t be causing the jitters she was experiencing. She had an inkling it had something to do with a charming daredevil of a man that was already here—one she couldn’t wait to see.
She’d barely laid eyes on Dallas since she’d headed home from the rodeo last night with Katherine and Reg, suffering from a massive headache most probably caused by Jasper’s phone call. Dallas had asked her to stay on at the rodeo to help celebrate his win with his fellow bull-riding mates, but feeling it was more of a boy’s night, she’d graciously bowed out and returned home to find some much-needed pain killers and her bed. Other than a quick good morning as they’d crossed paths in the kitchen, he’d been in town helping with the hall set up most of the day, and had only returned to shower and dress while she’d been doing the same thing in her ensuite.
Thinking they’d be going together, she’d spent almost two hours getting ready, perfecting her hair and make-up and trying on two dresses before deciding on an ankle-length black number with a flattering v-neckline and an asymmetric thigh split that showed daring glimpses of her legs when she walked, accessorised with a simple diamond necklace that nestled in the curve of her throat, a matching black clutch and six-inch stilettoes.
She’d secretly hoped to make a grand entrance in the heart of the homestead before they all departed for the night’s festivities. The kind of entrance where Dallas’s jaw would drop and then the planets would align, and then the universe would miraculously make everything peachy perfect for them to live their lives happily ever after—a girl could dream, right?—but she’d been deflated when she’d arrived downstairs to find him already gone, along with Reg.
Finally finding a park amongst the hundreds of cars, utes and four-wheel drives in the paddock out the back of the hall, Katherine switched off the ignition, flicked on the interior light, and then shot Charlize an apprehensive sideways glance. ‘Are you sure I look okay, love?’
‘You look more than okay, Kath. You look absolutely stunning.’
‘You promise you’re not just telling me that to be nice?’
Charlize traced an X over her chest. ‘Cross my heart.’ She winked, then smiled playfully. ‘You’re going to be making some jaws drop tonight.’
‘Oh stop it.’ Katherine laughed then stole a look in the rear-vision mirror. ‘And my make-up, it doesn’t look overdone?’
‘Not at all.’ Charlize reached out and gave Katherine’s arm a squeeze. ‘You need to take a big deep breath, and try and relax.’ She smiled warmly, thinking she needed to heed her own advice. ‘You honestly look beautiful, and if you don’t believe me there’ll be plenty of people in there that are going to be telling you so very soon.’
Katherine sighed. ‘I’m sorry I’m being such a worrywart. It’s just, I haven’t dressed up like this for years.’ She smiled now as she touched the soft fabric of her dress. ‘It will be interesting to see what Dallas thinks, seeing as he paid for the thing.’
‘Dallas will be very proud of his mum looking so elegant.’ Charlize grinned. ‘And I can’t wait to see your boy dressed up to the nines too. It’ll be a nice change from his usual jeans and shirt.’
Katherine smiled like only a mother could. ‘I have to say he scrubs up pretty dapper, my boy.’
‘I’m guessing he does.’
‘And I’m guessing he’s going to be gobsmacked with how beautiful you’re looking tonight, too, Charlize.’
She fought to hide her shock. �
��Oh, he’ll be too busy mingling and checking out all the other women to take much notice of me.’
‘We’ll see about that,’ Katherine replied, the twinkle in her eyes letting Charlize know she knew more than she gave her credit for. But still, she tried to shrug it off. She wasn’t ready to speak her innermost feelings about Dallas out loud. That would make them way too real.
‘Come on, we better get in there before all the canapés are gone.’
‘Oh yes, we don’t want that. I’m starving.’ Katherine grabbed her clutch from the back seat.
‘Me too,’ Charlize added as she reapplied her lipstick.
The two women stepped out of the Holden Statesman and began making their way across the paddock. Charlize trod carefully, knowing the dangers of walking on soft ground in six-inch heels.
Katherine wasn’t as savvy and she grabbed hold of Charlize’s arm in a vice-like grip. ‘Oh my goodness, I’m afraid I’ve sunk,’ she said with a laugh.
Charlize laughed along with her as Katherine wrestled for a few moments then grinned triumphantly when her heel came free. ‘Try and tiptoe like I am, it’ll help.’
Katherine chuckled and rolled her eyes. ‘Good lord, the things you have to do for the sake of cocktail parties.’
The two made it to the front door without another shoe incident. Passing their tickets to the lovely elderly gentleman seated at a table with his flask of coffee, they stepped inside. The large hall was tastefully decorated, with elegantly set tables placed along the sides, leaving the centre of the room free for dancing. Charlize was awestruck by the effort they’d gone to with the decorations. Silver and black was the chosen colour scheme, and it was striking. People milled about, dressed in their dazzling best. At one end was the bar area where most of the guests were circulating, and up the other end of the hall, bathed in a multitude of coloured lights and decorated with a huge mirrored ball, was the stage where a band was already playing easy listening music—she gathered it would ramp up a bit once the presentations were over with.