Her Rodeo Cowboy

by Clopton, Debra

  Lacy’s brilliant blue eyes glowed with warmth as she smiled deep into Montana’s. “I love you and I know you’ve still got a lot going on inside your heart. I know you’re hurt and betrayed and all kinds of mixed-up things going on in there. I’m praying you give it all to God. Just give it to Him and let Him show you the freedom that comes from giving all your troubles over to Him. But right now, you have to focus. Let God help you do that, too. Now, get in the zone,” Lacy grabbed her by the arms and turned her toward Murdock. “Get on this horse and then go out there and fly, baby, fly!”

  Luke had a death grip on the rail as he watched for Montana and Murdock to step into position for the next run. Standing on an elevated walk beside the arena’s chutes gave him the perfect vantage point to see both the arena floor and the alley where Montana would begin and end her run. He watched another rider as she and her horse made the last barrel and charged back toward the alley and the finish.

  The times had been good tonight, and yet he knew if Montana was on her game she’d take it. But that required her focus, and he wasn’t sure she was there. Not after their incident behind the popcorn stand earlier that afternoon. He was nervous as he waited for her turn to come up. Nervous knowing that if she didn’t win, it could very well be his fault. He hadn’t meant to cause a problem.

  Roy Don called her name out over the loudspeaker, and Luke watched Montana move into position. He almost hunkered down so that she couldn’t see him. He didn’t want to distract her in any way. Then he realized how ridiculous that was. There was no way she could see him amid all that was around her. Thankfully, from the intense look on her face, she wasn’t thinking about anything but the barrels. This was good. This was what she needed.

  Murdock snorted, ready, his body quivered with the excitement and energy, waiting to explode out of the gate the instant he got the go-ahead.

  “Settle down,” Luke murmured, despite the fact that Montana couldn’t hear him. “You’ve got this, Babe. You’ve got this.” He said a silent prayer and his fingers tightened on the cold steel bar, felt it biting into his palms.

  “Not nervous, are you, bro?” Jess asked, walking up to stand beside him. “Any tighter and you’re going to bend that rail.”

  Luke acknowledged him but didn’t spare him a glance, not wanting to miss the moment Montana charged the gate. “I want her to win.”

  Come on, girl, give your all. Focus. She was riding hard. Murdock was blazing. They kept their pattern close, Murdock dug in as tight as he could rounding the first barrel. He was so low as he made the turn that Montana was on the level with the barrel, her knee just missing it by a breath of air as they headed toward the second barrel.

  “She’s doing great,” Jess said.

  She was, and from somewhere in the stands he heard her name being yelled above the rising roar, as others realized they were seeing an extraordinary run. He knew Stanley was one of them, and Esther Mae, too. And others she’d touched in some way. As she rounded the last barrel, as clean and close as was possible, Luke’s spine tingled. His fingers had welded themselves to the rail for life or he’d have jumped over the chute into the arena. Man, he was proud of her.

  Her expression was totally intense, as she and Murdock moved as one at the speed of light toward the timing point. Relief hit him the instant she passed the mark and her unbelievable time clicked onto the reading.

  “She did it!” he exclaimed, grinning like a kid with a new pony.

  Jess grinned back. “Yeah, bro, she did it all right. Now, do you want to fess up and admit that there’s a little more going on between the two of you than friendship?”

  Montana’s adrenaline was flowing like Niagara Falls when she hopped from her horse. She’d known, coming around the last barrel, that they’d done well. Her determined sweetheart of a horse had plunged forward with all the power he possessed, and laid it all out there as he raced for the time.

  The instant she was out of the alley and clear of the other riders, she leaned forward and hugged Murdock’s neck. “You did great!” If they lost tonight, it would be because someone else rode exceptionally well and deserved to win. Several other riders congratulated her on a good ride. She locked her arms around Murdock’s neck and buried her face in his mane. Fighting to control her emotions, she said a prayer and praised God. They hadn’t announced it yet, but she knew this had been the ride of a lifetime.

  And all because of God and this amazing animal. “Thank you for not giving up on me,” she whispered, talking to Murdock and God at the same time.

  “Hey, cowgirl, good ride.”

  The sound of Luke’s voice sent a thrill racing through Montana. She turned to find him smiling down at her. “Thanks! Did you see him?” she exclaimed, beaming from the inside out, so proud of Murdock she could burst. “What a champion. Murdock came through with flying colors.” She patted him again and felt so proud, she knew she was glowing.

  Luke laughed, stepped in and completely took her by surprise when he swung her into his arms, lifting her feet off the ground for a second. “You did okay yourself,” he said, their mouths only inches away from each other as he looked into her eyes. “But I knew you would. I had every confidence in you.”

  Breathless, her arms around his neck, she tried to focus on what he was saying and not on how nice it felt to be wrapped in his arms, or that he was still holding her. She was beaming with joy and wishing he would kiss her. He believed in her! He had confidence in her. The idea was intoxicating. She remembered their first meeting and how he said she could ride. It felt good that he would be so sure of her.

  “Th-thanks, Luke,” she managed, knowing she should move out of his arms, but was unable to make her feet move. Everything around her seemed to fade into the background. They just stood there looking at each other, smiling.

  The loudspeaker crackled to life. “It’s official. Montana Brown is our top score in the women’s barrel racing!”

  The words rang out, reverberating through the building. Montana’s heart jumped in her chest. “Yes!” she exclaimed, unable to believe that she’d won her first rodeo in years. She’d hoped for it, dreamed of it—and God had blessed her hard work. Her excitement was so great that she reacted without thought—okay, maybe there was a little thought. She engulfed Luke and kissed him.

  Luke was kissing Montana. He’d wanted to kiss her the second he’d scooped her up, but he’d made himself behave. He’d been thinking about it though, and then he’d made himself let her go.

  When she’d thrown her arms around him and kissed him, he’d responded automatically to the feel of her lips on his. Her arms held him tightly and their hearts were beating together. Tenderness surged inside him and he felt as if he’d found something he’d lost. He’d been tense the entire time she’d been riding, and Jess had been right when he said there was more here between them. He hadn’t realized how much he was rooting for Montana. How much he cared whether she still had what it took to pursue her dream.

  He knew that she was kissing him purely out of excitement and celebration. A quick peck on the lips and a hurrah she’d won. But the instant her lips met his, Luke pulled her close and kissed her with feeling.

  They heard the oohing and ahhing at the same moment.

  “It’s about time,” Esther Mae cooed, as they broke apart to find the matchmakers grinning from ear to ear. Beside them stood App, Stanley, Sam and Lacy. They looked like they were watching the ending of a romantic chick flick.

  And he and Montana were the stars!

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I think it’s a blessing,” Adela said, smiling gently at Montana. She was standing at the entrance of Murdock’s stall with Esther Mae and Norma Sue.

  “Your first rodeo in forever, and you win!” Esther Mae gushed, her green eyes flashing with excitement. “And you get the cowboy!”

  Montana felt queasy. She really, really did.

  “And at our first hometown rodeo. I’d call that a success,” Norma Sue clapped her hand
on Montana’s back.

  After being discovered kissing in the alley, Luke had quickly disengaged himself—he’d been polite, even joked a smidge—then disappeared. She’d done the same using Murdock as an excuse to head back to the stall.

  She was brushing him down when the posse showed up blocking the stall entrance. There was no way out. There was no escape. She was stuck while they discussed her as if she was part of the conversation. She wasn’t, though; she hadn’t said a word.

  “Y’all,” she said, pausing her brushing. “I hope y’all don’t get your hopes up too high. Me and Luke are just friends.”

  Three sets of eyes looked at her like she was crazy.

  “Friends?” Norma Sue grunted. Her white cowboy hat was pushed back on her head. Her kinky gray hair surrounded her head like a halo, as she looked skeptical. “That wasn’t a friendly kiss.”

  “You can admit it,” Esther Mae urged. “Love is a wonderful thing. You make such a sweet couple. My goodness, y’all took my breath away. It was just plumb beautiful.”

  Adela laid a gentle hand on Esther Mae’s arm. “It’s okay, Esther Mae. Maybe Montana needs a little time to adjust to the idea.”

  Esther Mae’s eyes flashed wide-open. “Ohhh! That’s right. It could have just snuck up on you. Swept you right off your feet in surprise. I mean, you did just win and all. Love blossoms in the midst of exciting moments.”

  Montana wasn’t so sure about anything at the moment. She didn’t really want to think about it, standing here with all these eyes and hopes and wishes pinned on her like this. She wanted to go off and try to make some sense of all of this. She was overwhelmed. There was no doubt about that.

  But she wasn’t in love.

  “Y’all, I just won my first rodeo. I’m planning on winning a whole lot more. And nothing is going to get in my way this time.”

  “That was uncomfortable.”

  Luke was standing at the back of the building. He could hear Roy Don’s voice announcing the next event. He wasn’t expecting company when his brother stepped around the corner. “You saw that, did you?”

  Jess’s forehead crinkled up. “Who didn’t? You two were in sight of almost the entire arena. Or at least those who were behind the scenes.”

  “That’s right,” Colt said, poking his head around the corner. “I saw it from clean across the bull pens.”

  “When did you get in?” Luke asked. Colt looked tired. His eyes were weary, and he knew he’d been driving a long haul in order to make it in for this ride. Rodeo life wasn’t easy. When you were going for the national level and the big money and fame, paying your dues was a strain on the best of them.

  He jabbed his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground before bringing his gaze up to meet Luke’s. “I just rolled in. I was checking out my ride when I heard them announce Montana’s name. I just happened to glance in the direction of the alley when I saw you two have your little moment. Big brother, if you aren’t into having your love life open and on the lunch plate special, I’d say cool it when you’re in the public.”

  “Didn’t do it on purpose. It just happened. And by the way, I wasn’t the one who initiated that. Montana did and honestly, it was purely out of excitement of winning. Believe me, I know.”

  Jess let out a low whistle. “What news station you been watching? The broadcast I just got a few minutes ago said loud and clear that the woman was every bit as interested in that kiss as you were.”

  “I’m watching the same station you are, Jess. Maybe you need to tune your TV a little, Luke,” Colt advised with a weary grin.

  Luke knew they didn’t mean anything by their teasing, but he wasn’t feeling it at the moment. His thoughts were locked on Montana. What was she thinking right now?

  She’d kissed him out of excitement. He knew it. Yes, there was that “thing” going on between them that she was so adamant about not wanting. And he understood why. She’d had her dreams put on hold for long enough. He’d seen her expression as she rode. He’d been watching her dedication for weeks now. There was no way she was letting anything get in the way of her dreams ever again. And this win…it cemented the deal. Nope, she didn’t have to tell him that she wasn’t interested in falling in love if it meant she couldn’t devote all of her time to fulfilling that dream. “It doesn’t matter what y’all saw. What matters is Montana won tonight. And that’s just the beginning of the journey. She’s about to hit the road just like you, Colt.”

  “If you want it bad enough, there’s a way to make it all work.” Jess was studying him with steady eyes.

  “Yeah,” Colt agreed. “I see fellas making it work out on the road. Sure, it’s tough, but they tell me where there’s love, there’s a way.”

  “There you go. That ’bout sums it up right there. Montana Brown isn’t going to let a little thing like love get in her way. Because she loved her dad, she put Murdock out to pasture and got a degree in accounting.”

  “Accounting? Montana?” Colt asked while Jess whistled. “That’s the craziest thing I ever heard. No way she’s an accountant.”

  “Not exactly a fit, is it?”

  “Well, no. Nothing against accounting—but Montana looks like someone who’d have a career that involved something outdoors. Accounting’s an office job. It just doesn’t fit.”

  “No, it doesn’t fit. Montana is an outdoors kind of gal. This is what she’s meant to do. Just like you were meant to ride bulls, Colt.”

  Colt’s eyes narrowed, and he rubbed the five o’clock shadow on his chin. “If you’re right about that, then you might be in trouble, Luke.”

  Luke stared out across the darkness to where the Ferris wheel lit up the night. “Boy, don’t I know it.”

  “You didn’t make the posse too happy,” Lacy said when Montana climbed into the stands to watch the bull riding event. It was late, but the stands were still packed. The bull riding was the main attraction. She hadn’t seen Luke since their kiss, and she wondered where he’d gone to. Her stomach was a little queasy, thinking about the entire thing.

  “I don’t know what to say, Lacy.” Tate was sleeping in his carrier, looking peaceful despite the ruckus going on around him. She studied him instead of looking at Lacy.

  “I’m sorry all of this is getting in the way of your celebrating your win tonight.”

  Not exactly what she was expecting Lacy to say. “It’s all right. I’m happy about the win. But I’m confused about everything else. Please don’t tell anyone else though.”

  “I promise. I really am sorry. I want you to be happy, Montana. I’m so happy with Clint and Tate that I get a little pushy sometimes.” She smiled. “You know me.”

  Montana laughed. “If you weren’t jumping into things with both feet, then we’d all think something was wrong with you. I know your heart’s in the right place. And I know that about the posse, too.”

  The arena was busy as the bull fighters got in place. A clown, not to be mistaken for the bull fighters, came out and started acting silly, running around and doing tricks and talking to the crowd. He’d been entertaining the crowd all night, but he was doing one last stint before the fighters took over.

  “You’d probably make a great bull fighter if you wanted,” she said, looking at Lacy. “You’d be good at rescuing people. I mean, that’s what you did to me.”

  Lacy ran a hand through her tousled blond hair. “I don’t know about that. I know I get folks into trouble sometimes. I hope I help them, though. You’d have been okay with or without me. You know that, don’t you?”

  “I’m finding my way, I think.”

  The bull riding had begun, and the first bull exploded from the gate with a wild twist that immediately had the rider flying to the ground. The bull fighters moved in, one dodging between the fallen rider and the bull, drawing the bull’s attention as the other fighter moved in and helped the cowboy up and got him headed toward the fence. A bull fighter’s job was one of the most dangerous jobs out there. These guys tonight were good an
d Montana hoped nothing bad happened. She was always worried during this event, always dreading the worst. She was relieved that it was starting out with the promise of a good night.

  Lacy had stopped talking to watch also. Now that the danger was over, she looked at Montana and asked, “Has that finding your way got a little to do with Luke?”

  She couldn’t deny it. She knew that somehow, spending time with him had helped her. “Yes, it does. Just getting to know him has helped me. The man has been through some tough times. And yet, he’s mostly positive.”

  “He seemed that way to me. I don’t know everything he’s been through, but like Clint told you the other day, I know he’s been working and saving since he was young. And I know his dad was a pretty bad alcoholic.”

  “I admire him. He’s helped me think about things. Like not letting this anger at my dad eat me up. And when I’m really down on myself, he’s been there to pick me up and tell me not to let it get to me.” She thought about all the times that he’d helped her focus on her goals. She smiled, thinking about him.

  “He sounds like a great guy.” Lacy was watching her closely.

  “He is,” Montana admitted quietly.

  “And what about that kiss?” Lacy asked, biting back a grin, her brows lifting expectantly.

  Montana laughed, remembering. “You just couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

  “Nope. I couldn’t. It was too good. You should have seen the look on your face when you threw your arms around him.”

  “I was excited, Lacy. I’d just won my first rodeo,” she said, defending her actions. “He was there, and I kissed him out of excitement.”