“That sounds promising,” Sky said, looking up at him and fingering his hair.
“And the girl of my dreams happens to be my wife, and I’m crazy head over ass in love with her.”
“She’s pretty intense about you too.”
“And the girl of my dreams gave me a beautiful and brilliant daughter.”
“Speaking of that,” Sky walked to the nightstand, opened up the drawer and took out the box of condoms. “Oops,” she tossed the box in the trash can. “I’m all in with this marriage Kane Wilder, family barn wedding, three or four kids, whatever you want.”
“Really?” He breathed feeling like his heart was on fire. “You’re sure. I don’t want to push you.”
Sky laughed. “Pushing’s what you do best, but don’t worry, I’m learning to push back.”
“You are, and I gotta say, it makes me hot as hell.”
“Don’t we have a proposal and a win and a big sale to celebrate tonight in our hometown?”
“That’s a lot of celebrating,” Kane said. “I remember something earlier about boots.”
“Not sure I remember that,” Sky said. “But you could tell me you loved me again.”
“I loved you four years ago, Sky. I didn’t know what to do with that. I was just blindsided by how fast you fit into my life and how much I wanted you there. I wanted you to stay on the tour with me, but it’s a hard life and a boring one, and you were destined for so much more.”
“I would have stayed,” she said. “But now I am glad that I have my degree, and I have the beginnings of a career.”
“Pretty sure a six-figure sale is more than a beginning.”
“That was for charity, but Jonas does have another buyer interested and who wants to view my sculptures, and with the AEBR commission, I will be busy. Looks like I might need that studio in Montana after all.”
“So Montana?”
“If you’re there, I’m there.”
“I’m thinking two more years tops on the tour, what do you think?”
“What happened to retiring at thirty?”
“You. Montana will be entering kindergarten in two years. We might be expecting another baby or two by then. It would be nice to have a home base. My mom’s wanted me to try to restore the Wilder family ranch: Wild Winds. It’s been eating away at her, the thought of it being sold out of the family, but I think it’s better if we all start fresh. There’s land that borders the small former cattle ranch that Colt inherited coming up for sale. My mom will be pissed but I can talk to my brothers. We can build up a ranch with land north of town, away from the Wilder land and the McTavish land. Clean start if you want.”
“I want.”
“So we’ll travel together until the tour ends this year as long as it works for you and Montana and then after the finals we’ll re-evaluate over the break and spend time with family.”
“That sounds perfect, Kane. You’ve given me a family—your brothers. Their wives.”
“Hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life was walk away from you that day four years ago,” Kane said. “I was afraid that if I didn’t walk away fast and never look back I wouldn’t be able to let you go.”
“And now I’m here to stay.”
He pulled her in tight and held her.
“I love you, Sky Wilder. Crazy deep, but I’d love you in those boots just a teensy bit more.”
AEBR Finals Fort Worth October 2017
“Daddy, I hope you win,” Montana said as he swept her up in his arms before he headed down to the chutes.
He smiled at his little girl, but then he looked at his wife. Thought of how she’d woken him up before dawn—saying that she’d had a really vivid dream with lots of sound and color and that she’d been having those for the past week or so, and just as he’d woken up enough to process that she was telling him that for a reason and that he should pay attention, she’d pulled out a box—a pregnancy test.
He jacked up in bed and she’d laughed at his shock and eagerness.
“You said you wanted to be in on every part,” Sky had teased. “Does that mean you want to watch me pee on the stick too?”
“Hell yeah.” He’d reached for her, feeling excited, scared and a little sick with nerves, but she’d rolled away from him shaking her head.
“You can watch after. You’re pervy enough, and I don’t want you getting any more ideas.”
“I’m always full of ideas,” he’d objected following her to the large master bathroom.
Because of all the events surrounding the finals, they’d been in Fort Worth for the entire week staying in a very upscale hotel. Kane’s family had joined him, even his mother who was still upset that he was giving up on the dream of restoring the Wilder family ranch as it was rumored her father teetered on the edge of bankruptcy.
Kane had managed to purchase three of the five parcels of ranch land he’d been interested in to add to the existing one that Colt had reluctantly inherited from his stepfather. And on the most southern part of the property closest to town where there was a barn that was still in excellent condition—that Kane had suggested Sky use as her studio—they’d been married by local pastor Sam Zabrinsky, who had married Kane and Colt last Christmas and who would marry Laird and Tucker this Christmas. It had been sweet, simple, and very personal as they had written their own vows.
And after the finals they’d live at the ranch during the off-season, make improvements to the property to accommodate all four Wilder brothers, their families and their dreams. They also planned to start the remodel on the existing ranch house that had good bones and vintage charm but needed serious updating.
Mid-January would see him, Sky and Montana back out on the road as the 2018 tour started in a new trailer he was having customized.
Kane had waited at the closed bathroom door, his heart pounding until Sky had opened it, and they had stared at the stick together. Hours later he still felt giddy that the word pregnant had appeared on the white stick so quickly.
“Do you hope you win too, Daddy?” Montana asked, the question launching him back to the present.
“I already did, baby girl. Win or lose this ride, I’ve already won.”
And he had, he thought, as he made his way down to the chutes, lots of people lined up, wishing him luck, high-fiving him, touching his shoulder, wishing him the best. He felt the familiar calm settle over him, like he was in a bubble. He checked his helmet and tucked it under his arm as he made his way to the chute. Ran his gloved hand lightly down his bull rope that he’d re-resined earlier in the day, a ritual that always had centered him, only this time, he’d done it while Sky had sat beside him, taking pictures, leaning against him and talking softly, trying to trick him into telling her about the long overdue honeymoon he had planned.
Gage waited by the chute. They were two-tenths of a point apart going into the final round, but really, almost anyone in the final round could seize victory. Kane had gone into the finals and won it twice already, once from behind and once far, far in the lead. He’d drawn a rank Harper Bull so that should be fun. A Wilder Bull in the final would be better, but he’d get his shot at that dream someday, he predicted. Luke and Tanner and Tucker were determined and working hard despite last year’s setback.
“I know your brother Luke’s up there for you today, but I wanted to say good fortune. I almost want you to win as much as I want to, seeing as we are both burying some ghosts.”
Kane found himself laughing. “If it’s not me, then I hope it’s you.” He shoulder-bumped Gage, whom he’d become closer to since May. “But as for ghosts, I slayed those bastard spirits. Feel like a better man.”
Gage’s face, so often set in fiercely determined lines, relaxed. A small smile touched his lips.
“Think you can beat me?”
“Hell yeah. If not this year, then next.”
“Cocky asshole.”
Kane agreed.
“But best attitude to think you can win.” Gage nodded his approval.<
br />
“I not only think I can win, I know I already have,” Kane said thinking about Sky, his little girl and the other baby just entering their lives.
He paused at the bottom of the chute, popped in his mouth guard, fitted on his helmet and snapped it into place. Sky was hoping for a boy this time for him, but Kane was good with another girl. He smiled remembering how Cody had laughed at the news Kane had surprisingly shared with him earlier in the day. Cody hadn’t missed a beat and told him. “No way you’ll throw a boy. You think too goddamn much and are a moody, angsty fuck.”
Then he’d body-slammed Kane and squeezed his shoulder—man code for congrats. “So don’t fuck it up out there and stay out of the well.”
High praise and maybe the beginnings of a friendship from Cody, and Kane realized that he was enjoying himself. It wasn’t just about the technicalities of the ride and the score and gaming the sponsors anymore. It was the challenge and the people and the pageantry as well that drew him.
“You going to ride or just think about it?” Luke peered down at him from the top of the chute, snagging the bull rope from Kane.
Kane vaulted up, heard the announcer with his yearly stats—awesome—and his two previous world championships. The crowd noise was so deafening he couldn’t hear the rest. Somewhere out there in the family section Sky sat with his mother, brothers and their wives and Parker and Montana.
He kept his head down, breathing deep and watching the bull—judging the edgy restless movements of the beautiful beast—definitely pissed and ready to rock and roll. Good, well so was he. The power of the animal was palpable. When everything was set, he let his boot touch the back of the bull to warn it he was coming aboard. The reaction was a strong shift to the side. The flex of muscle was truly awesome.
He thought he should take a photo up here next time for Sky. She could capture that flex of muscle—make it look alive. Maybe somehow capture the coiled tension of the bull rider and the bull right before they melded into one.
For eight seconds.
A murmur went through the men at the top. Approval and caution.
Kane dropped down and immediately set his feet angled back so they couldn’t catch on the bars and wrapped his rope. He pulled and wrapped and pulled tighter again and again. He tested the grip. The smell of bull, dust, popcorn and resin filled his nose and the feel of the bull’s energy translated to his body.
One more adjustment of the grip and he rocked up higher on the bull. Set his thighs, his ass, flexed to give himself space to move with the bull. His left hand was already up. He shifted his pelvis forward, tested the distribution of his weight. Felt good. He felt set as if a pole went through the top of his head, his body and pelvis welding him in place. He shifted up, back, side to side and felt the quiver of the muscles beneath him. He ran through the visuals of the bull’s last five rides, pictured himself on top, thighs tight, ass floating slightly above to better counter shift.
Yeah.
Kane nodded.
Slide of metal. Powerful enough thrust to launch the bad boy rank bull clear of the gate to start the clock.
The End
The American Extreme Bull Riders Tour
If you enjoyed Kane, you’ll love the rest of the American Extreme Bull Riders Tour!
Book 1: Tanner by Sarah Mayberry
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Book 2: Chase by Barbara Dunlop
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Book 3: Casey by Kelly Hunter
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Book 4: Cody by Megan Crane
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Book 5: Troy by Amy Andrews
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Book 6: Kane by Sinclair Jayne
View the entire series here!
Book 7: Austin by Jeannie Watt
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Book 8: Gage by Katherine Garbera
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About the Author
Sinclair Jayne has loved reading romance novels since she discovered Barbara Cartland historical romances when she was in sixth grade. By seventh grade, she was haunting the library shelves looking to fall in love over and over again with the heroes born from the imaginations of her favorite authors. After teaching writing classes and workshops to adults and teens for many years in Seattle and Portland, she returned to her first love of reading romances and became an editor for Tule Publishing last year.
Sinclair lives in Oregon’s wine country where she and her family own a small vineyard of Pinot Noir and where she dreams of being able to write at a desk like Jane Austen instead of in parking lots waiting for her kids to finish one of their 12,000 extracurricular activities. …
Find her on Twitter@SinclairJayne1
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Kane (American Extreme Bull Riders Tour Book 6) Page 23