In barrel racing, the tenth and one hundredths of a second counted, and usually made the determination of winner and loser.
All Harper needed was to beat Cassie’s time by a hundredth of a second. But that was much easier said than done.
Cassie exited the arena and passed by the line, meeting Harper’s gaze.
“Good run, Cassie,” Harper congratulated her. There was nothing gained by being petty.
“Thanks.” Cassie smiled, her expression skeptical. “Good luck.”
Harper grinned but didn’t reply.
She focused back on Spartan.
On the line ahead.
The race halted for a minute while they raked the dirt around the barrels, keeping the surface fresh for the next set of horses.
And as the minutes ticked by, she found herself at the beginning of the line.
So far, Cassie’s time was the one to beat, and she tuned out everything around her as she focused on the arena. The dirt was kicked up around the barrels, the dark earth in contrast to the dry dust covering the rest of the arena, making a clear path of attack. Not too smooth, not too rugged.
Perfect.
Spartan’s ears were perked, listening intently for Harper’s command. As the rider ahead finished, she sucked in a deep breath, concentrating intently on her horse, on the timing line, on the arena.
When they called her name, she tightened her grip on the reins, the rope taut under the pressure. She adjusted her heel in the stirrups and blew out a breath.
“Hi-ya!” She kicked Spartan’s flanks, and the horse leapt forward, anticipating the command. She crossed the threshold into the arena, signaling the start of the time. Spartan’s hooves drove into the dirt, and as they approached the first barrel, she cut him just wide enough to circle to the left, leaning as his hooves slid and he turned sharply. Lifting her boot slightly, she just skimmed the edge of the metal barrel, thankfully not even moving it.
“Go, go!” Harper shouted, leaning over Spartan’s strong neck as they crossed the arena to their next target, the second barrel. As they drew near, Harper pulled the reins sharply to the right, and Spartan responded with a damn near perfect turn that circled the barrel with no more than an inch of clearance between the metal and her boot. She leaned as they finished the turn; kicking him swiftly she urged him to the last barrel. Spartan’s hooves continued to pound the dirt, his attention riveted on the barrel as it grew closer and closer. Harper didn’t dare glance at the clock; all her focus needed to be on Spartan.
The barrel.
The turn.
She leaned to the right as she tugged the reins the same direction. Spartan’s hooves kicked up dirt as he circled the last barrel, his body tense beneath her as he finished the tight turn. “Hi-ya, go, go, go!” Harper gave a final swift kick to Spartan’s flanks, leaning forward to encourage him, her gaze fixated on the time line as they flew over it.
She slowly pulled up the reins, giving Spartan a chance to slow down carefully from his breakneck pace.
Harper held her breath as the announcer came over the PA system.
“Harper Matthews, 17.39. We have a new leader, folks!”
The crowed gave a rousing applause, and Harper’s face flushed with heat as she grinned widely. “Good work, boy.” She leaned down and smoothed Spartan’s neck, crooning to him. “You were magnificent.”
Spartan shook his head, his bridle jingling.
“I’m so proud of you.” She kissed the horse’s neck, inhaling the familiar scent. “So proud.”
She straightened and headed back toward the trailer. With her run done, she didn’t need to keep Spartan all saddled up. If anything, she’d be heading home after her division ended, which would be soon.
As she slid off Spartan’s back, her legs protested the movement. They were tense from her rigid control during the race, and she hadn’t realized she’d failed to relax once the race was over.
She’d pay for that tomorrow.
“Hey!” Laken’s voice cut into Harper’s attention.
“Hi! Sorry, I was going to take care of Spartan and then find you guys.” Harper lifted a hand in greeting, noticing that Sterling’s stride was strong, the limp completely gone.
“Sure you were. I see how it is, horses then people.” Sterling eyed Spartan and gave him a wide berth as he came to close to Harper.
“Still scared of horses?” Harper teased.
“Shitless,” Sterling answered boldly.
“At least you’re honest.” Harper rolled her eyes.
“That was a great run. I’m glad we got to see it! Is that a record for you guys? It seemed pretty near perfect,” Laken asked, coming around and patting Spartan’s nose.
“It wasn’t bad. That’s for sure. There’s always room for improvement, but I’m pretty pleased.” She grinned at Laken and stepped forward to tie off the lead rope to Spartan’s neck so that she could take off the bridle.
“I wish you could have seen Sterling’s face, Harper. Don’t let him tell you anything other than he was duly impressed.” Laken gave a challenging grin to her brother.
“Seriously though, there was dirt flying, and you were riding so freaking fast. How do you not fall? Really, inquiring minds want to know,” Sterling asked, his gray eyes sparkling with interest.
“Practice.” Harper slid the bridle off and hung it on the side of the trailer.
“And brass balls, apparently,” Sterling added, earning a smack on the shoulder from Laken.
“Really?” She gave him an annoyed glare.
“I can honestly say I’d rather be shot at than do what Harper just did. I’m man enough to admit it.” Sterling held up in hands.
“Some of us are braver than others,” Harper taunted. “But to set the record straight, I think you’re bat shit crazy for not minding the whole war idea. Freaks the hell out of me.”
“Then we’re even. You ride horses. I’ll shoot guns.”
“Deal.”
Laken gave an exasperated sigh. “So what now?”
Harper started to work on the cinch of the saddle. “Now I finish with Spartan, comb him down, and make sure he has plenty of water. Then I head up to the arena as they announce the finalists, and when they are done, so am I.” Harper met Laken’s gaze for a moment then moved to take off the saddle.
“Hey, I got that.” Sterling moved around Spartan’s head and to the left side of the horse. “I’ve been told it’s good for me to balance, you know, muscle development and such.”
Harper took a step back, but couldn’t go far with the trailer behind her, and Spartan in front of her. “By all means.” She waved to the saddle. “Clearly, your therapist knows what she is doing.”
“Sometimes.” Sterling gave her a sidelong glance as he lifted the saddle from Spartan’s back. “Where do you want it?”
Harper motioned to the front of the trailer where there was a small door to the tack storage. As Sterling turned, Harper’s gaze slid from his dusty blond hair down to his broad shoulders. The tension caused by carrying the saddle made his musculature sharper, cutting a definite shape through his tight shirt. She flickered her gaze to his leg, taking a moment to appreciate the perfect shape of his ass before studying the way he walked. His limp wasn’t present, but he was favoring the leg with a slightly uneven stride. “Walk even,” she called out, unable to help herself.
“Don’t peacock, you mean?” He glanced over his shoulder as he set the saddle in the storage area.
“You’re walking like you’re afraid to trust your leg.” Harper met his gaze, keeping hers open so he wouldn’t think she was teasing about something that could be taken as hurtful.
“She’s right,” Laken chimed in, reminding Harper of her presence.
Had she seen Harper’s intent study of her brother?
Sterling twisted his lips as he t
urned back toward Harper. “You can’t cut a guy any slack, can you?”
“Nope. Not when I know you can do better.” Harper hitched a shoulder.
“And here I thought we were here to watch you and keep the focus off me for once,” Sterling grumbled, but Harper noted that as he walked back, his weight was far more evenly distributed. “Better?”
“Yup,” Laken answered.
Harper finished combing Spartan and made sure he was tied off securely to the trailer before she indicated to the arena. “You guys ready?”
“Waiting on you,” Sterling answered.
Laken smacked his shoulder again.
“Aw, it’s nice to have a change of pace. Usually, I’m waiting on you,” Harper replied sweetly as she started toward the arena.
Laken unsuccessfully tried to hold back a snicker.
Sterling shot her a mock glare.
“What?” Laken asked, still laughing.
“You enjoy this too much,” Sterling accused his sister.
“Yeah, I really do. It’s nice to see someone set you on your ass.”
“My pleasure.” Harper gave a wink to Laken.
Sterling shook his head and ignored Harper’s comment. As they approached the gate, the final rider was going through the barrels.
“17.67.”
“How do they know when to start or stop time?” Sterling asked as they leaned against the iron fence.
“See that line in the dirt?” Harper pointed to the painted line that was all but obliterated.
“Yeah.”
“Once you cross it, they start time, and then they stop time when you cross it again when you’re finished,” Harper explained.
“And you can’t touch the barrels?” Laken asked.
“Yeah, you can, actually. You can’t knock them over. If you do, they add five seconds to your time and basically eliminate you from the running. If you’re lucky, you might be able to stabilize it if you know you’re about to knock it over, and that’s allowed, but usually your time suffers from it regardless. The idea is to not really touch them, just cut the circle around them.”
“Makes sense. What do you get when you win?” Sterling asked.
Harper noticed the way he’d phrased the question.
When.
Not if.
A warm sensation filled her chest. It was nice to have someone believe in her.
She bit back a wry grin. “When,” she emphasized, “I win, I’ll get some prize money, bragging rights, etcetera.”
“Cool,” Laken answered.
The announcer came over the PA system once more, this time giving the rundown of the final times.
Harper listened intently as they started from the third place and went up.
“In third, we have...Amanda Wilson from Yakima, Washington, with the time of 17.60!”
The crowd clapped and waited as he continued. “In second place, we have Cassie Markston from Toppenish, Washington, with the time of 17.44!”
Harper clapped, her heart pounding fiercely. She didn’t watch the rest of the race, but she was still quite certain no one had beaten her time.
But there was always a chance.
She held her breath as the announcer came over the system again. “And in first place, taking home the grade prize of one thousand dollars cash, with a time of 17.39, we have Harper Matthews from Ellensburg, Washington!”
Laken squealed and pulled Harper into a hug.
Harper froze for a moment at the quick contact then returned the hug, welcoming the friendly action.
“Good work, Harper!” Laken congratulated her as she released her from their quick embrace.
“Not bad.” Sterling regarded her with a wide smile, his gaze meeting hers, his expression approving and warm. “Come here.” He opened up his arms and pulled her into a tight hug.
His chest was warm against her ear as she leaned in, prepared to immediately let go and take a step back.
But apparently, Sterling had other plans. His arms banded around her tightly, securely, as he gently kissed the top of her head. Her senses were overwhelmed with the scent of spicy aftershave and clean laundry all wrapped around a sexy man. It was sensory overload in the best way possible, and she didn’t want to let go.
“Good work. You were amazing out there. It’s well deserved.” He released her then, and she reluctantly stepped back, instantly missing the contact.
“Thanks,” she offered, forcing a calm she didn’t feel.
“Hey, good work out there.” A familiar voice shattered her warm fuzzies like a five-gallon bucket of ice water.
“Thanks, Cassie. You too.” Harper flickered her gaze to where Cassie waited, her expression expectant as she focused on Sterling then back to Harper.
Harper bit her tongue to keep from saying something she’d regret. After taking a deep breath, she forced a smile. “Let me introduce you to Laken and Sterling.”
Harper’s shoulders were rigid with tension as Cassie gushed an enthusiastic greeting to Laken and then to Sterling. Cassie’s gaze assessed him quickly, and Harper hoped Sterling hadn’t missed the predatory glint in her expression.
“So, you’re friends of Harper?” she asked in a friendly manner, as if she and Harper were close friends.
Harper barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
Or gag.
Maybe both.
“Yeah.” Laken’s expression flickered between Cassie and Harper, as if piecing together the real story. “We’re actually just heading out. It was great to meet you.” Laken gave her nurse-smile, the one that Harper had started to recognize she used when she was being kind and clinical all at once.
Harper’s gaze flickered to Sterling. He was watching her, amusement clear in his eyes as he dared to glance at Cassie then back to Harper, raising a brow in question.
Harper felt a hint of pity for Cassie, since it was clear everyone had seen through her pretense, but it faded quickly when she offered to show Sterling around for the party later.
“Surely you don’t want to leave just yet?”
“Actually, I’m leaving now, and Sterling here is taking Harper home. It really was nice to meet you. I’m sure we’ll see you later.” Laken shook Cassie’s hand and walked away.
“Yeah, see ya.” Sterling gave a curt nod to Cassie and followed his sister.
Cassie turned to Harper. “You sure are surrounded by some eye candy, aren’t you?”
Harper bit back a groan. One of the eye candies she was referring to was her brother.
Ew.
“I gotta go catch up.” Harper pointed behind her. “But good job and congrats on a great run.” She backed up, gave a quick wave, then turned and jogged toward the trailer.
As she approached, she saw Laken give her a teasing grin. “Friend of yours?”
“Not really. More like one of those irritating horseflies that bites you in the ass when you’re not looking,” Harper answered with a little too much honesty.
“I actually do need to head back.” Laken tucked her hands in her jean pockets.
“And I really don’t want to go yet, because I’ll be stuck at the ranch, and it’s more fun to irritate you than her.” Sterling ruffled his sister’s hair.
“Joy.” Harper gave a wry grin. “How can I refuse when you put it that way?”
“Eh, you didn’t want to anyway.” Sterling gave her a devastatingly seductive grin.
Her eyes widened, and she glanced away, cursing the way her body enthusiastically responded to his expression.
“Okay, and yeah...I’m going now.” Laken gave an awkward wave and turned on her heel, leaving.
“Way to make that totally inappropriate.” Harper rolled her eyes, pretending she didn’t have her own inappropriate response.
“You love it.” Sterling
hitched a shoulder, drawing her attention to the rounded and sculpted form.
“Eyes up here.” He wagged his eyebrows. “This is what girls feel like when guys study their rack.” He shook his head. “Show some respect, Harper.”
Harper’s eyes widened in shock then narrowed in anger. But she couldn’t figure out a decent response.
Because well, he was right.
She was distracted by his body. In her defense, it was rather amazing. Heaven help her if he ever took his shirt off.
“Still no response? Wow. I don’t know how to take this,” he teased, arching a light brown eyebrow.
Harper twisted her lips then grinned. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and give Laken the keys in your pocket, and I’ll get Spartan loaded up?”
“Staring at my pockets, Harper?” Sterling goaded, implying so much more.
“Why? Is there something to see? I must have missed that.” She gave him the best setdown she could think of.
“Ouch.” Sterling grinned then walked toward Laken. “I’ll be right back.”
Harper smiled to herself as she untied Spartan. She led him around. He stepped into the trailer and heaved a sigh, his body relaxing. “You did well today, handsome. I’m proud of you.”
Harper left the trailer and closed the gate, making sure it was secure before double-checking the dirt around it for anything that might have fallen.
“Laken’s all set, and I can see that Spartan is too. What else do we need to do?” Sterling asked, the afternoon sun illuminating the golden hue of his skin.
“Well, I need to go and check out at the registration table. You can come if you want, but I won’t be very long.”
Sterling nodded. “I’ll walk with you. It’s good for me.”
“You’re not limping as much. Does that mean it doesn’t hurt, or is that your medication?” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, studying his expression before he answered.
“Both, but the medication keeps the pain at bay. It’s just easier to think, to be normal when I don’t have that hazy edge of pain always around my head, you know?” Sterling met her gaze, his expression tight.
“Yeah. I do.” More than you know, Harper added mentally as they passed the arena and headed toward the registration table.
The Cowgirl Meets Her Match Page 13