Here is a sneak peek at the first few scenes of the story. Enjoy! (Reader discretion is advised - contains adult content)
“Next up, Cale Warren from Saw Mill, Texas. Let’s give this cowboy a
hand!”
Cale edged up to the chute, eyeing the muscled animal. No matter how many
times he lined up for a ride, the nerves came on just as strong as the first
time he hopped on two tons of bull. The crowd went wild – they always did. Bull
riding was a rodeo favorite. It was thrilling, it was intense, and the result
of the ride was always unknown with everyone questioning – can that cowboy pull
of eight seconds and take home some money?
Taking one last look at the crowd, he adjusted his Stetson and straddled
the bull they called Dillinger. He
gripped the rope, wrapping it several times around his gloved hand. The bull
was already attempting to get him off his back, and Cale tightened his thighs
around him, steadying himself for the next eight seconds, not only wanting that
prize money, but needing to stay on
for his pride. It was his time to shine. It was his time to conquer this ride
and move up in the standings.
The cowboy working the chute patted him on the shoulder as the bull
jumped sideways, crashing into the metal gate that contained him in the small
area just big enough to cage them in. Cale’s leg slammed against it and a
searing jolt of pain coursed through him. Gritting his teeth, he fought through
it. The angrier the bull got, the more determined Cale grew.
“You ready, Warren?”
Cale nodded, confirming it was fine to open the gate and let him fly. The
bull groaned as he was freed from his prison. Cale latched onto the rope as
tight as possible, his body being jerked from side to side as he fought to stay
on top. His legs provided leverage and balance and his right arm flew up in the
air, moving from front to back, staying in perfect rhythm with the bull. One
wrong move and he’d be flipped off into the dirt below.
Twisting and turning, he heard the dull roar of the crowd crescendo into
screams and yells as he continued to conquer Dillinger, a bull that hadn’t gone eight seconds in months. The
buzzer echoed throughout the arena, signaling that Cale had done what he had
planned. It was time to dismount and get out of the arena before the bull
finished the job.
Releasing the rope, he slid off the back of the angry animal, landing on
his knees in the mud. A cowboy on a horse came and diverted the bull,
preventing any charge toward Cale. Running to the edge of the arena, Cale was
able to jump up on the railings and out of harm’s way as the bull ran past,
making one last attempt at hurting him. The crowd’s cheers were breathtaking,
and Cale tipped his hat in response, thanking them for the showing of support.
It was a blur as everyone patted him on the back and offered their
congratulations. He had pulled an eighty-seven-point ride, putting him in first
place with only three more cowboys left to ride. If he could finish top three,
that would help financially, but he wanted first. He had rode his heart out and
deserved it.
Joining everyone else at the chutes, he watched his ride replay on the
jumbo-tron. Had his dad been watching, he’d have criticized him for several
things he had done wrong, but thankfully hadn’t been penalized for.
“Don’t look at that, Cale. You know better than that!” Sammy, his long
time traveling buddy, pulled his face away from the screen.
“My weight was all on the wrong leg,” Cale said, still watching like it
was a wreck he couldn’t look away from.
“You stayed on eight. Enough said.”
“I’m lucky the judges are so blind. Never should’ve pulled an
eighty-seven after that.” Cale ducked his head, unsure if his nerves could take
watching the last three cowboys.
“You sound like your father, now shut up! I only went three seconds. If
anyone has a right to complain, it’s me.”
Cale took his hat off and wiped the sweat from his brow. The Texas sun
was beating down on them and he was glad the rodeo was almost over. He wanted
an ice-cold beer and a cool bar to play some pool in.
He diverted his attention behind the arena when he saw her. She was
beautiful, leading a horse around, her dirty blonde hair flowing from under her
cowboy hat. It was the distraction he needed, and rather than watch the last
few rides, he paid close attention to the long legged beauty tending to her
horse. She laughed at another woman who passed by, her simple beauty flawless,
her menial task breathtaking.
Was she a barrel racer? Cale cursed himself for not paying better
attention to the other events. He had been around his fair share of women in
the rodeo, all of them ending in quick relationships and one night stands, but
none quite like her. There was something different about her and she didn’t
compare to the buckle bunnies he was certain they would run into later. He
didn’t even know her but could tell there was something unique about her.
“Hey, earth to Cale! Did you hear! You just took home second place!
That’s a pretty penny!” Sammy gave him a small shove, his gaze following to
where Cale had been staring. “Who you looking at?”
Cale pushed away from him, adjusting his hat. “Second place?” A twinge of
disappointment hit him. Sure, the money would be enough to hold them over
between rodeos, but he wanted first. He’d never admit it out loud, but he was a
sore loser.
“Yeah, cowboy. Second place! Not bad considering all of the criticism you
were just giving yourself a few minutes ago. With all the flaws you found, I should’ve
placed higher than you. I wish I could put your dad in his place for doing that
to you all these years.”
Nodding, Cale looked back toward the woman, watching her through the
crowd that now started to trickle out of the arena. He tried to see what direction
she was going in, but lost her as she weaved through a group of people. Would
he see her again? If she was in the rodeo, maybe she’d go to the next one on
their road trip.
“Who in the hell has your attention?” Sammy asked.
“Nobody. Don’t worry about it. I need a beer.”
“And lucky for us, there’s a bar right down the street. First round is on
you, Cale.”
“I stay on, you fall in the mud, and I have to buy your drinks. That’s
bullshit if you ask me.” Cale smirked as he gathered up his duffel bag, chaps,
and rope.
“I guess you better stop making eight then.”
“Then who’d pay for your motel? We’d have to sleep in the damn car.” Cale
finally began to relax, though he couldn’t get the beautiful cowgirl out of his
head. He had to find her. He had to know more about her and why she was so
captivating.
***
Olivia Hayes patted her horse as she edged him into the trailer. Another
rodeo down, another check won, and another step closer to saving up for the
riding school she had wanted to open for several years. Pausing, she admired
the sun setting on the horizon. The purple hue of the Texas sky was
mesmerizing, and the blanket of stars flowed for miles. Why would anyone want
to move to the city were this view was hindered by smog and city lights?
Her horse neighed, pulling her from the view. Her brother waited for her
by the truck, his arms folded over his chest. “You improved two seconds today
from practice. Not bad, Olivia. But that first place girl is six seconds
faster. I think we’ve got some work to do.”
Rolling her eyes, her half-hearted attempt to ignore her brother failed,
and she let out a sigh. “My ride was good enough for third place.”
“You think we might ought to start training a younger horse?”
“Chance isn’t old. He’s still got a lot of speed. I think he’s fine.” She
had ridden with Chance in the rodeo for a while, and it broke her heart to even
consider putting him put to pasture. “And besides, how much time will we lose
training another? I’m comfortable
with him.”
“It’s something to consider, Olivia.”
“I love you, Oscar, but sometimes I don’t like you.”
She appreciated that he went on the road with her, traveling to rodeos
and helping with expenses, but sometimes his negativity grated on her last
nerve. Part of the reason he continued to tag along was to live vicariously
through her. He had tried his hand at rodeo himself, only to not make it and
quite before he ever really got started.
“Chance is a good horse, don’t get me wrong. But we need speed. We need
you improving more than two seconds if you want to take the big checks home.”
“Oscar, you forget why I’m even doing this.”
Oscar nodded. “For your riding school. But just think – the bigger checks
will get you more money faster, and then you can stop with the rodeo and run
the school.”
“I’m in no hurry to quit rodeo. I’m having fun and earning a little money
while I’m doing it. Let’s just leave it at that right now. Let’s go do
something fun.”
“Like what?”
Olivia thought about it for a second. They were in a small Texas town –
what exactly was there to do? “Let’s go dancing. I’m sure there’s plenty of
bars and dance halls around here to choose from.”
Oscar cocked his head to the side. “You’re suggesting a night of dancing
and drinking? Who are you and what have you done with Olivia? Isn’t it past
your bedtime?”
“Who knows? Maybe you’ll find the love of your life and you can focus
your attention on something other than my ride times. You never know!” She let
out a giggle. “Let’s take Chance back and see what we can get ourselves into.
Come on! It’ll be fun!”
Olivia gathered up her saddle and tossed it in the truck bed, eyeing her
brother as he put the pickup in gear. He never was one for going out, but then
again, neither was she. It was always the same thing – get to the rodeo, put in
your ride, go back to the hotel, sleep, head to the next town. Something was
different that evening. She was bored and though she was bashful, she wanted to
go dance.
“The look on your face tells me you’re not wanting to go.”
Oscar shrugged as he merged out onto the road. “No, not really. What
makes you want to go so bad all of the sudden?”
“I’m not sure. Just sick of looking at hotel walls. They all start to
look the same after a while.”
“Don’t you think you should rest up for your next ride?”
Holding her hand up, Olivia stopped him. “Before you start lecturing me
about how many seconds I have to shave off of my time, I’ll do you a favor and
let you know that I’m completely aware of it. But our next rodeo isn’t for a
few days. One night out dancing isn’t going to kill me.”
Oscar parked the truck and guided Chance out from the trailer. “Suit
yourself. And hey, how convenient. Looks like there’s a bar right over there.”
He pointed toward a small building next to the motel’s swimming pool. “By the
sounds of it, the music is already pumping loud. If you get wasted, you can
just amble right back over here.”
Olivia was used to his sarcasm, but it struck a chord with her. Ignoring
him, she went inside and freshened up. Dabbing on some perfume, she smoothed a
small hint of pink lipstick on and ran her fingers through her hair. Hopefully
she’d see a few of her barrel racing friends there – they always tried to get
her to go out and she declined, partly to appease Oscar and partly from having
no desire to do it.
Taking one last glance at herself in the mirror, she ducked past Oscar
without saying another word and walked across the parking lot to the bar. A man
checked her ID at the door and waved her inside. Looking across the room, she
tried to spot a familiar face, a sigh of relief escaping her when she saw
Leslie at the far end of the bar with a group of other barrel racers.
“Is that… Olivia?” Leslie stood up and patted her on the shoulder. “My
word. What is the special occasion?”
“What do you mean?”
“How many times have we begged you to come out with us and now you’re
here?”
Olivia sat down and ordered a beer, scanning the room for other people
she might know. There was a small dance floor but not much going on, and a
group of cowboys in the far corner caught her eye. Just from the look of them
she could tell they were bull riders. They all had that same look, but man,
they looked great in those Wranglers.
“Cowboy catch your eye?” Leslie leaned in.
“No one in particular. Besides, they’re bull riders,” Olivia replied as
she nursed on her beer. She wasn’t a drinker, but the drink went down well,
calming her nerves.
“And? What’s wrong with that?”
“Bull riders, Leslie. Arrogant
man whores with skinny butts.”
“Sounds like something you need, Ms. Hayes.” Leslie winked and grabbed her
hand. “Lets get out on the dance floor.”
Olivia finished her beer and followed her friend as they began to
two-step to a George Strait song. It had been forever since she had done this,
but the moves came back to her like it had been just yesterday. The crowd
thickened, and she noticed several of the bull riders were standing on the edge
of the dance floor, no one fully committing to dancing, but watching as the
women showed their stuff.
Leslie nudged her and gave her a light shove, pushing her toward a man in
a dark cowboy hat. She tried to fight against her, but her friend caught her
off balance and she found herself looking right up at the man. It was dark, and
the only hint of what he looked like came when the lights shifted, giving her a
quick preview of his handsome face. He smiled, revealing his perfect white
teeth and his cologne flooded her senses.
“I’m sorry,” she said, hoping he’d hear her over the loud music.
“For what?”
“For getting pushed into you.”
The fast song changed to a much slower song. That figures. Just like in
movies, Olivia thought.
“How about you dance with me to make up for it?”
Looking up at him again, Olivia felt her cheeks warm up. “I’m not sure.”
Her instincts screamed, telling her to run the other way. She didn’t need any
complications in her life right now. She was close to getting enough money for
her riding school. And just like with the song changing, a handsome stranger
swoops in to send her life in a complete derail off of her path to her goals.
She couldn’t allow his good looks to detour her.
“Not sure?” He cocked his head to the side and pushed his hat up,
revealing more of his face. It took her breath away. Damn, he looked good.
“What are you not sure about?”
“I guess one dance wouldn’t hurt,” Olivia replied, her heart racing as he
led her out on the dance floor.
His hand shimmied around her waist and he pulled her close. She wrapped
her arms around his shoulders, feeling intoxicated though she only had one
beer. Glancing up, she saw Leslie in the crowd, a huge grin on her face as she
pointed toward her. He met her friend’s approval at least, but she was still
very nervous.
His other hand moved against her and with as tight as his hug grew,
Olivia wasn’t sure if it was possible to get any closer than they were at that
moment. They swayed together to the music, and she wouldn’t have been able to
tell anyone what song was playing. Her attention was on everything else – his
hands and how they seemed to move lower, the way his hips ground into hers, and
his whiskers that rubbed against her cheek as he leaned his head into her. Oh,
and his scent – it was musky, leathery, and manly. So manly that it was sending
her over the edge.
“So, what’s your name?” he asked, his breath tickling her ear.
“Olivia. Yours?”
“Cale. You from here?”
“No. I’m here for the rodeo.”
He looked down at her, his smile making her heart skip a beat. “Yeah? Me
too. You a barrel racer?”
Nodding, she felt the corners of her mouth turn up in a grin. “Yeah. And
let me guess, you’re a bull rider.”
“Guilty as charged. How’d you know?”
“I’ve been around rodeo my whole life, Cale. You all have this swagger
about you. You’re what our daddy’s warn us to stay away from.”
His smile faded. “Ouch.”
“It’s the reputation. I’m not saying you’re that way.” She felt guilty
for bringing it up, but it was the truth. The song faded and the lights
flickered on. Her first real look at him was better than the others, and his
green eyes popped against his tanned complexion, not to mention the dark hair
shooting out from under his cowboy hat. If she stayed much longer, she’d be in
trouble. Bull rider or not, the man was gorgeous. “Thanks for the dance, Cale.”
Olivia started to walk away, hating herself for being offensive, but she had to
make a beeline and get back to her room safely.
His hand clasped in hers, hindering her from getting any closer to the
exit. “Where you going so fast, Olivia? It’s not even last call yet.”
“I thought I offended you.”
Cale scoffed and took his cowboy hat off, twirling it in his finger. “Ah
hell, if I got offended at every preconceived notion about guys like me, I’d be
curled up in a corner somewhere with my thumb in my mouth. You’re right, we’ve
got a reputation. But you wanna know something else?”
He pulled her in again, his hand cupping the back of her head as another
song belted through the speakers. They stood in the middle of the dance floor,
though neither of them moved to the music. Others pushed beside them, but
Olivia was lost in the moment, not even caring that they might be in the way.
“What?” she asked, feeling a smoldering hunger she had never experienced
course through her.
Dipping his head, he pressed his lips against hers. Tasting a subtle hint
of whiskey on his breath, she opened her mouth, inviting his tongue to slip
inside, searching her, tasting her, as his hands skimmed her sides. A moan
escaped her, but she was certain he couldn’t hear it over the thumping bass.
Pulling away, he rested his forehead on hers. “I bet you never knew great
kissing came with the reputation we have.”
Shaking her head, Olivia felt weak in the knees. Had she not been leaning
against him, she probably would have fainted. “No. No I didn’t.”
He looked at everyone near them and laughed. “I guess if we’re not gonna
dance we should probably move.”
“Yeah.” Olivia didn’t know what else to say. She had just kissed a man
she barely knew in a bar she never went to. What was happening?
Grabbing her hand, he led her through the crowd and looked over his
shoulder at her. “We’re good at other things too, if you know what I’m saying.”
His thick eyebrows danced as they got back to the bar. “What do you say we get
out of here?”
Olivia wanted to scream out that it was a bad idea. She wanted to say no.
But her legs didn’t do what her brain was telling them to. Instead, she continued
to walk, allowing him to get her to the door and out on the porch. Kissing him
was enough. What else did he have in mind?
“I have a room just down the way here.” He quickened his pace, and to her
surprise, Olivia followed. She didn’t do things like this. She should turn
around and go the other direction, back to her room where she was certain Oscar
was snoozing away.
Cale grabbed the key from his back pocket and slid it in the door. It
creaked open, exposing a single bed with a duffel bag on the floor. Say no! She was on the verge, but when
he turned to face her, any voice of reason had faded, and she had no intention
to end this. Kicking the door shut, he pinned her against the wall, kissing her
deeply as his hands trailed at her waist. Damn it, he tasted so good and it
felt amazing.
Rather than do what was right, Olivia fanned her hands through his hair,
knocking his cowboy hat to the floor. His lips moved down her neck and to her
collarbone, sending a chill down her spine. She missed his hands when he pulled
away and began unbuttoning his shirt. It slipped off to the floor below, and
she aided in getting the white cotton t-shirt underneath off, exposing his
muscled chest. She slid her hands over his taut muscles, feeling his smooth
skin under her fingertips.
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