Page 53 of Fall With Me (Sugarland Creek)

ELLIE

After visiting Angela yesterday, I returned to Uncle Pip’s ranch and then Noah met me for some practice runs. Later that evening, I carpooled with Easton to family night and watched the kids’ events—mutton bustin’ was my favorite. Afterward, he introduced me to some of the guys on his roping team and then I was in bed by ten.

This morning, after I check on Ranger and muck his stall, I meet Easton in the house for some coffee.

“Hey, how’d ya sleep out there?” he asks, handing me a mug.

“Good. I forget how quiet it can be out in the country.”

“Were ya scared?” he taunts.

I grab the carafe and fill my mug halfway.

“No, but I forgot my white noise machine, so I just listened to rain sounds on my phone.”

“That’s weird.”

“How so?” I grab the cream off the table and add it to my coffee, then stir it in.

“You’d think it’d make you have to pee all night.”

“Actually, you weirdo, it’s relaxing. Do you just sleep in silence like a psychopath?” I bring my mug to my lips and blow on it before taking a sip.

“I listen to a podcast, usually.”

“Hearin’ people talk would keep my brain awake. I listen to audiobooks and it helps with my focus during long drives.”

He lifts a shoulder casually. “Guess I’m used to it. I listen for about twenty minutes before I’m out.”

“Hmm, maybe I’ll try it on my drive home.” I take a seat at the table and scroll on my phone for one that might interest me.

“So what’re you doin’ today before you gotta bring Ranger to the rodeo?”

“One of the local 4-H clubs reached out and asked me to be a guest speaker at a future meeting to talk about my experience as a pro rodeo barrel racer. So I’m meetin’ with a couple of the leaders.”

Normally, I wouldn’t want to add to my already busy travel schedule, but coming back this way in a month or so gives me another opportunity to visit Angela.

“Ooh, aren’t you so famous,” he taunts. “Is it a paid event?”

“Of course not. I owe so much of my success to gettin’ involved with my 4-H club, so I love being able to pay it forward any opportunity I get.”

“Speakin’ of you being so awesome and shit, will you take a selfie with me for my social media pages? The competition will get jealous and know I’m way cooler than them.”

I sigh but nod anyway.

One of the downfalls of being in the rodeo spotlight is having to keep up with my social media. After each race, I edit my profile bio with Ranger’s updated lifetime earnings and post a picture of us from that event. In the caption, I write a quick thank you to the event sponsors, mention what place we took and then whatever prizes we won.

“You know when you talk like that, it really proves how much younger you are than me.”

“What? You’re only one year older!”

“I was talkin’ about maturity.” I smirk, then stand so he can take his stupid picture.

After I chat with the leaders about possible talking points for my presentation, they invite me to go with them for lunch. With dozens of food trucks in town for the rodeo, a handful of them parked down Main Street since the event doesn’t open until this evening. It gives the owners extra business and the locals who aren’t attending the rodeo a chance to enjoy the food, too.

But it’s so much more than a vendor fair. There’s a music stage with a band playing and all the small businesses have their doors open with tables of merchandise along the sidewalk. It’s still decorated from their parade last weekend with a Franklin Rodeo banner tied between two poles and mini flags on every post.

“I had no idea they did this,” I say to Brynn and Gabby. “I guess I never ventured downtown when I came here before.”

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