Page 1 of Steadfast

Chapter 1

Winner's Circle

Oakleigh Davenport felt breathless as she stood on the sidelines of the large, dusty rodeo arena. Her blonde hair was pulled into a low ponytail, and her hazel eyes scanned the faces of the roaring crowd of rowdy fans in the packed stadium.

She felt her palms begin to sweat as Crew Beckett’s name rang across the stadium, accompanied by the loud bang of colorful fireworks. Crew jogged out into the arena beside his teammates, eager to greet his adoring fans. He flashed his dashing white smile and tossed a quick wave. Crew was wearing his perfectly tailored Wrangler jeans and black leather chaps. His deep blue shirt accentuated his stunning ocean blue eyes, and his blonde hair was tucked into his signature black cowboy hat. Oakleigh had a glimmer of pride over her cowboy’s ensemble that she had curated just for him.

Despite how proud she was of Crew, she still couldn’t comprehend how anyone could enjoy watching her boyfriend risk his life on the fierce bulls. In Oakleigh’s opinion, there was noamount of glory, shiny gold champion belts, or sizeable cash prizes that could possibly be worth it.

Crew wasn’t the only fierce competitor that evening. Big Slim had yet another opportunity to display his devastating strength. The monster bull had become the pride of Callaway Ranch and had proven the lore of his fierce reputation to be true. With one glance at the unfortunate young cowboy who drew his name, it was apparent that Big Slim would remain unridden that evening. He was shaking like a leaf as he prepared to mount the monster bull, who was already ramming his horns into the metal gate. When the chute gate was flung open, the poor rider was tossed high into the air with his arms and legs splayed.

Oakleigh slammed her eyes shut, turning away as he hit the ground with a sickening thud. The familiar scene brought to mind the horrible memory of Crew’s accident, the night he was trampled by the merciless bull.

With a quick shake of her head, she attempted to oust the intrusive nightmarish memories. Casualties were the name of the game, and Big Slim’s winning streak was solidifying Callaway Ranch’s reputation as the industry standard for bucking bulls.

Finally, it was Crew’s turn to ride. Full of the charisma and showmanship he was becoming famous for, the handsome cowboy leaped up the iron fence rails and whipped his hat towards the crowd. Hyping his fans with his winning smile, their cheers were deafening as they rose to their feet insupport of the sport’s newest rising star. It wasn’t only his good looks, contagious smile, or charm—rather it was his expertise and professionalism that drew the attention of coaches and sponsors alike.

Oakleigh propped her boot on the lower rail of the fence, attempting to appear calm and casual while her heart beat furiously with anxious energy. It was a skill she had honed over the years at her mother’s demand, always chiding her to remain camera ready while on display at her father’s megachurch.

Throwing his leg over the back of the agitated bull in the chute, Crew gave the beast a friendly pat as he settled into place. He secured his grip on the rope while Sawyer Callaway, his coach and lifelong best friend, barked riding strategies. Crew nodded furiously, indicating that he understood every instruction despite the crowd’s deafening roar.

Oakleigh closed her eyes for a moment and whispered a quick prayer.

“Please, Lord, keep him safe.”

It was then that she found her attention pulled away by the sound of two obnoxiously shrill fans who had appeared beside her. Giving a discreet, sideways glance, she observed them as they gossiped together. One was a blonde with bedazzled jeans and excessive makeup. Her friend was a brunette with a heavy handed dye job straight from a box. She was wearing a top that exposed her bare midriff and left little to the imagination.

“Is Crew still with that girl?” Bedazzled Blonde shrilled. “She’s like an influencer or—something?”

“I hope not.” Dye Job rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what he saw inheranyway. She almost got him killed!”

Oakleigh felt her blood begin to boil. Before she could step in to inform the two just what she thought aboutthem, she felt a gentle yet firm squeeze on her wrist.

“Forget about them, Oakleigh.”

Maeve Callaway had made her way from the bullpens and appeared at Oakleigh’s side, casually resting her elbows on the top rail of the fence. By how she was dressed, one could hardly guess that Maeve was the proud owner of one of the most successful bulls in the sport. She was wearing a red plaid button-up shirt, bootcut jeans, and her long, wavy brown hair was kept tidy under her tan cowboy hat.

“Thosebuckle bunniesjust make me so mad,” Oakleigh spat, intentionally using the derogatory slang for the two rodeo fans ogling her boyfriend.

“Why do you care what they think?” Maeve responded coolly, gazing out over the dirt arena. “You’re here to support Crew and represent Callaway Ranch.”

Even if she didn’t want to admit it, Oakleigh knew she was right.

Crew flung his hand in the air, nabbing her attention.She felt her breath leave her lungs.

The chute gate swung open, and Crew’s muscles flexed as the bull surged into the arena. The sandy colored animal contorted as its hooves left the ground. The beast kicked, ducked, and turned sharply, doing everything within its power to eject the rider.

Despite the angry animal’s violent efforts, Crew held strong. Eight full seconds ticked by on the clock until the horn sounded. Crew threw his leg over the bull and landed on his feet with ease while the bullfighters distracted the beast back into the pen. He whipped his hat off again in victory as the crowd was compelled to their feet, offering thunderous cheers for the hotshot cowboy who was quickly stealing their hearts. Crew’s attention was drawn from his audience as his eyes scanned the sidelines.

Oakleigh knew that those blue eyes were searching for her.

When he finally locked on Oakleigh, a quick smile dashed across his lips.

Bedazzled Blonde slapped her friend’s arm. “He’s coming over here! I bet he saw me!”

Oakleigh couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Much to their dismay and Oakleigh’s satisfaction, Crew jogged over and pulled her in. Feeling his soft lips on hers, she didn’t mind the smell of sweat, dirt, and leather that radiated off of him.

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