Page 108 of Stockman's Showdown

‘Well, look at you.’ Craig pushed back his hat and gave an approving nod. ‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re ready to ride a bull.’

‘The dressing up is the easy part,’ said Dex, with his arms crossed over his chest, while Ash could only rub his neck wearing worry not normally seen on his younger brother.

‘If you’ve got any tips on riding the thing, I’m listening.’

Charlie nodded with approval, patting Ryder’s arm. ‘I do.’

This is why Ryder was going through with this, just for that look. Now all he had to do was make the eight seconds to win his bet with Bree.

The adjudicator called out, ‘Riggs. Riding Chainsaw. First ride out the gate.’

The gathered rodeo riders murmured. Some shook their heads.

‘Is that bad?’ asked Ash.

‘Craig, you know this crowd,’ said Dex, ‘what is wrong with Chainsaw?’

‘Chainsaw is known as the widow maker. No one has ever lasted the full eight seconds on that bull.’

Thirty-eight

Bree sat on the bleachers beside Harper. Sitting with them was Sophie, snapping away with her camera at the crowd, the bugs swirling high on the lights, the arena, and pretty much everything that moved. She was as happy as Harper was showing off her new hat.

‘Oh, look. Ash texted me this photo.’ Harper held up her phone screen, showing an image of Ryder all dressed up to ride a freaking bull.

The stubborn fool!

What’s worse, Charlie stood on one side of Ryder, with Cowboy Craig on the other. As a man with a deep love for the sport, the retired rodeo champion seemed truly delighted to share his knowledge with someone like Ryder.

Maybe Ryder wasn’t such a fool after all.

‘Harper, can you send me that photo?’

‘Sure.’ Harper tapped away on the screen.

In a few moments, Bree’s phone buzzed in her handbag. She dug it out, saving the image as her new screensaver. It’d been a long time since she’d seen Charlie back among the local rodeo crowd again, wearing a pride you couldn’t buy.

Then the bank of towering lights became brighter, and the music died down.

‘It’s about to begin…’ Bree sat higher. ‘Get your camera ready, Sophie.’

A voice boomed over the speakers, welcoming everyone to the event, then introduced each rodeo rider into the rodeo arena as part of the opening parade.‘Cowboy Craig…’

Craig came out, waving his hat in the air to a chorus of wolf whistles from the ladies in the crowd. He was clearly popular.

‘Ryder Riggs.’

Bree tried to hide her smile, watching Ryder with that sexy, powerful swagger, his thick thighs flexing with each step as he stood beside Craig. No smile. No wave of the hat, just his usual grumpy arse.

She put her fingers to her lips and whistled super loud. It echoed, while making the people sitting in front of her wince. ‘Sorry.’ Not sorry. Because she got Ryder’s attention, who patted down his vest like a proud peacock.

Bree blew him a kiss.

Finally, he found his smile.

Craig said something to Ryder, and they chuckled between them while standing in line with all the other rodeo riders. It was good they got along. Craig was a part of Charlie’s family. As for Ryder Riggs…

‘I can’t believe Ryder is doing this,’ said Harper. ‘You know, he didn’t talk to me for a month when I first came out here. He still barely does.’

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