Page 92 of Cowboys Can't Kiss

“Of course I am. If we aren’t confident in our skills, we won’t go anywhere. You’re the best at what you do, Jack, and so am I. We wouldn’t be here otherwise.” His hardened gaze meets mine. “We’re gonna win.”

“You’re right. We are.”

Hunter returns to his hyper-watch state, and I suck in some deep breaths to settle my mind. It’s something I’ve practiced since I started this sport and found to be helpful in many areas of life outside the ring.

My parents came up from Arizona to watch me and sit somewhere in the stands with Riley. Riley, who in the last monthhas accepted help with an assistant and was here for me while he let her handle his business.

After his aunt was released from the hospital, he helped settle her in. When he came home that night, he held me so tight I thought he wanted to become part of me. He later confessed that he wanted to be more flexible so he could watch me in the rodeo more and spend more time with his aunt. She may have only broken her hip, but Riley realized he’d missed so much. First by staying away when he moved out of town, and second by throwing himself into his new business.

I’m lucky he supports me so much, but I haven’t missed how much fun he’s having either. Two days ago, we had to qualify to make it to today’s final round of twelve and he won’t admit it, but I’m positive he tried to start the wave when the steer wrestlers were announced.

His assistant made him a T-shirt to wear that says, ‘A steer wrestler stole my heart and his name is Jackson Sutherland’. My mom found that entirely too precious, and frankly, so did I.

The man running the event behind-the-scenes motions for us to line up behind the chutes. Hunter and I are only two more riders out. Since the event is seeded 12th to first in order of riding, we’re the last to compete after qualifying a mere one one-hundredth faster than second place. It seems like a long time for us to wait, but when it’s the fastest event in rodeo it passes pretty quickly, even when they have issues setting the rope barriers.

In a blink, it’s already our turn, and together, we fall into our mental zones. Hunter nods that he’s ready, and I take a moment longer to visualize my run. Lady stops fidgeting and her muscles coil underneath me. The crowd noise melts away.

“Yep!”

The steer bursts out of the gate with Hunter on him keeping close, and me right alongside him sliding off my horse, barely two strides out of the gate. With everything I have, I plant my feet and twist the steer onto its side. It happens so fast that I don’t even know if I took a breath. My entire body quakes with adrenaline as Hunter circles back with Lady and we wait for our time.

Time passes far too slowly and then the bright numbers flash on the board.

2.8 seconds. We’ve never broken three seconds.Ever.

Hunter’s arms are around me, and he’s crushing the air from my lungs.

“We did it, Jack! Fuck, I knew you would! Holy shit!”

I’ve won a lot of rodeos in my days, and they’ve all been amazing. But this one sits differently. After taking the reins for Lady, I remount and listen to the woman as she points us over to grab the rodeo flag for our victory lap. Hunter normally passes it to me, but this time I give it to him.

“I wouldn’t be as good as I am without you. Take the flag, Hunter, and you go first. Don’t argue.”

If I’m not mistaken, his eyes get a little wet as he nods and takes the champion flag.

“Thanks.” His face splits into a giant grin. “We fucking won!”

“I love this sport!” I howl, and together, we ride like demons out into the ring for our victory lap, and then I see him. Riley with my parents in his newly purchased cowboy hat we had specially fit for him here and a smile so wide I could see it from space.

Instead of following Hunter around the ring to meet him at the platform to receive our oversized paper cheque, I stop in front ofthe area with Riley and my parents. Hopping off Lady, I run to the barrier and climb to the top.

“Get down here!” I shout and point at Riley.

My mom shoves Riley towards the stairs and the crowd parts to let him down. When he finally reaches the fence I’m perched on top of, his laugh is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. Someone helps him climb the few steps on the fence to reach me and he grabs a hold of the top. Joy and a tinge of fear spark in his eyes and I cup his face in my hands.

“No cowboy will ever love you like I do, Riley.” I press my lips to his and kiss him with a fierceness that takes me by surprise. The crowd roars its approval, and I pull away to let Riley breathe. Resting my forehead against his, I whisper, “When we get home, move in with me. I want to see you first thing in the morning and last thing at night, Rye.”

“Jackson…” One hand releases the fence and slides against my cheek. “You climbed a fence for me in front of thousands of people to ask me to move in with you? You need to collect your prize.”

“It couldn’t wait. I had to ask you right now and there’s no bigger prize in this arena than you, Riley Benton.”

He exhales a shaky breath, but his smile never fades.

“Everyone is staring at my ass up here.”

“Let ’em look and see what they’re missing. So, what do you say, baby?”

Riley’s fingers slide down and clutch the edge of my shirt.

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