Page 50 of Spurred On
My hand slams against the swinging door as I open it. His words swirl around in my head. She would never ask me to quit, would she? She’s one of the few who have gotten a peek inside my head. And one of the few whose opinion actually matters to me. That’s what I need to focus on. I shake my head, clearing all this out. If there’s one thing I know better than, it’s to go out there with your head focused on something else. That’s when you get hurt. All my worst injuries have been when I wasn’t mentally prepared for what I was about to do. And getting hurt in front of Ava is the last thing I want to do.
Getting my riding gear on, I strap into my chaps and get my riding vest ready; it’s all decked out with sponsoring logos. I remember just how fucking lucky I am to have the freedom to do this. To have people bankrolling the whole damn thing. I hope I make them all proud and live up to the legacy. Every ride, that’s what it’s about. Outdoing who I was yesterday. If I do that, there’s not a man on earth who will be able to compete with me. Cocky? Maybe. But it's true.
Today, I’m smack dab in the middle of the lineup. I lean against the rails, watching the others ride. The bulls today are doing their part. The air of the arena is coated with a thin veil of dust from the bucking of hooves. So far, there have only been two riders to stay on. Of course, one of them is Gonzales. Stupid prick. Bet he won’t make the mistake of hitting on my wife again.
Every rodeo you see familiar faces sprinkled in with a few new ones trying to drop-kick the door open and make their way onto the scene. I think that’s why the majority of them hate me; I didn’t have that. But they fail to remember that being on the scene alone doesn't make you a winner. Taking home the buckle does. No matter my last name, if I can’t ride worth a shit, it’s over.
Ava makes her way over a few minutes before it’s my turn to ride. I see her searching through the crowd, eyes scanning the groups of people until she finds me. The smile she gives me could knock me straight to my knees. She hurries over, bags in hand.
“Did a little shopping, did we?”
“Hey, I finally have more than four dollars to my name. And I need outfits for when I hang out with Aspen so she finally leaves me the hell alone.”
“I don’t think Aspen has ever left anyone alone. I’m pretty sure being a pain in the ass is part of her personality.” The buzzer sounds, and the rider is done, leaving only one more before it’s my turn. “Alright, sweetheart, it’s my time to shine.” I kiss her on the forehead and head over to the tent.
Her voice comes from behind me. “Go kick some ass, cowboy. Be safe.” I turn to see her hands full with bags and a bright white smile. God, I love her, and I love that she’s here. I don’t think I can go much longer without telling her. It’s on the tip of my tongue all too often.
Once I get to the chute, the team gets me ready to ride. The chatter from the stand and the announcers slowly start to fade as I get in the zone. I close my eyes, grounding myself before the gates bust open.
“Alright, Mav. It’s just eight seconds,” Sully says as he double-taps my helmet before stepping down from the chute rails.
When the buzzer sounds and the gates fly open, that’s when it all goes wrong. My bull doesn’t go forward, but he sure does buck. His snarling huffs become the only thing I can hear. I have nowhere to go and nowhere to bail to. He bucks up again, his strong back legs planted into the dirt, and turns enough that my back slams against the rails. Pain radiates through my ribs as I struggle to catch my breath.
“Get him the fuck out of there,” Sully's deep voice booms, somehow louder than the beast underneath me when he realizes I’m now stuck. The bull crushes me to the rails. Fuck, this hurts.
Arms reach for me as I struggle to get my hand loose. Tying myself up extra tight is nice when I’m getting tossed around like a ragdoll, but not so much when I need to get free.
Fuck, keep your head, Maverick. You have to get home to her. Ava. Ava, Ava.
With one final pull, my hand comes loose, and I’m drug against the rails until I’m sitting at the top of them. My breathing comes out in heavy pants. It takes a few seconds to realize I’m no longer in danger of being crushed to death, and a chuckle leaves me.
“You’re the only fucker I know that would laugh after a near death experience,” Sully says, his voice back to normal volume.
I look down past him and see Ava. Her blue eyes are wild and filled with tears. Her breathing is ragged as her chest rises and falls rapidly. Fuck. She’s too far away to even hear me say I’m okay. And I am, myback will be bruised to shit, but I don’t think anything is broken, and for me, that’s a win with this type of event.
The only thing I can do is wave and smile at her. She mouths, “Are you okay?” And I smile and nod, hoping that will give her enough reassurance until I’m done.
“Mav, focus,” Doug says, his bushy eyebrows furrowed. I am beginning to hate this asshole more by the day.
Sully cuts in, “Alright, they’re giving you a new bull. You feel okay to ride?”
“Of course he does.” Doug rolls his eyes.
“Well, you heard from my mind reader directly, Sully.” I hold my hand out, gesturing to Doug. “I’m good to ride.” The look I give Sully tells him to get this next ride going before I punch Doug in the dick.
My ride goes as well as it could have, the buzzer sounds, and I rip my hand free from the rope and the tape before making out like a bat out of hell to the corral fence. Ava stands beside my team on the second level of the fence to get a better view. She still looks a little rattled with her smile not quite reaching her eyes. She cups her hands around her mouth and hollers anyway. I nod my head at her, patting my heart twice before I point to her. Ignoring everyone else, I make my way over to her.
She hops off the side of the fence when I get closer and throws her arms around me. “Are you okay?”
My arms wrap around her as I pull her close against my chest. “Yes, I’m totally fine. It looked worse than it was.” I keep my eyes on hers, not wanting her to get a chance to let her mind run.
Her hands anxiously pat over me to confirm my words, part of me worrying she might find something because that ride did hurt like a bitch. But she comes up empty and I feel her let out a sigh of relief. Ilean in and kiss her forehead, reminding myself yet again how lucky I am to have her.
“At least you got back up there and kicked everyone else’s ass. But don’t ever scare me like that again.” A smile comes to her face, and I let out my own sigh of relief at seeing her relax.
Sarah Andrews comes up beside us, microphone and camera in hand. “Maverick, it’s great to see you out here tonight. That was a spectacular performance. Can you tell us what was going through your head preparing you for the ride, or should I say rides, after that rough start?”
“Thank you, Sarah. It has been a great season so far. Even with my little mishap today, the bulls have been fantastic, so I need to give them a little credit. I’m more focused than ever. It’s no secret that I’m gunning to be world champ this year, and I’ve been trying to keep that at the front of my mind before every ride.”
