Page 27 of The Chances We Take

“I wasn’t going to. It wasn’t bad for your first time, swear.” He stuck up his pinky finger as though making a promise. “Pull it back in, try again.” He really wasn’t making fun of me, instead encouraging me to keep practicing as the other guys stopped watching and occupied themselves with other things.

Ellison was still sitting in her chair, but she wasn’t paying attention to us anymore.

I pulled the rope back in, trying to adjust the loop like he had shown me. But every time I tried to flip it, it got tangled up even more.

“Need help?”

I nodded, and Reid grabbed the rope from me, expertly creating a loop.

“You make it look so easy,” I muttered, slightly annoyed, even though he was literally a professional.

“Lots of practice, Short Stack. Here, let me help you.” He handed me the rope and stepped around me, positioning his body so he was behind me.

As I lifted my arm to do the wholeswinging the rope over my headthing again, he put his hand under my tricep, pushing on it slightly to lift it higher.

“That’s where it needs to be,” he murmured next to my ear, my spine tingling at the slight warmth of his breath.

Focus, Isa, dammit.I blinked a few times, trying to train my vision on the roping dummy ahead of me.

I started swinging the rope, and he grabbed my arm again, holding it still so it was only my wrist doing the work. It made swinging it a bit awkward, but then I got used to the feeling.

He removed his hand, but my arm still burned like a brand, a phantom touch lingering in his absence.

Who knew roping lessons were so attractive?

“All right, now throw it like you mean it.”

I focused on the honda knot, watching my target, the small plastic horns, and threw the rope. It soared through the air, seeming to hover in slow motion, before dropping over the dummy’s head.

“Now pull to take the slack out!”

I did, and the dummy moved closer to me as the rope tightened around it.I caught it? What the fuck?I started laughing, probably looking like a maniac, at the fact that I caught the dummy. “Am I ready to get on a horse now?” I joked.

“One day.” He grinned, and a smile tugged on my lips.

“Ladies and gentlemen, who’s having fun this Fourth of July?” The announcer’s voice rang throughout the arena as clapping and cheers erupted from fans of the rodeo.

There had to have been at least seven thousand people in attendance tonight. The grandstands were packed, and even the standing room only sections looked full. It was truly an experience here in small town Montana.

“We’ve got a couple Montana boys up next in the team roping. They hail from Silver Creek. Let them hear you, folks! They’re two-time NFR qualifiers, and they came home with the average championship last year. Colter Carson and Reid Lawson!”

I jumped up from my seat, cupping my hands around my mouth to amplify my cheers. It was just me and Ellisonin the stands tonight. Mikey, Jake, and Hayden were also competing, so they were down by the chutes.

Jake had already competed in the steer wrestling, recording a time of four-point-six seconds, and Hayden had roped with a partner he drew. They had a decent time of five-point-three.

The crowd continued to cheer as a Luke Combs song blared through the speakers around the arena. I tried my hardest to see Colter and Reid by the roping chutes, but there were so many people blocking my view—a downside of being short.

The music kept playing as the steer was released, and Colter and Reid swiftly followed after. They had always been incredible to watch, even if this was technically only the third rodeo I’d seen them perform at. But it made a difference when the NFR lasted ten days and this rodeo lasted three. Tonight was the final night of Home of Champions; it always ended on the Fourth of July.

Colter caught the steer’s horns perfectly, his horse making a wide turn to give Reid access to rope the legs. He swung his rope a few times then threw the loop, expertly roping the hind legs.

“Atta boys!” Ellison cheered as the announcer called out their time.

“Four-point-one seconds, folks! Nowthat’show it’s done!”

Even though I’d learned team roping was a quick event from watching the boys, I still found myself in awe every time they performed. It was almost like a choreographed dance, each movement strategically planned out to the tenth of a second. Missing your cue could mean the difference between winning it all and coming in second or third.

Ellison looked over at me and gave me a wide grin, like she knew exactly what I was thinking.

---