Page 136 of Knot Your Problem, Cowboy
I stiffen. “Ridge, no.”
“Absolutely fucking not,” Cash says immediately.
“Hell no,” Walker’s voice is sharp. “You’re still in pain. Still recovering.”
“You almost died,” I say, grabbing his hand and pressing it to my chest so he can feel my racing heart. “And you haven’t trained. You can’t risk your life. I would rather be homeless with you alive than lose you trying to save this place.” I clutch his hand harder,afraid to let him go. The thought of him riding one of those bulls again terrifies me.
“Listen to me,” Ridge says, crouching in front of us, his voice steady, but my eyes are burning with tears. “A comeback ride from a champion who nearly died? People would pay hundreds for those tickets. Thousands for VIP access.”
“It could be suicide,” Cash shoots back, his jaw flexing. His voice cracks on the last word, and he swallows hard, like he can’t even bear the thought.
“It’s eight seconds,” Ridge counters. “I’ve done it a thousand times.”
“Not in three years,” Walker points out. “And your hip?—”
“It’s been better since Sophia arrived,” Ridge interrupts, glancing at both of them. “I may not be able to scent her, but something about her… it quiets the pain. Makes me feel like I can move the way I used to.”
“That’s not—Ridge, please,” I whisper, my throat tight. The thought of him climbing onto a bull again makes my stomach knot so hard it hurts. My mind flashes back to all the ways a ride can go wrong, the crush of hooves, the snap of bone, the impossible stillness that follows. I grip my knees to stop them from shaking, but it doesn’t help. “You could die.”
He takes my hands in his. “We charge premium prices. Get the arena owners to donate their cut. If they won’t, we do it here on the ranch. Build stands, keepevery dollar. We can raise what we need in one night if we make it big enough.”
Cash still looks unconvinced, arms crossed tight, but there’s a flicker in his eyes, calculating. “Publicity would be huge,” he admits reluctantly. “Ridge Colter’s comeback ride to save his family ranch? Press would eat it up. Even the rodeo circuits might want in.”
Walker shakes his head. “Sponsors, maybe. We could reach out to some old contacts. Tie it to the town’s fall festival, get them to donate a cut.”
“Exactly,” Ridge says, turning to them. “We make it impossible for anyone to ignore. This isn’t just a ride; it’s a stand. It’s telling Ronan he can’t take this from us.”
Cash’s jaw loosens as he starts running the numbers out loud. “Tickets plus donations… corporate packages, VIP meet and greets, behind-the-scenes tours…” His tone shifts—less resistance, more momentum.
Walker exhales through his nose. “We’d need security, medical teams, sponsors lined up. But if we pull it off…” He looks at Ridge and then at me. “It could work.”
“This is insane,” I say, my voice breaking. But they’re all exchanging that silent, wordless agreement they’ve perfected over the years. I can feel the tide turning, and it terrifies me.
Ridge pulls me into his arms, holding me so close I feel the thump of his heartbeat against me. I cling tohis shirt, inhaling cedar and cinnamon. “I don’t want to lose you,” I whisper, hating how small I sound.
“Sophia, my sweet,” he murmurs, brushing a hand over my hair. “This is our home. I’ll do anything to protect it from that bastard. If it takes eight seconds to keep this place, then that’s what I’ll give.”
Cash rests a hand on my shoulder, his voice low but certain. “We’ll make it massive. You work your magic, reach out to every reader, every follower, every person who’s ever set foot on this ranch. We’re gonna make sure this fight is ours.”
I pull back from Ridge and turn to Cash and Walker, heat prickling my skin. “How are you both okay with this? This is madness. He could get killed.” My voice shakes from the raw, ugly fear that’s clawing its way through my chest.
Cash meets my gaze, leaning in closer. “Sugar, we’re not okay with it,” he says plainly. “But we know Ridge. He’s the strongest man we’ve ever known, and when he says he can do something, he means it. If we tell him no, he’ll find a way to do it anyway, without us. And that’s more dangerous. At least this way, we can help him train, keep him sharp, keep him alive.”
Walker leans forward, his elbows on his knees. “If he pulls this off, we keep the ranch. If he doesn’t, we lose it. All of us. And I’m not just talking about land and barns, Sophia. This place…” He gestures toward the window, toward the pastures that stretch into the horizon. “It’s our history. Our blood is in that soil. Every fence post, every hoofprint, every laugh we’ve had here—it’s part of us. Rose made it that way.”
Cash nods. “We could go start over somewhere else. Find another ranch, rebuild. But why the hell should we let that snot-faced bastard kick us out of the place Rose spent her life building? She wanted this in the hands of people who loved it, people who would protect it. That was her wish, and Ronan is spitting on it.”
My throat tightens.
“It’s Rose’s legacy. And we’ll be damned if we let anyone take it without a hell of a fight.”
“I’ll contact the arena management today,” Ridge says. “Lock down a date.”
“I’ll reach out to our business contacts,” Walker adds. “Every ranch that’s bought horses from us, every supplier we’ve worked with.”
“Media blitz,” Cash says. “Local news, sports channels, documentary crews if we can get them. And we need to start your training. I’ll bring out the mechanical bull you used to practice on.”
They’re all talking at once now, planning and strategizing, and I’m swept along in their determination.
