Page 5 of Riding the Storm
Once we get Midnight settled into an open stall, Caison heads back to Ironhorse.
I hang the horse’s water bucket and glance at Matty. “He should do fine here. He’s got a steady temperament—standoffish, but not menacing.”
“Sounds like you two will get along just fine, then,” Matty says with a grin.
“Just for that, you’re on mucking duty.”
She turns and starts for the exit. “Sorry, I’ve got important manager shit to do.”
I laugh. “Cop-out.”
She stops and turns back to me. “Actually, before I run off, do you have a minute?”
I give Midnight a last once-over before answering, “Sure. I was just going in for a snack before my next appointment.”
We walk toward the main house.
“So, what’s up?” I ask.
“You got any room in your schedule for new lessons?” she asks. Her tone tentative.
I glance at her sideways. “Depends. What kind of lessons are we talkin’?”
“Just … someone who needs specialized training.”
“Define specialized.”
She huffs out a breath. “Do you have the time or not?”
“Some,” I admit. “Most of my students at the moment are kids or teens. I’m slammed from about three to six, but mornings and early afternoons are manageable. Why?”
She hesitates, which is not something Matty does often. “Because our cousin Axle called me last night.”
“Axle?” I say, confused. “What’s he got to do with it?”
Axle is Cabe’s older sibling. He and their other brother, Royce, are always on the road following their rodeo dreams from one town to the next. They’re members of Professional Bull Riders, Inc., or PBR, an international professional bull riding organization headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It’s the largest bull riding league in the world, sanctioning hundreds of events every year.
“Nothing really. He called because he shares an agent with Bryce Raintree.”
I stop walking. “Hold up. The Bryce Raintree? The pro bull rider who’s been on every sports magazine cover for the last decade?”
“That’s the one.”
I whistle low. “Wow. Axle must be doing better in the PBR standings than I realized if he’s caught the eye of the same agent as a celebrity cowboy with a god complex.”
Matty frowns. “God complex?”
I roll my eyes. She’s so clueless. “Yeah. Bryce Raintree is in every gossip and news site for the PBR. The man’s always in trouble or stirring it up. Goodness, Matty, you really need to pull your head out of the paperwork every now and then.”
“Shit,” she says, biting the corner of her mouth.
“Matty …”
She starts talking faster. “The agent mentioned to Axle that because of all the injuries Bryce has had, they’re looking to transition him from bull riding to bronc riding. Axle talked Wildhaven Storm up to the agent and Bryce’s management. They came to the table with a very lucrative offer. They want to hire you to train him.”
I blink at her. Then I laugh—loudly. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not.”
