Heck of a kiss

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

We arrived at the rodeo grounds late Thursday night. Jabe signed in and we found ourselves a parking place in the parking lot behind the arena.

Mila was tired from the long drive and everyone was a little stir crazy, but we set up camp in the bed of the truck and squeezed in like sardines. When Jabe found us, he took one look at the stuffed pickup bed and told us he would be sleeping the cab. I lay awake for only a little while, listening to Mila and Lesley breathing before dropping off to sleep.

The next morning, I woke around dawn, listening to pick-ups and trailers rattle past. Jingling spurs, creaks of leather, and laughter filled the air, and I sat up groggily. Pushing a hunk of hair out of my face, I looked around to see the parking lot full of trailers and people all busily cleaning tack and brushing down their horses.

Beside me, Lesley and Mila both stirred opening their eyes sleepily. Mila sat up, her eyes droopy and her wild curls sticking up in every direction. During the night my braid had loosened and little tendrils swarmed around my face blocking my vision and giving me a hobo like hairdo. We looked a little bit like the undead, rising from their graves about to wreak havoc on humanity.

Mila looked around at the throng of people moving around our truck. Tiredly she rested her chin on the side of the truck bed before sitting up straight and pointing. “Look Auntie, isn’t that a pretty horse?”

Following her pointing finger, I saw the horse she was referring to, tied to a trailer across from us. He was a big chestnut, with a white blaze running down his face. He stood still looking around and sniffing the air curiously, swishing his tail at the flies surrounding him. Standing beside him was a tiny girl, not much taller than 5 feet barely reaching the horses shoulder. In her hands was a rubber curry which she was rubbing in tight circles along the horse’s muscular shoulder.

 Her hair was up in a ponytail the wild black curls trying desperately to escape the elastic band holding it up. Turning around, she saw Mila staring at her and smiled calling. “You want to pet him?"

 Eagerly, Mila bounced around while I pulled on my boots which had been kicked into the corner during the night. Before going, I took out the braid and scraped my hair into a messy ponytail and put Mila’s up in one too despite her loud protests.

When we were presentable, we crossed over to the girl and her horse. I lifted Mila up to pet his velvety muzzle and she giggled when he huffed a breath into her hand. Turning to his owner, Mila asked. “What’s his name?”

Rubbing the horse’s forehead, the girl smiled revealing matching dimples in her cheeks. “Diva, he’s pretty gentle with kids but he is an attention hog.”

Diva stomped his foot imperiously as if knowing he was in the spotlight. Turning to his owner, I asked. “Are you competing tonight?”

Wrinkling her nose, the pretty girl shook her head. “Not really, I’m doing trick riding this evening. Are you competing?”

Regretfully I shook my head. “I had to give up my competing a couple years ago, but my boyfriend is competing tonight so we all came to watch him.” Offer her my hand I said. “I’m Amy.”

Taking my hand, the girl said: “Isy. So are you from New Mexico?”

“No, we’re from Texas.”

Isy eyes lit up. “Really, what town?”

 “Amarillo, it’s pretty small.”

“Actually I’m from there, my partner and I have been touring Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kansas lately but I’m originally from Vega.”