cowboy

16

"Lacey I need your help."

Lacey turned and looked at Jimmy, she could tell he was nervous and she gave him a small smile before nodding her head.

"I'm entering a horse bucking contest, Lloyd said you can  help me?" Jimmy asks and Lacey's smile fell from her face. First he entered the horse sliding and now this?

"Jimmy, do you need money? I can give you money if you need it." Lacey says and Jimmy shakes his head.

"I can't take money from you Lacey, you're my friend. I got into this mess myself and I can get out of it myself." Jimmy says and Lacey sighs but knew that there wasn't anything she could say to change his mind.

"Okay, I'll give you some tips." Lacey says and Jimmy's smile widens at her comment.

"Really?" He asks and she laughs nodding her head.

"Yeah, really."

Lacey spent the next two hours explaining to Jimmy the dos and don't of horse bucking.

"You may be able to stay on for eight seconds but that's not the only thing gonna get you money. You get extra if you have style." Lacey explains and Jimmy nods his head taking notes down as she talks.

"Keep one hand up, you out both hands on that saddle and you might as well kiss your money goodbye." She continued and again he nods his head.

"Wait how do you know all this?" Jimmy asks confused.

"I like the rodeo." Lacey shrugs before going back into tips for Jimmy to win. He made sure to write almost everything she said and knew that any advice she has is better than going in without any.

"Come on, we're gonna practice now." Lacey says and Jimmy nods his head swallowing.

Lloyd was already waiting for them and Lacey smiled at Lloyd and Jimmy went into the arena with Lloyd while Lacey sat on the fence.

"You won't have a saddle there, just you and the horse." Lacey explains to Jimmy as Lloyd finishes the saddle. Jimmy nods his head and gets onto the horse and Lloyd moves back quickly as the horse starts bucking. Lacey smiles widely cheering for Jimmy as he lifts a hand in the air and holds on tightly as the horse tries to buck him off.

"Five six seven honk!" Lloyd yells making Lacey cheer loudly for her friend. Jimmy hops off the horse as two ranch hands calm it down.

"Rip did you see that? Eight seconds!" Jimmy yells happily and Lacey turned her head seeing Rip standing behind the fence right next to her with a proud smile on his face.

"I saw Jimmy." Rip says nodding his head.

"Lacey I did the hand trick!" Jimmy yells and Lacey laughs lightly nodding her head.

"I saw." She says proudly.

"You helping him?" Rip asks turning to Lacey. She turns to him the smile still on both of their faces.

"Who else on this ranch knows most about how to win a rodeo?" Lacey asks and Rip nods his head knowing she was right.

Lacey has always loved the rodeo, no one ever understood why but it gave her so much joy and happiness no one questioned it. For her sixteenth birthday they all went to the rodeo and Rip had never seen someone so happy in their life. John was scared she was gonna join it herself or worse marry a rider, but Lacey never found interest in participating in the rodeo, she just enjoyed watching. The closest Lacey got to marrying a rancher was when she dated Toby in high school, they dated for less then a year before they decided they were better off as friends.