The Cowboy's Prize

Chapter 16

When we made it back to Earth, it was as if everything had changed. Scott wasn't the strong, rugged hero of my dreams, he was human, flawed and because of that flaw, he was actually perfect. Or as close to perfect as I could hope for.

The man who had pushed his needs aside to pursue me had discovered that he needed something to cling to sometimes, just as much as I needed him to support me. And we'd both discovered that needing someone didn't diminish us in any way. It merely meant we found strength when we needed it in each other. And that was a startling revelation.

Scott drove us away from the field, back to the ranch.

Without even going into the house, he took my hand and led us out to the barn, the hayloft and his 'think spot'. As romantic as that sounds in the movies or whatever, it was actually rather uncomfortable until Scott opened out a horse blanket and laid it down on the hay bales so we could sit in comfort.

"I have something to confess." He began by way of an explanation as fear jumped into my eyes. But he shook his head and held out a placating hand, visually asking me to calm down before continuing. "You know about my early experimentation and that I wasn't sure if I was into girls or boys for a while. You know that my only goal for the past six months was winning a place in the finals so I could challenge J.B. for World Champion."

I nodded, it wasn't as if I didn't know he was still training and the mysterious bruises he'd brushed off were still appearing.

"What I haven't told you is that before this season, I was engaged to a girl and I got thrown last year." Scott admitted with a cautious expression as he gazed into my eyes, seeking my reaction.

"Engaged?" I whispered. "You were going to get married.....? To a girl?" I couldn't really get it through my head as I remembered his reaction to our first kiss and then the scar that I'd mostly ignored when we were swimming.

"When we first kissed, there was something in you that was almost feral. Something struggling to be unleashed. Something that should have scared me but it didn't. Does it have anything to do with the scar on your back?" I asked, and then added, "And why did you break off your engagement?"

Scott closed his eyes. He began with, "I wasn't always a gentleman."

I opened my mouth to refute his assertion, but he pressed a long finger against my lips and shook his head. "Let me talk." He said and waited until I nodded and settled back against the hay bale I was leaning against.

Then he started his story.

"I grew up on a farm, going to the local high school and took the jock path the whole way." He said as he turned to gaze out the small window into the fields. "I did the things that were expected of the son of a bull-rider. I played football, basketball and competed in the junior rodeo circuit, starting with calf roping before progressing up to bronc riding. High school was easy. The course work was just in my head when I needed it to be and I never questioned what I was going to do... Be the perfect homophobic Jock. Run the farm, compete and marry the girl next door."

I nodded with encouragement even though I was shrinking inside. But I knew Scott needed to explain.

"Her name was Susan. Typical farm girl, she and I made out up here when we were younger and it was her chest that put me off in the beginning."

I remembered his admission and even though he wasn't looking at me I nodded again.

"But it was expected and so we went to Prom, she was my Homecoming Queen and was her King."

I let out an exasperated breath, "Of course you were Prom King." Shaking my head with that kind of amusement you feel when one of your lifelong dreams that was shattered as a youth becomes reality. I'll admit I'd always had a fantasy of the Prom King at my School shoving the Queen aside, grabbing my hand and pulling me in for a kiss. Total cliché I know, but there it was.