Cowgirl Up 2 (Sequel) ✔️

Chapter Forty Eight

"If I were you, I'd try and get some sleep."
I offered Noah a smile as she came to sit beside me on one of the camping chairs.
"I look that bad do I?"
I joked.
Noah rolled her eyes.
"No. It's just that I remember from last year how loud it gets at night."
Judging by the revving of Ute engine's, the shouting across camp sites and the raucous laughter and giggled of people who were drunk or on their way to it, I could imagine Noah was right.
"Bails can sleep through it."
Blayze said as he passed us, a small load of camp fire wood in his arms.
"You reckon?"
Noah asked, raising a curious eyebrow.
"Yeah."
Blayze said over his shoulder as he dumped the wood to join the rest that had been piled near the portable fire pit.
He turned around to face us, placing his hands on his jeans clad hips.
"Bails can sleep through a hurricane."
I smiled sheepishly.
It was well known around our house that I was a sound sleeper.
Hopefully my son or daughter takes after me in that regard.
"Lucky you!"
Noah declared, relaxing back into her chair.
"For me it was just lucky that Codie was smart enough to bring ear plugs."
"It's okay Babe."
Codie's voice sounded from behind us.
"Codie was smart enough yet again."
Blayze laughed.
Noah twisted around in her chair to look behind her.
"Why are you talking about yourself in third person?"
She questioned.
"Do you need anything?"
I tuned out of Noah and Codie's conversation because Blayze was approaching me.
I offered him a quick smile.
"I'm good, thanks."
"You okay?"
He asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.
"Come sit with me?"
I requested, tapping the camping chair that was set up alongside mine, to my left.
"Why?"
"Because I'd like it if you did."
With a roll of his eyes he moved to sit in the chair beside mine.
I couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you."
Silence answered me.
I frowned.
"Blayze?"
Still nothing.
I shot a quick glance to my right to find that Noah and Codie were gone, so I turned back to Blayze and leaned towards his chair.
"What's up?"
Finally he sighed.
"Nothin'."
"Bullshit."
I know him, so I was confident in my assumption.
"I don't wanna talk about it."
He denied.
Uh oh.
As far as I was concerned, I had two options.
One: Push him to talk.
Two: Leave him to stew in silence.
If I push him, there's a chance we'll argue.
If I leave him to stew in silence, he'll take his frustrations out on everyone around him, no doubt including me.
"Why not?"
I quietly asked, hoping my voice was quiet enough to not draw anybody else's attention.
Blayze relaxed into the chair and tipped his head back to stare up at me sky that was quickly morphing into sunset mode.
"Because I'm supposed to of put it behind me."
What the hell?
I reached my left hand over and grabbed his right one, sliding my fingers between the gaps of his fingers.
I lifted his hand and placed a soft kiss to his knuckles that in fact appeared to hold no evidence of the punch he'd delivered to the sleazy guy a couple of hours ago.
"Put what behind you?"
I all but whispered, hoping to gently prompt him to talk.
He glanced over at me, before putting his gaze back on the camp fire which wasn't yet lit.
"Rodeo."
He finally whispered.
Rodeo?
Why the heck was he thinking about Rodeo now?
We're at Deni Ute Muster!
I froze.
Tomorrow there was Bull Riding.
Is that what had triggered his thoughts of Rodeo?
Or was it the long drive?
Did it remind him of his travels to Rodeo's?
"Why are you thinking about Rodeo?"
I questioned quietly, hoping he'd fill me in.
"Don't know. Maybe coz quite a few of the lads are here."
This was news to me.
"Th-they are?"
He glanced over at me.
"Kye and Kane that you met when we arrived are just a couple of the lads from our SA bunch."
Our.
He still think's of himself as a part of it.
I swallowed thickly.
Could he possibly choose to go back to Rodeo even after almost dying?
"I just gotta snap out of it."
I looked quickly over at Blayze to see him shaking his head.
"You miss it."
I all but whispered.
It wasn't a question.
I've caught him dreaming about it before, muttering words in his sleep.
He squeezed my hand.
"No."
"Don't attempt to lie to me, Blayze."
I warned.
"I have to hang up the spurs."
He insisted.
"I can't risk becoming a vegetable or dying. Not when I've got you, Tameron and the baby to think about."
The problem was, he'd not been to any more Rodeo's due to injury, not due to him making the conscious decision to end his Rodeo career.
"You're not ready to give it up are you."
My voice was barely more than a whisper.
By now the noise around us was rising, as the sun set lower and the inky sky grew larger.
The Thursday night Deni festivities were about to begin.
I'd heard that tonight was just basically a huge camping piss up.
Tomorrow the grounds' gates would open and we'd be allowed access to the stalls and attractions as well as the bar's and live music.
"I have to."
Blayze replied.
"But you're not ready to."
The notion of it worried me, as much as I knew it was understandable.
He's only twenty-six years old and had been on the top of our National ladder before the accident that injured him and took Xalan's life.
"You're allowed to say you miss it."
I told him.
"It's done Bails."
He slipped his hand out of mine and pushed out of his chair, walking away from me and towards the fire pit.
I chewed on my lower lip as I stared after him.
He wasn't done.
Not until he properly faced the decision.
Maybe this weekend would be that moment.
After his last Rodeo experience, I was terrified about him going back to it.
But Rodeo was a part of my Cowboy.
He was at the very least going to have to hang up his spur's properly.
"Yeiw!"
An approving uproar came from the people gathered around our camping area when Blayze set about getting the camp fire started.
"Hey."
I turned to find that Hayley was plopping herself down onto a seat beside mine.
Her grey eyes were sparkling and she had a can of Wild Turkey clutched in her right hand.
"Are you drunk?"
I teased.
Hayley scoffed, relaxing back into the camp chair.
"No!"
Sure, sure.
The crackling sound of fire on wood made me turn back to the fire pit, to discover that Blayze had succeeded in lighting it.
Jake, Shayne and a couple of the hands from Hayley's farm ran straight to the fire, apparently seeking its warmth.
"I'm in two minds."
"Hmmm?"
I asked, turning my attention back to Hayley.
"I'm so excited to meet your baby."
She explained.
"But on the other hand I wish you could drink with me!"
She lifted her can pointedly.
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Well I wouldn't worry. There's plenty of people here who I'm quite sure will drink with you."
Hayley shook her head.
"It's not the same."
No.
It wasn't.
But it had been about five or six months since I'd drank any alcohol.
Really, I wasn't missing it.
In my opinion all it did was accentuate your inner personality, yet by the next morning you felt like you'd been run over by a truck.
"Get Noah to drink with ya."
I suggested.
That girl is always down for a drink.
"Good idea!"
Hayley was apparently lit with a new spark of energy and she practically threw herself out of her seat, taking off to find our other best friend.