Amour de rodéo (Rodeo Love)

Chapter 34

*Mckala's POV*

Riding Athena around the corral has been a dream, she rides so well. I'm just galloping with her for right now to warm her up, because her previous owner said she hasn't been rode much. I lover her and I haven't even had her twenty-four hours. Blake hasn't came out yet, which is surprising. I wonder if he's still asleep? I shrug it off and continue to ride Athena testing the waters for how she will be as a rodeo horse, she has the drive to be one for sure. Rodeo season is so close I can almost taste it, the training has become more intense preparing for the weeks ahead.
I know I'm more than ready. I have a confidence in not only myself as a rider but in Chaplin as a horse. I've had Blake work with him, and he is like a whole different horse. I just think Blake is good with horses in general, he is able to show them immediately who is boss and get them to do what he needs them to do. I'm excited to ride but I am also excited to see Blake and Kaleb do their thing. Their training only mirrors what they can do in a real rodeo situation, they are in for one hell of a season.

*Blake's POV*

I've been up for a while now, I'm just being lazy. Laying in bed on my phone and for once in my life watching Netflix, watching a show that Mckala recommended The Ranch. So far it's really good, it has the ability to actually keep me interested. The show pauses and my phone pops up with the notification "10% battery remaining". I roll over and plug in the charger, feeling the vibration. I lay it on the nightstand and decide to get up for the day. I hop into the shower washing all the remnants of last night off of me, a night that will be forever remembered. I get out of the shower and get dressed, I cannot let last night's events get into my head. Rodeo season is only a few weeks away, and it is time to get serious.

I walk out to the porch and put on my boots, judging by the cold and rainy day that it is, I'm going to need a hoodie. I manage to find here from before I quit rodeo that says "Ellensburg Rodeo Champion" on the back and 2015 on the sleeve. I walk out to the barn, grabbing a lead and Sliverado. I lead him out of the stall and into the corral behind where Mckala is riding Athena. I begin to lunge him, yawning while I'm doing this because I'm still waking up.

I lunge him for about 30 minutes, then I led him into the barn, and begin to tack him up. I'm in a mood to ride and not in the training area like Mckala is. I'm braving this spring rain and we are going to ride in a field that my grandad doesn't use, it was hidden for a while but when Kodie was in last we found it and I've been wanting to go back. It would be a good place to run Sliverado.
His saddle is on and he's excited to go. I walk him out of the barn and hop on. We trot off, into the distance. Once out the road a little I bring him up to a gallop enjoying the cold rain on my face and the feeling of fresh air. I can tell that Sliverado likes it too, it's enjoyable I have to say that. I turn the reigns to the left and we go into the field that leads to the field I want to go to. The rain escalating from a light sprinkle to a light shower still nothing to be worried about, I trust him.  We go into the field and my boots  go into his sides and he takes off, running full out just like there is a steer in front of him. I turn his reigns and he takes off in the other direction now. I vere him to the left and he does exactly as I tell him, just like we would when we rope a steer to give Kaleb and Shorty a better vantage point.

Silverado begins to get tired after about an hour and a half, and we begin to go back to the the barn. The rain now slacking off, it's just cold now not a typical thing in Alabama but whatever, grandad says to blame it on climate change. We walk back to the barn, me enjoying the scenery that this farm has it's breathtaking. When I hear a truck behind me, I stop my horse and turn around. I roll my eyes and the sight. Val.  She stops her truck and rolls down her window.

"Blake honey why not give that horse and you a break?"

"Breaks are for the weak, you don't win championships from taking a break. Ashley should know that bettter than anyone." She rolls her eyes, she knows my relationship with her granddaughter is not good at all.

"Anyways is Jack around? I need to speak with him?"

"He called before I left the house, he left early this morning with Uncle Tim to go look at a race horse. Should be back any time now."

"Alright tell him I stopped by okay?" I nod my head and she leaves. Me and Sliverado make our way to the barn now in sight. Mckala is standing outside, Athena right beside her. What is she doing? I take Sliverado up to a trot to reach the barn faster. I reach the barn and she has Athena in one hand and a creature in the other.

"What the hell is that?"

"It's a cat. I found it under the barn. I heard it meowing."

"Sure as hell don't look like no damn cat."

"Blake stop being mean it's cute."

"No it's not. Put that rat looking thing back where you got it."

"Blake Cole no. Get off your horse, take them to the barn and I'm going to go clean it up."

"Yes dear." I say getting off Silverado, and taking the horses back to the stall. Untacking them, and setting them loose in the pasture. I go back in the house to find Mckala sitting there blowdrying that rat looking cat.

"Buddy is going to eat it." As the family Golden Retriever comes in the house and shakes off his coat walking to the living room and laying on the floor beside the fireplace where I built a mini fire this morning because it was cold while I was watching Netflix.

"No he's not"

"Yeah think what you want to Mckala." I say while going back outside to feed and work with my other horse Aerosmith.