True Love Waits

Chapter Twenty Nine

          Maleena threw her truck in park, hopping out of the cab, keys in hand, as she walked across the dry, dusty, dirt lot, smiling at the sound of the cowboys hollering at the rough stock in the corral behind the arena, getting them ready to be loaded into the chutes for today's practice runs. 

       Just as Maleena walked over to the arena, she saw Cody siding onto the back of a dun, bareback, bronc, his hand grabbing the rigging. With that grin never faltering from her face, Maleena jumped up onto the fence rails, shielding her eyes from the bright, hot July sun shining down.  

     Cody tightened his hand around the rope, sliding his free arm on the top of the chute gate, leaning back slightly as he nodded to the guys, telling them to open the chute. With a swift pull of a rope, the chute gate opened, unleashing the dun beast. 

      Like an expert, Cody rode the horse's bucks through. After eight seconds, the buzzer sounded loudly and Cody let go of the rope to dismount. As he did so, he happened to catch the horse in the middle of a buck, making him land hard on the ground. 

    From her spot on the fence, Maleena sucked in a breath through her parted lips at he sight of her boyfriend's poor dismount from the bareback bronc. Peeling himself off the ground, Cody finally looked up and saw Maleena waiting for him. Walking over to her, a slight limp on the ankle he landed weirdly on, Cody hopped up onto the fence, removing his cowboy hat to drop a kiss on Maleena's forehead. 

      "Well this is a nice surprise." Cody commented, smiling at his girlfriend. "Sorry you had to see me have a crummy ride." 

      "It's alright. The ride was good, but the dismount wasn't great." Maleena chuckled. "Plus, it was just a practice run." 

      Cody nodded, climbing up the rest of the way on the fence, hopping over. Maleena jumped down, joining Cody. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand, leading her towards the chutes, Cody's spur rowels clicking with every step he took. "Well, you look really nice today, all dressed up. Do you have a hot date tonight?" He teased, resting his hat back on his head, trying to give himself some relief from the hot sun. 

      "I wish. No, I have to go pick up my work shirts from the feed store, and wanted to look nice so they don't think I only own jeans and t-shirts. Plus, I am getting my picture taken for my ID there, so I wanted to look put together." Maleena explained as they arrived behind the chutes. "Afterwards, I am headin' out to meet the horse I am ridin' in the futurity race." She clicked her teeth, smiling wide. Ever since she got the email that she was one of very few riders chosen to ride for the barrel racing horse futurity, she had been out practicing, perfecting her runs, becoming more and more excited, but also nervous, the closer it came time for the rodeo. 

     "Well, you look beautiful like always." He grinned, dropping a kiss on her cheek. Cody let go of Maleena's hand to slip off his riding glove, tossing it into the duffel bag sitting at this feet. Taking a seat on the wooden platform behind the chutes, he let out a sigh. "I'm actually really glad you came out here today. I wanted to talk to you about something." He refused eye contact, his tone turning serious.  

      "Yeah? What's up?" Maleena asked, taking a seat next to Cody, sitting so she was facing him.

      "Well, my family and I are goin' out of town for a couple days to tour some colleges. We are headin' out to Colorado first, and then working our way back here." Standing up from the platform, Cody unbuckled his chaps, sliding them off, stuffing them in his bag before sitting down again. 

      "Colorado? That's a good six hour or so drive down there. You aren't seriously considering a college there, are you?" Maleena knew it wasn't her place to tell Cody where he should, and shouldn't go to college, but she knew a school that far away would make things tough for them, she was sure of it. Most long distance relationships were difficult, especially considering that Cody and Maleena hadn't been dating very long.