True Love Waits

Chapter Forty-Two

              "Everything okay?" Maleena pushed her eyebrows together as she glanced down at her boyfriends hands as he fiddled with the zipper on his rodeo vest.

          "Yeah, I'm just..." Cody struggled to get the zipper to cooperate with his shaking hands. "Kinda nervous for some reason." He scoffed, a nervous grin rising on his lips as he looked up, making eye contact with Maleena. 

        "Here, let me help you." Maleena reached for the zipper on Cody's vest, zipping it up with no problem for him. "Why are you nervous? You and I both know that you will ride great." She stated, resting her hands on his chest. 

          "I'm not sure. I think I am more nervous about this being the last time I lead the Bible study. I know Cameron will do a great job taking over, I just..." He let out a deep breath, refusing to look at his girlfriend. 

         Reaching a hand up to his cheek, Maleena asked, "What else is botherin' you, cowboy?" 

         Resting a hand on top of the one Maleena had on his jawbone, Cody replied, "I am glad that we got the chance to talk the other day about you and me and about what Chandler said, and I know that we agreed to take a step back with some things. I just...it's hard sometimes, is all. And besides, I leave in less than a week and that's-"

        "Please don't talk about you leavin'. I don't want to think about that." Maleena interrupted, dropping her hand. 

         "That's just it, Malie. We have to talk about it now while we have the chance or else Friday is going to come up, and I am goin' to leave and it's going to be a bomb of a change, and I don't want that." 

           "Okay, you're right. Let's talk about it, then." She stepped back slightly. 

           Before Cody could speak a word, one of his buddies poked his head behind the chutes, where Cody and Maleena were still standing. "Hey, man, you're up in five minutes." 

          Nodding his head in a thanks, Cody turned back to Maleena, resting both his hands on her upper arms. "We will talk after Bible study tonight, okay? I promise." After Maleena nodded, Cody pulled her close, dropping a kiss on her forehead before trotting off to mount the bronc that he would be riding for the last time this summer. 

         Just like every time Cody mounted the back of the bucking horse, Maleena nervously watched from the stands. However, just like always, Cody's ride was skilled and smooth, his dismount next to perfect. 

         Clapping proudly for her boyfriend who scored himself a second place ride, Maleena waited for him to join her behind the chutes. Several of the other cowboys who were preparing for their roughstock ride greeted Maleena by name as she passed them. Only a few of the sea of faces could she remember their names. It seemed like after Maleena won the futurity race, the entire town knew her name. Plus, it helped that her boyfriend was one of the best bronc riders around.

         "Hey, cowboy, great ride." Maleena grinned, giving Cody a hug before walking with him to the platform where Cody took a seat, switching out his pair of cowboy boots, removing his chaps and vest, and grabbing his bag. 

        "Second place ain't half bad for my last ride. I could have spurred better." Cody slung his arm through the strap on his bag. "Most of the guys tell me I spur like a bull rider." He grabbed Maleena's hand as they walked to the barn's indoor arena where the Bible study would be taking place. 

          Maleena groaned. "Don't you dare get any ideas about ridin' bulls."

         "I thought every girl had a thing for a bull rider?" He raised his eyebrows, giving her a cockeyed grin.