Cowboy's Tribulation

Chapter 1

Kate Larson stood at the back of the trailer holding the lead rope to her horse Ranger.  Unclipping the lead rope from his halter, she motioned for him to hop into the trailer.  Well trained and seasoned Ranger hopped on board and went and stood in his stall of the three horse slant load trailer.  Kate pushed the divider shut and locked into his stall. Checking to be sure everything else was secured, she stepped down off the trailer.  One more look into her tack compartment area next to the loading door told her she was all set to go.  She pushed the door closed  and latched the door shut.

 Making her way along the trailer toward the drivers side of the truck, Kate's Mom, Marilyn, stepped out of the customized living quarters sections of the trailer. The trailer had its entry door on the drivers side instead of the customary right side.

"You're all set honey. I put plenty of groceries in your fridge and stocked up your cupboards.  Goodness girl, you were out of everything, even toilet paper." Tucking a strand of salt and pepper hair behind her ear as she stepped down.

Walking up to her Mom, Kate embraced her in a going away hug.  "Thanks mom, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome.  Glad to do it." Looking at the mirror image of herself at Kate's age, she smiled, "You have fun with this weekend. Your dad and I will catch up with you for the pageant in a couple weeks."

"I will, give a kiss to dad.  Wished he could of been here today."

"He does too, but picking up that new bull for the neighbor was the least he could do for them after they helped out during your recovery last winter.  Old man Sanders was pretty upset with those slashed tires on his trailer."

Another brief hug and the two women parted.  Kate made her way to the truck cab.

"I'll call you tonight when I get all situated."

Kate climbed into the cab of the pickup, buckled herself in and started the big diesel engine. She let it warm up a moment before checking her side mirrors, and then put the big truck into gear. Guiding the rig down the white fenced driveway to the main gate, Kate glanced up at the billboard advertising her parents trick riding academy.  The image of her on Ranger doing a Stroud layout.  Pilates had nothing on core training as a trick rider. The image was coming right at the viewer at a dead run.  Ranger's royal blue and white tack gleaming and her left hand trailing in the dirt as she stood straight out from his side, her feet hooked into the straps on the white saddle. The biggest smile on her face.  The photo had been snapped just before she'd let out a loud whoop as they had finished their run.  Tricking riding always put her in a good mood. 

The miles of her trip melted away as she drove down the interstate on her way to a little town on the outskirts of Texarkana.  Her thoughts drifted to one of the pageant sponsors.  Wade Jerrit of Jerrit Ropes, damn, the man was every woman's wet dream of a cowboy, including her.  His rugged good looks and tall lean frame, made anyone with an ovary want him. Day dreaming his image Kate let outa sigh of longing, she giggled to no one as she thought of herself mooning over him.  His coffee brown hair, while close cropped on the sides, was much longer on top, so he had to comb it back to get it under his cowboy hat, the few times she had seen him hatless, the desire to run her hands through his hair had been strong.  His cornflower blue eyes made her feel like he was penetrating you with not just his gaze but other parts as well. Or maybe that was just how he made her feel.  Turning up the air conditioner, to cool herself down, Kate glanced up at the billboard she was passing.

The Dirty Pony Roadhouse Bar and Grill, she made a not to herself that she would stop there on the way home.  She'd heard through the rodeo grapevine that they served a great steak and had an even better house drink. 

Spying her exit, Kate flipped up the turn signal lever and merged over to the exit ramp.

Slowing at the entrance of the fairgrounds, she began her turn in and realized she pulled her rig in right behind Wade Jerrrit's custom rig.  The Jerrit Ropes logo splashed across the back doors of the trailer.  She knew he too only had one horse in the trailer, his favorite hazing horse Fido came with him to every rodeo.  She always thought it funny how he competed in steer wrestling instead of calf roping, since he owned a rope making company. But then she liked watching him during the steer wrestling.  Getting those snug fitting jeans all dirty.

Stopping behind Wade's rig she put hers in park. Looking ahead she seen Wade looking at her in his rear view side mirror. She felt a flush of heat was over her face. Looking away, she grabbed her water bottle and took a big swig of the tepid water, its coldness having left it long ago.  She didn't care, it was wet and it cooled the fire in her cheeks.  She couldn't help herself as she looked back at him. The water bottle drifted to her lap.  Her gazed trapped by his.  Oh hell, she thought, this was going to be a long weekend.  Why did he have to start coming on to her now.  The Miss National Rodeo pageant was only a week away.

The line for check in moved along fairly quickly, in no time Kate had her stall assignment for Ranger and her parking permit for electrical hookup for her trailer.  She pulled up to the barn first to unloaded Ranger and her stall equipment before parking her rig.  She noticed Wade was unloading Fido too.