A thing for cowboys

Who is Hayden Cooper?

Beeep, beeeep, beee. I fumbled around swiping my phone screen in a dazed state resuming the much wanted silence in my bedroom. Taking a deep breath I stretched out my arms trying to keep my eyes open when a deep voice cut through the peace.

"Tilly? You better be getting your ass up, you know I'm competing today!" I groaned in response pushing my blonde hair out of my face, I sat up swinging my legs over the bed as the words adjusted in my head. Tanner competing? Oh crap, jumping out of bed I began pulling my clothes on running a brush quickly through my tangled hair I tied it in an unruly bun before shoving my phone into my jeans pocket and making my way down the stairs.

"Me? Forget? of course not dear brother." I grin snatching a piece of toast out of Tanners hand as he shook his head.

"You better use the energy from my toast, brushing my horse till he gleams." Shouted Tanner as I hopped out the door pulling on my boot, toast hanging from my mouth.

"Yeh, yeh." I mumbled to myself walking across to the barn before sliding the big wooden door back. "Good morning you dang beauties!" As I step into the barn I'm greeted by the soft and comforting nickering. I head straight to my gorgeous girl Petra slipping her a mint which she happily snuffles off my palm.

I hang the final halter up and head to the only horse still in the barn, a stunning chestnut quarter horse with a small white star on his forehead. "Hey Scooter." I say calmly to him as I bring him out into the aisle and tie him up. My brother always had an eye for a good looking horse and always seemed to make a winner out of them. He would always say a good horseman makes a good horse but I swear if that boy fell into an outhouse he'd still come up smelling like a rose!

I looked out into the yard where Tanner was backing the trailer up to the barn, he hopped out his truck making his way toward me his boots had been wiped over his shirt was clean and tucked into his jeans with a shiny belt buckle on display.

"Ooh now, don't you scrub up well." I mused leaning against the stall my arms crossed over my chest and eyebrows raised.

"Not too bad yourself....." he reached up pulling the rope free "Scooter." he chuckled giving me a smirk "Thanks Tilly, I owe ya. You and Ray coming down today?" Tanner spoke as he began loading up scooter.

"Of course. I'll be there to see what competition you've got this year." I joked as I handed him his saddle.

"A bit of healthy competition keeps the game interesting" Tanner shouted back as he slammed his truck door "Thanks again Till." He tipped his hat and pulls away from the barn, Right, I turn to look back at the barn. Time to try and get all these stalls mucked and sorted before Ray turns up, help me Jesus.

I jumped up into Ray's truck relaxing into the seat before I turned to look at him, he leant forward reaching his hand towards my face before pulling back with a long strand of hay in between his fingers, grinning. We both start laughing as he pulls away from my house.

"So Tanner has taken Scooter today?" I nodded to Rays question "Wonder if the competitions going to be tough this season. I already know a few of the guys from last year have been stepping up their game." 

"Yeh, last year there was a fair bit.  I Need to check out the barrel racing. I think Petra will be missing it." Last year we managed to get to a couple events but I ended up breaking my wrist in a pretty bad fall so I was probably missing it as much as my horse.

"Oh yeh, just the barrel racing?" Ray wiggled his eyebrows and I scrunched my nose. "You know you're going to be eyeing up the cowboys and they definitely ain't at the barrel racing."

"Oh Ray, I'm a hopeless romantic and they would need to cowboy up for me to fall. You're one of the only good ones and you're practically family." Rays chuckle in response  was enough to make me sigh. Cowboys, easy on the eyes  but hard on the heart. Doesn't hurt a girl to look though, right?

Standing up on the fence I hook my elbows over and begin hollering "Go Tanner!" He waits in the starting box looking over to his hazer. I notice the blonde hair peeking out the grey Stetson "Wooo, go Cody" a small smile pulls at his lips as he throws me a glance before focussing back on Tanner who tips his head. The chute opens, the steer is loose. Both horses hot on the steer, Tanner makes his move his arm hooking the horns, heels dug into the sand and down it goes.

"Four point one, the fastest run so far putting Tanner Cole in first position by a mile, Can our final newcomer Cowboy come close folks." I  jumped down from the fence grinning at Ray.

"Well that was as impressive as always." said Ray smiling "Only one run left" I looked back through the fence as I watched a big black mare jogging into the starting box, she was a beauty. As she turned to set up I took a look at her rider, from the distance it was hard to get a good look at his face with the shadow of his hat but he had dark coloured hair peeking out. His body was clearly very toned as his shirt hugged his arms and chest, he looked to his hazer and gave the nod.

The mare was quick on the steer but he was even quicker, his bodyweight coming down fast, his firm arm around the horns and the steer was down. "Four seconds, well I never. New to the circuit and quite the impression, young man Hayden Cooper folks, taking the buckle today."

 I pull my gaze from the tall dark cowboy who was stood dusting off his jeans and meet eyes with Ray, releasing the breath I didn't realise I was holding before blurting out,

"Who is Hayden Cooper?"