Love Is Like A Rodeo

Chapter 4

"What?" was all I managed to get out.

"It's where my wreck was." His breathing got uneven. I didn't know what to do.

"It's okay, I'm right hear." I said, and pulled into a parking spot.

"Are you going to bull ride?" He asked barely louder than a whisper.

"I am, but you don't have to do any event if you don't want to. Heck we could even ditch it! My horses are here we could go on a trail ride or something!" I say giving him an option.

"No, ill stay. I'm going to have to face this place sooner or later." He stuttered. His breathing got even more uneven, he started to go paler than he already was.

I grabbed his hand. "Hey, hear my heart beat?" He gave me a look of confusion, but nodded. "Focus on that." He looked me dead in the eye. He had ice blue eyes. Just from looking at him I could see how gentle he is. I could hear my heart beat rising has he slowly got closer.

"Is that Rain Stilinski!?" A voice from the left of me yelled.

I left Coles stare and looked to my left to see Lonna walking my way.

Cole squeezed my hand then left go. I opened my door "Lonna, how are you doing!?" I yelled back as I got out of my pick up.

"I'm doing great how about you?" Lonna replied and hugged me.

"I'm doing pretty good." I said "Passed qualifying round 1 got a few more to go." I say as she lets go of the hug.

"Is that Cole Clint?" She asks me as Cole approaches us.

"Yeah he's me and Austin's new mentor." I say.

"Lonna" Cole said as tipped his hat towards her. He then came and stood by me. I felt his hand connect with my palm. I felt a shiver go down my spine.

"You good Rain?" Lonna asked.

"Fine!" I chirped. Cole smirked and started laughing.

"Well I signed you up for your usual. For team roping I put undecided because I didn't know if you had a partner since last time we talked you said Austin and Waylon where going to be partners." Lonna said.

"Ill be your partner, if you want?" Cole replied.

"Yeah, I'd love that!" I said and he tightened his grip on my hand.

"Okay. Well your horses are ready, rodeo starts here in an hour so I suggest you get ready." Lonna said and walked the other direction.

"You ready?" I asked Cole.

He laughed "Better question is how ready are you?"

* * * * *

My American Quarter horse mare, Ruby was ready to go, She wanted to go. Me and Cole were deciding if I was going to be header or healer. I decided to be healer, and he decided to be header. Cole was riding my American Paint gelding, Aztec.

"Good luck" Cole said as I headed to the arena for barrel racing.

"Hey!!" Austin yelled as him and his horse Blaze where loping up to me.

"Hey Austin!" I said. "You ready for today?"

"Heck yeah! You?" He replied. Austin always comes and talk to me before my barrel run.

"Yeah! hoping to place first." I answered.

"Next to the arena for some Barrel racing is Rain Stilinski!!!" The announcer yelled.

"Good luck" Austin Yelled and took off.

Ruby wanted to go, I held her back with all my strength. I was getting closer to the arena. I seen where I wanted to go and let her go. I go to the left barrel first. I make sure I leave enough room for my pocket. I then went my 2nd barrel and cleared it, then my last barrel, I could feel Ruby gaining more and more speed as I approached it. "Go Go!!" I yelled and cleared the barrel. I wiped Ruby making her go faster.

"Clear run of 17.11!" The announcer exclaimed.

Considering this is NFR pattern we nailed it. "Easy. Easy." Ruby, still wanting to run, was getting a little buck in her. Your normal chestnut mare.

"Great job!" Austin exclaimed. "I think you set a new arena recorded!"

"Thanks! You think?" I asked, arena recorded!? That's crazy.

"Hey, good job." Cole spoke. "Great job breaking the arena recorded."

"Thanks!" I chirped.

"Up next team roping." The announcer announced.

"You ready Cole?" I asked. Austin shot me a disapproving, yet sad look. Was he mad that I chose Cole. But he was going to team rope with Waylon?

"Let's go n' whoop em'" Cole said, and grabbed my hand as we walked to the trailer.

I got on Ruby, still wanting to go, "easy." I said pulling on my reins to try to get more Control.

"She good?" Cole asked. Aztec definitely had a geldings personality and Ruby definitely had a chestnut mares personality.

"Yeah this is normal believe me." I say and with just the cluck ruby is already trying to run. "Let's head to the chutes, we don't wanna miss our go." I tell Cole.

"Yeah let's go." He said and had to give Aztec a good kick just to get him to trot.

"And next into the arena we have Rain Stilinski and Cole Clint!" The announcer yells into the microphone that booms into the arena speakers.

I give Cole a look and nod. We both look at the guy by the cow chute, and he lets the calf fly.

Cole swings his rope as soon as the chute opens. He sees the same thing I do, he throws the rope, and makes it. I look at the calf's back legs and see an opportunity and take it. I pull on the rains hard stopping Ruby. I got the back legs! "Yes!" I yell as I'm trying to slow Ruby down.

"You did great!" Cole says as I'm getting Ruby out of the arena.

"Thanks!! You did amazing, I had no idea you could rope like that." I respond. I would have never guessed he could rope but here I am.

"Ruby did great too!" Cole said. He looks at Ruby who looks as if she's gonna break out into a buck at any second.

"Yeah. She just wants to go, and go and go." I laugh as I say it.

"Great job you two!" Walon says as he greets us as we exit the arena.

"Thanks Walon." Both me and Cole say.

"Y'all going to the fairs dance?" Walon asks.

"I'm going, Cole you wanna come?" I ask.

"Yeah why not!" He replied.

"Great see you there. And Rain if you ever wanna sell Ruby I can make a great offer." Walon said.

"Haha, your funny." I say as Walon starts heading to his trailer.

"Hey the practice arena is open. Wanna ride for a bit, wanna get some of this energy out of Ruby." I ask Cole.

"Yeah sure." He says and we go to the arena.