One Night with a Cowboy - Sara Richardson Page 0,1
then turned and sprinted in the direction of Tantrum’s exit gate.
But instead of leaving the arena, the bull stayed hot on his tail.
Damn. Tantrum was extra feisty today.
Wes evaded him again and flung himself onto the fence, finding his balance with his boots positioned on the second rung so he could raise his arms and whoop for the crowd.
They indulged the dramatics, hopping to their feet to give him a standing ovation.
Seeming to give up on him, Tantrum did a lap around the arena before trotting through the exit gate for his postgame snack.
Wes did a backflip off the fence and landed on his feet in the dirt—a move he’d only recently perfected. If the crowd noise got any louder, it would shake those mountains outside.
“Thanks, man. You’re the best.” Ruiz walked over and swatted him on the shoulder. “You saved my ass again.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” Maybe one of these days, saving someone’s ass would make him feel something. Hell, he didn’t know what he should feel when the rider came to thank him. A sense of accomplishment maybe? As it was, he only felt something when he was running from the bull—the instinct, the adrenaline, the rush he’d come to live for. It didn’t matter how many saves he made, how many close calls he’d survived, nothing ever managed to fill the hole his dad’s death had left in his life.
The rest of the afternoon flew by in the same blur it always did. Wes stayed focused, diverting the bulls, joking around with the bull riders when he got the chance, and adding in some flair with more backflips off the fence for the hometown crowd.
After the last ride, he removed his protective gear and made his way down one of the chutes that led underneath the bleachers, high-fiving the fans who’d lingered until the end to say hello. All in all, it had been a perfect day—no serious injuries, a good solid lineup of riders. Hell, Wes wasn’t even as sore as he usually was.
And yet…he couldn’t quite shake the emptiness. Damn. What was up with him, anyway? All these thoughts creating noise in his head. He usually didn’t allow himself the time to think—to reflect on what he was feeling. All that self-introspection bullshit was dangerous territory. It had to be because he’d come back home. Being here was messing with his head.
“That was quite the show you put on out there.” Jane, his younger sister, stood at the end of the hallway. Every time he saw her lately, he had to do a double take. It still caught him off guard that his little sister was around seven months pregnant…if he remembered correctly.
“Gotta give the crowd what they want.” He leaned in to hug her, careful of her baby bump. “Thanks for hanging out all day. I know it’s not usually your thing.” Jane had always detested anything that involved danger. But then she’d gone and married a bull rider. Go figure.
“It was fun.” His sister’s smile brightened. “You’re really good at what you do, Wes. I’m impressed.”
“I’m impressed too.” He eyed her belly. “You sure you’re not carrying twins in there?”
Jane gasped in mock outrage and swatted him while he laughed. He’d always loved teasing her. “Kidding, of course. You look as gorgeous as always, sis.” Not only gorgeous, she looked…happy. There was a light in her eyes that hadn’t been there when she was younger.
“I don’t know about gorgeous, but I’ll take it.” His sister rested her hand on her belly and smirked up at him. “Keep the compliments coming if you want to stay in the running to become the baby’s godfather.”
“Oh, come on. I’m a shoo-in.” He slipped his arm around her and they walked side by side out into the concessions area. “Of course you’re going to pick me. We hardly ever see August.” Their eldest brother had been managing a winery out in Napa for the last several years and rarely made it home. Though Wes didn’t know what he had to offer as a godfather. Advice and wisdom weren’t exactly his specialty. Fun, on the other hand? That he could do.
“How’s Tobster?” he asked his sister as they passed the BBQ food truck and ice cream vendor parked in line on the outside of the arena. His sister’s husband had made it past the pro rodeos all the way to the Professional Bull Riders circuit and was away at some big event in Texas this weekend.