to the ranch through their paces with cameras rolling and the entire town watching.
My body hummed with barely controlled nervous energy. It wasn’t something I felt often anymore, but it reminded me of why I’d loved rodeo. The Saddle Up Rodeo might have been a watered-down version of what we were all used to, but the crowd, consisting of Sunrise townsfolk and some network audience plants, seemed to be enjoying every minute.
“Who invited the Wildes?” Tristan muttered, taking up the space next to me where I was leaning against the fence.
I followed his gaze to see Wes and two of his sons standing near the entrance to the arena. “Not me. Does your mama know?”
“Well, it looks like they’ll let anyone in here these days.” Speak of the devil. “Excuse me, I need to take out the trash,” Mama huffed as she made a beeline straight for Wes.
We watched them, Mama’s hands flailing, then resting on her hips, then flailing again. Wes grinned, and…God, was he flirting? Her posture went rigid, irritation radiating off her. Then she threw her arms in the air in a gesture we were all familiar with. She was done with his kind of nonsense. In seconds, she was storming back our way.
“Need me to get rid of them?” Tristan asked as she approached.
“No. The network wants them here.”
Tristan let out a bitter laugh. “No one wants them anywhere.”
“Apparently, Wes’s nephew is the lead singer of Big Sky.”
“What?” Tristan’s brows rose high enough I couldn’t see them under the brim of his hat. “No way.”
“Killian Winter. He goes by his mama’s maiden name.”
“I didn’t realize he was a Wilde,” I said. Big Sky’s music was good. They were really gaining some popularity too. Having them give a televised concert after the rodeo was a big deal for Sunrise. And it didn’t hurt that all the guys in the group were full-on smoke shows.
“He is. Which means they’re all here. Like a swarm of locusts. Cocky, arrogant locusts.”
“I don’t like it,” Tristan said. “They’ve been spending too much time in Sunrise.”
“Well, never mind about that now. Show’s starting. Get your butt in gear, Tristan. You’ve got work to do.” She turned her blue gaze on me. “Don’t you have ropers to get ready?” I nodded, and she flashed me a grin. “Come on. It’s time for some good old fashioned rodeo. Let’s show the Wildes exactly how we do it here on Ryker Ranch.”
The show went off without a hitch, starting with barrel racing. Sera and some other local women were in the lineup, all of them putting on a great competition. Sera won, of course. She hadn’t held the championship title three years in a row for nothing. The Rykers were all rodeo born and bred, even if they didn’t participate anymore.
We went through shortened versions of all the usual events, me giving a roping demonstration as the contestants watched and the cameras rolled. It was always thrilling. But the best part, the part I never got to enjoy, was looking into the crowd and locking eyes with the person I loved most in the world. Sam beamed with pride from his place in the front row. I rode around the arena once, giving him a wink as I passed by before taking my place back with the contestants.
They did better than I thought they would, a blond surfer guy named Rex claiming the win. And before long, we were ready for the bull demo. Sam strode out to the center of the arena with a microphone in his hand, and my heart fucking flipped at the sight of him. He wore tight black jeans, and I hadn’t gotten a chance to spend any time alone with him all damn day.
“What’s he doing?” Buck asked, leaning against the rail that separated the bull riders from the chutes.
“I have no clue.”
So many of his friends were here, showing their support for him and the show. Maybe he wanted to thank them, make a statement, I wasn’t sure.
He lifted the mic to his mouth with one hand, and the other clenched and unclenched repeatedly as he took a slow breath. God, he was a wreck. What the hell was going on?
Clearing his throat, he began. “Hi, y’all. I’m Sam Ryker. Until recently, I was only seen on the back of a bull, or bein’ thrown off one a few times.” The crowd laughed, prompting him to run a palm over the back of his neck. “My family and