Bryce watches him for a second before speaking again. “I wanted to thank you.”
The sincerity in his voice catches my attention.
I look over. “For what?”
“For stepping in the other day.” His expression grows serious. “Protecting that student.”
The image flashes through my mind—the loose bull, Natalia’s panicked face, and that split second when everything could have gone sideways.
My rib throbs at the memory.
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
Bryce shakes his head. “Yes, it was.” His voice is firm. “That’s exactly why I wanted you and Royce here. You two know how to ride.”
“Hell, lots of people know how to ride,” I say.
His eyes stay fixed on the arena. “Yeah, but you also know how to see everything happening around you.”
I know what he means.
The best riders aren’t just athletes; they’re observers, students of the rodeo chaos. They learn to read animals, people, and situations. They can spot danger before it happens.
Bryce nods toward the students. “That’s something these kids need to learn.” His voice softens. “And it’s something they can only learn from people who’ve lived it.”
I nod. “Appreciate that.”
Bryce grins. “Don’t get emotional on me.”
“Wouldn’t fucking dream of it.”
We stand there in comfortable silence for a minute, watching Royce do his thing.
Then Bryce clears his throat. “So …”
I glance sideways. “What?”
“I was in California last week.”
“I heard,” I say. “Hope you had some fun.”
He snorts. “Too many meetings and too many people wearing suits.”
I shudder dramatically.
Bryce laughs. “I met with Shawn.”
That gets my attention.
Shawn Norris has represented Bryce for years. He’s one of the biggest sports agents in the industry.
He’s also my agent.
“How is ol’ Shawn?”
Bryce shifts his weight against the fence. “He’s fine. Still complaining about his wife complaining about him working too much.”
“Which causes him to work more just to get away from the complaining,” I say.
