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The music kicked in—some club-style techno—and Tracy and Chuck got to work.

Chuck tore across the stage, launching himself off Tracy’s bent back, flipping through the air like an acrobat.

Next, Tracy held up a hoop about four feet in the air. Chuck, ever the professional, sat poised, waiting for his cue.

At her command, he took off and in one smooth motion, sailed through the hoop like he’d been doing it his whole life.

I clapped wildly, bouncing on my heels. “Go, Chuck!”

Trick after trick, Chuck and Tracy executed every move with such effortless precision, they looked like they belonged in a Vegas show.

The music grew faster, indicating there would be a beat drop soon enough, which would signal the end of their act. As the beat dropped, Chuck did two backflips, back-to-back.

Far too soon, the sound silenced as he finished his last twirl and sat proper, staring at Tracy. Tracy gave a bow with Chuck mimicking her, and the thunderous applause followed them offstage.

Lolly went back to the spotlight, giving appreciation for the performance and checking in with the audience.

That meant Colton and Cooper would be next.

I knew they had a mechanical bull, which according to the timeline, would take time to bring on stage. Other than that, I wasn’t quite sure what we would be in for, but my body was buzzing with anticipation. Whatever it was, I hoped it was going to be pretty damn good.

“NOW…THE MOMENT you’ve all been waiting for,” Lolly drawled into the mic.

A drumroll thundered through the speakers, vibrating through the air and straight into my ribs.

“Husbands, you may want to cover your wives’ eyes. And if there are any children in the audience, well…” She shrugged, unapologetic. “That’s on you.”

Laughter rippled through the room, light and electric, weaving into the rising roar of excitement. Even my pulse kicked up, a drumbeat of its own.

“Give it up for Colton and Cooper!”

The crowd erupted. The lights dropped low, the stage humming with anticipation. As I moved closer to the curtain, my heartbeat grew so loud it felt like it echoed off the floor.

Spotlights flared to life, washing over the mechanical bull standing dead center stage like the star of the show.

Cooper and Colton stepped out together, mirror images in denim and pearl-snaps. They were dressed head-to-toe like Stone Ranch hands—hats, belt buckles, boots. All of it. I couldn’t help the laugh that nudged out of me.

But the second my eyes found Colton, that laugh died, replaced by a sweep of heat that skated down my spine. His shirt stretched tight across his chest, sleeves rolled just enough to showcase the hard lines of muscle that shirt had no business trying to contain.

He turned his head and found me instantly.

My breath caught. Under those lights, looking carved from stone and knowing he was about to ride that bull with every ounce of swagger in his body…arousal shot through me so fast it was dizzying.

Music pounded through the speakers, the bass vibrating up my legs as the crowd hollered. Cooper and Colton lifted their arms in greeting before heading toward the bull.

Colton bent, snagging a lasso off the ground beside the ring. He lifted it high, rope coiling between his fingers with slow familiarity—familiar in a way that brought the moment in the barn rushing back in vivid, sinful detail.

Heat swept up my neck. My whole body felt suddenly, embarrassingly warm.

I lifted my clipboard and fanned myself, which did absolutely nothing to stop the image forming in my head of what he could do with that rope.

Then, with a smooth, showy swing of his leg, Colton mounted the bull. He settled into the saddle with a roll of his hips that was one hundred percent unnecessary and absolutely intentional.

His gaze flicked to where I stood. Our eyes locked, and he gave the rope an indulgently slow tug, testing it, his mouth curling in a cocky, devastating smirk.

“Asshole,” I muttered, cheeks flaming.

The music shifted, deeper now. The bull jerked to life, and Colton moved with it, fluid and sure, thighs gripping, shoulders loose. He threw one arm out, all showmanship for the crowd but every time the bull bucked, his eyes slid back to me.