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Linc has offered several times to check and see if Mo is here, but I’ve refused. If she didn’t, I don’t want to know until the very last minute. That way I can channel all of the anger and pain into the ride. And if she did…well, that’ll just give me the reason I need to go out and do my best.
I survey the full stadium, purposefully looking away from where the riders’ guests sit. Like all the times before, I climb up the fence, swing my leg over, and position myself on the bull. Ruckus thrashes to the side, unhappy that I’m on his back. We wait for him to settle, and then I wrap my hand in the rope, take a deep breath, and look up. It only takes a second for my eyes to find Mo. She’s exactly where she should be—perched on the edge of her seat, her eyes wide, hands clasped beneath her chin—and my heart soars.
Seeing her in the stands, sitting with the rest of the wives and girlfriends, is all I need to get my adrenaline pumping. Whatever she’s decided about her future, I know it includes me. She stepped out of her comfort zone to be here tonight, and that tells me more than words ever could. Suddenly I’m like a caveman banging on his chest, desperate for his girl to see him succeed.
Her face lights up with a breathtaking smile, and I give the nod.
The gate opens, and Ruckus flings himself into the arena, twisting every which way, bucking and jostling my body from side to side, but I hold on.
It’s the longest eight seconds of my entire life, this first ride back, but finally the buzzer sounds. I release my hold, wait for the right moment, and jump off.
Ruckus flings himself around the stadium, kicking up dust, but my eyes aren’t on him, they’re on Mo. She’s jumping up and down, clapping, her hair a wild mess around her head, and I’m absolutely mesmerized.
“Rhett!”
I blink, jerking my head to the right just in time to jump over the fence before Ruckus rams his horn up my ass.
“Shit,” Linc laughs. “You got a death wish or what?”
“Or what.”
“What were you looking out at there?” Dad asks.
“Mo.” I grin.
Linc doesn’t.
Neither does Dad.
“You need to keep your head in the game, son. You can’t get distracted out there or you’ll get hurt.”
“I know that.” I’m laughing even though it’s not funny. I can’t help it. I’ve never been this happy. When I walk out of this arena tonight, I’ll be walking away with Mo—with the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.
My next ride is similar to the first, only this time I’m on Bruiser, and he isn’t nearly as accommodating as Ruckus. His kick is higher, the twist faster, and I only make it seven seconds before I’m flung into the air.
I land on the unforgiving ground with a loud thud that feels like it echoes through the stadium. The force is enough to knock the wind right out of me, and it takes a second to catch my breath. Bruiser is corralled, and when I’m certain I can stand up without passing out, I get to my feet. My head spins, tilting the world to the left. I stumble, but Linc and Dad are there to catch me. Scanning the crowd, I find Mo. She’s standing up, one hand covering her heart, the other tucked tight against her stomach as though she’s keeping herself from being sick.
There’s not much I can do to ease her fear, so I tip my hat in her direction to show her I’m okay. I hope she understands. I can’t go to her or comfort her, and that kills me. I glance back at her several times as Linc and Dad lead me out of the arena. When I make it safely through the gate, she falls back into her seat.
I have a little time between rides, but I have to spend it getting checked out by the house doctor—which also pisses me off because I miss Linc’s final ride. When I get the all clear, it’s time to make my way back the chutes.
The third ride is much more like the first than the second. Demon kicks and spins, doing his best to throw me off, but I manage to hold on until the buzzer. When my feet are safely on the ground, I look for Mo, expecting her to be cheering along with the rest of the crowd. Except she isn’t. She’s sitting down while everyone around her hoots and hollers on their feet. Our eyes connect for a brief second before I’m dragged away.
“Awesome ride, brother. You are killing it tonight,” Linc says, guiding me through the back pens. When we hit the locker room, Dad stops.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“You good for a few minutes?” he asks, looking between me and Linc. “I’m gonna step out and call your mother, see how she’s doing.”
That’s odd. Dad doesn’t usually check in with her until the event is over, but whatever. “I’m good,” I assure him.
He nods and walks off. Linc and I go into the locker room and grab a drink while we watch a replay of my rides tonight.
“Can you pull up my last ride with Lucifer?” I ask.
“Sure can.”
Linc punches a few buttons, and I watch again as I’m thrown from the bull. This time, when I see myself lying on the ground, all I can think about is Mo hurdling over the bar and crying in Coop’s arms.
