Page 15 of Just Hold On

Chapter 14

Jogging back to my truck,I realized how hot it had gotten. The temperature in this country could reach levels of Hell. Late August in Oklahoma? Insanity. Wearing a black shirt? Even dumber, but I had something to make Cody's day. Wasn't quite perfect, since she said she was using a nine plat, but I had a funny feeling she'd make do. It seemed like adapting was one of her many amazing talents.

What pissed me off the most was how she just accepted all of this. In one weekend, she'd just gotten more shit than any other rookie I'd known. A bar fight? A greased rope? I couldn't even imagine how many comments had been tossed her way to throw her off. She didn't seem to care. Well, she did, but not like I would have. She'd just taken a moment to collect herself, figured out a plan - which sucked - and then got ready to keep moving on. But letting her give up was not an option.

Mostly because I wanted to make sure she was at the next show. I'd get to see her tonight, but I was headed out in the morning. In the middle of the parking lot, my feet paused. I hadn't asked when she was leaving. I'd just assumed she'd crash here like all the rest of us, but she was damned near local. She could go home and sleep in her own bed. Not mine.

"Fuck!" I grumbled.

That meant getting her back on a bull was even more important. If I wanted to see her again, then I had to make damned sure she had a good time, got a nice check, and got hooked like all the rest of us. Ignoring the heat, I hurried to my truck, hopping up in the back to get inside the toolbox behind the cab. I knew I had it in here. My little brother had been frantic when he couldn't find it Thursday night and had called asking me to check. I'd told him that was a good lesson, and then hadn't thought much of it.

Now, Clint's screw-up was going to be Cody's salvation. I might even forget to give him hell when all this was over, because he was the only left-handed rider I knew. Buying her a new rope wasn't exactly going to help. She didn't have enough time to work it up, get the rosin in the right way, and soften the fibers, but Clint had. He'd been using this one for almost a year, and it was still in damned good shape. I knew, because I checked it over before I let him ride.

Now, I'd get to check it before she rode.

It sat at the bottom, twisted up into a mass of pale knots, with a red and white cowbell hanging from the end. That was just weight to make sure it came off the bull, but Clint wanted to make sure everyone knew he was Canadian, so he'd painted it. He'd tried to put a maple leaf on it, but that boy had no talent for art. Didn't matter. Everyone got the idea when they saw it, and knowing my girl was going to be flashing my country's colors out there tonight? Yeah, I kinda liked that.

Unfortunately, his glove wouldn't help. Cody's hands were tiny. Hopefully, no one had thought about screwing up her glove, but if they did? Yeah, prepping a glove wasn't nearly as hard as a rope. I had plenty of rosin in my bag, just in case she didn't. We'd make sure she was in damned good shape. Between Renato, myself, and J.D....

Locking everything back up, I hopped down and made my way back to the convention center. Cody had given us a reason to work together. The three of us were the top riders in each of the most competitive countries. Sure, there were a few riders from Mexico and Australia, but most of us were from the big three. J.D. had been trying to make that a thing, but until now, I hadn't given him much thought. Who cared where we were from? What difference did it make if a rookie came from one side of the world or another? But now I realized it did.

It gave them someone to look up to, a group to have their back, and a support system when they needed it. No matter how much I hated to admit it, maybe J.D. was on to something. He was a complete nut-job, but he had a couple of good points, and I'd be an idiot to ignore them just because of who came up with the idea. That, and if he made this crap with Cody go away? Yeah, I'd be in his debt.

But I still had to be her hero first.

Stepping inside the bowels of the convention center, I paused to let my eyes adjust. I also wanted my shirt to dry out a little, because I was hoping for a tit-squishing hug when she realized she wasn't done yet. A kiss would be nice, too, but I'd settle for feeling her body shoved right against mine. Didn't even matter if the guys gave me shit over it. A couple more flaps to waft out the stink, then I slung the rope over my shoulder and put on my best calm, cool, and collected demeanor.

And that was how I looked when I found her. It wasn't at all how she looked. With her ass hiked up in the air, her palms pressed down on the concrete floor, and the pink Fierce Denim patch on her jeans begging my eyes to go there, she damned near made me lose it. Clearing my throat served to not only keep the blood above my waist but also to get her attention.

She just looked between her legs, clearly stretching out her muscles. "J.D. said you were planning a miracle so I should get ready to ride."

"Where is he?"

She smiled. It reached all the way up - uh, down, in this position. "Well, when you left me after we checked in, some guy was acting weird in the side alley. Didn't recognize him, but he had on red and yellow chaps." Then she twisted, bending one knee to lean over the top of it in a lunge. "Told J.D. and he said he had somewhere to go. Took my rope with him."

"And you have no idea what he's doing, right?"

She just winked. "None. When a homicidal freak says he's on a mission, I'm smart enough to keep my nose out of it." Then she turned to do the other side. "But he told someone named Jaxon to keep an eye on my stuff. I guess my eyes must be broken or something, but yeah. So, is there a miracle?"

I pulled the rope off my shoulder, letting the red and white cowbell dangle between us. "It's in good shape, used by a lefty, and well rosined. The downside is that it's a smaller plat than what you've been using, but the handle is the same."

She pulled herself back up, her mouth parting in a perfect little O. "Where'd you get that? I can use it?"

I just waggled the whole thing, making the cowbell wiggle. "Canadian, baby. Lucky for you, my little brother's a lefty. Had it in my toolbox."

"He won't mind?"

"I'll kick his ass if he says a damned thing, and if you like it, maybe we'll get you something like it. There's plenty of vendors upstairs." And I thrust it out to her again. "Think of it like my way of claiming you." I paused, thrilled when her eyes jumped up just like I wanted. "For team Canada. At least for today."

"Oh my god," she breathed, taking the rope. "Thank you, Ty. Thank you so much!"

For a moment, I was sure I wasn't going to get that hug. She looked between the rope and me twice, a flicker of uncertainty on her face, but I wasn't leaving until I got a little something to pay me back for the heat outside. Then she closed her eyes and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around my waist.

Not good enough. With a chuckle, I pulled her in a bit more. One hand found the curve of her lower back. The other teased the side of her neck, and I felt the rim of her hat poking into my pecs. Yeah, I could get real used to this.

She braced her palm against my chest. "Keep this up, and people will start to wonder if I'm really a Canadian."

"Just say y'all a little more. Besides, your accent's all wrong." Sliding my hand a little lower, I hooked a finger in her belt, letting my knuckles tease the top of her ass. "I really like this belt."

"And I am going to leave rhinestones all over the arena today." She leaned back to tug at the shirt. "But I like how this looks."

"Me too." And her hips were a little too far from me, but a tug fixed that. "I think that's a real good look for you. Gonna watch me ride again?"

She playfully thumped my chest. "If you stop that, maybe. I figure if you cheer for me, I can cheer for you."

Releasing her upper back, I snagged her hat from her head, letting me lean a little closer. "Yeah, I can do that. And when we're all done, we're gonna celebrate. My treat." If there weren't a million guys around, I'd be trying to steal a kiss, but I had a feeling she wouldn't enjoy that as much as I would. Seeing the way her lips parted, I almost took the risk, but I was trying to impress her, and she wasn't the kind to get kinky in public. Now, after all this was over... "I have a spare bed if you need one afterward."

When the smile on her face slipped, I knew. Even before she answered, I already had a real good idea of what she was going to say.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

With a dainty little groan, she stepped out of my arms and smoothed her hair down. "I gotta get the truck back before morning. We only have one, and it's a four-hour drive. I mean, with the awards, and then the celebrating, we won't actually be done before midnight, will we?"

"It's honestly not that bad. The whole thing will probably be over closer to ten, but sometimes it goes over. I'd guess about eleven."

She just nodded. "So I'd get home between two and four in the morning. Dad has to leave by six to get to work."

"Next weekend?" I asked, spinning her hat around my finger.

She didn't reach for it. Instead, her brow furrowed, and I knew she hadn't put it together yet. "What about it?"

"We're riding in St. Louis, Cody. Missouri isn't that big, so unless you're busy..."

She still wasn't following. "You want me to come watch you ride?"

Ok, that was too cute. I couldn't help myself, I reached out and tapped the end of her nose. "Sure, cowgirl. I won't complain if you're standing at the rail cheering me on. Might even return the favor when it's your turn to go. You're sitting at twenty-eighth place in the PBR world standings right now."

First, her eyes got big. A second later, her mouth fell open. For a moment, I thought she was stuck, then she sucked in a breath, and the shock on her face turned into a smile like I'd never seen before, and she giggled.

"I'm qualified?"

"You sure are, and not even barely. You're sitting in the middle of the pack."

"Near the bottom," she corrected, sounding anything but upset about it. "But I'm actually qualified? I just have to come up with the money to enter, and I'll be able to ride in the PBR again?"

Oh, she would get that money. One way or another, I'd make damned sure of it. Palming the crown of her hat, I paused long enough to glance inside, then pushed it back onto her head. This was what I really wanted to know, but I had to play it cool. I couldn't start begging yet. I might want to, but first, I just had to know one thing. After that, I could decide exactly how I was going to catch this girl and make sure she really was mine.

"Unless this was just a one-time thing for you, yeah. You're qualified, and if you stay on your bull today, you'll probably earn enough to pay for everything." Then I ducked my head, framing her sweet face with the brim of my hat. "And after that is Cheyenne, Des Moines, Boise... And if you ride well enough, no reason you can't go all the way to Las Vegas."

Slowly her head began to rock side to side. "I can't."

What? That was not the answer she was supposed to have. I expected a laugh, another hug, and a whole lot of happiness. Not this. She was supposed to be joining the tour, not just a distraction along the way. I'd been so sure!

"Why the hell not?" Yeah, that may have come out a little too harsh.

"I don't have a truck. I can't afford to fly. Ty, there's no way for me to do it. I just wanted to ride one bull this weekend, to show my dad I was as good as the rest of you. To show the rest of you that I was good enough." She paused, a little laugh slipping out. "I never expected this. I'm not ready. I mean, I'd love to, but I just don't know how to make it happen."

Well, damn it, that wasn't going to do. "Ok. We'll just have to think of something, but there's no reason you can't make St. Louis."

"No, there's not."

That was too vague. I was going to need a little more than that. "So you'll be there?"

Finally, she nodded. "Yeah. I'll show up. Might even convince my best friend to finally come watch me ride, so that's my excuse."

Sure as hell wasn't my excuse. "Has nothing at all to do with getting the chance to see me again?" She bit her lip, but the flush on her cheeks was exactly the answer I'd been hoping for. "Well," I told her, dropping my voice so no one else would hear, "I'll definitely be looking for you. Might even see if you'll let me pick you up the way I'd planned."

"Me? Ty, that's a bad idea."

"Yeah, you. Cody, I told you. I'm going to seduce you. I'm gonna take it nice and slow, but it's gonna happen, and I'm not givin' up on ya until it does. If you're not coming home with me tonight, then you'd better get your ass to St. Louis, or you'll break my little heart."

Her teeth clamped down on the luscious part of her lip, and she smiled around it. "I'll definitely be there, but it's to ride the bulls and not because you think you need to get laid." Glancing down, she stepped a little farther back. "And you need to warm up. I have to get this rope ready, because I'm riding this damned bull. There's a buckle with my name on it, you know."

There was a hell of a lot more with her name on it, but she didn't need to know how far gone I was yet. Hell, I didn't need to think about it, either. I certainly wasn't going to worry about how she'd just put me off. Her blush said that she didn't really mean it, so I was willing to keep trying. Besides, that little vixen had me wrapped right around her little finger, and I was damned well going to make sure she had everything she needed to get her ass to St. Louis so I could do something about this.

Step one: make sure Murphy's Law didn't screw up my chances today. I had to find Renato.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com