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Fastening the rope around her hand, LeAnn steadied her grip before giving the gate man a nod. He opened the gate, and Apis jerked out of the chute. She kept her knees tight and her upper body loose. When Apis spun left, she balanced out by leaning right. He danced up a bit and surprised her with a few back kicks and then the buzzer went off. Easing her hand out of the rope, she slid off the bull into a controlled jump and landed on her feet. Apis stormed around the arena for a few more seconds but didn’t pay her any mind.
“Better,” Trent said, clapping his hands.
“LeAnn Keller, just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Oh shit.
“Excuse me,” Trent said, and dipped his hat at her sister Dolly while he made a fast getaway.
“You can’t put this on Instagram,” LeAnn said. She wasn’t ready to tell her parents about competing. She wanted to wait to have that argument once the WPRC made it an official event.
“Are you trying to get killed?” Dolly looked ready to strangle her.
“Would I be wearing protective equipment if I was?” LeAnn gestured at her padded vest and helmet.
Dolly just shook her head. “Why are you doing this?”
“You know why.” LeAnn didn’t have to tell Dolly any of the rodeo gossip. If Dolly didn’t know about it, then it wasn’t worth knowing. She had contacts all over the circuit and probably had known about the bull-riding event even before LeAnn had.
“You don’t need a gold buckle that badly,” Dolly said.
“You don’t get to tell me what I need,” LeAnn snapped, but at Dolly’s hurt look, she immediately felt awful. They had been living in each other’s back pockets for far too long and it was easy to become snippy. She and Reba should have gone home to Paris, Texas, instead of remaining with her in the Winnebago at a trailer park in Whiskey Creek. They all needed a break from each other.
Was it wrong that LeAnn just wanted to be first at something? Her three sisters always did things before she did, being older and not as pampered as LeAnn had been. She felt like she was constantly playing catch-up to them.
Loretta had been the first to move out of the house and get married. Reba had been the first to go to college. Dolly had been the first to become famous. She had been a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. What had LeAnn done?
Her parents had sacrificed their retirement savings to buy a Winnebago so she could travel around the country to fulfill her dream of being a rodeo star, but she never broke a record or did anything that set her apart.
And while her sponsors and her prize money kept the family afloat, the past couple years had been tough when many venues had closed because of the pandemic. LeAnn felt that she was more of a drag on the family than a productive member.
“I’m sorry,” LeAnn said. “I didn’t mean that like it came out. Yes, I want to win a new event. And I really want the prize money. But I also want the sponsors that could come with that big win.”
Dolly bit her lip. LeAnn knew she couldn’t argue with that. “No one wants you to risk your life for that.”
“I love the risks,” LeAnn said simply. “I’m happy riding broncs and bulls.”
“I’m telling Garth on you,” Dolly said.
“He’ll always be my heart, and he knows that, which is why we still kick ass.” Garth was her barrel-racing horse and her best friend. Garth had been there for her without judgment when Mick had broken her heart. He hadn’t said I told you so and hadn’t shaken his head in sympathy. He’d just let her hug him and cry.
“Can’t you just keep barrel racing and riding broncs?”
“You tell me,” LeAnn challenged. “Has Lila Rogers returned your calls?” Lila was one of the top designers for Cowgirl Couture.
“Not yet,” Dolly hedged.
“What about Sierra Drift boots?”
Dolly rolled her eyes.
“I’m grateful to the sponsors you’ve gotten for me. But if I’m going to make a career out of this, I need more than just the prize money.”
“I get that,” Dolly said. “And I’m trying.”
“I know you are. I’m not complaining.” LeAnn sighed.
“You’re just so young and I’m worried that you’re wasting your time with this.”
