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CHAPTER ONE
Thatch Hearst climbed up onto the fence next to the snorting bronc named Wild Bill with an adrenaline buzz that had eluded him for far too long. Back in his SEAL days, he used to get a rush almost daily, but ever since moving to Star Valley, Wyoming, a few years ago to help out on his fallen comrade’s ranch, a true adrenaline rush had been harder to come by.
“All right, Hearst.” Kirby Leatherman gazed up from his post next to the gate at the front of the bucking chute. Though now slightly hunched with arthritis, the old cowboy had once been a saddle bronc riding legend, and he never let anyone forget it. “You ready for this?” Amusement gleamed in his faded brown eyes, and the leathered skin around his mouth pulled into a tight smirk. Even though he was the best trainer in these parts, the man always loved watching amateur cowboys get tossed into the dirt.
“Just about ready.” This might only be a training runto prepare for the big event at the Star Valley Rodeo Days in just over a month, but Thatch had to treat it like the real deal. He’d already made good enough scores in two qualifying events, but his showing wouldn’t be enough to win him the purse—or any respect. And maybe the latter was even more important, considering his family would be attending.
“Remember, hotshot—three and a half finger lengths on the bronc rein. And don’t do any of that rocking you seem so fond of. You gotta stay in control to score points.” Kirby always reminded him how far he had to go. He was a gruff old ass, but Thatch had waited months to get a spot in his training schedule, so he never complained about Kirby’s methods. All he wanted was results.
“All right. I’m going.” He wound his hand around the bronc rein and slid onto the saddle. Wild Bill thrashed beneath him, and Kirby released the gate to set him free.
Thatch’s head immediately jerked back. That first jump always threw him off. But he recovered and raised his left arm. Flashes of the arena passed in front of him—the rafters above, the dirt below, the fence—
“Stop turning your toes out!” Kirby barked. “And lock it down, Hearst. You look like a rag doll out there.”
Hewastrying to lock it down. Thatch gritted his teeth, attempting to move in sync with the animal, but Wild Bill jackknifed and sent him flying. He hit the ground and rolled.
“Damn it.” Had he even stayed on for eight seconds? If he couldn’t meet the minimum time requirement, style would mean nothing.
While one of Kirby’s assistants corralled Wild Bill, Thatch scrambled to his feet and retrieved his hat fromthe dirt a few feet away, shaking the dust off. “I don’t understand.” He met his trainer by the fence. “I can’t get past this.” Every time he rode, it was the same thing—he’d manage to stay on the bronc’s back long enough, but there was no finesse. Which meant he’d never win anything.
“You’re too stiff up there,” Kirby informed him for probably the fiftieth time. “The best riders know how to move with the animal. You want to score high? You have to work the spurs and make it look easy.”
“I know. I’ve watched hours of video.” But he couldn’t make his body cooperate once that bronc left the chute. Instead of finding a rhythm, his body tensed all over and locked up on him. “How did you do it?” he demanded. Wasn’t that why he’d hired the great Kirby Leatherman in the first place? To learn all his secrets?
“Hell, I dunno. I just figured it out.” His tone always kept a sharp edge, so Thatch didn’t hold it against him.
“Well, what can I do? I have a month to figure this out.” He had just over a month before his entire family came to watch him ride, and he couldn’t make a fool of himself. Not in front of his brother. Not after what had happened between them. This was Thatch’s chance for redemption—to prove he wasn’t the fool Liam had made him out to be when he’d swooped in and stolen Thatch’s fiancée, Sienna, marrying her.
Kirby leaned an elbow against the fence. “Back in my day, the judges weren’t as strict on form. We got away with powering through.”
“That doesn’t help me much.” He could power through all day. He was in the best shape of his life, even compared with his past SEAL training. “I need to make myriding look more refined.” And that was the one thing he didn’t know how to do.
Kirby straightened and led him out through the gate, stopping at the bench that held Thatch’s bag. “There’re all kinds of alternative methods now. A lot of the young guys are doing yoga to make them more flexible.” He snorted like one of the broncs. “You wouldn’t’ve ever caught me pushing my ass up in the air like that, but whatever.”
Thatch pulled off his gloves and tossed them into his bag. “I know a yoga instructor.” He hadn’t seen Lyric much lately. She’d been busy with the clinic she’d opened up with her friend Kyra in Star Valley—teaching yoga and taking holistic health clients. There was another reason he’d been avoiding her for the past few months, too, but he didn’t want to think about that right now. “I guess I could sign up for a couple of sessions with her.” Not that he wanted his two best friends and ex-colleagues to ever get wind of the fact he’d resorted to doing yoga. Silas and Aiden were more like brothers than friends, and they’d never let him hear the end of it.
“Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to give the yoga a go,” Kirby grumbled. “Other than that, I’m out of suggestions.” The man walked away. “I gotta take a leak. I’ll see you next time.”
“Yeah. See you soon.” While Kirby might not be able to help him find his inner ballerina, Thatch still needed the man’s arena and training facility so he could continue to log hours on the back of a bronc before the big competition. He needed as much practice as possible to make his riding click.
He couldn’t let his brother watch him fail.
After removing all his protective gear, he luggedhis bag to his truck outside and tossed it into the back before climbing into the driver’s seat, where he hesitated. When he’d asked Lyric out at the Christmas party several months back, she’d made it pretty clear she didn’t want to hang out with him.I’m not dating right now, she’d said. So he’d backed off. He knew how to read between the lines. She wasn’t interested in him, and he had no desire to keep trying to win her over—been there, done that in the past, and the effort had crashed and burned when his fiancée had married Liam.
Anyway.
Heaving a sigh, he started up the engine. The fact was, he knew when to admit he needed help, and Lyric was the only one who could give him some pointers when it came to finesse. He had to ask her. He had no choice. They didn’t have to get along or even like each other…
Yeah, right.
He’d tried to force the woman out of his thoughts, and that hadn’t gotten him anywhere. But he needed her expertise. Now he just had to decide how to ask her for it.
He backed out of the parking spot and turned onto the rutted dirt road that wound through an aspen grove before leaving Kirby’s two-hundred-acre ranch. That view of the mountains got to him every time—jagged snow-dusted peaks towering over the valley stretched out before him. The brush and grasses were still soggy from the melting snow, but the world was starting to come alive again too—a patch of green here, buds forming on the tree branches there. The scene held a wild beauty he hadn’t encountered growing up in the Midwest.
After living in the mountains for the past couple of years, he knew he’d find it hard to live anywhere else. Heused to think about leaving Star Valley sometimes. Ever since he’d broken up with Sienna eight years ago, restlessness had plagued him. That was what had driven him to become a SEAL in the first place. And now, after losing his best friend on the battlefield and wandering in search of a new purpose, he’d finally found something that made him feel driven again.
Thatch slowed the truck to turn onto Main Street. The town itself wasn’t much of a draw—there were the typical shops, one hotel, and a few decent restaurants. But the people in this valley were gold. He’d seen the power of community after Jace’s death. They’d all come together to help his widow, Tess, rallying behind her when she’d established a wild horse sanctuary on her property in Jace’s memory. These people took care of one another, stood up for one another, and showed up for one another. In someone’s worst and best moments. And he got to be a part of that.
