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Guess the universe decided for me. That took some of the stress away. Once we closed the distance, she looped her arm in mine.
“So, Cole is wrapped up right now, apparently some old friend he’s been trying to recruit for years finally made a decision about riding. But that leaves me free until he rides later tonight. So, what should we do first?”
Nicole’s bubbly demeanor was contagious. It was hard not to smile with her around.
“I take it Cole is your fiancé?”
“Yes, sorry. Did I forget to even tell you his name? I’m so used to everyone we hang around just knowing him. He’s been doing bull riding for, gosh, I don’t even know how many years. Since he was a kid and old enough. He started with mutton races. The photos his mom showed me are hilarious. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
My head cocked to the side. “First off, what the hell is a mutton race?”
“Oh, it’s when they let younger kids ride a sheep. Like an adult would ride a bull. It’s adorable. So, what do you want to do first, funnel cakes or meet those adorable animals in the barn?”
I pondered the question for a moment before answering her. “Animals for sure. I’m pretty sure my ass won’t forgive me if I eat a funnel cake.”
She laughed as she nudged her body against mine. Not much had changed between us. I spent most of my childhood with my mother putting me on diets and reminding me how much skinnier I could be. Nicole spent just as much time reminding me that for the right person it won’t matter how many calories I ate, they’d see my heart and everything else wouldn’t matter.
While I tried to hold on to the sentiment through the years the truth was, men were looking for tiny waists and big boobs. They didn’t want thighs that touched and the belly pouch I was sporting. Felix made his little remarks but going to the gym every day proved I was trying to fix my imperfections. Somehow that’s what counted for him to not dump my ass.
The smell of hay and barnyard animals hit my nose as we walked through the barn. It was so easy to talk to Nicole and catch up about our lives. I explained my entire situation without so much as a blink of an eye. With Nicole, I knew she wouldn’t pity me. She would call the guy a jerk and tell me I deserved better. That would be the end of it. No asking for more details or wanting to get me to open up more. I forgot how nice it was having someone like her around.
We had been making our way around the fairgrounds for almost two hours. It was getting late and the bull riding event was getting ready to start soon. I wasn’t sure if it would even be something that I was interested in. Watching a bunch of guys try to hold on to a bull for eight seconds didn't sound all that hard. Although, the thought of seeing all those cowboys had me captivated.
A deep voice bellowing followed a loud whistle. “Nic!”
Turning at the sound of her name she lunged into the arms of a man I could only assume was Cole. He looked the part. Jeans complete with a big belt buckle, his button-up tucked in perfectly, boots, and of course the signature cowboy hat. If I remembered correctly, it was called a Stetson. After seeing him I was pretty sure Rowan and his friend may just be real cowboys too. They had almost the same build as Cole, maybe a bit bigger in the muscle department. It was obvious they put in time at a gym. Then it hit me. It wasn’t from working out in the gym and going on whatever diet was the new trend. Their muscles came from hard manual labor. God, the thought alone made me squeeze my thighs together.
Why did that make me want to stay here forever? I was never really into that type before. My typical guy was a gym addict, hates my taste in music, only cares about how we looked when we were out, and goes clubbing every weekend, type.
Cowboys were anything but those things from what Nicole had been gushing about. They had respect for women and if one wrangled you, then you damn well better be prepared to be protected and claimed. Once you had a cowboy’s heart that was it. They loved you fiercely and unconditionally.
“Cole, this is Hannah. We grew up together.”
Taking his hat off he held it to his chest and extended his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Hannah. You planning on coming to the ride? Got a good feeling I know who the winner will be for the new entries.”
Nicole rolled her eyes. She had told me all about how Cole found someone he was sure would get far in the PBR world. Cole had been riding for years and was in the top five. He had a shoulder injury during one of his rides and it kept him from claiming the number one spot.
“That’s the plan. This one tells me it’s a sight to be seen. Never actually been.” I pointed toward Nicole with my thumb as I spoke.
“You’re in for a treat then darling. I was just coming to get you Nic, they want a few photos. Needed my girl by my side. My lucky charm.”
Planting a kiss on her cheek she blushed.
“Told ya. Alright, we can come. Maybe Hannah here can be someone’s charm too.”
“I doubt that. I’m more like that terrible horseshoe that breaks things when thrown. Probably best I don’t go near the animals or the riders back there.”
Cole looked at me not understanding what the hell I was referring to. Nicole shook her head chuckling to herself. When we were kids, we played a game of horseshoes. It was fun until I tossed mine and it kept breaking things. The weirdest part was I wasn’t even throwing it near the things it was breaking. The thing kept veering off and hitting things.
“Oh my I forgot about that. That thing had a mind of its own. Or maybe it was just cursed. Either way, you’re coming with us. You can keep your distance if you’re that afraid of being bad luck.”
Walking a step behind them as they made their way to the far side of the grounds. Everyone seemed especially invigorated about the riders. A few young children spotted Cole, and we had to stop for photos and autographs. All the while he smiled and chatted like it was just meeting an old friend. I could never imagine having that sort of attention on me.
Finding a seat where Nicole told me I’d have the best view I scrolled through social media. I had posted nothing since I left. There was a part of me that wanted to post some type of living it up being single things just to show I didn’t care. At the same time, I felt like it was overkill. No one needed to see me living it up so long as I knew what I was doing. Plus, I squandered half my time drinking and eating, anyway.
The announcer's voice boomed over the loudspeakers giving stats for the bulls and riders. Everyone cheering made the atmosphere that much more electric. I could see the appeal of this type of event. Minus that both parties could get injuries that could be catastrophic. The thought of Nicole watching Cole do this professionally and knowing it could be his last ride each time was insane. It took a strong woman to stand by someone through that.
