by Cindi Madsen
Then the announcer declared it was time for the chute-dogging event.
“What are you doing?” Harlow asked as Maddox strode toward the gated-off section where Brady already stood. “You’re not…” She quickened her pace, following hot on his heels. “Maddox, you’re not chute dogging, are you?”
He winced. “Brady said you’d be worried about it.”
Her voice went up at least an octave. “Worried? I’m more than worried. Hello, those steers have horns.” She tapped him on the shoulder, and he dared a quick glance. “Did you know they have horns?”
“The better to hold them with, my dear.”
Her fists went to her hips, and the feistiness she reserved solely for him rose to her pink cheeks and fiery brown eyes. “This isn’t the time for jokes, Maddox.”
Maddox looked to Brady, who gave Harlow an apologetic smile. This past week, as Maddox had been going out of his mind, the cowboy had asked him if he was up for a challenge. Preparing to use the same skills he’d used to tackle a calf to wrestle a steer, along with practicing his roping skills over and over, were the only things that’d kept him semi-sane. “It’s not a big deal, Harlow. I’m really good at it, I promise.”
Harlow spun and said, “Brady?” Apparently she figured she’d try another method to stop Maddox if she couldn’t sway him.
Brady winced the same way Maddox had. “Don’t worry. Since the competitors are novices, the steers don’t weigh as much as usual, and Maddox has been practicing all week. He’s also been ridi—”
“Let’s hold off on that news,” Maddox quickly said, not wanting to ruin the surprise that could be his undoing, and Brady gave an understanding nod.
Harlow tipped onto her toes and peeked over at their competitors. “Speaking of weight, that CEO who’s going up against Maddox has at least fifty pounds on him. Seems mighty unfair if you ask me.”
Maddox nudged Harlow with his elbow, attempting to lighten the mood. “You know what they say. It’s not the size of the dog in the fight. It’s the size of the fight in the dog. And trust me, I’ve got more fight than some dude who usually sits behind a desk all day.”
Maddox frowned at the helmet Brady extended his way. “Do I really have to wear the helmet?”
“Hello, do you want your brains scrambled?” Harlow shrieked. Then she grabbed the helmet from Brady and jammed it onto Maddox’s head. While he was smart enough not to say so, he found her exasperation ridiculously cute. It sucked that he couldn’t hug her and assure her he’d be right back to kiss those addictive lips.
Harlow yanked on the strap to tighten the helmet, hard enough that she might end up injuring him before the steer had a chance. “I swear. Tryin’ to give me a mothertrucking heart attack.”
He flashed her his million-dollar grin. “Aww, you worried about me, Sugar?”
“Um, yes. Remember how I care about you?”
Maddox wrapped his hands around her wrists, halting her brusque movements and forcing her gaze to his. “I’ll be fine, and you and I will be team roping before you know it.” He released one of her wrists and tapped the tip of her adorable little nose. “Also, I really want to kiss you right now, but you insisted on the helmet.”
“That’s to keep your face safe so that you can kiss me later. And I feel you there staring at me, Brady, but right now, my worries about Maddox outweigh my worries about getting caught kissing again.”
How did he get so lucky to have a girl this amazing care about him? Come to think of it, that was probably one of the reasons he didn’t feel so much as a sliver of fear. Wrestling a steer was going to be a cake walk compared to what he needed to pull off later.
The CEO dude went first. He dragged the steer across the white line and then struggled to get the cow’s giant head down to the ground.
“Come on, fight harder than that, Mr. Steer,” Harlow said, and when Maddox cocked his head, she shoved his arm. “I feel mean doing it, but I’m still cheering for him to fail. Happy?”
Maddox reached down and hooked her pinkie, the same way she’d done to his earlier. “Yes.”
Eventually, Eric Richmond managed to get the steer’s head to the ground, and once that happened, the body followed.
Then Maddox was up.
He carefully climbed into the chute with the steer. He crouched next to the animal and rubbed its muscular black neck. “Hey, buddy. Look, I’m sure both of us are wondering how we got ourselves into this situation.”
The steer let out a loud moo as he attempted to escape the same way he’d come, sending Maddox’s back against the bars of the chute. But with the gate closed, the steer wasn’t going anywhere.
Maddox tried again, talking softer as he petted the beast. “To be honest, I know how I ended up here. I’m trying to impress a girl. You know what that’s like, right? So once we get out there, I’m just gonna drag you across the line, we’ll hit the ground, and then you can run free. Deal?”
“Get a grip on him,” Brady said.
Maddox took hold of the horns, the whistle blew, and the gate swung open. The roar of the crowd and pounding of hoofbeats thundered out a rhythm matching his pulse, and every ounce of focus narrowed to that white line…
As soon as he and the steer crossed it, Maddox tightened his grip, one hand on the horn and the other on the jaw. Then he threw his body weight behind the move Brady referred to as the sleeper hold, and the steer went down to the ground, head quickly followed by the body.
The whistle blew again, and Maddox kept his promise to let go so the steer could run free.
“That was fast, wasn’t it?” he heard Harlow ask, and he peered through the metal grid that made up the front of his helmet. Wade was next to Brady as well, and they both nodded in answer.
Yes! I did it!
The announcer declared Maddox the winner, and he threw his fists in the air. As the crowd roared, he grinned, soaking up their energy. In that moment, despite the fact that he’d always prefer riding a motorcycle or tinkering under the hood of a car, he totally got the cowboy thing.
Harlow cheered louder than the rest, happiness and relief filling her features as she showed him how much she truly did care. If it wouldn’t poke holes in his plan, he’d rush over, fling off his helmet, and kiss her like in the old days when kissing the girl was the grand prize.
But Harlow wasn’t a trophy to be won, and he wanted more than a kiss—he wanted a chance at a future.
Which meant he had to go against his nature and be patient for a little while longer.
* * *
Harlow mounted Maximus and glanced at Maddox. Then she did a double take at his horse—the brown stallion with the half-white face. Even crazier, the horse wasn’t bucking him off or acting flighty.
“Oh, this old thing?” Maddox said, patting the stallion’s neck. “I just pulled him out of the stable.”
Harlow blinked at him. “I… What’s going…? Explain.”
“He and I’ve been making friends for a while, haven’t we, Bucky?”
“Bucky?”
“Like the Winter Soldier, he was a bit misunderstood. But I speak his language.”
“So I guess that makes me Captain America?”
A slow grin spread across Maddox’s face, one that unfurled a curl of heat. “I would definitely call you my captain today.”
The announcer called their names, and the bottom dropped out of Harlow’s stomach. “You ready?” she asked Maddox. It was easier to deflect to him, since suddenly she didn’t feel so ready.
Thanks to Dez’s barrel-racing win and Maddox’s chute dogging, Turn Around Ranch had won the amateur competition, which made Harlow happy beyond reason. A few events ago, she’d set a local record for barrels, beating Bianca by almost three seconds. With her goal of winning All-Around Cowgirl within reach, the pressure built until her insides felt like they were caving in on them
selves.
At least she knew her heart was still working because her rapid pulse thundered through her head, leaving her face too hot.
“I’m ready. Don’t you worry about me. Bucky and I have been putting in a lot of long hours, and I’ve got this.” Maddox nudged the stallion close enough he could snag hold of Harlow’s hand. “You’ve got this, too, Sugar. I’ve never seen anyone as amazing on horseback as you are.”
“You haven’t seen many people ride horses,” she joked, although it was also true, so what did that make it? Just an observation that no one was actually laughing at?
“Hey,” Maddox said, sterner than she’d ever heard him speak. “Don’t do that. Don’t underplay how incredibly talented you are.”
Warmth flooded her, her lungs inflated with oxygen, and slowly her confidence returned. She’d done this countless times. She was a dang good roper and rider.
Maddox squeezed her hand and locked eyes with her. “We’re beating Bianca, you hear me? She doesn’t get to win.”
Harlow’s resolve reappeared and hardened. Bianca and her new partner—a girl from Thorne Ridge—had just finished their turn, coming in half a second faster than she and Bianca used to earn together, which didn’t sound like much but meant a lot in the arena, and Harlow was doing her best not to let that mess with her head.
But then she glanced at her partner. Maddox might be less experienced in the arena, but he was also better at pep talks and boosting her self-esteem—not to mention he made her happier than she’d ever been before. He was the best partner a girl could have in more than one way.
Right after the chute dogging, Mama had texted to say she’d seen how cozy the two of them looked on the sidelines and promised—or more like threatened—they’d talk about it later. Surely, she’d known that the text would mess with Harlow’s head, which meant Mama cared more about her not kissing Maddox than the goal Harlow had had for an entire year.
Don’t let it mess up your focus. Focus on the here and now.
“Hey, Maddox,” she said, and he ran his thumb over her knuckles. She smiled at him, affection filling her from top to bottom. “Even if I don’t win All-Around Cowgirl, I still win. I made amazing friends this summer, and I’m here with you. So no matter what happens, I’ll always remember our time roping and fixing cars and…” Her cheeks warmed.
“And kissing,” he said, and she nodded. “Me, too, Sugar. Thank you for believing in me in a way no one else ever has.”
If she didn’t get herself under control, she’d be roping with blurred vision. She wanted to clear the lump from her throat and tell him that she loved him, but it seemed so huge, and she truly did need to concentrate. After. I’ll tell him after.
The announcer called their names, and then it was time. Months of training for less than a minute in the arena. Instead of shutting out the roar of the crowd, Harlow basked in it, letting the adrenaline fuel her. She released Maddox’s hand and leaned down to whisper to Maximus. “You know what to do, boy. Let’s give them a show.”
Maximus neighed.
Harlow exhaled and gripped her rope.
The buzzer sounded, and they shot out of the gate to race after the steer. Bucky was insanely fast and tracked the cow like a heat-seeking missile. Maddox swung his lasso over his head again and again, eyes homed in on the steer.
Maddox lifted a few inches off the saddle and took his swing, releasing the loop and letting it soar.
And the lasso slid over the cow’s head as if Maddox had been doing this his entire life. He got it!
Harlow’s attention narrowed to her rope whirring through the air, Maximus’s hoofbeats, and the back legs of the steer.
Right…
Now!
She released the lasso.
Held her breath.
And yanked the rope. The steer jerked to a stop, its head and back legs now bound.
“Wow, can these kids rope,” the announcer yelled. “Coming in at eight point three seconds!”
Harlow about fell out of her saddle.
That means…
“And not only does this pair win the team roping event, but that makes our local gal Harlow Griffith our All-Around Cowgirl!”
The entire crowd jumped to their feet and roared, and Harlow lifted her hat off her head and waved, her grin so wide it stretched the bounds of her cheeks. She dismounted, searching for Maddox so they could celebrate their win as well as reaching her goal, but he was over by the clown for some odd reason.
When Maddox turned around, he had a microphone in his hand. “I think we can all agree this girl’s amazing,” he said, and the crowd applauded, albeit in waves, as if they weren’t sure what was going on. Normally, there weren’t speeches after the events or even at the end of the rodeo.
What the French toast is he doing?
Brady rushed into the arena, and Harlow expected him to pry the mic from Maddox’s hand and drag him away. Instead, he grabbed Bucky’s reins from Maddox and stood at his side.
“Most of you don’t know me,” Maddox continued. “I live at Turn Around Ranch right now, which I realize might be a mark against me already, but I wanted to be completely honest and lay it all out there. That way, you know I’m telling the truth about everything.”
Harlow’s shallow breaths sawed in and out of her mouth, so fast it made her dizzy. She was beginning to suspect this entire day had been a dream, because none of this made any sense.
“I was lucky enough to meet Harlow when she came to the ranch to train us for this rodeo that—if I’m being honest—I couldn’t care less about when I first heard it mentioned. But then…”
Maddox aimed a giant grin her way, one she felt down to her toes. “Harlow taught me how to rope and how to ride. She did a lot more than that, but if I rattled off the list of ways she’s saved me, we’d be here all night. Long story short, she made me care about the rodeo because she cared about it, and I care about her.” He ran a hand through his dark hair, mussing the strands. “Most of you are probably thinking that I’m not good enough for someone so pretty and sweet and smart and kind…”
He nodded slowly as his eyes scanned their stunned audience. “And you’re right. I’ve thought that very same thing, but for some crazy reason, she cares about me. She’s shown me what it’s like to have a friend and for someone to accept me despite all the past sh—crap I’ve pulled.”
Maddox flattened a hand to his forehead, shielding his eyes from the sun. “Mrs. Griffith, I know you wouldn’t choose me for your daughter, and I don’t blame you. But I want to assure you that I’d never do anything to hurt Harlow.” He dropped his hand and turned from the crowd to look at Harlow. “I’m in love with her.”
Harlow’s heart stopped beating; she swore it did.
Maddox took a few steps in her direction, his amber eyes fixed on her. “That’s right. I’m in love with you, Harlow Griffith.”
Tears blurred his features, and Harlow brought her hands up to her mouth.
Maddox cleared his throat and lifted the microphone again. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to show her mom and this entire town that I deserve her. I’m going to work like crazy to make sure I deserve her, too. I, uh, just thought I should make that clear while I had the chance.”
He lowered the mic, and Harlow took three long strides and launched herself into his arms.
“You really love me?” she asked, needing to hear it one more time so it’d sink in.
He chuckled, and the happy sound echoed deep inside her. “I really, really do.”
“Well, I love you, too.”
Awe flooded his expression, as if he could hardly believe it, which was just silly. She lowered her mouth to his, and then they were kissing in the middle of the arena.
She couldn’t tell if the audience was cheering more for the speech or the kiss or if they were yelling for them to move so the
y could finish the rodeo already, but she was enjoying having her lips against Maddox’s far too much to care.
Brady tapped them both on the shoulder. “Okay, that’s good. Much longer and you guys’ll set a record.”
They broke apart, and Maddox gave her a canary-eating grin. “I’m not opposed to setting records.”
“Better kissing records than end up with a permanent record that lands you in jail, so let’s remember that going forward.” As hard-core as Brady pretended to be, pride radiated from him as he looked at Maddox.
“Yes, sir.” Maddox grabbed Harlow’s hand. Then he tensed, and right when Harlow was about to ask why, she saw her mama striding toward them.
“Oh, shit,” Harlow said and then slapped a hand over her mouth as Maddox sniggered.
He straightened his posture and lifted his chin as Mama approached. He was nervous. Anyone else might not have noticed, but Harlow could see the tic at the side of his mouth, along with that fluttering pulse point at the base of his neck. “Mrs. Griffith”—he extended his hand—“I’m Maddox Mikos.”
Mama’s gaze moved from him to Harlow, and Harlow tried not to flinch. Was she about to get grounded for life in front of the entire town? Totally worth it, but that didn’t make it less embarrassing.
Finally, Mama took his extended hand. “There will be rules.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And I would like to sit down and have a dinner together where we discuss them in great detail.”
Maddox glanced at Brady, who nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Now, I think we should get out of the center of the arena. The rodeo must go on.”
Harlow giggled and threw her arms around her mama. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Their group led the horses out the gate, and as soon as they’d exited the arena, Harlow gave Maddox another kiss to make up for all the ones she’d missed.
And to show him that there were plenty more where that came from.
