Rank

by D. R. Graham

  Unfortunately, Tawnie and Shae-Lynn were the last two of eight riders, so I had to sit there trying not to puke through the other ones. When the silhouette of Tawnie mounted on Stella entered the alley, I had to close my eyes. I didn’t want to wish her any bad, but I really hoped she would make a mistake. I opened one eye and peeked. Stella took off as if she’d been struck in the butt by lightening. Tawnie had to fight to get her to slow down enough to get around the first barrel. They flew around the next two barrels. When she ran home, I literally felt a blast of air as they raced by us.

  “Yee haw!” the announcer shouted over the loud speaker. “If you blinked you missed Tawnie Lang on her new mount, Stella. Look at that time. She just blew the competition right out of the water. Ladies and gentlemen, this is as good as barrel racing gets. Give that pretty lady another round of applause. She has posted the fastest time of the weekend.” I glanced over at Cole, nervous as hell. He smiled at me in a goofy way as the announcer blabbed on, “With only one competitor left to ride, this is shaping up to be quite the race. We’ve got Shae Roberts on Harley. She was last year’s top earner in prize money and she was in first place coming into this round. She is going to need a fast time to stay there though.”

  “I can’t watch.” I buried my face in my hands, only for a second, then looked up when the hooves pounded against the dirt. Harley ran fast, but Shae-Lynn didn’t approach the pocket properly and Harley dropped his shoulder way too early on the first turn. She picked it up around the other two barrels and then raced through the finish line. It wasn’t going to be a fast enough time though. Shae-Lynn immediately jumped off Harley and walked him out of the arena without even waiting for the time to be posted.

  “What was that?” Cole mumbled, partly perplexed, but mostly amused.

  “It almost looked like she threw that on purpose,” Tyson said after the scoreboard confirmed that she dropped to second place.

  I was too stunned to say anything. I just sat there staring at the barrels.

  “We’re going to watch Ty from behind the chutes. You coming?” Cole asked.

  When I didn’t respond, he shrugged and then rushed to catch up to the other guys. I sat there all through the bulls and I was still sitting there after the grandstand had emptied. Eventually, Ron found me and climbed up. “Looks like you bought yourself a horse.”

  I tilted my hat back and rested my elbows on my knees, still speechless that Shae-Lynn messed up.

  “If I knew Stella was going to be that fast in competition I would have charged you more.”

  “I don’t actually have the money right now, but I’m good for it.”

  “You better be. I’m going to run five percent interest on it until you pay it off, so don’t take too long.”

  “You can keep her until I get the money. I don’t even have a trailer or anything.”

  “I don’t want her. You’re going to have to figure something out.”

  I rubbed my face and sighed. “Yeah. All right.”

  He chuckled at my misery as he climbed back down the bleachers.

  I got up and went outside to find Tawnie. Shae-Lynn was walking back from the concession stand with a sandwich and a bottle of water. I ran to catch up with her. “Hey, what happened?”

  She shook her head. “I just wasn’t feeling it today. Harley might have an upset stomach or something.”

  “Harley was fine.”

  Her eyes darted to meet mine for a second, then she stared down at the grass as she continued walking. “I can’t win them all. Stella’s a good horse.”

  “The guys think you did it intentionally.”

  “They do, do they?”

  “Did you?”

  “Why would I lose on purpose?”

  “You tell me.”

  “I just wasn’t feeling it today.” She walked faster.

  “Shae-Lynn, what’s wrong?”

  “For the millionth time, call me Shae.” She started jogging at that point and I wasn’t going to chase after her, so I went to find Tawnie. She was brushing Stella.

  “Hey Billy. Did you watch the race? She is such a good horse. I absolutely love her. Too bad she has to go back to Ron.”

  “Actually, I bought her from him.”

  The comment took her off guard and she processed it for a few seconds. “You don’t even have a trailer. What are going to do with a horse?”

  I took my hat off and ran my fingers through my hair, hoping she was willing to do me a favour since I did her one. “Would you be willing to take her?”

  “I would love to, but I can’t afford to lease a horse.”

  I paced, trying to come with a solution that wouldn’t end up with me having to buy a trailer and find a barn to board at. “If you cover the cost of boarding her, we can call it even.”

  She eyed me suspiciously. “You’re going to just let me use your horse for nothing?”

  “Well, you could give me one percent of your earnings on her if that makes you feel any better.”

  “One percent? That’s it? Are you serious? I’ll give you ten percent.”

  That was easy. “Fine.”

  She squealed and launched herself at me for another hug. I was ready for it, so I squeezed my arms around her to make it last a little longer. “Thank you, Billy. I’ll take good care of her, and you can have her back whenever you want.” She rested her hands on my shoulders, which gave me a good angle to check out her cleavage. She bit the corner of her lip for a second. “We should go out and celebrate.”

  My body reacted a little to the warmth of her hands and the scent of her perfume. I smiled. “Yeah. That’s a good idea.”

  “All right. I’m going to ask someone to watch the horses. Then I need to go back to the hotel to get cleaned up. Rochelle said everyone is going to bar called Stetsons. I’ll meet you there later.”

  I nodded, tipped my hat, and watched her ass as she spun and walked away.

  Back at the camper, I showered and dressed in clean clothes. Cole came in as I was ironing my shirt. “Where you going?”

  “To the bar.”

  “With who?”

  “Nobody,” I said because I didn’t want him giving me the gears.

  “Yeah, right.” He unbuttoned his shirt and unbuckled his belt. “Wait for me. I’m coming with you.” He hopped into the shower and took forever.

  “Hurry up,” I yelled through the door as I buttoned my shirt.

  “Settle down. You don’t want to get there too early and be waiting.”

  “I’d like to get there before it closes.”

  Fifteen minutes later, he stepped out of the bathroom wearing a towel around his waist, smelling like a piña colada from his shower gel. “What are you worried about? You know girls take forever to get ready. I can guarantee she won’t be there before you — especially if she likes you.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Everyone knows that a girl who doesn’t put any effort into looking good on a first date isn’t into you. Who is it, by the way? Tawnie?”

  I didn’t say anything.

  “That girl better thank you for buying her a damn horse. Here, take these.” He threw a handful of condoms at me.

  “I didn’t buy her a horse. I bought a horse that she is just going to ride.”

  He shook his head, not buying it, then looked in the mirror to apply a moisturizer.

  I sat back and stretched my legs along the dinette bench. “I can see why you know so much about women. You pretty much are one.”

  He threw the cap from the moisturizer bottle at me, then winked at himself in the mirror as he put some sort of product in his hair.

  “Oh my God. Who cares what your hair looks like? You’re going to be wearing a hat.”

  “The hat comes off at the end of the night, and I fully intend for some pretty girl to be seeing how my hair looks underneath it.” He sprayed cologne in the air. “Speaking of which, if I bring a girl back here, you need to find somewhere else to sle
ep.”

  “No way. Get a room.”

  “I bought this camper. You have two options: leave or listen.”

  I rolled my eyes in exasperation. “Just hurry up.”

  Chapter 4

  We got to the bar at eleven o’clock because Cole was hungry. I knew he hadn’t eaten all day, so we went for dinner first. The band was pretty decent and a lot of people were dancing. I scanned the room for Tawnie, but didn’t see her. What I did see was Tyson and Blake sitting at a table near the back with Lee-Anne, her best friend Rochelle, and Shae-Lynn. Blake had his arm draped across Shae-Lynn’s shoulder. She looked up at me for a second, but when she noticed that I was already looking, and not impressed that Blake was hanging off her, she turned her head to take a sip of beer and watch the dancers.

  “Isn’t he a bit old for her?” I asked Cole as we stood at the bar to get drinks.

  “Who?”

  “Blake.”

  Cole checked over his shoulder and shrugged, unconcerned. “He’s twenty, same as you. Isn’t she almost nineteen?”

  I frowned and glanced at the table again. Shae-Lynn didn’t seem comfortable. Blake seemed smug. The bartender slid two beers over.

  “What are you doing?” I asked Cole. “You know you can’t drink.”

  He rolled his eyes like an irritable teenager before he handed me both beers. He leaned over and yelled at the bartender, “Can I get a Coke too? My keeper says I can’t have a beer.” As he waited, he looked at me. “I forgot my wallet.”

  I shook my head, not surprised, and pulled out cash to pay the bartender. Cole grabbed his drink and headed towards the table where everyone else was sitting. I downed half a beer before following him. A guy asked Rochelle to dance, so Lee-Anne moved over into her seat and invited me to sit in her chair. I handed her the second beer.

  “Thanks.” She tipped it back to take a swig. “You bought a fast horse for Tawnie.”

  “I didn’t buy it for her. She’s just riding it.”

  “Mmm hmm.” She tilted the bottle up for another sip.

  Blake leaned over and whispered something in Shae-Lynn’s ear that made her smile. He placed his empty bottle down on the table and stood with his hand extended towards her. She slid her hand over his and followed him out onto the dance floor. As they two-stepped, I finished my beer and signalled the waitress to bring me another one.

  Rochelle was back, and Lee-Anne was telling her a story that had something to do with her boyfriend, TJ. I wasn’t really listening. Blake and Shae-Lynn danced for three fast songs, and based on how much she was smiling, she must have been having a pretty good time. When a slow song came on, she said something to Blake before walking off the dance floor. He followed her to the bar, ordered a beer for himself and a bottled water for her. They stood at the bar for a while, talking. When he turned as if he was going to head back towards the table, she glanced at me. When he noticed that she was hesitating, he reached over and held her hand to lead her back to the table. I downed the rest of my drink and signalled the waitress to bring me another one.

  Once they were sitting, Blake draped his arm over Shae-Lynn’s shoulder. She stared at the table. He stared at me. “So, Billy, when are you going to start riding with the big boys again?” he asked.

  I was definitely going to get into it with him. I shook my head. “I’m retired.”

  “Why? Did you get sick of me always taking home the buckle?” He laughed at his own joke. Nobody else did.

  “Check the record books, Blake. You never won shit when I was competing against you.”

  He leaned over to shout at Cole. “Hey, who won more when we went up against each other? Billy or me?”

  Cole smiled, happy to get into the middle of a disagreement. “You already know the answer to that question. Billy’s the best God damned bull rider in the country. He’s got a case full of buckles at home to prove it.”

  “Was,” Blake mumbled.

  “When do you expect your collarbone to be healed enough get back to trying to catch my records?” I asked, partly because I wanted to rub it in his face that I was still ranked higher than he was. Also, because I didn’t think he was good enough for Shae-Lynn, and the sooner he shoved off the better.

  He shrugged. “I don’t want to rush it. Besides, I kind of like hanging out here with Shae.” He squeezed his arm to pull her into his chest. “Maybe I’ll take the whole summer off. What do you care anyway? You quit.”

  “I retired.” An urge to punch the smug look off his face flashed through me and I had to cross my arms to resist the impulse. Cole obviously knew I was on the verge of jumping the table because he grinned and moved his drink so it wouldn’t get spilled when I did.

  Shae-Lynn pushed off Blake’s ribs and sat up straight as if she sensed their closeness was what I was pissed about. Interestingly, she was wearing the same old jeans and tank top that she had on when I saw her coming from the concession stand. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she didn’t have any make-up on, except maybe that cherry lipgloss. Her lips did look shiny. Lee-Anne had on dark jeans with rhinestones over the seams, new looking boots, and a sparkly low cut top. Her hair was sprayed to the point that it didn’t move when she did.

  Blake abruptly got up to say hello to someone he knew. It was a pussy move because he knew I could take him, and would have, if he hadn’t broken the tension. I leaned in and asked Lee-Anne, “How long did it take you to get ready?”

  “Shut up.”

  “What? I’m not trying to insult you. It’s a serious question.”

  She eyeballed me scornfully, but when she realized I wasn’t joking, she answered, “Forty-five minutes. Why?”

  I turned my head back to look at Shae-Lynn, who obviously spent no time getting ready. “I was just wondering.”

  “Relax, Billy Ray,” Lee-Anne said. She shoved my shoulder, trying to loosen me up. “You’ve been so serious since —” She checked my expression. “Since, you know.” She took another sip of beer. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up. I just miss good time Billy.”

  “Yeah, well, good time Billy has responsibilities now.” Blake returned to the table and sat on the other side of Shae-Lynn, away from me. I turned so I could have a private conversation with Lee-Anne. “Are you okay with her dating someone older?”

  “Blake? Yeah. Why not? He’s a total sweetheart.”

  “He’s an asshole.”

  “To you maybe. He’s sweet to her. He always has been. He’s been following her around like a puppy dog for years.”

  “How long have they been dating?”

  “Since tonight. He’s asked her out a million times and for some reason she finally said yes.”

  Arms wrapped around me from behind and a girl’s voice whispered in my ear, “Guess what?”

  I twisted to see that it was Tawnie.

  She kissed my cheek and her chest squished against my back. Her breath smelled like beer. “I got a sponsor. Jordan Outfitters has offered to pay for all my travel expenses for the rest of the season. I also get all the boots I want.”

  “That’s great.”

  “It’s all because of Stella.” She squeezed my neck and kissed my ear.

  “Congratulations,” Lee-Anne and Rochelle said at the same time.

  “That’s great news.” Shae-Lynn stood and yanked Blake by the hand. “You can have my seat. We’re leaving.”

  Blake tipped his hat at all of us, then eagerly hurried to keep up with her. I watched them leave out the front door. Tawnie sat down in Shae-Lynn’s chair and told us all about how the Jordan rep had approached her at the hotel and had her sign some papers. She was really excited.

  After a while, Tyson asked Lee-Anne to dance, Rochelle wandered over to the bar with a guy, and Cole never came back from a trip to the restroom because he was chatting up a cute curly haired girl. Tawnie and I were alone at the table. Her tight black jeans and unbuttoned white top showed off all her curves. Her hair was hanging perfectly straight and it was so
shiny.

  “You look nice,” I said, because the alcohol had kicked in.

  Her smile was sexy. “Thanks. Do you dance?”

  “I wouldn’t be able to call myself a cowboy if I didn’t know how to two-step, now would I?” I stood and led her by the waist to the dance floor. When I spun her to face me, the small of her back arched under the pressure of my palm. She smiled and slid her hand over my biceps to rest it on my shoulder. As we moved across the floor, wafts of wild lavender breezed over me. I spun her around and her hair fanned out catching the light. The cowboys loitering around the edge of the dance floor all angled to watch her move.

  We spent the rest of the night two-stepping until the DJ announced last call and played a slow song. Tawnie stepped in close and our belt buckles clinked together. She slid her palms up over my abs and let them linger on my chest as she leaned in and pressed her lips to my neck pulse. My heart raced, and she must have felt it because she tilted her head back and smiled. I spun her around, then pulled her body close again. She giggled and it seemed like she was waiting on me to kiss her when Cole came over with the curly haired girl under his arm. He handed me the keys to the truck. “Molly’s going to drive me back to the camper.” He winked, then left.

  Tawnie and I finished the dance, and the house lights came on, but she didn’t step away. “Did you drive here from the hotel?” I asked her.

  “I took a cab. I can catch a ride back with Rochelle.”

  “Rochelle left when Cole did. I can give you a lift if you like.”

  She studied me. “How much have you had to drink?”

  “I’m fine,” I said, although I was feeling pretty buzzed.

  Her left eyebrow lifted slightly and a smile stretched across her face. She tucked her hair behind her ear and tugged my hand to invite me to follow her. We walked outside and I opened the truck door for her. She didn’t talk as we drove. When I pulled up in front of the hotel and parked, she didn’t make a move to get out.