by Mandy Magro
‘We’re sitting on a picnic blanket over on the right-hand side of the arena. I’d hurry up if I were you, though, love. Heath is getting ready to ride in the next half hour or so and Rose is just about wetting her pants she’s so excited.’
Molly felt her belly flutter at the mention of Heath’s name. ‘Okay. We’re just paying to get in and I have to grab some food, then we’ll be there. Would any of you like something to eat or drink while I’m at it?’ Molly asked, looking at her watch.
‘Hang on, love, I’ll just ask.’ Molly listened as in the background Rose rattled off all the food she wanted. ‘Rose would like some fairy floss, a frozen Coke and a dagwood dog, if that’s okay. Seeing as she’s not eaten all arvo I reckon she’s going the whole hog today. Grandma and I will go and grab something soon so don’t worry about us. You’ll have your hands full with Rose’s order by the sounds of it.’
‘Ok, Granddad. No worries. See you in a few minutes then.’
‘See you soon,’ David replied.
‘Heath’s going to be riding soon, girls, so we’d better get a move on.’
The three girls made their way over to the food vans and grabbed as much food as they could manage to carry, making sure they got Rose’s, before squeezing their way through the crowd. Molly spotted Rose leaning up against the timber railings, her eyes glued to the poddy riders in the centre ring. The crowd cheered as children under the age of twelve, and sometimes as young as three, rode calves in the same way as the adult riders rode bulls. One of their gloved hands was strapped down firmly to a bull rope while the other was up in the air, as they swayed and moved with the bounding calf. They only had to stay on the poddy for six seconds instead of eight. For safety reasons, two men ran beside the calf, ready to catch the children if they fell. Molly loved watching them. The kids looked so cute dressed up like cowgirls and cowboys. Rose had tried it a few times but found it a bit too scary, telling Molly she’d prefer to watch. Molly just admired her for giving it a go in the first place.
Molly smiled as she, Jade and Mel sat down on the blankets Elizabeth and David had spread out in an excellent spot close to the action. Jade and Melinda said quick hellos before tucking into their food. Molly handed David and Elizabeth a coffee each.
‘I couldn’t come empty handed when I was going to devour all this food in front of you. Has Rose been behaving herself?’
Elizabeth nodded. ‘She’s been an angel, as always. She’s so mesmerised by what’s going on in the arena that we haven’t really moved from this spot all afternoon.’
‘She does love rodeos. Bit like her mum, hey,’ Molly said, smiling as she looked towards Rose, who still hadn’t noticed she was there. ‘Hey, Rose. Are you going to come and give your mum a cuddle?’ she called out.
‘Mum!’ Rose squealed as she ran towards her. ‘Heath’s coming on soon. I can’t wait to watch him!’
‘I know, sweetheart. Me neither. It’s exciting, isn’t it?’
The spectators hushed as a well-dressed, deep-voiced presenter came out onto the centre ring and announced the commencement of the bull riding. The crowd demonstrated their pleasure with whistles, clapping and cheering. Molly had butterflies in her belly as Heath waved to her from his perch high up on the timber railings beside the chutes. She waved back, mouthing the words ‘good luck’. He gave her the thumbs up, slid down onto the dusty ground and disappeared out the back. Just before he stepped out of sight, Molly gazed at his muscular frame, his chaps flapping in the breeze framing the curves of his gorgeous butt. She felt a burning desire rush through her as she imagined sliding her hands inside his shirt and over his powerful chest. She never would have believed she could feel like this about Heath. But now, here she was, her heart skipping a beat whenever she saw him, her body aching for his touch. The kiss she had shared with him had changed everything, there was no denying it, and there was no turning back. Her lust for him was driving her insane. She had even been dreaming about him. His manly tattooed hands would slide over her tingling skin – just like they had on the night he’d massaged her – sending shock waves through her entire body, while his gorgeous full lips caressed her own. His deep-blue eyes would swallow her whole as he explored her mouth with his tongue, flicking it over her lips, teasing her to the point of no return, caressing her erect nipples with his finger tips and kissing her belly as he made his way down to taste her sweetness. Then abruptly she would wake, aching for him. It was sexual bliss and torture all rolled into one, especially when she had to work with him during the day. She had often caught herself admiring how his back rippled with strength as he did hard manual labour on the farm. How he smiled so sexily at her from beneath the rim of his hat, his eyes hinting at just what he’d like to do to her if he ever got her behind closed doors.
Jade leant over and whispered in her ear, snapping her out of her trance. ‘How about you just pull your eyeballs out and stick them to Heath, might make it a bit easier for you.’
Molly felt her face flush as she giggled and covered her mouth in coyness. ‘How do you know I was perving at Heath? It could have been any one of those cowboys back there,’ she whispered, pointing to the chutes.
Jade grinned mischievously and leant in to whisper in Molly’s ear again. ‘Go for it! He’s gorgeous, inside and out. Don’t let him slip away or you’ll regret it.’
The crowd roared as the first bull came bounding out of the chutes, all four hoofs of the ground. The young cowboy hung on for dear life, his form proving he was new to the sport. He made it to the four-second mark then fell from the bull’s back, his feet hitting the ground first as he ran for the safety of the railings. Molly applauded his effort, along with the other spectators. You had to be tough to be a bull rider and she admired him for getting out and giving it a go.
‘Mum! Heath is on next!’ Rose squealed as she ran for the railing with her fairy floss.
Molly watched on, her body tingling with anticipation as Heath mounted the snorting, bucking bull inside the enclosure. She knew from her experience behind the chutes that Heath would be making sure his gloved hand was firmly in the grip of the bull rope while planting his bum fair and square on the back of the massive beast. It was all for the eight-second thrill, and the prize money, and Molly knew all too well how a person could crave that massive adrenaline rush. She got a taste of it when she was working with the horses and they bucked.
Heath nodded. The men at the front of the gate pulled a rope and the gate swung open, releasing the massive bull out into the arena with Heath planted firmly on its back. He moved like he was at one with bull, always ready for its next buck. The seconds ticked by like they were hours as the swarm of spectators stood and cheered Heath on, giving Molly goosebumps all over from the sheer passion of their support for him. The buzzer rung out and Heath released his hand from the rope. He jumped from the bull, scampering for the closest rail so the bull didn’t turn and collect him with its deadly horns. The rodeo clowns ran in to divert the bull’s attention, directing it towards the exit gate of the arena. Molly smiled proudly at Heath as he threw his hat up in the air and bowed to the adoring crowd, then turned in her direction to give her a smile that would melt any woman’s heart. And melt Molly’s heart it did.
Chapter 19
Once the centre-ring action had come to an end the families began packing up to leave, making way for the hardcore party-goers who were staying on for the night’s festivities.
Molly gave Rose an affectionate kiss on the cheek. ‘Have you had a good day, sweetheart?’
‘I’ve had a great time, thanks, Mum. I especially loved riding in the dodgem cars with Heath while we chased you and Aunty Jade about. It was fun crashing into each other,’ Rose replied with a contented smile, giving in to a big yawn.
‘I’m glad you had fun, because that’s what a rodeo’s all about. Now, you behave for GG and Grandma and I’ll see you first thing in the morning, okay?’
Rose nodded and wrapped her arms around Molly. ‘Okay, Mum. Love you.
’
‘Love you too,’ Molly replied adoringly. She gave Elizabeth and David a quick hug. ‘Thanks for offering to take Rose home with you and letting me stay here to party with the girls. You’re the greatest! Love you both.’
‘Not a problem, Molly. You have a good time, dear, and drive home safely in the morning,’ Elizabeth replied as she slid into the passenger seat.
Molly waved as David, Elizabeth and Rose pulled out of the rodeo grounds’ car park. She watched their tail-lights vanish into the sea of other vehicles then turned to Jade and Melinda with a mischievous smile. ‘It’s time to party, ladies!’
‘Woohoo!’ cried Jade.
‘Rum and Coke time! Last one to the bar has to shout the first round!’ Melinda yelled as she sprinted towards the bar.
‘Oi! That’s not fair, Mel. You got a head start!’ Jade called after her as she took on the challenge.
‘I’ll beat you both to it!’ Molly shouted as she ran breathlessly past the pair of them, arriving at the bar twenty seconds before Mel and Jade and running smack-bang into Mark. Her wide grin instantly dissolved as Mark leant on the bar and gave her a drunken smirk.
‘Well, howdy doody, Misssssss Molly, fancy running into you here. How’s it going?’ he slurred, just as Jade and Mel joined Molly at the bar, out of breath and giggling like a pair of schoolkids. ‘Do you want to have a drink with me?’
Molly hadn’t seen Mark drunk before and it wasn’t a pretty sight. ‘Looks like you’ve had a few too many already, Mark. Start the party early, did we?’
Jade put a protective arm around Molly’s shoulder. ‘Are you okay, Molly?’ she asked, looking daggers at Mark.
‘Yeah. I’m fine, Jade. Just in bad company here, that’s all. How about we go around to the other side of the bar, order ourselves a few drinks, then go and find the guys, hey?’ she replied, staring straight at Mark.
‘Hey there, Jade. Oh yeah, Molly told me you were a lesbian. How’s that going for you? I reckon you just haven’t met the right bloke yet, babe. No way in the world you’d choose to be a muff-diver if you’d ever got it on with a real man. Although, now I get a good look at you, I’m pretty sure no real man would want to get with a lesbo like you anyway …’
Jade reached out to slap Mark’s face, but Molly grabbed her hand just in time. ‘Leave it, Jade. He’s not worth it.’
Mark just laughed, adding fuel to the fire. Molly pushed Jade back gently, standing between her and Mark. She dug her finger into his chest, wishing she could gouge his heart out and crush it like he had hers. ‘How dare you talk to Jade like that! Learn some respect or stay the hell away from me.’
‘Oh, fair go, Molly! I ain’t no axe murderer!’ Mark protested before he tried to catch the barmaid’s attention by wolf-whistling.
The young woman behind the bar smiled and came towards him. ‘Hey there, babe, another round of whisky on ice?’
‘Yep, please, Tasha. Thanks, sweetpea.’
‘My pleasure, as always,’ the girl replied, batting her eyelashes at him.
Molly felt sick as she watched him flirt with the young barmaid. Mark was such a player and a darn good one at that, having even fooled Molly into believing she could have a meaningful relationship with him – all to get her in the sack. What a sucker she had been. She should have known better than to trust him. Her alarm bells should have been ringing when he had taken off at the Mount Garnett rodeo. What decent man does that? He obviously knew the barmaid well, seeing they were on a first-name basis, and she could tell they had probably slept together too. Mark turned to speak to Molly as the barmaid sauntered off to get his whisky. ‘So, can I buy you that drink?’
‘I don’t think so,’ Molly replied sternly, turning her back on him and walking away with Jade and Melinda.
Jade gave her a friendly rub on the back. ‘Don’t let him ruin your night. Like you said to me, he isn’t worth it.’
Molly nodded. ‘I know. I’ll steer well clear of him, pretend he isn’t even here. I’ve done that for seven years so I’m pretty good at it. I’m so sorry he said that to you.’
‘No worries, Molly, I’ve dealt with it for most of my life – I can handle it. It just shocked me when he said it, that’s all. He’s nothing to me, so I really don’t care what he thinks,’ Jade said with a smile.
While Jade ordered them a round of drinks Molly tried to shake the feeling of bitterness, searching the sea of faces in front of her for any sign of Heath, Trev or Kenny. She felt a man’s arm slide around her waist from behind and, thinking it was Mark, she turned around and walloped him fair on the head.
‘Ouch, bloody hell, Molly! You’ve got one mean right hook!’ Heath yelped as he jumped back in shock and Trev doubled over in laughter beside him.
Molly gasped and covered her mouth. ‘Heath! I’m so sorry! I thought you were someone else.’
‘I bloody hope so,’ Trev said, chuckling.
‘I don’t know who you thought I was, but I can tell from the force behind that blow that you don’t like them one bit.’ Heath rubbed his head gingerly. ‘Who did you think I was?’
‘I just ran into Mark at the bar and he’s more than a little drunk. I thought it was him being a smart-arse,’ Molly replied as Jade handed her an icy can of rum and Coke. She took a huge swig, enjoying the sweet taste as it trickled over her tongue.
Heath looked around the crowd, obviously trying to spot Mark, the pulse in his temples throbbing. She grabbed his hand. ‘Don’t go being a hero. I can look after myself. He won’t bother me after the cold welcome I just gave him. Let’s just celebrate your victorious ride, okay? I’m so proud of you! Tonight’s meant to be about good times with great mates. I don’t want a fight to ruin it all.’
Trev raised his beer in the air and then took a massive slug of it. ‘I’ll drink to that.’
Molly giggled. ‘You’d drink to anything, Trev!’
Heath placed his hand protectively on Molly’s cheek. ‘Okay. As long he keeps away from you I’ll keep away from him. But he’d better not try anything. I don’t need much of an excuse to knock him out, believe me.’
The band began to play ‘Cotton-Eyed Joe’ and Jade squealed with pleasure. ‘Come on! We have to dance to this one. It’s a country classic!’
Jade and Mel dragged Molly towards the bootscooting mob. Molly tried to pull Heath along as well, but he stood his ground and shook his head emphatically. ‘I’ll stay here and mind our spot.’
Molly felt the music wash over her as she danced like there was no tomorrow. After a couple of songs Kenny came bounding towards them, his arms flying around as he danced like a crazy monkey. He was so uncoordinated that Molly couldn’t help but giggle. Kenny didn’t mind, he just laughed along with her while flaunting more insane dance moves.
Two hours later, Molly was back at the bar standing with Heath. She had finally managed to lure him onto the dance floor and he’d actually impressed her with his moves. She hadn’t seen Mark again and she noticed the barmaid that had been flirting with him earlier was missing too. They were probably off in the bushes somewhere. She winced at the thought.
She jiggled on the spot, trying to cool off as sweat dripped down her back, throwing back a shooter and smiling as a drop ran down her chin. Heath reached out and gently wiped it away. They held each other’s eyes, the passionate fire between them building. Heath seized the moment, leaning in to whisper in her ear.
‘Want to go for a walk somewhere quiet? I really need to tell you something.’
Molly nodded. Without uttering a word, she took Heath’s hand and led him out into the night, away from the mass of revellers. The music began to fade into the distance as they strolled further into the darkness.
Once they’d reached a place where they could be private, Heath stopped. He took Molly’s hands in his and faced her. The moonlight lit up her face and there was a depth in her eyes he had never seen before. He took a second to find his voice, clearing his throat. ‘God, you’re beautiful.’ He reached out an
d ran his hand down her face, tracing her lips, feeling her warm breath caress his fingers.
Molly found it hard to look into his eyes. She felt like she was falling and was afraid he wasn’t going to catch her. She looked down at the ground and kicked at it nervously with her boot. ‘You’re not too bad yourself.’
Heath gently pushed her chin up so she was facing him. ‘I want you to see me when I say this. I can’t hold it in any more. I want to be with you always, Molly Jones. I want to kiss you, touch you, love you …’ His husky voice washed over her like warm honey.
She gasped. Her feelings were so intense they were almost choking her. She was speechless, a million words running through her mind but none of them finding their way out of her lips. She drew in a deep breath, needing to explain before they went any further. ‘I’m in love with you too, Heath. It’s just, well, I felt guilty at first because of my bond with Jenny. I thought it was wrong of me to have feelings for you.’
‘Oh, Molly, I felt guilty too, at first, because of the relationship you and Jenny had and because of the love I’d shared with Jenny. But then I reasoned with myself – Jenny loved you, and she’d love you to be with me, and me with you.’
Molly wrapped her arms around herself, happy tears filling her eyes. Heath had said exactly what she needed to hear from him.
Heath reached out and wiped her tears. ‘I’m so sorry, Molly. I’ve said the wrong thing. I shouldn’t have …’
Molly reached out and grabbed him, pulling him into her as she hungrily kissed him. Heath wrapped his strong arms around her waist and picked her up off the ground, his tongue caressing hers as she moaned in ecstasy. He ran his warm lips down her neck and Molly let her head fall backwards as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his broad shoulders, enjoying the feeling of his stubble as it ran down her throat. Heath kissed her breasts and she shivered as she felt his warm breath caressing her nipples though her shirt. Molly could feel his yearning for her through his jeans and she groaned in satisfaction at the thought of feeling him inside her. She ran her nails up his back and down his chest. He nibbled on her neck and then breathed huskily into her ear.
