His Sexy Smile

by Jessica Mills

  For riders less skilled and talented than he was, this unpredictability could often be insurmountable. The challenge of not only overcoming nerves to be willing to face a huge horse who wanted nothing to do with a human on its back, but also being able to think clearly and react instantly, was what made the sport so difficult. It was also what made Colt’s performance so impressive.

  There were moments when it almost looked like rider and horse had melded into one. He was able to move with the horse when he needed to and counteract the movements when that was what kept him in place. As a rodeo rider accustomed to seeing athletes compete in the sport and attempt the foreboding skill, I appreciated the technical perfection of each of Colt’s runs and knew how much went into it even when he managed to make it look easy.

  As a woman, I found it so sexy my body hummed and my fingertips tingled just looking at him. I couldn’t wait to get him alone, even for just a few minutes.

  He finished his run and the crowd watching exploded into thunderous applause, even louder than the screaming and cheering that went on during his ride. Colt took a few moments to take it all in and enjoy the attention. He waved and bowed his head a few times. I couldn’t help but laugh at his little bit of pageantry.

  When he had hammed it up enough, he rode toward backstage and I moved around to meet him. He grinned when he saw me and dismounted, taking a couple of steps closer to give me a quick kiss.

  “How’d I do?” he asked, sounding slightly breathless through the smile.

  “You know you were incredible,” I said.

  He let out a short laugh and gave half a shrug before patting the horse on the side of his neck. This wasn’t his animal. Colt obviously didn’t have a horse with him at the rodeo, considering he just kind of stumbled into being with us. He competed on a horse that was already there, one who was kept as a backup and sometimes used for exhibitions.

  Even though he hadn’t had much time to form a relationship with the horse, he was clearly fully at ease and had already earned the trust of the animal. I loved the look in Colt’s eyes when he looked at him and gave him affectionate pats. He so obviously admired and cared for the animals of the rodeo, and I could only imagine how much the animals on his family’s ranch meant to him.

  There might be strain and struggle for him when it came to being on the Montgomery Ranch, and even around his brothers, but there were some things that were fundamentally a part of him. Interacting with the animals was one of them.

  “Ready to take a break?” I asked. “Maybe grab something to eat?”

  That run was the last competition of the day for either of us, and I was looking forward to getting away from the ring for a while.

  Colt nodded. “Absolutely. Let me get this guy to the paddock and brush him down,”

  He took hold of the horse’s ropes and started leading him toward the paddock. The steed had been staying in a stall near Renegade and I got a strange little pleasure from seeing the two animals close together like that. It wasn’t a feeling I ever had about the horses before, but I liked the coziness of my horse and the one that was temporarily his being together like that.

  Some of my happy feeling faded when we got to the paddocks and I noticed some of the guys lingering near the stalls. I really didn’t want to have to deal with them right then. They needed to learn to lay off.

  I knew they were intimidated by Colt and envious both of his talent and his relationship with me. More so his talent, if I was going to take my guess. But that didn’t give them an excuse to act the way they had been or to treat him the way they had since he joined up with us. It had been far too long for them to still be teasing and prodding. At this point, they were just being bullying jackasses, and I was very much done with it.

  I did my best not to pay attention to the dirty looks they shot us, but that only seemed to trigger them. A couple of the guys snickered to each other, elbowing each other and turning to whisper into the center of the group. That put me a bit on edge, but I didn’t acknowledge it. I didn’t want to fuel them any more.

  Colt looked over at them, and I shook my head, stepping up to try to block his view of them so he was only looking at me.

  “Ignore them,” I said. “They aren’t important.”

  He took my advice and brought the horse to its stall. He stepped in with it and closed the gate behind him. I waited just outside as he took off the horse’s tack and offered it some special food as a reward before starting the process of brushing it down. This was an important part of any ride. Brushing the horse kept it clean and healthy, preventing many problems that the sweat, dirt, and muscle strain could cause. It was also good for the horse mentally and a chance for animal and human to connect further after a ride.

  I was enjoying watching him brush the horse as he spoke softly to it when a loud sound exploded through the paddock. The sound ricocheted and the animals let out terrified sounds in their stalls. I immediately looked over at the men and saw them laughing, pounding each other on the back and doubling over like it was the funniest thing they had ever seen.

  A BB gun lay in the dirt at their feet like whoever shot it had instantly tossed it away so no one would be able to pin it conclusively on them. I was so furious I was about to storm over to them when I heard Colt gasping.

  Looking into the stall, I couldn’t even see him. Terror shot through me and I yanked open the gate to go in. As soon as I was in the stall, I could see Colt’s boots behind the horse. The sound of the gun had spooked the hose and it panicked, moving away from the gate as far as it could go. This crushed Colt against the paddock wall and now he was struggling to breathe.

  Colt was pushing against the side of the animal, trying to get it to move away from him, but it wouldn’t budge. I leapt over and grabbed the horse’s face, pulling it toward me. Pressing my forearms against either side of the animal’s cheeks, I applied pressure and leaned my face toward it to get it to focus on me.

  With my forehead nearly touching the horse’s, I fought to keep my cool. Staying calm and steady would have the same effect on the animal. Intelligent and emotional creatures, horses responded to the stimulus around them and reacted to the kind of energy that humans put off. That was why a rider who was anxious, scared, or angry would often end up with an out of sorts horse who couldn’t be brought under control or who wouldn’t behave.

  Keeping calm, I spoke quietly but firmly to the horse to take it out of its fear and soothe it. The situation was extremely dangerous. At any second, the panicked animal could throw its weight and crush Colt even further. He didn’t seem to be injured severely enough to threaten his life, but that could change in an instant.

  When the horse had settled enough to be focused on me, I guided it to the side away from the wall. A few steps were enough to give Colt room to slide free and move out of the paddock. He pushed out of the gate and pressed a hand to his ribs, cringing and letting out a pained sound. I checked the horse to make sure it was okay, then went through the gate to Colt.

  He leaned back against the wall of the paddock and slid down to sit in the dirt. I dropped to a knee beside him and reached out to run my hand through his hair. My skull was pounding with anger and red flashed in front of my eyes. Colt was hurt. Badly. And it was because of something those guys did purposely.

  I wanted to rip them apart.

  Chapter 19

  Colt

  It hurt worse than I was letting on.

  The medic for the rodeo crew was tending to me and could tell. I hated that. The last thing I wanted to do was upset Leah, who was visibly angry and scared at the same time, just a few feet behind the medic. I recognized the person working on me as Cassy, an older lady who had been with us since at least when I joined up. In my delirium, I wondered how she got this gig and if she had to take time off from some other medic job to go on the road. And what would make her want to do it in the first place.

  Then a searing shot of pain through my ribs was enough to derail me back into the world of being
mad and frustrated. Leah came closer, hovering over me with a concerned look on her face. I tried putting one arm under me to stand up and found that it was an incredibly bad idea really quickly, falling back down on my back and sending a new wave of white-hot pain through my side.

  “Oh god, are you okay?” Leah asked when I hit the ground again.

  “I’m fine,” I said. “Just a little too early to get up, is all.”

  Cassy shook her head. “No, it’s worse than that. You’ve definitely got some bruising and possibly even some cracked ribs. I won’t know more until I can get you in for an X-ray. I don’t think anything broke, but it looks like it came damn close.”

  “I’ve had a broken rib before,” I said. “It isn’t that. This is just bruising, I’m sure. I’ll be right as rain after some ice and Tylenol.”

  “No, I don’t think so,” Cassy said.

  “What can you do for him?” Leah asked.

  “Well, until I know the extent of his injury, I can only give him acetaminophen, but I think it’s going to end up being either severely bruised or cracked ribs. Either way, he’s off the circuit for a while.”

  “How long?” I asked.

  The look that came over Cassy’s face was equal parts stern and compassionate. She knew the news she was going to tell me wasn’t something I was going to like, but she also wasn’t going to be talked out of it either. “I’d say about four weeks,” she said.

  “Four weeks?” I shouted, then moaned as my ribs squeezed in pain again.

  “Yes, at least,” she said. “I’ll check up with you about then and determine whether or not you can compete.”

  “Can I get a second opinion?” I asked. “No offense.”

  “None taken,” she said. “And no.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I am the chief medic of this rodeo,” she said. “What I say goes. I’m sorry, but even bruised ribs in the manner you bruised them is a minimum of four weeks off. If they are cracked, it’s longer. Six to eight. For right now, if you are willing, I think we will get you bandaged up with some ice and schedule a time to take you into town for an X-ray in the morning.”

  “Dammit,” I muttered. “Just… dammit.”

  “I know,” Cassy said. “I hate giving you boys the bad news sometimes, but it’s my job to make sure people are as safe as they can be. You riding with busted ribs could not only get you hurt, but the animal too. I can’t risk it.”

  “I understand,” I grumbled. “I’m not mad at you, Cassy.”

  “Good,” she said. “Now, give me a second and I’ll go get some ice and we can wrap these ribs.”

  She stood up and walked away and Leah came down to sit in front of me. I had shuffled my back to the paddock wall and was at least upright. Leah took my hands in hers, and I could see her eyes were full of fire and she was visibly shaking in anger.

  “I am so sorry,” she said.

  “It’s not your fault,” I said. I gritted my teeth and shook my head.

  Just when I found something I was starting to feel might be a calling, just when I felt like I was me again, I got knocked down. I had ridden in a thousand rodeos and had never felt this good. Even with all the other boys eyeballing me and trying to make me feel like an outsider, being with Leah and riding through the smaller towns, putting on a show for crowds, and building something up was more at home than I had ever felt.

  Being with Leah was the best part of it though. Both of us competing, being able to share that thrill, that excitement at every stop. It was intoxicating and the best thing I had ever experienced. Even some of the major rodeos and huge wins I had in my career were nothing compared to the thought of what could be here. Being able to go out there and do what I do, ride like a madman and make the crowd go wild, then watch Leah do the same. Then following that with both of us going back to the same trailer and curling up in a bed together. It was exactly what I never realized I wanted.

  Now it had all been yanked out from under me, at least for the time being. I was so mad I could barely see straight, even if it wasn’t for the pain. I could hear the snickering of several of the men not too far away as they watched me writhe in agony against the paddock wall. They were satisfied with my suffering, though I knew it could have been much worse. Hell, they probably knew it could have been much worse and would have snickered at that too. Whatever dislike and jealousy we had between us was getting a bit more dark than I was accustomed to. With the Hayes boys, I’d spend a night in jail, get bailed out, and we’d do it all again the next week or so. But something like this had the potential for much worse than some busted ribs and a night in the slammer. I could have been killed.

  Cassy returned and began to wrap my ribs, and with every tightening she made as she wound around me, I made a frustrated grunt. Each one seemed to only make Leah more upset and more angry. I could see her about to lose it, and the asshole who I was pretty sure was the one who fired the BB gun was only twenty feet away snickering. I couldn’t believe he’d hung around, but then again, it wasn’t like we had police swarming all over. This rodeo was more like the circus. Everyone took care of themselves, and disputes between us were kept in house. No need to alert the police and get them sniffing around in case they started wanting a cut of the commission to “keep us safe.” I had been around the Hayes family enough to know that while most cops were on the up and up, some of the more economically challenged towns might see a crooked sheriff’s deputy come around and see an opportunity to make a little extra cash. I didn’t want that for them, and I was sure neither did the guy who shot the BB gun.

  Suddenly, Leah turned on her heel and began stomping over. I clenched my fist against both the tightening pain in my ribs and in preparation that even in my state I might need to take a swing at that bastard if he tried to intimidate Leah. As she got to him, he looked her up and down in a leering way that made me want to rip his face off, but otherwise stayed relaxed against the paddock wall.

  “You stupid son of a bitch,” Leah said.

  “Hey now, no need for the language,” he said condescendingly. “It isn’t becoming of a pretty girl.”

  “Fuck off,” she said, surprising him. He stood up a little straighter but didn’t take a step toward her. She had her chin in the air, staring him directly in the eyes and I had a feeling that she’d have knocked him cold by the time I got to her anyway, even though I was going to try.

  “Now you see here, Leah Mason,” he said.

  “No, you see here, Jacob Walton,” she said. “You have until the count of three to get the hell out of my face before I put my knuckles in your mouth. You and the rest of these dumb boys can’t stand a little competition and have been bothering Colt and, through him, me since he got here, and it ends now. So help me God, I will end it with my own fists if I have to, Jacob Walton. Now get out of here. One! Two!”

  “Fine, I’ll leave,” he said, throwing his hands up in the air but the smirk never leaving his face. “But you listen to me, Leah. He ain’t no good. I’ve been talking to some folks from around where he lives, and let me tell you, he gets in trouble with the law more often than a man should. He’s been in and out of their jail for fighting with the sheriff, and they know him as a wild child who ran away from his responsibilities. He doesn’t deserve to shine your boots, Leah Mason, and he sure as hell ain’t one of us.”

  “Three,” Leah said.

  Jacob threw his hands in the air again, slowly ambling away. “Okay, okay,” he said. “Just think about what I said.”

  As he walked away, she turned to a group of other guys who were standing around.

  “That goes for the rest of you too,” she said. “I know he did that on purpose, and Colt got lucky he only got busted ribs out of the deal.”

  “You’re overreacting, Leah,” Dale Asbury said. He was one of the ringleaders with Will Brentwood of the Intimidation Crew that was trying to make me feel unwelcome. He glanced over my way with a smirk. “He’s a big boy. He can take a kick.”
r />   “And we are damn lucky for that,” Leah said. “If he was built like you, that horse would have caved in his chest.”

  There was a tense silence as Dale took a step toward her and then I took a step toward Dale. He looked back at me and snickered, but I could see the fear in his eyes. He was tall and lanky, and I was sure he had a toughness to him—anyone who did what we did was tough—but I could take him. Bruised ribs or not.

  “Don’t worry about him,” I called out, and Leah looked over at me. “Or any of the rest of them.”

  “I’d be more worried about you, Colt, taking advantage of a little lady like Leah,” Dale said and was cut short by a fist that soared directly into his nose and sent him down to the ground in a heap.

  “Cassy,” Leah called as she stood over the fallen and cursing Dale, “we’re going to need your medic skills again. Probably a broken nose this time.”

  “You dumb bitch,” Dale hollered as he scrambled on the ground, holding his nose which was bleeding through his brown leather gloves. “To hell with the both of you!”

  “Watch your mouth, Dale, or else you might need to get your teeth fixed too,” Leah called.

  Cassy, who was nearly around the corner and back to her trailer had seemingly heard Leah call for her and came back around. She looked at me, then to Leah, then to Dale and rolled her eyes.

  “Dammit, Leah,” she muttered.

  Leah walked back to me, passing Cassy who shook her head as she made her way to Dale. There was a hint of a satisfied smile on Leah’s face.

  Chapter 20

  Leah

  The inside of my trailer was warm and cozy and I figured he must have come in to turn the heat on before I got back. After a rather lively discussion with Macy and one of the other promoters, I had gotten an ice pack for my hand and told Colt that I would meet him in my trailer.