by Ashlee Price
Will he be able to make her his, or will their little family never be rejoined?
Chapter 1
“Mia, it’s not going to be that long, I promise. Don’t you want to see your old man on his last ride?”
She shook her head and wasn’t too enthused about going, but it was a big deal. She knew that and since her dad and mom had just split up, Mia figured she needed to go for moral support. Her dad had an affair on their mom, her brother couldn’t get over it, but even after what he had done to Carmen, he was still her father. Someone needed to go see his last run of such an illustrious career.
“I told you I would go dad. I don’t have to be happy about it though.”
“Yes, but I wish you would. You used to love going with me when you were little.”
Mia had loved going with her father. There was something about it, the rush and the animals at the rodeo, but then she had seen someone get trampled and she never wanted to go back again. As she got older, she started to worry more about her father getting hurt and even though it was to be his last ride before retirement, there was still the fear deep inside of Mia that something bad would happen to him. It was always a danger with bull riders.
Trying to shake the image from her mind, all she could think about was something happening. “I do love to go; it’s just that after Schmidt went down when I was there, I haven’t been able to go back. I am so afraid that something is going to happen. You getting hurt is what kept me away. I know that you love it, but it’s hard to watch someone you love be in such danger.”
He shook his head. “This is the last time, my last 8 seconds. Nothing is going to happen except your old man is not going to know what to do with himself afterwards.”
She knew that it was going to be a hard adjustment, but Mia couldn’t be happier that she was going to finally not have to worry about him as much. There was an adrenaline rush that came being so close to death that she didn’t understand, but it had kept his eyes twinkling for years.
“You will buy a boat and sail around with your new girlfriend I suppose. I am sure you will find something to occupy your time. You always said that you never had time for a hobby.”
He gave her a look at the reminder, but didn’t say anything. They had to leave in half an hour, the rodeo was a few hours away and they had to get there before dark when the festivities began. “I will be downstairs waiting for you. Linda isn’t going, if that is what you are worried about.”
“It’s not like that. I don’t have anything against her per say, it’s just weird. Mom finds out and then I get stuck in the middle. You two need to work it out on your own and then you can introduce the new girlfriend into the fold.”
Richard sighed, knowing that he had to make amends in some way. The family had been torn apart from his actions and even though Mia was there, it didn’t mean that she didn’t see that it was his fault as well. It was.
“I’ll be downstairs Mia.”
She watched him go and finished packing her overnight bag. There were some things she was looking forward to in going. One of her best friend’s was competing that night as well. Trevor and her had been raised on the circuit with their fathers and spent their early days riding ponies and watching the bull riders. He had told her then when he was six that he would be one of those cowboys one day and he had done just that. Fifteen years later, he was at the top of his game and even though they had grown apart when she went to college, Mia couldn’t wait to see her old friend again.
Making it downstairs, she helped her dad get all the gear in the truck and then she got in behind the wheel. He drove too fast for her and it had been a long time since she had let him drive. She thought that his next career of choice could be race car driving, but she didn’t suggest it. It was too dangerous as well.
They didn’t talk much on the way there, more in their minds. Richard dozed off on the way and that left Mia to her own thoughts. It had been a long time since she had been to a rodeo. Going to school back east made it all seem like a faraway dream, but it all came back to her when she saw the lights in the distance. It was already getting dark, but the rodeo was like a beacon in the failing light. She felt the same excitement as before.
“Dad, wake up. We are almost there.”
He sat up and looked around. On the outskirts of Houston, the Grand Royal Rodeo was one of the biggest ones in the state each year. He had been there every year for almost twenty-five years, but it would be Richard’s last. There was a touch of nostalgia as he looked on at the approaching lights, hearing the sounds of the announcer on the intercom speakers that surrounded the outside arena.
“Are you ready?”
Richard smiled. He was always ready for his next eight seconds. It was like a lifetime in quick succession and the man knew he was going to miss it.
***
“Mia? I can’t believe you are finally here!”
She turned just in time to see Trevor before he picked her up in a bear hug. He had always been a hugger, but now he was huge. She slapped him off of her after a minute and smiled back at him. The man’s blonde hair was longer than she remembered. His green eyes were just as keen. “It has been a long time Trevor. You are getting scruffy on the circuit.”
He looked away and smiled back at her. There was another man standing next to them, dark eyes and hair, watching the two interact. The way he looked at Mia made her smile falter. “Who’s this, Trev?”
Trevor looked back and urged her closer to the man with eyes that were almost as black as night. “Mia, this is Clint. We have been traveling together for a while. Trevor, this is Mia.”
His hand came out and she took it. She wasn’t expecting the way his touch sent a jolt through to her senses. “Nice to meet you, Clint. Trevor has told me about you a little. I hear you guys have both been doing well.”
Clint didn’t say anything and after a minute she pulled her hand away. He had heard much about her and always thinking it was strange to have a female best friend, when he saw her, he wondered why Trevor had never went for more. She was tall, blonde and curved just the way he liked. Pulling his eyes away when she removed her hand, he felt a loss when her blue eyes went back to his new bunkmate.
“So when are you going?”
“In about twenty minutes. They have funnel cakes if you are hungry.”
She was suddenly starving. “You remembered.”
“Of course. They even have the blueberry topping.”
Mia hugged him to her side as they walked towards the vendors. It felt like old times, but her friend towered over her now. “It is good to be back.”
“You should come more often, Mia. All that studying can’t be as good as this.” He waved his hands up and around. There were people everywhere and Mia had missed the rodeos.
“Just another term and I am out of there.”
“Are you going home?”
Mia still wasn’t sure. There were hospitals everywhere and she knew that she could get a job back home in Texas, but that came with a lot of other issues, namely her parents and the great divide. She sometimes felt bad for leaving Justin back home. He always had to deal with them while she was away at college, while she only had to deal with it a couple of minutes at a time when they called. It wasn’t fair.
“I don’t know yet. I am thinking about it, but I guess it depends if I get any job offers in Boston.”
“You need to come home. You are not a Yankee.”
She giggled and ordered from the vendor. “Are you getting cherry still?”
He nodded and she ordered one for him as well. “Should we get one from your friend, Clint?”
“Nah, he doesn’t eat this kind of thing, worries about what he is putting in his body.”
She grimaced. “Oh one of those guys. How did you two meet?”
“Here. This is my life most of the year. You know how it is. He helped me out a couple of times and we have been friends ever since. Clint is doing better than me, but I am happy for him. He is teachi
ng me some new holds and I think they are working out.”
“Well you have definitely grown up. I am surprised the poor bull can even move around with you on his back. You can just smoosh him into submission. You are starting to look more and more like your dad every day.”
Trevor liked to hear it and he started to grin. There was something about Mia that always put him in a good mood and he hoped that she would stay longer this time. He missed his old friend. “I know, that’s what Ana tells me.”
“Ana?” Her ears perked up as she took a bite of the fried confection in front of her. “Who is Ana?”
She noticed her friend getting a little red in the face. “Do you have a girlfriend now?”
He nodded and Mia couldn’t help but mess with him about it. For a man that had always said he would be single for life, Mia was glad that he had finally found someone to look so love struck about. He had had a crush on her years ago when they were seniors, but she had turned him down, not wanting to break up the best friendship that she had ever had. Mia didn’t know what she would do without Trevor as a friend.
Listening to him about his new girlfriend and seeing a picture, she saw some sort of resemblance to herself, but Mia knew that she shouldn’t say anything. Instead of pointing out, she just listened with a smile. It was good to see her friend happy. “I will have to meet her.”
“You will love her. You two have a lot in common.”
“Sounds like it.”
“What about you?”
Mia shrugged. “Not much to tell I’m afraid. I still don’t have a boyfriend. Went on a couple of dates, but it never works out to many more.”
“It’s because you are too choosy.”
“Maybe. But I don’t really believe in love forever anyways, you know that. After the thing with my parents, I am even surer that true love doesn’t actually exist.”
“I forgot how unromantic you were.”
Mia threw her plate away with the half-eaten funnel cake. “I am not unromantic, just realistic.”
Chapter 2
“So what is the deal with your friend Trevor? You failed to mention that she was smoking hot.”
Trevor didn’t know how to describe his best friend. Mia was complicated and he knew that Mia would break his friend’s heart. “She is not for you Clint, trust me.”
Clint didn’t seem to get the reasoning and he wasn’t going to give up on it, asking more questions about if she was single. “Yes, she is always single. I don’t think I have ever heard of her dating a guy more than once or twice.”
“Why, does she like chicks or something?”
Trevor laughed and fixed the rope that would be his life line. While many riders would tie themselves down, he never did, too afraid that he wouldn’t be able to let go when needed. “Nothing like that, she just doesn’t believe in love.”
Clint thought he liked the sound of it. “Who was saying anything about love?”
Trevor just shook his head. “She would eat you up, you know that right?”
“It’s like you don’t know me at all. You know how much I like a challenge Trevor.”
“And I know Mia. I will give you my blessing to give it your best shot, but I am just telling you now as a friend, you are wasting your time.”
Clint liked a challenge, more than the prize itself on occasion. It was why he had started in the rodeos. He had thought, how hard could it be to hold on for eight seconds, no matter how bad it was? It was the challenge that brought him back each and every time, but the copious amounts of women when he won was enough too. He didn’t need Mia, but the fact that she didn’t want him, made him want her more. Now that Trevor was almost daring him to try, he had no choice but to give it a shot.
“Why do I feel like you aren’t joking?”
“I’m not. Mia is my best friend and I even loved her at one point more than just that, but she is cold when it comes to men and her heart. I just don’t want you to be heartbroken like I was. It’s rough. I’m not even going to lie.”
Clint had never heard him talk like that before. He had known about a girl that had broken his heart when he was in high school, he talked about it a couple of times when they were drunk, but it gave different perspective to know that it was Mia. “How could you be friends with her after that?”
“Because her as a friend is better than nothing at all. I have moved on, but I still wonder.”
“Well I won’t even attempt it if you are still in love with her.”
Trevor sat down and shook his head. “It’s not like that anymore. I love Ana. With Mia, it was just an obsession; she has that effect on men. I am just warning you, and if you do try, don’t make it weird between you guys. You are both my friends and I don’t want to get in the middle of it.”
Clint agreed, but it made him wonder as well. If he had wanted to take up the challenge before, there was even more reason. Trevor had described her as a flame that shouldn’t be touched, but he liked to play with fire and she was burning beautifully.
His friend shook his head again, sure that he was going to have to hear him whining about Mia soon enough. He didn’t have a chance, Trevor was sure of it.
***
Mia watched the barrel races and the several other competitions before the bull riding started. It was always one of the last competitions and the stands had filled up considerably in the hour since she’d first sat down. Her dad and friend were both going to be in the last competition, the teenagers and newbies were going at the moment. She watched them get thrown and the bull coming close to stomping a couple before someone was sent in to distract them so that the rider could get away. Mia had flashbacks from before and she looked away when it was time for her dad to go. It was his last ride, but even then it was hard to watch.
Her eyes were closed for the 8 seconds and then the buzzer sounded. She counted another ten and listened to the announcer and the cheering before she reopened them. It was hard for her to watch him run off from the bull. The crowd was cheering and when she looked at the center ring, Richard was on the fence with his hands up. He was so happy, Mia felt a little wetness come to her eyes. He was going to miss it and she was too in a way.
She left her seat to go find him and was stopped by a familiar voice. “Mia, right?”
Mia turned and saw Trevor’s friend that she had met before. “You speak.”
“Yes, well I was caught off guard before. You are very beautiful. Trevor never told me that you were gorgeous, when I heard all the stories of you two when you were younger.”
She looked down and blushed before she knew what she was doing. Mia liked the idea of him thinking her gorgeous and her body responded to him like the mere touch of his hand from before. “Yes well Trevor always was a liar. I am sure he has filled your head full of nonsense.”
Mia turned to leave back towards where she was going in the first place. He hurried up to walk with her through the throng of people. “Do you mind if I go with you? You are going to see your dad right?”
She nodded and tried to ignore him walking next to her. He was big like Trevor, towering over her and as she was quite tall, it was a feeling that she didn’t get to feel very often. “So how long have you and Trevor known each other?”
“About three and a half years. We started the circuit at about the same time.”
“You look older than him.”
“I am by a couple of years. I used to work on the oil rigs, but went to a rodeo and never went back. I figured it had to be better than being in the middle of the ocean for weeks at a time. Pay is better too.”
“I guess, if you aren’t afraid of get trampled by a bull one of these days.”
“That’s just part of it. I have always looked up to your father. He was the rider that made me want to try. You know he got me into bull riding, found me a trainer and everything.”
She stopped and looked over at him. “Really? So you know my dad too?”
He nodded and she waved to Richard coming towards them. S
he hugged him in congratulations and then stepped back for him to greet Clint. “So I see you two have met.”
“Just, so how does it feel?”
His smile evaporated. “Good, but I am really going to miss this place. Johnny offered me a couple of gigs announcing for the circuit while it is close in town.”
“That’s sounds like a good idea.”
“Sounds like a desk job to me.”
Mia laughed and put her arm around him. “You’re getting too old for this kind of thing. Your body needs a rest before you break it. You know what the doctors said.”
He hushed her, not wanting to hear about it. “I know.”
Mia stopped to watch Trevor’s turn. He made it safely off and she finally let go of the air that she had been holding. “You alright?”
“Yeah, I just hate seeing my loved ones in danger.”
Richard understood, but he didn’t know why after all these years, Mia was so bothered by it. “It’s just a job, like any other job.”
She shook her head, but was still happier that the two men she loved were no longer in harm’s way. Clint had to leave for his own turn and Mia found herself looking to the ring when she heard his name called. His eight seconds felt like an eternity, her eyes riveted to the hard lines and muscled body. The jeans fit him far too well and she almost blushed when her dad called to her. “What’s wrong with you? You must be tired Mia, you ready to go to the hotel?”
Mia said she was, pulling her eyes from the man that she had been talking to before. There were already several women from the crowd surrounding him. She was not getting involved with a man like him, but it was nice to watch him work nonetheless. “Sure. I am ready for bed anyways.”
She followed him to the truck and drove the few miles to the hotel she had called ahead for. After the long drive and excitement of the rodeo, Mia was beat. When she got out of the shower, Trevor was calling and she invited him over. He was bringing the drinks and she had the cards. It had been too long since they had hung out just the two of them. Mia wished sometimes that life didn’t have to be so busy. While she was supposed to be enjoying herself in college – and she was – she missed home and her old friend.
