“You look like you’re about ready to bounce,” she said. Her voice was low and pleasant. “If you want, I’ll cause a diversion and you can split.”
I laughed under my breath and glanced over at her. Beneath her neatly French-braided mane of red curls, she had skin the color of milk with dark freckles dotting her face. Confidence oozed off of her—not in a cocky way, like Sarah, but with a way that instantly made me want to become this girl’s friend.
“I’d take you up on that,” I said with a sigh. “But I have the feeling Ms. Gentry is secretly a velociraptor in disguise. She’d be on me faster than you can say Jurassic Park.”
She nodded, her lips pressing together. “Yes, I see what you mean. The dress hides the scales. Good call. Chances of survival are minimal.”
“Maybe, if I play dead, she’ll move on to a new victim...”
“I once read that raptors were scavengers. Best not to take that chance.”
“Then, I guess I’m stuck here.”
She laughed. “Yes, I guess so. I’m Geminia, by the way.”
I was starting to feel a bit better about my situation. This girl was cool. The Junior Rodeo Queen competition couldn’t be all bad if she was in on it.
“Charlotte.” I smiled gratefully at her. “Thanks for not judging me on wanting to flee. I’m not sure who signed me up. Right now, the biggest suspects are my parents. They’ve been throwing activities at me like spaghetti at the wall, hoping something sticks. Not sure this is exactly my scene.”
She waved a hand. “No worries. I’m just here because I want that internship spot in the governor’s office. My dad’s a local rep and he thinks it’ll jump start my political career. I’m going to be a senator someday.”
With most kids, I would’ve secretly rolled my eyes at such an announcement, but with Geminia, I actually believed her.
“I’m really jealous you know that already,” I said, gripping the tops of my knees tight. “I’m sixteen years old and I have no clue what I want.”
Geminia’s laugh was low and throaty. “You’ve got time, sis. Don’t sweat it.”
I blew out a low breath and glanced at her. “Do I? Doesn’t feel like it.”
“Well, maybe not as much time as I’d first guessed,” she said, staring hard across the circle. “Because there’s a girl over there that looks about ready to murder you. Did you spit in her oatmeal this morning?”
It wasn’t hard to guess who she was talking about. And sure enough, with a quick look around the circle, I spotted Sarah sitting with her ankles neatly crossed, her hands folded in her lap, and her deadly scowl trained on me. She didn’t even have the decency to look away when our gazes met. I turned my head, my cheeks burning. Clearly, I’d stepped into her territory and she was not pleased.
“Let’s just say, Sarah Claiborne wouldn’t have shed a tear if I’d drowned in the Cascades two months ago when we cut school together,” I said in a low voice.
Geminia’s dark brown eyes grew wide and she covered her mouth. “Wait—that was you?”
I frowned, then nodded. “Yep. Yet another reason why my parents think I need a hobby. You know, idle hands and everything.”
“Are the devil’s workshop.” She grinned, flashing a slight gap in her two front teeth. “My gram liked to say that when I was little.”
“Guess it’s true.” I groaned and checked my cellphone in my pocket as Ms. Gentry entered into a lecture about proper hairstyles for this week. So far, no messages from anyone. It didn’t seem like I was getting rescued anytime soon. “How much longer do we have to do this?”
“We’re finished, Miss Hale.” Ms. Gentry stood in front of me with her hands planted on her hips and red dotting her high cheekbones. I gulped, wishing I’d spontaneously gained the ability to disappear. No luck. She was still glaring at me. “I’m about to release the rest of the girls home for a good night’s rest before the festivities tomorrow. Why don’t you stay a moment after and we can have a discussion?”
She’d made it sound like a suggestion, but the steel glint in her eyes as she went to pick up her clipboard told me that it was the furthest thing from a suggestion I’d ever heard.
Geminia patted me on the knee as she stood up, sympathy entering her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered behind her hand. “I was hoping we could be friends, but I have the feeling Ms. Gentry’s about to eat you alive. It was nice knowing you. I’ll spread the word of your bravery.”
“That’s kind of you,” I said with a solemn nod. “Don’t let them forget me out there.”
Geminia gave me a two-fingered salute and then broke into a smile as she walked away. My eyes trailed her until Sarah entered my view, the sour and pouty expression she threw me not much of an improvement from the homicidal glances of earlier. It didn’t matter, anyway. After I’d explain to Ms. Gentry about the big mix-up, Sarah would be ecstatic to find me missing from the rest of the competition. We’d never have to interact again.
And that was fine with me!
“Miss Hale.” Ms. Gentry sat beside me on the bench and flipped through her clipboard papers until my name appeared, printed in black loopy writing. “I do hope today’s antics won’t become a problem. I am not in the habit of entertaining girls who draw unnecessary attention to themselves. Poise and self-discipline. Those are the qualities that make a fine Junior Rodeo Queen.”
“Ms. Gentry, I think there’s been a mistake.” I turned toward her, scanning the paper on her clipboard. That definitely wasn’t my mom’s handwriting. She didn’t dot her I’s with little hearts. “I’m not supposed to be in this competition.”
She pursed her lips and little pucker lines appeared around her mouth as she looked down at the form. “I don’t understand. Your name is Charlotte Hale?”
I nodded. “Yes, but—”
“And you are sixteen years old and a junior-to-be at Rock Valley High?”
“Yes, but you see—”
“Then it sounds like you are, in fact, supposed to be in this competition.” She looked up at me, clouds looming in her dark eyes. “The two young girls who signed you up after the deadline this afternoon were adamant that you be added to the roster. That you were worthy. Do not make me regret allowing them to bypass the rules set in place. I do not often make exceptions. I expect your full and devoted attention to this prestigious process.”
My mouth flapped uselessly as Ms. Gentry stared at me and raised her brow. There was no arguing with the woman. At least not right at this moment. I needed time to think that didn’t involve being under her harsh stare. She didn’t seem like the type who was just going to let me quit the competition without a perfectly good reason. And right now, my brain could come up with nothing.
“Have I made myself clear, Miss Hale?” she asked firmly.
I snapped my mouth shut and nodded. “Crystal.”
“Good.” She stood up and looked down her nose at me. “Then we will see you tomorrow at ten a.m. sharp for the first event. It will count as ten percent of your total score. Do not be late.”
“Yes, Ms. Gentry.”
She strode toward her son waiting two tables over. He looked as nervous and sweaty as ever, but he didn’t hesitate to follow her when she glided past him. And as I watched them both walk away, her words finally seemed to sink in.
“Two young girls?” I asked the empty pavilion. “Two young girls signed me up?”
Who could that be?
Suddenly, bile filled my mouth. I had a pretty good idea which two young girls Ms. Gentry was talking about. Two young girls who had lied about an errand they were running this afternoon and showed up late to the ceremony. Two young girls who were going to have a lot of explaining to do.
So much for being friends.
“Oh, I just can’t wait to hear this one,” I grumbled, pushing myself off the bench.
The excitement and joy I’d carried for my first movie night with Hunter fought against the frustration I felt toward Lexi and Beth in that moment. Already, it
seemed like my plans for getting back to normal this summer were being stomped on by someone wearing oversized cowboy boots.
There was no way I was entering that competition.
Not for all the money in the world.
Chapter Five
My cell phone was suspiciously quiet.
No texts from the traitors.
I held my cell in my hand as I walked up to Hunter’s house with a bagful of goodies, feeling the terribly strong urge to give Lexi and Beth both a call and demand they explain what had happened today. But that wasn’t part of tonight’s plan. Instead, I pushed the thought to the back of my head and crammed the phone into my pocket as I looked up at the small two-bedroom home Hunter shared with his mom.
The brown siding and white paint around the windows was peeling. The evergreen bushes in front were so overgrown they looked like two hairy trolls in desperate need of a trim. And the welcome sign that had hung on the door was now hanging at a slight angle. It never used to be this way. Hunter’s mom usually kept it looking nice. But her ex-fiancé, Steven, had let the place fall into ruin after they broke up and she moved Hunter to Texas last year. He’d only moved out a few months ago.
Good riddance.
My fist hovered over the door as I considered whether to knock. I used to walk right in and help myself to one of the goodies sitting on their kitchen counter. Bree had insisted on it. She’d treated me like I was her adopted daughter. But things felt different now—like it would be an invasion of privacy. So instead of reaching for the brass doorknob, I wrapped my knuckles on the wood and waited until the door swung open.
“Baby Char!” Bree stood beaming in the doorway; her thick brown hair braided over her shoulder. She rushed toward me, pulling me into a crushing hug against her lean and tall frame. The scent of vanilla and nail polish remover filled my nose.
My voice was muffled as I tried to greet her. “Hi, Bree. Glad you’re back.”
She grasped my shoulders tightly and pushed me far enough away to examine me with intense hazel eyes that matched her son’s. “Not a baby anymore. Dang it, girl. You’ve blossomed into a beautiful young woman. You’re not supposed to grow up so fast. Quit it! You’re making me feel old.”
It was silly, but I couldn’t help the flush that crept into my face or the proud smile on my lips. That meant a lot, coming from her. I’d always thought Hunter’s mom was gorgeous, with her incredibly high cheekbones, long lashes, and cool rustic fashion sense. She was a lot younger than my mom. She’d had Hunter when she was only seventeen and moved to Rock Valley not long afterwards.
“You’ll never be old, Bree,” I said as she led me inside the small living room and kitchen combination.
The place smelled like a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies had just come out of the oven. Cardboard boxes lined the walls. Their old brown microfiber couch still stood in the middle of the wood floor, facing an old giant box TV. Gone was the ex-fiancé’s ugly blue recliner and the drink cooler he used to keep beside him during football games.
“Oh, baby Char, you’re getting a whole dozen of these cookies to yourself after a compliment like that,” she said with a wink. “You deserve it. Anyone that builds up my ego automatically gets spoiled with baked goods.”
“You mean these cookies?” Hunter had his hip leaning against the kitchen counter, his eyes glittering with trouble. With a wink, he stuffed an entire cookie in his mouth. His jaw worked as he chewed it slowly and wagged his eyebrows at me. I stifled a giggle. Bree shrieked and then whipped the kitchen towel at him.
“Men! I swear.” She wiped the back of her hand across her forehead and huffed. “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. Your momma should count her lucky stars she had two daughters.”
I flung a smile at her, but my gut twisted a little at her comment. My mom hadn’t been so lucky a couple months ago, when I’d been stuck in a crazy cycle of self-destruction. I was pretty sure she would’ve traded me for someone like Hunter in a heartbeat. Hunter might have liked to tease, but he never did anything wrong.
“Well, you two enjoy your movie night,” she said, snatching a cookie off the cooling racks. “I’m going to go unpack some stuff in my room. Charlotte, it’s good to have you around again, baby girl.”
“I’m glad you’re back, too,” I said, watching her sway down the hall in her tight denim jeans and brown peasant top. I’d missed Hunter desperately last year, but I’d missed his mom nearly as much. It felt so good to be in this house again, with both of them.
Almost like the last year hadn’t happened.
Tossing my bag of goodies on the counter, I grabbed the DVD for tonight’s event and handed it to Hunter.
“Easy A. What a surprise,” he said with an eye roll as he headed toward the TV.
I plopped down on the worn couch and grinned at him, feeling totally at home. “A lot of things might have changed, Hunter McNally, but not that. It’s still my favorite movie and this is still my favorite way to spend a summer night.”
He knelt down and put the disc into the player, his brow furrowing in thought. “That’s good. You know...I was worried you’d forget about me and be too busy with all your boyfriends to spend any time with me when I got back.”
I threw a bag of Skittles at him. It bounced off his muscular chest and fell to the floor.
“What boyfriends? In case you haven’t notice, I repel the opposite sex.”
He snorted, tapping buttons on the DVD player. “Um...that’s not even close to the truth. At least three of the rodeo guys asked about you after you left the opening ceremony today.”
Blood rushed to my cheeks as I sat straight up. “You’re lying.”
He arched an eyebrow, amusement showing in the curve of his lips. “Seriously, Char? I know you’re near-sighted, but you can’t be that blind. Especially after that jerk Graham pretty much drooled all over you.”
I grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it to my chest. Hunter wasn’t the type to tell a fib, so it had to be true. Embarrassment and pride swirled in my head, fighting for control. Embarrassment won out. I shook my head and leaned back into the cushions.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said resolutely. “Even if I had a hundred guys after me, I’d never forget about you. I like you too much.”
Something flickered in his eyes as he looked at me and inhaled slowly. “Really?”
Of course it was true. He shouldn’t have looked so surprised. I’d always liked hanging out with Hunter. That was part of what made us such great friends.
I patted the seat beside me. It was time for a change of topic. My lack of a dating life was not something I wanted to be talking about on our first movie night back together. “Duh, I like you. Now come sit down and let’s get this party started.”
He shot me a small smile and stood as the opening movie trailers began to play on the TV behind him. “Thanks for that, Char Char.”
“Anytime.”
I watched him move toward the kitchen to grab some more cookies. Hunter might have resembled something more like a man now, but I could still see some of that boy I used to know. It was there in the warmth of his eyes and the teasing tilt of his smile. I held on to those familiar bits, even as he sank into the sofa beside me and our thighs touched, causing strange little waves of heat to ripple out across my body.
He leaned over and shoved a cookie into my hands. “Here, have one before I eat them all. I have the feeling you need it after dealing with Ms. Gentry today. I got to know, is she some sort of zombie? Or a ghost? She looks like an old war widow that just crawled out of a cemetery.”
I took a bite, inhaling deeply with the wonderful explosion of flavors on my tongue. My mom was a great cook, but she could never make cookies like these.
“No, I’m pretty sure she’s real,” I said with my mouth full. “Her son was there, and he looked like a human. A sweaty human on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but still human.”
He cocked his head and smiled at me, sinking farther
into the couch cushions. “Seriously, Char, I didn’t have a clue you were going to enter the competition.”
“Funny, I didn’t either...” I grumbled quietly, staring at the TV.
“You never would’ve done something like that a year ago. It’s really cool. The rodeo guys and the contestants usually cheer each other on, so we’ll get to spend lots of time together at the fair this week. Plus, you’re definitely going to win.”
I gulped down the cookie that had suddenly turned into a lump of charcoal in my mouth. That was the second time Hunter had gushed about me being in the competition. He was all for it. I didn’t have the heart to tell him it had all been a set up and I was getting out of it as soon as possible.
At least, not tonight.
“You really think I actually stand a chance of winning that thing?” I asked him, grabbing another cookie from his hands. At this rate, I was going to eat a dozen of them in one go. It was a good thing I’d packed the Pepto-Bismol.
He scoffed. “Yeah, totally. You’re better than all those girls combined. It’s no contest. They might as well call it right now.”
I squinted at the TV, trying to hold in my giggle. That was the funniest thing I’d heard in a long time. Maybe even funnier than hearing about three guys being interested in me. I wanted to burst out into mocking laughter, but when I looked over and found him studying me with such an intense expression, my stomach tilted dangerously.
“What?” I asked. Totally busted. He’d caught me laughing. “I’m not mocking you, I swear. I just think you’re a little delusional if you think I’m going to win the Junior Rodeo Queen. Lexi says I’ve got the hair for it, but other than that, I’ve got nothing. Not like Sarah Claiborne.”
“No, it’s not that...” Something like pain flickered across his face as he pointed to his lips. “You’ve got something...there.”
Blood rushed to my cheeks. That’s what I got for stuffing myself with warm, gooey carbs. So much for impressing him with all the ways I’d matured this year. I was a hot mess.
Dare You to Resist the Bull Rider (Rock Valley High Book 4) Page 4
