I can’t help myself; I pull him in for a kiss.
“I missed you,” he whispers against my lips.
“I missed you, too.”
He grabs my bag and says, “What on earth did you pack? Bricks?”
I chuckle nervously. “Not exactly, but I did throw a few books in. I wasn’t sure what I’d do while you got ready and things, so I packed those.”
He throws the bag over his shoulder and climbs up to the camper door. “We can stop at bookstores whenever we’re near one. You’re probably going to go through them quickly.”
It’s official—he’s every woman’s dream man.
Jessie
Don’t forget to find me a nice cowboy to keep me warm this winter.
Kacey
LOL there is always Trey.
Jessie
I said nice. Not a player.
Kacey
Fair enough.
We get to the rodeo grounds in Caldwell an hour later. After the rodeo tonight, we’ll drive six hours to Canby, Oregon, then back down south to Gooding, Idaho. We’ll finish the week in Moses Lake, Washington and Kalispell, Montana. Knox got put out wrong this week, which means we’ll basically drive back and forth across the northwest.
“Come on, I’ll show you around before the perf.”
Knox leads me through the parking lot full of horse trailers, Capri campers, and sprinter vans. People are starting to get ready for the performance, horses are being saddled, rough stock riders are getting their gear bags ready. There’re a few bareback riders huddled up working on riggins and kids are running wild, roping a dummy steer on hoverboards. Some of the best cowboys and cowgirls in the world are in this parking lot, but to me it just looks like one big family. They help each other, support and cheer for each other. It’s unlike any other sport on earth.
Knox shows me the gate I can go through with my pass before we head toward the back pens. He’s telling me all about the contractor who brings livestock to this rodeo, the Burning T Rodeo Company, and how all his kids help run the rodeos. They’re from Oklahoma and he’s known them for a long time. As we walk up to the back pens where the rough stock is kept, Knoxtells me he’s happy with his bull tonight, but that’s not the one he wants to show me.
“I rode this bull at the finals last year for 89 points to win the round. He’s a fan favorite,” he says as he opens a gate and leads me down the alleyway, separating two different runs of pens. He stops at a pen holding a single brown and white spotted bull with short horns on each side. He’s beautiful.
“Hey, big guy. Miss me?” Knox asks through the panel and, to my surprise, the bull walks toward us.
I take a step back and Knox laughs. “It’s okay, he’s friendly. Watch.” As the bull comes up to the fence, he turns sideways, positioning his shoulder next to us. Knox reaches out and starts scratching the hump on his back. “He bucks like hell, but he’s a big softy if you scratch him. There are actually quite a few bulls you can pet. It shocks people. They think they’re all mean—and don’t get me wrong, there are a ton of mean ones—but they don’t buck because they’re mean or mad. They buck because they love to do it. Someday, ol’ Jawbreaker here will decide he’s done and stop bucking. Then he’ll retire back to the ranch to make baby buckers.”
I step forward and reach out to scratch him, putting my hand near Knox’s. “There is zero chance you can pet a bull at the ranch, just a warning for you.”
He laughs and wraps his arm around my shoulder. “Wasn’t planning on it.” He’s been holding my hand or touching me almost constantly since he picked me up.
I don’t mind, I think he needs this as much as I do.
Chapter 37
Knox
Kalispell, Montana
Iwarm the rosin up on my rope. This is the last bull of the week, then I get two days off. Kacey and I are both tired, but it’s been amazing having her with me.
I still can’t get over the fact that she took three weeks off and flew out here to help me. I thought maybe she’d come for a week, not three. I don’t know a single other person on the planet who would do that for me. My mom and sister support me, but it’s different. This isn’t something either of them could help me with. Kacey had no reason to do this other than the fact that she cares and wants to support me.
