Dare You to Resist the Bull Rider
BOOK FOUR
in the Rock Valley High series
LACY ANDERSEN
DARE YOU TO RESIST THE BULL RIDER
Copyright 2020 by Lacy Andersen
All Rights Reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dare You to Resist the Bull Rider (Rock Valley High, #4)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Epilogue
Excerpt From Dare You to Chase the Soccer Player
About the Author
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Chapter One
I, Charlotte Hale, was not a rhinestones and leather kind of girl. A mere whiff of hay made me sneeze. And fifteen minutes in the sun roasted me like a marshmallow held too close to a flame. Still, my best friend since seventh grade had finally moved back after a year away. It was his choice to have our big reunion at the Rock Valley fairgrounds arena so he could give me a surprise.
I couldn’t say no.
“Is it my imagination, or was that fly as big as a horse?” Lexi Black swatted at a loudly buzzing insect as it dive-bombed us and then flittered off. She looked totally out of place as we took a seat on the metal bleachers under the hot June sun. Frustration rolled off of her in waves. She blew her shoulder-length dark curly hair out of her face with an angry puff of air. “Tell me again why we agreed to come with you?”
“We agreed because our sisters have decided to annoy us to death until we become quote, unquote, besties.” Beth Frye picked up a piece of gravel and tossed it at the bleachers below. Her blonde, wavy hair spilled over the purple Beat headphones wrapped around her neck and her emerald green eyes scanned the people running around the arena, setting up for the start of the 4H county fair.
I supposed their lack of enthusiasm was to be expected. The three of us had kind of been forced together by our older sisters to become bonus sisters. They’d been bugging us to hang all summer, so I’d finally given in and asked Lexi and Beth to go with me to see Hunter’s surprise.
“Listen, I’m not thrilled about this arrangement either,” I said, leaning back. “Let’s just do this, punch our timecards, and get our sisters off our backs. They’ll forget about this crazy plan when they’re off at college in the fall. Then, we can each go our separate ways.”
That seemed to pacify them, which was good because that was when my eyes clapped on the last person I’d wanted to see today. Sarah Claiborne, with her snooty expression and her perfectly wavy shoulder-length blonde hair, was walking toward us in a deceivingly innocent yellow sundress. Her combination of a pert little nose, sharp chin, and high cheekbones were probably considered beautiful, but they only made me grind my teeth.
She was the tormentor of my nightmares. The she-devil of my school. I’d once done everything in my power to become her friend and it had nearly gotten me killed.
Clearly, we didn’t get along.
“Hey, Lottie.” Sarah’s gaze drilled into mine as she stopped near the bottom of the bleachers and smirked up at me. The nickname she’d chosen for me had once felt like a badge of honor. Now, it felt like a curse. “I think you might be lost. The cows are supposed to meet in the 4H barn.”
I scoffed as Beth and Lexi bristled next to me. It was just like her to ruin what could possibly be the best day of my entire year.
“Would you mind?” Beth asked, leaning coolly back on the bench behind us. “You’re ruining the view of that guy shoveling horse poop.”
Sarah’s thin, pink-tinted lips curved into a cruel smile. “That’s right. Keep your eyes on the guy that shovels manure. That’s about as good as you girls can do. Leave the real cowboys to me.”
I stuck my tongue out at her as she threw her head back and laughed. Anything she could throw my way was going to roll right off my back. That was because it had been exactly thirty-seven days since Hunter McNally had broken the news that he was moving back home. Each day, I’d marked off the calendar in my room, excited to finally have him back for good.
Everything was going to go back to the way it was, before his grandpa had broken his leg and Hunter and his mom had to suddenly move to Texas to help with the family ranch. Before my parents had made it their mission to throw me at every school club and association they could to help me find a passion. And before I’d had the worst sophomore year ever.
My best friend was back.
“Oooh, speaking of cowboys,” Lexi said breathlessly beside me, pointing down at the three stalls on the side of the arena.
I hadn’t noticed them until now...or, the handful of guys gathered around one of the stalls. They seriously could’ve stepped out of an issue of Cowboy Monthly. Each guy wore some combination of tight Wrangler jeans, flannel shirt, cowboy hat, or a baseball cap. I was pretty sure I saw the glint of a gold buckle or two among them as well. They leaned over one of the stalls, moving leather straps around and chatting excitedly about what was inside.
“Hot, chap-wearing, rugged cowboys,” Lexi said in a hoarse
