“Just. Stay. Still,” I muttered as Timmy kicked and tried to escape the spray of the hose. The pressure wasn’t even very high. He had nothing to complain about.
The suds in his wool were beginning to spread on the cement below my feet, making for a slick surface with my flimsy flip flops. I reached over him to do the other side, but Timmy managed to swing his big head out of Dennis’s grasp, butting me square in the stomach and knocking me flat on my rear. The sprayer fell out of my hands and hit the ground hard beside me, breaking in two.
From there, everything devolved real quick. Water began to shoot out in every direction from the broken sprayer, drenching Dennis, me, and the sheep. The cold temperature of the water knocked the breath out of me and Dennis began to shriek in a shrill voice. That extra splash of water must’ve been the last straw for Timmy the sheep because with a powerful yank of his black head, he pulled the halter rope from Dennis’ hands and made a break for it.
When I’d imagined participating in the Junior Rodeo Queen contest, I hadn’t imagined I’d be soaked to the bone and chasing a runaway sheep with a small child screaming bloody murder at me. But here I was, pushing my sopping hair out of my face and doing my best to hold in the very choice words I would’ve liked to say to that redheaded runt and his wooly pet. It was lucky that Ms. Gentry hadn’t been around to witness my performance. It wasn’t exactly filled with poise. However, victory was mine when Timmy made an abrupt turn and I snagged the end of the halter rope before he could totally escape.
“How’s that for a rodeo queen?” I said forcefully, grinning up at my friends still watching. I might not have had it all together, but at least I could catch a runaway sheep.
Instead of excitement or approval, all I saw were various forms of horror in their eyes. Lexi had her hands slapped over her face and Beth was squinting at me as if she were trying to figure out how to push the reset button. Hunter was wide-eyed and frozen like a Greek marble statue. Next to him, Graham and the rest of the boys were snickering and pointing at me in a way that made me want to lift Timmy up and use him like a shield.
But I didn’t need a shield. It seemed that Hunter had thawed from his shock. With one swift movement that resembled Clark Kent’s transformation into Superman, he marched toward me, determination blazing in his eyes, and pulled his flannel over his head to reveal a white tank underneath.
“Put this on. Now,” he said forcefully, taking Timmy’s halter and shoving the shirt into my hands. He turned to stand in front of me, his broad torso blocking me from the view of the crowd.
Whoa. Something had to be seriously wrong for Hunter to talk to me like that. He was never that gruff.
I threw the back of his head a perplexed look but didn’t question him as I pulled his shirt over my head. It smelled like Hunter, with his woodsy cologne. The sleeves hung way past my hands and the shoulders were too broad, but it was a soft material and comfortable to wear.
“Didn’t realize this was going to include a wet t-shirt contest,” Graham said loudly, elbowing the boys next to him. “I think you’ve got my vote for rodeo queen, Charlotte.”
A wet t-shirt contest? A violent flush crept up my neck and into my cheeks. I should’ve known today would be the wrong day to pair a white t-shirt with my pink Nike sports bra. That unintentional water fight had soaked me through and made me a spectacle.
All thanks to a stupid sheep.
So much for fixing my tarnished reputation. I was now the girl who’d almost drowned and put on inappropriate shows at county fairs. This was just perfect. This year couldn’t get any better.
“Move it along, Graham,” Hunter growled in a low and dangerous tone. “Before I make you.”
My head buzzed with shock as I stood half-hidden behind my best friend. I’d never seen Hunter act like that before. He sounded so intimidating, it almost had me wanting to cower. Graham’s eyes flashed as he glared unblinkingly at Hunter for an entire ten seconds. Anyone walking by at that moment probably could’ve sensed the heavy testosterone in the air. But finally, with a smirk and a toss of his head, Graham began to walk away.
“This was boring anyway,” he grumbled. “I’ve got better things to do.”
That seemed to be only the first domino. One by one, the other cowboys surrounding Lexi and Beth melted into the background, each finding more important places they needed to be. When they were all gone and the crowd dispersed, Hunter turned to me, his gaze softening.
“Are you okay?” He looked me up and down, assessing me for injuries.
It was hard not to take a moment to appreciate the muscular curves of his arms now that he was stripped down to nothing but a white tank. His skin actually glistened in the bright sunlight, as if he’d put baby oil on this morning. I found myself staring a little too hard at the broadness of his shoulders and it took him saying my name three times before it truly registered in my brain.
“Charlotte?” His eyes narrowed with concern and he leaned down to make eye contact with me. “Are you okay?”
“Y-y-yes,” I said, nodding. I needed to stop looking at him like that. He was my best friend, not a Calvin Klein model. “I’m fine. No harm done. Thanks for that save, by the way. I definitely didn’t mean to put on a show for the whole county.” I
