“Where’s your crown?” Lexi called behind me.
I turned to see her and Beth running up on me. Sweat dripped down their foreheads and into their eyes. They looked like they’d just run the mile during freshmen P.E. class. I laughed and hugged both of them tight.
“No crown for me. But I’ve got something even better.” I gave them an extra squeeze before letting them go. “You guys are the best, you know that?”
Beth wiped the back of her hand across her forehead and huffed. “Uh...of course I knew that. That’s why I stuck around. You guys clearly needed the third and final piece to this awesomeness.”
With a roll of her eyes, Lexi lifted her curls from her neck and grinned. “Okay, so our sisters were right about us being friends. But let’s pinky promise never to tell them that, or their heads will get too big for their bodies.”
“Agreed!” I said quickly. “Now let’s go watch my guy win this thing.”
It felt totally awesome to call Hunter my guy. The sound of it made me want to giggle like a little girl into my hands. We made our way to the stands to grab seats as the first bulls were ushered into the stalls.
I saw Hunter on the other side of the arena, gearing up with a helmet and pads. My fingers itched to run over his jaw again, to find his lips with mine. Nerves were awoken in my stomach as I thought about him riding one of those bulls. All I could do now was pray that he didn’t get hurt and that he had the ride of his life.
Graham was one of the first cowboys up. He was actually pretty impressive. The bull he rode was black, muscular, and snorted like it wanted to charge through the gates. It was a scary thing, but Graham kept his seat. The eight second buzzer sounded and he hopped off the bull with ease, gaining a score of 88 that the next four cowboys just couldn’t beat.
“Guess your guy is last,” Beth said, her brow wrinkled in concern. She and Lexi seemed every bit as nervous as I did. They both had their fingers crossed in their laps.
“Hunter can do this,” I said, feeling confidence sweep through me. “He’s amazing. This is his ride.”
It felt like the arena went dead silent as Hunter climbed into place on the final bull’s back. I couldn’t tear my eyes away as he adjusted his seat with the help of a few of the boys. I wished I could see his face better beneath that black helmet. To know what was really going through his mind. My own was filled with a little bit of fear and a whole lot of excitement. I remembered what it was like to ride that mechanical bull. Riding the real one had to be such a rush.
Finally, Hunter nodded, giving the all clear. I sucked in a shallow breath as the gate slid open and the crowd went wild. The brown bull between Hunter’s legs was massive, with legs the size of tree trunks. It swung its head back and forth, using its capped horns like a battle weapon. The second it left the stall it began to twist and kick with a fierceness that made me dizzy. I leaned forward in my seat, watching Hunter’s body rock smoothly with every move the bull made. It was like a dance. An eight second thrill of a dance with a sprinkling of danger, just for fun.
Hunter’s muscles bulged with the effort to stay on the beast. He wore a determined expression that told me he was never going to let that bull get the best of him. And when the timer went off and Hunter hopped off the bull with ease, I jumped to my feet and yelled with the rest of the crowd, my heart bursting with pride.
He’d done it!
“If he doesn’t win after that, I’m going to shave my head,” Lexi shouted at us.
“I’d love to take you up on that bet,” Beth said with a laugh, “but I think he’s going to win. Plus, you’d look awful bald.”
The insulted expression on Lexi’s face made me giggle. We quieted down just in time to hear the announcer’s voice booming across the arena with Hunter’s score.
“Looks like McNally just rocked the socks off of Ol’ Boots, the bull. We’ve got a score of 90 from the judges. And that makes him tonight’s winner!”
All three of us jumped and squealed with glee. I took off down the bleacher to the arena fence. Hunter had already shed his helmet and was pumping his fist in the air. The moment he saw me heading toward him, he ran to meet me. And when he got to the fence, he easily climbed over it and took me in his arms.
“I knew you would win,” I said, my face pressed against his shoulder.
My own arms had wrapped tightly around his torso. The scent of dirt and sweat was heavy on his shirt. A rumble of laughter came from deep within his chest. He squeezed me tightly and then pulled back.
“Winning doesn’t matter anymore,” he said, his gaze capturing mine with an intensity that took my breath away. “Proving that I’m strong doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is you.”
I stared up into his eyes, feeling totally and absolutely at peace in his strong arms. In a way that I hadn’t felt for months.
“That’s good to know, cowboy.” I tipped my chin up to brush a kiss over his lips. “But I’m still glad you won. I always knew you’d look pretty sexy with a shiny belt buckle.”
His mouth curled into a
