The fair provided families with a week-long list of activities. The Saturday before the fair opened up was always for horse shows. Everyone would bring in their show ponies and compete all afternoon and into the night.
The following Friday would start off with the livestock showing and the opening event for the carnival rides. Each 4H kid in the area brought their prized animal that they’ve been taking care of for months. This would lead to the barrel races and would run throughout the week.
Of course, we’d all try our luck at Karaoke in the evenings, knowing we were all shit singers but not caring because by that time we were alive on the sounds and fun of summer around us. Sunday Morning they’d have a service for those church-going folks. They called it Cowboy Church which always seemed really appropriate.
Throughout the week we’d go watch the tractor pulls, barrel racing, trick riding, or the bull and bronc riding. Of course, there were little kiddo events during the week, but we weren’t really interested in those at all. Then everyone would bring out their lawn chairs and beer cozies for the country concert on Friday night. This year, they’d managed to get Chris Lane to headline which had everyone talking.
There wasn’t anything about a county fair I didn’t love—fair food smells, horse whinnies, carnival rides buzzing, crowds cheering, kids laughing, and people enjoying the community feel a fair brought to us.
The lunch table the next day was filled with talk of who would be competing this year and in what category. Jameson and Rhett were talking about bronc riding, while Remington shook his head. “Either of you knuckleheads ever been on a bronc? It’s not like riding Jet or Remy. These horses get damn determined that you ain’t to be on their backs. They’re likely to throw you off faster than you can blink.”
“Aww, Rhett. Looks like he’s worried about us. I feel touched, how ‘bout you?”
“Yeah, Jame, warming the cockles of my tiny little heart over here.”
“Don’t be an ass, Remington, I don’t think they should do it any more than you do. I wouldn’t let you go out there and get hurt either.” Faith spoke and all eyes turned to her.
Remy rolled his eyes. “Uh oh, Faith. Am I detecting emotion? Feelings? I don’t know if it’s the weird sensation that makes me almost, almost feel like you care…”
Faith sighed and looked away from Remington’s dark gaze. “Never said I didn’t, Rem,” was whispered softly from her lips.
Remington tried to act unaffected by Faith’s response. It was clear these two had a history and somewhere down the road life had thrown ‘em a big ass curveball.
Instead, he turned back to Rhett and Jameson, “Fine, go out and get yourselves hurt. Can’t say I didn’t warn ya.”
Reagan cleared her throat, “How ‘bout you, Cassidy Mae? I bet the towns aching to see you running some barrels. We ain’t seen that in forever. Whatcha say?”
I shook my head. I hadn’t been on the back of a horse in ages and as much as I figured it’d be like riding a bike, I didn’t want any part of embarrassing myself.
“Don’t think so, Rea. Thanks for thinking of me though.”
She stared me down point-blank. “And just why not, Cassidy Mae?”
I drummed my fingers on the table in front of me. “Well, I don’t exactly have a barrel horse and I haven’t been on the back of a horse in years. I’d just embarrass myself.”
“Way I see it’s this… you got a little over a couple of months to get ready. Oakley’s a little rusty but she’s a damn fine barrel pony. She’s carried many a ride to victory in the fair since you left us. You can ride her if you want.”
“I appreciate that, Rea. I do. When do I even have time to train with all my chores?”
“Good news, I can help with those. So, any more excuses?” She quirked an eyebrow at me.
All sets of eyes around the table were focused on me too. Like they were waiting for my response.
My eyes scanned everyone seated with us. “Wait, y’all think I should ride?”
A chorus of “yes” lit up the table and I felt honored that they all felt I was good enough to still compete after all these years. The thing about a small town is… Everyone knows everyone, so I’m sure they’d seen me ride a time or two.
I looked over to find Beau smirking at me.
“What?”
He shook his head. “Oh, nothing, Cassidy Mae. Never seen you wuss out over a little bit of barrel racin’? Where’d that fearless girl go that used to run those barrels so fast I couldn’t see straight?”
I looked away from the eyes that seemed to see straight through me these days. “That fearless girl is gone, Beau.”
He lifted my chin to look at him. “Nah, she’s still in there somewhere. You just gotta find her.”
“You really think I got a shot at winning the barrel races?”
“I ever give you an indication otherwise, darlin’.” This man and his sweet talk.
A quick glance around the time and I knew I’d been had. Smiles lit up their faces. A smile quirked the creases of my own lips after a minute or two.
It’d been years since I’d barrel raced and even the thought excited me. It brought me back to the best of times. Dust covered arenas and my best friend Reagan.
Now, I’d get to re-train and ride Oakley in just a short time. My excitement faded slightly as I thought about the potential risk that also came with running barrels. I wasn’t going to spend all my time living in fear. I’d live while I could. Andrew, wasn’t going to dull my light. Not this time.
The sun crashed through the blinds in
