For the love of Rodeo

Chapter 11: Ready? Set? No!

Xander was helping me groom the horses while Sammy was signing us up for tomorrow's rodeo at the stands. A lot of people have gotten in with their trucks and trailers full of beautiful horses of every color and size.
One horse in particular caught my eye and it was a large dappled paint buckskin stallion with an incredibly long mane and tail with a glass eye on his right side. He looked maybe 16 and a half hands high (a hand is 4 inches and is measured from the ground to the top of a horses wither) and was being led by a little girl who looked maybe 5.
It's unusual seeing a stallion act that calm around other horses and mares and it's amazing seeing how gentle and slow he is being for the young girl leading him. A smile crept across my face at the sight and I pulled out my phone to take a picture before continuing to brush out Apache.
     "Oh my gosh!" Jill screeched in my ear and I jumped causing Apache to spook.
     "Sorry baby I didn't mean to spook you." Jill said calmly and rubbed Apache's nose which he enjoyed. "I saw him and had to see him. He's so cute. Is this the one you ride?" She asked while rubbing all over his face, which he loved.
     "Yup he's my baby." I smiled proudly of my main man.
     "He's beautiful." Jill smiled and rubbed his nose. "AJ is here." She said randomly.
     "Who's AJ." I asked half focused and the other half of my focus on a dirt stain on Apache's thigh.
     "A super good and super hot bull rider. He's amazing. He ropes and rides broncs and so many other things. He is really into rodeo." She smiled dreamily.
     "Gross just go show him your love for him not me." I grimaced.
     "That's the thing. He has his heart on rodeo and getting his life together. He won't date anyone." Jill said.
     "Smart guy." I winked at her. "Got his priorities lined out."
"Didn't know you were so against love." She scoffed.
"I'm not against love I'm just against frivolous relationships." I rolled my eyes.
"Okay okay." Jill shoved my shoulder playfully and I laughed. "Imma get my horse brushed and do some practicing in the practice arena." She started walking out.
"Alright. I might be down there later." I waved her off.
We all went to breakfast earlier today before spending a few hours exploring town then getting ice cream. We stayed out so long we also ate lunch. We just talked and got to know each other, it was nice.
I looked at my phone and the time showed 2:32. Which surprised me because I didn't think it would be that late already.
     "Xander your horse is out of water!" I shout and bang on the door of my trailer where he was currently taking a nap.
     "Will you water him for me?" A groggy voice yells from the trailer.
     "Xander! Stop being lazy. Let's go practice roping I'm bored." I shout back and get 2 flakes of hay for the horses.
     "Okay fine." He yawns and steps out of the trailer still in his jeans and short-sleeved button down shirt.
     "At least tell me you took your boots off to nap." I groaned since he wore dirty clothes in the bed.
     "Duh." He smiled and grabbed the water bucket from Chesters pen.
     Xander and I just finished tacking our horses and were currently walking to the practice arena. There were a few barrel racers in the actual arena but there were roping dummies set up in the practice arena.
I spun my turquoise rope by my side a bit to get the loop a comfortable size in my gloved hand before I adjusted the loop around my saddle horn to make sure it was tight.
"Sammy!" I shouted trying to hold in my laughter while he walked over to Xander and I.
"What?" He asked and I looked at Xander which he nodded.
"Take off running." I smiled before laughing when his face dropped.
"No way." He folded his arms until I started swinging my rope.
"Ready?" I asked him and re adjusted my grip and twirled my rope.
"Set?" Xander asked and started swinging his rope.
"No!" Sammy shouted before running away from us.
I gave him a head start before nodding to Xander and he took off. Xander threw the rope over Sammys head and allowed it to go around his chest before he tightened it a bit but not too much so we wouldn't hurt him.
"Dang it." Sammy pulled at the rope but Xander kept it tight enough so he couldn't remove it.
Xander pulled Sammy a bit causing him to step and me to be able to throw my rope and catch his back foot. I pulled a bit harder than Xander and Sammy fell.
It didn't take him long to get back up and pull the ropes off while I was laughing and he was smiling.
"That was a one time only thing!" He shouted before jogging back to the stands.
I rolled up my rope then threw it again catching Sammy's heel again and pulling it snug so he ate more arena sand.
"Oh sorry about that." I said sarcastically but smiled. He glared and pulled the rope off before taking off back for the stands to be safe from us.
Xander and I spent the next hour roping dummies since are human dummy ran away. Xander and I took turns heeling and heading since I had to head for break away roping but I preferred heeling so I was going to heel for the team roping tomorrow night.
After the day of practice, the group I went out for breakfast with asked the boys and I if we wanted to go out for dinner which we agreed to.
The evening went well and after the horses were taken care of, we went to sleep with Sammy on the couch and Xander in the bed with me.
My mind wandered a bit before I dozed off.
I think I'm ready for tomorrow I've had practice. I don't know these people here but I know my horse. I think we can do it. That was the last thing I remember thinking before I fell into a relaxing sleep with no dreams.
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Authors Note:
Hello lovelies! Sorry I haven't written in a bit I've been busy with a new horse and rodeoing of my own. I got Apache down to 16.7 second runs and I'm so excited! I hope y'all are enjoying the book so far.