RODEO LOVE

Chapter ten South Dakota

I stretched my legs as I shut the truck door. Me and Rose had been on the road for hours.

"Ugh" I moaned as I stretched my arms to the sky.

It felt so good to be out of that stiff truck. I've found that I'm always the driver while Rose is my passenger who just sleeps the whole time. Which in one way I don't mind. My truck is my baby and I fell like Rose would be the first person to get a scratch on it. I looked back in the truck. Rose was still passed out in her seat.

I glanced around the new rodeo grounds. Me and Rose had driven to Crazy horse South Dakota. It was one of the few big rodeos in South Dakota. After this one I planned to go to Wyoming to get some more points for the national rodeo finals. The South Dakota grounds were quite right now. Only five horse trailers where here counting mine. I walked around the truck to the back of the trailer. I opened it up to take out Brandy and Montana to tire them up to the trailer.  I heard a truck door slam. I looked over to the truck. Rose stood there rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes.

"Morning sleepy head" I called out to her.

"Don't you mean afternoon. Normally you give me a hard time over sleeping in" she said with sleepiness still in her voice.

"I'll let you off this time" I laughed.

"Well thanks for taking care of Montana" she thanked

"Don't thank me yet. Go get the horses some water would you?" I asked. She just nodded as and grabbed the two watering buckets. She started to walk off looking for the water spout to fill the buckets up with.

I started to brush off Brandy when I heard a truck and trailer pull up next to me. I looked behind me to spot a three horse trailer with a dark green Chevy Silverado pick up pulling it. Then I saw someone I had almost forgot about. I saw a tall lean man that went by the name Travis. Him and a few of his friends jumped out of the truck.

"April right?" he started to walk over  to me. I swallowed hard. The last time I saw Travis was when he tried to get in my pants during my first night be for a rodeo. I stood there silently as he stepped  in front of me.

"April right?" he asked me again

"Get the hell away from me" I hissed as I started to walk back to my truck were my phone was.

"Now hold up. It was a simply question. April right?" he gripped my arm tighter.

" Yes. Now go park your truck and trailer some where else" my voice becoming firm and bitter as I starred into his eyes.

"Ok ok" he held up his hands as if he was surrendering.

"But my truck and trailer is staying" he smirked. But his feet never moved.

"Travis get the hell away from her!"  I heard Nick's angry voice come from behind me.

I spun around to see Nick looking pissed off as he came stomping over to us.

"Nick. It's always a pleasure to see you" Travis seemed pleased with getting caught near me.

"Travis get the hell away from her" Nick's voice becoming more bitter at the moment.

"Oh what's the matter Nick. She just so pretty I can't just listen to an over productive man" Travis smiled an evil smile at me. I switched my weight to my other foot. I felt Nick's arm wrap around my waist prospectively.

"Travis I'm gonna tell you one more time. Leave my girlfriend alone" Nick stressed the word girlfriend.

"Oh girlfriend" Travis raised his eyebrow at us.

"Move your trailer and leave her alone" Nick voice calming down a little.

"Fine. Fine I'll leave your girlfriend alone" Travis motioned for his buddies to get in the truck. They all listened with out a question come out of their mouths.  All four of the men jumped into the truck. Travis hung on his open drivers side door.

"Till another day" Travis tipped his hat at me before he shut the truck door and drove to a different parking spot. Nick turned to look at me.

"Are you alright? He didn't hurt you did he?" Nick's hands resting on my cheeks as he tried to see if I was hurt.

"I'm fine" I moved my face away so his hands fell off of my face.

"You sure" he looked back into my eyes.

"I'm sure. I promise he didn't hurt me" I peeked him on his lips so he knew I was  fine.

"I'm just making sure" he pulled me into a hug.

"I know" I whispered into his shoulder.

I stood there silently in his arms. Being in Nick's arms just made me feel safe and secured. I sighed. He smelt like hay and cheap colonel. I loved the smell that came off of him.

"Ok love birds. One of you guys help me with the water" I heard Rose call.

I separated from Nick. I walked over to Rose and grabbed my bucket. I hooked the bucket up to the trailer when I heard Rose squeal and  a bucket drop.

"Oh my God April your birthday is tomorrow" she screamed in my ear.

"Shhh... let's not make a big deal out of it" I looked over at Rose as she jumped up and down.

"You never told me this" I heared Nick whisper in my ear from behind me.

"It was never a big deal for me" I shrugged my shoulders.

"April this is huge. It's your birthday!" she squealed again.

"Yeah ok" I rolled my eyes

"It's is. My girl's is turning...." Nick trailed off because he didn't know my age.

"20" I giggled

"It's a big deal. It's my girl's Birthday tomorrow" Nick wrapped his arms around me giving me a tight squeeze. He released me and started to walk off.

"Where you going?" I asked

"I got to go get a present for you" he turned around and smirked at me.

"Just come spend the day with me" I answered

"I will. You just need a gift too" he called before he turned the corner away from me. I turned back to Rose who seemed like she was practically jumping out of her own skin.

"Do. not. make. a. big. deal. out. of. it" I spoke slowly. Her smile grew as she nodded to me.

"I mean it Rose" I gave her the evil eye.

"I know" She started to swing her arms back and forth

"Seriously. Do not go big." I tried to be as clear as I could get with her.

"I know" She giggled before she ran off.

I watched her run off with her phone already to her ear. I rolled my eyes at my crazy friend. She always had my back but sometimes she just doesn't listen for shit.