Champion (Studs in Spurs) by Cat Johnson Read Free Book Online Page B

done riding for today. “How come Cooper doesn’t ride with a helmet like you do?”
    “He says it’s because he didn’t learn to ride with one when he was my age. The weight of it could throw his riding off. But he says it’s real important to wear one so that’s why he makes me practice with it on, even if we’re just on the barrel, so I’m used to it. He says he never wants to hear I’ve ever ridden without a helmet on or he’ll give me a whoopin’.” Her son grinned at her. “I don’t think he’d really do it though.”
    The chattering had Hannah smiling even as her heart clenched at hearing how much Cooper worried about her son. How he took care of him for her. “I don’t know, sweetie. I wouldn’t take a chance if I were you.”
    No matter what he claimed, Cooper was a better dad to Skeeter than her son’s biological father ever had been. It was no wonder she nearly melted whenever Cooper was near. Her poor heart didn’t stand a chance…and he’d be taking that groupie from the stands home with him by the looks of things. That alone should squelch her attraction to this man.
    It didn’t.
    The clang of the gate had her gaze snapping to the action in the chute. The bull charged into the arena with the man who so often occupied her thoughts astride its back.
    It had been heart-stopping to watch her son strapped by a rope around his hand to the back of a bucking animal, no matter what size it had been. Seeing Cooper in the same position, but on a bull twice the size of the one Skeeter had ridden, was nearly as hard for her to witness.
    Watching Cooper on TV in the comfort of her living room was easy compared to this. She’d felt so much more detached before seeing a competition live.
    Maybe it was harder to judge size and distance on the small television screen. Here, so close, she could see exactly how tight and confining that chute he crawled into was. Exactly how big and powerful these bulls were. How hard these men hit the ground when they fell. How close those deadly hooves came to striking flesh and bone while the fallen riders lay helpless on the ground.
    Just feet away, on the other side of the metal rail that separated the people from the action in the arena, the bull bucked and spun. Cooper matched the moves with countermoves of his own. When the bull dipped forward, the man angled backward. As the animal pushed off the dirt into a high jump, he bent at the hips and absorbed the force of it. The moves amazed her. It was as if he defied the laws of nature and gravity.
    Over the noise of the crowd, Skeeter chief among those cheering, she could hear her pulse pounding in her ears.
    It was an amazing dance, the give and take, action and reaction between man and beast. Even more mind-boggling was that the entire thing lasted only eight seconds. Before she knew it, the buzzer sounded and Cooper was reaching down with his free hand to grab the tail of the rope binding him to the animal.
    The bull rope released from around Cooper’s gloved hand and he leapt to the ground. He hit his knees but scrambled immediately to his feet and ran for the rail to dodge the bull still in the arena with him.
    The bull fighters did their job and distracted the animal while Cooper ran for the perimeter fencing. She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until it all came out in one big whoosh when he finally reached safety.
    Skeeter spun to face her, grinning wide. “Did you see that? Isn’t he amazing?”
    She let out a short laugh that her son had voiced the exact thing she’d thought while watching Cooper. “Yeah. He is.”
    Amazing…and not interested in her. Hannah watched the girl in the stands lean over the rail and wave to get Cooper’s attention. Smiling, he exited the arena, bull rope in hand, and moved closer. Acid ate at Hannah’s stomach as she watched him bask in the glow of the girl’s attention.
    “Come on. We have to go congratulate him.” Skeeter took a step in Cooper’s