Marco.
He was about to drop down in the chute once more and the crowd let out a collective gasp as the bull jumped again. Marco waited him out and then tried a third time. “Is that boy nuts?” Natalie heard from behind her, and she had to agree with the man. She knew Marco could ask for a different bull, but it probably wouldn’t be ranked as high and thus wouldn’t get as big a score as the others in Marco’s group. Natalie shivered as the thought of her doing this ran through her mind. Was she nuts?
Almost as soon as Marco was in the chute the door opened and Natalie leaned forward in her seat. She knew Marco had to give a signal before they opened the door and wondered if he had or if a horrific event was unfolding before her eyes. The bull shot straight up in the air right by the walls of the chute and the arena, all four legs leaving the dirt. He landed and Natalie could swear his body was at a forty-five-degree angle to the ground as he spun.
Marco stayed with him and Natalie felt her chest swell. Why she was proud of someone she’d only met yesterday was a mystery, but as the buzzer sounded and Marco made a none-too-graceful dismount, Natalie couldn’t help it. She knew the bull would score very highly with the antics he’d forced Marco to endure, and not getting bucked would really help Marco’s half of the score.
His score came up and was lower than she’d expected. He’d scored an 85, which meant the judges had seen something she hadn’t. She wasn’t an expert by any means, and she made a note to ask Marco what happened. The other riders took their turns and all but one stayed on his bull, which put Marco in ninth place going into the second day.
Natalie made her way toward the riders’ prep area, hoping to meet some of the other riders, and a few moments later she was standing outside the locker room waiting for him to come out.
He did, walking beside his brother and Conner. Stopping in front of her, he turned so they were both facing Conner and Paolo and introduced her. Natalie looked up and up since Conner was easily a foot taller than she was.
“Pleasure to meet you, Natalie,” Conner said, holding out a huge hand and giving her a smile Natalie was sure got him whatever he wanted.
“Nice to meet you, too.” She cleared her throat and continued, hoping he wouldn’t think she was being too forward. “I’d love to talk to you some time about bull riding.”
“Oh?”
“I’m following you guys around for a couple of weeks. I want to try out for the women’s tour,” she explained and he smiled again. It was an encouraging smile, not one of condescension or ridicule, and she liked Conner immediately.
“Of course you can talk to me. Just not right before I ride.” His gaze shifted to Marco for a moment before returning to hers. “But afterward or on an off-day would be fine.”
A woman appeared at Conner’s side and what was a nice smile turned into an indulgent one. “Jessie girl,” he murmured as he brushed his lips with hers. The woman patted the side of his face, and Natalie saw both an engagement ring and a wedding band. Lucky girl if she landed Conner. He turned her toward Natalie and said, “Natalie, this is my wife, Jessica. Jess, this is Natalie. She’s Marco’s…friend.”
Jessica glanced at Marco and then held out her hand. “Really nice to meet you.”
Conner put his arm around Jessica. “Natalie is following the tour around for a few weeks. She wants to become a female bull rider.”
Jessica’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously?”
“Darlin’, you’re gonna catch flies,” Conner told her and she snapped it shut again.
Natalie laughed. These two were a trip. “Yeah, seriously.”
“You’ve got more of a sense of adventure than I do.”
“Oh, now, I wouldn’t say that,” Conner replied and Jessica blushed.
Marco spoke up then. “How about we all go to dinner?”
“That sounds good to me,” Conner said. “Jess?”
“Fine with
He was about to drop down in the chute once more and the crowd let out a collective gasp as the bull jumped again. Marco waited him out and then tried a third time. “Is that boy nuts?” Natalie heard from behind her, and she had to agree with the man. She knew Marco could ask for a different bull, but it probably wouldn’t be ranked as high and thus wouldn’t get as big a score as the others in Marco’s group. Natalie shivered as the thought of her doing this ran through her mind. Was she nuts?
Almost as soon as Marco was in the chute the door opened and Natalie leaned forward in her seat. She knew Marco had to give a signal before they opened the door and wondered if he had or if a horrific event was unfolding before her eyes. The bull shot straight up in the air right by the walls of the chute and the arena, all four legs leaving the dirt. He landed and Natalie could swear his body was at a forty-five-degree angle to the ground as he spun.
Marco stayed with him and Natalie felt her chest swell. Why she was proud of someone she’d only met yesterday was a mystery, but as the buzzer sounded and Marco made a none-too-graceful dismount, Natalie couldn’t help it. She knew the bull would score very highly with the antics he’d forced Marco to endure, and not getting bucked would really help Marco’s half of the score.
His score came up and was lower than she’d expected. He’d scored an 85, which meant the judges had seen something she hadn’t. She wasn’t an expert by any means, and she made a note to ask Marco what happened. The other riders took their turns and all but one stayed on his bull, which put Marco in ninth place going into the second day.
Natalie made her way toward the riders’ prep area, hoping to meet some of the other riders, and a few moments later she was standing outside the locker room waiting for him to come out.
He did, walking beside his brother and Conner. Stopping in front of her, he turned so they were both facing Conner and Paolo and introduced her. Natalie looked up and up since Conner was easily a foot taller than she was.
“Pleasure to meet you, Natalie,” Conner said, holding out a huge hand and giving her a smile Natalie was sure got him whatever he wanted.
“Nice to meet you, too.” She cleared her throat and continued, hoping he wouldn’t think she was being too forward. “I’d love to talk to you some time about bull riding.”
“Oh?”
“I’m following you guys around for a couple of weeks. I want to try out for the women’s tour,” she explained and he smiled again. It was an encouraging smile, not one of condescension or ridicule, and she liked Conner immediately.
“Of course you can talk to me. Just not right before I ride.” His gaze shifted to Marco for a moment before returning to hers. “But afterward or on an off-day would be fine.”
A woman appeared at Conner’s side and what was a nice smile turned into an indulgent one. “Jessie girl,” he murmured as he brushed his lips with hers. The woman patted the side of his face, and Natalie saw both an engagement ring and a wedding band. Lucky girl if she landed Conner. He turned her toward Natalie and said, “Natalie, this is my wife, Jessica. Jess, this is Natalie. She’s Marco’s…friend.”
Jessica glanced at Marco and then held out her hand. “Really nice to meet you.”
Conner put his arm around Jessica. “Natalie is following the tour around for a few weeks. She wants to become a female bull rider.”
Jessica’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously?”
“Darlin’, you’re gonna catch flies,” Conner told her and she snapped it shut again.
Natalie laughed. These two were a trip. “Yeah, seriously.”
“You’ve got more of a sense of adventure than I do.”
“Oh, now, I wouldn’t say that,” Conner replied and Jessica blushed.
Marco spoke up then. “How about we all go to dinner?”
“That sounds good to me,” Conner said. “Jess?”
“Fine with
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