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Had I rushed him into competition too soon? We weren’t ready—that much was clear from our disastrous run. But I couldn’t let one poor performance shake my confidence. We needed more time to get in sync, to learn each other’s rhythms and cues.
I brushed Gambler down, my hands moving mechanically as my mind raced.
Maybe I should have stuck with Cherokee for this rodeo. She was reliable. We had a connection that came from years of working together. But Gambler... He was something special. I felt it in the way he moved; the power coiled in his muscles. We would figure out how to harness it.
“You’ll do better next time,” I murmured to him, running my hand along his neck.
He snorted as if in agreement. I smiled despite myself. We were a team now, for better or worse.
I thought back to what Rhett had said about Wyatt and Drifter. The idea of Wyatt losing his beloved horse made my heart ache in a way I didn’t want to examine too closely. But I couldn’t dwell on that now. I had my own challenges to focus on.
As I finished up with Gambler and headed back to my trailer, I pushed away the lingering doubts. So what if we’d had a rough start? Every partnership had its growing pains. We’d do better next time; I was sure of it. And if not, we’d keep trying until we got it right. I wasn’t one to back down from a challenge, and Gambler was worth the effort.
I climbed into my trailer, the exhaustion of the day catching up with me. Tomorrow was a new day, a new chance to prove ourselves. And we’d take it, one ride at a time.
Chapter 7
Over You - Miranda Lambert
Wyatt
No time .
The steer came out of the chute straight. Finn roped the horns beautifully and turned him just right, but I wasn’t where I was supposed to be and I missed the hind feet. I was a second too late, but in this sport, every second mattered.
“And that is no time for Finn Winter and Wyatt Collins. Tough start for a usually consistent team,” the announcer said over the loudspeaker.
Finn didn’t look at me as we rode our horses out of the arena. I saw the disappointment on his face.
“I’m sorry. That was all on me. I’m not sure what—”
“It’s fine,” he said. “It happens.”
I hated letting him down, especially since this was his last season on the circuit. Finn had been talking about retiring, but he wanted to go out on a high note.
As we dismounted, frustration clouded his eyes.
“Hey, I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what happened, I—"
“Wyatt, I told you it’s fine,” Finn cut me off, his voice terse. “It’s not the end of the world. We’ve had bad runs before.”
I nodded, knowing he was right, but the guilt still weighed on me. Finn had been my best friend since we were kids rodeoing together. I couldn’t stand the thought of letting him down, especially with his retirement looming. Or, our retirement, I should say…
“What the hell was that, Collins?” Travis Andersen, a long-time rival and not someone I wanted to see, strolled towards us with a couple of his buddies, smirking.
Ignoring him, we dismounted, and I hooked the stirrup around the horn to loosen the cinch.
“I knew your career was going down the drain, but after that performance, I think you’re officially in the shitter.”
My shoulders tensed, and I pulled them back. Finn caught my eye over the horses and gave a slight shake of his head.
“Word is Kinsley Jackson is done with you too. Can’t say I blame her. Maybe she’s ready to trade up for a winner.”
“Shut up, Travis,” I growled, my patience wearing thin.
But Travis was just getting started. “Or maybe it’s not Kinsley. Maybe you’re the one who can’t keep up with her. I hear she’s quite the handful in and out of the arena, if you know what I mean.”
My blood boiled at his insinuation. “Watch your mouth, Andersen.”
