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She muttered something undoubtedly foul beneath her breath. With barely a shift in the saddle, she moved Kai forward.

TJ waited until they were through to the secured event area, teeming with competitors and cowboys, before limping to his ticketed seat. He sat down right as the announcer’s voice boomed, ‘If you have a need for speed, you’re in luck. Because next up, we have the barrel racers!’

‘Tick Tick Boom’ by Sage the Gemini blasted through the speakers.

The crowd cheered loudly.

TJ sat through the first four riders, none of whom ran in under sixteen seconds.

And then it was Skye’s turn.

He leaned forward and linked his hands between his knees.

‘Next up, we have rookies Skye Marchant and Sweet Lil Bullet from Santa Barbara, California. Tonight is Sweet Lil Bullet’s first professional run!’ the announcer said, introducing Kai by his AQHA registered name.

The music blared louder.

TJ held his breath as he saw Skye and Kai step out of the side chute and into the alley. Kai was calm but alert, his ears pricked forward, his eyes looking straight ahead.

Skye took her signature moment of stillness.

The crowd, confused by the delay, fell quiet.

And only then did they break.

They shot down the alley, Skye leaning forward as Kai’s powerful legs churned the dirt. They rounded the first barrel easily at just over four seconds and shot to the next.

‘Come on, baby,’ TJ whispered as they pushed towards the third barrel.

They rounded the barrel a little too close. TJ held his breath as Skye’s booted foot nicked the drum and sent it tilting. She managed to lean down and push it in the other direction just as Kai surged forward.

She didn’t look back as they galloped down the straight. But TJ did. The barrel wobbled. For just one moment, it looked like it might tip in the opposite direction. It held for a second. And then slammed back into place.

‘Yes!’ he shouted. He pumped one fist in the air and turned just in time to see them cross the starting line again.

The clock froze on 14.76.

‘Fuck yeah!’ TJ laughed.

‘That’s gonna be the time to beat today,’ the announcer said. ‘That’s just 0.28 from the Denver Coliseum’s arena record.’ As the event staff moved the barrels out of the way and the tractors drove on to drag the arena before the next group of riders, TJ started hurrying back to where he’d told Skye to wait for him. But he didn’t miss the announcer’s words: ‘Looks like Skye Marchant and her horses, Smoking Barrel and Sweet Lil Bullet, are gonna be a trio to watch this season, folks.’

Chapter 30

Skye was standing outside the arena, holding Kai by the reins, by the time TJ got to her. A few barrel racers stopped to talk to her, and as he approached, TJ heard one of them say, ‘Nice run. That was incredible.’

Skye beamed. ‘Thanks. It was all Kai though.’ She ran one palm down Kai’s face and leaned into his big neck. ‘He gives his all.’

‘I can’t believe it was his first performance,’ one of the girls offered. ‘My mare went full bronc on me during her first pro run. We hit the first barrel and skipped the other two entirely.’

Her friend laughed. ‘It was objectively funny to watch.’

‘But not to ride.’

All three of them grinned.

TJ, who had been hovering awkwardly to the side, wanted to congratulate Skye but didn’t want to interrupt. Knowing people at rodeos, making friends, was a big part of the culture, and he wanted Skye to experience that. It could be lonely on the road, but running into people you knew always made it easier.

He was just about to take a few steps back when she saw him. Her smile was quick and lethal, brightening her blue eyes.