Page 37 of Spurred On

There is an SUV waiting for us at the front. The drive to the arena takes about ten minutes.

“So how is the girl?” Sully asks. Small talk isn’t his strong suit; I can tell he feels awkward just asking.

Any mention of her always causes a smile to shoot across my face. She’s turned into my own little personal sunshine. “She’s good.”

He clears his throat. “Well, before we meet up with Doug, I want to chip in my two cents. Life is short, kid. If it gives you something good, you better hold on for dear life. Tighter than you’ve ever held on to any bull, ya hear me?” He looks at me, and I can see the sincerity there. While Doug is a complete fuck, Sully has always had my best interest at heart. Even when I didn’t like it. If he is giving me shit, there’s a good chance I deserved it.

His words ring true because now that I’ve got her, you’d have to pull her out of my cold, dead hands for me to give her up willingly. “I know. Trust me, I know.” He nods and continues looking forward.

We get to the arena and make our way inside, where Doug is waiting by the contender’s entry door.

“I had to pull some strings but I got you your own room, no locker room bullshit.” I nod, not bothering to tell him that I like the locker room bullshit. The shit talking adds to the fire. It helps me focus, but Doug thinks otherwise. In his mind, it’s a distraction, and he probably thinks it makes us look more important.

We head into the small room, and I start unpacking my things. My leather chaps get clipping around my thighs and my waist. I put my riding vest on and shake out the tension in my body.

Doug and Sully leave the room, giving me a few seconds of peace. My phone vibrates on top of my bag, and I pull it open.

Good luck! If you win, I’ll reward you with a special present. ;)

Well, that’s one way to motivate a man.

Can I get a hint about my present?

Nope, you will just have to find out when you get your sweet ass home.

I love that she calls my little cabin home, that it's slowly becoming hers too. God, I hope she stays.

A knock on the door pulls me out of my thoughts. “You ready?” Sully pokes his head in, and I nod.

“Yup.” I grab my helmet and head out the door.

As we get farther from the arena, the cheers get louder, the energy gets higher, and I settle in. Some get spooked by the noise, I get fueled by it.

Looking up at the score, I see the numbers I have to beat. It’s not bad. A few riders are after me, so I have to aim high. My bull isn’t the best, but with any luck, he’ll be in a mood and try extra hard to kill me. It’s a weird thing to wish for, but if it makes the score higher, it’s worth the risk.

Time blurs as I get myself loaded up, wrapped up, and ready to ride. We get settled into the chute, and I hear the buzzer ding as the chute gate opens. And my bull is fighting mad. My thighs are screaming for dear fucking life as he bucks around. My concentration is poured into the next second. Just one second at a time is all it takes. When the final buzzer goes off, I rip my wrist and hand loose and hop off. Darting to the corral, I hop up and swing my legs around before dropping to the other side. When the score pops up on the screen, Doug and Sully both pat my back. It would take a fucking miracle for one of the young bucks to come out and beat me tonight. All of the seasoned riders have already gone. It looks like I will be cashing in on my prize.

I end the night with another win and more cash for the bank. Doug walks beside me as we make our way to my dressing room.

“Good work out there tonight. Looks like the girl isn’t too much of a distraction.”

My head whips around. “What?”

“Oh, come on, most boys start to lose their itch the second they find a girl that’s half decent.” She’s more than half decent, she’s the best woman I’ve ever met, and I am pretty sure he knows that.

Feeling fed up with his shit, my tone comes out curt. I want this fucker to know I mean business. “Doug, I’m going to say one thing and one thing only. The only place you need to insert yourself is in my career. My personal life is none of your fucking business.”

“It’s my business if your personal life starts interfering with your career.”

My boots scuff against the concrete floor as I come to a stop. “That is for me to decide. You seem to forget your purpose here. Unless you feel like hopping up on the back of the bull and making this money yourself, I would reconsider your next words.”

He shakes his head and rolls his eyes. “You are so young and naive. I just don’t want to see you make the same mistakes your dad did.”

My mouth falls open for a second. If I thought I was pissed off before, he really added gasoline to the fire. “What? Have a kid. A kid who is currently employing you?”

He waves off my temper. “You know what I mean. Focus keeps you safe. I don’t care if you get pissed. The girl is gone if you start slipping. You’re getting that world title this year.” He’s right. I am getting that title and keeping the girl while I’m at it.

Not bothering with him, I shake my head and march forward because knocking Doug on his ass right now would absolutely prove hisass right. And the itch to knock his teeth in is becoming unbearable. Plus, unlike his miserable self, I have someone at home waiting for me.

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