Page 39 of The Pieces We've Lost

I was coming around the far corner of the arena when I saw her in the stands, standing up and cheering like she didn’t have a care in the world. Like she belonged here.

Ellison. My girl.

He was so natural out there, smiling as if he had been doing this his whole life. That smile was magnetic, and every girl here knew it. I was starting to remember why my parents loved rodeo so much, why I loved it so much.

I was watching the steer wrestling, praying nothing bad would happen, when Colter ran up to the spot in the stands where I was sitting. Cora had already left. Olivia was fussy and Wyatt was done roping, so she decided to call it.

He pulled me into a hug. “You came?” He sounded akin to a little kid.

“Of course I did. I wanted to be here for you.”

His eyes softened for a moment as he pulled back and looked me in the face. Then he leaned back into the hug.

“That means so much to me.” He released me from his arms. “Listen, I need to go back, but stay?”

I nodded. I wasn’t planning on going anywhere. He flashed me a grin and ran back down the steps.

I sat and watched the remainder of the events—what was left of the steer wrestling, barrel racing, and then everyone’s favorite, bull riding. I admired the wives of bull riders. It took a lot of strength to watch the person you love risk their lives every time they performed. Bull riding was obviously a dangerous sport, but could be extremely rewarding when you looked at the net worth of some of those cowboys.

After the bull riding was finished, they brought all of the semifinal winners down to the arena floor for them to be recognized and receive their prize money.

Colter and Reid had clinched their spot in the RodeoHouston Championship and they stood on the arena floor smiling like they had just won the Super Bowl.

I couldn’t help myself. I smiled with them.

I waited for Colter after the rodeo, when the spectators started to file out of the stadium and all that was left were staff, livestock, and cowboys. The arena had a different feel without all the people surrounding it. It made me wonder who those cowboys and cowgirls were. When all the lights went out, who did they have to go home to? Where did they consider home? Was it the arena itself, or the comfort of someone’s arms?

From what I gathered from Colter, rodeo was basically his life. I didn’t know if he had someone to call when a day went badly, and I considered for a moment what it wouldbe like to be that for him. To be someone’s shoulder, someone’s rock that they clung to when the waters got too rough. Someone to keep them from being pulled under. But then I wondered if I even had someone like that. Other than Isa and my mom, not really. At least not before Colter.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

colter

Cheers, boys.” Mikey raised his glass.

We were once again in the bars in downtown Houston. I had invited Ellison to come with us, but she said she couldn’t go. Something about a dream she had and a guy in a really bad silverbelly hat. I wasn’t about to ask, so here I was, hanging out with the boys instead.

“Hey, who was that girl you were talking to?” Jake asked me.

“Girl? And she’s nothere,Carson?” Mikey practically spit out his drink.

“No, she’s not here.” I rolled my eyes.Were we really doingthisagain?

“I’m starting to believe that this so-called ‘girl’ doesn’t even exist.” Mikey shrugged.

“Oh, she definitely exists. Haven’t you noticed how wound up Colter’s been lately?” Reid smirked.

I gave him a death glare, and he chuckled. He was just rubbing it in that he knew about my growing interest in Ellison and how much I thought about her. How her nameseemed to echo in my thoughts and the sound of her voice ran circles around my brain.

Tomorrow we would be watching the second semifinal round, seeing who our competition would be when we competed again in two days. I should have been thinking about the championship, but the only thing on my mind was when I could see Ellison again.

“You must be right, Reid. I’ve been trying to get his attention for the last three minutes. You okay there, bud?”

I looked over at Mikey, who had his arms crossed over his chest and an amused grin on his face.

“Give me a break, will you?”God, I need new friends who aren’t so invested in my love life.

“Come on, Colt, it’s all in good fun. We haven’t seen you this hung up on a girl in years,” Mikey teased.

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