Page 72 of The Chances We Take

Come on, Reid!

I followed, ready to throw my rope as Colter turned the steer.

We need perfect timing. Weneedthis.

Two more swings over my head, and I saw my opening. I locked my eyes on the honda and my target and threw the rope. The loop seemed to float—suspended in the air—time moving in slow motion.

Colter’s eyes grew wide, and the arena teemed with anticipation from the crowd.

And then everything froze.

The rope missed the steer’s leg by half an inch, and it kept running as the rope fell to the ground. Dust flew into the air, and the thud of rope hitting the ground seemed to repeat in my head like an echo chamber—though it was too loud in the arena to actually hear it—as the reality of what happened sunk in.

I missed.

Knuckles rapped against my hotel room door.

“Colter, go away. I don’t want to talk,” I grumbled loud enough that he could hear from outside.

“It’s me.” Isa’s voice floated through the air.

I got up to walk over to the door, looking through the peephole to make sure Ellison or any of the guys weren’t with her. I didn’t have the courage to face Colter right now. Or any of the others for that matter.

It was only her, so I opened the door to let her in. “Hi.”

“Hi.” She walked past me—her arm brushing against mine—heading to the couch in my room.

I followed her, letting the door slam and the lock click firmly in place.

“Did Colter or Ellison send you?” I asked, a slight accusation in my voice.

A pained expression flashed across her face before she shook her head. “Nope. I came on my own terms.” She sighed. “I wanted to make sure you’re okay. I know you’re disappointed.”

I sat next to her. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.” For the first time in my life, I felt like I had let Colter down.Iwas the reason he didn’t have a World Championship buckle. “It’s my fault.”

“It’s not. It could have happened to anyone, Reid.”

“I let him down. I knew how badly he wanted this. We were so close…” My shoulders slumped, and I looked down at my feet, the weight of shame crushing me.

“Look at how far you’ve come, though. There’s always next year. And the year after that.” She wasn’t wrong, but it didn’t stop the intense guilt from gnawing at my brain.

“I just wish I could have done better. For Colter.”

“I know. But Colter isn’t going to hold it against you. And I know you know that.”

I looked back up at her, seeing the concern in her eyes. “Thank you,” I whispered.

She studied my face, her expression soft. “For what?”

“For coming here.”

“I’ll always be here for you, Reid. You can come to me with anything, you know that right?”

“Yeah, I know.” I hung my head again, my shoulders drooping and the disappointment coming off me in waves, before taking a deep breath—one with my whole body. “You too, okay? Doesn’t matter what it’s about. You don’t have anyone else? Come to me.”

“Okay.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

---