Page 5 of Dirty Cowboys
The crowd cheers, and I join them as Wyatt appears in the chute on top of a massive black bull. My heart pounds as I focus my phone on him, but I’m very aware of the three men nearby. Duke has straightened, his attention focused fully on the arena. Nash is shouting so loudly I can hear him over the crowd. Walker is gripping the fence, not giving much away, but he looks a little nervous.
The gate opens, and my heart is in my throat. The next few seconds feel like forever.
Wyatt stays on, barely, as the bull spins and bucks.One move has Wyatt flying off the bull, landing hard, and then rolling to his feet.
I’m snapping photos constantly with my phone, capturing as much as I can. I post the best of the lot on my feed.
HE DID IT! @WyattMorrison look at you go.
#BullRider #FirstRide #Fearless #ProudMoment
But when I lower my phone, I realize the three men are looking directly at me. Not at the arena, not at Wyatt’s celebration, but at me.
Duke tips his hat slightly. Nash grins and gives me a small wave. Walker just stares at me with those intense gray eyes until I feel heat crawling up my face. Then they turn as one and disappear into the crowd.
“Did you get it?!” I jump when Wyatt appears beside me, dusty and grinning from ear to ear. “Please tell me you got it!”
“Every second,” I assure him, showing him some of the shots on my phone’s screen. “These are fantastic.”
I quickly take another quick photo of Wyatt and post it.
The face of a future winner!
#Victory #SmallTown #RodeoLife
We spend the next hour going through photos and videos, and Wyatt introduces me to what feels like half the town. Everyone is friendly, wanting to know where I come from and what I do. I snap photos throughout the event, saving some for later for a recap post.
As the night winds down and everyone packs up, I realize I haven’t seen Duke, Nash, or Walker since that moment by the arena. I scan the crowd one more time, but they seem to have vanished.
“Looking for someone?” Sarah Beth asks, appearing beside me again.
“Just some people I met yesterday. Duke and his friends.”
“Ah.” Her smile returns. “The Callahan boys. They don’t usually stick around for the social part. Probably headed back to work. Cattle don’t take Saturday nights off.”
“Callahan boys?”
“That’s just what everyone calls them around here. Why, are you interested in one of them?”
“I... no, I just met them yesterday. I’m not looking for anything like that.”
“Uh huh.” Sarah Beth’s expression says she doesn’t believe me for a second. “Well, just so you know, they’re good men. If you’re planning to stick around Copper Creek you’ll see plenty of them. This is a small town, so everyone runs into everyone eventually.”
Sarah Beth and I exchange numbers—she wants to take me out to wear in my boots, whatever that means. Just so long as she doesn’t expect me to stand in horseshit deliberately like she mentioned earlier.
Making my way back to my car, I’m excited with how much content I managed to get tonight. There is also plenty of mental content for my blog. The drive back to the farmhouse is quiet, with only the radio and my thoughts for company. I know I made the right choice in coming here.
Back at the house, I upload the day’s photos to my laptop and start editing. The shots of Wyatt’s ride are so good, and I create one final Instagram story compilation of the whole day.
What an incredible first rodeo experience!
#NewLife #CountryGirl #Blessed
Afterward, I linger over the photos I took of Duke, Nash, and Walker. Finally, I open my blog, the cursor blinking as I try to find the words that capture what I’m feeling.
Small-Town Confessions - Part Two
Posted by Indie’s Inner Thoughts
