Page 126 of My Cowboy Trouble
"Twenty bucks says she makes it around once before that mare decides she's had enough," I say quietly to the other two.
"You're on," Asher says. "I think she makes it all the way around."
"I give her two barrels before Buttercup starts testing her," Trent says.
We watch as Kenzie approaches the first barrel, leaning into the turn like she's been doing this for years instead of months. Buttercup rounds it clean, ears forward, responding to Kenzie's hands.
"Damn," I mutter. "She's actually doing it."
The second barrel goes just as smooth, and I can see Kenzie starting to look confident. Maybe a little too confident.
"That's our girl," Asher says.
"She's not done yet," Trent warns.
The third barrel is where things get interesting. Buttercup's feeling good now, wanting to go faster, and I can see Kenzie having to work to keep her collected. But she manages it, bringing the mare through the turn and pointing her toward the finish.
That's when Sir Clucks-a-Lot decides to help.
The damn rooster comes tearing across the pasture like his tail feathers are on fire, probably chasing some imaginary threat or just looking to cause trouble. Buttercup sees him coming and decides this requires immediate evacuation.
"Oh, shit," Asher breathes.
The mare goes hard to the left, then bucks once for good measure. I hold my breath, waiting for Kenzie to hit the dirt and end her tourist barrel racing dreams permanently.
But she doesn't. She sticks to that saddle like glue, one hand in the mare's mane and the other still holding the reins, laughing like the whole thing is the best entertainment she's had all week.
"Get out of here, you pyscho!" she shouts at Sir Clucks-a-Lot.
Buttercup settles, probably as surprised as the rest of us that her rider's still aboard, and Kenzie nudges her forward to finish the course.
"Well, I'll be damned," Trent says.
"She did it," Asher adds.
"She more than did it," I say, watching Kenzie trot back toward us with a grin that says she's already planning the next phase of her business empire. "She looks like she belongs up there."
"Don't tell her that," Trent mutters. "She'll add advanced riding lessons to her presentation."
Kenzie bringsButtercup to a stop in front of us and throws her arms up in the air like she just won the National Finals Rodeo.
"Did you see that?" she demands, breathless and grinning. "Did you see me stay on when our star attraction tried to take me out?”
"Star attraction?" Asher asks.
"Sir Clucks-a-Lot. He's going to be a huge draw for the authentic ranch experience. He might even be on our logo."
Logo? What the hell is a logo?
"He's going to send someone to the hospital," Trent says.
"Even better. Adventure tourism with real risk."
I reach up to help her down from the saddle. "Impressive riding, princess."
"Impressive hell, that was rodeo-quality," Asher adds.
"Don't let it go to your head," Trent warns.
