Page 50 of Roping the Rodeo Queen
Surprise flashes over Jo's face before hardening into pure determination.She clicks to Blaze, and the mare digs deep, finding that reserve of energy that has won her so many championships.We're in perfect sync, stride for stride, as we barrel toward the finish line where Buck stands waving his hat wildly.
"Come on, Clay, kick her ass!"I hear my dad hollering somewhere in the crowd, and when I take a quick glance, I see my whole family cheering.
The finish line rushes toward us.Neither horse gives an inch.I can feel Thunder's heart hammering beneath me, matching my own.Jo's eyes meet mine for a split second---fierce, focused, and alive with joy.This is us at our core, two competitors who push each other to our best and beyond.We flash past Buck in a cloud of dust, so close that even he can't tell who crossed the finish line first.Thunder and Blaze gradually slow down until they finally halt.
"It's a tie!"Buck announces, throwing his hat in the air."Photo finish!Never seen anything like it in all my years!"
The crowd erupts in cheers and good-natured arguments about who actually won.Jo and I circle back toward each other, both our horses still prancing with leftover adrenaline.
"Not bad for a nobody from the middle of nowhere," Jo teases, her cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling.She's breathing hard, and there's a piece of hay stuck in her hair that makes me want to reach over and pluck it out.
"Nobody?I'm a TV star, remember?"
"We both were, Clay, in case you forgot.But at least I know how to tenderize a steak properly."She grins, patting Blaze's neck."Good thing it was a tie, or I might've had to gloat."
"You would've lost that bet."I lean forward in my saddle."But I've got a consolation prize for you."
Her brows furrow.Confused Jo is the cutest version of her.
I bring Thunder up alongside Blaze, then reach over to pull Jo onto my lap.The arena goes silent---until I pull out the ring box.
Jo's eyes bulge, and her lips fall open in shock as she gapes at the small velvet box.Her weight is warm across my lap, solid and real, and suddenly my heart is galloping faster than Thunder ever could.
"Clay McKendrick, what are you doing?"she whispers, just loud enough for me to hear.
The crowd around us has gone completely silent.I can feel a passel of eyes on us, but all I can see is Jo---the freckles that sprinkle her nose and cheeks, the slight tremble in her hands as she grips Thunder's mane for balance."I'm improvising, Jo."
This wasn't how I planned it, but it'll work.The box feels slick in my sweaty palm."I was going to wait until after your championship run, but---"
"But you're too stubborn and impatient," she finishes, an affectionate smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.But her eyes are suspiciously bright, and I can feel the smallest tremor running through her body where she's pressed against me.
"Maybe I am impatient," I admit, balancing her carefully on Thunder's back as I flip open the box with my thumb.The simple diamond catches the afternoon sunlight, sending prisms dancing across Jo's face."But I've also been waiting my whole life for this moment."
Jo's lips fall open, and she swallows hard."Clay..."
"I had a whole speech planned.About how we've been circling each other since we first met in Tampa.About how no one pushes me or challenges me or understands me like you do."
The crowd has gone silent.Buck, my dad, the championship---none of it matters now.It's just Jo and me, suspended in this moment on Thunder's back.
"But the truth is simple, Jo.I love you.I love how you never let me win anything easily.I love how you talk to your horse like she's your best friend.I love that you put hot sauce on everything, even ice cream that one time."
She laughs through what might be tears."That was a dare from your sister."
"I love that you accepted the dare."I shift her slightly, making sure she's secure."I love your stubborn streak and your competitive fire and the way you hum when you're concentrating.I love that you're brave enough to chase championships and foolish enough to race me five minutes before the biggest ride of your season."
"Clay..."Her voice breaks slightly as her eyes turn glossy with tears she's trying to stave off.
"Jolene Luella Callahan, will you marry me?Will you become my wife, my partner, the one person who really knows me and always tells me the God's honest truth.Please, say yes so I can spend the rest of my life trying to keep up with you."
Jo started crying a minute ago, but now the tears are streaming down her cheeks."Yes, Clay, yes!Of course I'll marry you."She flings her arms around my neck, nearly unseating us both from Thunder's back."Yes, I'll marry you, Clay McKendrick.Yes to everything you just said."
The crowd goes insane.Buck's whooping carries over everyone else's cheers, and I'm pretty sure I hear my dad yelling something about it being about damn time.But I'm too busy kissing Jo to care about anything else.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Cowboy Wedding
Three and a half weeks after the big race between me and Jo, we leave the rodeo world behind---for the moment.Our wedding takes precedence over everything else, and I can't wait to finally see the dress Jo picked out.My sister Sarah has seen it.So has Jo's sister Casey.It's top secret for the rest of us, and breaching the veil of secrecy imposes a death sentence.
