Carrie and Scarlett finished tying Peanut to the side of thetrailer.
Carrie's husband Trey lugged a saddle from the truck bed parked in front of the trailer. "About ready, Turbo?" Dan's nickname for Julianne hadstuck.
Carrie moved next to Megan. "We'd better go get seats. You don't want a bad cameraangle."
The kids had told Megan they wanted Trey and Scarlett and Miles to stick with them outside the arena until it was their respectiveturns.
Kissing their cheeks and going off with Carrie was maybe the hardest thing Megan had everdone.
Carrie threaded her arm through Megan's elbow as they made their way through thecrowd.
"Proud of you, mama," Carriemurmured.
When she would've climbed the bleachers, Carrie tugged her to a pair of seats in the crowded secondrow.
Wedged in between an old-timer in a ten-gallon hat—the same guy from the Triple H rodeo?—and a mama who seemed to know every kid's name who was riding, Megan wasn't sure she'd ever forget the anticipation bubbling inside her. She checked her phone numerous times to make sure she had the video capture loaded and ready togo.
But in the middle of all the action, her words to Julianne kept bouncing around herbrain.
If you fall off, you get back on and tryagain.
Had she given up too easily when Dan had pushed heraway?
Through college, medical school, and practicing medicine, she hadn’t had time to date. If she'd had more experience with men, she might've been able to tell if he'd been sincere when he’d told her he wanted her to stay away or if he’d just said it to protecther.
She had noidea.
Just a gut feeling that they were meant to betogether.
The last sheep was ushered out of the arena, and the announcer boomed over the loudspeakers that the girls' cloverleaf barrels werenext.
Megan's gutsqueezed.
"I think I'm more nervous than Julianne," she whispered toCarrie.
The other woman chuckled. "No doubt. She'll dofine."
One little girl rode out and traced the course pattern. She wasn't thatfast.
Another one.Faster.
And then Julianne wasannounced.
Megan held her breath as her niece rocketed out of the gate. Her mouth was puckered in concentration, and she focused on the course. She rounded the first barrel, urged Peanut for more speed, and approached the second. The horse's flank nudged the barrel. It rocked, and Megan held her breath. If it fell, a penalty would be added to Julianne'stime.
Carrie clutched her hand in her lap, the one not holding the phone/camera.
The barrelsteadied.
Julianne raced around the final barrel and out of thearena.
Megan jumped to her feet, clapping and whooping. Julianne had done it! And she hadn'tfallen.
She probably looked like a crazy person—or just like one of the other parents—so she quickly sat back down. The pair of seats directly in front of hercleared.
A few more riders, and then Brady and Miles would ride in the junior pairsroping.
It seemed to take forever, now that Megan had had a hint of parentalvictory.
