“You sure about this, cowboy?”
“Dead sure.”
The place was quiet. Just a few old-timers hunched over drinks, barely glancing our way. The bull stood waiting, lights low, the room warmer than outside but still carrying the smell of dust and beer.
“Okay. Three minutes. That’s all I need.”
“And… as part of your surprise, I could give you a private lesson.”
That got her. Just a flicker—barely there—but she bit her lip, and I saw it. That heat again.
She stepped up beside me, still limping slightly.
“You’re offering to teach me how to ride a bull?”
I met her eyes. “You already got the attitude. Just need the technique.”
She laughed once, soft and low. “Okay, cowboy. Impress me.”
I didn’t smile. Just reached for her waist, steady and sure.
“You good?”
“More than good.”
I lifted her up gently, avoiding the sore leg as best I could, and set her down on the bull’s back. She adjusted, shifted her weight, winced once, then settled in.
“Alright,” I said, stepping close, one hand on the front of the saddle, the other brushing her knee as I checked her position.“You want your center low. Don’t lean back like they do in movies—it’ll throw you. Stay loose, but not lazy.”
She nodded, focused.
“Your knees need to grip here,” I said, tapping the inside of her leg. “Tight, but not locked. You gotta movewiththe bull. It bucks left, you lean left. It bucks forward, you drop your hips and absorb it.”
She shifted again, adjusting her grip on the handle.
“And your free hand?” I touched her wrist, guiding it up. “Don’t flail. Keep it controlled. Like a counterweight.”
She looked down at me, serious now.
“Hold tight, breathe with it, and don’t overthink.”
She nodded once, jaw set.
I stepped back, but kept my eyes on her.
“Ready?”
She squinted.
“Wait—that’s it?”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“That’s all it takes to become a real Montana rodeo girl?” I let out a low breath. “Right. Almost forgot something.”
I stepped in, grabbed the front of her shirt, and kissed her. Slow. Direct. No warning.
When I pulled back, she was blinking up at me, mouth still parted.
