The crowd clapped, and my friends whistled as I walked across the stage to get my diploma. Camerasflashed as I plastered on the most convincing smile I could while trying to ignore the pit in my stomach telling me something had gone horribly wrong.
Is everything okay?
Text me back
Sierra, please
CHAPTER FOUR
sierra
PRESENT DAY
The name of this next cowgirl might be familiar to some of you folks. Today, she’s blazing back onto her old stomping grounds like a wildfire! Let’s see if this cowgirl’s still got it!”
Lucky shook his head as we waited at the end of the alleyway to start our run. I turned him around in slow circles to keep him calm.
Anticipation bubbled in my chest as the crowd roared around us, but I kept my breathing steady. Lucky fed off my energy. If I was anxious and ready to run, he would be, too, but if I was cool, calm, and collected, he’d lock in exactly how I needed him to.
“Running today on Ace’s Lucky Charm, we’ve got Sierra Bayley!”
I set my hands on the reins as the announcer called out our names, adrenaline pulsing through my veins. “Steady,” I murmured.
Leaning slightly forward into a ready position, I guided Lucky until he was lined up with the last barrel straight ahead at the end of the arena. My calves squeezed Lucky’sflank to let him know to go, and he took off in a run down the alleyway as I pointed us slightly toward the right barrel. This allowed us to approach it at an angle, creating a pocket to turn around the barrel without knocking it over and adding five seconds to our final time.
Dust flew into the air as we raced toward the barrel. My ears pulsed with the noise of the crowd surrounding us as well as the steady rhythm of hooves pounding into the dirt.
As we reached the barrel, Lucky slowed ever so slightly. I pulled the reins in my right hand toward my hip, using my other hand for balance and my outside leg to apply pressure and control his turn. Once we were around the barrel, we cut through hazy clouds as I pushed him toward the next one on the other side of the arena, repeating the turn before finally racing toward the final barrel to finish the cloverleaf pattern.
After rounding the final barrel, Lucky knew exactly what he needed to do.
“Go, go, go!” I gave him a couple soft kicks to get him moving into a sprint down the final stretch of the arena, the wind ripping through my hair, blowing it behind me.
“How about fifteen-point-three-six seconds for Sierra!” the rodeo announcer called out. “That’ll put her at the top of the leaderboard!”
“Atta boy, Lucky.” I smiled, patting his neck as we exited the arena.
After dismounting my horse, I started to lead him toward one of the holding pens to wait until the end of the rodeo. It wouldn’t be too long now.
A few other barrel racers who competed against me in high school were circled up, and whispers rose into the air when I passed by.
“I’m surprised she decided to show her face back here again.”
“Bold move, that’s for sure. I can’t believe she’s still competing. I’d be too embarrassed to leave my house.”
“She’s so aggressive. I’d keep a close eye on my horse and gear. You know the saying, ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’”
A muscle in my jaw ticked, but I took a deep breath and ignored them, biting back the remarks I wanted to make.
“I heard her mom ditched town and just disappeared.”
“I mean, can you blame her? I would too if my husband…”
Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!
Those girls knewnothingabout what my mother and I had been through. They only knew what the newspaper articles said.
I blinked away any memories that threatened to pop up in my brain.
