Colton was digging his hand under the riggin’, ready for another round.
He was tenth in the world right now, that alone was more than most cowboys could ever say, but with that look in his eyes, I knew he wouldn’t be satisfied until he was number one.
Especially with the bad ride he had last night.
It was a stubborn mentality; it was dangerous, and it scared the life out of me.
Casually, I cleared my throat and decided to test the waters. “Do you know if Colton wants to retire after this season?”
The twins looked at each other and laughed hard.
“Colton? Retire?” Dean snorted. “No. Not gonnahappen. They’regonnahave to drag his dead body off a horse, just like Gramps.”
Alan nodded with Dean. “Gramps was seventy-eight the last time he rode a bronc in a county fair.”
My jaw dropped open. “Are you serious?” I don’t think I could stomach watching Colton almost die every day for the next fifty years. I would definitely have a heart attack and die long before he did. “You’re kidding.”
“Colton is so much like Gramps; they were realclose,” Alan went on. “Practically broke his heart for a while. Then the season started again, and he was able to take his mindoff ofeverythin’.”
Jo walked up behind her sons and kissed the top of each of their heads. “What y’all chattin’ bout?”
“We were tellin’ Ally that Gramps was ridin’ till he was almost eighty,” Dean informed her.
“And that he and Colton were close,” Alan added.
Jo nodded enthusiastically and took a seat in the dirt beside me. “Russ was Dennis’ dad, so the rodeo blood runs strong in the Nashes. But honest to heaven, he was on a horse every single day of his life. He died a week after his last ride,his poor body just exhausted from so many tough rides.”
I shuddered.
“But he and Colton were as close as they could get,” she sighed. “He was the one who encouraged him to ride bareback, took him on rides whenever they had free time, all the things. Itbroke Colton not to make the finals last year, but Russ was right there, adding ideas for this season on what to do differently.”
I looked up at the pasture. Colton slid off the horse and shook his head. Gosh, he was so sweet. I could picture the freckled little cowboy following his grandpa everywhere, wanting to be just like him.
Colton slid under the fence and waved at the audience staring at him.
“Nice ridin’, Tex,” I said with my comfortable accent.
He winked back at me, encouraging a chorus of gagging from Alan and Dean.
“How yafeel?” Jo asked.
Colton shook his arms and let out a long breath. “I’m tired.”
“Too bad!” Dean shouted. “Go shower, we’re going for some real Texas food!”
Jo raised her eyebrow. “We are?”
“Ally’s gottashow us the best place in town to eat!” Alan added, giving his mom a mischievous grin.
“I am?” I laughed.
“I could eat,” Jimmy added, leaning on the fence.
“Oh, I’m starvin’! What we eatin’?” Dennis caught up with the family.
Colton collapsed beside me in the dirt, sprawling his body out. He was breathing hard, sweating so much that the dirt instantly clung to his skin. He moaned contentedly. “I just need to lie here for an hour or so.”
“Not by me,” I said with a teasing poke. “You stink way too bad.”
