18. Aspen

Eighteen

Aspen

When I asked Boone if he’d be down to go to the rodeo as a group, he didn’t even hesitate to say yes. Mac and Rhodes also came with, which meant our plan had been a success. We all piled into Boone’s truck. The girls sat in the cab with Boone while the other two guys rode in the truck bed.

One thing about me was I loved Faircloud’s amateur rodeos. Not only was it fun to watch locals participate in events, but the food was always amazing. There was food truck after food truck lining the grounds where the outdoor rodeo took place. They brought in overhead lights, which were bright and fluorescent, to illuminate the whole space as the night sky rolled in. My favorite events were barrel racing and steer wrestling. I’d laugh watching people try their best to wrestle an angry steer; they always put up a fight.

Tonight, I wore a long, capped sleeve dress in a beautiful shade of green with brown cowboy boots and a cream colored cowboy hat. Ironically, my hat looked identical to Boone’s, which I kind of liked. Penny wore a thin-strap tank top and flared jeans that had star patches all over them. Theo wore a cute pair of jean overalls, black of course, with a bandeau top. Her hair was done in twisted pigtail braids, and she was decked out in jewelry. Rodeos were also an excuse to dress up a little bit. Even the guys came cleaned up. I nearly passed out when I saw Boone in a pearl snap shirt.

We walked in pairs; I was with Boone, Penny with Mac, and Theo with Rhodes. I didn’t tell Boone it was a ‘triple date,” but in my head, I told myself it was. Boone leaned closer to my ear to whisper, “You look gorgeous by the way.” I felt giddy, like I was back in high school going on a date with the popular boy. Teenage Aspen would be shaking in her cowboy boots.

“Well, thank you,” I replied, bumping my shoulder against this arm.

“Did you want to grab something to eat right now or get seats for the event?” Boone asked loud enough the whole group could hear.

“I think the steer wrestling starts in like, twenty minutes. Maybe we should grab a seat now and eat after?” Penny suggested.

I nodded in agreement; I didn’t want to get held up and miss it. “I agree!” I chimed. “Let’s get good seats.”

Boone and I lead the pack to the bleacher style seats in the main event space. I liked to sit higher up, so I could get a bird’s eye view of everything. We climbed step after step to get to a middle-high point before sitting down. Boone was at the end, then me followed by Penny. I was grateful to be wedged between those two.

I felt a hand touch my waist, and my body was slightly pulled away from Penny. My head turned towards the culprit. Boone was smiling while staring off in the distance like he hadn’t just pulled my body closer to his. I didn’t question it. Instead, I shimmed up and made myself comfortable against him. Neither of us said a word but had a common understanding.

“I heard Buck was doing steer wrestling,” Rhodes said, leaning over to look at Boone.

“Fuck that guy,” Boone replied, his jaw clenched and I felt his body tense up. I placed my hand on his thigh, letting him know I was there and it was okay. He finally looked down at me; our faces were closer than I thought. If I moved an inch, I would’ve felt his breath tickle my lips. Thank you, he mouthed at me. Nodding my head, I looked away and directed my attention to the arena.

The announcer came on the loudspeaker informing everyone the event was starting and to take a seat. First up was a local named Henry, who participated in this event every year. He was a crowd favorite because of his stage presence. He always wore the silliest outfits and made an absolute fool of himself. Today, he wore a banana costume with his face painted yellow. Henry was in his early forties, but he had the heart of a teenager.

The crowd went wild as Henry rode into the arena on the back of his horse. He flapped his arms up and down to get the crowd to shout louder before making his way to the chute. I placed my hands on either side of my mouth and chanted his name with the rest of the spectators. My voice was going to be gone by the end of the night.

The chute doors opened with a bang, releasing Henry and the steer. He rode faster to catch up to the steer before leaning over and grasping the animal’s horns. When he made contact, the crowd hollered. Boone whistled next to me, the sound piercing the space. Henry held on for dear life, bringing the angry steer down on his back successfully.

“Hell yeah!” Penny shouted, standing up and clapping her hands.

I wasn’t the one trying to wrangle the steer, but just watching someone else do it made my adrenaline spike.

“Next up, we have, Buck! Everybody make some noise!” The announcer said over the speakers. The six of us stayed silent, not wanting to show that jackass any support. I knew seeing Buck tonight upset Boone. The fact this guy gets to live his life like nothing happened and Boone’s sister felt she had to leave a town she called home was beyond messed up. I wasn’t a violent person, but I hoped he fell flat on his face in front of all these people.

Buck came through the arena riding his stunning all-white horse. He waved and clapped for himself as he made a circle in the dirt before heading to the chute for his turn. I focused my mind, trying to curse him. I knew nothing about witchcraft; maybe this was when I discovered my abilities. “I’m hexing him in my mind right now,” I leaned over and whispered in Boone’s ear.

“Are you a witch? Will it work?” Boone whispered back.

“Maybe if I think hard enough.” I shrugged my shoulders.

The chute opened, the steer and Buck were let loose flanked by the guide horse. Buck rode to catch the steer, and when he leaned, he slipped right off the back of the horse, and his face hit the dirt.

“Shut up!” I screamed, standing to my feet and pointing at Buck on the ground.

Buck stood up and looked down at himself. “He fell right in shit.” I bent over, laughing hysterically. I couldn’t get myself under control. Boone stood too; he was laughing so hard tears were forming in his eyes.

“You are a witch,” he said between laughs. I held up my hand for him to high five, and he did, bringing me in for a hug afterwards.

When we separated, I looked back and saw four pairs of eyes staring at me. “What?” I asked.

Mac and Rhodes threw their hands up in surrender. Penny and Theo shared a look with each other before shaking their heads at me.

Most of the riders couldn’t get the steer onto its back. Buck didn’t come out at the end to bow with the rest of the participants, what a sore loser.

We exited with the crowd, making our way to the food trucks to find something to eat. In order to get there, we had to pass the games and activity section of the rodeo. There was a huge blow-up ring where a mechanical bull sat.

“Boone, you should go show that bull whose boss,” Mac said from behind, pointing towards the ring.

“No fucking way.” Boone shook his head, spinning to walk backward and talk to Mac.

“You should do it,” I said, egging him on. “I mean, unless you’re scared.” I held up my hands and wiggled my fingers.

Boone scoffed, stopping in place to look at the bull. “I’m not scared. I’m just not dressed for it.”

“Oh boohoo!” Penny said, “Just take the hat off and unbutton the shirt. You’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, Cowboy. Live up to your nickname,” I teased, winking at him.

Boone rolled his neck and grabbed my arm. “If I’m doing this, you gotta be front and center, so I have motivation.”

We left the rest of the group behind as Boone dragged me toward the mechanical bull. “Motivation?” I questioned.

“Yeah, Darling. I’m doing this for you.”

Boone let go of my arm right before the entrance. The attendee looked up from his phone unamused. Boone handed the kid a five-dollar bill, removed his hat, and handed it to me. Like Penny suggested, Boone unbuttoned his pearl snap shirt, revealing a white undershirt.

Lord help me, he looked sexy. His hair was messy from his hat and he wore a lazy smile on his face. I was wound tight knowing I’d have to watch Boone ride a fucking bull this close.

The attendee opened the gate and explained the rules to Boone. One hand on the bull and the other was used to keep balance. Boone nodded and climbed on top. Waiting for it to start, I toyed with my dress with my free hand. Why was I nervous?

Giving me one last look, Boone wrapped his hand in the loop. The bull came to life slowly at first and Boone kept his non-dominant hand in the air, which was his right hand because he was a lefty, to embrace the ride. His hips gyrated against the bull, rocking back and forth faster and faster as it gained speed. There was something insanely hot about a man riding a mechanical bull.

“Come on, Boone!” I yelled, jumping up and down. The big timer on the far end counted in bright red numbers. Boone held on for dear life; the bull rocked him ferociously. Mac, Rhodes, Penny and Theo all made their way closer to us to cheer Boone on. The timer ticked, and as it struck nine seconds, Boone flew off and smacked the floor. I ran over to the edge to peer over and make sure he was okay.

“How’d I do?” He asked from the floor, laying on his back to catch his breath.

Giving him a thumbs up I said, “You looked good doing it too.”

Boone chuckled and got to his feet. I handed him his hat and he adjusted it on his head. He placed his arm around my shoulder and guided me away from the bull and towards the food trucks.

“I need funnel cake,” Theo said, a pregnancy craving obviously kicking in.

“Then she gets funnel cake!” I said loud and proud. If my pregnant friend needed funnel cake, I’d ensure she got it.