Thrown: Studs in Spurs, Book 6 (3 page)

Defending Skeeter was no use. Her father would always side with the bulls against the riders. Whatever. She had more important things to worry about, such as if she’d get to at least say goodbye to Skeeter before he slunk off to the touring pros.

With that goal in mind, Riley asked, “When are we heading home?”

“Right after the championship round. Soon as we can get ’em loaded.”

That was the answer she was expecting, though not necessarily the one she wanted. With them leaving right away she might not get to talk to Skeeter before then.

But she couldn’t argue with her father’s decision. It was easier to drive in the middle of the night when there was no traffic. With two of them in the truck, they could take turns at the wheel if it became necessary, but usually she just chatted with her father to help keep him awake while he drove. And it would be cheaper than spending another night in a hotel. Not to mention less stressful on the stock than another night in the temporary bull housing.

The bulls loved to buck in competition. That was obvious from their enthusiasm in the arena. Some bulls even played to the crowd as if they knew these people were cheering for them. But the animals also liked being home in familiar surroundings once their job was done.

That they were leaving right after loading the truck meant Riley had to find Skeeter now or not at all. She hooked a thumb toward the back. “I’m gonna go hit the ladies’ room.”

“Fine.” Her father nodded and turned back to look toward the action happening in the arena.

A practical man, Butch could ignore his only child was a girl when she helped load the stock. He couldn’t when she talked about things such as ladies’ rooms or other, more feminine issues. Then, he either ignored her or changed the subject.

Riley didn’t abuse her knowledge of her father’s Achilles’ heel. Instead, she kept the trick in reserve, like a secret weapon. She only pulled it out when it was absolutely necessary. Such as now when she needed to slip away for five minutes. If she’d wanted to shut him down for the remainder of the night, she would have told him she had to run out to the truck for a tampon. That would have had him red-faced and tongue-tied for a good few hours.

With a smirk over her own cleverness, she headed in the direction Skeeter had gone. She walked down the hallway of champions, barely glancing at the images hanging on the walls. The guy she was intent on seeing wasn’t a champion—yet—and he needed some cheering up.

The door of the riders’ room was open. Riley paused on the threshold. “Hey. Can I come in?”

Skeeter’s body language said it all. He sat slumped on the wooden bench, eyes downcast as he slowly unwrapped the tape around the wrist of his gloved riding hand. As his gaze moved to focus on the doorway and Riley, he looked surprised to see her.

“Hey.” He sat a little straighter and his voice wasn’t quite as sad as she’d anticipated. “Yeah, sure. Come on in.”

She took the few steps inside the room and perched on the bench opposite him. “It was a good ride.”

One corner of his mouth tipped up. “Until the end.”

“Until the end.” Riley nodded. There was no denying that, since he’d been bucked off. “So what are you gonna do now?”

“I’m heading home.” He shrugged. “Nothing else for me to do.”

She opened her eyes wider. “You quitting?”

“Nah, I can’t do that. There’s nothing else I know how to do. I’m gonna take a look at the touring pro schedule and see how many events I can get to. Try to get my point total up and get back on the tour as soon as I can.”

“That sounds like a good plan.” Riley figured that even as depressed as he seemed over getting kicked off, Skeeter wanting to work his way back was very good news. At least he hadn’t given up.

“I guess. Only one I got so…” Skeeter shrugged again. “You heading home after this is over?”

She didn’t miss how he’d changed the subject. “Yeah. We’re leaving right after the short go. Dad wants to get the bulls back to the ranch.”

Skeeter treated her to a small but sad-looking smile. “It’s strange hearing Butch called
Dad
.”

“Yeah, I know.” She smiled in return at the truth of what he’d said.

Her father sure had built himself quite a reputation as a tough guy. Riley had a feeling he worked extra hard nowadays to reinforce that hard-as-nails image with the riders. Pretty much ever since she’d graduated high school and started traveling with him full time.

And it was all with the goal of keeping her from dating any of the guys. Even one as sweet at Skeeter, who attended cowboy church every Sunday and took a knee before every ride. He wasn’t like some of the other more infamous riders. She’d never heard of him hooking up with any of the buckle bunnies. Of course, that didn’t mean he didn’t, just that she hadn’t seen or heard of it.

In front of her, he usually ignored the girls. Riley saw the looks the groupies along the rails gave Skeeter, so it wasn’t for lack of interest on the girls’ parts. Riley figured it was because while he was in the arena, he was super focused. It seemed like he was there to do two things—ride bulls and win. That was all. One reason why his poor performance today had devastated him so much.

But the truth was that after the competition, when all the guys went out to the local bars and the girls followed them—that could be a different story altogether. Riley wouldn’t know what happened then. She wasn’t old enough to be in bars. Not that that mattered. She’d never be allowed to go to one as long as her father was even in the same state she was. He’d somehow know if she snuck into one. She had no doubt. But maybe that’s what came from a man being both mother and father to a girl for all these years. Who knew?

She sighed. It was a shame he was so protective, and intimidating, because Skeeter Anderson really seemed to be an honest to goodness nice guy. Even so far as putting his own misery aside as he tried to hold a polite conversation with her now.

Maybe her father would like him better if he got to know him outside of this crazy circuit where every rider became a media celebrity and life seemed so surreal. If only there was a way she and her father could see Skeeter away from this tour—

An idea struck her hard and fast from out of the blue. Maybe she and her father would see Skeeter outside of this tour. “Hey, you know how we’re heading into that long break?”

“Not
we
anymore since I’m out.” Skeeter snorted. “But yeah, I know the tour is going on a mid-season break. What about it?”

She regretted her word choice but it was too late to change it now, so Riley moved on. “I know. I’m sorry. But what I was thinking was, Dad likes to try out some of the younger bulls at the—” Riley stopped herself just in time from saying the words
lower level events
, “—um, smaller local competitions. Maybe we’ll see you at one of the touring pro events.”

“That would be cool. It would be nice to see a familiar face since I’ll likely be traveling alone.” His sadness showed through his words, clear as day. She understood. He was not only leaving the tour, he was leaving his friends too.

“Why don’t I put my cell number in your phone? That way you can text me with where you’ll be riding and I can see if we’ll be there too.”

“All right.” He nodded and looked excited for the first time since getting on Renegade. It made her feel so much worse that it had been her father’s bull that had bucked him off, though he didn’t seem to blame her for that. And he looked a little happier now that she’d suggested they might see him at some of his events.

It was shameless, giving him her number. Her father would likely be angry if he ever found out, but too bad. Riley couldn’t help herself. She kind of had a little crush on this guy.

All right, not
kind
of
and not
little
.

There was definitely something about him that drew her. She wanted to find out what that was. The thought of never seeing him again made her nearly as sad as Skeeter was about getting thrown off the tour. Of all the guys she knew from working here, of all the riders she wasn’t allowed to be friendly with, forget about date, Skeeter was the only one she felt any regret about.

It was as if she could see his spirits rise as he popped up from the bench. He stood and dug into his front jeans pocket like his life depended upon it. He finally wrestled the cell out and thrust it at her. Riley took it and punched in the digits. It was innocent enough, her giving him her number in case he was riding where they’d already be. Right?

Her father wouldn’t see it that way. But what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

Riley had just handed him back the phone when Aaron Jordan walked through the door. He came to a stop at the sight of her. “Oh, hey.” His gaze cut to Skeeter. “Just wanted to check on you.”

“I’m fine.” He did seem better. Lighter. Less depressed. His shoulders didn’t droop anymore as he stood a little straighter.

But now his traveling partner was here and her time alone with Skeeter was over. It was time for Riley to go anyway, before her father missed her and came looking. Then there’d be all kinds of questions about why she was in the riders’ dressing room where she had no reason to be.

“So, I’m gonna head back in. Gotta help Dad with the bulls.”

“All right. Safe trip home.” When Skeeter’s sky-blue eyes focused on her, so intense and sincere, it was all Riley could do to remember she’d been about to leave.

“Thanks. You too.”

He tipped his head. “Thank you.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Riley forced herself into action. Under the watchful eyes of both Aaron and Skeeter, she left.

Would he text or just forget all about her number in his phone?

It wasn’t lost on Riley that she wasn’t even down the hallway yet after leaving him, and she was already waiting, worrying if he’d text or call. She sighed. It was going to be a long break. Riley pocketed her insecurities along with her phone and prepared to face tonight’s drive.

Chapter Two

“What’d she want?” Aaron asked when Riley had left the room.

“Nothing. Just to say good ride.” Skeeter wasn’t about to tell Aaron she’d also put her number in his phone in case they’d be at the same touring pro events.

There’d be nothing but teasing for the rest of the night from Aaron if Skeeter had told him. She hadn’t meant anything by it anyway. He knew that for certain. It was just Riley being nice and feeling sorry for him.

Just what Skeeter wanted from the cutest female in the entire arena—pity. Not that it mattered, because Riley was also just about the most off-limits girl in the arena, thanks to Butch. Skeeter could wonder what her long reddish-brown hair would look like if she ever took that braid out and let it loose. He could catch her big green-blue gaze once in a while, but none of that mattered because that was as far as it would go. Getting caught even looking at Riley earned any rider who dared risk it a hell of a glare from Butch.

“She damn well had better say at least that.” Aaron let out a snort. “It was her daddy’s bull who bucked you off and got you thrown off the tour.”

Skeeter couldn’t blame the bull, or Riley’s father. That responsibility sat squarely on his own shoulders. He may not know why he was riding like crap, but it was nothing to do with the bull or Butch. Skeeter couldn’t pass the buck or lay the blame on anyone or anything other than himself.

Best to change the subject. “So what’s up?”

“I thought you might want to hit up a bar tonight.”

“And do what? Drown my sorrows in booze?”

Aaron laughed. “Yeah, I guess. And take advantage of the fact neither one of us has to ride tomorrow. We can stay out late and come home shitty, and it won’t matter if we’re hung over.”

That was all true. They didn’t have to ride the next day. But the big difference was that Aaron didn’t have to ride tomorrow because this pro tour was going on a break, as opposed to Skeeter who didn’t have to ride because he was no longer good enough to.

Depressed all over again, Skeeter shook his head. “Nah. Thanks anyway.”

“Come on. It’ll be fun.”

Skeeter wasn’t in the mood for fun. “You go. I’ll be fine in the room alone.”

A frown knit Aaron’s dark brows. “But why go sit in the room alone? I spotted a couple of girls who were hanging out by the rails. I mentioned the bar and they said they’d be up for some partying later.”

Skeeter had seen the two girls who’d been hanging over the rail talking to Aaron and neither one was his type. Skeeter wasn’t opposed to a woman who took pride in her body. Wasn’t opposed to enjoying that body a bit himself. But he’d rather she didn’t flash her assets to everyone in the arena by wearing clothes so skimpy they showed more than they covered.

He wrinkled his nose. “I’m pretty tired. If you drop me at the hotel you can take the truck and go out with them.”

“They said they have a car here, so I’m sure they can drive me over and home later.” Aaron continued to look at Skeeter, pinning him with his stare. “I really think you’d feel better if you came out. It’ll take your mind off it. And they’re both really hot.”

He doubted he’d feel better about his career being in the toilet no matter how hot Aaron thought these girls were. “Thanks, but I really am tired.”

Aaron let out a breath. “A’ight. I’ll see you back at the room later.”