Flame Series #11: The Rodeo Queen

Chapter 12

Race Day Begins

In her efforts to placate an overly-excited little boy, Calleigh agreed to head on down to the rodeo grounds two hours early. To be honest, she was pretty excited too. She wasn't a stranger to new experiences, but this was the first time she was going to be doing her routine in front of the whole town.

Calleigh felt Cooper tug on the back of her shirt. It was hard to tell by his tone whether he was surprised, or simply curious. "Is that Festus?"

Her gaze followed the direction of a small index finger, leading her to Dane's chuckwagon. Emerging from the back side was Festus. Stumbling along beside him—or to be more precise, leaning against the smaller man for support, was Billy Odes.

The curious pair wandered closer to the wagon. "I thought I would get some last minute tips from Spin." Calleigh threw the words out almost as an afterthought. She blinked slowly, staring at first one man, then the other.

"Hey, Calleigh girl. Mornin', Coop." Festus shrugged his shoulder higher, hitching the younger man into a more upright position. "Billy an' me was jest swappin' sum words. He's a right nice boy."

"Thank you, sir." Billy struggled to stand on his own. He stared, rather dazedly, at the two visitors. "About what you said, I promise." It had taken him a few minutes, but at last, he accomplished the task of standing alone.

It didn't take a medical degree to see the redness around Odes' eye. What was red today, would surely be black and blue by morning.

"I need to be getting back to work." He tipped his hat, acknowledging a good morning to Calleigh and Cooper. Billy had only taken a few steps, when he turned suddenly and leaned in to whisper to Festus. "Will her dad-"

Festus stopped him with an encouraging pat on the back, "Nah, this'll be jest tween us. No need to go worryin' him about it." There was the briefest of pauses before he added. "It is all settled… ain't it?"

"Oh, yes sir! It surely is." Billy again nodded, nervously, to the bewildered couple as he quickly took his leave.

Calleigh watched the young rodeo man rush back toward the wagon, before turning her piercing gaze to her old friend. "What was that all about?"

"Nuthin. We'se jest a swappen words, that's all." He made every attempt to distance himself from her suspicions, but she wasn't having any of it. "Cooper, are ya ready fur today?

Calleigh grabbed Festus' arm pulling him back to face her. "You weren't at the dance last night, were you?"

"No, I bunked down on the sofa at the LadyK; jest in case yur folks would be a needen sumthin."

"I see. Well then you didn't know that Newly had a… similar talk, with Billy there last night?" Calleigh fought to keep the smirk from surfacing.

With the wide-eyed innocence of a newborn babe, Festus stared at the girl as he shuffled his weight from one foot to another. "Newly talked to him, did he? Hmmm... Now, ain't that a puzzlement. Wonder what abouts?"

Calleigh settled back on her heels, eyeing her two champions. "Yeah. I wonder." She linked her arms through her companions' and marched toward the wagon. "Come on; let's see if Spin has any fresh coffee made."

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Matt was the first to awaken and the first to realize how stiff a body could be after being drug around for days on a travois. The wounded shoulder made moving all the more difficult, but he managed to turn enough to see the face snuggling against his uninjured side.

How many years had he woken up to that sweet face? Yet each time, he fell just a little harder and a little deeper in love. The only contrast to that canvas of alabaster skin, was the feathery row of long lashes and the sprinkle of freckles.

Her lips parted slightly in a gentle sigh, as she snuggled in closer. Matt didn't want to wake her, but the urge to feel that smooth skin against his lips was overpowering. With the slightest of touches, he brushed a kiss against her temple. Her lips parted again, this time in a faint smile.

Heavy lids rose slowly, revealing sleepy blue eyes. Kitty's slender hand roamed across his broad chest, letting her fingers trace along the muscular outline. "G'mornin', handsome."

Matt's smile broadened. If the face didn't get him, the sleepy voice always did. "Morning, sleepyhead."

Kitty tilted her face up toward his. "I don't notice you already up and dressed."

"If it wasn't for that rodeo, I wouldn't even try to get up." The grimace returned when he tried to settle into a more comfortable position.

"Why don't you stay and rest and I'll go. Calleigh will understand." Kitty made an attempt to leave the warmth of his embrace. She ignored the tiny effervescent stars that danced before her eyes when she sat up. Standing proved to be even more of a challenge than her body could handle. The room started to spin, virtually knocking her back on her butt.

Pain or no, Matt leaned up to help her. "Honey, what is it?"

Kitty shook her head to clear out the cobwebs. "I just… got a little dizzy."

His one good arm had enough strength to pull her closer. "Looks like you won't be going alone after all. You seem to forget that two days without food and water has a tendency to leave the body weak."

"Yeah…" She braced her hands on the bed to steady herself. "I guess I did kind of forget."

Matt brushed the loose hair back behind her ear. "Come on back up here. Doc will be by to check up on us. He'll find somebody to help a couple of old decrepits to the rodeo."

"Old! Decrepit!" She still wasn't steady enough to take a swipe at him. "Speak for yourself." Her words held no anger as she lay back down beside him. "You sound pretty sure that Doc will come by. He was awfully mad at us yesterday." Kitty snuggled closer to her husband, careful of his injured shoulder. "He was sputtering so much, I couldn't understand him." She buried her face in his chest, but it wasn't enough to silence her girlish laughter.

Matt winced when his deep, raucous laughter jostled his body. "I'm just wondering if he was able to stop stuttering long enough to call the dance."

She pulled out of his embrace to face her lover. "We did give him a pretty hard time. He does worry about all of us, you know?"

There was a touch of regret in his sigh as he roped in his laughter. "You're right—he always has." He gently kissed her forehead. "A slight frown creased his brow, "]You know, it was your fault that he got upset with us in the first place. You're the reason I was…indisposed…when they found us."

Kitty pulled her body up, bringing his lips closer to hers. "I'm sorry. How can I make it up to you?" Kitty began to pepper tiny kisses along Matt's lips and up his cheek. "Can I kiss it and make it all better?"

"You… Ouch! …ow…ow..." The wounded shoulder took precedence over other parts of his body, using pain to maintain its control. Matt quickly realized he was not going to be able to play that game with her... Or any game, for that matter. His face perfectly expressed how pathetic that thought made him feel.

The woman that loved him saw the look as well. Kitty ceased her attempt to seduce him. "I'm sorry, sweetheart." This time, it was just a gentle loving kiss.

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Spin sent a friendly hand up into the air when she saw her protégé coming. She held up the cup in lieu of an offer. Calleigh shook her head no, as she quickened her step. "The last thing I need right now is caffeine. Did you see the crowd gathering?"

"I did. Papa is going to be very happy." Spin acknowledged Cooper with a wink. "I think Dane has some hot chocolate brewing back there." Spin watched the boy look first to Calleigh for permission, before darting around the wagon.

"Does that boy ever misbehave?" Spin asked playfully.

Calleigh flashed a prideful grin. "Rarely." It was the rest of her comment that caused Spin to do a double take. "I guess he takes after me."

Spin rolled her eyes, her expression rushing right past doubt and settling firmly on unbelievable. "Wow, that sure doesn't match the stories I've heard."

"Jealousy. That's all it is." Calleigh tried to maintain her arrogant smirk, but Spin's laughter was too infectious. Soon, both girls were caught up in it.

"Are you nervous? Or does anything ever make you nervous?" Spin wondered if this girl had ever doubted herself.

Calleigh sensed her friend's honest curiosity. "I will admit, not much does. My folks taught me to have confidence in myself. Sometimes it looks like arrogance, but really, it's not. But to answer your question, this time I am a little. This is a whole new thing for me, although I did have a great teacher."

"Thank you." Spin truly valued this new friendship. "That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. I know I'm supposed to be impartial since we are putting on the show. Now, I would have given lessons to anyone that wanted, but you were the only one that asked." She stepped closer to the redhead. "I tried to talk to your competition; you know, offer some tips. Well, the two hands from Reuger's ranch—Gamer Willis and Nor Manley…" She tried to hide her contempt, but her voice gave it away. "Neither of them wanted any help from a girl. And that little girl from Spearville," the contempt left her face to make room for a weary smile. "The only thing she's interested in, is how she looks in those tight jeans and shirt."

"So…" Calleigh flashed her famous grin. "You are about to give me all that advice."

Spin laughed, "Exactly!" The two started to walk over toward the arena. "Remember, the decision you make at the first barrel decides the pattern you'll take. Keep your legs close, like I taught you. And trust Belle. She's a good horse and she knows what you expect from her."

Calleigh's smile and gratitude were genuine. "Thank you, Spin—for everything."

"Sure. Well, I have to go. Papa is going to need me to get things ready." Before she had taken a full step, she turned back wrapping her friend in a hug. "I know you'll make us proud."

TBC