A/N: Howdy y'all! I know it's been quite awhile since I have updated and for that I do apologize. I have been having some major internet and computer problems this past year. Since I now have my internet back, I hoping to be able to post more often than I have been able to. Now I just have to pray the the computer says up Anyways, I want to thank Boosboys for all of her hard work in clean up my big mess of a chapter. She makes it all nice and sparkly clean and I'm finally getting smart enough to not mess it up!

So mount up and hang on for the ride!

DISCLAIMER: SM still owns the Twilight characters and I own this plot and the bulls!

Chapter 5 – Hooked on an 8 Second Ride

Gettin' up down in back of the chutes, makes that rousin' burn
He's got his spurs on the heels of his boots, he's at the point of no return
Climbin' over that chute gate he settles down inside
The tension's risin' but he can't wait until they turn that bull outside

He's addicted to danger
Ruled by passion and pride
To pain and fear he's no stranger
But his lust needs to satisfied
Hooked on an 8 second ride

Hooked on an 8 Second Ride – Chris Ledoux

Bella had never been to Las Vegas. In all honesty, she never had an interest in going; she wasn't a gambling type of person, more of a save it for a rainy day kind. It had taken Alice at least two years of begging to get her to go with her to watch Jasper ride. This time, she couldn't think of any more excuses to use to avoid it. Then again, the more Bella thought about it, she knew she really could use a break. With finals coming up before too long, she decided that she really should take a break from all of the studying before she burned herself out; not something you wanted to do.

That was how Bella found herself in Vegas a few days later; after a three hour flight from the Austin-Bergstrom Airport. Alice helped her—or hindered as the case was—get ready for the rodeo tonight, as it was the National Finals for this PBR event. As usual, Alice was bouncing off the walls in excitement, and tried to rush Bella along.

"Alice! Will you just calm down a minute!" Bella was starting to get exasperated with her friend. This had been going on before they had even left Austin. "I know you can't wait to see Jasper, but you are just going to have to. Besides, you just talked to him and he told you that he wouldn't be able to see you until after he rides."

Alice tried to sit still on the bed but just couldn't do it. "I know, I know," she said, looking in the mirror, making sure nothing was out of place.

Both girls were in western shirts, belts and boots. The only difference was Bella was more conservative in her straight cut boot jeans; whereas, Alice went with a very short denim skirt.

Bella came out of the bathroom, fixing her small belt buckle, when she took a glance over at Alice. "What are you wearing, Alice?" she exclaimed. "That buckle is almost as big as you!"

"Yeah, it's Jasper's. Isn't it cool?" She started to caress it. "He won it a couple of competitions ago and he gave it to me for good luck," she just grinned back.

"If you say so." She shook her head, laughing. "Anyways, I'm ready," she said as she grabbed her key card, ID and credit card and shoved them in one of her back pockets, and her cell phone in the other. Grabbing her Stetson off the dresser, she headed for the door, with Alice right behind, giggling in all her glory.

She really couldn't blame Alice for being excited. If she was seeing someone like Jasper, she would have been excited too. But alas, that ship had sailed a long time ago.

Did she miss him...? Yes and no. Yes, she thought about him whenever she saw the rodeo on the TV when Alice was watching for Jasper. After all, he was her first love in all the things that mattered. As time when on though, Bella eventually moved on. She was sure that he must have forgotten about her by now, and with all the buckle bunnies that attend these events, a lot of the single riders hook up with them.

The girls finally made it to the Thomas and Mack Center and found their seats. It felt like deja vu to Bella; they were sitting right by the fence, just like the last rodeo she went to see. She couldn't help but feel a little sad about it.

"Are you all right?" Alice asked as she noticed the change in her friend.

Bella just shrugged her shoulders, then stared down at her boots that she had propped up on the railing in front of them. "I was just thinking, that's all." She raised her head back up to watch the men at the chutes working the bulls.

Right about then, a man came around selling the programs. When Alice saw the cover she immediately bought two and handed one to Bella. Bella just took it from her, not really looking at it and set it down beside her; she was still lost in a long ago memory.

If she had looked at it, she would have been shocked, because there on the cover, in glorious color, were the pictures of the two top riders who were vying for the championship.

It wasn't long before the competition started. Bella managed to pick her spirits up off the floor enough to pay attention and cheer for the riders. Half way through, it was time for Jasper to ride.

"Our next rider from Houston, Texas, the reigning champion, Jasper Whitlock!"

Cheers erupt all over the area with the girls standing up and hollering as well.

"Riding Big John."

With a name like that, they weren't kidding! It was one of the biggest bulls the girls had ever seen; it had to have weighed around 1900 lbs.

Jasper did real well and stayed on for the full 8 seconds with a score of 88. It put him in a tie with the leader.

There was a short break in the action when a bull named Two Tons of Terror decided to act up in the chute area. Bella took it as an opportunity to go and use the restroom. She took her time, not really wanting to go back and watch; watching and cheering for Jasper brought back so many memories. She made her way back to the stands just in time for the next rider.

"In chute number two, is our point's leader, originally from London, England, who now calls Forks, Washington home, Carlisle Cullen!"

The crowd roared with excitement.

Now this got Bella's attention; she couldn't believe she heard the announcer right. Slowly, she looked over at Alice, only to see her grinning back at her like a manic. "Alice, did you know he was going to be here?" she asked with some trepidation in her voice.

"Tonight he is riding Devil's Due!"

Still grinning, Alice shook her head. "Not until I saw the program. I gave you one; didn't you even look at the cover?"

Bella reached over and picked up her program, that was laying backside up, and turned it over. She almost dropped it her had was shaking so much; there staring back at her in glorious color was two head-shot pictures, one of Jasper and one of Carlisle.

Looking back up at her friend, she asked, "Alice ... did Jasper know he was going to be here?"

"Jasper didn't say anything about it to me. He told me quite a while back that he hadn't heard or seen him in a very long time," Alice replied, turning her attention back to the action in the arena.

Several emotions ran through Bella as she stood staring back at the program for a moment. She didn't know if she should be happy or upset that he was here, and had the potential to run into him. Did she still love him? Would he want to see her again? These questions and others kept running through her mind.

Turning her attention back to the chutes, Bella watched the man she had at one time fallen head-over-heals in love with, but had not seen or heard from in years, settle himself on the back of a large dark brown bull. Bella could see him hunched over, setting the bull rope into his gloved hand. She watched as he gave the signal to open the gate.

The bull didn't waste any time getting out. He was most definitely a spinner, swiftly changing directions at any given moment. The bull's momentum carried them right in front of where the girls were sitting. At one point, Bella thought Carlisle was going to lose it when he almost went into the well, but was able to hang on and pull himself out of it at the last second as the bull switched directions.

To Bella, that eight second ride seemed to last forever, and right after the buzzer sounded, the bull gave his hardest buck and sent the rider flying in the air.

Carlisle landed by the fence and scrambled up it to escape the bull's hooves and horns. As he pulled himself to the top, it was his first rodeo all over again. There, staring right back at him, were those same brown eyes that he had seen every night in his dreams. He just couldn't believe who he was seeing in front of him.

"Isabella..." The name slipped so easily from his lips, just loud enough for her to hear him.

Just hearing him say her name brought back so many wonderful memories of a summer years ago. A smile as wide as the Texas skies spread across her face.

The cowboy wasted no time in climbing over the fence to get to the woman of his dreams, who he thought he had lost. Reaching up, he quickly unfastened the chin strap of the helmet and pulled it off. Instinctively he pulled her into a hug, knocking her hat off in the process. Burying his nose into her hair, he breathed in her scent.

Oh, how he missed her.

Pulling a way for a moment, he looked back into those chocolate eyes he loved so much.

Bella wasted no time in throwing her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her lips. It was as if their time separated had never happened. She was never one to believe in fate—or kismet as some called it—but her subconscious knew all along who her heart belonged to, and she was finally going to listen to it.

Their slow sweet kisses started to progress into something more feverish, his hands holding her tight to him. Before they could get too far gone, there was a throat clearing behind them. It was one of the outriders coming to collect Carlisle and take him back over to the arena exit to collect his riding gear.

Carlisle reluctantly let go of Bella, but not before asking her, "Will you wait for me?"

E/N: Well, do think she will wait for him? We only have about 1 or 2 chapters left folk, it all depends how much the two keep yapping in my ear. Hope you all enjoyed this installment of Rodeo Drive and please be kind and leave a review, would love to know what you think!

CC