A/N: Here is the first chapter building up to the rodeo, which including this chapter is 3 chapters long. I wanted to go into details for the first rodeo back, I will not be going into this much detail for every rodeo, it will get repetitive if I do. Remember there are links in my profile to the rodeo events I am covering if you have any questions please do not hesitate to pm me. I hope you enjoy it!
Christy girl here is your Jasper, thank Steph for it. Jasper is her favorite so she sexed him up for you. Thanks Steph again for all you do!!
Stephenie Meyer owns all that is Twilight.
George Strait owns the song How bout them Cowgirls
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Chapter 18
Rodeo Time
How bout them Cowgirls by: George Strait
I felt the rush of the Rio Grande into Yellowstone
And I've seen first-hand Niagra Falls
And the lights of Vegas
I've criss-crossed down to Key Biscayane
And Chi-town via Bangor, Maine
Think I've seen it all
And all I can say is
Chorus:
How 'bout them cowgirls
Boys ain't they somthin'
Sure are some proud girls
And you can't tell 'em nothin'
And I tell you right now girls
May just be seven wonders of this big, old round world
But how 'bout them cowgirls
She's ridin' colts in Steamboat Springs
Bailing hay outside Abilene
She's tryin' hard
To fit in in some city
But her home is 'neath that big, blue sky
And the Northern Plains and those other wide open spaces
Now days there ain't as many
Chorus
But how 'bout them cowgirls
Boys ain't they somthin'
Sure are some proud girls
And you can't tell 'em nothin'
And I tell you right now girls
May just be seven wonders of this big, old round world
But how 'bout them cowgirls
Boy, she don't need you and she don't need me
She can do just fine on her own two feet
But she wants a man who wants her to be herself
And she'll never change, don't know how to hide
Her stubborn will or her fightin' side
But you treat her right and she'll love you like no one else
Yeah, how 'bout them cowgirls
Boys ain't they somethin'
Sure are some proud girls
But you can't beat their lovin'
And I'll tell you right now girls
May just be seven wonders of this big, old round world
But how 'bout them cowgirls
How 'bout 'em boys
BPOV
I have been lying in my bed for an hour replaying last night over and over. I am in love with Edward Cullen; no ifs, ands or buts about it. I know it is crazy for me to feel these emotions about him. Everything is still so new, I can't deny them though, and they are there. Finally I decide to get out of bed and I head to the bathroom for my morning routine. I hear my bedroom door open as I am brushing my teeth.
"Bella? Are you alive? It is almost ten thirty. I want to show you what Rose and I found you to wear tonight." I hear my bed squeak as Alice sits down.
"Han o a ec," I spit the toothpaste into the sink, "I am finishing up brushing my teeth." I take one last good sweep over with my toothbrush as I reach for the mouthwash. I feel better today, than I have in a good long while…Lighter almost, like a big weight has been lifted.
I walk in to the bedroom and sure enough my cousin is sitting on my bed with a shit-load of bags; some of them are from places I recognize like Buckle and there is one from a local western store, Rod's. "Whatcha got there Alice?" I quirk my eyebrow at her kind of scared of what my cousin has in the plentiful bags sprawled out on my bed.
Alice begins rifling through the bags. "Well, we went for a cowgirl chic look for you, Bells. This rodeo tonight is waiving the dress code, right?"
"Yup." Popping my "p" as I answer the pixie.
Most sanctioned rodeos, the ones that are put on by NHSRA, PRCA or WPRA, have a specific dress code requiring a long sleeve collared shirt, blue jeans, boots and cowboy hat. The one we are going to tonight is not sanctioned so therefore we will be able to wear anything we want, within reason. We can't ride wearing bikini tops or spaghetti straps, although they do sometimes have bikini barrel races. I giggle to myself. I direct my attention back to Tinkerbelle as she is still rummaging through the Buckle bag. Alice then pulls out a totally hot Ed Hardy shirt; I have wanted one of these for awhile. "Oh Alice! How did you know I have so wanted one of those?" I snatch the shirt out of her hand so I can look at it better. It is absolutely perfect! The background is burgundy, on the front is a blue bird that could pass for a Phoenix, the back of the shirt and sleeves have the same screen printing a skull with a rose, of course on the back there is also Ed Hardy's signature with Christian Audigier's name under it.
"I take it you like the shirt?" Alice lightly laughs.
"I love it! It is perfect." I lunge at her almost knocking both of us off the bed as I hug her.
"Hold on Bella there is more. Rose and I were kind of torn on the pants, I was going towards Cruel Girls, but Rose talked me in to this pair of Miss Me, aren't they fab!" Alice holds up the cutest pair of jeans I have ever seen. They are boot cut, and they have a hand sanded look, that is not even the best part of them, on the back pockets they have an embellished crystal cross.
"Alice, you guys really out did yourselves this time." I shake my head disbelievingly.
"Well, we figured it would go well with your cadet cap the one with a crystal cross on it, your B.B. Simon Belt and Python Luccheses." Alice finishes unloading her purchases. I love everything. "So Bella, is Edward going tonight?"
I try to control the thousand watt smile that is inching its way across my face, but it is not working. "Yeah he is. He is going to meet us at four-thirty at Renee's."
"Oh goody, we're going to have such a good time tonight I am super duper excited! Jasper will be thrilled, he loves catching up with 'Aggie alums' as he puts it." Alice shakes her head as she gets up to leave my bedroom.
The rest of the afternoon flies by, Jasper called to confirm that we were still meeting at five-thirty. Seems he and Emmett are just as excited as we are; I could hear Em in the background yelling "Cowgirl up! Get your game face on B, it is rodeo time"…I swear he needs Ritalin or the equivalent.
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Alice and I decide to leave for Renee's at three-thirty because I want to rinse Phoenix off and braid her mane before we leave. We drive up past Renee's house noticing Phil's black Ford four wheel drive truck parked outside; I remember Mom saying he had a free week and was coming in. We get out of Alice's car making our way into the barn to get Phoenix. Mom and Phil are sitting in some folding chairs we have set out on the concrete slab chatting away when they notice us, Phil let's out a long cat call whistle. "Wow girls ya'll look amazing!" Renee calls out, motioning for us to join them.
I lead Phoenix past them tying her in the wash racks, turning back to sit with them and talk for a bit. Phil told us about how the ball season is going and how happy he is to be home for a few days. He then directs his attention to me. "Bella, your Mom tells me you are going to enter the barrels tonight at the rodeo." I nod my head anxiously at him. "I think after I take Renee out to dinner we're going to swing by and cheer ya on." Phil rests his hand on Mom's knee gently rubbing her with his thumb. "Speaking of which honey, we need to get going if we are going to make the rodeo too." Phil takes Mom's hand and helps her out of the chair.
Renee walks over to me and gives me a hug. "Bella, do good tonight. I'll see you when we get there." She releases me from her hug and then turns to Alice, "Alice, please stay out of trouble tonight." Renee chuckles as she pats her niece on the back as she walks out of the barn.
I am just finishing up with braiding Phoenix's mane when Jasper, Emmett and Rose pull up, Alice runs out to the barn to greet them. I start to feel the familiar butterflies I used to get in my stomach when I was about to leave for a rodeo…it feels good. Just as I am untying my mare I feel two strong arms around my waist and a butterfly kiss planted on the nape of my neck, I turn to face Edward, bringing my hand up to caress his cheek, he turns his lips to my palm and places a soft kiss there as well.
"Are you nervous Love?" He grabs my hand we walk side by side as I lead Phoenix to Jasper's trailer. The minute our hands touch all the nervous energy that was building in my stomach subsides.
"Umm I was until you got here, I feel pretty confident now." I stretch up on my tip toes kissing him chastely on his lips.
"Good, there is nothing to be nervous about. You and Phoenix are going to do great. I just know it." He reaches over and pats Phoenix on her neck as we get to the trailer.
Jasper comes around the side of the trailer holding my saddle as he hoists it in to the back tack, "Hey guys are ya'll ready? I know I am! I just love rodeo day." He is talking so fast he didn't even take a breath.
"Slow down and breathe Jas." I chastise him.
"I know, I know… but man, rodeo in Texas is a religion and I got converted fast down there. Don't worry Bella, I got Randy Rogers Band and Chris LeDoux ready to get you all pumped up!" Jasper reaches in the rear tack and pulls out his rope can. It's brown oak leaf tooled leather with his name in black letters. While Edward and I get Phoenix loaded, Jasper takes out a rope and grabs the powder that is stuck behind the cantle of his saddle. He gives it a good coating so the wax on the rope doesn't stick in his hands and begins to spin a loop, feeding it with the excess coils in his left hand making the loop bigger. He tosses it with precision, roping a fence post and jerking the slack out of the line. With a flick of his wrist, the loop pops off the post and he begins recoiling it, already spinning the rope to take another swing.
He's not dressed in his rodeo clothes yet and I can see Alice leaning against the fender of the truck, appreciating Jasper. He is long and lean with taught muscles. His brown cowboy boots are leather soled with square toes and the frayed legs of his jeans cover the shaft of them. The Cinch Jeans he has on aren't too tight because as a calf roper, he has to dismount, flank, or lay down a calf and then tie three of the calf's legs. Calf ropers have to be able to move in their jeans and the ones Jasper is wearing are carpenter cut, but still hugged his nice ass, which Alice was shamelessly ogling as she bit the inside of her jaw.
Jasper's toned arms are tanned from spending many hours practicing both on horseback and with the roping dummy. He is wearing a turquoise blue shirt with some worn screen printing on it and when I read what it said, I cracked up. Jasper has a habit of wearing tacky t-shirts much to the dismay of his mother I'm told. This one is no exception and the white writing reads, "Let's flip a coin. Heads I get tail. Tails I get head." Jasper has the charisma to pull off wearing a shirt like that without being mistaken for a sleaze-bag. The front of his shirt is tucked in his jeans showing off a large belt buckle he'd been awarded by winning the 2008 College National Finals Rodeo Calf Roping Championship, which is a huge accomplishment. His brown belt isn't too flashy and is covered by the hem of his t-shirt that slightly clung to his skin in the hot Arizona sun. I could see between his shoulder blades where sweat began to pool and Alice licked her lips when she touched his wet shirt.
The Texas A&M cap Jasper has on is enough to get him kicked out of a few bars around these parts if he didn't rope well today. The only way an A&M cap is allowed around here is if you were good enough to out rope the assholes who thought going to Texas is something only a traitor would do. It is the trademark burgundy color and the crown is fitted. Jasper's hair stuck out from the back of the hat in ringlets and the bill is frayed. The once white letters of A&M are now a tan color from what looked like a couple years worth of wear. The crimson color looks good next to his dirty blonde locks and tanned skin.
He keeps swinging his rope and finally starts making Alice run so he can practice on a moving target. Alice is giggling as she runs erratically around the front of the truck. Just then Emmett walks around the trailer making sure everything door is shut and all is loaded, "Alright guys, let's get this show on the road."
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End Note: I have put links to Bella's clothes on my profile and a link to the rodeo arena in Gilbert.
Reviews make me happier than going to rodeos.
