The Last True Cowboy by Laura Drake

Author:Laura Drake
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2018-12-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Austin

My reaction time is for shit. I should have never bucked off that last bull.” A week later, I reach across the sticky table at The Pancake Palace to snag the syrup. “I’ve had slumps before. This feels different.”

“Quit worrying. You’ll ride your way out of it. You always do.” Shane shovels in waffles smothered in peanut butter, jelly, and honey.

“God, you’re giving me diabetes just watching you eat that.”

“You should talk. You want me to have the waitress bring in an extra bucket of syrup?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

He studies me as he chews. “Do you think it has something to do with you and Carly breaking up?”

Shane knows that Carly and I are done, but not the details. None of his business. And really, none of mine, anymore. “I don’t know. Could be, I suppose.” I take a mouthful of coffee to wash down the wad that’s only part pancake. “All I know is, rodeoing is less fun, every week.”

“Who are you?” He waves a broad hand in front of my face. “Alien? Walking Dead?”

I shrug. “I’m thinking about hanging this season up after this weekend.” I can’t bring myself to say—hell, think—that it’ll be for good.

He stops, mid-chew. “Serious?”

“Well, I’m sure not winning, so it means I’m taking money out of savings to fund my riding. And that’s backasswards.” Every dollar I take out proves Carly was right, telling me it’s time to quit.

The truth is, I’m afraid it is time. It takes me twice as long to warm up before a ride, and way longer than that to heal. I’m the oldest guy in the bar, most nights. How could I not have noticed that?

But it’s more than all those things. Rodeo has been my home for so long, and suddenly it’s like I’m trying to squeeze myself into a little kid’s chair—I just don’t fit.

But rodeo is all I know. And with nothing and no one waiting anymore…I feel as lost as a maverick calf.

“So, what’re you going to do, go home?”

“Yeah. Dad has been wanting me to take over so he can semi-retire.”

He snorts a laugh. “Like your dad is ever going to retire.”

“That’s what I thought. But he and Mom are talking about wanting to travel: Grand Old Opry, San Francisco, even an Alaskan Cruise.”

“Wow. Things are changing, huh?”

“Yeah, and you know how much I hate change.”

“But going from the lights and the crowd, to Unforgiven…” He mock-shudders. “I’m glad I’m younger’n you. When I do decide to hang up the riggin’, I’m not going back to that dead burg. I want to go where there are some people.”

My back hits the cushioned booth. It never occurred to me to go anywhere else. “Where?”

“I don’t know. Montana?”

“Oh yeah, because when you think population, Montana is the first place that comes to mind.”

“True. Maybe Colorado.”

“All they got there’s hippies, potheads, and Hollywood types, playing rancher.”

“You got a point. Luckily, I got time to think about it.” He takes a hit of his glass of milk.

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