Page 18 of Rodeo Rivals (Hope Runs Deep #11)

McKayla

D ropping her saddle in the line, McKayla scanned the men chatting with one another while they stretched before their turn in the chute. If she were honest with herself, she would admit that she wasn’t surveying her competition. She was looking for one rider in particular.

It’d been hours since she left his camper, but her heart still raced in her chest at the thought of seeing him. That wasn’t good. She thought if they slept together again, she would’ve gotten it out of her system.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Wyatt repeatedly strolled through her thoughts the moment she let her mind wander. She had to willfully shoo him out of her brain so she could concentrate on her workout. Even the simple act of adjusting the buckle on her chaps reminded her of Wyatt’s belt and what he hid behind it.

Closing her eyes, she lifted her head to the sky and let out a bit of a frustrated groan. She couldn’t have a crush right now. There wasn’t time for anything like this. She chased a dream. Starting anything right now was out of the question.

“You alright there, kid?” Seth asked as he approached.

Did he have radar or something? Was she wearing an AirTag? Why was he always popping up wherever she went?

McKayla glared in his direction. She was not in the mood for his bullshit and placed her hands on her hips. “What do you want?”

Holding both of his hands over his chest, near his heart, he gasped exaggeratedly. “I’m trying to be nice. We got off on the wrong foot yesterday. You looked like you might be in pain or something.”

Sure. He came over out of concern. Like she’d believe that. She wasn’t born yesterday.

“I’m fine,” she snapped and turned away from him to stretch out her legs.

He leaned in closer to her.

She recoiled. What the hell was he doing now? He was far too close to her. “ Excuse me .”

“My sisters get cranky, too,” he whispered.

“What?” She stepped away from him.

“You know.” He gestured in her direction. “During that time.”

Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. He did not just say that.

“You know. I heard the animals can sense it, and it makes them crazy,” he said.

“Where do you find the audacity?”

He cocked his head to the side like a puppy. “I’m not sure what you mean, but I think it might be best if you sit out the events that are happening while you’re…” He paused and waved his hand as though searching for a word. “On your cycle.”

“First of all—”

“If the bulls are all wild, someone will get hurt. It’s really for everyone’s safety.”

The rage bubbled through her blood. Her fingers curled into fists, and she rocked back and forth from the balls of her feet to her heels. She had to keep calm. There were strict rules against clocking someone. No matter how badly he deserved it.

She narrowed her eyes. “I can see you’re having a hard time dealing with a woman competing against you. Do you need a hug?”

He threw his head back and laughed. “Do you think your presence concerns me?”

“Why else would you be here being this annoying?”

He folded his arms across his chest. “I don’t think it’s safe for you to be around the bulls when you’re on the rag.”

She copied his stance. “I’m not arguing with you. You have every right to be wrong.”

“It’s a proven fact.”

She smirked. “Aww. That’s adorable. You thought that made sense.”

“You don’t belong here,” he snapped.

Licking her bottom lip, she shifted her stance slightly. Her ire dissipated slightly now that she was completely satisfied that she got to him. “Now you’re raising your voice and not your logic.”

“Girls have no place in rough stock.”

She bobbed her head back and forth as though considering his lack of an argument. “I guess I would have to agree. The PRCA requires all competitors to be at least eighteen. Women, on the other hand, can compete if we hit the same qualifiers you did.”

He stepped closer, invading her space again.

She held her ground. Unfortunately, because of his height, she had to look up at him, but she would not back down to a loudmouth pompous ass. She would not be intimidated.

“Go home before you get someone seriously injured,” he growled.

“You have no idea how happy it makes me to know you’re afraid to compete against me.”

His head shook. He ground his teeth. When his nostrils flared, a rumble erupted from his chest. She was playing with fire and liked it.

“Use your words,” she coaxed.

“You’re a fucking bitch,” he snarled. “You know that?”

She rolled her eyes and laughed. Now she had him. “Feisty.” If he thought that lame insult would scare her, he had another thing coming. “You remind me of Tinkerbell.”

When Seth cocked his fist, McKayla shifted and braced herself for impact. Except it never came. Instead, a bullet, clad in a black cowboy hat, came out of nowhere and speared him at the middle.

Stepping back, she bumped into the metal rails keeping the horses in place as the dust kicked up from the dirt. Seth landed on his back with a loud “oof” sound. Wyatt sat atop him, straddling him, unleashing a flurry of fists.

Shit! She had to end that.

“Don’t talk to a lady like that, asshole,” Wyatt roared.

“Wyatt, stop!” she shouted as she charged toward them. Looping one of her arms around his, she sought to impede him from pummeling Seth. “ Stop! ”

Glancing around, she noted that the crowd, which had lingered listening to the two of them banter back and forth, had grown significantly. Switching her stance, she took hold of Wyatt’s middle and pulled him off Seth.

“You’re supposed to be some sort of goddamn role model,” Wyatt spat toward Seth.

Still on his back, with a bloody nose, split lip, and a swollen cheek, Seth tapped his face gingerly.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered.

McKayla kept her grip on Wyatt to keep him from attacking Seth again. “He’s not worth it,” she whispered.

“What’s going on?” someone barked from behind the crowd.

“Shit,” the two of them hissed in unison.

Seth sat up, shook his head, and shifted his jaw back and forth before he got to his feet. As a rodeo official approached, Seth smacked his jeans to get the dirt off them. Honestly, he got what he deserved, but she doubted anyone related to the rodeo would agree with her.

With his hands on his hips, a sweaty, robust man with a red face, wearing a security T-shirt, stared at them and surveyed the situation. Dammit. The day just went from bad to worse.