Page 87 of Stick Around,

“You were amazing,” Kellan’s hand found the small of my back.

Enzo nodded in agreement, offering me his water bottle. “Not bad for a stick horse champion.”

I took a long drink, suddenly aware of how dry my mouth had become. “Speaking of which...” I handed the bottle back to Enzo. “I have something to tell you guys.”

All three of them looked at me expectantly.

“I, uh, got accepted into the Western Regional Hobby Horse Invitational. It’s in two weeks.”

Silence met my announcement. Three pairs of eyes stared at me with varying degrees of surprise. Junebug bumped her head against my shoulder, nearly knocking me off balance and knocking them out of their shock.

“Two weeks?” Kellan’s eyebrows shot up toward his hat brim. “That’s pretty last minute, isn’t it?”

I flinched, suddenly finding my boot very interesting as I scuffed it against the dirt. “I signed up a few weeks ago, and it’s not like I haven’t been practicing the last several weeks. I only heard back that I was accepted a week ago, and with everything going on, I hadn’t gotten around to mentioning it?”

The last part came out more like a question than the statement I’d intended. I chanced a glance up to find three expressions that ranged from amused to puzzled to concerned.

“Were you planning to tell us before or after you went?” Reid’s voice was gentle, but I detected a hint of hurt beneath it.

“Before! Definitely before.” I reached for his hand, squeezing it in reassurance. “Like, right now. Which is before. So technically, I’m fulfilling that promise.”

Kellan snorted. “Solid logic there, Professor.”

I swatted his arm and bit my lip, looking between them. “So... are you guys mad? That I didn’t tell you sooner?”

Enzo’s expression turned serious as he crossed his arms. His hat cast shadows across his face, making him look more intimidating than usual. I braced myself for disappointment or perhaps a lecture on communication. “There’s really only one thing to do now.”

I held my breath, my shoulders tensing as I waited for their response. Here it comes. The teasing or the concern that I would spiral again. After all, I had a mini-meltdown after the fair encounter and my newfound internet fame. Because I didn’t quite understand what the big deal was, I’d gone on my social media the following day.

Had I hidden under a blanket while scrolling through comments that were a mixture of encouragement, bullying, and oddly, several sexualizing me? Yes. Had I asked Reid to check if my teaching license could be revoked for stick horse indecency? Also, yes.

It wasn’t my finest moment and exactly why I hadn’t ventured into that hostile territory. Kellan had to coax me out of my nest with homemade brownies and promises that nobody at the state education board was monitoring hobby horse videos.

Probably.

I cringed, wondering if it was worth it. But then I remembered all the positive comments and all the people that might be inspired to start doing something fun despite the negativity around them. “And what’s that?”

“Prepare.” Enzo’s serious expression cracked into a rare, full smile that was becoming less rare. “We have a champion to train.”

The tension in my shoulders released so fast I almost sagged against Junebug’s side. “Really? You’re not upset?”

“Why would we be upset about supporting you?” Kellan threw an arm around my shoulders. “Though I am deeply wounded you didn’t consult us, your resident horse experts, before entering.”

“I didn’t want to make it weird when I didn’t know where things were going with us!” I protested. “Plus, it’s not exactly normal.”

All three men exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

“Sweetheart.” Reid’s eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement. “If you think any of us want ‘normal’ after this, you haven’t been paying attention.”

Junebug nickered, as if in agreement.

“Fair point.” I leaned my head against Kellan’s shoulder, reaching out to take Reid’s and Enzo’s hands. “So you’ll help me train?”

Enzo squeezed my hand. “We’ll have you jumping higher than ever and prancing like you had a spa day with the farrier.”

Between Junebug and my three cowboys surrounding me, I was invincible. Whatever the competition threw at me, I’d be ready.

And honestly, how hard could it be? I’d already done it once unprepared and taken on three cowboys and a ranch full of animals.