Page 25 of Stirring Spurs (Rainbow Ranch #1)
WYLIE
On Saturday morning, Boone is up even earlier than usual for rodeo prep. Last night, laying on my chest, he went on and on about mixing the menu up each month depending on what the ranch produces. Of course, folks like what they like, and you can’t get too fancy if you want to make money.
He showed me his menu, scribbled out on a notepad he keeps next to the bed.
Besides the funnel cakes, corn dogs, and roasted corn on the cob they always serve, this month Boone wrangled up a BBQ brisket chili and jalapeno cornbread.
My mouth watered as he explained each dish, and when he heard my stomach growl, he crawled up for a kiss.
I grab my hat from the hook in the closet and head out to check on Noodles.
As of last night, he was in good shape. Doc Evans flushed him out something good.
Poor guy had a tube shoved up his nose into his stomach for a few hours, but after some blood tests, Doc gave me the all clear to bring him home.
Home to Rainbow Ranch. Somehow, both Noodles and I found our way to this place. I don’t know if it was fate or a twist of luck that led us both here, but here we are.
The first time I laid eyes on him, I knew he was something special. He has the kind of presence that charges the air around him. I remember the way he looked at me when I stepped into the barn that first day—curious but cautious. He was scoping me out.
I arrived here a mess, no better than a weather vane caught in a windstorm, blown about by poor decisions and regrets. But something about this place spoke to me. The animals. The land. The people. Boone.
Rainbow Ranch has a way of pulling folks—and animals—in, giving them a place when they’ve got nowhere else to go.
I’m sure grateful Noodles and I ended up here at the same time.
The bond between us is new, fragile, like two wild creatures who’ve just found shelter from a storm.
But I can already feel it. It’s as if the earth under our feet has whispered that we belong to each other now.
Last night, Noodles sure seemed ready to be shown, but Beau and I agreed it might not be best to push him.
I’d love to walk him around the ring on a lead.
Introduce him to the world. Let everyone see how far he’s come.
But I’m letting Noodles decide—we can always try next month.
Or the month after that. Neither one of us is going anywhere.
On rodeo day, breakfast consists of pre-made egg sandwiches left out for us, so I sneak out back to steal a kiss from Boone. He’s wiping out the cotton candy machine, and I come up behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist.
“I thought you weren’t keen on sweets,” he says, running a cloth along the glass.
“Only if it’s your sugar.” I kiss his neck and push myself into him. “Fuck, you drive me wild.”
He spins me around and kisses me, and in that moment, with Boone and a future together solidified, all the tension that held me down seems to evaporate. A lightness I’ve yet to experience comes trotting in. Damn, it feels good.
“Okay, cowboy. I need to get this ready to churn out clouds of fluff for the kids. I’ll see you soon.”
I nod, dipping back in for one more kiss from my guy before heading back to the barn.
When I arrive, Dennis has managed to let himself out.
He’s waiting by Noodles’ stall, kicking at the ground until I open it and let him in.
With the medication Doc Evans sent us home with, Noodles seems more and more like himself every hour, and there’s a noticeable spark in his eyes having his little buddy weaving between his legs.
I touch his nose, giving a soft pat before running my palm along his face and down his neck.
“Whaddya think, boy? Ready to meet the world?”
He nestles into my shoulder, and my arm instinctively wraps around his head. This is how we hug. If he were able, I like to think he’d crawl into my lap like a dog.
“We’ll take it easy. I promise. We’ll be right with you,” I say, brushing away a piece of hay from his face.
Dennis lifts his head, poking at my waist, and I reach down and give him a scratch.
“Okay, guys. Let’s show 'em how incredible you are.”
The air hangs thick with the scent of leather and hay, mixing with the faint, sharp tang of livestock.
A patchwork of sunburned faces and faded denim fills the bleachers, all eyes fixed on the arena.
In the center, a cloud of dust rises as Beau, Billie, and Benny enter the ring.
Colorful rainbow flags flap in the breeze as hooves pound the earth.
The low murmur of excited voices hums under the harsh twang of Winnie’s fiddle.
The announcer’s voice crackles over the loudspeaker, blending with the distant whinny of a horse.
The heat of the sun beats down from a cloudless sky, as the rhythmic pulse of the rodeo begins to take shape—a symphony of dust, grit, and raw energy.
I'm standing by the center entrance, off to the side, waiting with Noodles. He was calm as I attached the lead to his halter, but Dennis, who’s less keen on being tethered, is growing impatient with his. I plan to release him as soon as the arena clears, but if I let him loose here, he’d bolt.
The Adams siblings ride out, tipping their hats at me, and I give Noodles a quick pat on his side. I’ll participate in some of the later events without Noodles.
The announcer’s voice booms over the crowd. “Everyone, everybody, while we wait for the next round of barrel racers, we have a special treat for you.”
I lean into Noodles, resting my head near his ear and whisper, “Let’s go, boy. I’ll be right with you.”
Holding each horse’s lead in a different hand, we head into the ring. With the gate closed, I unlatch Dennis, and he immediately takes off, trotting around the edge, taking short leaps, showing off. Lord, he’s a ham.
Noodles stands still, his body slightly stiff as he eyes the lead rope in my hand. His ears flick back and forth, processing the unfamiliar pressure of having a sea of eyes on him. When I give a gentle tug, he takes half a step forward. I rest my hand on his shoulder, applying light pressure.
“You got this, boy.”
My mind races, torn between holding steady and turning around and heading out.
But as if he senses something’s off, Dennis comes around the corner, stopping beside Noodles.
He nudges the larger horse’s front leg, and Noodles shifts his weight ever so slightly.
With a quiet stir, Noodles moves forward, Dennis leading the way, their hooves making a soft, steady clop on the dirt.
Quiet, measured clapping comes from the onlookers, and Noodles lifts his head a little, picking up his pace to a slow trot to keep up with his tiny leader.
His ears flicker, and when the applause from the crowd picks up, he lets out the cutest little snort.
I jog alongside him, head held high, the sun beating down on my hat.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Boone off to the side, leaning against the entrance. He’s grinning wide, his face catching the light, somehow making him even more handsome. I keep pace with Noodles, taking in the crowd as Noodles makes his rodeo debut.
After I get Noodles settled in his stall, I’ve got a bit of time before the modified roping exhibition, so I head over to the food stalls by the barn.
Tables stretch down the side of the building, smoke rising from grills, huge pots bubbling, and trays piled high with breads and sweets.
At the far end, I spot Winnie working the cotton candy machine, the pink and blue sugar spinning into fluffy clouds on paper cones for the crowd.
I finally spot Boone again, ladling out chili into bowls for a long line of folks waiting their turn. Pris and Pepper are on either side of him, helping. Slipping behind the table, I sidle up beside him, not making a sound.
“Need any help?”
“Hey, you.” He flashes that grin of his, and for a moment, it feels like the whole damn world could be saved with that smile. “Aren’t you busy?”
“Got a few minutes…”
He places the bowl on the table next to a row of others, and seizing the moment, I gently knock his hip with mine .
“Pris, I’ll be back in five,” he says.
She’s placing slices of cornbread on the edge of each bowl.
“Got it, boss.”
Pepper takes over ladling the smoky chili into bowls, and right there, in front of all those people, Boone takes my hand, interlacing our fingers, and tugs me off, around back, and inside the barn.
It’s warmer inside and filled with the soft scent of hay and dirt. Sunlight filters through the small windows, casting a golden glow across the exposed wooden beams overhead. Boone pushes me against hay bales stacked in the corner, a few pieces of hay crunching under our boots.
With his body pressed against me, he leans in, and before I can speak, his lips are on mine—strong, forceful, like he’s been waiting all day for this. I kiss him back, slow and sure, the distant hum of the rodeo outside wrapping around us. Boone’s heartbeat hammers against my chest.
“You were amazing out there,” he says, pulling back.
I shrug. “It was all Dennis, really.”
He kisses me again—shorter, sharper this time—and the intensity of the moment leaves me breathless.
“Really glad I’m staying,” I say.
He buries his face in my neck. We’re both sweaty, ripe from the day, but it doesn’t matter.
“Cookie, can you look at me?” My voice comes out barely more than a whisper as I tip back just enough to see Boone’s big green eyes. “Please.”
He shifts his weight, his gaze locking with mine. I cup his face in my hands, my thumb tracing the curve of his dimple, the warmth of his skin grounding me in a way nothing else can.
“I love you.” The words, a quiet confession, slip from my mouth like a sigh of relief, the weight of years of searching and unspoken feelings finally released. With a soft smile, I pull off my hat and settle it onto his head. “Cowboy.”
He laughs, low and rich, before dragging me close, kissing me like he means it with every ounce of his being. When he pulls back, his breath warm against my lips, Boone Adams says, “I love you, too.”
The words settle deep in my chest, right where they belong.
I’m finally home.
THE END