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My ankle ached ever so slightly, and I rotated it completely out of habit I’d broken itafter winning the final round in Tulsa I had taken so after that to let it heal and stayed atthat kept h the pain, but I needed that break It was more of a mental break than a physical one, even if I didn’t want to admit it to myself back then And now I yearned for the Montana skyline to be replaced by this Colorado one

With a deep inhale, I took in the crisp winter air The sun would be sinking behind the e feeling of yearning hit ain, and I couldn’t shake it What was it that wasto be ho ho had always been my passion At least, it had been up until my brothers all started to settle down and ith my father on the ranch I ht it see as well I couldn’t put h I tried That pissed me off and made me feel less in control Control hat keptin control meant my life and my career were both at the mercy of fate…and I didn’t like that one damn bit

The sound of the crowd fro that side of ed for the adrenaline rush, but not today I’d been feeling off for the lastpartner and best friend, could sense it Truth be told, neither one of us had been ourselves for a while, and neither of us would ad

“Tanner?” Chance asked

“Yeah, sorry, I was taking a minute,” I said as he rode up next to me and stopped He stared out at the sao

“Is your head in this ride, dude?” Chance’s voice sounded strained

“My head’s in it Yours?” I asked, er was ht when he was three from a friend of my father’s for five-hundred dollars Never drea horse when I first broke hi he could watch a cow come out of the shoot and stay on it like no one’s business We were a perfect fit, and he was one hell of a horse With Trigger, I had four Wrangler NFR Qualifications and one World Cha ould be on top again if Chance and I stayed healthy, didn’t break our dao, it had been prettyanother chaone ho That was the day I had met her

Timberlynn

I glanced back to Chance and waited for his response He paused, and it spoke volumes

Chance rubbed the back of his neck “Honestly? No, I ain’t in it Not at all I think it’s the end-of-the-year shit Or maybe she’s still in my head I don’t really know”

I nodded because I had no clue what to say to hi year for both of us Chance and I had been best friends for as long as I could remember It hadn’t been a surprise to anyone e started roping together The two of us were the male version of Forrest Guether so well Me the header, Chance the heeler And ere good Daether, that is This year, hell, this year had been a challenge for both of us, though, and we had been tested a lot

Chance had found himself in love, and I had found myself without my best friend for the first time in years Not that I wasn’t happy for hiirl, fell for her, asked her to marry him, and without another word, she left hiuy who prohts of New York City I think a part of Chance knew she would never have been happy with hi-ass wo on the road forthe temptations that we are faced with on a daily basis The damn buckle bunnies were in abundance, no iven to wo to hook-up with the cowboys, especially those on buckles Some of them had even been known to steal the buckles as some sort of trophy

“You’re better off without her, you know,” I finally said after we both sat there in silence for a good minute or two

He sighed “Yeah, I know Still fucking hurts, though”

“You sayin’ you want a longer break than just Christ for the same answer I wanted to hear

“It was a rough year last year Your ankle injury and all My whole…I’m in love…debacle I knoe haven’t missed a New Year’s Eve Buck & Ball before, but I feel like I need some time off, Tanner I’d like to just be home with my folks, spend some time with the family Help my dad out on the farm Just…take a feeeks’ break, maybe even a month”

I let a sht s the same way

“Maybe we both need a break,” I said as I looked back at the arena “You thinking what, Alexandria, then we head back out on the circuit? That gives us a good month at home”

A look of relief crossed his face, and I couldn’t help but wonder if there was soabout ives the horses a break as well I’ turned out for a bit”

He leaned over and gave his horse a pat Banker bobbed his head as if agreeing with Chance Hell, this life ere living was hard on everyone involved, including the horses

Just then, the crowd grew louder and cheers could be heard A sh not for the nor back hoet me excited about the ride

Chance looked back toward the arena before he focused onto talk about e’re finished tonight You in?”

I nodded “I agree Let’s leave with a big fuckin’ bang and win this round”

Chance and I ot antsy ere in the box waiting for them to turn the steer out I could practically feel his body vibrate fro after the cow, and I knew exactly how he felt

My heart thundered in ot Trigger where I wanted hiave the nod and the steer was off He was hardly out of the shoot, and Trigger had just broke the line before I roped his horns and I saw Chance’s rope sail doard the back feet Next thing I kneere facing each other and Chance was puhtly from his rider’s crazy antics Chance then tossed his hat in the air I watched in shock, wondering why in the hell he was spooking his horse like he was Banker was a gentle gelding; he didn’t like a lot of show and Chance knew that Even the crowds cheering could hit hiood ride, Chance knew to hold it in until he dis like a damn fool But then, my eyes moved to our time Three-point-five seconds Holy shit

Three Point Five

We had just tied the arena record The world record time was three point four Only three other teams had achieved that score, and this had been the closest we’d ever come Three point six had been our team best previously

The crowd in the arena ild The next thing I knew, the cameras were in our faces, buckles were in our hands, and ere giving interviews left and right Neither one of us , though There was no need to, not ere riding the high of winning Not to mention, it was a nice payday for both of us, so that kept the high even higher for a while