Page 5 of Faith for the Cowboy
Harper smiled. “I’ve been around rodeos for a long time.”
“Wait, what did you say your last name is?”
“Sullivan” Harper said.
“Are you related to Noah Sullivan?”
Harper pressed her lips together as she nodded. “He was my brother.”
Sierra reached out and put a hand on her arm. “Noah was a great rider. I saw him compete several times, and I liked to think we were friends.”
Harper gave a small smile. “I’m sure he felt the same way. Noah made friends everywhere he went. Everyone loved him.”
Sierra nodded. “Yes, I would agree with that.”
Lawson watched the two women and noted the sad look in Harper’s eyes when she mentioned her brother. What had happened to him?
Harper lifted her camera as she changed the subject. “I’ll be around. I’d like to take some practice shots to find the best spots.”
“Sounds great,” Sierra said. “Make yourself at home. Holler if you need me.”
“Thanks.”
Lawson watched Harper walk away before returning to his own responsibilities. He hoped that his job today would require more time spent with her.
Harper made her way around the event arena. Sierra’s words echoed in her mind. Make yourself at home.
She hadn’t been anywhere close to home in a very long time.
Her parents kept in touch, and her mom always asked her to come home for holidays, but Harper usually found an excuse not to. She still saw her parents, but only when they came to visit her on the road.
Harper had made her life in rented houses, hotel rooms, and rodeo grounds.
Her thoughts drifted to her brother as she adjusted her camera settings and aimed at the excited children as they prepared for the mock rodeo events.
She always felt closest to her brother at a rodeo. Something her parents didn’t understand. Which was evident every time they encouraged her to come home and find a “real job.” He had loved the events and the atmosphere of the rodeo. It had made him happy like nothing else did. Harper hoped by attending rodeos and capturing the images, she could keep his memory alive.
As she moved through the crowd snapping photos of the animated antics of the children, the mixture of nerves and excitement of their parents, and the vibrant expressions of onlookers, Harper felt a sense of belonging that she hadn't experienced in a long time. The laughter, the cheers, and the occasional cry of disappointment created a tapestry of human emotion that her lens eagerly captured.
The corners of her mouth lifted into a smile as she watched a cowboy lean down and talk to a little boy wearing jeans, chaps, and a cowboy hat. His tiny boots looked brand new, and his face beamed with excitement as the man spoke to him. Harper drew closer and snapped several shots of the little boy’s reactions as the man kept his back to her.
She recognized Lawson’s voice as he encouraged the boy and gave him a few tips about holding onto the sheep during the mutton busting event. Just as she snapped one more picture, he stood and turned to face her.
Was it her imagination, or did he blush when he saw her? Surely, he wasn’t embarrassed to have his picture taken. The rodeo cowboys she knew enjoyed any kind of attention they could get.
But then again, most of them didn’t take the time to stoop down to a child’s level and cheer them on. Maybe he was a different sort of man than the cowboys she knew.
She gave her head a little shake. There was no use thinking for any amount of time about a rodeo cowboy. As much as she wanted to be around the sport, she knew better than to make plans with a man who liked to ride bulls.
Her brother had taught her that.
Lawson walked toward her and interrupted her thoughts with a question. “Did you see the little kid dressed as a rodeo clown?”
She laughed. “No, I didn’t.”
“I’ll point him out. You’ve got to get a picture of that. It’s like the next generation of rodeo right here in Shelby Springs.”
“I like the sound of that.”
