Page 61 of Roping My Rival

Dane’s blue eyes, stormy today, assess me. “Yeah, Burke. We’re good.”

“Cuz you’ve been super quiet, and I just wanted to make sure nothing—”

“Nothing is wrong. Let’s get the horses. Tie down will be up soon.”

Okay then.

We fall into our pre-event routines easily, and even though I shouldn’t really care if he’s in the right mind space, I do. He’s my partner, and if he’s all up in his head, it will play out in the ring. But damn it, he either talks and cries on my chest or is as chatty as a mime.

If he’s embarrassed about what we did or what he said, he shouldn’t be.

As we line up ready for the call of tie-down ropers, I look over to find him watching me.

“What?”

“Stop thinking about how to fix me. I’m fine.”

“Maybe I like you just the way you are, Dane. Ever think there’s nothing about you that needs fixing? Because you’re not broken to me.”

His nostrils flare as he turns to face forward again. A classic deflection, and it’s fine. I won’t take it personally, but I know how it feels to be under the microscope. To have all the well-meaning people in your life just trying to help. When I first went to live with Hunter and Gabe, they just wanted me to be okay. The constant therapy appointments, tutors, and homeschooling were a lot. Almost too much because instead of feeling loved, I felt like a burden.

The breakthrough didn’t happen overnight, but when it did, it felt like I could solve the hardest math problem without a calculator. I can be patient with Dane as long as he keeps letting me get closer.

We line up in our order, with Dane two riders ahead of me. I can’t see all the runs, but I know some are good and some are great. When it’s Dane’s turn, my heart hammers harder as I wait. The gates open, and the calf runs out with Dane throwing his rope and dismounting his horse in a blink. There’s a very long pause, and it’s when the announcer comes on to say Dane’s time that I know he wasn’t perfect. He’ll be disappointed with that.

As the last rider out, all I know is that I need a fast, clean run to finish in the money.

Piggin rope gripped in my teeth, I nod to the official. My throw is clean, and Petey does his job while I do mine. After sprinting down the line, I heft the calf on its side and tie three legs together in a blur. With my hands in the air, I wait until the official lowers his flag before untying the calf.

“Seems like the best was saved for last, ladies and gentlemen. Give the talented Warren Burke a round of applause for being tonight’s champion in tie down roping!”

Holy shit. I won!

The next several minutes pass in a blur as they ask for a photo of the top three finishers, and I do a victory lap. Once out of the ring, I find Dane at the trailer. He’s leaned against the side with his arms crossed, and as I draw closer, a tiny smile forms on his lips.

“How does it feel, Burke?”

Dropping to the ground, I lead Petey to the trailer and tie him while I weigh my words.

“Incredible. I won’t lie, but it felt like something was missing.”

“You beat me fair and square. Celebrate because hopefully it won’t happen again.”

The hardness from his eyes earlier is gone, and it never crossed my mind that he’d intentionally perform less so I could win. If he did, I’d kick his ass.

“We’ll see about that next time, won’t we?”

Dane huffs a laugh but still smiles. “You never believed in yourself, Warren. You could have beaten me so many times. You’re good at this. Great, even. So take the win.”

“I will, but it wasn’t the same not sharing it with you. Even after finally winning, it was odd not having you there.”

Dane’s gaze drops to his boots. The silence between us hangs until I finally break it.

“We’re gonna win team roping, though. We’re just getting started, Dane. One more rodeo before going home. Then it’s on to bigger money shows. This is our summer.”

With a nod, his gaze returns to mine.

“Let’s go win some money, then.”