Page 21 of Knot my First Rodeo

“Can I try something?” she asks suddenly.

That catches me off guard.

“You wanna what?”

“Try something. Not the… getting thrown off a horse thing. Something else.” She climbs the fence, and is on the same side of the arena as us in a heartbeat.

I glance at Clint, then back at her.

“You don’t even know what you’re asking.”

“I know enough.”

“You don’t.”

She steps closer, that stubborn set back in her jaw.

“Then show me.”

I pause. There’s dirt on her, hair falling loose again, eyes sharper than they were this morning but she’s not backing down. I like that too much.

“Alright,” I say finally. “We’ll start small.”

Clint raises a brow but doesn’t argue. I grab a spare rope and hand it to her.

“Hold it like this,” I say, stepping in behind her before I think too hard about it.

She goes still for half a second. I adjust her grip, my hand brushing hers again, then guiding her wrist.

“You’re gripping too tight.”

“I don’t want to drop it.”

“You won’t.”

She huffs a breath but relaxes a little.

“Now swing it.”

She tries.

It’s… not good.

The loop collapses immediately, rope tangling on itself. I laugh before I can stop myself.

“Don’t laugh,” she snaps.

“I’m not laughing,” I lie.

“You are.”

“Okay, a little.”

She elbows me, not hard, but enough to make me step back.

“Show me again.”

I do, slower this time, letting her watch the motion.