Perfect Secret by Molly McLain

Chapter 22

HOLDEN

“Ican’t believe he left me everything.”

I grin at Alana, turning in circles in the middle of Marty’s living room on Friday morning. Not only did he leave her the store, he left her his house and the majority of his savings, too. Aside from a little college money for Dalton’s children, Marty’s will, updated just six months ago, listed Alana as primary beneficiary.

The letter that accompanied it all was short and to the point, yet it said so much.

Dear Alana,

My Myrtle and I never had children of our own, and I never regretted that decision until Myrtle moved on to the big Montana sky and left me all alone.

When you showed up and became a part of my life, you helped fill that void. You are a bright, beautiful, independent woman, and if I ever had a daughter, I’d have wanted her to be just like you.

Keep making me proud, kiddo.

Love,

Marty

“Do you think you’ll move in here?” I ask, glancing around at the modest bungalow. It’s outdated but well kept, and the scent of cigars and old books pairs well with the vintage pictures on the walls and the kitschy knickknacks on the shelves. “I mean, it’s definitely your style.”

She half laughs, half snorts. “Totally me.” Then in a more serious tone, “I don’t think I could live here. I also don’t think I could sell it, either. That doesn’t feel right. I suppose I have some time to think about it.”

I nod. “We’ll have to winterize it, but we’ve got plenty of time for that.”

“We?” She arches an eyebrow above one of those gorgeous eyes and I can’t help but pull her to me.

“We’re a we, babe, and will be indefinitely if I have anything to say about it. Better get used to that.” I kiss the tip of her nose, and she makes a scrunched up face.

“You’re kinda bossy, Colorado.”

“Gotta keep up with you, darlin’.”

She rolls her eyes and lifts my arm to check the time on my watch. “We should get going. I have some things to get together for the rodeo tonight.”

“I thought Susie and Nancy were manning the market’s booth.”

“They are, but I told them the very least I could do was set up, since they’re working all weekend.”

“So, you’re free then, right? To enjoy the festivities with me?”

She smiles, but her hesitation is as apparent as those freckles on her cheeks. “Of course.”

“You’ll hate every second of it, won’t you?”

“It’s not that I hate the rodeo…” She sighs. “In fact, I used to love it.”

“Until Cory.”

She nods. “Yeah. He kind of ruined it for me.”

I tighten my arms around her. “How long has it been since you’ve gone?”

“More than four years,” she admits and there’s an undercurrent of sadness in her tone. Like maybe she’s missed it more than she’s allowed herself to admit.

“What are the chances I’d be able to talk you into going with me?”

She laughs and the prettiest pink stains her cheeks. “I don’t know…”

“Come on, darlin’, I can’t have my girlfriend hating what I do for a living.”

Her brows lift. “What you do, present tense. Does that mean you’re not quitting?”

“It means I haven’t made my mind up yet.”

A satisfied smile spreads across her lips. “Okay. I’ll take that for now.”

“I’m riding this weekend.”

Her eyes go wide and her mouth drops open. “Are you serious?”

I nod, and she jumps up into my arms, her excitement bursting.

“Have you been holding out on me all this time, Holden Daniel?”

I laugh. “When I heard the rodeo was coming to town, I was kinda hoping the assault stuff would be old news so I could have some fun.”

“The timing is perfect!” She bounces up again and smacks her lips to mine only to pull back abruptly. Her whiskey eyes dart back and forth between mine for a long moment, before she swallows. “Is Cory going to be there, too?”

“I don’t know.” When I talked to him last Saturday after the blowup at Pony Up, he wasn’t sure he wanted to stick around town any longer than he had to. He went off about everyone in Mason Creek hating him because of Alana, and when I pointed out that they probably hated him because he treated her like shit, he got real quiet. “But if I keep riding, he’s going to be around. We can’t avoid him forever.”

She’s thoughtful for another beat and then she pulls her shoulders back and lifts her chin. “I want to support you more than I want to avoid him. And I can’t very well push you to keep riding and not be your biggest fan, now can I?”

“You’ve never seen me on a bull, babe. I might suck.”

“You’ve missed three events and you’re still sixth overall in points, Colorado. I’m pretty sure you don’t suck.”

“I thought we agreed you weren’t going to look me up.”

“And I thought you weren’t going to connive with my coworkers behind my back anymore.”

I blink down at her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Uh huh.” She pokes at my chest. “I know you sweet-talked Susie and Nancy into covering the whole weekend so I wouldn’t have to, even though it’s my job now.”

“Don’t be too mad, babe. I just wanted the opportunity to hopefully make you love the rodeo again. Maybe make you proud, too.”

“I’m already proud of you, cowboy.”

“Just wait until you see me in action.”

Her grin stretches wide, and if her looking up at me like that is my reward, I might just keep riding bulls after all.

ALANA

“That’s him, huh? I can see why you held out on me.” The familiar voice sounds behind me as I watch Holden talk animatedly with a bunch of the rodeo company’s staff by the gates.

“Get your eyes off my man, Mads.” I turn to my best friend with a grin and arms ready for a hug.

“But he’s so cute!” she squeals as she launches herself at me. “And between you and me, he fills out those Wranglers very nicely.”

“Oh my god.” I laugh. “You and your cowboys.”

“Me?” She pulls back, her eyes sparkling as she takes me in. “You’re the one who went and fell in love with one!”

“I’m not—”

“You so are. And it looks damn good on you, too.” She purses her lips and gives me another once-over. “You holding up okay with everything else going on?”

I nod. “For the most part. I think I’m still in shock, but the store has kept me so busy that I haven’t had time to dwell on it.”

“And your classes? How are they going?”

“Good. I’m so glad I only have the two right now. How about you, Ms. Master’s Degree?”

A bright grin splits across her face. “I have an interview with Nash & Broadfield next week.”

“Mads!” I throw my arms around her for another hug. “That’s awesome!” She’s had her heart set on a position at the big architectural engineering firm for years now, and she’d bided her time, waiting until she was further along in her degree. “I have no doubt you’ll nail it.”

She lifts her shoulder, a sheepish blush creeping into her cheeks. “Here’s hoping, anyway.”

I give her a playful poke, then wrap my arm around her waist and lead her back to the gate where I’ve been watching the rodeo team finalize everything for tonight’s performance. Kickoff is in two hours and a few spectators have already arrived to claim seats in the stands.

“So, you mentioned something about him not going back on the road,” Madelyn says as we watch Holden shake hands with another guy on the other side of the arena. They’re clearly friends, given the half hug that follows.

“He’s undecided.” And the more I see him in his element like this, the more I know it’s where he belongs.

“And if he goes back? How will you feel about that?”

“I’ll miss him, but I don’t want to hold him back, either.”

She nods and watches for another minute. “You could hire a new manager for the store, and I don’t know, go on the road with him? Maybe have a life for once?”

I laugh. “For one, I have a life. And two, he travels with Cory.”

“I like how you didn’t say no.” My friend smirks. “Anyway, how are you handling that? Him being one of Cory’s besties and all.”

“Cory and I haven’t said more than twenty words to each other in nearly four years. My concern was more about how Holden would feel, and he said being with me is more important.” I shrug, even though saying those words—knowing he feels that way—is anything but insignificant.

“Speaking of the cheating jerk…” Madelyn lifts her chin to the right where Cory approaches Holden and the other guys, his vest hanging from his hand.

Ah, so he is riding this weekend. “I wasn’t sure he’d show up.”

“I hope he draws the meanest bull and gets his dick stomped on, too.”

“He wears a cup.”

“Quit ruining my fun.”

HOLDEN

“Two ABR superstars at our little rodeo? Well, I’ll be damned.” Dean, the foreman from the Magnolia Blue Ranch, extends his hand to Cory.

“Figured it was time I gave the home crowd a little show.” He chuckles and flicks a smug grin my way. “You riding too, lover boy, or are you just here to look pretty and sign autographs?”

I shoot him a wink. “By the time we’re done this weekend, you’ll be wanting one, too.”

His smirk hitches a little higher to one side. “Awfully cocky for someone who hasn’t ridden in almost a month, don’t you think?”

“A month full of pent-up resentment,” I remind him. I’m not going down tonight without a fight. Especially not to him.

He scoffs. “Yeah, well, we’ll see how that works out for you.”

Watching us with an arched eyebrow, Dean clears his throat. “Looks like they’ve opened up registration.”

Cory digs his boots into the dirt and strides toward the table without another word.

“I know you pro guys are hella competitive, but I get the feeling there’s something more going on here,” Dean mutters as we follow after.

“Eh. Mitchell doesn’t like losing, that’s all.”

But that’s exactly what’s going to happen this weekend if I have anything to say about it, because this win isn’t just about flipping off my accuser and the ABR…

I want to win for my girl, too.

ALANA

“I think I’m going to be sick.” I press my hand to my stomach as the first night of bronc competition wraps up and the announcer amps up the crowd for the final event of the night—the bulls.

Madelyn just smiles. “You forgot about that part, huh?”

“Unfortunately.” This is always the part of the night where the excitement turns to anxiety, and all of the worst-case scenarios come to mind. Will he hang on? Will his bull be tough enough to score well, but not so tough that he ends up hurt? What if he does get hurt? Will it be a bad injury?

And because I’ve never been to one of Holden’s events before, I have a whole other set of questions. Will he want me by his side if he’s injured? What if he has to go to the hospital? Did he list me as an emergency contact?

My mind is racing, all for a ride that’ll be over in eight seconds.

From the bleachers behind me, Wilder clasps his hands on my shoulders and leans down to be heard above the music. “You wanna place bets on his score?”

“You think he’ll hang on?”

Wilder nods. “Without a doubt. He’s got a score to settle.”

I bite my lip. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“It’s what he does, Al. It’s in his blood. And he’s damn good at it, too.”

“I’m going with seventy-five,” Madelyn chimes in, as Jake Owen’s “Eight Second Ride” begins to play over the speakers and the rodeo clowns toss T-shirts into the crowd.

“Only seventy-five?” I scoff. How dare she doubt my man.

Hallie laughs. “I guess you’re not that worried.”

“I’ll take eighty,” Wilder says.

“I’ve got eighty-one,” Hallie adds, sticking her tongue out at Wilder.

I glance back to the arena, catching a glimpse of him shrugging his vest behind the gates and the chute.

He looks up as if he feels me watching and winks.

“Ninety,” I say boldly. “And I’m calling a shiny new buckle by the time this weekend is over, too.”

HOLDEN

Bermuda is easily the orneriest beast in the trailers this weekend, so of course I drew him.

Cory laughed, Dean grimaced, and I held my head high, knowing damn well that a rowdy bull could pay off big on the scoreboard. He could very well break my back, too, but that’s a risk I take every time I strap up.

Seven riders have already gone and only one made eight. Dean is in the chute now and I hold my breath as he gives the nod and the gate opens. His bull, Mad Dog, goes right and then left, bucking to beat hell, but not with the ferocity needed to put up a big score. Still, Dean holds on and the crowd goes wild. Seventy-four points later, he’s in the lead with Cory on deck.

He rides like the pro he is and scores an eighty-nine.

Dammit. I’ll need that coveted ninety to beat him. I’ve topped it plenty of times before, but the stakes have never felt higher than they do tonight.

My girl is in the crowd and my career is in limbo. I want to win as a means of thanking her for believing in me and to prove to myself that this is where I belong.

“You’re up, McMurray.” One of the guys waves me over and I pop in my mouth guard.

The adrenaline pumps through my veins as I bounce on my toes, crane my head from side to side, and then stride toward the chute like I’ve done hundreds of times before.

“He’s already good and pissed for you,” one of the handlers says as I climb the gate and hover above the massive white bull. Bermuda grunts and stomps and thrashes the second he feels me settle down, working the strap around my gloved right hand.

“Good,” I mutter under my breath, making sure the leather is nice and snug. “That’s how I like ‘em.”

Then I give my nod and the gate swings open.

Bermuda isn’t just pissed, he’s friggin’ enraged. His rear end whips around like a damn tornado, tossing my ass and arm in the air like they’re nothing. But I hang on and I hang on some more until the buzzer sounds. When I slip from the bull, hitting the arena floor in a cloud of dust, the crowd is on their feet.

The announcer sings my praises and the guys whistle and call out from behind the gate, but it’s the grin on Alana’s face and the tears in her eyes that mean the most.

“You did it!” I hear her scream above the crowd, as she jumps up and down, her hands pressed together like a prayer in front of that pretty smile.

And then the announcer’s voice sounds over the loudspeaker once again and I can tell she’s holding her breath right along with me.

“And that’s a ninety-one point, folks. The top score of the night and a new Mason Creek rodeo record.”

“That’s my man!” she hoots and then takes off for the staging area.

I run out of the arena, too, and we damn near collide on the dirt path out back.

“Halfway to that buckle, baby!” She jumps into my arms and crashes her mouth to mine while I stick my hat on her head and spin her around.

“I don’t need the buckle, darlin’. I already won with you.” She laughs and I’m pretty sure it’s the prettiest sound I’ve ever heard.

* * *

I ride againon Saturday and with a single point over Cory, the silver buckle and the Mason Creek rodeo title is mine.

“So, now what?” Alana asks after the big win. “Do you still want to quit something you’re so obviously meant to do?”

I shake my head, knowing she was right all along. “I think I have to finish what I started.”

“Damn right, you do.” She toes up and her kiss is like fuel on an already blazing fire. “Go get ‘em, cowboy.”