Chapter 4

BROCK

“You’ve got this,” Dirk said, pulling on the bull rope while trying to push Hornet’s Nest to move.

“Yeah,” I said, getting my hand secure in the rope.

Hornet’s Nest bucked in the chute, and Rob’s hand, extended in front of me, kept me from hitting the rail while Dirk had ahold of my vest. Rob worked for the stock contractor who owned Hornet’s Nest.

Once the bastard calmed down, I got myself adjusted, took a quick breath, said my normal prayer, and nodded.

The gateman pulled the gate open, and Hornet’s Nest took off like a damn rocket. I had expected him to go left, like he always did. I guess today he felt like changing shit up.

He went right.

Then, he changed direction. For a moment, I thought I was heading down the well, which was not something I wanted to do. That meant my *** would be on the ground, and this two-thousand-pound beast would surely stomp the shit out of me. Not to mention, I wouldn’t be getting paid.

I dug my spurs in to get a better grip.

“Holy shit,” I grumbled as Hornet’s Nest turned back.

He was all over the place—and I loved it. The feeling of this massive bull under me, fighting just as hard as I was . . . it was the reason I rode. He gave me one hell of a fight, and that had my heart racing with excitement. It never got old, this feeling of adrenaline flowing through my body when I was riding. And nothing compared to it. Nothing was able to make me completely get lost and forget everything. The moment that chute opened and it was just me and the bull, everyone and everything else disappeared. It was a fight to see who could outwit the other, and my goal was to come out on top. Every. Single. Time.

“That’s it! Give it to me!” I shouted as I finally heard the eight-second buzzer.

I reached down and pulled my hand free. For good measure, the bull bucked once more as hard as he could, and I went flying. Luck was on my side, though, and I landed damn near on my feet after flipping in the air.

Something off that she’d found in one of the closets. She said it was in a hidden compartment that she’d stumbled on. It’s a box, and I think it belonged to Kaci.”

My breath caught in my throat. “What?”

“Lincoln said it was in the largest bedroom. I guess she’s making it into a master and taking the wall out to expand it for a bathroom.”

Irrational anger ripped through me. “She’s knocking down walls? What in the hell?”

“Brock, you sold the house. You didn’t want it . . . remember?”

I sighed.

“Anyway, Blayze was out playing in the tree when I ran into the house to move the laundry, and he got excited when he saw her. He fell from the tree, but he’s okay. We thought maybe he sprained his wrist, but the doctor said he’s fine. Nothing a bit of ice and rest won’t fix.”

“What was she doing talking to a kid all alone, anyway?”

“Brock Shaw, you do not talk like that. You don’t even know this woman. Don’t be so mean.”

Glancing at the clock, I said, “Let me talk to Blayze. I’ve got to get going.”

Without another word, she put my son back on the line.

“Daddy! I took a picture with the pwetty new neighbor. I’ll send it to you!”

I smiled. Good Lord, he had Shaw blood running through him, that was for sure. “Now, don’t be going and falling in love, buddy. You’ve got to keep your options open for kindergarten.”

“Gwoss!” Blayze shouted.

A little sense of relief washed over me that he still thought girls were gross. “Listen, I’ve got to go help Uncle Dirk get ready to ride. I love you, buddy. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy! I wove you too!”

I hit end and made my way out of the lockers and back to the chutes. A few people stopped me along the way to congratulate me on the ride; then my phone buzzed in my pocket.

Shit. I’d forgotten to leave it in my locker. I pulled it out, came to a stop, and stared down at the picture I knew for a fact my boy hadn’t sent. If he had learned how to send pictures in a text message, I was in trouble.

Shaking my head, I said, “Sex is what you’re thinking about right now? How about the fact that you just missed the eight seconds?”

He groaned and then said, “When don’t I think about sex, Brock?”

“I’ll have Cord pick out a girl and send her your way!” I called out.

Lifting his hand, Dirk gave me the finger.

I smiled as I shook my head. He was going to be just fine.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***