Bullwhipped (A Cowboy Romance)

Bullwhipped

By Danica Chandler

This book is a work of fiction and is for your personal enjoyment only. Any similarities to names, places, or events are coincidental. This book may not be resold or given away to another person. It may not be transmitted in any way without written permission from the author.

Copyright © 2015 by Danica Chandler

Cover art by Danica Chandler

Reader discretion is advised - contains adult content.

Olivia Hayes is a good girl – she doesn’t go out, she doesn’t drink, and she doesn’t mess around with bull riders. Her focus is on barrel racing - until a handsome cowboy crosses paths with her one random night. He’s the person her father warned her about – a womanizing, fast moving man who has left his share of women broken-hearted. He has an immediate power over her, killing her ability to say no – his sexual charm proving to be her kryptonite.

Cale Warren is aware of his reputation as the bad boy on the rodeo circuit. With his bad past haunting him, he knows he has to overcome it to fight the stigma placed over his head. When he spots the beautiful cowgirl in the crowd, he’s faced with a new challenge – capture the heart of a lady that doesn’t fit his usual interests. There’s something about her that he can’t explain and the mystery inspires him to pursue her.

As the attraction grows, they learn things about themselves, strengthening the bond they once thought was impossible. Olivia’s hidden desires are awakened and her sexual hunger grows for the man she once avoided. Cale opens his heart to love for the first time, longing for more than just a physical release with Olivia.

With the dangers of rodeo lingering, their relationship is put to the test. Olivia doesn’t want to lose Cale, and they are faced with a decision – is bull riding worth losing everything, or is the love they share what matters most?

“Next up, Cale Warren from Saw Mill, Texas. Let’s give this cowboy a hand!”

Cale edged up to the chute, eyeing the muscled animal. No matter how many times he lined up for a ride, the nerves came on just as strong as the first time he hopped on two tons of bull. The crowd went wild – it always did. Bull riding was a rodeo favorite. It was thrilling, it was intense, and the result of the ride was always unknown with everyone wondering – can that cowboy pull of eight seconds and take home some money, or will he get bucked off and face impending doom?

Taking one last look at the crowd, he adjusted his Stetson and straddled the bull they called
Dillinger.
He gripped the rope, wrapping it several times around his gloved hand. The bull was already attempting to get him off his back, and Cale tightened his thighs around him, steadying himself for the next eight seconds, not only wanting that prize money, but also
needing
to stay on for his pride. It was his time to shine. It was his time to conquer this ride and move up in the standings.

The cowboy working the chute patted him on the shoulder as the bull jumped sideways, crashing into the metal gate that locked him in with the unruly beast. Cale’s leg slammed against it and a searing jolt of pain coursed through him. Gritting his teeth, he fought through it. The angrier the bull got, the more determined Cale grew.

“You ready, Warren?”

Cale nodded, confirming it was fine to open the gate and let him fly. The bull groaned as he was freed from his prison. Cale latched onto the rope as tight as possible, his body being jerked from side to side as he fought to stay on top. His legs provided leverage and balance and his right arm flew up in the air, moving from front to back, staying in perfect rhythm with the bull. One wrong move and he’d be flipped off into the dirt below.

Twisting and turning, he heard the dull roar of the crowd crescendo into screams and yells as he continued to conquer
Dillinger,
a bull that hadn’t gone eight seconds in months. The buzzer echoed throughout the arena, signaling that Cale had done what he had planned. It was time to dismount and get out of the arena before the bull finished the job.

Releasing the rope, he slid off the back of the angry animal, landing on his knees in the mud. A cowboy on a horse came and diverted the bull, preventing any charge toward Cale. Running to the edge of the arena, Cale was able to jump up on the railings and out of harm’s way as the bull ran past, making one last attempt at hurting him. The crowd’s cheers were breathtaking, and Cale tipped his hat in response, thanking them for the showing of support.

It was a blur as everyone patted him on the back and offered their congratulations. He had pulled an eighty-seven-point ride, putting him in first place with only three more cowboys left to ride. If he could finish top three, that would help financially, but he wanted first. He had rode his heart out and deserved it.

Joining everyone else at the chutes, he watched his ride replay on the jumbo-tron. Had his dad been watching, he’d have criticized him for several things he had done wrong, but thankfully hadn’t been penalized for.

“Don’t look at that, Cale. You know better than that!” Sammy, his long time traveling buddy, pulled his face away from the screen.

“My weight was all on the wrong leg,” Cale said, still watching like it was a wreck he couldn’t look away from.

“You stayed on eight. Enough said.”

“I’m lucky the judges are so blind. Never should’ve pulled an eighty-seven after that.” Cale ducked his head, unsure if his nerves could take watching the last three cowboys.

“You sound like your father, now shut up! I only went three seconds. If anyone has a right to complain, it’s me.”

Cale took his hat off and wiped the sweat from his brow. The Texas sun was beating down on them and he was glad the rodeo was almost over. He wanted an ice-cold beer and a cool bar to play some pool in.

He diverted his attention behind the arena when he saw her. She was beautiful, leading a horse around, her dirty blonde hair flowing from under her cowboy hat. It was the distraction he needed, and rather than watch the last few rides, he paid close attention to the long legged beauty tending to her horse. She laughed at another woman who passed by, her simple beauty flawless, her menial task breathtaking.

Was she a barrel racer? Cale cursed himself for not paying better attention to the other events. He had been around his fair share of women in the rodeo, all of them ending in quick relationships and one night stands, but none of those girls were quite like her. There was something different about her and she didn’t compare to the buckle bunnies he was certain they would run into later. He didn’t even know her but could tell there was something unique about her.

“Hey, earth to Cale! Did you hear! You just took home second place! That’s a pretty penny!” Sammy gave him a small shove, his gaze following to where Cale had been staring. “Who you looking at?”

Cale pushed away from him, adjusting his hat. “Second place?” A twinge of disappointment hit him. Sure, the money would be enough to hold them over between rodeos, but he wanted first. It was no mystery that he was a sore loser.

“Yeah, cowboy. Second place! Not bad considering all of the criticism you were just giving yourself a few minutes ago. With all the flaws you found, I should’ve placed higher than you. I wish I could put your dad in his place for doing that to you all these years.”

Nodding, Cale looked back toward the woman, watching her through the crowd that now started to trickle out of the arena. He tried to see what direction she was going in, but lost her as she weaved through a group of people. Would he see her again? If she was in the rodeo, maybe she’d go to the next one on their road trip.

“Who in the hell has your attention?” Sammy asked.

“Nobody. Don’t worry about it. I need a beer.”

“And lucky for us, there’s a bar right down the street. First round is on you, Cale.”

“I stay on, you fall in the mud, and I have to buy your drinks. That’s bullshit if you ask me.” Cale smirked as he gathered up his duffel bag, chaps, and rope.

“I guess you better stop making eight then.”

“Then who’d pay for your motel? We’d have to sleep in the damn car.” Cale finally began to relax, though he couldn’t get the beautiful cowgirl out of his head. He had to find her. He had to know more about her and why she was so captivating.

***

Olivia Hayes patted her horse as she edged him into the trailer. Another rodeo down, another check won, and another step closer to saving up for the riding school she had wanted to open for several years. Pausing, she admired the sun setting on the horizon. The purple hue of the Texas sky was mesmerizing, and the blanket of stars flowed for miles. Why would anyone want to move to the city were this view was hindered by smog and streetlights?

Her horse neighed, pulling her from the view. Her brother waited for her by the truck, his arms folded over his chest. “You improved two seconds today from practice. Not bad, Olivia. But that first place girl is six seconds faster. I think we’ve got some work to do.”

Rolling her eyes, her half-hearted attempt to ignore her brother failed, and she let out a sigh. “My ride was good enough for third place.”

“You think we might ought to start training a younger horse?”

“Chance isn’t old. He’s still got a lot of speed. I think he’s fine.” She had ridden with Chance in the rodeo for a while, and it broke her heart to even consider putting him out to pasture. “And besides, how much time will we lose training another? I’m comfortable with him.”

“It’s something to consider, Olivia.”

“I love you, Oscar, but sometimes I don’t like you.”

She appreciated that he went on the road with her, traveling to rodeos and helping with expenses, but sometimes his negativity grated on her last nerve. Part of the reason he continued to tag along was to live vicariously through her. He had tried his hand at rodeo himself, only to not make it and quit before he ever really got started.

“Chance is a good horse, don’t get me wrong. But we need speed. We need you improving more than two seconds if you want to take the big checks home.”

“Oscar, you forget why I’m even doing this.”

Oscar nodded. “For your riding school. But just think – the bigger checks will get you more money faster, and then you can stop with the rodeo and run the school.”

“I’m in no hurry to quit rodeo. I’m having fun and earning a little money while I’m doing it. Let’s just leave it at that right now. Let’s go do something. I don’t want to go back to the motel yet.”

“Like what?”

Olivia thought about it for a second. They were in a small Texas town – what exactly was there to do? “Let’s go dancing. I’m sure there’s plenty of bars and dance halls around here to choose from.”

Oscar cocked his head to the side. “You’re suggesting a night of dancing and drinking? Who are you and what have you done with Olivia? Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“Who knows? Maybe you’ll find the love of your life and you can focus your attention on something other than my ride times. You never know!” She let out a giggle. “Let’s take Chance back and see what we can get ourselves into. Come on! It’ll be fun!”

Olivia gathered up her saddle and tossed it in the truck bed, eyeing her brother as he put the pickup in gear. He never was one for going out, but then again, neither was she. It was always the same thing – get to the rodeo, put in your ride, go back to the motel, sleep, head to the next town. Something was different that evening. She was bored and though she was bashful, she wanted to go dance.

“The look on your face tells me you’re not wanting to go.”

Oscar shrugged as he merged out onto the road. “No, not really. What makes you want to go so bad all of the sudden?”

“I’m not sure. Just sick of looking at motel walls. They all start to look the same after a while.”

“Don’t you think you should rest up for your next ride?”

Holding her hand up, Olivia stopped him. “Before you start lecturing me about how many seconds I have to shave off of my time, I’ll do you a favor and let you know that I’m completely aware of it. But our next rodeo isn’t for a few days. One night out dancing isn’t going to kill me.”

Oscar parked the truck and guided Chance out from the trailer. “Suit yourself. And hey, how convenient. Looks like there’s a bar right over there.” He pointed toward a small building next to the motel’s swimming pool. “By the sounds of it, the music is already pumping loud. If you get wasted, you can just amble right back over here.”

Olivia was used to his sarcasm, but it struck a chord with her. Ignoring him, she went inside and freshened up. Dabbing some perfume on her neck, she smoothed a small hint of pink lipstick on and ran her fingers through her hair. Hopefully she’d see a few of her barrel racing friends there – they always tried to get her to go out and she declined, partly to appease Oscar and partly from having no desire to do it.

Taking one last glance at herself in the mirror, she ducked past Oscar without saying another word and walked across the parking lot to the bar. A man checked her ID at the door and waved her inside. Looking across the room, she tried to spot a familiar face, a sigh of relief escaping her when she saw Leslie at the far end of the bar with a group of other barrel racers.

“Is that… Olivia?” Leslie stood up and patted her on the shoulder. “My word. What is the special occasion?”

“What do you mean?”

“How many times have we begged you to come out with us and now you’re here?”

Olivia sat down and ordered a beer, scanning the room for other people she might know. There was a small dance floor but not much going on, and a group of cowboys in the far corner caught her eye. Just from the look of them she could tell they were bull riders. They all had that same look, but man, how they filled out those Wranglers.

“Cowboy catch your eye?” Leslie leaned in.

“No one in particular. Besides, they’re bull riders,” Olivia replied as she nursed on her beer. She wasn’t a drinker, but the beer went down well, calming her nerves.

“And? What’s wrong with that?”

“
Bull riders
, Leslie. Arrogant man whores with skinny butts.”

“Sounds like something you need, Ms. Hayes.” Leslie winked and grabbed her hand. “Lets get out on the dance floor.”

Olivia finished her beer and followed her friend as they began to two-step to a George Strait song. It had been forever since she had danced, but the moves came back to her like it had been just yesterday. The crowd thickened, and she noticed several of the bull riders were standing on the edge of the dance floor, no one fully committing to dancing, but watching as the women showed their stuff.

Leslie nudged her and gave her a light shove, pushing her toward a man in a black cowboy hat. She tried to fight against her, but her friend caught her off balance and she found herself looking right up at the man. It was dark, and the only hint of what he looked like came when the lights shifted, giving her a quick preview of his handsome face. He smiled, revealing his perfect white teeth and his cologne flooded her senses.

“I’m sorry,” she said, hoping he’d hear her over the loud music.