Rider’s Block

40. Chapter Forty

Chapter forty

"We Should Get Married," Dan + Shay

E ric made it into the finals with flying colors. Dean and Trevor unfortunately didn’t make the last round, and it’s a little weird having them in the stands with us. They don’t seem to mind though. They picked up a new sponsor for next year—despite not qualifying—and they seem pleased as can be to be watching with their arms around their respective women. Christine is starting to show a little more, and Trevor couldn’t look more proud.

This morning Eric stopped by my room for a “good luck kiss” that turned into a little more. Twenty minutes later he left, placing his hat on my head with the single request that I wear it to watch him tonight.

It’s egregiously too big, but I couldn’t care less. I’ll wear his hat with pride knowing full well what it means. We’ve made it a long way since the night he stole all of my whiskey and confessed he’d do what took him nearly six months to accomplish. I tried to calm my nerves by getting a massage this afternoon, but instead I just sat there, alone in my thoughts, drowning in what he talked about last night. I love that man.

I took extra care to get ready again, even though it meant just dressing up my red boots a little more. But I had the hat to add to the equation, and that means my hair needs to look good. Christine and Penny stop by and tease me to no end about it when they see his hat on my nightstand. Penny drills me on hat etiquette once again and makes me prove to her three times I can put it on correctly. I pull out the sparkly belt Eric sent me in the mail and Penny wrestles it out of my hands—lovingly—when I tease her trying to put it on. Finals or no, apparently I’m still not ready for that much sparkle.

Everyone, minus Eric, goes to dinner before the main event, and George and Nancy look like they’ve swallowed hot coals with how much their faces are pinched together. It’s very strange to see them so nervous. Especially George. He’s always had a quiet confidence about Eric’s ride, so seeing him shaken is throwing me off. Christine assures me they always look like this the night of the finals, but it only eases my thoughts marginally.

By the time we get to our seats, I’m starting to breathe a little quicker. We’re in our usual vantage point, George made sure of it, and if it weren’t so amplified, it’d almost be a familiar environment. The size of this arena is almost comical compared to the rodeo we went to in Bigfork. That’s still been my favorite rodeo to date, and even though this is the big one, it feels more authentic on a smaller stage. There will be no boot scramble here, I can tell you that much.

The fanfare before the actual events is next level for the finals tonight. They intro with trick rides, there’s a ring of fire I don’t think seems wise in these circumstances but sufficiently wowed the crowd, and even a few stunt riders flip on and off horses in a way I didn’t know was possible. All of it is cool, exciting, sure. But I’m just too antsy to enjoy any of it. All of us are. Waiting for Eric’s event is like waiting on pins and needles and I’ve picked every ounce of nail polish off of my nails. Dammit. I painted them red for Eric, and the trouble with red nail polish is that once some of it comes off, all of it needs to come off or you look like a murderer.

When the team roping event ends, we all dutifully cheer the winners. Penny shoots them the stink-eye and Dean lights up like a firecracker. The saddle bronc intro starts and my heart plummets. There’s a quick summary of each rider and their stats leading up to tonight, and both biasedly and unbiasedly Eric looks pretty damn good. He’s had an amazing season with amazing sponsors, and if I were a betting gal, I’d bet on him. The announcers go into great detail talking about how saddle bronc is how rodeo started in the first place, and my own chest puffs up with a little pride.

He’s last in the lineup, and to my surprise he’s on Ringo again. I didn’t realize how much the same horses make the rounds with the contestants, and I feel a sort of kinship with this horse by now. It’s up to Ringo almost as much as it is Eric to put on a good show. And I know both of them are going to give it all they’ve got.

The first round of riders do a great job, unfortunately. They wouldn’t be here if they weren’t good. That just makes my heart beat even faster. One rider gets thrown off, but everyone else stays on for the eight seconds. Every announcer talks about how good of a batch we’re seeing this year. I have to agree. The crowd is eating it up.

But they finish, and it’s up to Eric now. He’s got a tough score to beat, but not impossible. I watch as he walks up to the pen, not daring to take my eyes off of him. He’s always so focused when he loads up, and tonight is no expectation. He gets on the Ringo, who’s already starting to get fidgety, and this is where he normally keeps his head down. But tonight, he looks up, and he finds me. I don’t know how he does it, but his eyes dart straight to mine as he taps the constellation sticker on his helmet, and I can see his small smile from behind the guard.

Christine and Penny squeal in my ears from next to me at the gesture, and if I’m being honest with myself their grips on my arms are what’s keeping me standing. My knees buckled a little at the gesture combined with the weight of the moment. This is for him. He got back on the horse, and he got here. This persistent son of a gun didn’t quit until he got exactly what he wanted.

They’re out the gate in a whirl of spins that don’t let up, and Eric spurs Ringo on so that he jumps higher than I’ve ever seen. The collective gasp that comes out of everyone has my breath stall out when Ringo jumps so high he crescents his body in a way that leaves plenty of room for doubt that he’ll be able to land on his feet. But he does. And Eric stays on. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I think I’m not alone. George is cheering louder than I’ve seen him cheer before, and Nancy is bobbing up and down like a bit of a maniac when Ringo lands on his feet again and Eric is still holding strong.

After he lands, Ringo sets into a series of lower, paced-out kicks that he punctuates with half circle spins, and the stirrups Eric wears fling in a mesmerizing flash. The ride is fast, agile, beautiful. Ringo is doing everything he can to throw Eric off, but Eric is moving with Ringo, not against him, and the dance is gorgeous. It’s the shortest eight seconds of my life, but I feel like an eternity passes from the start of the ride to the sound of the buzzer. In the blink of an eye his score flashes on the screen, and the sound that erupts from the audience is unreal.

Eric’s ride was nearly flawless. Ringo put his A game on for the night and the two of them danced around the arena earning an unheard-of score of 96. The tears in my eyes cloud my vision so I do the best I can to get rid of them so I can watch him read his score, squeezed in between people I’ve grown to know as family over the past couple of months. Nancy is a blubbering mess, and I swear I see a tear or two come out of George’s eyes.

They present the awards after each event so he stays in the arena while the second- and third-place contestants can join him. They pay him their respects after a ride like that, and Eric accepts his golden buckle, pointing to me again before kissing it and holding it up. The crowd erupts again as I realize with horror the camera points my direction. I tip his hat and beam at him, and he smiles right back.

He might have won twice tonight, but so did I. And I know just how I want to celebrate.

***

“You did it! You did it! You did it!” My sprint behind the scenes likely knocks a few things over, but I have one thing and one thing only on my mind and it’s getting to my cowboy. When he sees me running, he meets me halfway and spins me around, kissing me senseless. The rest of his family meets us and he sets me down to greet everyone else. He doesn’t let go of my hand as he side-hugs the rest of his family, keeping me close. I have no intention of letting go, either, so it doesn’t bother me in the slightest to duck and weave around everyone so he can greet them all.

George wants to take everyone to a round of celebratory drinks, and we spend the next few hours glued at the hip while the Randall clan celebrates the victory of their eldest son. Eric has always had a confidence about him, but tonight that confidence is paired with peace…relief, almost.

At the bar everyone gathers to celebrate the ride of a lifetime. Some of his sponsors come up to congratulate them, and Eric introduces me to them. I notice every time he introduces me as “my Mia” and I melt a little bit. George quiets everyone down so he can make a toast. He clanks his glass in the universal signal for everyone to listen up, so they all do.

“Thank you all for coming to celebrate Eric tonight. It’s been a hell of a ride. When he…um, well. When he had his accident a few years ago, we thought we lost him. We were scared not just for his health, but for losing the spark he’s had for so long. But he did it. He got back on the horse, and he won the big one. I couldn’t be prouder. Here’s to you, Eric. You inspire us all.”

I’ve got more tears in my eyes as I hold up my own champagne to join the toast. Eric goes to hug his dad after everyone clinks and affirms their excitement and respect for him, dragging me along with him, and the father-son hug humbling to watch after a summer spent watching them plan, strategize, and walk through Eric’s competition. Nancy pulls me into a hug of her own.

“Thank you,” she whispers as she pulls back. “Thank you for helping him back.”

“I don’t know that I did much—”

“Oh, sweetheart, you did. You won’t give yourself credit for his win tonight, and that’s fine, but I am going to make you take credit for bringing our son back to us. He was kind of an ass—”

“Well, Mom, now that’s just rude,” Eric interjects as he returns his hand in mine.

“It’s true, you can’t deny it.”

“I won’t. Mia knows that, I tell her all the time.”

“Damn straight,” Dean pipes in the group. “I don’t know how Trevor and I would have managed had your handler not come along. Isn’t that right, Mia?”

That earns a round of shoulder punches from both Trevor and Eric, but Dean takes it all in good stride. I watch the brothers banter for twenty more minutes and settle into the fact that I could, and want to, watch this for a long…long time. Eric and I haven’t had much time to talk alone, but I know he feels so much pressure off. Watching him interact with his family now, there’s a different level of peace about him. I’m dying to talk to him, but he knows what I’m going to say. At least he thinks he does. But I know we feel the same way. Even though we haven’t had more than two seconds to ourselves, he’ll lean over and kiss my neck when he thinks no one is looking, and he either has an arm around my shoulders or his fingers through my belt loop the entire evening.

Pendleton is the drink of choice for the night, and this time I pace myself. I don’t want anything getting in the way of what I have planned.

What feels like decades later but is actually only two hours in total, there’s a break in people wanting Eric’s attention and I feel the tug on my hand before I understand what’s happening. Eric has me pulled around a corner and into a secluded room. He backs me up against the wall, lifting me up and wrapping my legs around his waist. His hat, which I’m still wearing, tips back from the contact with the wall and he breaks his kiss momentarily to smile up at me.

“I like you in my hat.”

“I like wearing your hat.”

“I told you I’d get it on you.”

He must see the shock on my face because his smile softens further. “I’m surprised you remember that.”

“I remember the whole conversation, baby. I was embarrassed for days. I thought you were avoiding me.”

“I was.”

“But it all worked out. And I make good on my promises. So, I have an idea, and I know I told you I’d wait, but it’s kind of a time-and-place thing, but I know I love you and I know you love me, and I know it’s kind of cliché, but I thought we could head down to—”

“Stop! No!”

It speaks to his level of confidence that he doesn’t sound an ounce offended as he looks at me and asks, “No?”

“No!” And I realize I’m not helping myself at all when that smile of his only grows. “No, I don’t mean ‘no,’ I mean I wanted to suggest it, and you’re beating me to it! I’m trying to make the grand gesture here, Eric! I had this all planned out!”

“By all means, baby. Have at it,” he says, kissing up and down my neck again.

“You’re making this difficult. I had a whole speech prepared and everything. I’ve been carrying this with me all week.” I shimmy out of his hold to plant my feet on the ground, huffing indignantly when he doesn’t let go of my hips. “This was going to be a lot more impactful before you ruined the punchline by beating me to it, but here.” I pull out a reader-proof copy of my new book from my purse, shoving it into his chest. I had the idea right before Thanksgiving and asked my agent to make it happen in time for this. Eric clearly also won her over because she made the impossible happen so that I could have this sample with me in Vegas.

“Red! Is this your book? This cover looks amazing! I’m so proud of you!”

“Yeah, yeah, thank you, but the cover isn’t what I’m talking about.” Then pointing to the bottom of the cover I finally see when it registers for him.

“You…you added me as an author?”

“Couldn’t have done it without you,” I say sincerely, reaching up on my tiptoes to kiss him on the cheeks. “But that’s not why I’ve been keeping this thing with me all week. Look right…” I grab the book from him and flip it open to the dedication page, “here!”

I know what he’s reading. I could recite it by heart at this point. And I mean every word.

Dedication:

To Eric, I love you more than I can put words to, so I’ll spend every day of my life trying to show it to you—just like you taught me.

I watch him reread it three times, mouthing it to himself before he tosses the book back into my bag and yanks me down the hallway, nearly jogging. He stops suddenly, turning to face me. “Just so we’re clear, I love you. You love me. We’re in this together. And I’m not wasting any more time.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

He locates a chapel within a block. I shouldn’t be surprised that we’re on the same wavelength about this, but I’m giddy nonetheless. This is exactly what I planned to propose.

The cliché of getting married in Vegas is kind of wonderful for me. Almost all of my books include a wedding scene, so I’ve put a lot of work into researching wedding venues, styles, and dress types. Every time, I walk away thinking it’s kind of an exhausting concept. I mean the party part sounds fun, but the anticipation and having to wait to be married until the party just sounds like a lot of…well, waiting.

We sign all the paperwork and put on the costumed version of bridal attire before heading through the double doors into the waiting room. But of all the things I expected tonight, I did not, in any way, shape, or form, expect to see two familiar faces sitting in the waiting room ahead of us.

“Aw, shit,” Dean says with a hundred-watt smile on his face, Penny sitting right next to him with her own costume veil on. “Mom’s gonna be pissed.”