Cowgirl Up Read Online Free PDF

Maybe. But the hit and miss attendance due to
her mother’s condition held her back early on. Then as her mother worsened, she
didn’t dare leave her for more than a few hours at a time. She abandoned her
plans, took care of her mother with the help of hospice, and put the rest of
her life on hold. Not that she cared. Her mother came first.
    Now,
this year, she pulled out all the stops, throwing everything she had into
qualifying for the huge finals rodeo. To live out her dream and her mother’s.
The solitary goal she focused on. After all, she had a promise to fulfill.
    “Everything
okay?”
    The
sound of a male voice startled her.
    Legacy
snorted and sidestepped in reaction.
    Trinity
released her hold on the big horse, but kept a hand on his warm, smooth flesh,
both as a reassurance for him and support for herself. She drew in a breath and
faced Cody. “Yeah. We’re fine.”
    His
eyes narrowed, but he didn’t make a move, only stood there with his arms
relaxed at his sides, watching her intently. His gaze dropped to the foldout
cot she used for a bed, then returned to her face. “Why are you still here? The
barns closed a while ago. Everyone’s supposed to be out.”
    “Then
why are you here?” She tossed the question back at him.
    He
didn’t even purse his lips before answering smoothly. “Checking on the animals.
All part of the job.”
    Rubbing
Legacy’s soft muzzle when he turned her direction, Trinity collected herself.
“I never leave him alone when we’re on the road.”
    “Why
not?”
    “For a
few reasons. Namely, he doesn’t tolerate people and he’s caught more than his
share of attention this season. I don’t trust people around him.” And he’s all I’ve got left. Those words
she bit back, not daring to open her already wounded heart even more.
    He
appraised her for a moment longer before speaking. “Being alone in the barns at
night probably isn’t the safest place to be.”
    She
stared back at him, a tiny flame of hope flaring at his protective attitude,
but she quickly stamped it down. “I can handle myself.”
    His
gaze flicked from her to Legacy. “Doesn’t hurt to have a one ton guard dog
either.” For the first time, a hint of a grin crossed his lips.
    She
relaxed and accepted the olive branch. “There’s that.”
    “Care
to share how you ended up with him?”
    Dozens
of people pestered her to hear how she managed to get a colt out of one of the
premier thoroughbred racehorses of the time. She refused to tell anyone, citing
they needed to mind their own business. However, for once, she actually wanted
to spill the beans, to tell the tale, to share a small part of herself with
someone.
    Wide
awake despite the late hour, she decided to take a chance. Besides, what else
did she have to do at one in the morning? Toss and turn on the makeshift bed,
sit alone in the dark, or eat another sandwich? None of the options garnered
more than half-hearted interest.
    “Okay.
But this is between you and me.” With one more pat to her pet, Trinity left the
stall, secured the door, then gestured to Cody to take the spare lawn chair
nearby, the one Lacey plopped down in when hanging out with Candy during the
day.
    He
grabbed the chair, opened it with ease, and sat down near her own seat, his
large body fitting, though a bit close. “My lips are sealed.”
    She
bundled up her blankets, then plopped down on the cot, facing him. “I don’t
know if you remember Star, my mother’s barrel racer.”
    “Black
mare with lots of chrome? The one you rode when you were younger?”
    Chrome
was slang for the white color on a horse’s legs and face. She was amazed Cody
remembered her beloved pet who passed away just before her mother, making
everything so much harder the second time around. “Yep. That was her. Well, she
was older when I started riding in high school. My mother didn’t think Star
could hold up to the rigors at her age, so we decided to breed her and start a
new generation. Only