Rodeo Queen Read Online Free PDF

him of his experiences with other rodeo queens, she cursed her big mouth and followed him to his truck. As he opened the passenger door, she wondered just how quickly this disastrous evening might end.
    “S YDNEY! ”
    Whirling around, she looked for the owner of the voice. The band had just unloaded their equipment and it was becoming more difficult to hear by the minute. Dinner wasn’t scheduled to begin for another thirty minutes, but the smell of tri-tips on the barbeque was already thick in the air. Just enough smoke wafted from the grills on the light spring breeze to tease her taste buds and make Sydney realize her hunger.
    “Sydney, Scott! Over here.” Spotting Mike Findley waving at them, they navigated the tables to reach him. “Join me for dinner.”
    “Sure,” Scott said. He pulled Sydney’s chair out for her. “Why don’t you wait here and keep Mike company, and I’ll get our food?”
    “Scott, be sure that my steak is pretty rare. My teeth are too old for that tough shi- . . . stuff,” Mike corrected.
    “Okay. Sydney, what about you?”
    “Medium is fine.” She tried to hide her amusement at Mike’s correction.
    “I’ll be right back,” Scott promised as he walked toward the end of a quickly lengthening line.
    As Scott left, Mike looked at Sydney curiously, cocking his head at an odd angle and smiling. “Did you two come together?”
    Sydney nodded.
    “Well, I’ll be dam- . . . darned,” he exclaimed.
    “Mike, let’s clear this up right away. My dad’s a cattleman. I’ve heard plenty of cursing.” She laughed. “And what’s the big deal about us coming together?” Mike shook his head, grinning like the cat that had just swallowed the proverbial canary. “What is so funny?” she asked again.
    “It’s nothing, although my idea may go over more smoothly now.”
    “Since you brought it up,” she inquired, “what is this idea you have?”
    “I know I was pretty cryptic this afternoon, so let me start from the beginning. I hear you have some horses for sale.”
    “Yeah, but . . .”
    “How old?” Mike asked.
    “Between four and six. But Mike . . .”
    “I’d like to take a look at them on Monday if you don’t mind.”
    “Sure, but will you tell me what’s going on?” she asked, exasperated by trying to keep up with the conversation.
    “I’m always looking for good stock. Besides,” Mike added. “I like your work.”
    “What?”
    “I’ve seen that stallion you ride, and I was told you trained him. I’d love to buy him too.”
    Sydney immediately shook her head. “Valentino isn’t for sale at any price.”
    “Are you?”
    Sydney furrowed her brow, not understanding what Mike was trying to ask. Her confusion must have been obvious.
    “I want you to come work for me,” he clarified.
    “What?” She breathed.
    “I want you to travel with the rodeo as our trainer. You’d help set up the opening ceremonies, acts, keep the horses conditioned, train new ones, that sort of thing.”
    Sydney barely held in her excitement, wanting to leap across the table and hug Mike. This was more than she could have hoped for: the opportunity to train horses for rodeo with a world-class stock contractor. “Are you kidding?”
    “I sure as hell hope he’s kidding.”
    Mike and Sydney jumped at Scott’s voice. She looked up at him as he placed the plates on the table and could see the anger smoldering behind those dark eyes.
    “No way, Mike. Jennifer is bad enough. We don’t need two women on the payroll.”
    “Scott,” Mike warned.
    “Forget it! For one thing, you’d have to pull another trailer for her to stay in. Her answer is no.”
    “Scott,” Mike interrupted, his tone quietly authoritative. “Just because you own a quarter of the company doesn’t mean you have final say on all decisions. Remember,” he added, “I’m still the directing manager, which means I get to hire who I please.” He shrugged and didn’t bother to hide his smile. “Besides, you know