Chapter Twenty

Nyah shot out of the hole, straight for barrel one. Gabriel held her reins high just like he needed and took the first turn flawlessly. It felt insane sitting in a stand watching my own horse do what we trained for so many years to accomplish. She was a star and my nephew was riding like a damn champ on her back. The second turn at the barrel was always the roughest on her, but she slowed down just enough to keep him in the saddle as she stomped her feet in the earth to get to the last barrel, finishing off the clover leaf pattern and raced back to the finish line. Gabriel held his left hand high in the air on their final stretch letting everyone know he not only was in charge but had the time of his life. Every one of us were out of our seats and screaming at the top of our lungs. He had done it, and there was nothing I could critique. It was flawless, and I had never been so proud. 

"I think that was the coolest thing I have ever seen!"

I watched Izzy, still clapping long after we had all settled down, and I knew she was hooked. Rodeo wasn't just for the country girl, it was for everyone once you got a taste and she was definitely bitten by the bug. 

Canyon left to go load Nyah in the trailer and bring Gabriel back up with us to watch the rest of the events. We all enjoyed recapping his run and wished as good as he did that he would have more chances at competing. But unfortunately in rodeo, barrel racing stops at age eight for boys and only girls are allowed to continue. That meant he needed to learn to rope or bull ride if he wanted to stay in the circuit and I wasn't sure where Canyon and my sister stood on the issue.

The rest of the night went smoothly as we watched each event. Bull riding was always last and our favorite. Remembering my childhood watching Canyon was something I would never forget, even if it was cut tragically short due to the accident. Izzy was what made the night, though. Her facial expressions as she watched riders get thrown and almost stomped on was unforgettable. Ariana walked her through everything. What the rider was supposed to do, what was a disqualification, and what was going to inevitably get him to win. Seeing it all through the eyes of a first-timer was amazing. 

When it was over, Izzy still couldn't contain her amazement. 

"That was just insane! You used to do that for a living, Canyon? How old were you when you started? Your parents let you?"

She fired questions at him so fast he couldn't respond before another one was thrown.

"I was eleven when I competed for the first time. Let's just say it was a time in my life I will never forget."

Izzy knew their story, or as much of it as I had known before coming back to Montana, so she knew why he had to quit and didn’t want to press him for answers he didn’t want to give. 

Gabriel proudly carried his second place trophy, showing it to all of us individually as we walked out to the parking lot to our cars. I made sure to tell Gabriel just how proud I was of him and gave him a huge hug before he climbed into the truck. Amelia was in Jase's arms asleep but I kissed her forehead before he loaded her in her car seat. My mother looked exhausted as well and just said she would see me at home as she climbed up into the truck. Canyon kissed Arianna goodbye and walked over to his truck where Nyah was. I quickly hugged my sister goodbye and left Izzy talking to Jase before I then screamed for Canyon to wait. When he turned around, he saw me hobbling toward him. 

"What's up hun?"

"I just wanted to see Nyah real quick."

He smiled knowing she and I had a bond that could never be broken. 

"She did really well tonight."

I was walking back to the trailer when I answered proudly, "Yes, she sure did." 

I didn't expect him to say anything else, so when I heard, "Not as well as I've seen her with someone else, but that just goes to show it’s not all about the horse, doesn't it?"

I knew it broke his heart when I quit racing. He was always my strongest supporter and number one fan. He even tried talking me into a college where they offered rodeo scholarships, anything to keep me going and not giving up, as he called it. I knew the difference that he couldn't see with us. I was walking away where he was forced to quit. They weren't one in the same. 

Nyah pushed her head against the metal bars restraining her, but I had no problem pushing my hand through to touch her.

"Hi, girl. You were so good tonight, and I am so proud of you."

She rubbed her face against my hand and let out a huge breath through her nostrils.

"I promise we will get back out when I get this boot off. It won't be long, I swear."

Canyon had gotten in his truck and started it making me take notice that Arianna had pulled away. I knew he would want to follow her in case there was any trouble. It was just part of his overprotective way but we loved it about him. Turning my focus back on Nyah, I said, "I will come by tomorrow and visit you, okay? Love you."

One last rub before I pulled my arm out, and then I slapped the metal on the trailer, signaling to Canyon I was done and he could leave. 

I stepped back and saw the brake lights come on before he hollered out his window for me to come up there. I closed the space between us and stood at his door looking at him with his left arm resting on the window ledge.

"What's up?"

"Are you headed home now or going out?"

"We haven't talked about it yet."

"Well, be careful and call me if you need anything, okay?"

"I sure will. I love you."

"Love you too, Princess."

He tapped his hand against the truck door and then pulled away with Nyah in tow. Once they were gone, I walked over to Izzy and Jase standing next to his truck laughing. 

"What's so funny over here?"

Izzy stopped laughing and looked like she'd just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar while Jase was holding his stomach.  I knew she had just embarrassed me somehow and wasn't sure I wanted the details. 

"If you guys are done, let's figure out what we're doing after this."

"I'm down for anything. Just remember, my flight leaves at nine in the morning."

Jase stopped laughing long enough to add to the conversation. 

"If you guys want to be alone, I get it."

Izzy wrapped her arm around his shoulder pulling him in to her.

"We would never leave you out. You're what's going to make this night epic."

She was on dangerous ground with him, and she found that out right after he said, "I am totally down for a threesome. Just lead the way."  

I stood back, ready for her to slap him, but instead, she wiggled her hips and said, "Bring it on, stud."

His eyes matched mine. Complete and total shock was written on both our faces as Izzy burst out in laughter. 

"Gotcha!"

Then Jase shoved her. Not hard enough to knock her over, but she got the point and said, "You suck!"

"You wish I would!"

She was still laughing so hard that I couldn't help but join her. 

"Now you're joining in?"

I tried to stop, but the look on his face was what fueled me.

"You two together are too much to handle. Have fun tonight." He tapped Izzy on the head and said, "Have a safe flight tomorrow. And you—" he grabbed me and kissed me hard "—be safe and call me tomorrow."

We looked at each other and let him get inside his truck before we were banging on the glass. He rolled down the window halfway, afraid of what we might do to him. I reached in and grabbed the back of his head and teased, "Stop being a baby and get out. You're riding with us this time. We're headed to Honky Tonk."

Izzy was beside me one second and grabbing me to spin me around the next.

"That's not the name of the place from last night, is it? I can't see groundhog again. It would be to mortifying."

I knew not to ask, but Jase was inexperienced when it came to my best friend. 

"Who's groundhog? And what's with the name?"

"Well, you know how groundhogs only come out of their cave thing a little bit and can be scared back in if they see a shadow? That's how some men's penises behave. It's quite embarrassing."

Jase looked at me and saw my hands were already up.

"You need to learn not to ask sometimes."

"I'll take that into consideration."

"Whatever. You know you guys know what I mean. Anyway, you see my dilemma here, so if that's where you're planning on going, can we possibly choose somewhere else?"

I grabbed her hands and looked her in the eye.

"After you experience Honky Tonk, you will be wishing all you had to deal with tonight was Joe."

"Joe?"

I had forgotten that Jase was too drunk to remember that part about the night before and watched his expression as it all came back to him.

"No way! Joe is the groundhog?"

"Just follow us."

I left him processing the whole thing and pulled Izzy to my car laughing. We were going to make her last night memorable if it killed me.

Forty-five minutes later, I pulled into a packed parking lot. Honky Tonk was the most popular bar in a two-hundred-mile radius, and there was a reason why. Celebrities performed live every Friday and Saturday night. I wasn't even sure we would be able to get in. We found the end of the line wrapped around the back of the building. 

Jase and I knew there wasn't a shot in hell of getting in, but Izzy laughed and said, "I'll be right back." 

Knowing she had magical boobs and was willing to use them, I grabbed Jase's hand and said, "You're going to have to see this or you won't believe it."

"Now you've got me curious."

We followed her but made sure to stand back to take the whole experience in. Izzy undid the top three buttons on her shirt and made sure her swagger went to a whole new level as she approached the man standing at the door. They were exchanging words when Jase asked me, "You two really think this is going to work?"

"Just wait. She's warming him up."

The people standing in line were starting to get aggravated that it wasn't moving forward, but it didn't detour Izzy one bit.  Her hand traveled from the light touch she placed on his forearm up to his chest and one second later, we were in. She turned and threw her arm up and screamed, "Boom. That's how it’s done."

Jase just shook his head back and forth while I laughed. We had never been turned away from any club we went to, and I knew she wouldn't damage her winning streak in Montana. Jase took my hand but then looked down at my foot.

"Are you ready?"

"I'll be fine. Let's go have some fun."

We heard plenty of moaning from the people waiting outside to get in and a big part of me felt bad for what we were doing. I would have hated to stand there all that time only to have three people waltz right by me. Izzy having the time of her life took precedence over my guilt the second we walked into the building, though. The dance floor was hopping, the bars were three people deep all the way around them, and the live entertainment hadn't even come on the stage yet. Jase made sure to keep a hold of my hand as we weeded through the crowd. Izzy was leading the way even though the place was new to her so I felt it best to just follow, that way I didn't lose her. Luck was definitely on our side when she started flailing her arms around and I saw she had found an open table. The three of us grabbed a seat and took in the place as a whole. It was crazy. Jase stood back up, and I assumed he was grabbing drinks, but instead he held out his hand to Izzy. 

"You want to dance?"

She looked at him and smiled.

"Are you asking me to dance with you, Jase?"

"I sure am."

She slid off the chair after accepting his hand and said, "Then let's go show them how it's done."

I sat back and watched the two of them make utter fools of themselves but it didn't matter. They were wearing smiles that were picture worthy. I knew Jase was worried about my foot and that was the reason for not asking me. And normally, I would have argued and said I would be fine, but with that many people it wasn't worth taking the risk. 

It wasn't but five minutes later that the room went to a total stand-still as the lights from the stage came on and we heard, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are so happy to have this amazing group of talent here tonight with us and I personally have waited years to get this to happen. Put your hands together for the one, the only, Florida Georgia Line!"

I could not express in words how shocked and excited I was when Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard walked out. I wasn't alone in my enthusiasm, either. The place went nuts as they began playing, “This Is How We Roll”.  I lost my focus on Jase and Izzy as I sat back and took in the talent before me. They were absolutely incredible live. The way they brought the crowd in made us all feel like we were part of an experience they themselves would never forget. The bass coming from the speakers could be felt through my body while the lyrics brought a smile to my face. 

I jumped from the feel of hands on my waist, but when I turned and found Jase, my smile only grew. He leaned closely against me before he lowered his mouth to my ear and said, "This is amazing!" 

I was forced to yell over the music for him to hear me say, "I can't believe we're here to see this. Where's Izzy?"

"She wanted to get as close to the stage as she could."

I didn't want to say anything, but I was as jealous as it comes. I didn't have to, though, because one second I was sulking and the next I was in Jase's arms.

"Where are you taking me?" I shouted at the top of my lungs. He didn't answer me but forced us through the masses until I figured out he was a damn god. I repeated "sorry" and "excuse us" but it didn't keep the dirty looks we were receiving from happening. Jase didn't care. He was on a mission and that was to get me to the front of the stage with my best friend, no matter what. We made it to the front and found Izzy. Her face lit up just before she began shoving people out of the way to make room for Jase to set me down. Once I was on my feet, I grabbed his cheeks and kissed him. Just then I heard, "How is everybody doing tonight?” The crowd began to scream and I broke away to be right there with them.

"We are going to have some fun tonight! Maybe not as much fun as this guy, though. Did y’all see him carry her up here? Listen up, you want to get lucky? Take notes from this guy!" 

I think I died on the spot. Like, mortification would never have been enough.

"Aw, look, she's blushing."

Burying my head in Jase's chest, I wanted to be transported anywhere but there. The crowd was teasing us making it worse until Brian Kelley said, "All right, all right, now I feel bad. I think we may have cost this guy his chance. Let's make up for it. Security, bring them up here."

When I looked up at Jase, he looked as terrified as I felt.

"I don't want to go up there. Please, don't let them make us."

Izzy was screaming in my ear the next second, "This is so awesome!" She was completely missing the point. It all happened so fast, but before we knew it, all three of us were on the stage in front of over two hundred strangers. Yes, the three of us. Izzy refused to be left behind. I was waiting for the most embarrassing moment of my life to happen but that was the exact opposite of how it played out. Tyler Hubbard met us at the edge of the stage and asked for our names. Izzy proudly went first while Jase held me by one hand behind him while Tyler tried to reason with him.

"Look, buddy, that was wrong of us. I'm not looking to make this worse on you. Your drinks are on us for rest of the night. How about you guys just kick it with us up here for the next song and then we make up for it after we're done playing?" 

Jase looked at me, waiting for me to decide what I wanted to do. Letting my embarrassment go, I chose to accept this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and hell, it was freakin’ Florida Georgia Line!  A smile crept up my face bringing on a matching one for Jase too.

"Let's have some fun, Red."

And that's exactly what we did.