The sun hung low over the Wildwood Rodeo grounds, casting long shadows over the churned-up dirt of the main arena. Ellie took a steadying breath, adjusting the sleeves of her denim button-up as she surveyed the crowd.
The entire town had shown up. Kids leaned against the fences, clutching bags of kettle corn. Old ranchers perched on the bleachers, watching the competitors with knowing smirks. And in the middle of it all, Wyatt Callahan stood near the chutes, looking maddeningly relaxed as he chatted with a few other cowboys.
Of course, he wasn't nervous.
Why would he be? He was Wyatt Callahan, born and raised in the saddle, practically molded from Texas dirt and pure arrogance.
Ellie exhaled and squared her shoulders. She was not going to let him get in her head.
This was just a rodeo. Just another challenge. And she'd faced plenty of those in her life.
Claire sidled up beside her, handing her a bottle of water. "You look like you're about to throw up."
Ellie cracked open the cap, taking a sip. "Oh, good. That's exactly the energy I was going for."
Claire smirked. "Relax, Bennett. It's just a friendly competition."
Ellie shot her a glare. "Nothing about Wyatt Callahan is friendly."
As if summoned, Wyatt turned from his conversation and locked eyes with her across the arena. His smirk deepened, like he could hear her thoughts, and Ellie had to resist the urge to flip him off in front of half the town.
Claire chuckled. "You keep making that face, and it's going to get stuck like that."
Ellie groaned. "I hate him."
"No, you don't," Claire said, far too amused. "You just hate that you don't hate him."
Ellie sighed, but before she could argue, the announcer's voice crackled through the speakers.
"All right, folks, it's time for the Wildwood Ranch Rodeo! First up, we've got our cattle sorting event. Competitors will work in pairs to cut designated cattle from the herd and move them into the holding pen. Fastest time wins."
Ellie glanced at the clipboard in her hand. She'd been paired with Jim Hawkins, which she was relieved about—he had enough experience to keep her from making a total fool of herself.
But then she heard the next name called.
"Wyatt Callahan and Marcus Reed."
Ellie tensed. Because of course Wyatt got paired with Marcus—the one person in town who might actually be better than him.
Jim nudged her. "You ready?"
Ellie swallowed her nerves. "Born ready."
The cattle sorting event was a blur of dust and motion. Ellie focused on staying in sync with Jim, cutting their assigned cows from the herd and moving them into the pen with as much control as possible.
They weren't the fastest, but they were solid.
Then it was Wyatt's turn.
Ellie watched from the fence as he and Marcus moved like a well-oiled machine, reading each other's cues without a single wasted movement. Wyatt sat his horse like he was part of it, his hands steady on the reins, his eyes sharp as he worked the cattle with ease.
They finished their round in record time.
Ellie exhaled slowly. Damn it.
Claire leaned against the rail next to her. "Starting to think you made a bad bet?"
Ellie scowled. "Not a chance."
The next event was barrel racing, which Ellie wasn't competing in, so she took the opportunity to regroup and refocus. She needed to stop worrying about Wyatt and concentrate on her own performance.
Her next event was calf roping—a test of speed and precision.
She had practiced. She had prepared.
But none of that seemed to matter when Wyatt Callahan walked up beside her at the roping chutes, adjusting his gloves like he had all the time in the world.
"Enjoying the show, Bennett?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement.
Ellie glanced at him, determined not to let him see her nerves. "So far, it's nothing I can't beat."
Wyatt grinned, shifting slightly so he was closer—close enough that she could catch the faint scent of leather and cedar. "We'll see about that."
Ellie squared her shoulders, refusing to let him get to her.
But then the announcer called her name.
Her stomach dipped, but she swung into the saddle, gripping the reins as her horse shifted beneath her. She could do this.
She would do this.
The gate swung open, and she kicked her horse forward, racing after the calf. Dust kicked up around her as she swung her rope, her focus narrowing to a single point.
One heartbeat. Two.
She threw the lasso, the loop sailing through the air—
And missed.
A frustrated noise tore from her throat as she wheeled her horse around for a second attempt. But by the time she got the rope over the calf's head, too much time had passed.
She finished, but it wasn't pretty.
Clenching her jaw, Ellie rode back to the starting line, trying to shove down the bitter frustration clawing at her chest.
Wyatt stood near the fence, watching.
Waiting.
And then his name was called.
Ellie forced herself to watch as he took his position, his movements fluid and sure. When the calf bolted from the chute, he was after it in an instant, rope swinging with effortless precision.
He didn't miss.
The rope snapped around the calf's neck, and within seconds, the event was over.
Wyatt tipped his hat toward the crowd, his smirk pure arrogance as he met Ellie's gaze across the arena.
He didn't have to say anything.
She already knew.
She'd lost.
Ellie avoided Wyatt for the rest of the competition.
It wasn't hard—there were enough events and enough people that she could stay busy. But when the rodeo wrapped up and the winners were announced, there was no escaping it.
Wyatt Callahan had placed higher than her.
Which meant one thing.
She owed him a dinner.
Claire found her near the horse trailers, where she was brushing down her mare with more force than necessary.
"You gonna tell me what's wrong, or do I have to guess?" Claire asked.
Ellie scowled. "You already know what's wrong."
Claire smirked. "Ah, yes. You have to go to dinner with the man you definitely don't have feelings for. How terrible."
Ellie groaned, pressing her forehead against the horse's neck. "Why did I make that stupid bet?"
"Because you're competitive as hell and you secretly love the challenge," Claire said.
Ellie grumbled under her breath.
"Well, look on the bright side," Claire said, patting her shoulder. "At least now you get a free meal."
Ellie sighed. "Not free. The price is dealing with Wyatt Callahan's ego."
Before Claire could reply, a shadow fell over them.
Ellie turned.
Wyatt stood there, hat in hand, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "You ready to set a date, Bennett?"
Ellie straightened, ignoring the way her heart skipped. "I was thinking… never."
Wyatt chuckled. "That's cute. But a bet's a bet."
Ellie exhaled sharply. "Fine. One dinner."
His grin widened. "Looking forward to it."
And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving Ellie with a racing pulse and the unsettling realization that she might have just gotten herself into real trouble.