Love & Rodeo by Paisley Cruz

was an indoor riding arena. The last stop on their tour was the outdoor riding arena, where an older man was riding a horse in circles. He stopped when he saw them.
    “ Daddy look who I found!” Emma called to him.
    He dismounted and walked over to them. He hugged Levi tightly.
    “ Oh, son.”
    He pulled away and looked at him.
    “ Look at you. Rookie circuit point leader.” He smiled proudly.
    When his father finally released him, Levi stepped back and put his arm around Kallie. “Daddy, I’d like you to meet Kallie Davis.”
    He looked at her. “I know who she is. It’s nice to meet you. I’m John Cavanaugh.” He reached out and shook her hand.
    “ It’s nice to meet you.”
    He looked at her and then Levi and smiled. He turned toward the horse tied in the middle of the arena.
    “ Well, what do you think?”
    “ How old is he?” Levi asked.
    “ Four,” John answered.
    Before Kallie could respond she was walking toward the bay horse. She reached him and rubbed his head. She worked her hands to his neck and down his legs. She lifted his hoof and looked at it. She rubbed his back, down to his behind before turning to John.
    “ May I?”
    “ It’d be an honor.”
    Kallie smiled and mounted the horse. She adjusted the reins and kicked him lightly into a walk. She got a feel for the horse and the saddle before she kicked him into a trot. She trotted large circles and worked down to a small circle. She trotted him back to a large circle and then pushed him into a canter. They cantered a large circle and worked into a smaller circle. She slowed him to a walk as she moved back to a large circle.
    “ Have you introduced him to the pattern yet?” Kallie asked.
    “ A couple of times. We’re just looking for a way to get him around the barrel right now.”
    “ Do you mind if I try?”
    “ Go ahead. Shouldn’t hurt anything.”
    Kallie trotted a circle and then trotted to the first barrel. She dropped her outside rein and pulled the inside to her pocket while applying pressure at the horse’s girth. He turned right around it. She straightened him out and did the same at the second and third barrel. She patted his neck as they trotted back. She circled him again, this time cantering. She cantered the pattern with perfection. The last time she pushed the horse asking him for more. They galloped through the pattern, kicking up dirt all around the arena. When they came to a stop Kallie hugged the horse’s neck.
    “ That a boy!” she told him and his ear flickered.
    John, Emma, and Levi all walked over.
    “ We’ve been working with him for days, trying to figure out a technique with him.”
    Kallie smiled. “Just drop your outside rein and bring the inside to your pocket while applying pressure with your inside leg. He responds really well to pressure.”
    “ I’ll be damned,” John said.
    “ It doesn’t work on all horses, but if horses respond to pressure, it usually does,” Kallie told him.
    “ Nice. So are you busy the rest of the week?” John joked.
    Levi and Kallie laughed.
    “ I’m serious. I could use your help. I’ve got a couple of problem yearlings.”
    Kallie looked at Levi and shrugged her shoulders. “All right.”
    John took the reins and he and Emma went to put the horse away.
    “ You’ve done the impossible,” Levi told her as he hugged her.
    “ What do you mean?”
    “ You’ve impressed my Daddy.”
    Kallie laughed and they headed toward the house.
     
    Kallie left Levi downstairs with his parents, while she went up the steps. She reached the top of the stairs. To the right was clearly Emma and Jenna’s room. The room to the left was smaller and definitely a male’s. She walked through the door and set her bag down. Looking around the room, there were trophies on the walls and pictures of Levi at rodeos. There were even a few of him when he was young and riding sheep. One thing consistent throughout all of the pictures, was either Travis or his family beside him. She