Out of Reach by Missy Johnson Page B

“I’m not scared,” I scoffed, scowling at him.
    He was really on Andy’s side right now? Of course he was. I could see how much Seth had been enjoying the last few days. He and Andy were so similar in many ways, and living out this list was like his own dreams come true. I, on the other hand, would not have put bull-riding on my bucket list, even if I had to name a thousand things.
    “I just don’t feel like getting rammed into the dirt by a pissed-off bull.”
    “Come on, Em. If you’re chicken, it’s okay. We’ll understand, won’t we?” Andy said, joining in.
    I knew what they were doing, and as much as I didn’t want it to work, it was. If there was one thing I hated, it was people thinking I was scared. Andy and Seth had been doing this for eleven years to get me to do what they wanted. They knew exactly how to push my buttons. And they knew I’d cave in order to prove myself.
    “Fine,” I shot back, ignoring the grin they exchanged. “And you can stop looking so damn cocky. You’re both assholes.”
    They laughed hysterically, which only made me more annoyed. I was glad I could be such a source of amusement for them.
    “You make it so easy,” teased Seth. “We shouldn’t enjoy it, but God, Em.” He shook his head. “Messing with you is just so much fun.” I glowered at him as he pulled up outside the barn.
    “Eat me,” I muttered, sticking my tongue out. Opening the car door, I climbed out, slamming the door shut, their laughter still ringing in my ears. “And you can get your own damn chair,” I said to Andy as he opened his door.
    “Oh come on, Em. Don’t be like that. We’re just having fun with you.” He reached for my hand, his fingers entwining with mine. How could I stay mad at him? Especially with those damn deep-brown eyes melting in front of me. He had this way of always making me forgive him, and I hated it.
    I softened, relaxing against his touch. He grinned. He knew he had me.
    “Fine,” I mumbled. “Let’s just get this over with.”
    “I promise you’ll have fun,” he assured me. Fun? I doubted it.
    ***
    Okay, so maybe I was having a little bit of fun.

    Who knew trying to sit atop an out-of-control and angry twelve-hundred-pound animal could be so much fun? The best part was that I was beating Seth. After an intensive training session to master the basics, I was pretty stoked with my 2.045 seconds on top of my bull.
    “Ha, suck that, Walkerson,” I said triumphantly as I hobbled to the edge of the ring. I could barely walk, but it was worth it to see the excitement on Andy’s face.
    Seth rolled his eyes as he sat on top of his bull. “You’re not a nice person when you get competitive,” he joked. He patted the neck of his beast. “Let’s show her how this is done, Randy.”
    I giggled uncontrollably as his bull bolted into the ring, bucking him off immediately. “That’s how it’s done?” I asked innocently.
    “Nobody likes a show-off.” He stood up and brushed himself off as Andy and I sniggered. “How did I do, Tony?” he asked our trainer.
    Tony smirked. “0.874 seconds.”
    “Ha! I did it,” I said, breaking into a dance. Seth rolled his eyes, but I could see how proud he was of me. “Are you impressed?” I asked Andy. I walked over and kissed him as he smiled at me.
    “Very,” he admitted. “I thought Seth would kick your ass.” His hand whipped around behind me, slapping me gently on the butt. “Hey,” he said, catching my playful glare. “I was rooting for you.”
    “Well that’s okay then,” I grinned.
    ***
    Instead of going home where Andy obviously needed to be, we were headed into the town to find a tattoo parlor. He’d gotten worse since we left the ranch. Every breath was accompanied by him gasping to control the pain, but he refused to do anything Seth or I said.
    “There,” Andy said. I looked out my window and saw the tattoo place he was pointing to. “Go around the block. There was a parking spot out