Broken Strings

Five

"Hey, Grant!"

Travis turned, watching as a stocky and broad-shouldered man strode towards him. A familiar face with a wide happy smile, though he was not someone that Travis knew overly well. Ethan Cooke had been a competitor of Travis' for years on the bronc circuit before they'd landed on friendly terms.

The only reason Travis even knew Ethan was through Noah. Before moving to Oklahoma, Noah had lived in Texas in the same town of Wichita Falls where Ethan still resided. The pair had grown up as close friends, practically family, and Ethan had visited Tishomingo enough times now that Travis had gotten to know the man on a deeper level than just his name.

"Hi, Ethan. Should've known you'd be here."

Ethan grinned. "Of course I am. Austin is in Wichita Falls' backyard."

Travis blinked at him. "It's really not. Wichita Falls is closer to Tishomingo than it is to Austin."

"Semantics." Ethan waved that away, his green eyes bright in the fluorescence of the arena. "It's all Texas. That's what matters."

"How've you been?"

"Good, good. Did you hear Donnal MacRae is going to be out the whole season this year? Poor guy got in a car wreck two weeks ago. He'll make a full recovery but they say he's pretty banged up."

Travis swore. "No, I hadn't heard...Does it make me a bad person if I say I'm a little happy he's not competing? He's my stiffest competition."

Ethan said, "Aside from yours truly, I take it?"

"Nope. That's including you, Cooke," Travis replied, but his words were light. Teasing. And when he caught Ethan's eye, they both chuckled.

"Nice. That's real friendly of you, Grant. I'll have to tell your sister that you're being mean to me the next time I pop around for a visit."

"Knowing Bailey, she'll make fun of you more than I will."

"You're probably right."

They shared a laugh just as a few of their other competitors began appearing around them, preparing for the event ahead. Travis knew most of them by name and face, and a few he knew more intimately than that. People who'd been touring the circuit along with him for years now that he might even consider friends outside of the arena.

It was a strong showing of guys and many did well that day. Travis watched competitor after competitor make the eight-second mark and the scores were pretty good. Only two missed the mark out in the first round, dropping their feet from above the bronc's shoulders on the first jump out of the bucking shoot, and were immediately disqualified.

Travis's ride on Widow's Wail went about as well as he could have hoped for. He scored a forty-five-point-five out of a possible fifty points. The bronc was similarly scored at forty-one points, giving Travis a first-round total of eighty-six-point-five. It landed him in the top of five alongside Ethan and Graham Castillo – another rider hailing from Tishomingo.

They had only a short break before the second round started where they went in the order of their rankings from worst to best. Travis, currently in fourth, was the fourth-last to go. He and Ethan, sitting in second, watched from the sidelines as their competitors and colleagues entered the ring.

"Where are you staying in Austin?" Ethan asked.

"Uh, the Quick Stop Motel. You?"

"Same here. A few other guys are there too. I was chatting with Sam Kline and Randy Carlson and we're gonna meet up in Sammy's room tonight for a couple of beers if you want to join in."