Broken Strings

Five

Travis nodded. "Sure, that sounds great."

"Of course, if you beat me today that offer gets rescinded." Ethan shoved Travis' shoulder, a broad grin stretching his lips.

"You're hilarious." Travis rolled his eyes but didn't have the time to add anything else to the conversation before he had to go get ready for his ride.

He made his way over to the chute he'd be emerging from, lugging his gear as he went. The bronc, a gelding named Making Chaos, was already waiting for him. It took only a few moments to get the bronc ready with Travis's stock saddle. He attached his rope to the bronc's halter and waited for the sign to go.

Travis lingered, feeling bulky in his chaps and padded vest. It was a familiar feeling, though, and the waiting was routine. He knew what to expect with each passing second. Knew what he would do when his chute was opened.

It was easy for him to fall back into that routine. Perhaps Travis didn't always know where he fit in back home. With Jake stepping into a career and getting married, and Bailey a household name coupled with her relationship with Noah...Yes, it was easy for Travis to feel lost and confused and as if he were running a race and coming in last when compared to his siblings.

But not here. Not on the rodeo circuit and especially not with this bronc.

Travis slowly swung himself into the chute and onto the bronc's back. His boots slipped into the stirrups and he raised his feet above the bronc's shoulder. Travis wrapped a hand around the bronc rope and took a breath. Just one, a slow exhale to settle him.

And then the chute door swung open and Making Chaos was bucking wildly. The bronc's back legs kicked out as he jumped and slammed back down on the ground and, through it all, Travis held tight to that rope and kept his feet jammed tight into the stirrups. After the initial buck out of the chute, Travis lowered his feet from the horse's shoulders and allowed himself to flow with the bronc's unpredictable movements.

Sometimes the eight seconds could feel like one and other times it felt like an hour passed before the buzzer sounded. This was one of the former. Not necessarily an easy ride, not with Making Chaos twisting and turning so quickly that it was a conscious effort to stay atop the beast, but the time passed quickly.

When the buzzer did sound, it took only half a second for the handlers to reach his side and then Travis swung over onto the back of the handler's horse before sliding smoothly to the ground. As the handlers continued to lead the bronc out of the arena, Travis removed his hat and waved to the crowd. He waited on the sidelines for his score, pleased with the overall eighty-nine that he was awarded.

At the end of the day, when the riding was all done and the chips had fallen, he found himself in third behind only Ethan and a guy from Alberta. It was a solid showing that awarded Travis a decent payout and some points to add to his Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association standing.

Still, he was relieved to get back to the motel and take a hot shower. When the knots and aches had loosened from his back and shoulders, he stepped out of the steam and scalding water. By the time he'd dried off, gotten dressed, and watched the news for thirty minutes, Ethan had texted and invited him not just for beers but dinner as well.

Travis met Ethan, Sam, and Randy in the foyer and they went to a steakhouse up the road for a bite to eat. He didn't know Randy well but it was clear that he was good friends with Ethan and had known Noah as well. The man asked about Noah's current state and while Travis updated him on his general life in Tishomingo, it was Ethan who confided to the group that Noah was dating Travis's sister.

Sam, on the other hand, Travis had come across before. They'd met at various rodeos over the years and had even roped together a time or two in last-minute events. Though they weren't friends, exactly. Travis never spoke to Sam unless they were face-to-face. Couldn't risk the evidence of having Sam's number in his phone.

Once they'd finished eating, they relocated to Ethan's room where they continued on with the easy conversation imbued with laughter. They stayed for a bit, reclining across the beds and the worn armchair in the corner until they were all yawning and ready for sleep.

As he left, promising to see Ethan in the morning before they headed their separate ways, Travis watched Randy stumble across the hall to his bed. From there, he and Sam walked back to their separate rooms on the other side of the motel.

There was a sort of electricity that arose between them. A kinetic spark that made it hard for Travis to think straight or even remember to breathe. He didn't look at Sam and the other man sure as hell made it a point not to look at Travis.

At least, they tried not to look at each other until they reached their rooms. Sam's was the first they came across, two doors down and on the other side of the hall from Travis's.

Sam unlocked the room with his key and leaned against the wall, one foot keeping the door propped open. His eyes roved over Travis's face and Travis did the same, staring into Sam's brown eyes with an intensity that made heat bloom in his gut. Sam's light brown hair was slightly messed up from the plethora of times he'd run his fingers through it that night.

But Travis's eyes dropped to Sam's lips and lingered.

"You want to come in?" Sam asked, the words were barely a murmur in the dimly lit corridor. "Have another drink or...something?"

Something, Travis thought – the word edged with wry humour. They'd been doing something with each other for almost two years now. Not a relationship. Definitely not that. Hell, Sam was engaged to a lovely girl named Isabelle and Travis...He was with Ginger. But he cast the thought of her from his mind. They weren't serious. They were taking it slow and they'd never talked about being exclusive.

Besides, this thing with Sam would never go anywhere but here, ensconced within the walls of a motel room. The state changed sometimes but never the location. It was always a nondescript motel that hid from the world what they were to each other. Passion. Heat. Release.

Freedom.

Within the walls of the motel room, Travis could let go of the piece of him that was always locked away. And yet when he let go of that piece, other parts of him were contained instead.

His family's expectations.

The pressures of society.

Ginger's kind face.

All of it, locked up tight where the Travis who existed inside of the motel room couldn't access it to feel guilty. He just...existed here. Without pain. Without fear.

"Sure," Travis murmured, his voice a little hoarse. He swallowed as he walked into Sam's room. The click of the door shutting behind him, Sam inches away, set his blood on fire.

Yes, Travis had a secret. One that defied explanation or reason. One that he couldn't ignore in full, no matter how hard he tried. Travis Grant was gay.

And it scared the absolute shit out of him.