WADE: From The Shadows

Chapter 1

The heavy-duty livestock trailer rattled and shook, as it lumbered through the parking lot, before turning in a wide circle and slowly backing toward a loading dock at the rear of the barn.

Wade Cunningham sat on a picnic table, reading his email messages. He heard the distinct sound of a cloven hoof angrily land against the thick floorboard as animals shifted their hefty frames against the metal walls of their temporary enclosure.

The bulls had arrived.

After a stifling hot day on the Canadian prairies, a rainstorm had blown in to not only give the dry dirt in the surrounding fields a little drink, but it had also brought in a wave of cooler temperatures. As the sun moved across the sky, and the bellowing sound of bulls reached his ears, Wade stuffed his phone into the back pocket of his jeans, closed his eyes against the brilliant sunshine, and inhaled a deep breath of the air that carried the smell of horses from a nearby pasture. It was the unmistakable scent of June in the central Alberta town. It meant that school-aged children would now be on summer vacation, many of whom would flood to the local rodeo arena to take in the three-day weekend event.

As the din of the bulls grew louder, Wade rose from the picnic table and slowly made his way back to the main building, where his fellow competitors were undoubtedly preparing for the opening ceremonies that would begin within the hour. He kicked at the dirt as he walked, swirling up dust that slowly settled in his wake. The light rain that had fallen had already been soaked up, making little difference to the soil that was hungry for moisture. As enthusiastic as the locals would be at the weekend rodeo, Wade knew that the farmers in the crowd would be quietly anxious about the state of their crops that blanketed hundreds of thousands of acres across the drought-ridden province. Weeks of record-breaking temperatures and extremely low rainfalls across western Canada had caused chaos for farmers and firefighters as they grappled with the worst drought in a decade. Well north of the rodeo grounds, wildfires sparked out of control. Closer to home, underdeveloped crops wilted and burned under the sun.

Wade was far from a weather expert. He wouldn’t have been able to attribute the phenomenon to global warming or to the climate event known as El Niño. As a champion bull rider, what he did know was that over the next few days, the entertainment of rodeo would only be a temporary distraction to a region that prided itself on its agricultural heritage. As he entered the barn, he could hear the usual commotion that accompanied the ever-present country music that blared in the stands as spectators took their seats. Given all that was on their minds, this rural community had come out to support and cheer on the best rodeo cowboys and cowgirls in Canada.

In the world. As Wade walked the wide-open corridor, he smiled inwardly at the email news he had just received from his agent. As of noon, Wade Cunningham sat on top of the world standings as a bull rider. He was one of three Canadians that sat in the top fifteen, ranked by points. As the sole bull rider, his agent had been wildly impressed, praising Wade for the exceptional season he was having.

His agent.

Wade removed his cowboy hat and brushed off the fine particles of dust that had settled on the black felt fabric. For as long as he could remember, Kody Sutherland hadn’t been his agent, he had been his rival. For almost ten years, they had battled against each other. They had fought hard against each other in the arena. Outside of the gated enclosure, they had viewed each other with distain. Now, with Kody choosing retirement from rodeo and a second career as a sports agent, Wade had found himself gravitating to his former adversary to represent his professional interests.

It’s not like I had much choice. In his years as a competitor, Wade had burned through one agent after another, finally getting fired from the last shop in town. Bethany had been exceptional at representing his business interests. She had also been exceptional in bed. He thought he had the best of both worlds, until she had shown up at a late season event; unexpectedly finding him standing buck naked in his trailer with a beautiful young blonde kneeling in front of him. He’d barely been able to get his dick out of the stranger’s hot little mouth in time to pull on a pair of shorts and run after Bethany, who had shouted and screamed at him in the parking lot before picking up a handful of gravel and hurling it at him, slamming the door of her car and fishtailing away in anger.

Beautiful, sexy women had always been his downfall. Beautiful, sexy women with loose morals and a fondness for cowboys had caused him more problems than he cared to admit. Wade quickly ducked into a crowd of competitors as a trio of exceptionally hot buckle bunnies sauntered down the hallway. He awkwardly, and intentionally, averted their gaze as they blatantly stared in his direction, while they confidently strode past. It was the glance out of the corner of his eye that earned him a hoot and a whistle from the bold brunette as she turned around, looked directly at him, and winked as she pointed a finger gun at him before taking a fake shot.

When did you get so shy around cowgirls? a veteran steer wrestler boisterously asked, as he gave Wade a spirited punch to the shoulder.

I’m not shy, the bull rider mumbled in response. I’m being responsible. He made an effort to maneuver through the crowd, but his fellow competitors were making it difficult for him to escape the embarrassing encounter, which in previous years he would have embraced, rather than avoided.

An event volunteer saved him from further ridicule when she approached the crowd, notifying the competitors that opening ceremonies would begin shortly. They were to make their way toward the staging area to be organized for introduction to the crowds.

As the bull riders informally gathered together, Wade ignored the idle chatter. Gazing through the entryway and into the stands, he self-consciously shifted his weight from one foot to the other, desperately trying to will the chubby bulge in his jeans to disappear. After years on the circuit, it still amazed him how the attention from a sexy woman could make his dick stir.

Be strong. You’re not hooking up this weekend. The constant mental reminders had worked for the first two months of the season. He had managed to remain celibate since November, when after the season-ending championship finals, he retreated to the thirty-five acres of land he owned just south of Calgary. During a two-week retreat from rodeo, he had done some serious soul searching. His rival, turned friend, had spoken words that had replayed over and over in his mind.

Wade, you’re going to have an incredible year next year. You’re going to dominate. I won’t be around anymore and you’re going to trounce the field at every single event. He could still hear the sincerity in Kody’s voice as they had sat in his Calgary office. His agent had been both brutally honest and wildly encouraging to his new client. I don’t know why, but you seem to have an uncanny way of sabotaging your life, Wade. You need to figure out why and turn that around, if you want sponsors to take you seriously. When you wear a company brand, you can’t be screwing up.

He had screwed up plenty over the years. Even though he was one of the winningest cowboys in rodeo, he had few friends, and he even less respect in the barn or in the arena.

* * * *

The opening ceremony had been like many before it. A rodeo announcer with a booming voice energized the crowds as he introduced the competitors from one event, and then another, as they entered the arena under spotlights. Miss Rodeo Canada flashed her pearly white smile to the crowds as she rode around the arena on an equally white stallion. Her long black curls shone in the spotlight as they fluttered in the wind. Wade knew precisely the texture of the silky tresses, remembering how they had felt as he gripped them tight between his fingers, almost a year earlier, when the rodeo queen had cried out his name during a hot and steamy night of passion. During his professional rodeo career, Wade had made it his personal ambition to bed each and every beautiful ambassador of the sport. Relief mixed with disappointment when he realized that his perfect record would end with Miss Josie Watt.

The personal sabotage was over.

Competitors milled about the barn, and the common area of their designated parking lot, as truck tailgates were lowered and cold beer began to appear. Tonight they would settle in and socialize. Tomorrow, when they took their individual turns in the ring, they would once again be fierce competitors.

Wade approached a group of steer wrestlers and bareback bronc riders and set a six pack of beer on ice to chill before retrieving a cold brew from the galvanized steel tub.

Do you think any of those young bull riders have got what it takes to pull out a win this weekend? Dustin Butterfield asked, as he clinked his brown bottle against Wade’s.

The bull rider looked over at the young crew of his competitors and smiled. I suppose if they drawn the right bull and they can manage not to get bucked off… He turned to face Dustin and grinned before adding, …and you make me ride blindfolded, they might have a chance.

The two cowboys laughed openly. While it was early in the season, not one bull rider had come within ten points of Wade. As a testament to the bulls, there had been an unprecedented number of riders who had failed to earn points, having been prematurely bucked off before the eight second buzzer could sound that the ride was officially over.

I bet the lack of competition this year almost makes you miss having Kody around, Dustin commented, as he cracked the top off his second beer and took a draw from the long-necked bottle.

Wade looked at the steer wrestler, who was slowly become a friend. Almost, he admitted.

Dustin nodded his understanding of the double-edged predicament Wade found himself in. Of course, with Kody out of the picture, I’m sure you’re getting all kinds of requests to compete in invitational events.

Wade genuinely smiled. I am, and I’m glad for it. The competition at those events is the only real challenge I have this year. I’ve committed to as many events as I can fit into our Canadian schedule. Everything from Calgary to Reno to Montana and the Dakotas. It’s going to be a busy season.

Dustin pulled a worn piece of paper with handwritten notes from his shirt pocket and scanned the dates that he had scrawled there. Well, we should compare events, because it sounds like we’ll be heading to some of the same states.

Wade retrieved his phone from the back pocket of his jeans and opened his calendar of commitments. Over the course of two more beers, they talked about events, competitors on the professional circuit, prize money, and world standings, before making plans to travel together to three separate events where they were on the same schedule.

Wade suddenly cleared his throat and made a concerted effort to appear deep in conversation with the bull rider. Wade glanced up to see two beautiful women, dressed in tight jean shorts, cropped tops, and the ever-present cowboy boots and hat, walking across the lot toward the tub of cold beer. He turned back to face Dustin and took a deep breath. Weeks earlier, he had been candid with Dustin, sharing about his weakness for the women commonly known as buckle bunnies. Women who intentionally sought a relationship with a rodeo competitor.

Ladies, would you excuse us? Dustin said politely, as he tipped his cowboy hat in the direction of the two women, who unapologetically helped themselves to the alcoholic beverages that hadn’t been offered to them. We have some business to discuss.

Wade averted their smiles and inviting gaze to walk around the front of the pickup truck and down a path that led toward the barn. Dustin was right behind him, creating a necessary barrier that would keep Wade from giving in to his urges. Inside the animal enclosure, Wade removed his hat and paused to take a deep breath, in an effort to slow his heartbeat and return his pulse to normal.

Why are they so fucking tempting? he asked aloud, as he beat his hat against his thigh in a token gesture of rebuke.

Because they’re beautiful, they’re sexy, and they know it, Dustin explained. Because they feed your ego, even if it’s fleeting. Don’t kid yourself, man. You’re as much of a conquest to them as they are to you. There’s nothing genuine about the momentary connection with a buckle bunny.

Wade nodded his understanding. Dustin’s candid perception had helped his dick and his heart rate to return to normal in record time. Why has that always been so appealing to me? he added, as the duo began to stroll through the barn to where the competitor’s horses were stalled.

Dustin shrugged his shoulders. I don’t know. Maybe it’s because you feel crappy about yourself and they make you feel good. Maybe riding in Kody’s shadow has taken its toll.

Wade immediately cut his friend off. I didn’t ride in his shadow. I’ve won almost as many championships as Mr. Goldenboy has, he scoffed.

Okay, Dustin relented. Then why do you seek the attention of women, who are undoubtedly going to cast you aside, if you don’t do it to them first?

Wade realized that over his twenty-eight years, the list of people who had genuinely cared about him was a very short list indeed. His mother had provided for him, the best she could, after her alcoholic husband had been sent to jail. The husband and father, who had beaten him up more times that he could remember, finally landing him in the hospital as a five-year-old frightened kid. Kids at school had made fun of him for all kinds of reasons. He was short and skinny. He was poor and always alone after school, while his mother worked two jobs. He stuttered when confronted by teachers or peers.

If it weren’t for his stepfather, a man who entered his life as a teenager, he shuddered to think what path his life would have taken. He had been cast aside so many times in life, it was the only behavior that felt normal to him. The act of rejection no longer inflicted pain for Wade, but merely dulled the ache, which he somehow managed to push aside when faced with the challenge to mount a two-thousand-pound bull and conquer the beast for an eight second ride.

He walked in silence, keeping his enlightened thoughts to himself. Genuine relationships built on common interests, communication, and trust were what he needed in his life. He suddenly realized why Kody had been so comfortable with the notion of retiring from rodeo in favor of a life with Jaimie. Kody had found what Wade craved. Honest and sincere feelings for a woman, who felt the same way in return.

I need a girlfriend, he finally revealed. A real girlfriend. Someone to date and get to know. Someone to care about and… The idea of having someone like that in his life made him feel warm and comfortable inside. It also made him feel intimidated and overwhelmed. Exposing himself to someone was a very daunting idea.

Can I be honest with you? Dustin asked, as they reached the stall where his horse was eating hay, while her tail swished away flies. The cowboy leaned over the wooden railing and affectionately patted the horse’s neck. It is very difficult to genuinely like someone else when you don’t like yourself. It’s even harder when it comes to love. I understand wanting to be with a woman, but you need to be at peace with yourself, Wade. I can see that you’re on that path. I can see that you’re a very different guy than you have been for all the years we’ve been competing together. You’re getting there, man. Just don’t rush it.

Well, Wade Cunningham, is that you? sang a sweet feminine voice.

Both men turned to see a petite woman standing in the middle of the aisle. She couldn’t have been much more than five feet tall, but it wasn’t her height that stood out to Wade. It was her beautiful round breasts that seemed to balloon out from the edges of the skimpy plaid shirt, which was tied in a knot beneath her enormous rack. Her tanned stomach was exposed until it met a pair of tight cutoff jeans. She stood with her thumbs tucked into each front pocket, with her hip sexily pushed to one side.

Ma’am, my friend and I were having a conversation, Dustin offered, in an attempt to intervene.

Oh, I won’t take up much of your time, I just wanted to say hello, she said in a sexy voice that almost sounded if she were purring. With each word, she had taken a step closer until she stood face-to-face with the bull rider.

Up close, he could see that she was wearing way more makeup than was necessary. She wasn’t gorgeous, but as he studied her face, he admitted that she was cute: with a cute little nose, pouty lips that were coated in a bright shade of gloss, and her green almond-shaped eyes. She reminded him of the women his mother had hung out with when he was a kid. He looked at her hair, which appeared wild and unkempt in the evening humidity. Her dark roots were showing before an obvious line of brassy-colored hair began. A bad dye job she had likely done at home in the bathroom sink, he presumed.

I was wondering if I could get your autograph? she asked, as she unashamedly batted her eyelashes and placed an open hand against his chest.

Of course, he stammered. I’m always pleased to meet a fan. What would you like me to sign? he asked, as he accepted the thin tipped marker she offered to him.

Well, I seem to be all out of paper, she said in a tone that was clearly fake. Perhaps you could sign right here, she suggested, as she pulled at the collar of her shirt to reveal another inch of shiny, tanned breast that seemed to heave with each breath that she took.

Dustin sprang into action, ripping a paper off a nearby bulletin board and offering it to Wade before he could entertain the idea of signing his name to the buckle bunny’s breast. Here, use this.

Wade accepted the paper and scrawled his signature on it before allowing himself to look the intruder in the eye. Who should I make this out to? he asked in a voice that sounded even to him to be wavering.

It’s Cheyenne, she offered, before spelling it out to him. My friends all call me Chey.

Well, thank you for stopping by the barn, Dustin said quickly, in an effort to dismiss her from the area. We hope you’ll come to see the show tomorrow.

She planted her puckered lips on the paper Wade had handed to her before turning to walk away. Oh, I’ll be there, she said in the purring voice.

Wade watched her hips sway as she began to walk away. Wait, he suddenly added.

Let her go, Dustin warned in a hushed tone.

Cheyenne stopped and turned to face the cowboy.

Where are your friends? he asked.

The smile immediately disappeared from her face.

Buckle bunnies never travel alone. They’re always in packs of two or three. You’re here by yourself.

I…I’m not a buckle bunny, she stammered. I…I just wanted to meet you. I’m a huge fan and my son just loves to play your video game.

Wade looked curiously at her. You have a son? She was definitely younger than him and didn’t appear to be much more than twenty-two or three.

Her expression read more like horror that she had unintentionally revealed her parental status. I do, she slowly admitted. He’s four and a half, she added unnecessarily.

Wade looked around the barn that was almost empty of competitors and visitors. Where is he?

She looked curiously at him. He…he’s at home with my mother.

Wade flashed her an affectionate smile. You should bring him tomorrow. I’m sure he’d love the show.

She smiled weakly at him. I’m sure he would. With that, she turned and walked down the aisle and out of the barn.

Dustin slapped his hand on Wade’s back. You did good there.

Wade nodded and smiled. For the first time in years, he didn’t feel the urge to run after her and make the invitation to join him in his trailer.

Chapter 2

It was another hot, dry day of competition under the blazing sun. In the first round of bull riding competition, Wade had posted a score of eighty-nine and a half, with the next closest competitor scoring a dismal score of seventy-eight. More than half of the competitors had left the arena with the letters BO flashing on the screen, indicating that they had been bucked off and would not be advancing to the next round of competition.

As the barrel-racing ladies completed their rides, Wade prepared for his encounter with a bull named Grand Slam. While he wasn’t the meanest bull in the barn, he was known for making quick changes in direction and tossing in an unexpected kick or twist.

Wade walked back to his trailer to prepare. While in previous years he had ridden in the bareback and saddle bronc events, he had opted out for this season. With Kody out of the picture, he had nothing to prove. It was time to focus on his favorite event, bull riding. Over the years, he had been invited by rodeo officials and team members alike to enter roping events, but for the past five years he’d turned them down. The added cost of hauling and stabling a horse from one rodeo to another had eaten into his winnings. He knew that success in the business of rodeo meant that you kept your costs low and your winnings high.

He made his way to the contestants parking area, where dozens of pickup trucks were parked. Some sported campers over the bed of a truck, with a horse trailer in tow, while other competitors pulled fifth-wheels or horse trailers with living quarters incorporated into the layout. Without the need to haul horses, Wade had opted for a fifth-wheel with a push-out slider, which expanded the living quarters, and a separate master bedroom over the king pin where the trailer attached to his pickup truck. Given that most of his stops were within a six-hour drive of the ranch, he had found this the most economical and comfortable way to travel. On occasion, when he attended invitational events in the United States, the prize money made it worth his while to fly to his destination and stay in a hotel. For everyday rodeos, he preferred the comfort and familiarity of his trailer. All of his rodeo gear was neatly stowed in a small closet. Shirts hung in a separate closet and a few pair of denim jeans made up the bulk of his belongings.

He pulled out his cowbell rope, chaps, spurs, rosin, safety vest, helmet, mouth guard, and gloves and tossed them into his rodeo bag. With the event being televised, he made certain his shirt was clean and tidy. He checked his jeans and cowboy hat, and after a final inspection, declared that he was ready to make his way to the competition.

When he was summoned, Wade made his way toward the chutes, where he would begin preparations for his final ride of the weekend.

He had a particular procedure that he followed each and every time he competed. When his mouthpiece was in, he strapped on his helmet and made sure it was fastened tight. Then, he approached the bull that stood waiting in the gated chute. First, he grabbed hold of the rope and handed it to the wrangler that would be pulling his rope for him. That way, he could focus on his safety when entering the chute. He climbed up the metal rails and grabbed onto the top bar on the other side of the animal that would give him a hell of a ride. With hands on the rails on each side, he leaned over the enormous animal and set his cowboy boot down on the center of the bull’s back, just to let the animal know that he was coming. Then, he slid his legs down on either side of the animal, setting his feet on a metal rung and set down slowly against the bull. He positioned his feet to ensure that his spurs came nowhere near the animal while they remained in the chute. Wade focused on his rope, which was wrapped around the animal. He jiggled it around and then when he was satisfied with its placement, gave the signal to his wrangler to tighten it up.

With the gloved hand, he ran his hand up and down the rope, heating up the rosin. When it became sticky, Wade’s heart began to race. He knew he was ready for the most important eight seconds of the weekend. With his jaw clamped on his mouthpiece, he was unable to talk. He tapped the rope with his fist, signaling his wrangler to slack up the rope.

Finally, when he was in the zone, he gave the nod and the animal came to life. As the gate swung open, the bull began to buck wildly. As the clock counted down another critical eight seconds, that champion bull, who had been bred for this precise moment, bucked and twisted his muscular body. The crowd went wild as the bull broke out of the chute with a high kick to