Uncle Hank scowled. “Just our luck.”

  “You’re a pain, Sammy,” Wade mumbled as Sammy trotted through the pasture. “You buck when I want to ride, and ride when I want to buck.” He gave Sammy a pat on the head as he dismounted.

  Javier, Maria, and their dad walked up.

  “You know, old James up the road has a bronco that needs breaking,” Marco said.

  James owned one of the ranches located nearby. Wade had met him a few times. Even at eighty years old, James still ran the ranch himself.

  “You’re not talking about that stallion he keeps?” Uncle Hank asked sternly.

  Marco grinned. “They call him Demon. Even James won’t ride him, and that old man is tough as nails.”

  “I rode him once,” Javier said. “Even managed to hold on for about five seconds. That horse is wild… and strong. Wade may be able to ride Sammy, but Demon is something else altogether.”

  Uncle Hank scratched his chin. “It’s up to you, Wade,” he said. “If you want to enter the rodeo, you’re going to need practice. But it’s your call.”

  Wade didn’t need long to think about it. There was no way he was about to get on a horse named Demon. He’d more likely end up with a cast to match Maria’s than anything else.

  He opened his mouth to kindly decline the offer. As he began to speak, he couldn’t help but notice how intently Maria was looking at him. “Let’s try it,” he said, to his own surprise.

  When Wade opened his mouth again to take it back — to explain that he didn’t really mean it — another strange sentence came out: “No time like the present.”

  Maria’s smile was almost enough to make it worthwhile.

  Almost.

  CHAPTER 7

  DEMON

  James reared back and howled with delight when Hank asked to borrow Demon. One of the old man’s gold teeth glinted in the morning sunlight. He looked at Wade with a twinkle in his eye.

  “Be my guest,” he said with a voice full of gravel. He pointed toward the barn. “There’s a first aid kit by the door. Might want to keep it handy.”

  Hank and Javier led Demon out of his stall. Wade’s pulse raced. The midnight black horse radiated power. He had a temper to match. Javier struggled to fix the rigging around his neck.

  “You sure about this?” Hank asked. “Your mom will have my head if I send you home without yours.”

  There’s no turning back now, Wade told himself. Hank wrangled Demon into a stall outside the barn. The stall was a tight fit and resembled the starting chute used in competition.

  “The first thing you have to do is mark the horse,” Javier explained. “Both feet must be in contact with the horse’s body as it exits the chute. Up you go.”

  Wade sighed and said, “I’m ready.”

  As Wade prepared to mount the horse, Javier held Demon steady. Demon snorted as Wade climbed onto the beast’s back and grabbed the rigging. Puffs of Demon’s breath formed clouds that rose in the cool morning air.

  “Once he’s out of the chute, the clock starts,” Javier continued. “Control is the key. You’ve got to hold on with just one hand. The other hand, your free hand, can’t touch the horse at any point.”

  Demon whinnied and twitched. Wade felt the energy building up in the animal.

  Javier kept talking, ignoring Demon’s growing discontent. “Being able to stay on a horse for a long time is nice,” he said. “But it’s not what wins events. To win, you’ve got to be in control. You get eight seconds to show the judges your skill. Ready?”

  Wade nodded.

  The instant Hank swung open the gate, Demon surged. Every movement combined grace with pure wild energy. Demon instantly bucked — hard. Wade realized that Sammy had nothing on this devil of a horse.

  With a powerful kick of his rear legs, Demon launched Wade from his back like Wade was nothing more than a rag doll. As Wade crashed to the ground, Hank rushed to grab the horse’s reins.

  Javier extended a hand to help Wade up. “You were trying to hold on with your hand,” he explained. “That’s never going to work. You’ve got to grip the horse with your legs. Latch on and let your upper body move back and forth with the horse.”

  The second ride went better.

  Wade locked his legs and loosened his upper body. Demon bucked just as hard, but Wade held on, his body rocking back and forth in time with Demon’s movements.

  It all ended the same way, with Wade face-first in the dirt. But this time, Hank and Javier were all smiles.

  “Looks like you’re a natural,” Hank said. He held up a stopwatch. The timer read 11.8 seconds.

  “I didn’t even make it five seconds,” Javier said sheepishly.

  “All right, then. It’s settled,” Hank declared. “Wade, we’re entering you in the Summer Championships. Let’s see if you can give Javier here a run for his money.”

  “All of that assumes that Demon doesn’t kill me first,” Wade joked.

  “Well, yeah,” Hank replied. “There’s always that.”

  CHAPTER 8

  TOURISTS NOT WELCOME

  The night of the Summer Championships approached. Wade continued to work. In the morning, he’d work with Sammy outside the barn. Then he, Hank, and Javier would head over to James’s ranch to work with Demon.

  In the afternoon, Javier and Wade hung out, talking about technique. They spent hours watching online videos of some of the world’s top bareback riders. At night, Wade nursed his bumps and bruises and dreamed of rodeo glory.

  A week before the rodeo, Wade and Hank climbed into Hank’s pickup and drove into town to register Wade for the event. Maria tagged along to stop at the market along the way.

  “Fair warning,” Hank told Wade as the truck rumbled down the bumpy gravel road. “The woman who is in charge of registration for the rodeo is… well… let’s just say the two of us have some history.”

  Wade raised an eyebrow. “History?”

  “They were engaged,” Maria said. “Now Wanda can’t stand him.”

  Sure enough, Wanda was sitting behind the desk when the three of them walked in. She had a long face and sharp features. She smiled a big smile as they entered. But Wade didn’t believe it for a second. Her cold gaze told the real story.

  Hank seemed reluctant to approach the desk. Wade had never seen him afraid of anything, or anyone. But it was clear that he’d rather not be here.

  “Hank,” Wanda said, standing up, barely looking at him.

  “Hi, Wanda,” Maria said, breaking the tension.

  Wanda’s expression softened. “I was so sorry to hear about your arm,” she told Maria, giving her a warm hug. “How are you doing?”

  “It’s not so bad,” Maria answered. “Not being able to ride is the worst part. But I’m looking forward to watching from the stands.”

  “To root for Javier?” Wanda asked.

  “Well, of course, but not just for Javier,” Maria said.

  Hank grabbed Wade by the shoulder and shoved him forward. “This is my nephew, Wade. I’d like to register him for the bareback event.”

  Shifting her attention to Wade, Wanda furrowed her brow. She looked him up and down, tapping a finger to her cheek.

  “Nephew?” Wanda asked. “Not from around here then? This is a rodeo for locals only. And it’s not for casual riders. We’re holding a serious competition here, Hank. It’s not just somewhere for out-of-towners to get their kicks.”

  Hank didn’t back down. “Wade has spent the summer with us. It’s his home away from home, and he’ll be representing my ranch. I wouldn’t enter him if I didn’t believe he could handle it.”

  Wanda shrugged.

  Wade could tell she was annoyed. She saw him the same way others did — as a tourist. But Hank insisted.

  “Very well then,” she said. She turned her gaze to Wade. “Understand, young man, that this is no game. You could be seriously injured. And since you haven’t ridden before, you won’t have a chance to win any of the season trophies.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Wade answered. “I understand.”

  Hank was fuming by the time they climbed back into the truck. “Typical,” he growled. “Everyone here just assumes you’ll fail, since you aren’t from around here.”

  Suddenly Wade felt very nervous. Would the crowd feel the same way? Would they be rooting against him? A lump began to form in his throat.

  “You know, Uncle Hank,” Wade said softly. “It’s very possible that I will fail. It’s possible I’ll fail big time.”

  Hank grinned. He reached out a weathered hand and clasped Wade’s shoulder. “You’re not going to fail, Wade. And if you do, we’ll all love you just the same. But I’d rather you succeed, if for no other reason than to make Wanda eat her words.”

  “Don’t worry, Hank,” Maria said. “Wade’s gonna do great.

  Wade couldn’t wipe the grin off his face.

  CHAPTER 9

  STEPPING INTO THE DANGER ZONE

  “You doing all right in there?” Maria’s voice sounded muffled through the closed door of the men’s locker room.

  “Yeah,” Wade answered, though he wasn’t really sure. He’d had butterflies in his stomach all day. But now, here, pulling on his boots and getting ready to compete, the butterflies had turned into angry locusts.

  Riding in front of Hank and Javier was one thing. Riding in front of hundreds of strangers was quite another. He could hear the crowd cheering for the calf roping competition in the main arena.

  Wade had played sports his whole life, but never in front of a crowd this big. A little voice in his head told him that it wasn’t too late to back out.

  Instead, Wade stood, shook his head, and marched to the door. “Let’s do this,” he told Maria. He hoped his voice sounded more confident than he really felt.

  Everyone was excited. It was going to be a big night. It was Wade’s rodeo debut, and Javier would be competing for the season championship. Javier was already standing out in the hallway, dressed in his trademark maroon shirt.

  Side by side, Wade and Javier made their way toward the staging area. A man with a huge handlebar moustache read off the rider-horse pairings. The other riders had gathered around.

  “Javier, you’ll be riding Riptide,” the man said. “Travis, you’ll be on Ghost. Wade…” the man paused a moment. “Looks like you get Danger Zone. Tough draw for your first ride, kid.”

  Travis laughed out loud. “You’re putting the tourist on Danger Zone? Ha! That horse is going to launch the kid clear into the fifth row.”

  Travis wandered off, chuckling to himself. Javier slapped Wade on the back. “Don’t listen to him. He’s just trying to get into your head. He used to do the same thing to me, until he realized that I won’t react. I let my riding do my talking. You should do the same.”

  “Yeah,” Wade sighed. “But come on. Danger Zone? It almost doesn’t feel like that was an accident.”

  “Forget Danger Zone. You’ve been riding Demon for almost two weeks,” Javier reminded him. “Danger Zone is a handful, but he’s got nothing on Demon.”

  From the staging area, Wade watched as, one-by-one, the riders took their turns. Several put up good scores while others found themselves in a dusty heap. It all came down to the final three riders: Travis, Javier, and Wade.

  Travis came out of the gate strong. Ghost was a sleek white horse with a powerful kick. For the first several seconds, it was nearly a perfect ride. Travis kept his free hand in the air as he rocked back and forth in time with the horse. At the last moment, he bobbled, letting his feet come off of the horse’s flank for a split second. Travis’s score flashed on the scoreboard. An 86.

  The crowd let out an “oooh.”

  Javier was next. “Good luck,” Wade shouted as Javier set his feet. The season standings between Travis and Javier were neck-and-neck, with Travis just a bit ahead. The title depended on this final event. Javier was simply going to have to be nearly perfect.

  Riptide charged out of the chute in a frenzy. He bucked like a horse on fire. Javier was ready for every buck, keeping in time with every move Riptide made.

  “YEAH!” Wade shouted as Javier’s eight seconds were up. The ride was flawless. The crowd erupted as his score popped up. It was a 90, enough for the championship!

  Javier smiled and tipped his hat as he hustled back to the staging area.

  “Awesome, man,” Wade said.

  “Thanks,” Javier said. “Look, Wade. You shouldn’t even worry about your score. All you have to think about is staying on that horse. No matter what happens, we’re all really proud of you.”

  When it was his turn to ride, Wade shook his arms, trying to loosen up. He closed his eyes to concentrate.

  Travis’s distant voice broke Wade’s focus. “Watch this, everyone,” said Travis. “You’re about to see a tourist get bucked right out of the arena.”

  Wade wanted to put it out of his mind. He tried not to take the insult — tourist — personally. But the way Travis said it got under Wade’s skin.

  “You’re up, kid,” said the man with the handlebar moustache. “You ready?”

  Not even close, Wade thought.

  CHAPTER 10

  MAKING HIS MARK

  As he mounted up, Wade felt the muscles in Danger Zone’s back twitch. The horse seemed about to burst with energy.

  Wade couldn’t help but hear Travis’s voice echoing over and over through his head. That horse is going to launch the kid clear into the fifth row.

  Wade made his mark, setting his feet for the start of the run. He’d have to keep them locked there until the horse’s hooves came down for the first kick.

  The seconds crept by.

  Wade’s heart pounded. The sound of the roaring crowd was like thunder in his ears.

  The chute opened. Danger Zone was out in a flash. In that instant, everything else disappeared. There was no crowd. No judges. No Travis. No Javier. There was just Wade and the horse. Nothing else existed, outside that tiny bubble.

  Danger Zone came down hard on his front legs. Wade let his body flow with the horse’s movement, using his free hand to keep himself balanced.

  Danger Zone reared back and then rocked forward again. The horse didn’t have Demon’s raw strength. But his movements were much quicker and more fluid.

  Wade wasn’t quite ready to match its rhythm. He felt his body toppling.

  Barely a second into his ride, Wade was about to fly off.

  No! Wade told himself.

  He latched on tight with his legs, scarcely holding on as Danger Zone’s hooves came down hard, and he started another buck. This time, Wade was ready. He let his body fall back, then forward, matching the horse’s rhythm.

  And so it went, in what felt like slow motion. Every kick and buck was stronger than the last. But Wade was fully determined, and he had the rhythm now.

  He dimly heard the tone that told him that his time was up, and he slid none too gracefully off the bucking bronco as handlers came to lead Danger Zone away.

  For a moment, the arena was silent.

  Wade scanned the crowd. He spotted Uncle Hank and Maria in the stands. He did a double-take as he noticed who was sitting next to Maria.

  It was his mother!

  She must have come early to surprise him! Together, the three of them started clapping and cheering.

  In an instant, the cheer spread throughout the arena.

  The rolling, booming noise filled Wade’s ears and sent chills up and down his spine. The noise only grew louder as Wade’s score flashed up: 88.

  Wade stared in disbelief.

  An 88! On the first ride of his life!

  Javier rushed out and wrapped him up in a huge bear hug.

  “No way!” Javier shouted. “You did it!”

  “We did it!” said Wade.

  The cheering went on and on. For the first time since arriving, Wade didn’t feel like a tourist at all.

  He felt like a cowboy.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Matt Doeden began his career as a sportswriter. Since then he’s spent almost two decades writing and editing hundreds of children’s fiction and nonfiction books. Darkness Everywhere: The Assassination of Mohandas Gandhi was listed among 2014’s Best Children’s Books of the Year from the Children’s Book Committee at the Bank Street College of Education. Doeden lives in Minnesota with his wife and two children.

  ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

  Arburtov works as a colorist for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, IDW Publishing, and Dark Horse Comics and as an illustrator for Stone Arch Books. He lives in Monterrey, Mexico, with his lovely wife, Alba, and his crazy children, Ilka, Mila, and Aleph.

  GLOSSARY

  bareback (BAIR-bak) —

  referring to a horse, or riding a horse, without a saddle on

  bronco (BRONG-Koh) —

  a wild, spirited horse that has not been trained

  bucking chute (BUK-ing SHOOT) —

  a narrow, metal enclosure for holding or restraining livestock

  double-take (DUH-buhl TAYK) —

  a delayed reaction, usually to something unexpected

  pommel (PUHM-uhl) —

  the upward-curving knob on a saddle in front of a rider

  quarter horse (KWAR-tuhr HORSS) —

  a horse of small, stocky breed that is agile and fast over short distances, such as a quarter mile

  rawhide (RAW-hide) —

  untanned cattle skin

  rear up (RIHR UP) —

  when a horse leans back on its hind legs and raises up its front legs

 

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