Sixteen Seconds

By Elke Lakey

Barrel racer Becca, frustrated because COVID has shut down all rodeos, is annoyed when Nikki, the farrier's daughter, shows up in his stead. They spar over Nikki's competence and their different ideas of social distancing, yet eventually bond over their mutual love for horses.

Since Becca doesn't have Nikki's number but wants to see her again, she resorts to requesting another farrier visit. Nikki sees through her ruse and retaliates by using the water hose on Becca, yet they still hang out.

Their first real date threatens to fall through when Nikki's trailer has a flat and she shows up for their trail ride without a horse. Becca has brought both of hers, but, because of a bad experience that caused one of her horses to get hurt, never lets anyone else ride them.

Falling for the idea of someone can happen in sixteen seconds. But can Becca find the courage to take her real life chances on Nikki?

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Oct 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781646566099

Book preview

Epilogue

Chapter 1

Shit. A thin red line welled up across the palm of her hand, right below the base of her thumb. Becca angrily tossed the empty can of Diet Mountain Dew she had just ineffectively crunched off the porch. It hit the trunk of the old oak tree her mother was so fond of and fell to the ground, not making as much as a thud. Even Freckles, her heeler mix, made no move to go after it, though he’d looked up at Becca when she’d yelped.

Didn’t I tell you not to do that?

Becca’s mom had chosen just that moment to step outside. She was in baggy shorts and one of her flowing shirts, holding a coffee mug, even though it was after eight. During normal times she would have already been at the office. But nothing was normal anymore, not since this Corona garbage had started, and Becca was utterly sick of it.

They canceled the rodeo!

Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry. But you can always go next Saturday.

"No, Mom. Becca rolled her eyes, even though—at almost twenty—she certainly knew better. Tejas is closed, as in closed. No rodeo, no Friday night barrel race, no nothing. I can’t even haul in to practice."

I see. Look, sweetie, I’ve got to get back to the computer. I only came out to get a breath of fresh air before it gets too hot.

She disappeared, and for one brief moment Becca was jealous. Not that she wanted to be indoors at a desk. But at least her mother had a job to go to. Working for H-E-B in some kind of upper management position that Becca didn’t understand and didn’t care about, her mother always acted super-important and was always busy. Except that now, instead of leaving the house early every morning and coming back late every afternoon, her busy consisted