Read Champion (Studs in Spurs) for Free Online Page B

next to Cooper had him turning.
    “Yeah.” Cooper nodded and then realized that had sounded wrong. “I mean, I taught him. He’s my student but nah, he’s not my kid.”
    “Well, you did a damn good job teaching him.”
    “I wish I could take the credit, but honestly, not much of it was my doing. Damn kid’s a natural.” Cooper shot the guy a look. “Don’t tell him I said that. Don’t want him getting too big for his britches.”
    The stranger laughed. “Gotcha.”
    For a few seconds, Cooper felt emotions swirling inside him—a strange mix of the warmth of pride mingled with a cold, hollow emptiness and regret he didn’t have a son of his own to teach. His own boy he could take credit for and feel this overwhelming pride over.
    That’s all the feeling lasted—a few seconds.
    The reality was he had one great fucking life just the way it was. He could do what he wanted. Who he wanted. When he wanted. He held on tight to that thought as he watched Skeeter come out of the arena, dusty and grinning, and his mother ran to greet him.
    They’d likely go out for ice cream or some such family thing after this to celebrate. And after his own event, Cooper would celebrate himself. With any luck, he’d sweet-talk that young thing who’d been eyeing him from the bleachers into going out to his truck for a quickie.
    That’s the way life worked for him. If more folks learned what worked best for themselves and stopped trying to have something else, something more, by doing what they knew was wrong for them, there wouldn’t be single mothers raising boys alone. There wouldn’t be drunk, angry fathers left with their abandoned sons.
    If his parents had done what was best for the family, for Cooper, back when he was Skeeter’s age, he wouldn’t have had to listen to his father arguing with his mother after rolling in stinking drunk from a late night out. He wouldn’t have heard the slap, or his mother hitting the wall, or the softs sobs she tried to hide after his father finally passed out and they could all breathe freely again that it was over, at least for that night. And he wouldn’t have had to grow up alone with that sullen, angry man after his mother had given up and abandoned them both.
    He’d have been better off if she’d gotten a damn abortion instead of having an unwanted baby and having to marry a man who was wrong for her. There sure as hell had been many times back then that Cooper had wished he’d never been born.
    The past needed to stay in the past. He pushed those memories away as Skeeter ran for him, bull rope and cowbell trailing behind him.
    The kid grinned from ear to ear. “Did you see me?”
    “Of course, I saw you. You did great.” Cooper glanced over Skeeter’s head as the scoreboard flashed. “Did you see your score?”
    Skeeter was used to riding in Cooper’s ring, not in front of judges. He’d obviously forgotten there’d be a score involved, and a hell of a score it was too.
    “Eighty points, kid. That puts you in the lead.”
    The boy’s eyes widened at that revelation. He turned to his mother and she laughed at the same expression that had Cooper smiling.
    Hannah glanced at Cooper. “He must be in shock. I’ve never seen him speechless before.”
    Cooper blew out a loud burst of air. “You ain’t kidding. Neither have I.”
    “I’m in the lead?” Skeeter finally found his voice.
    “Yup, but don’t get too excited. There are a few more yet to ride.”
    “I’m gonna go watch.” Skeeter spun to his mother. “Can I?”
    “Sure. Go ahead.” Hannah watched Skeeter run off and let out a breath, holding her hand to her chest. “I thought I’d die watching that. That’s it, right? He won’t ride again today?”
    “He might. If he stays in the lead, he’ll ride in the short go.” He noticed the hand she held to her chest trembled and bit back a cuss. “You’ve never seen him ride, have you?” Of course, she hadn’t. When would she have? The kid only rode at