Dare You to Resist the Bull Rider
BOOK FOUR in the RockValley Highseries
LACY ANDERSEN
DARE YOU TO RESIST THE BULL RIDER
Copyright 2020 by Lacy Andersen All Rights Reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dare You to Resist the Bull Rider (Rock Valley High, #4)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Epilogue
Excerpt From Dare You to Chase the Soccer Player
About the Author
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Chapter One
I, Charlotte Hale, was not a rhinestones and leather kind of girl. A mere whiff of hay made me sneeze. And fifteen minutes in the sun roasted me like a marshmallow held too close to a flame. Still, my best friend since seventh grade had finally moved back after a year away. It was his choice to have our big reunion at the Rock Valley fairgrounds arena so he could give me a surprise.
I couldn’t say no.
“Is it my imagination, or was that fly as big as a horse?” Lexi Black swatted at a loudly buzzing insect as it dive-bombed us and then flittered off. She looked totally out of place as we took a seat on the metal bleachers under the hot June sun. Frustration rolled off of her in waves. She blew her shoulder-length dark curly hair out of her face with an angry puff of air. “Tell me again why we agreed to come with you?”
“We agreed because our sisters have decided to annoy us to death until we become quote, unquote, besties.” Beth Frye picked up a piece of gravel and tossed it at the bleachers below. Her blonde, wavy hair spilled over the purple Beat headphones wrapped around her neck and her emerald green eyes scanned the people running around the arena, setting up for the start of the 4H county fair.
I supposed their lack of enthusiasm was to be expected. The three of us had kind of been forced together by our older sisters to become bonussisters.They’d been bugging us to hang all summer, so I’d finally given in and asked Lexi and Beth to go with me to see Hunter’s surprise.
“Listen, I’m not thrilled about this arrangement either,” I said, leaning back. “Let’s just do this, punch our timecards, and get our sisters off our backs. They’ll forget about this crazy plan when they’re off at college in the fall. Then, we can each go our separate ways.”
That seemed to pacify them, which was good because that was when my eyes clapped on the last person I’d wanted to see today.
Sarah Claiborne, with her snooty expression and her perfectly wavy shoulder-length blonde hair, was walking toward us in a deceivingly innocent yellow sundress. Her combination of a pert little nose, sharp chin, and high cheekbones were probably considered beautiful, but they only made me grind my teeth.
She was the tormentor of my nightmares. The she-devil of my school. I’d once done everything in my power to become her friend and it had nearly gotten me killed.
Clearly, we didn’t get along.
“Hey, Lottie.” Sarah’s gaze drilled into mine as she stopped near the bottom of the bleachers and smirked up at me. The nickname she’d chosen for me had once felt like a badge of honor. Now, it felt like a curse. “I think you might be lost. The cows are supposed to meet in the 4H barn.”
I scoffed as Beth and Lexi bristled next to me. It was just like her to ruin what could possibly be the best day of my entire year.
“Would you mind?” Beth asked, leaning coolly back on the bench behind us. “You’re ruining the view of that guy shoveling horse poop.”
Sarah’s thin, pink-tinted lips curved into a cruel smile. “That’s right. Keep your eyes on the guy that shovels manure. That’s about as good as you girls can do. Leave the real cowboys to me.”
I stuck my tongue out at her as she threw her head back and laughed. Anything she could throw my way was going to roll right off my back. That was because it had been exactly thirty-seven days since Hunter McNally had broken the news that he was moving back home. Each day, I’d marked off the calendar in my room, excited to finally have him back for good.
Everything was going to go back to the way it was, before his grandpa had broken his leg and Hunter and his mom had to suddenly move to Texas to help with the family ranch. Before my parents had made it their mission to throw me at every school club and association they could to help me find a passion. And before I’d had the worst sophomore year ever.
My best friend was back.
“Oooh, speaking of cowboys,” Lexi said breathlessly beside me, pointing down at the three stalls on the side of the arena.
I hadn’t noticed them until now...or, the handful of guys gathered around one of the stalls. They seriously could’ve stepped out of an issue of CowboyMonthly. Each guy wore some combination of tight Wrangler jeans, flannel shirt, cowboy hat, or a baseball cap. I was pretty sure I saw the glint of a gold buckle or two among them as well. They leaned over one of the stalls, moving leather straps around and chatting excitedly about what was inside.
“Hot, chap-wearing, rugged cowboys,” Lexi said in a hoarse whisper, clutching her knees. “Think any of them are single?”
I glanced sideways at her. She wore a vacant, dreamy expression, her expertly-lined eyes glued on the scene before us. I snorted in laughter. She was too much. I was about to poke fun at her, when I spotted Beth on my other side with a similar expression on her face. It seemed I’d lost them both. Even Sarah had lost her focus and was staring at the cowboys with a predatory look on her face.
“Come on, guys.” I brushed a dark brown curl out of my face and sighed. “Don’t lose focus. We’ve got to keep an eye out for Hunter. He’s around here somewhere.”
“Hunter McNally?” Sarah shot me a quick frown. “He’s back in town?”
I wrapped my arms tight around my torso. The fact that Sarah cared about Hunter’s return made me feel all kinds of twisted up inside. “Yep, he’s coming back to Rock Valley.”
The interested spark in her eyes made me growl internally. The girls in our class had always paid Hunter plenty of attention, but he’d never been very interested in pursuing anything with them. But Sarah had a way of sinking her claws into people. I wouldn’t have put it past her to try.
Beth shifted beside me, pointing at the stalls in the arena. “Actually, I think we already found him. Isn’t that him? In the helmet?”
My pulse thrummed excitedly as I redirected my gaze back to the group of guys. Sure enough, there was one among them that I
recognized. Hunter McNally stood hunched over the side of the stall, wearing a wire face mask and black helmet that covered up his short, brown hair.
Hunter had changed since he’d moved away. He was now taller than me by several inches, his lean body filled out with sinewy muscles that flexed and tensed as he climbed higher on the side of the stall. A ragged black t-shirt stretched over his broad shoulders and tight denim jeans hugged his hips. He put a leg inside the stall and straddled something large inside it, giving me a flash of his tan cowboy boot with the rounded toe.
There he was — my best friend! And he was finally home.
I clutched hard onto Lexi and Beth’s arms as Hunter settled into the stall. There was an intensity in the way he moved that I wasn’t used to seeing. Curiosity blossomed inside of me. Was this the surprise he was talking about? What was he doing in there?
I didn’t have time to speculate much longer. He mouthed something to one of the other guys. With a firm nod of his head, they all stepped back and someone pulled a rope that opened the stall, revealing a massive thousand-pound horned white beast with Hunter sitting on its back.
“What the...?” Beth pulled the headphones off her neck. “Is he riding a cow?”
Not a cow.
A raging, muscular bull.
My lungs had officially forgotten how to work. I stared breathlessly as the bull tore from the stall and began to kick up its hind legs and twist in midair, doing anything possible to dislodge my best friend from its back. Despite its best effort, Hunter remained in his seat, his legs holding tight to the thick backside of the monster.
The ride seemed to last forever. Hunter raised his left hand up and down with the flow of the bull’s kicks, holding on tight to a strap with his right. Even from this distance, I could see the deadly concentration on his face. The cowboys on the fence whooped and hollered, waving their hats as if to goad the bull on even more. The massive thing lowered its head and let out a nasty snort before
charging toward the fence and stopping fast enough to fling Hunter from his back.
He landed hard on the ground, looking up at the clear blue sky above him. The sight nearly gave me a heart attack. Two of the cowboys raced into the ring, waving their hats and chasing the snorting bull toward the other end of the corral.
A fall like that would’ve knocked the stuffing out of me, but Hunter was tougher than that. He pushed himself up on his elbows, laughing as his gaze trailed the bull. And when he turned back in my direction and our eyes met, red hot relief burst inside me.
“Ow, Charlotte, you’re hurting me,” Lexi whined, looking down at where I’d grabbed her arm.
“Oops, sorry.”
I dropped my hand from both of them and took a steadying breath. I wasn’t sure whether to be furious or impressed with my best friend right now. The emotions swirling inside of me were too confusing to make out. He’d mentioned how his time in Texas had gotten him into extreme sports, but for some reason I’d had a vague notion that it involved wrestling a greased-up piglet or maybe tussling a calf. I’d had no idea that meant bull riding. This was dangerous. This was stupid. This was reckless.
And so unbelievably cool.
“Charlotte Hale, how’d you like that eight seconds?” Hunter pushed himself off the ground and ran to climb over the arena fence.
He easily cleared it and landed on the other side with a solid thud and a cloud of dust forming around his boots. Part of me longed to run to him. I would’ve done it a year ago, no questions asked. But this young man in jeans and a threadbare shirt, half-covered in dust, was not the kid I remembered from my childhood. The boy who had secretly admitted to me that he listened to Taylor Swift to put him to sleep at night and didn’t mind when I picked EasyAevery time it was my turn to choose for movie night.
“Don’t just stand there,” he said, his hazel eyes glittering as he tore off his helmet and shot me the ornery grin I knew so well. “Are you fixin’ to stare at me all day, or are you gonna come say hi?”
What was this twang coming out of his mouth? I didn’t recognize it, but it didn’t stop me from jumping from the bleachers and pummeling him with a hug. As he wrapped his arms tight around me and lifted me off the ground, I got the distinct scent of dirt and salty sweat from his t-shirt. I sighed and closed my eyes, sinking into his embrace. It might have been a lot different from the Hunter hugs I knew, but they were just as good at making me feel at home.
“You’re here,” I said as he put me back on solid ground. “You’re really here.”
He smirked and tugged playfully on a lock of my hair. “In the flesh, Char Char. Guess you’ll have to get used to having me around again.”
“That was the longest year of my life. Thank goodness for cell phones or I would’ve been convinced you’d dropped off the edge of the world.”
He chuckled, his laughter a lot deeper than before he’d left. “Widow, Texas might just be the edge of the world. People go there and never come back. I was one of the lucky ones to escape.”
I stared at him in wonder, hardly able to contain my happiness. How many nights had I wished he’d come back? That he could be there as I trudged through my second year of high school, pathetic and all alone? But all of that had changed. I was determined to put things right again. Starting now, my life would go back to normal. It would be as if he’d never left.
“I can’t believe you’re finally back. And I really can’t believe you just rode that big horrible bull,” I said, glaring up at him. The adrenaline from watching that scene was still coursing through my veins, but at least I wasn’t shaking now. “My best friend moves back into town only to be trampled by a bull? What were you thinking with a surprise like that?”
I smacked him lightly on the shoulder and he grunted, faking a wince and rubbing it as if I’d injured him. His reaction only made me laugh. Standing this close, I could now see the hint of new scruff coming in on his chin. That definitely hadn’t been there before.
“Come on, Char. You’re going to hurt Marshmallow's feelings,” he said glancing over at the bull loitering in the opposite side of the
arena.
“Marshmallow?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “That monster’s name is Marshmallow? You’ve got to be kidding. I’d say Man-Killer would fit him better.”
“Nah, he’s as soft as a teddy bear,” Hunter said, his eyes fixing me with a teasing glint.
“That thing is not a teddy bear,” I said firmly.
Hunter shrugged and glanced over his shoulder at the arena. “Marshmallow’s about the size of the bulls I’ll be riding at the junior 4H rodeo next weekend. This was just a taste. I wanted to surprise you.”
I gaped at him, dread sprouting through my chest like thorny vines. “You’re kidding me. You’re actually going to do that again?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Why?”
“The thrill of the ride, Char,” he said, frowning at me. Shadows danced in his eyes. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but a lots changed in the last year. I’m not the weak little kid that moved away. I can handle this bull and anything else that comes my way. You’ll see. Everything’s changed for the better.”
Since when had Hunter McNally become so serious? I’d never considered him a weak little kid. He was one of the strongest, most kind-hearted people I knew. I didn’t want him to change.
“Wait — you’re riding in the rodeo during the fair?” Sarah asked from behind me.
I hadn’t noticed her and the girls coming to join us. The slow way Sarah scanned Hunter over with her approving brown eyes gave me the sudden and powerful desire to jump in front of him and tell her to back off. I inhaled sharply at the sensation, unused to such a strange reaction around my best friend.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be in the junior bull riding rounds on Friday night,” Hunter said, leaning his elbow on the arena fence and returning her smile.
“That’s awesome,” she said with a toss of her hair. “I’m running for the Junior Rodeo Queen. We’ll have lots of time to catch up during the fair.”
Hunter nodded at her and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was being pulled in by Sarah’s fake smiles. Guys automatically seemed to like her. She knew how to turn on the sugar sweet charm around them. It was a strategy she’d used on me, too. It had taken me a while to see through the act.
Lexi elbowed me in the ribs. “We’ll be sure to be there to cheer Hunter on, won’t we, Charlotte?”
I shot her a thin-lipped smile. Seeing Hunter gored by a bull wasn’t on the top of my to-do list, but I supposed this was best friend territory. “Yeah...I guess. But I’m going to cover my eyes when Hunter’s turn comes up. I don’t think I can watch.”
“It’s a deal.” Hunter pinned me with a steady look, his frown deepening slightly, as my gut warmed. “I’m glad you’ll be there, Char. It really means a lot.”
“It does?” I asked, chewing nervously on my thumbnail.
But all of my worries faded away as Hunter took a step closer to me and gently grabbed the hand I was chewing on and pulled it away from my mouth. He leaned down slightly to look me in the eye and gave me one last, heart-galloping crooked grin.
“You’re my girl, Char. I need you there.”
I knew he was just talking big when he called me hisgirl, but still, my girly hormones weren’t immune to the power those words held. My head spun just enough to make me dizzy. Somehow, I managed to nod my acceptance at him, earning another wide hazeleyed smile. And I didn’t miss the narrowing of Sarah’s eyes as she glared at me from behind Hunter.
“Fine. We’ll be there,” I said firmly. “But when you fall and bump that pretty head of yours, don’t make me say I told you so.”
“No worries.” His eyes danced with excitement. He rapped his knuckles on the side of his head and then winked at me. “Hard as a rock. At least, that’s what Mom says.”
“I think she meant dumbasarock,” I offered with a suppressed smile.
He threw his head back and laughed, flashing his white teeth. “Touché. At least you admitted I’m pretty. That’ll keep me warm at night.”
My cheeks warmed and I looked at my feet. Blushing around Hunter was not something I did. I didn’t know what was wrong with me.
“Listen, I’ve got to get this bull back to his pen and get ready for the fair’s opening ceremony,” he said, his eyes never leaving my face. “See you later, Char?”
I nodded. “Yes. And then we’re watching our first movie tonight.”
It was the official return of our movie night. I’d missed them desperately. If there was one thing that could chase away the awkwardness of seeing Hunter again, it was the continuation of our weekly movie nights. After that, everything would fall into place.
“Wouldn’t miss it for anything.” Hunter shot me one last lingering smile and then waved goodbye to the other girls.
We watched him leave and I was pretty sure every single one of us were appreciating the tightness of his jeans. Sarah especially, because when I glanced over at her, she was rubbing her lips together and staring at him as if he were a slice of chocolate cream pie. I had to shake my head to loosen the strange surges of female hormones grabbing ahold of me. If I wanted to stare at a cowboy, there were plenty more around here who weren’t my best friend.
“Guys, I got to get to work before my mom calls the national guard to bring me in,” I said, glancing down at the time on my phone. “You can check out the boys later.”
Lexi sighed dreamily beside me, as if she hadn’t heard me. “Did you see those cowboys? I mean, did you reallysee them? Those boots. Those rugged muscles.”
“Or those jeans?” Beth giggled. “I think I’m in love. Every man should own a pair. They’re the only things worth distracting me from my video games.”
Sarah tossed her hair one last time and threw me a smile that hinted at nastiness. “You know, Lottie, I’m not sure how you do it. If I had a best friend who looked like that, I’d have a hard time not falling for him. Hunter’s delicious. You sure do know how to pick them.”
Dread cast a shadow over my head as Sarah’s lips twisted into a scheming smile. I wasn’t sure what her plans were for Hunter, but the last thing he needed after moving back to Rock Valley was to become another victim of Sarah Claiborne.
And the truth was, I wasn’t competition when it came to dating Hunter. He and I had a pact. We’d set it back in seventh grade. Never reveal the top-secret location of our hangout. Always make up after a fight. And never ever fall for each other. If we followed that, we’d never hurt our friendship. It was an unbreakable agreement.
“You’re delusional,” I told her with a nervous laugh. “Those boys with their tight jeans are going to your head.”
Lexi and Beth snorted with laughter, but Sarah shot me one last superior smile before turning on her heels to march away. Even as she disappeared from view, her words flitted around my head like bees, resisting my attempts to swat them away.
No, I would not be falling for Hunter. He knew the rules. So did I.
My best friend was back, and nothing was going to change between us. One way or another, I’d find a way to get my life back to normal.
Even if I had to fight a bull to make sure it happened.
Or, every mean girl at Rock Valley High.
Chapter Two
It was the shift that was going to break me.
Normally, working in my parents’ diner wasn’t the end of the world. I’d sling a few meals, wipe a few tables, and be done with it. But it seemed like this Sunday, every crazy family in Rock Valley was eating here. I’d already had to change one guy’s order three times because he couldn’t commit to a single meal. Another table had three kids throwing food like it was confetti. And finally, there was the table of freeloaders currently flagging me down as I ran to grab a broom.
“Hey, Charlotte, can I get another one of those waffles?” Beth asked, waving her hand in the air as she sat across from Lexi in the booth typically reserved for my older sister, Mandy, and me.
I sighed and tightened my ponytail. Thankfully, my shift was pretty much over and the next waitress had already clocked in. Grabbing a waffle from Mom’s newest batch in the kitchen, I hurried over to the booth and slid it onto the table.
“I thought you guys had better things to do today than hang around the diner,” I said, eyeing them both sternly. “At this rate, our sisters might think we’re becoming actual friends.”
“Nah.” Lexi snatched a piece of the waffle, uttered a moan, and crossed her eyes as she bit into it. “If they’re going to force us to be friends, we’re not going to pass up the perks. My mom is a horrible cook. Yours rocks.”
I raised my eyebrow at Beth, and she shrugged with a cheek stuffed full of waffle. “I never say no to free food that didn’t come from the freezer section.”
The only thing I could do was hope they didn’t stick around all day. I had plans. After the opening ceremony of the fair today, Hunter and I were going to catch up on a year’s worth of best friend activities. I was thinking of resurrecting movie night with an obscene amount of sugar. That sounded perfect. A couple hours together and
whatever awkward feelings I’d had this morning at the arena would be gone.
“So...you and Sarah Claiborne really seem to hate each other,” Lexi said, wiping her mouth daintily with a napkin as if not to mess with her perfectly applied lipliner and red lipstick. “At least, that’s the feeling I got at the arena this morning.”
She gazed up expectantly at me, as if waiting for me to drop the details, but I wasn’t ready to share more than needed. Besides, most of the school had heard about my accident.
After Hunter had left, it’d taken me months to get my feet underneath me again. I wasn’t great at putting myself out there and making new friends. It wasn’t until Sarah complimented me on my clothes once at school that I thought I finally had a chance to move on. I’d thought getting on Sarah’s good side was my goal in life. Instead, she and her friends had treated me like dirt. I’d been clueless about it, until I’d gotten drunk and nearly drowned at the Cascades two months ago during a fight with my sister.
I couldn’t blame Sarah for the stupid decisions I’d made, but I liked to think that if she hadn’t been so awful when I was vulnerable and lonely, I might not have gone down that road. And I wouldn’t be working every week at the diner this summer as a punishment my parents had chosen to teach me about personal responsibility — until I could prove to them that I’d changed.
It would take a miracle to make that happen.
“She’s awful and that’s all I’m going to say about it.” I slid into the booth next to Beth and grunted to punctuate my point.
“So I guess you wouldn’t approve of her dating Hunter?” Beth asked, the scent of maple syrup strong on her breath. The dark look I shot her made her snort with laughter into her napkin. “Okay, I’ll take that as a no.”
Lexi shrugged and placed her elbows on the table across from us, blinking her unnaturally long eyelashes. “Maybe youshould ask him out. I saw the way he looks at you. I’ll bet he’d say yes in a heartbeat.”
I threw my head back and let out a dry laugh. No way did Hunter McNally look at me as anything other than the girl he used to dunk
in the above ground pool behind his house each summer and trade Sour Patch Kids candies with. I was firmly in the friend zone with him and that was the way we both liked it. That would never change.
“You guys are hilarious,” I said. “Really, you should start a comedy show.”
Beth wrinkled her nose. “If you won’t ask him out, then I guess he’s free for the taking. Sarah’s like a great white shark. She’s already circling in the water. I’ll bet she snaps him up before the end of the fair.”
The image of Sarah as a massive shark devouring my friend gave me a sour stomach. I grimaced and grabbed a glass of water to help clear the sensation. There was no way I could let that happen. I’d protect my friend...somehow.
“Charlotte, you didn’t tell me you had friends here!” Mom popped up behind the counter with a beaming smile. Her long blonde hair was pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck, her apron dusted with flour. She hustled around the counter to rush our booth. “I didn’t know you were hanging out with Lexi and Beth! This is the best thing since sliced bread!”
I groaned into my hands. Mom got a little too excited about things sometimes. If it were up to her, she’d throw a freaking parade every time I managed to turn in a homework assignment on time. I think it was her way of making up for missing the signs that I was having so much trouble this past year. Nobody blamed her. Between the busy restaurant and her heart issues, she and Dad both had enough on their plate.
“Mom, settle down. We’re just hanging out because our sisters got the idea that we should be friends and they won’t leave us alone until we do.”
“And I fully support that idea,” she said, leaning on the booth. “Nice to see you, girls.”
They both greeted my mom politely, which only served to make her smile grow brighter. She was like our new chocolate Labrador — pat her on the head for two seconds and suddenly we were friends
for life. “I can’t believe you babies are all going to be juniors this fall. You’re in for a great year. I think junior year is the best.”
“Oh, I don’t know about junior year,” Lexi said, bouncing in her seat. “I’m just excited about this summer. The 4H county fair starts tonight. We’re talking cowboys, fuzzy animals, and the Junior Rodeo Queen competition. They opened it up to all girls in the county this year. I’m hoping one of them will let me do their hair and makeup. I’ve been dying to do a project that would get me some public attention.”
Mom looked at me, her blue eyes widening. “Charlotte, did you know about the county fair?”
It wasn’t hard to see where this was going. She and Dad had been practically throwing me at random events since summer started as a way to help me find a passion. So far, we were zero for ten. Surprisingly, badminton and harmonica lessons didn’t stick.
I shot her a thin-lipped smile. “Yep. I’m actually going to the opening ceremony this afternoon with Hunter.”
“And there’s a rodeo queen competition,” she said, biting her lower lip. I could practically hear the wheels turning in her head. “That sounds like fun. What kind of stuff do they do for that, Lexi?”
Lexi licked her lips and then counted off her fingers. “From what I’ve heard, there’s a pie baking contest. They get to judge a few exhibits and be models in the 4H fashion show. But the best part is the rodeo on Friday night. They all get to ride in on horses for the crowning.”
“Horses?” Mom repeated breathlessly. Her blue eyes darted to mine. “You used to love horses as a kid, Charlotte. Maybe you should enter.”
“Yeah, Charlotte,” Lexi said beside me, wagging her eyebrows at me. “You should enter. Just think—hot cowboys.”
“And chaps,” Beth added, her smile dreamy. Lexi clapped her hands together and grinned. “Or, the possibility of knocking Sarah off her high-horse...literally. They close the signup sheet right before the opening ceremony today. You’ve still got time.”
I snorted. What world were they all living in? “Mom, I would probably kill myself on one of those things. Animals don’t like me. And besides, I don’t want to enter some backwoods, set-womenback-a-hundred-years kind of competition. I think I’m okay.”
Mom crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. The tiny blue vein in her temple throbbed. It was the tell-tale sign that her stubborn side was coming out. “Well, even if you don’t enter, you should at least check out what the fair has to offer. Your dad and I want you to find something to put your heart into this year. Something that’ll keep you out of trouble.”
“Mom...” My eyes darted to Beth and Lexi. They didn’t need to hear about this. “Not now...”
“You can’t keep pushing this off forever, my dear.” Mom grabbed the empty dishes from the table and piled them in her arms. “You’ve got to find something to do this summer. Your sister’s at a getaway this week for her new college track team. I’m sure she’s having the time of her life. I’d like to see you having similar experiences. The time to do it is now, while you’re young. I’m putting my foot down.”
“Maybe the fair isn’t Charlotte’s style,” Lexi offered, her eyes wide as if she were a deer stuck in headlights. I had the feeling she was trying to backpedal to save my rear end. “Maybe she could take up cross country skiing. Or the guitar. Or she should take that basket weaving class that begins over at the library tomorrow. That could be fun.”
“Now, that sounds like a good idea.” Mom nodded sharply and I about collapsed and slipped beneath the table. Lexi didn’t know how to keep her mouth shut. “Thank you for the idea. I think I will sign her up for basket weaving. It certainly couldn’t hurt. Something’s got to work.”
I gaped at her. “Mom...”
“If you won’t put yourself out there, I will,” she said, backing away from the counter and smiling at Beth and Lexi. “Thank you for the suggestions, girls. Have fun at the fair. I’d better get back to my kitchen before Charlotte’s dad burns something.”
When she was out of sight, I turned back to the table with a frown. “I didn’t need your help. Thanks for that. Now, I’m going to
have to spend my summer basket weaving.”
“I’m sorry.” Lexi raked her fingertips down her face. “I word vomit when I get nervous. I was just trying to help.”
“By throwing the Rodeo Queen competition in her face?” I asked, folding my arms and leaning back to pout. “That’s Sarah’s domain. Bet you a million dollars she wins. Those other girls don’t stand a chance.”
“I don’t know about that,” Beth grumbled, staring down at the waffle she’d stabbed with her fork. “Honestly, I think you shouldjoin the competition. You’d probably kick her butt and it would be fun to see Sarah lose for once. Serves her right after that cow comment this morning.”
My jaw about hit the floor. They really knew nothing about me. There was no way I could enter a competition like that. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.
There was nothing remotely special about me. No talents. No outstanding beauty. No irresistible charm. Nothing that would make me stick out and win something like that. The very thought of putting myself through that made me sick to my stomach.
Lexi nodded to herself, completely ignoring my silent reaction. “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. Charlotte should be the Rock Valley Rodeo Queen. She deserves it more than Sarah. And she could totally win.”
“I don’t know, guys...” I stared at the sticky syrup containers in the middle of the table.
For one split second, the idea of beating Sarah at her own game wormed its way into my head and I couldn’t help but smile. It would almost be the perfect revenge for the way she’d treated me this year. All the passive aggressive comments about me not being cool enough. The times she’d given me back-handed compliments that left me even more insecure. And not to mention, the times she’d just made me plain miserable.
Lexi must’ve taken my silence for agreement because she inhaled sharply and bounced in her seat, her face glowing with excitement. “Oh, please let me do your makeup and hair for the contest, Char.
It’s my dream to be a makeup artist. This would help build my street cred.”
“What? No way.” I waved her away. The brief flare of pleasure I’d gotten at the idea of beating Sarah had gone out like a match thrown into a bucket of water. No way. No how was I going down that road. “I’m not going to make the mistake of challenging Sarah. She can have her rodeo crown as long as she leaves me and my friends alone.”
All I wanted was a summer with just me and Hunter. A summer where we could hang out, watch our movies, and things could go back to normal. Fighting Sarah for a crown that meant nothing to me was asking for trouble. I refused to go there.
Lexi deflated, her lower lip pouting. “That stinks. I think you’d make a great rodeo queen. You’ve already got the big hair.”
I made a face at her, trying not to take that as an insult. “Yeah, right.”
“And it’s better than basket weaving,” Beth offered with a shrug.
“No way, guys.” I held up my hands. “I am not doing it. I’d be publicly humiliated.”
“Or...you’d win yourself a sexy cowboy.” Lexi wagged her eyebrows and elbowed me. “That might be a risk worth taking. I think you’d be great. You really need to enter this contest.”
I wasn’t sure why Hunter’s face popped up in my mind the moment she said that, or why my gut twisted with a strange kind of need, but I shook it off as quickly as it came. There was no way I would enter that competition. Not even to avoid all the basket weaving courses in the world. That wasn’t me. The only thing I wanted to think about was seeing my best friend again.
“You guys are barking up the wrong tree,” I said, slipping out of the booth. “The last thing I want to do right now is take Sarah on. I’d never win. I’ve got no talents, no skills, absolutely nothing to offer. They probably wouldn’t even let me sign up for it in the first place. You know it’s true.”
Lexi and Beth exchanged disbelieving looks across the table. Still, I faced them both with my fists on my hips.
“Now, if you’re done using me for free food, I’ve got to meet Hunter at the opening ceremony. You coming, or what?”
“Actually, we’ll meet you there,” Lexi said slowly, shooting a glance at Beth. “We’ve got an...errand to run for my mom first. Right, Beth?”
Beth jumped, her forehead wrinkled. “Yeah...right. An errand. For her mom.”
Lexi turned back to me with a sickly-sweet smile. “Save us a seat, Char.”
My eyes narrowed at her, but I let her secrecy and use of my nickname roll off my back. It didn’t matter to me what they did. The ceremony was about to start, and Hunter was waiting for me. That was all that mattered.
This summer was going to be the best one yet.
Chapter Three
Nothing got the small town of Rock Valley as excited as the 4H county fair. It was thesummer event, so it wasn’t surprising to see the arena at the fairgrounds already half-full when I got there. A couple hundred people had shown up, and from the look of them, they were mostly the young competitors and their families. One quick glance at the crowd and it didn’t take long to pick out the two rows of boys sitting on the bleachers front and center, all dressed in their flannel shirts of various colors and jeans. More cowboys. Lexi would be ecstatic.
And in the middle of them sat Hunter.
Exhilaration pulsed in my chest as he waved at me. I thought I would’ve calmed down after that scene on the bull this morning, but seeing Hunter again made me as nervous as ever. I swallowed hard and walked toward him, forcing myself to try and smile naturally. It was a definite fail.
“Char, saved you a seat,” he said, patting a spot beside him on the metal bench.
I sat down and grasped my knees, willing my nerves to go away. “Hey.”
He gave me a shy kind of smile. It was strange to see such an unsure expression on a face that very much resembled a man. “Missed you,” he said softly.
“Missed you, too.”
His smile faded as his gaze searched my face. I wondered if he noticed all the ways I’d changed in the last year as well. My brown hair was still long and curly. I was still waiting on that last growth spurt my mom swore would come any day now. But I’d finally mastered the concept of the mascara wand and I’d splurged on some Chanel perfume with my Christmas money.
I’d matured a lot, too. A brush with death tended to do that to a person. My sister might have had to save me from drowning at the
Cascades, but the girl she’d pulled out of the water was forever a different person. Could he see any of that?
Finally, with a low sigh, he raked his hands over his head and squinted at me. “This is kind of awkward, right? I mean, with me coming back and everything.”
That was so like him—to call it like he saw it. I’d missed his honesty. The tension in my back loosened as I laughed and turned fully toward him. “I’m glad you said that. I thought it was just me.”
It made me feel so much better to realize that I hadn’t been the only one worrying about the changes between us. Hunter had felt them, too. It made sense, after a year apart, that things would be bumpy at the start.
“It definitely wasn’t just you.” He let out a low breath and grinned. “Don’t worry, everything will work itself out. I’m sure after you make me watch EasyAfor the millionth time tonight, we’ll feel like I never left.”
I laughed and bumped against his shoulder with mine. “That’s exactly what I had planned for tonight. You still know me so well. That’s why we’re best friends.”
“And always will be,” he said, capturing my gaze with a serious frown. “Those are the rules, right? And we never break the rules.”
I nodded solemnly, unable to look away from him.
We’d invented the rules the year Hunter’s parents had surprised everyone by announcing their decision to get a divorce. We had all thought they were going to be together forever. The moment the papers were signed, his dad had hitched a flight to California where he was now remarried and working on a vineyard tending grapes or something.
To say the least, the split had been rough on Hunter. They’d seemed like such a happy family before then. He hadn’t seen it coming. So after all of that heartache, we swore an oath to never let anything come between us.
And nothing ever would.
“Well, what do we have here?” The cowboy sitting on my other side leaned forward to flash a shark-like smile at me. He was about our age, with jet black hair and a heavy brow. His brown eyes
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Title: A note on the position and extent of the great temple enclosure of Tenochtitlan,
Author: Alfred Percival Maudslay
Release date: July 11, 2022 [eBook #68502]
Language: English
Original publication: United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis, 1912
Credits: Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A NOTE ON THE POSITION AND EXTENT OF THE GREAT TEMPLE ENCLOSURE OF TENOCHTITLAN, ***
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A NOTE ON THE POSITION AND EXTENT OF THE GREAT TEMPLE ENCLOSURE OF TENOCHTITLAN, AND THE POSITION, STRUCTURE AND ORIENTATION OF THE
THE GREAT TEOCALLI OF HUITZILOPOCHTLI.
The general description of the ancient City by eye-witnesses does not enable us to locate the position of the great Teocalli with exactness, but further information can be gained by examining the allotment of Solares or City lots to the Conquerors who took up their residence in Mexico and to religious establishments; these allotments can in some instances be traced through the recorded Acts of the Municipality.
(7th Disertacion, p. 140. Don L A .) (Tracing A1.)
“From the indisputable testimony of the Acts of the Municipality and much other corroborative evidence one can see that the site of the original foundation (the Monastery) of San Francisco was in the Calle de Sta. Teresa on the side walk which faces South.
“At the meeting of the Municipality of 2nd May, 1525, there was granted to Alonzo de Ávila a portion of the Solar between his house and the Monastery of San Francisco in this City. This house of Alonzo de Ávila stood in the Calle de Relox at the corner of the Calle de Sta. Teresa (where now stands the druggist’s shop of Cervantes and Co.), and this is certain as it is the same house which was ordered to be demolished and [the site] sown with salt, as a mark of infamy, when the sons of Alonzo de Ávila were condemned to death for complicity in the conspiracy attributed to D. Martin Cortés. By the decree of the 1st June, 1574, addressed to the Viceroy, Don Martin Enríquez, he was permitted to found schools on this same site, with a command that the pillar and inscription relating to the Ávilas which was within the same plot, should be placed outside ‘in a place where it could be more open and exposed.’ As the schools were not built on this site, the University sold it on a quit rent (which it still enjoys) to the Convent of Sta. Isabel, to which the two houses Nos. 1 and 2 of the 1st Calle de Relox belong, which are the said druggist’s shop and the house adjoining it, which occupy the site where the house of Alonzo de Ávila stood.
“In addition to this, by the titles of a house in the Calle de Montealegre belonging to the convent of San Jeronimo which the Padre Pichardo examined, it is certain that Bernadino de Albornoz, doubtless the son of the Accountant Rodrigo de Albornoz, was the owner of the houses which followed the house of Alonzo de Ávila in the Calle de Sta. Teresa; and by the act of the Cabildo of the 31st Jan., 1529, it results that this house of Albornoz was built on the land where stood the old San Francisco, which the Municipality considered itself authorised to dispose of as waste land.”
(D , vol. ii. ch. lxxx.)
“The Idol Huitzilopochtli which we are describing ... had its site in the houses of Alonzo de Ávila, which is now a rubbish heap.”
(A , Octava Disertacion, p. 246.)
“One can cite what is recorded in the books of the Acts of the Municipality in the Session of 22nd February, 1527, on which day, on the petition of Gil González de Benavides, the said Señores (the Licenciate Marcos de Aguilar, who at that time ruled it, and the members who were present at the meeting) granted him one solar [city lot] situated in this city bordering on the solar and houses of his brother Alonzo de Ávila, which is (en la tercia parte donde estaba el Huichilobos) in the third portion where Huichilobos[5] stood. It was shown in the 7th Dissertation that these houses of Alonzo de Ávila were the two first in the Ira Calle de Relox, turning the corner of the Calle de Sta. Teresa, and consequently that the solar that was given to Gil González de Benavides was the next one in the Calle de Relox, for the next house in the Calle de Sta. Teresa was that of the Accountant Albornoz. This opinion agrees with that of Padre Pichardo, who made such a lengthy study of the subject, and who was able to examine the ancient titles of many properties.”
In a note to the 2nd Dialogue of Cervantes Salazar, Don J. G I discusses the position of the original Cathedral and quotes a decree of the Cabildo, dated 8th Feb., 1527, allotting certain sites as follows:—
“The said Señores [here follow the names of those present] declare that inasmuch as in time past when the Factor and Veedor were called Governors of New Spain they allotted certain Solares within
this City, which Solares are facing Huichilobos (son frontero del Huichilobos), which Solares (because the Lord Governor on his arrival together with the Municipality reclaimed them, and allotted them to no one for distribution) are vacant and are [suitable] for building and enclosure; and inasmuch as the aforesaid is prejudicial to the ennoblement of this city, and because their occupation would add to its dignity, they make a grant of the said space of Solares, allotting in the first place ten Solares for the church and churchyard, and for outbuildings in the following manner:—Firstly they say that they constitute as a plaza (in addition to the plaza in front of the new houses of the Lord Governor), the site and space which is unoccupied in front of the corridors of the other houses of the Governor where they are used to tilt with reeds, to remain the same size that it is at present.
“At the petition of Cristóbal Flores, Alcalde, the said Señores grant to him in this situation the Solar which is at the corner, fronting the houses of Hernando Alonzo Herrero and the high roads, which (Solar) they state it is their pleasure to grant to him.
“To Alonzo de Villanueva another Solar contiguous to that of the said Cristóbal Flores, in front of the Solar of the Padre Luis Méndez, the high road between them, etc.”
(Here follow the other grants.)
“Then the said Señores ... assign as a street for the exit and service of the said Solares ... a space of 14 feet, which street must pass between the Solar of Alonzo de Villanueva and that of Luis de la Torre and pass through to the site of the Church, on one side being the Solar of Juan de la Torre, and on the other the Solar of Gonzalo de Alvarado.”
In the same note Icazbalceta discusses the measurements of the Solares, which appear to have varied between 141 × 141 Spanish feet (= 130 ¾′ × 130¾′ English) and 150 × 150 Spanish feet (= 139′ × 139′ English), which latter measurement was established by an Act of the Cabildo in Feb. 1537. He also printed with the note a plan of what he considered to be the position of the Solares dealt with in this Act of Cabildo. This plan is incorporated in Tracing A1.
Plate C is a copy of a plan of the Temple Enclosure found with a Sahagun MS., preserved in the Library of the Royal Palace at Madrid and published by Dr. E. Seler in his pamphlet entitled ‘Die Ausgrabungen am Orte des Haupttempels in Mexico’ (1904).
We know from Cortés’s own account, confirmed by Gomara, that the Great Teocalli was so close to the quarters of the Spaniards that the Mexicans were able to discharge missiles from the Teocalli into the Spanish quarters, and according to Sahagun’s account the Mexicans hauled two stout beams to the top of the Teocalli in order to hurl them against the Palace of Axayacatl so as to force an entrance. It was on this account Cortés made such a determined attack on the Teocalli and cleared it of the enemy.
We also know from the Acts of the Cabildo that the group of Solares beginning with that of Cristóbal Flores (Nos. 1–9) are described as “frontero del Huichilobos,” i. e. opposite (the Teocalli of) Huichilobos, and we also learn that the Solar of Alonzo de Avila was “en la tercia parte donde estaba el Huichilobos,” i. e. in the third part or portion where (the Teocalli of) Huichilobos stood. Alaman confesses that he cannot understand this last expression, but I venture to suggest that as the Temple Enclosure was divided unevenly by the line of the Calle de Iztapalapa, two-thirds lying to the West of that line and one-third to the East of it, the expression implies that the Teocalli was situated in the Eastern third of the Enclosure. This would bring it sufficiently near to the Palace of Axayacatl for the Mexicans to have been able to discharge missiles into the quarters of the Spaniards. It would also occupy the site of the Solar de Alonzo de Avila, and might be considered to face the Solar of Cristóbal Flores and his neighbours, and we should naturally expect to find it in line with the Calle de Tacuba. Sahagun’s plan is not marked with the points of the compass, but if we should give it the same orientation as Tracing A2, the Great Teocalli falls fairly into its place.
Measurements of the Great Teocalli.
There were two values to the Braza or Fathom in old Spanish measures, one was the equivalent of 65·749 English inches, and the other and more ancient was the equivalent of 66·768 English inches. In computing the following measurements I have used the latter scale:—
Spanish. English.
1 foot = 11·128 inches.
3 feet = 1 vara = 33·384 „ = 2·782 feet.
2 varas = 1 Braza = 66·768 „ = 5·564 „
The Pace is reckoned as equal to 2·5 English feet and the Ell mentioned by Tezozomoc as the Flemish Ell = 27·97 English inches or 2·33 English feet.
There is a general agreement that the Teocalli was a solid quadrangular edifice in the form of a truncated step pyramid.
The dimensions of the Ground plan are given as follows:—
Spanish Measure. English feet.
A 150 × 120 paces = 375 × 300
T 360 × 360 feet = 333·84 × 333·84
G 50 × 50 Brazas = 278·2 × 278·2
T 125 Ells (one side) = 291·248
B D = six large Solares measuring 150 × 150 feet each, which would give a square of about = 341 × 341
I 80 Brazas = 445[6]
Motolinea says the Teocalli at Tenayoca measured 40 × 40 Brazas =222·56 × 222·56
The measurements are rather vague. The Anonymous Conqueror’s measurements may refer to the Teocalli at Tlatelolco and the length may have included the Apetlac or forecourt. Torquemada may be suspected of exaggeration. Tezozomoc was not an eye-witness and Bernal Díaz’s estimate of six large Solares is only an approximation.
In Tracing A2 I have taken 300 × 300 English feet as the measurement of the base of the Teocalli.
Orientation of the Great Teocalli.
S Facing the West.
T Its back to the East, “which is the practice the large Temples ought to follow. ”
M The ascent and steps are on the West side.
T The principal face looked South.
I Facing the West.
I think the evidence of Sahagun, Torquemada, Motolinia, and Ixtlilxochitl must be accepted as outweighing that of Tezozomoc, who also says that the pyramidal foundation was ascended by steps on three sides, a statement that is not supported by any other authority and which received no confirmation from the description of the attack on the Teocalli as given by Cortés and Bernal Díaz.
T S .
S says “it was ascended by steps very narrow and straight.”
A (Tlaltelolco ?)—120–130 steps on one side only.
I —160 steps.
B D (Tlaltelolco ?)—114 steps.
C —over 100 steps.
T —113 steps on the West side only.
M —over 100 steps on the West side.
D —120 steps on the West side.
Torquemada says that the steps were each one foot high, and Duran describes the difficulty of raising the image and litter of the God from the ground to the platform on the top of the Teocalli owing to the steepness of the steps and the narrowness of the tread.
The sides and back of the Teocalli were in the form of great steps.
C says that there were 3 or 4 ledges or passages one pace wide.
B D —5 recesses (concavidades).
Both the pictures show four ledges.
The Anonymous Conqueror gives the width of the ledges as two paces.
The height of the wall between each ledge is given as follows:—
C the height of three men = say 16′.
A the height of two men = say 10′ 8″.
M 1½ to 2 Brazas = say 11′.
The size of the platform on the top of the Teocalli cannot be decided from the written records. Torquemada says that there was ample room for the Priests of the Idols to carry out their functions unimpeded and thoroughly, yet in an earlier paragraph he appears to limit the width to a little more than seventy feet. Possibly this measurement of seventy feet is meant to apply to a forecourt of the two sanctuaries.
Motolinia gives the measurement of the base of the Teocalli at Tenayoca as 222½′ × 222½′ (English), and the summit platform as about 192′ × 192′ (English). Applying the same proportion to a Teocalli measuring 300′ × 300′ at the base, the summit platform would measure about 259′ × 259′.
Duran says “in front of the two chambers where these Gods (Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc) stood there was a Patio forty feet square cemented over and very smooth, in the middle of which and fronting the two chambers was a somewhat sharp pointed green stone about waist high, of such a height that when a man was thrown on his back on the top of it his body would bend back over it. On this stone they sacrificed men in the way we shall see in another place.”
Ixtlilxochitl gives a similar description but, says the sacrificial stone was on one side towards (hacia) the doorway of the larger chamber of Huitzilopochtli.
The Oratories of Huitzilopochtli and Thaloc.
