"Cus, save your greetings for later," Ava interrupted sharply before Mandy could reply to her former high school teacher. Her tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. Then, pointing confidently at the mechanical bull, she turned to Ace. "If you last longer on it than I do, I'll give the blonde the plush she wants. But if I last longer, she makes a $1000 donation to the Rural Revival's cause in my name."
"$1000? We agreed on $100!" Danny exclaimed indignantly, his face flushing as he glared at Ava. Inwardly, he fumed, 'So what if she's hot and insanely strong? She's bullying my favorite—and only—aunt! Humph!' Beside him, Lola crossed her arms, pressing the large plush toy against her perky chest, and nodded in agreement with Danny's outburst, her eyes narrowing at Ava.
"Now it's $5000," Ava snapped back, her voice sharp and daring. "Just try me, fatty." Her words were laced with contempt as she glared at Danny, daring him to utter even a peep. The greasy turkey aroma emanating from his breath made her wrinkle her nose in distaste.
To Ava's surprise, her father, Principal Martin, stepped forward with an authoritative expression. "Ava, apologize to the boy, or I'll give these stuffed toys to them," he said firmly, holding the plush toys in his hands. His gaze was stern, showing he meant business. Ava froze, panic flickering across her face as she realized her father's threat was not empty.
"You can't do that! They're mine—I won them fair and square!" Ava protested, her voice rising in desperation. She clutched her flannel shirt as if the act would somehow shield her prized plushies from her father's decision.
"You won them with the money I gave you," Principal Martin countered, his tone unyielding as he prepared to hand the plush toys to Danny. "So, I'll do as I see fit with them."
Ava's lips pressed into a thin line, and her hands curled into fists at her sides. Her pride battled her fear of losing the plushies. Finally, with a huff of frustration, she caved. "Fine, I'm sorry," she muttered through gritted teeth, glancing at Danny with a reluctant expression.
Danny grinned triumphantly but didn't say a word, fearing Ava might escalate further. Satisfied with her apology, Principal Martin held onto the toys but stepped back, letting the matter settle.
Ava, however, wasn't done. She turned to Mandy, her fiery determination returning. "Alright," she began, shooting a fierce glare at her cousin. "But if you don't agree to $5000 if I win, then the deal is off." Her tone made it clear there would be no compromise.
"Fine," Mandy agreed, her voice steady. She glanced at Ace, silently trusting him to handle the challenge. Then, she added with a warning glare at Ava, "But no tricks this time. If you lose, don't try to weasel out of it like you did earlier."
"Weasel out? It's not my fault you guys were too stupid to comprehend the rules," Ava retorted, her voice laced with disdain. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, her pride evident. "This time, I made the rules simple enough for your brains to process. Don't come crying to me when it's time to pay." A prideful smirk spread across her face as she turned back to the bull, her confidence unshaken. Her gaze locked on the mechanical challenge before her as she prepared to teach the teen who had dared humiliate her father a lesson.
Turning toward the red headed hunk manning the bull, Ava signaled with a sharp nod. "Cousin, don't sign up others. I'm going next. I've got a bet with this fool over here." She jerked her thumb in Ace's direction, her tone daring anyone to oppose her.
"Hey—" Mandy began, her face scrunching in protest, but Ace gently pressed a hand on her shoulder. The subtle touch signaled for her to calm down, his steady gaze promising he had a plan to handle Ava. His silence spoke louder than words—he intended to teach Ava a lesson, not with arguments, but with actions.
The red headed hunk scanned the people behind his cousin. His face lit up with recognition as his eyes landed on Mandy. "Hi, Mandy. Did my baby sister cause you guys trouble?" he asked with a teasing grin, leaning casually against the bull's controls.
Mandy smirked, crossing her arms. "Hi, Cam. When did your family get a daughter? I thought you Martins were incapable of giving birth to them," she quipped, her tone light but playful, showing the familiarity between them.
Cam chuckled, shaking his head. "That's why we've all spoiled her rotten. She's the most beloved in the family," he said, his voice tinged with affection. He reached out to pat Ava's messy red ponytail, but she swatted his hand away with a scowl.
"Go pat your wife. She's right there," Ava snapped, pointing toward Ms. Matthews at the entrance who was standing next to Principal Matthews, selling beverages—both alcoholic and non-alcoholic—with a friendly smile. Ava's tone was sharp, but the flicker of a grin betrayed her amusement.
Shifting her attention back to Ace, Ava straightened, her eyes narrowing with determination. "I'll go first. We'll ride the bull at maximum settings—unless you're too chicken," she challenged, her voice cutting through the air like a blade.
"No way! That's too dangerous," Mandy interjected immediately, stepping forward with an alarmed expression. Her eyes darted between the two, her concern clear. But before she could continue, Ace held up a hand to stop her.
"I'm in. Go ahead," Ace said, his calm tone leaving no room for argument. His sharp nod was final, silencing Mandy's protests as tension crackled between him and Ava.
Cam leaned back and gave a low whistle. "Alright, resetting the timer," he said with a mischievous grin, knowing there was no such thing as max setting or at least his machanical bull didn't, clearly enjoying the rivalry. Ava stepped onto the foam padding, her movements confident and almost heroic—until Cam interrupted her stride.
"If you want to play for the prize, that'll be $10. Rules are the same for everyone, baby sis," Cam said, holding out a hand expectantly.
Ava froze, her jaw tightening in annoyance. With a dramatic huff, she pulled a crisp ten-dollar bill from her jeans pocket and slapped it into Cam's palm. "Happy now?" she muttered, her tone dripping with irritation. She climbed onto the back of the mechanical bull, her grip firm as she prepared for the challenge.
As Ava sat on the mechanical bull, the crowd's cheers grew louder. Cam, making sure his sister was ready, hit the timer, and the bull roared to life at full speed. Clearly no stranger to the challenge, Ava's family barely reacted as the drunken crowd cheered her on. With determination, she gripped the bull's handle and wrapped her legs around its body, clinging to it, aiming to break her cousin's record and win the 18Kt gold pendant prize.
The bull bucked and twisted, but Ava remained focused, her muscles straining as the crowd chanted her name. Seconds turned into minutes, the machine's grew from soft to medium to hard level, and she fought to stay on, her grip slipping as the bull moved faster. Her heart raced, but she pushed through.
At 97 seconds, the bull made a sharp turn, throwing Ava off. She landed hard on the padded floor as the crowd erupted into applause. Ava sat up, her chest heaving, a mix of frustration and pride on her face. She hadn't beaten the record of 129 seconds, but she'd given it her all. Then she threw a provocative glance at Ace, mouthing, 'You're turn.' who replied with an impressed nod.