Zachary Scott Kincaid –
Zach for short – is one hot, hunk of a cowboy. Three-time World Champion Team
Roper, he’s fast becoming a legend on the rodeo circuit. “My Rodeo Man” pits Zach against
one unlucky in love but feisty Southern debutant, Ashley Drayton. The
pair could not be farther apart in what they think they want out of life. She
wants white picket fences and that ornery cowboy lives, eats and breathes the
rodeo. Much to Ashley’s dismay, Zach is more tempting than her Great Aunt
Hettie’s Punch Bowl Cake and with just as many layers – sexy as sin, ruggedly
handsome, a grin that will melt your heart but a deep well of compassion for
others, strong family values, honest, hard-working and a man you can count on
in a pinch. Instead of me extoling his virtues, let’s let Zach answer some of
our questions in his own words:
How old are you?
“30 – not a bad age. Old
enough to have some life experience under my belt but still have lots of good
years to look forward to.”
What is your relationship status?
He flashed me a grin that
sent tingles clear down to my toes. “Single and never had a special someone.”
His smile slipped away. “Haven’t been looking for love – to busy rodeoing and
ranching. It’s not easy to be part of a long-term relationship when you’re on
the road 9 months out of 12 but when love does finally slap me upside the head,
I’m ready to settle down and end my bachelor ways.”
When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
Zach rubbed his jaw. “It’s
hard to judge yourself but the ladies seem to like what they see. I’m 6’ tall,
have brown hair – my mom calls it Chestnut – that’s been streaked almost blond
by the Texas sun and blue eyes. Ranch work keeps me fit but I also follow a
regular exercise routine developed for me by a sports trainer. In this
business, if you don’t stay in shape, you won’t stay on top. There’s always
someone ready to take your spot. I think of myself as an all-American guy.”
What is peoples’ first impression of you?
“People who don’t know the
rodeo probably think I’m a risk-taker, a player, a guy without roots, a
wanderer chasing the white line from rodeo to rodeo but that’s not who I am.”
He crossed his arms against his Herculean chest. “Real rodeo folk are the salt
of the earth and I’m proud to call myself a rodeo man.”
Name three of your favorite things.
“Easy – our ranch – The
Rocking K, the rodeo and hosting a therapeutic riding program for disabled kids
– though there is this special lady that’s making a run to take over one of the
top three spots.”
Name three things that tick you off.
“People who say they’re
going to do something and then don’t – a person has to stand by his word, got
no use for bullies and finally, people who don’t treat their animals right. Those
things are just wrong.”
What is your best memory to date?
Zach leaned his forearms
on the table, angling himself toward me, mischief dancing in those sky-blue
eyes. “Growing up in the Texas Hill Country on a ranch is one big blur of happy
memories – riding the fences with my dad and soaking in his wisdom – that stays
with me to this day, bellying up to some of my mom’s home cooking surrounded by
the warmth and love of her kitchen, horsing around with my brothers and
gazillion cousins. If I have to pick one that stands out, it would be the
adrenalin rush of my first rodeo. Nothing like charging after that steer, the
perfect throw, being so in-tune with my partner that you know you’ve nailed it,
the roar of the crowd – I was hooked there and then.”
What are you most afraid of?
“All my life, it’s been
rodeo – junior level, high school, college and now pro. I live, eat, breathe
and sleep rodeo. It’s defined who I am and how people have known me for so
long.” He leaned back in his chair, two-fingering his hat farther back on his
head. “I know I can’t do this forever… reactions slow and the new kids take
over… but am I at the top of my game yet? Is it time to step back from the
thing I’ve loved most in the world for almost 26 years? I suppose what really
scares me is who am I without the rodeo? Is there a ‘me’ beyond the rodeo?
That’s the question I’m struggling with right now.”
What would you like it to say on your tombstone?
He scratched his head and crinkled his brows in thought. “This first part I
saw on a tombstone and liked it. The second part is how I hope I’m remembered.
‘Say not in grief that he is no more but say in thankfulness that he was. His
spirit lives in the deepness of his love, the generosity of his heart and the
constancy of his faith.’”
Now on to something lighter, what is your favorite
drink?
“You just can’t beat a
beer on a hot day, unless it’s a beer on a cold day, or a beer with pizza, or a
beer watching the game, or relaxing with the guys after a hard day herding
cattle – basically anytime. I like Corona best but have been known to hoist a
mug of Shiner or Lone Star.”
What is your favorite food?
“Until I had some of
Ashley’s Black Bean Chili, I’d have to say my mama’s fried chicken, with mashed
potatoes smothered in gravy, her fluffy buttermilk biscuits and a thick slice
of apple pie.” He grimaced slightly and shrugged. “Sorry, mom, Ashley’s chili
wins.”
What is your favorite song?
“‘How Country Feels’ by
Randy Houser. Like the song says, country is a way of life and I believe it’s
one that will make you happy. I love the land and what it represents. Good
honest people who appreciate what we have.”
What was your first impression of Ashley?
“My first impression? All
sassy, flirty, full of fun, with more curves than a twisty mountain road and
God in his infinite wisdom put those curves in all the right places. Course,
that was at a dance hall. Later I learned that in public she’s usually totally
different – cool, sophisticated, the perfect Southern debutant. Personally, I
like the sassy, flirty Ashley better. When I dug a little deeper though, I
uncovered a charming, loyal, compassionate and vulnerable woman who has managed
to get under my skin and win my heart.”
“My Rodeo Man”
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