Back in the Saddle (Jessica Brodie Diaries #1)(31)

“He didn’t do this at the ranch...” William said to Adam, pushing toward the fence again, and gloriously closer to me. I didn’t move away from his arm brushing mine. That small contact felt like a match to light the sparklers in my groin.

“I hope Ty doesn’t get a big one like that!” Candace said with a grimace.

Hearing Candace’s voice, a thought occurred to me. “Hey, where were those outlets you were talking about?”

“Dang, Jess, do you have A.D.D.?” JP said in exasperation.

I leaned forward to flash JP a frown around Candace. He was next to Phil and the fence, looking nervous and uncomfortable. They had drinks, which meant that when I was staring with googily-eyes at William, they were off treating themselves to the pride of the rodeo—a beer. The nerve!

“It’s Davies’s bull, pay attention!” JP hissed.

A grating sound, which meant the gate was opening, pinged through the arena, followed by screams. My attention was ripped away from JP, witty retort dying on my lips, as a bull surged out of the gate, cowboy clinging desperately to its back. I had thought the other bulls were powerful, but they were nothing compared to this monster! The bull bucked so high it had time to whip its whole body around. Huge, powerful bursts from one position to the next, had the cowboy looking for the eject button. His legs peeled off, stuck, peeled off, whipped around, stuck once more.

“His hand is loose,” Adam commented after the fourth buck.

Don’t know how he caught it, what with the cowboy being five feet in the air and vertical, while the bull had just landed. Master of observation, that one.

The little body landed with a dusty thud. Limbs slapped the ground and bounced, as did his head. Everybody groaned.

The kid didn’t have time to feel sorry for himself.

“The bull’s after ‘em!” Moose yelled, pushing forward.

It was a race, bull versus human. My hands clutched the gate so hard it was cutting off circulation.

As the bull ran the kid down, about there, dusting the kid's pumping legs with hot breath, a freaking clown in a cowboy hat popped out of a barrel, waving a flag in the bull’s face as it raced by.

“What the f**k?” I squinted to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.

The bull caught the movement—since it almost got stabbed in the eye—and slowed, confused. Chase the man running, or figure out what the hell is up with the cowboy clown guy,, hiding in a freaking barrel in the middle of a rodeo. I would have a tough time with that one, too.

“He’s there to distract the bull and keep the rider safe. There are three of them,” William said to my right, eyes riveted to his bull.

“Okay, but, how come this is the first time I am seeing one? Where have they been?”

“Popping up and down. Walking around. Helping out. You probably didn’t notice because of your A.D.D., like your friend said.”

“Oh ha ha. Everyone’s a comic.”

Adam turned to a smiling William. “Well, he showed well.”

“Yeah, he did. What a relief! I’m sure the bull got some good points on that ride, short as it was.”

“Why does he need points?” I asked, thinking of heading for a beer.

“If the bull gets a good score, he’ll get promoted to higher paying rodeos. This bull’ll hopefully go all the way. They all will, knock on wood.”

Adam knocked on the post in front of him. Which was metal.

Rolling my eyes at his idiocy, I knocked on my wooden head to level out his folly.

“Jessica,” JP said behind me.

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.”

“Good one,” he said without conviction. “We gotta go.”

“Where?”

“Home. Apparently Dave has a date. I don’t know where he found her, but he apparently has one.”

“Ty hasn’t ridden yet!” Candace exclaimed. Then turned bright red.

I snickered at her before taking stock in the situation. I wasn’t totally into this rodeo thing, but I was totally into this Greek God thing.

“We can take ‘em home,” Moose said out of nowhere.

Adam studied Moose for a second, trying to glean information telepathically, before shrugging, “Yeah, we got room between us. For you, too, JP. If you wanna hang on?”

“Thanks, but I gotta go. My wife is wanting me home soon.”

“Good call. You don’t want to piss her off—she’ll withhold the sex.” I leered at JP.

Candace giggled. Apparently sex talk made her giggle. Which was better than what it did to me, which is make an ass of myself.

Everyone else was looking at me with very different expressions. Moose looked bashful. Phil surprised. Adam with a smile that infused his eyes. William wasn’t looking at me at all, but the bit of his face I could see had a cockeyed grin.

JP was trying for angry, but was like a drunk trying to act sober. He couldn’t keep it together.

“You know it’s true, Mr. Hormones. You all do!” I said as I pointed to everyone. “They’re married. It’s legal by Texas law!”

Chapter Seven

After the guys had left and Candace and I got beers, I was made to hurry back, nearly spilling my newly acquired prize, because Ty was up.

“You really have a jones for that guy, huh?” I asked, shaking beer off my hand.