Back in the Saddle (Jessica Brodie Diaries #1)(32)

“No, it’s just… well, he asked me to wish him luck.”

“You guys are so going to do it.”

Candace giggled as we walked alongside the trailer. As we neared I could hear William say, “Ty’s on Big Blue.”

Moose rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Here we go.”

“Is Big Blue b-bad?” Candace asked between clenched teeth, standing next to Moose.

“He ain’t as mean as some,” Adam moderated.

“Is the bull meant to be that still?” I asked with a hush to my voice. Everyone was braced, like they were waiting for an explosion. The bull could’ve been a statue it was so still.

“Yup,” William said, eyes once again riveted. “He’s not the worst of the five, but he is a villain. He is cool in the chute, but when that gate opens...”

“Ready for it, Ty. Ready for it, man!” Adam said in fierce whisper.

The gate burst open and the bull went charging out. Where most of the cowboys thus far had looked like loose limbed dolls badly glued on, Ty was an extension of the bulls body. When the bull jumped with both feet off the ground and bucked, Ty threw his body to compensate, hand in the air, legs braced, body keeping balance. Each jerk had Ty acclimating. Each landing had him shifting. Toward the end of the eight seconds, though, he was starting to unravel. His form was slipping as the animal won over with power and finesse.

“Get on ‘im, Ty!” Adam yelled.

Ty was leaning dangerously to the side, his body taxed. Adam and William crowded to the gate, knocking Candace and me.

They didn’t notice my scowl.

Moose grabbed us easily, now on child watch, and stood right behind us without his eyes leaving the arena. Ours were glued there as well.

The bull did a twist to the side with four feet in the air, landed on two feet, twisted again as the other two came down. Ty somehow got his body back on, and was trying desperately to cling to the jeering animal, but the slide off had started. He was losing purchase. The question was, could he make it to the buzzer?

Two more seconds. Try scrabbled on the bull’s back with all he had. One—goal!

Everyone cheered. All things considered, it had been a good ride. I turned to Candace with a high-five at the ready.

“Oh God!” Candace said through clenched teeth, trying to see around William.

Dumbly, I turned back toward the melee, catching Ty sprinting at the side of the arena. His hat flew off as he pumped his fists, trying for every ounce of speed he possessed. Good thing, because the bull was right on his heels, gaining every second.

Ty reached the gate about the same time as the bull. Instead of climbing up and over, like I would’ve done, in sheer brilliance he jumped off to the right at the last second. The bull smashed into the gate where Ty would have been, scraping against metal instead of flesh.

“Oh my God. Thank God!” Candace cried, fanning her face. She turned to me. “Did you see that?”

I nodded, ashen. “Close call.”

“Ty’s no novice!” Adam exclaimed with a merry bellow, clapping Moose on the back.

“Did you guys see my score?” Ty asked excitedly a moment later. He looked like a dust monster, covered in the stuff from head to toe. His face was sweat and dirt, his eyes bright. He was kind of hot, actually.

Candace nearly fainted, apparently thinking the same thing.

“You are some f**king arse, you know that?! I nearly wet myself when that bull was going after you!” I yelled at him, throwing my hand up for a high five.

Ty broke out in a loud laugh. “All under control, darlin’,” He said, giving a drawl to the last word. He met my high-five as he winked at Candace, and went over to William.

“Your bull is a son-v-a-bitch, you know that Davies? Hard one, that!”

William tore his expression away from me, making me wonder what line I’d crossed with him this time. “How was it compared to practice runs?” He asked Ty, wiping his palms on his jeans.

"Good, about the same." They wandered off toward the trailer, talking shop.

Worried I'd be caught stalking with my eyes, I turned back to the rodeo.

After a few more mediocre rides, and one more beer, it was time for William’s third bull. Apparently this one had a “green” rider on it. None of the boys thought an inexperienced kid should be riding something as fierce and unpredictable as one of William’s bulls, but there wasn’t much they could do about it.

As the rider was getting onto the bull, which was a nasty affair because the bull was impatient and moving around in the gate, a tall man strutted up to William like he owed the world. He was about the same height as William, with the same broad shoulders and wavy black hair. The way they stood, and their appearance, gave me a sneaking suspicion they shared D.N.A.

I was too far away to eavesdrop effectively, and then I couldn’t even stare, because the bull burst out of the chute in fury with the helpless rider on its back. It jumped higher than any bull yet. The power of this one was unmistakable. If it weren’t for the bull rope, the cowboy would’ve been sent into orbit while doing air-splits.

The bull landed and immediately bucked up again with all its feet off the ground. Then, in the air, it kicked all four feet to the side and kind of twisted its body in a rolling motion. All the boys and Candace sucked in a breath and leaned forward on the gate. Their expressions were awe and horror both. The cowboy was completely off balance at this point, and was obviously going to be thrown off as soon as the bull landed.