Page 83 of Bull Riders Don't Swoon

“Jamieson. He wants to impress you. I’m not sure where he ever got the idea, but he seems to think him having a great ride in front of you will earn him dad points or something.”

My dad laughs again, and this time he doesn’t cut it off. This time, he squeezes my hand and smiles. “Let’s meet these friends of yours.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

We finish the walk to the stands, where Jackson’s mom and Riley talk at the bottom of the stairs. When they see us, it’s Riley who comes forward to introduce himself.

“Mr. Shepard, welcome. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Riley, a friend of Griff’s.”

“Call me Charlie,” Dad says in a tone that hides his nerves.

“I can do that, Charlie.”

Riley smiles at me as Mrs. Sutherland introduces herself and chats up Dad like he’s a long-lost friend. Of course, everyone in the stands tonight knows my dad is a recovering alcoholic, and without me even asking, they agreed to not have liquor in their seats tonight, even though they’re in the only seating that can.

“Jamieson asked if you could meet him in the signing area before it’s over.” Riley says, while I watch my dad with Jackson’s mom.

“Oh? That’s odd. Thanks.” My gaze follows dad into the stands where Mrs. Sutherland introduces him to Jamie’s parents and I can’t hear what they’re saying but my dad laughs again. With his straw cowboy hat and too-big overalls, he waves at me and gives me a thumbs up.

“We’ll take care of him, Griff,” Riley whispers as he squeezes my arm and I blink the wetness away.

“Thanks, Riley. I’ll go find Jamie then. Time to get ready for the show. Are you excited to see Jackson back in the ring?”

He sighs with a smile. “Oh yeah. I love watching him on a horse. He doesn’t even have to fall off it and wrestle a steer. Just him on a horse…I could watch that for hours.”

His gaze darts to the ring, searching for Jackson, and I laugh softly.

“Sounds like you need some riding lessons.”

“I’ve got some! I think he’s looking for a horse as a surprise to me. Don’t tell him that, though. It’s just a hunch.”

“I won’t.” With a last glance up at the stands, Dad has a water bottle in his hands and for a guy who was worried about making friends, he seems pretty chatty as he nods along to whatever Jamieson’s dad is telling him. “Dad!” I shout, and he looks down at where I’m standing and smiles.

“That’s my son!” He points and the biggest smile splits my face.

“I’ll see you at the end. Stay out of trouble.”

My dad nods and returns to his conversation.

“Good luck tonight, Griff.” Riley bounces up the stairs to join the crowd and I leave to find Jamie.

Finally accepting that the good in my life is mine to keep, I jog to the signing tent to get to my love faster.

twenty-six

Jamieson

They never tell you how much you’ll love meeting your fans and how much you’ll hate it at the same time.

It’s been a long two hours and while I love smiling for photos and making people happy because they met a real bull rider, I hate how shitty my handwriting is every time I sign something. I really need to practice that more. Seems a shame to muck up a nice photo with my chicken scratch.

“Are you ready for tonight?”

Jackson has been signing with me in thisMeet the Rodeo Starsthing they always put on. It’s nice to have company, but I wish I was with Griff.

“Yeah. It’s always nice to be home. My parents are here, and even my sister came out. Are you looking forward to being back?”

Jackson semi-retired last year after he met Riley and restarted his hydroponic gardening business. He only attends a few rodeos a year now instead of making it a full-time career, and I couldn’t be happier for the life he’s building. I sure miss him on the road sometimes, but I can’t deny him his happiness.

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