Page 31 of Ash on the Range
“And that’s Sammy Littlefield not quite making the full eight seconds on his ride. No points scored. Next up is a rider from Red Hart's own, Reggie Carson. He hails from the north and speaks like he’s from the south…” Travis continued on with Reggie's biography as I stared at Eve.
“You haven’t told him,” I repeated, frowning. “Why not?” A little voice inside my head told me that it wasn’t my business, but right now after all the hours I spent with Eve, and seeing her here, all the worry she’d had on her face, all the worry we all had for her over the past weeks, I figured that maybe I kinda earned the right.
Maybe. Maybe not. She could tell me to go to hell right now and I’d shut up and watch the boys ride.
Eve’s face tightened. “I’m scared,” she whispered.
I thought she whispered. I read her lips, and my stomach rolled over on itself. Behind me, Reggie made it out of the Shute before he ate dirt.
“Scared of your man?” I couldn't stop asking questions. “Has he hurt you?”
Will said they had a history I didn’t know about. Usually, I let people tell me things and never pried. I figured trust worked that way. But this time, it seemed serious enough to ask. To make sure the woman who had kinda mentored me for the last weeks and opened her home to me was safe.
Eve smiled and it was genuine. “It’s okay, Cassie. He won’t ever do that. It’s just—I’ve lost a pregnancy before. Months ago. Both were unplanned. Both his,” she whispered. “What scares me is the future. How much time is between now and when he’s here, and who I’ll be when he arrives.”
I gripped her hands tight. “If that man loves you like you love him, then nothing will stop him, Eve. And no matter what happens, he will love you for who you are. No matter what,” I repeated, squeezing her hands.
She nodded, her face drawn, but she did squeeze back. Behind us, Jude made a noise of approval.
I hadn't known that I wanted or needed his support until that moment, but it felt good to know he had m=our backs.
Natalie squeezed between us, holding out glass bottles with black labels. “I couldn't find vodka,” she apologized, “so you get tequila doubles instead. Cheers!” She lifted hers to her lips and took a healthy slug.
Eve and I exchanged glances across the tiny woman's head.
“Told you. Dangerous,” Eve mouthed to me.
I shook my head, bemused, and took a sip. My tastebuds sang, and I knew just how much sugar was in that drink to make it palatable enough to hide the alcohol content. Dangerous indeed. I’d had to watch it or I’d be on my ass before Will finished his ride.
Eight bulls and two tequilas later, my skin was either too warm or too numb as I watched the next rider out of shute to Billy Idol’sRebel Yell.We sang along until my throat went raw, cheering away. Then Denver was up. His bull burst from the shute, already in midair before the metal gate was all the way clear.
A gasp rang out around the arena, and I started counting automatically in my head.Three. Four. five.His hand waved above his head, not touching anything, and I knew he’d make the bell.Six. Denver sat tall, moving with his bull, a sweet little thing called Cloudburst.Seven. Eight.
The buzzer rang out as Denver made his eight seconds, and slid off his bucking bull like it was the easiest thing in the world. He took a few quick steps and walked across the arena to thefence nearest the crowd, hoisting himself up as he high fived the rodeo clown.
I watched Heath, the resident Aussie on circuit, in his colorful garb and shorts that marked him as a non-rider, round the bull up. His arms were spread wide as he herded the still bucking and kicking animal, despite that his rider had long departed, back to the other side of the arena where the bulls existed.
“Will’s up next,” Jude gave my shoulder a quick squeeze and withdrew his hand, leaning in to murmur something to Natalie.
A second later her vodka disappeared, and she snuggled into his chest, giggling as she faded into the darkness behind the stands. A pang of loneliness struck my chest, then Travis was introducing Will from his place above everything.
I stared at the shute, trying to make out Will’s black shirt and aqua chaps, but the bright light that should have made everything so visible did the opposite, obscuring everything instead.
Hells Bellsby AC/DC played loud and clear as Will’s shute pulled up. His bull didn't burst out like Denver’s ride had. It kind of stood there, like its batteries had worn out. I risked a glance at the paper that the judge had drawn up for me, searching for the bull’s name.
Lazybones.
I huffed a laugh, looking back up at Will where he made a show of kicking the bull with his heels and humping up and down to make it go. The crowd laughed, and I grimaced on his behalf but as always, will take the mishap in his metaphorical stride.
“Okay, we’re going to try that one again.” Travis shifted in his spot as the shute went back down, considering the bull hadn't moved in the first place. “Does anyone think we should give our last rider of the night another go?”
The crowd roared as Travis revved them into a frenzy, and music slammed my eardrums. Someone on the fence will give a thumbs up.
“Aright. Someone gave our resident dust bather a quarter and we’ve got some action going. Let’s give Will Kirk and Lazybones another round of applause because we say they’re ready to ride!” Music blitzed the field as the shute opened and lazybones and Will shot out of the opening in a picture perfect entry to the arena.
Dust flew from beneath the bull's hooves, Will’s aqua fringed chaps visible from every angle. His back was straight, one hand perfectly in the air. I half wished I’d brought Eve’s camera with me for this moment, then remembered to count.
One.Will’s bull twisted and turned in spectacular style. If he stayed on, he’d score as well as Denver for this ride.
