Page 151 of Jump Back On

Just this bullshit.

"Stay out of my head, Jake," I grumbled instead.

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed, stepping back.

But the chute attendant held up an arm, preventing me from stepping in with Disco Breakout. "We got another injury out there."

"Fuck," Dad grumbled. "How many's that?"

"Dunno," the man said. "There's only been one full ride tonight, though. Jackson Cloutier, of all people. The rest?" He shook his head.

"Is it the string or the bullfighters?" Dad asked.

One of the men chuckled, then paused. His eyes narrowed as he focused on my father. "Dean? Dean Jennings?"

"Yeah?"

And the chute attendant smiled bigger than I'd seen before. "Thomas Wayne." He tapped his own chest. "We got stupid drunk back in that hotel in Montana and I puked all over your truck!"

"Holy shit," Dad said. "Tommy!"

The pair slapped each other's shoulders in recognition, and then Thomas leaned in. "It's a case of both the bulls and the bullfighters. Even Cletus is staying on the bull pen so he won't get run over. When bad bulls aren't turned - well, it's a mess out there."

"Kinda what I thought," Dad admitted. "And Tommy, this is my daughter, Cody. I put her on a sheep as soon as I could. Now she's putting me to shame."

"She's good," Thomas said. "Been watching her the last few weeks."

"And you're gonna make sure she's taken care of, right?" Dad asked.

Thomas turned to look at me. "I dunno, Dean. I think your little girl is doing pretty good on her own." Then he stepped aside. "And we're a go. Let's make sure she's strapped in good."

Chapter54

I stepped into the chute,bracing my feet on the rail above Disco Breakout's back. Dad moved to the gate, taking the tail of my rope and tightening it up good. With my gloved hand, I reached over and pulled at it, warming it up.

"Tighter," I told him.

"You'll get a better buck if you let him breathe," Dad chided.

"Little tighter," I begged.

So Dad pulled a little more. Once the tail was good and warm, I nodded, leaning back so he could have some room.

While still holding the tail in one hand, Dad used the glove Jake had given him to warm up the handle for me. Sure, I could've done it with my one good arm, but if this bull jumped, I wouldn't be able to get myself out of here with the bad one. I'd be trapped, possibly taking a face full of bull before I even started the timer.

"Nice and hot," Dad said. "Now ease in there, Cody Lane."

I shot him a dirty look for using my middle name where everyone could hear. "I want my hand in before I'm on his back."

"He ain't moving," Dad countered. "So sit."

"Trust me," I told him. "This one will get pissed. Just hand me the tail!"

Dad grunted, not impressed. "Put your hand in the handle. You can't pull."

So I shoved my hand into place, gripping the leather handle that would be my only security on this bull. It wasn't quite where I wanted, so I tugged, putting my pinky - even if was the opposite hand from what I was used to - right over the heart-shaped spot on this bull's withers. When I had it like I wanted it, I nodded.

So Dad leaned in and put the rope in my hand. I clenched my gloved fingers around it, holding it in place as he worked the rest behind my hand and back around. Yet on the other side, someone was leaning in. I turned just in time to see a camera pointed at us.

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