“No way, boss, I’m content riding and roping.”
“Good. I’ve seen many great cowboys ruined by bulls; young men crippled and maimed for life,” she added.
“I hear you. I’m glad Lucas and Gene are staying away from that event.”
As Del and Mary Leah climbed back toward them, Coal leaned forward to watch Stormy’s run. The steer released from the chute at a dead run and her horse burst through the barrier in hot pursuit. She held her breath as Stormy launched her body from her horse, grabbing the steer by the horns as her boots dug into the dirt. Her raw power turned the steer’s head back toward his hindquarters and she pulled him to the ground. “Damn, that was quick,” she said, letting out a low whistle.
“Great run,” Melissa agreed.
They both looked up at the scoreboard to see that Stormy had moved into first place.
“Here you go,” Mary Leah said, handing out burgers as Del passed around drinks.
“Thanks,” Coal said, placing the burger and drink next to her. Lucas was up next and she leaned forward in her seat as he backed his horse next to the chute. “Here we go,” she said as Lucas nodded his readiness to the cowboy working the chute.
The steer barreled out of the chute and Lucas’s horse exploded through the barrier in pursuit. Lucas launched his body after the fleeing animal and the force of his momentum and perfect timing drove the steer to the ground. Lucas jumped up and pumped his fist in the air realizing he made a great run. He looked up at the scoreboard to see his name flash into first place, bumping Stormy to second.
“Woohoo! Way to go Lucas,” Coal yelled and immediately regretted her actions. The flare of pain in her chin reminded her of her injury and she grabbed at her face.
“Are you all right?” Mary Leah asked when she saw her wincing in pain.
“Remind me to not holler,” she said with a grin. “It hurts like hell.”
“Better put that mouth to better use,” Mary Leah said with a smirk and handed Coal her burger.
Coal chewed on her burger until it was Gene’s turn for a run, then she wisely placed it in the seat beside her. “Come on, Gene, give it a go,” she said and crossed her fingers as he backed his horse beside the chute.
Gene nodded. The steer burst from the chute and immediately took a right turn, but Gene was prepared and launched himself at the steer. His improved strength allowed him to wrestle the steer to the ground easily. He bounced to his feet and looked up at the time, disappointed to see his was a tenth of a second behind Lucas’s, but still in second place. The right-hand turn by the steer had cost him additional time.
She watched as Gene jogged over to his horse and mounted, before riding to the end of the arena to exit. “Damn,” she said. “I’ll be right back.” She climbed from the stands to go in search of Gene.
Coal kept an eye on the arena for the last three contestants to compete as she made her way to the end of the arena. The next cowboy overshot the steer and ended up with a mouthful of dust. “That had to hurt,” she spoke aloud as she reached Gene and Lucas.
“Great run, boys,” she said. “Let’s hope they hold up.” She stood next to Gene and watched as the next steer took four strides from the chute and then reversed directions. Several seconds elapsed before the cowboy could turn him back into position, virtually eliminating him from the competition. “Only one more to go,” she said.
Gene dismounted and stood next to her as the cowboy backed next to the chute.
She reached down and held his hand as she held her breath. He squeezed back with his hand and she knew he was also holding his breath.
The steer blasted out of the chute and the cowboy took off in hot pursuit. He worked fast and had the steer on the ground extremely fast. He had the time to beat both Gene and Lucas until they looked back at the chute to see the cowboy was being assessed a time penalty for breaking the barrier prematurely.
When they saw the yellow flag flying, Coal grabbed Gene in a hug. “You two did it,” she said. “You took first and second.”
“Not bad for a day’s work,” Harley said as he slapped Lucas on the back, nearly sending him flying off his horse.
Gene looked up at Lucas and smiled. “We really did it.”
“Congratulations, boys,” Stormy said as she walked up to them.
“You had a great run too,” Gene said as he shook her hand.
Lucas finally dismounted and looked at her. “Are you competing in the bronco riding tomorrow?”
“Don’t you know it,” she said with a lopsided grin.
“Me too,” he said. “You’ll have another shot at an invite to Austin.”
She flashed him another grin. “I’ve already got an invite. I went to Amarillo a few weeks ago and placed second in both events, so I will see you there.”
“Awesome,” Gene said.
“The boss is taking us to dinner if you boys want to get your horses settled for the evening,” Harley said.
Gene and Lucas walked their horse to the trailer to remove and store their tack. “Good luck tomorrow, if I don’t see you in the morning,” she told Stormy.
“You too. I understand you and Gene are team roping,” she said.
“Yes, we are,” she answered with a grin.
“Have a great dinner and get some rest,” Stormy said then tipped her hat and walked away.
“Thanks, you too,” Coal answered and went in search of Mary Leah.
†
Mary Leah, Del, and Melissa were walking toward her as she turned around. “Who is that with Coal?” Del asked.
“Stormy Braxton, she rides for Big Bob,” Melissa said.
“Oh,” Del said.
“Hey, ladies,” Coal said as she met them. “The boys are getting their horses settled.”
“Do you all want to go get cleaned up before dinner or go ahead and eat and call it an early night?” Melissa asked.
“My vote is to eat,” Coal said. “I forgot the rest of my burger.”
“Yes, you did,” Mary Leah said with a scowl.
Coal did not miss the look Mary Leah shot her, but turned back to Melissa. “Are we presentable enough to go to dinner with you?”
“If you were covered in mud, I’d still be honored to go to dinner with you,” Melissa said, looping her arm through hers. They started to walk to the stables. “How are you feeling?”
“Sore, but good, and hungry too,” she answered.
“Well, let’s go get some grub,” Melissa said as they walked to the truck to wait on the others.
Del took Mary Leah’s arm and held her back. “I saw that look you gave Coal. Trust me when I say you have no need to be jealous. That woman is completely in love with you,” she told her friend.
Mary Leah smiled weakly at Del. “I know, but I wonder sometimes if I’m enough for her.”
“You and Coal are perfect together, so don’t let your imagined jealousy screw it up,” Del said. “Trust is a very important thing.”
“Yes, of course you’re right,” Mary Leah said.
They walked over to the group. “Hey, Coal, would you ride with me?” Del asked.
“Sure, Doc,” she said and walked with Del to her car.
When they fell into place behind Melissa, Del turned to Coal. “How are you feeling?”
“Sore and embarrassed as hell for losing control,” she answered.
“The wounds will heal, and we will get you back in control. My opinion, though, is the asshole got what he deserved for his behavior. A lot of people could have been injured.”
“Is that your personal opinion or a professional one?” Coal teased.
“Both,” Del said with a grin.
†
Coal pushed back her plate. “Those ribs were good, but they don’t hold a candle to yours, Harley.”
Harley smiled at her compliment. “Thanks, Coal, but you’re jaded.”
“Maybe so, but I’m not and I agree with her completely,” Del said.
“We will have to cook out again soon then, Doc,” he said.
“Count me in,” Del said with a grin.
“Will you be coming back tomorrow to watch?” Gene asked her.
“I’ve decided to stay over and booked a room at the hotel,” Del answered.
“Even better then,” Gene answered.
“Do you want to swap out and sleep at the hotel tonight and I’ll stay with the stock?” Lucas asked him.
Gene grinned at him. “No, I’m having way too much fun talking with the other riders.”
“Is there anyone in particular?” Coal asked.
“Maybe,” Gene said but didn’t elaborate.
“Well, don’t say I didn’t offer,” Lucas said.
“Oh, I won’t,” Gene said with a grin.
“Are you ladies ready to go?” Melissa asked after paying the bill.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m ready for a hot bath and a comfortable bed,” she said.
After soaking in the bathtub until her skin pruned, she climbed from the tub and dried before slipping into shorts and a tank top. “Can I get another Tylenol?”
“Is your head still hurting?”
“Yeah, but it’s a dull ache, nothing like before.”
Mary Leah walked to her purse and pulled out the pill bottle Cindy had given her at the hospital. She took out a pill and poured Coal a glass of water. “Here you go, sweetheart.”
“Thanks,” Coal said. She took the pill and downed it with a long drink of water. “Are you all right, love? You’ve been really quiet tonight.”
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said as she lay down on the bed. “I have to confess I had a moment of jealousy today when I saw you with Stormy, but Del’s threat to kick my ass brought me out of it.”
She climbed in beside her lover and chuckled. “There is no need to be jealous. I am completely in love with you.”
“That’s good to hear, but you have to admit she is handsome in a very androgynous sort of way.”
“If you say so, I wasn’t looking at her in that way. We were just talking about the competition and the Brewster brats, as she calls them.”
“She definitely nailed that one.” Mary Leah chuckled and Coal relaxed.
“Yes, she did. Now are you going to snuggle with me or not?” she teased.
“Of course I am, silly. Turn out the light,” Mary Leah answered.
†
After meeting for breakfast the following morning, the crew packed their bags and drove out to the rodeo grounds. The bronco riding was the first event scheduled, and it normally took several hours or longer to complete the two events, so Coal decided to check on Shadow while Melissa, Del, and Mary Leah took their seats in the stands.
She walked into the stables and opened the gate to Shadow’s stall. “Hey there, big boy,” she said as she stroked his neck. “One more event today and we can head for home.”
Shadow nuzzled her neck with his soft nose. “Let’s get you some fresh water and some feed,” she said as she picked up the water bucket and left the stall. She was walking down the aisle to the water station when she heard someone call her name.
“Hey, Coal,” Stormy said. “How’re you feeling today?”
Coal turned to see her approaching, decked out in her chaps, carrying a bronco competition saddle. “I’m hanging in there, thanks. Are you ready to ride?”
“I’m always ready to ride,” she answered. “Are you still roping today?”
“Oh yeah, I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
“You’re going to be competing against Bubba, and another of our cowboys,” she said.
“How is Bubba?”
“He will look pretty goofy until he gets his teeth fixed, but he’ll survive his own stupidity,” she said with a chuckle.
“Is he any good?”
“It’s one of the few things Bubba can do fairly well, but he can only head. His heeler is pretty good though.”
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” she said as she filled the water bucket.
“I need to go get stretched out. Good luck,” she said.
“You too,” Coal said and walked back to Shadow’s stall, placing the fresh water inside then pouring a small portion of feed into the trough. “I’ll be back for you in a little while.”
She was walking out of the stable when she heard her name called again, this time by a male voice. Coal turned and saw Bubba approaching.
“Hey, Bubba,” she said.
“Hey, Coal. I wanted to apologize for yesterday. What I did was stupid and dangerous.”
“Yeah, it was Bubba, but I shouldn’t have kicked your teeth out.”
“I got what I deserved. No hard feelings,” he said as he held his hand out to her.
“No hard feelings,” she said as she took the big paw he offered and shook it. “Good luck today.”
“You too, Coal,” he said and walked away.
She stepped out into the bright sunlight and was thankful for the sunglasses she pulled down to cover her eyes. She walked to the trailer where Gene and Lucas were stretching as they prepared for the competition. “Knock ’em dead, boys,” she said and walked to the bleachers to find the rest of the crew.
“Welcome back,” Mary Leah said. “Is everything all right?”
“Yep, I gave Shadow some food and fresh water and wished the boys good luck.”
“How nervous is Gene?” Melissa asked.
“He’s definitely pumped up,” she answered. “I hope he pulled an early draw.”
“He’s third and Lucas is fifth,” Harley said as he joined them in the stands.
The competition began and Coal sat forward in her seat, eager to watch her crew compete. The first two riders scored poorly, and she hoped the judges would ease up on their scoring. Gene climbed the chute rails and prepared to settle into the saddle, then took the lead rope from the chute staff.
He climbed into the saddle and nodded quickly to have the horse released from the chute. The big bay horse he drew was monstrous in size and she hoped Gene could hang on for the required eight seconds and get his scoring actions complete. The horse jumped from the chute, crow hopped and began bucking, his powerful thrusts lifting him completely from the ground. Gene rode him hard, spurring and staying intact in the saddle as the horse tried his best to dislodge him. When the buzzer sounded to mark the end of the ride, a cowboy rode up beside the bucking horse. Gene lunged toward the rider, dismounting the gelding, which continued to buck until he reached the end of the arena, and escaped to a holding pen.
“Damn, what a beautiful ride,” Harley said, letting out a low whistle. “Are you sure that was our Gene?”
“That was definitely our Gene,” Coal said, restraining from hollering, having already learned that lesson. “I think loading all those hay bales has finally paid off.”
Their eyes stared at the scoreboard as they waited for Gene’s score. He was walking to the end of the arena to retrieve his saddle and lifted his hat in salute when the score was announced taking him to first place. “Way to go, Gene!” she said, excited for her young friend.
The next cowboy to ride came out of the chute off balance and ended up with a face full of dirt after three seconds. It was Lucas’s turn and everyone held their breath as the horse in the chute threw himself against the metal chute walls. He calmed just long enough for Lucas to climb into the saddle and the chute to open. The horse began bucking violently, twisting his body, causing Lucas to lose his tight grip on the lead rope controlling the horse’s head. Feeling the rope go slack, the horse reversed directions and dislodged Lucas from the saddle. He flew through the air in front of the rampaging horse. The support rider barely managed to turn the horse, protecting Lucas from a collision with the raging animal.
The crowd let out a loud groan followed by a sigh of relief when they saw him safely shielded from the horse. It was a disqualifying ride, but they gave him a round of applause for his effort. Lucas raised his hat in appreciation, but Coal knew he was disappointed. His shoulders slumped as he trotted to the end of the arena. “I think someone needs picking up,” she said to Harley. “We’ll be back,” Coal said and trailed Harley down the stands.
Lucas had just arrived back at the trailer with his saddle when she and Harley walked up. “Tough ride, man,” Harley said.
“Dammit, I thought I had him,” Lucas growled.
“Just a bad break, Lucas. I’m glad you got out of there without getting injured,” she said.
“I was scared shitless for a second when he was barreling toward me,” Lucas admitted with a grin.
“Hell, I was scared shitless too, and I wasn’t eye to eye with him,” Coal said.
She took a cold bottle of water from the cooler and tossed it to him. “Shake it off. You still have bareback to ride.”
Lucas caught the bottle and twisted off the cap. “I know, I just hate losing,” he growled.
“So don’t lose the next one,” she said and slapped him on the back as she turned to Gene. “That was a great ride you had.”
“Yeah, it felt good too. Now if Stormy doesn’t bump me, I’ll be set.”
On cue, a male voice announced Stormy as the final rider for the event. Coal stepped forward to peer out across the arena to watch her ride.
“Oh hell, she’s pulled Diablo,” Gene said. “He’s a wicked ride.”
The gate swung open and the huge black horse exploded from the chute. Stormy sat well balanced in the saddle as her spurs raked his shoulders sending him into a fury of bucking and twisting his body as he tried to dislodge the rider. Coal held her breath and counted down the seconds internally, releasing her breath when the buzzer sounded and the escort rider rushed toward Stormy. She kicked her feet from the stirrups, went flying through the air, lucky to land on her feet to the roar of applause.
“Damn,” Gene said as he watched the score flash up on the scoreboard. She had scored one point higher, dropping his score into second place.
“You still qualified,” Coal said.
“You have to admit that was a fantastic ride, especially for that horse,” Harley said.
“Yeah, it was.” Gene grinned. “I’m glad she got that monster instead of me.”
“What draws did you get for bareback?” Coal asked.
“I’m second and Lucas is tenth,” Gene said.
“I’ll watch you ride and then go saddle Shadow,” Coal said. She reached inside the trailer to pull out her chaps. She bent over to fasten her chaps when Stormy walked up to the group.
“Nice view,” she said to Coal.
“Thanks. That was a great ride.”
“I got lucky today.”
“That was a beautiful ride,” Harley said and reached out to shake her hand.
“Thanks, Harley, a few more rides like that and I can afford to leave Big Bob behind.”
Her comment surprised Coal. “Are you planning to rodeo full time?”
“No way, I’m not good enough yet, but I hope to get signed on with another crew. Do you think I could get on at the MC2?”
Coal looked at Harley, who shrugged. “You won’t know until you ask the boss lady,” he answered.
“The worst she can say is no, right?” Stormy said.
“That would be cool,” Gene said. “We could really kick some ass then.”
Coal chuckled at Gene’s excitement. He looked over his shoulder to see Melissa, Del, and Mary Leah approaching. “No time like the present,” she said, nodding toward the group.
Stormy looked up and smiled nervously. “Now?” she asked.
“You could ask to come out and talk to her about it this week,” Harley suggested.
“That’s exactly what I will do. Thanks Harley.”
“Great ride, Stormy,” Melissa said as they arrived.
“Thanks, Mrs. Conway,” she answered.
“Call me Melissa, please,” she said. She looked at Gene and Lucas. “Are you boys ready for your last ride?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Lucas said.
“Are you riding bareback as well?” she asked Stormy.
“Yes, ma’am, I ride sixth,” she answered.
“Good luck to you then,” Melissa said.
Harley nodded to her, and Stormy shuffled her feet. “Mrs. Conway, could I have a minute in private with you?”