June mentally scrolled through the night’s garbled announcements. Mitch Jenner. Currently sixth in the overall standings, placed third tonight. Lasted 5.3 seconds on his last attempt to ride Hallowed Ground.
And apparently the only friend she had right now.
“Sure. Much obliged.”
“This is beyond insane,” Travis mumbled. He was still standing between her and the bull.
“Travis,” Mitch scolded, still smiling at her, “isn’t that the definition of bull riding?” A gangly fellow with glasses perched on a beak of a nose, he grinned at her. “Don’t worry about him, Girlie. He’s just a Poppa Bear in chaps.”
Most of the cowboys here had dark chaps, from black all the way to dark brown, but Travis and his chaps stood apart. A vivid grass-green with three brown diamonds down each side, his chaps reminded her of early spring on the Plains, when the prairie was still lush from April showers. Custom chaps like that weren’t cheap. They said winner. They said confident, a showman comfortable enough to be outside the box.
They also said he had a good Wrangler butt, the kind that got a standing ovation from the ladies in the crowd every night, good ride or not.
“More like just a plain ol’ chicken,” Red called out. The sounds of clucking followed.
Travis’s jaw flexed. Clearly, this was an old battle being fought on new turf—hers.
“You’re making me look bad,” he said, the whisper sounding almost dangerous.
“You seem to be doing a fine job of that all by yourself.”
That was apparently the last straw, because he grabbed her arm and hauled her off to the side, out of earshot of the others. “Please don’t do this.” How nice of someone to use the magic word. His voice was low—and sexy, darn it all. She’d love to hear him say her name in that voice.
“Go on, honey! Try to break his arm, too!”
Travis’s hand dropped like she’d jabbed him with a hatpin.
“Get out of my way, or I’ll get you out of my way.” Somehow, she managed to sound calm, but if she didn’t get on that bull right now, she was going to lose the last of her cool and wind up in the middle of a cowboy riot.
Whatever concern for her she thought she’d seen seconds before evaporated beneath a frustration that bordered on pissed. “Fine. Throw your life away. But at least wear a damn helmet.” Even as he said it, he stepped to the side.
She’d won this round. “Don’t have one,” she replied, hoping she didn’t sound smug as she handed her bull rope over to Mitch and straddled the gate.
“Cluck! Cluuuuuck!”
Two other cowboys had joined Mitch on the platform. She recognized the Brazilian—she was certain he had a name, but even the rodeo announcer just called him by his point of origin. He was a man apart, silent and dark as he watched the drama. June had heard whispers through the crowd that he never spoke and he sure hadn’t weighed in on the whole women-on-bulls controversy. But here he was, holding her by her vest to steady her on Hallowed’s back.
“Thanks,” she said. His head barely dipped in response.
The other cowboy up on the platform was the one who’d given the opening prayer—Luke Lucas, aka the Preacher. Not the best rider here, but it hadn’t been hard to see him behind every rider mounting up, head bowed in prayer for a safe ride. At least in the Lord’s eyes, she deserved the same blessing. And help with the flank strap.
“Hallowed usually breaks right and then comes back hard to the left,” Mitch said as he took up the slack in her bull rope. “Don’t let him get you down in the well, Girlie. His back kick is vicious, so set your spurs and keep your free hand up.”
June tested her grip, nodding for him to give the rope another tug. “I can ride a bull. And my name is June.”
“I know. I’ve seen you do it.” June’s head popped up in surprise, but the only explanation she got was a smarmy wink. “Have a good ride, Girlie.”
The bull twitched beneath her legs, itching to get out of the chute and grind her into the dirt. He blew snot all over the gate as he tried to shake her off.
No fear. Roll with the bull.
“Oooee! That girl looks mighty good up there!” She didn’t recognize that voice.
“I bet she’d look a hell of a lot better riding the Red Bull, if you catch my drift.”
Next time, she’d break Red’s arm.
“Mort, this is insane. No way she should be up there. At least make her wear a damned helmet,” Travis went on.
“What’s the matter, Travis? Afraid the little Indian princess is gonna make you look like a pansy?”
Damn it, these men were going to stand around and take potshots all night until the bull gave up and went to sleep.
“Our Father, who art in Heaven, watch over this woman and help her have a safe ride,” Luke intoned, his head bowed so that his low voice barely reached her ears.
“Since when is being smart being a pansy?” Travis shot back.
“Since you started wearing that helmet, pansy.”
That was it. She couldn’t focus, and she couldn’t ride with them chattering like monkeys. “Hey! Shut it!”
At the sound of her voice, Hallowed tried to rear up, but he was too damned big to do much more than get his front hooves about a foot off the ground in the narrow confines of the chute. Out in the open, he’d get a whole lot higher. The Brazilian held her steady as she reset her butt on Hallowed’s still-twitching back. June wasn’t the only one who was ready to get on with it.
Finally, silence. A tense, pissed silence, but still. Only Mitch was snickering, “You tell them, Girlie,” as Luke double-checked the flank strap.
Travis appeared on the platform, glowering at her. “You’re really insane enough to do this?”
“No more insane than you are,” she growled, pulling on the handle. Still not tight enough. Maybe Mitch was afraid he’d hurt her?
Travis leaned over and pulled on the rope, cinching it down the rest of the way. His face was only inches from hers. This close, she could smell the Old Spice and see the faint white line that ran just under the beard, down the whole length of his jaw.
A man with scars—scars he tried to hide.
What did the rest of his scars look like? He had to have them. Everyone here did. Her own ankle bore the evidence of her obsession.
The bull shimmied again, but Travis didn’t even flinch. She tested her handle again. Just right. “Thanks.”
His frown was right in her face as he leaned past the Brazilian, who was still holding her vest to keep her on top of the impatient bull. This close, with no one else to hear him, she half expected Travis to wish her a good ride, good luck, but instead, all she got was “Don’t get killed out there.”
Why was it okay for these guys to risk life and limb to do something their mothers hated, but if one woman wanted in, it was too dangerous? Stupid double standard.
She tested her grip on the bull rope, giving it one final cinch as she let her mind clear. Roll with the bull.
No fear.
She nodded her head, and suddenly the world was spinning off its axis.
One.
Every bone in her body jolted hard right as her arm almost popped out of the socket.
Two.
Hallowed