The Bull Rider's Plan

He paced around the perimeter of the chutes, nodding at his competition, but not talking. He’d never been a talker before a ride. Tyler would launch into a long story, excuse himself for his ride, then come back and finish the tale if the guy was still around to listen. Jess had always been the quiet twin.

The cautious twin.

Until he was in the chute, on board the animal. Then he was all about winning.

The last barrel racer did her thing. The time was announced and then the equipment team drove into the arena to remove the barrels before the tractor gave the ground one last go-over. The chutes banged and clanged as the crew loaded the bulls. He’d drawn Lil Bill, which could be good or bad, depending on how Bill felt that day. When Bill bucked, he was dynamite. When he didn’t, it stunk because he bucked just enough to keep the rider from getting a re-ride. Jess hoped Lil Bill wasn’t having one of his lazy days.

Jess headed to the chute once Bill was loaded, finagled the bull rope into position. Bill stood quietly, which made Jess wonder what kind of ride he was going to have. Bill remained quiet as the bull two chutes down exploded out of the pen when the gate opened, giving Tim LeClair one heck of a ride.

“Watch and learn,” Jess muttered to the black-and-white bull when the whistle blew. He eased on top of his mount and double-checked his grip after Chase Wells, a fellow bull rider, pulled his rope tight for him. If this first ride didn’t put him in the money, there were other rodeos...but he had every intention of getting to the finals, so he needed this one to be decent. To set the stage, give him momentum.

The gate swung open. Bill set his butt against the back of the chute and refused to move. The gate closed again.

Jess adjusted himself, waited for the gate to open again. When it did, Bill humped up, hesitated, then suddenly reared, blasting out of the chute, exactly as he was supposed to have done the first time.

Despite all signs to the contrary, Bill was in a bucking mood.

When the whistle blew, Jess was close to the fence, where Bill seemed intent on wiping him off now that his job was over. He leaped off the bull, hit the ground, then felt hooves come down on either side of him. He ducked, then as soon as the thundering stopped, dashed for the fence.

Bill made a hook at one of the bullfighters, shook his head at the guy, then with a snort and a flick of his tail, allowed the safety man to guide him to the exit gate.

Jess popped the chin strap of his helmet and headed back across the arena, barely hearing the applause. It’d been a good ride. He didn’t know if it would score better than LeClair’s, but, in his mind, it should. Lil Bill had gone beyond the call of duty.

* * *

EMMA PUSHED OFF from the fence near the chutes where she’d squeezed between two guys to watch Jess’s ride. It was impossible to watch a bull ride without feeling a degree of concern, and her heart had been hammering. But now Jess was back on the ground, in one piece, and she could focus on the here and now.

They had a ten-hour drive to the next rodeo tomorrow evening in Brisby, Montana. Emma had no idea if Jess wanted to travel halfway tonight or whether he wanted to leave early the next morning. She’d meant to get a clear answer on that before the ride, but Jess had disappeared before she could ask. Just in case, she’d packed her gear and had it ready to go. It’d be easy to roll her sleeping bag back out on the back seat if he wanted to take off in the morning.

Before she started back to the truck, Jess came out from behind the chutes and stopped to talk to another bull rider, whom she didn’t know. It’d been a while since she’d been on the circuit and there were a lot of new faces along with the familiar ones. One face stood out, though, in addition to Benny Two Feathers... Lara Wynam, whose trailer was parked a few spaces away from Jess’s truck.

Winning Wynam.

Emma gave a small snort as she headed back to the truck. Or Whining Wynam. If Lara didn’t win, then Lara had an excuse. The arena wasn’t properly raked, the gate man sucked, she had her suspicions about the electric timer, yada, yada. Emma didn’t bide excuses. There’d been none in her house while she was growing up, and she wasn’t putting up with bogus defenses from other people. Guess what, Lara? Sometimes you don’t win. Every now and again, someone might be better.

Her mouth tightened as she passed the woman’s trailer and recalled the fact that Lara always donated heavily to junior rodeo. Okay, she wasn’t all bad. Just...privileged. And she complained a lot.

Maybe it was growing up the way Em had, in a blended family with a stern, not necessarily fair, but always controlling, matriarch at the helm that gave her little patience for people who assumed that life was supposed to go their way. That wasn’t how it worked. She was living proof.

She’d barely reached the truck when Jess showed up, his chaps slung over his shoulder, his bull rope in one hand.

“Didn’t win?” The winners were being announced as they spoke.

“Second.”

Emma pushed back her hair, holding it against the wind. “LeClair?”

“Yeah.” He seemed good with the decision. Emma was not.

“That’s bogus. I saw both rides.”

Jess’s mouth twitched. “The judges saw it differently. By a point.”

“At least you’re in the money.”

“That I am. Ready to leave?”

“I am if you are.”

“I thought I’d clean up, if you don’t mind grabbing us some burgers for the road.”

“Sure.”

“And Em?” She shot him a look over her shoulder. “Try to do it without telling anyone we’re married, okay?”

She waved her hand at him. “No promises.”

The corner of his mouth twitched again and then he started back toward the camper. Emma skirted a few trailers and then had the good fortune to see Benny Two Feathers talking to another rider next to his trailer.

He gave her a look as she went by and half a step later she stopped and reversed course. “Jess and I aren’t married.”

“I know.”

“And we’re not shacked up either.”

He frowned down at her. “You could have just told me that.”

“And you could have kept your creepy questions to yourself.”

The guy next to him turned a choked laugh into a cough. Benny gave him a quick narrow-eyed look and the guy simply put his hands up in mock surrender. Benny was a big guy and not that many people messed with him. Emma was one of the few who did.

“I’ve always treated you with respect, Benny. I expect the same right back.” She gave him a nod and continued toward the concession stand, which looked like it was about to close. Behind her she heard Benny mutter a colorful remark that wasn’t all that complimentary, but she understood his need to save face. She was good with that, as long as he stayed out of her business in the future.

And hey...she hadn’t thought about Selma or Darion in almost an hour.

* * *

WHEN JESS GOT back to the truck from the fairground shower facility, which was a whole lot roomier than the facility available in the camper, Emma had a bag of burgers, fries and two giant drinks waiting in the truck. The engine was running and she was behind the wheel. She tilted her aviator sunglasses down as he got into the passenger seat.

“Where are we stopping for the night?”

“Depends on how far you feel like driving.”

She gave him a considering look, then put the truck in gear without answering. The field was now close to empty, with only a handful of trucks and trailers remaining. When they reached Brisby the next day, they’d be parking close to a lot of the same people. That was the thing about rodeo—it was like a big traveling family. And like all families, there were members you could depend on and those you avoided.

“So far, so good, wouldn’t you say?” Em pulled onto the freeway and eased in behind a truck and Jess made a conscious effort to relax his tense muscles. He’d never ridden with Em before and had no idea whether she was a decent driver or not. As she’d said, so far, so good. She glanced over at him, waiting for a response to her chit-chatty question.

“Would have been better if I’d walked away with the big money, but all in all not bad.” He shifted the leg that Bill had squeezed against the chute. “I could have done without explaining that I wasn’t married.” Emma only shrugged, again without looking at him. “Spread any more rumors about us before we pulled out?” She gave him a curious sidelong glance and he explained, “Just trying to ascertain what I might be up against next stop.”