A Wild Ride (Jessica Brodie Diaries #3) (16 page)

William chuckled and laid down, pulling me with him. I rested my head on his chest, his cologne mixing in my nose and arousing me. It never took very much to get me in the mood. I slid my hand down his chest, heading for the pot of gold, only to be thwarted by his hand landing on mine, stopping my progress.

“Need to relax a minute, love,” William said, his deep voice rumbling in his chest. “And get something to eat. I’ll happily take you to the moon later.”

I laughed and snuggled into him.

I spent the next several weeks shopping for furniture one piece at a time—I didn’t have much choice, after all—trying to make the various rooms come together. It really wasn’t my forte but I was making it happen. Most of the time I had Lump or Gladis, or both, trailing around helping me with colors and styles. Sometimes William went, though he wasn’t fond of all the options, and helped very little.

William didn’t care about the furniture, but was ecstatic that I was a permanent resident in the house. Coming home with me cooking us dinner, or surprising me with a meal and candle light after a long day, was what he had apparently wanted for some time. It seemed funny that it took me this long to resign myself to something so natural. We rarely got on each other’s nerves and craved each other’s presence as much now as when we first started dating.

Though we were normally together in the evenings, I hadn’t made a point of going to the bull riding practices. Lump always went, and was now getting on the smaller and easier bulls. I knew that if I went she would try and get me on one, too, and it really wasn’t my thing. I usually stayed home with a good book and a glass of wine—with the TV off. It was quiet and relaxing and a nice way to spend some quality alone time.

But this evening, as I walked into the warm, stuffy house, I didn’t feel like being alone. I didn’t feel like picking up the book I was reading. I actually felt like heading out to the practice fields and seeing what was going on. It was like a pull—like I was missing something and now I needed to catch up. Candace usually went, and Lump would be there, so I could hang out and chat while watching William do his thing.

“C’mon Fred, Ginger,” I called, not bothering to change. If I changed, Lump would definitely make me ride.

Fred came bounding up. He was 90% recovered and had been without his doggie lampshade for a good few weeks. He was happy and playful and, like William, over protective. He would get antsy if William was play-fighting with me. He would get agitated if I was trying to practice my newly learned self-defense moves and counter moves with Lump, and he was downright overbearing with the licking when I hurt myself in any way. Humans weren’t the only ones that suffered with near-death experiences. Fred came close to losing his master, and it seemed like it was playing hell on his doggie confidence.

I showed up to the practice ring as the boys were getting a rider on a bull. It looked like one of the young cowboys so they must be just getting started. I saw Candace and Lump on the opposite side of the chute, and headed in their direction.

“Hey girls,” I said as I strolled up.

They turned around, surprise flitting across their faces.

“What’s up, Jess?” Lump said, turning back toward the rider.

“Hi ya Jessica! I
love
that sweater!” Candace exclaimed.

I looked down at my new cashmere sweater. “Thanks.”

“What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t like coming to these?” Candace continued, determined not to freak out as Fred and Ginger checked in, then went to find their doggie friends. She was used to terriers.

“They’re okay. I don’t know. I just felt like coming this time. See what everyone is up to. I’m not riding, though. Just watching.”

I stepped up next to them. The cowboy and bull exploded into the arena. With two kicks the mini cowboy flew off into a pile of dirt.

“The bigger bulls should be going soon. How is Willie doing with that bull you got him?” Candace asked while another mini cowboy was strapped on to a patient bull in the shoot.

“It isn’t old enough to have sex with all the cows so no one knows how things are going. It is turning into a big, mean bull, so William thinks that is good.”

“Hey Jessie girl.” Adam came up behind me. “Gettin’ on a bull this evenin’?”

“Nah. I’m just here to socialize and let Fred and Ginger run around.”

“How’s Fred? I hear he goes to work with you now.”

I scoffed. “Yeah, he does. He took Ginger’s place. It is more than a little embarrassing, but William won’t bend on it. Two arguments in and he won’t even
listen
to how absurd it is.”

“It is at that. A big Dobe sittin’ in an office. You talked to your boss?”

“Wow—didn’t expect you to be on my side,” I said to Adam.

Adam shrugged. “Willie can get a little…extreme sometimes. This is one of those times.”

“I know. I have talked to my boss, yes. And he talked to
his
boss, which reports to William. So…”

“And Tom?”

“He is on my side, too, but not ready to intervene. He thinks William is still a little…fragile.”

“He’s right.” Adam sighed. “I would be, too. If it was Betz, I would have a hard time steppin’ back, too.”

“He’ll loosen up a little,” I said. “It’ll come. Another couple arguments to get him on the right road, then I’ll just refuse to take Fred.”

“All planned out, huh?” Adam laughed. “Well, I’ve said it before and I’m gonna say it again—you’re the best thing for him. Best thing. And he, you. Can’t push him around too hard, and he don’t get his way all the time. Best thing.”

“Something like that.”

Adam nodded and watched the mini cowboy go flying. He chuckled as the little dude got up and scrambled toward the fence.

“Should be an uneventful night, tonight. Not too many men out. Got only one new bull to try. I think Willie’s gonna wrastle that one.” Adam spat on the ground, trying to be dude-like. All the girls gave him scowls.

“So,” Adam started again after we'd all gone back to peacefully watching bull riding. He was awfully chatty this evening. “I hear y’all are goin’ to San Fran?”

I didn’t know how he knew, but William had mentioned taking me to San Francisco then to L.A. for my birthday. He was going to meet my parents, which I was not all that happy about. I wasn’t worried about them accepting him as him accepting them.

“That’s the plan, yeah. We haven’t filled in all the details yet,” I replied.

I heard William call across the ring. It looked like he was ready to get on the new bull. A bunch of butterflies let loose in my belly for no reason. Yes, the sport was dangerous, but William and these boys knew what they were doing. A few sprained arms and ankles was about as much as close as they got to danger.

“What’s the deal with that bull?” I asked Lump, giving Fred and Ginger a pat. They checked in more often these days—all Fred’s idea, I was sure.

She shrugged unconcernedly, leaning down to scratch behind Ginger’s ears. “They think it is going to be too mellow for the circuit, but they are going to give it a try anyway. It is big enough, but that might be it.”

I nodded. Good. He doesn’t need to be doing anything to break his fool neck.

William was on and Adam was at the gate. By signal Adam opened the gate and let ‘r ripe. The bull burst out as normal, but didn’t seem inclined to care over much about the rider on his back. William gave him a spur, and nothing really happened besides a lazy hop. William gave him a second spur, which is really only enough to irritate an animal of that size with hide that thick.

A third spur and the animal dead stopped, but not in that "at rest" kind of way that horses did. If it was a human, it would be angling its head, trying to get a read on why the hell someone was jabbing it in the sides. Irritation, to this bull, was worse than a cattle prod.

William glanced over to Ty, trying to get a read on the situation. That's when everything exploded.

Out of nowhere, the beast suddenly grunted really loud and jumped straight up into the air. All us girls made gasps and grabbed onto the bars. The bull spun around viciously, yanking William to the side. It whipped William around the other way immediately, lunching forward with a spin in the air. He landed with a jerk, then whipped William again.

William was having a hard time of it, now. His body was slipping. The bull too strong and clever by half. They had hugely underestimated this bull.
Hugely.

William reached down to unravel the rope and disembark, but his hand caught. His body went sideways as the bull spun in the opposite direction, landed, then spun back, ripping William the other way, his hand suddenly ripped out of the rope.

I let my breath go, not realizing I was holding it, as William started flying through the air. The bull spun, still in an angry haze, back toward him. In horror I watched, helpless, as the giant animal aimed a well placed blow straight into William's chest.

The
thud
punched all the sound out of the arena.

Breath caught in my chest, my adrenaline surging, time slowed down as William's trajectory changed, his limbs flying out of control as his large frame skidded across the dirt, his size trivial compared with that of the strength and power of the bull.

"Help him," I murmured to no one and everyone at the same time.

Before William could get up, move out of the way, the bull was on him, large beast running him over like a truck. It stomped, its back legs kicking as it trod. William curled into a ball, trying to protect himself from the onslaught.

My heart was hammering. Ty was dancing around, waving his arms, not sure how to help. Unable to distract the angry bull from its prey.

The bull made another pass, stomping and snorting. Then it turned, and bowed, scraping its horns along William's body. He flailed, squished against the dirt by a six hundred pound or more animal, before rolling up tight again, hoping help came for him.

My heart was in my throat, utterly helpless, watching the love of my life gored on the arena floor while no one was able to help him.

Ty ran up, second attempt, waving his arms, trying fervently to distract the large animal. The cattle dogs were loose, but it wasn’t helping. The bull, after throwing a quick head-butt toward Ty, and a well-placed kick to the side of one of the dogs, resumed its single-minded determination of William’s destruction.

The night filled with cries and screams, yells and waving limbs. Everyone was trying to do what they could to distract. Adam was in the arena, trying to help Ty. Another man hoped in as well, doing the same thing. In the middle of it all was William, on the ground, weakly struggling now, as wave after wave of the bull's horns smashed and struck his body. One such gore had a horn hooking under William's arm, then yanking, tossing my love into the air like a sack of rice. William's body was lifeless as he hit the ground.

All thought left me. Sounds ceased to exist. Before I knew it I was over the fence with my shirt in my hand, waving and yelling for all I was worth. I didn’t have a plan—I didn’t even know I planned to be a hero—but I did know that William didn’t have long, and if I hadn’t messed up his life with all my problems, neither would this damn bull!

“
Look over here!
” I shouted. “
Look over here you bastard! Look over here!”

I cursed and screamed and waved my shirt. Then, because the bull wasn’t paying attention, I yelled for my personal savior, “FRED!!”

Halfway across the arena now, not stopping, my target as single-minded as that bull. I yelled again as that bastard bull bent down, huge head crushing a limp William with another horned blow. I was nearing now, not planning to halt like Ty and Adam. I would punch that damn bull right between the eyes if he didn't notice me before then. I didn't have to worry. With the next wave of my shirt, it huffed, bouncing around, eyes spotting my movement, then staring. At me.

“Oh shit!”

I heard my name screamed, but it was drowned out by the adrenaline rushing through my ears. My whole world reduced down to two single objects: William laying on the ground in an unnatural heap, and a giant, raging animal that found something new to hate.

Time fluxed. The massive, horned head lowered. One fat hoof pawed the ground. Still, I held, unwilling to walk away now. Unable to allow it to focus on William again. I would keep its focus until William was out of harms way, or get gored trying.

I heard barking in the distance. Fred was coming. And he’d bring the others. Not that they would help much should this bull charge, but they would be great at distracting it if I failed.

Time bent. Wobbled. Hate-filled animal eyes sighted-in. Focused. Its body tensed.

The bull started running.

“Holy shit!”

With a snap time sped up.

I was running before my brain told my body to turn around.

It didn’t take me long to get up to maximum sprint. I had no shoes on, had no idea when I’d lost them, but my bare feet felt no pain—only increased traction. I was a sprinter, always had been. I dug in, pushed harder than I knew I could, and made a conscious choice to take the long road; I would go through the gate into the corral and jump over. Hopefully someone was smart enough to close the beast in.

I just had to get there. I had to get that beast of an animal, also up to full sprint, through. William needed help, and with that animal on the loose, he wouldn’t get it. Sink or swim, I was his salvation, and I had to come through!

I heard a raspy huffing behind me. I was fast, but I was no match for a four-legged animal, regardless of its size. I pushed harder, desperate to go faster, conscious of the pounding of hoofs behind me, almost on me, almost caught up to me.

Twenty feet to go.
C’mon Jessica.
Fifteen.
Push!

I heard the breath then, close and intimate. The pounding of its feet like thunder. His huff vibrating my bones. I could feel its presence, gaining, directly behind me. In a heartbeat I would feel it. Horn would connect with my bare back.