“This and other farm work. I do as much as I can. It’s good for the soul.”
“Hmm.”
He smiled a promise, knowing what I was thinking. “I need to get some water out of the truck. Be right back.”
“Okay…” As I watched William bound away, Ty filled in the gap.
“So…you wanna get on one?”
“You mean, get on a massive bull that wants to stab me with his huge horns?”
“No. I mean, do you want to get on a smallish steer that is indifferent because he got his balls cut off?”
“Is it hard?”
“Yes. But doable.”
“Do many girls ride?”
“Only a few dumb ones.”
“Well, then. Sign me up. I’ll give it a go.”
Ty smiled. “Excellent. Right this way m’lady. We have to get you up there before Willie finds out and flips.”
He yelled to Adam what we planned to do, and I saw Adam give the same mighty grin. They hustled me to the chute, put a not so flattering helmet on me, then a black vest, and pointed for me to climb up and get on the bull.
About that point my teeth started chattering. What the hell was I doing? Even though this bull was supposed to be small and calmer, it was still a big animal. A strong animal. Weighing over five hundred pounds. Even if all it did was roll on me, it would still hurt.
I climbed up with shaky arms, too stupid to back down now, with Adam and Ty on either side. Another couple guys saw what we were doing and came over to help.
“This little lady fixin’ to ride?” one of the guys asked. He looked in his twenties.
I nodded nervously, throwing a leg over the metal bar and looking down on a giant animal that did not want a person on its back.
“This is fairly stupid,” I muttered.
All the boys laughed and nodded at the same time, one of the guys leaning closer on the railing.
“Right, okay Mr. Bull,” I said, gingerly sneaking a leg over its back but not actually touching it yet, “I’m just going to sit on your back. No big deal.”
“He can’t understand ya, Jess.” The smile almost got in the way of Adam’s words.
“Can’t understand you maybe.” I eased my butt lower until it was just touching the animals back. Then froze. Waiting.
Ty was helplessly chuckling as he watched me, frozen, waiting for the world to spin. He said, “That’s why women rarely do this sport—they’re too thoughtful. They’re too methodical. They think about shit.”
One of the guys nodded from his lean. “They talk themselves out of it before they even begin.”
“Always knew they was smarter. Y’all don’t have to give Jessie a big head.” Adam reached over the metal bars of the chute and gently grabbed my left hand. “Just gonna tie ya in, Jess.”
I had all my weight on the massive animal, shorter than a horse but broader. It’s back was somewhat rounded and very hard, a squat bundle of muscle. And I was allowing Adam to tie my hand, palm up, into a rope around it’s chest. I’d done some seriously stupid crap in my life, but this one had to take the cake.
“Okay, here—” Ty abruptly stopped talking. His focus went just over my shoulder. To William who was in the rink walking toward us with a head full of thunder clouds. Ty’s smile faltered, a hint of fear peeking through.
“Uh oh, Ty, papa bear looks mad,” I said with a smirk.
“Jessica, no way. No way. Too dangerous. What are you guys thinking?” William exclaimed, not seeing the humor.
Did I look like his child?
“William, you are going to rile the ball-less bull up then I’ll really get killed. Go do your job and keep me safe.”
“Jessica, this is too dangerous. You haven’t a clue what you are doing!”
“I know exactly what I’m doing. I am going to hold my hand in the air, wiggle my body around, fall, and run like hell. Easy.”
He got right up close to the fence, tilting his chin up to meet my eyes, which did not diminish his air of domination. My body tingled and my sexy-parts purred.
“Jessica, I am not going to tell you again, get-off-of-the-bull. You are not doing this.”
Arousal aside, I did not plan to take orders from my guy. I hated being talked to like a child. Especially in front of others.
“William.” I hardened my gaze, no longer playing. I also reduced my volume so he knew this was just for him. “I am not going to tell you again. I am going to ride this steer because I want to. I am old enough to make my own stupid decisions. I made it. Either I can do this with your help to keep me out of harm, or I can go down the road to McKinley’s ranch and ride one there. That is the choice you have to make.”
We stared at each other in a battle of wills. I wanted to kiss him. Rake down his chest with my fingers. Strap myself onto his body instead of this bull, and ride all night. But this wasn’t about sex. This was about principle, so I held my aching core in check and glared for all I was worth.
Finally, seeing I wouldn’t bend, a smile tugging at the very corners of his lips, William sighed. “Fine. But don’t blame me if you break your fool neck.”
“Deal,” I said. “Ty, give me some instructions.”
Four guys exhaled, one, Ty, also laughed. Apparently, standing up to William was a touchy affair. Just wait until they eventually met Flem.
“Okay Jess,” Ty said, leaning over the gate to help situate my body. “You want to hold on with all your mite. When the bull gets out of the chute, it will probably just hop in a straight line. This one is pretty docile. Keep your free hand in the air to try and help your balance. You won’t have form and technique, so just hold on until you start to fall. Then, and this is very important, let go. Let yourself fall and let go.”
“Yeah, let go. I got it.”
Ty should his head, deadly serious. “You’d be surprised. Many don’t remember that detail.”
“Because they want to stay on. I won’t. I think I’ll remember.”
“A rider that doesn’t want to stay on the bull. Huh," the guy leaning said with a smirk. This was probably more entertaining than anything else that evening so far.
“Okay, after you let go…” Ty continued, giving me a lopsided look, into which I rolled my eyes, “get up and run for the fence. William and I will keep the bull away from you. It probably won’t care about you anyway, but if it does we will make sure you are out of harm’s way. Try to fall on your side or butt. Falling on your feet would be best, of course, but...doubtful. You don’t want to fall on your head or fall on anything that you can break. Trust me, I’ve been there and it sucks. Got it?”
I nodded and smiled nervously. Ty hit me on the helmet. “Show all these young boys what’s what.”
“Okay.”
William reached through the fence and gave my leg a pat. “You’ll be fine. That bull won’t go near ya.” He winked.
Ty jumped into the rink and Adam crawled up the fence, on the inside of the gate, and worked a clasp at the top. He looked down at me. “Ready?”
“No. Okay. Yes. Just do it.”
“Alright. Here goes.”
Adam jerked the gate open, the door swinging wide. I heard a slap that sounded like hand on bull butt, and suddenly we were air born!
The world rushed by in a stringy haze. I threw my hand up, feeling enormous pressure on the arm strapped in. The animal landed, jolting my body forward. I automatically leaned back, my whole body fighting inertia, not wanting to fall over the bull’s head.
It bounded up, the power in the leap jerking me, my surroundings lost to the rocking. I had no idea what my hand was doing anymore. Either hand. All I knew was that gravity was pulling to the side, the bull was ungodly strong, and I was falling.
“Shit!” I grunted between clenched teeth.
I didn’t need to be told to let go. I hit the ground on my side, half not realizing I’d fallen at all, hopped up like I was on springs, and ran for my life, seeing a monstrous brute with horns, red eyes and steam chasing me down.
I had a tendency to overreact.
“Wrong way!”
I twisted mid-stride, and kept running, now the opposite direction. I was pretty fast, and in my workout clothes, so I hit that gate and risked a glance back.
The bull was hopping at the other end of the enclosure, by itself, completely unconcerned about its former rider. The boys were all bent over laughing.
William came over, still chuckling, with a big smile. He hugged me tightly and walked me back to the other guys, now huddled around and mocking me.
“How long was I on?” I panted.
“Oh-hh, about three seconds.”
“That’s hard.”
“Yup. You did well, though. You moved well on it.”
“How’r ya doin’?” Adam asked as we approached.
“Good,” I said, nodding as I sucked air. “My arm feels like it was pulled out of my body, and I’ll probably be sore tomorrow, but other that it was fun.”
“The first ride. I hope someone got a picture,” Ty said as an afterthought, looking around the smiling group of young guys and their fathers.
“A’right everyone,” William said as Adam helped me take off my gear. “That is it for tonight. Next month we’ll do it again for all wanting practice.”
There were nods and words of thanks. The young boy that helped me at the chute came up with some Ben Gay. “Here, you’ll need this. It’ll help with the soreness.”
“Oh thanks. I’m Jessica by the way.”
“Hank.”
“Hi Hank. Thanks again.”
“No sweat, girl. Takes some balls to get up on a bull. Not many girls do it.”
“I heard only the dumb ones.”
“That’d be ‘bout right, that would. Ha. That’d be ‘bout right.”
He said good-bye and hurried away. Everyone was clearing out.
Ty and Adam sauntered over with a big “I feel manly!” sign on their heads. They joined William, which was standing by me.
“Night cap at Tommy’s?” Ty asked. It sounded like a ritual.
William turned to me, his eyes smoldering in the dim light. I could see the promise emanating, sparking the anticipation.
“Nah, probably not tonight. I gotta go see about a horse,” he said, turning back to the boys.
“Jeez, Jessie, he ain’t all that flattering, huh?” Adam said with a smirk.
Ty was chuckling as he turned away. “‘Nite,” was all he said.
At the truck, William turned me toward him before opening my door. He slid his hands around my waist. “Sorry about that.”
“You mean, about talking to me like a child in front of my peers?”
“Yes.”
“Apology accepted. Please don’t do it again. I am stubborn, but will be receptive if you address me like an adult.”
“Understood. I was scared for you. Finally got you and didn’t want to lose you, you know?”
I nodded. He pulled me tight against him. “Man, you have a temper on you, though.”
“Can we go now?”
He kissed my neck languidly before saying, “Yeah, I just have to turn off the lights. I’ll meet you in the truck.”
It was like my stomach had fallen asleep, and was now waking up. It felt like pins and needles with a background of washing machine. I was getting nervous about later on. I knew we would be getting down to business, but for some reason it felt as though I had never done it before. It felt like my first time. Maybe it was all the dreams and longing and wanting, but I was a little frightened that it wouldn’t live up to expectation. He was a good kisser, and gentle, and I really liked him, so signs pointed to it being great, but you never knew.
Especially in anything where I was a participant.
“How’s the arm?” he asked as he climbed in. The whole truck smelt like Ben Gay.
“Hurts a little, but nothing serious.”
“I remember being sore all the time when I was learning. Still get sore sometimes with a particularly rough bull.”
“You are good.”
“Thanks. I had to give it up to focus on business, but I had a good go of it for a time.”
We got back to the ranch house. As we were getting out of the truck, he asked, “Do you want to go in the hot tub to try and relax your muscles?”
Did his voice quiver? Or was it just my ears that were quivering? Like the rest of my body.
“That would be fantastic,” I breathed, pushing my thoughts aside.
We walked into the house from the garage. It was well furnished with expensive paintings and other art, while still maintaining a country feel. Someone was an expert decorator. We went down a hallway into a large room.
“This is where I stay when I'm here,” William declared, looking around.
It was a big room with a king sized bed, a sitting chair with a lamp in the corner, and a fireplace.
“Nice. It’s big.”
“Most of the rooms here are big. Why not? One thing this ranch has is plenty of space. I’ll show you around tomorrow.”
He went to his dresser. “Now, what do you want to wear in the hot tub? I’m afraid I don’t have any ladies swim suits lying around.”
I scrunched up my face. “Are you expecting anyone else tonight?”
“No, why?”
“I’ll just go in my birthday suit.”
“In the hot tub?”
“Yeah. Why not? You’ve seen na**d girls before. Not a big surprise. Except all my parts are real.”
“Ha-ha- very funny. Uh...,” He surveyed his drawer, eyes unfocused, deciding. “Okay.”