Page 22 of Leading the Blind
“No pressure.”
“None at all.”
“You ready, Mini? Your bull is roped and in the chute.” Bax was right there. Always. Solid as a rock, and never letting him get too nervous.
“I’m ready.” He moved like he knew what he was doing, which he reckoned he did, when it got right down to it. Riding bulls was in his genes and in his muscle memory. His eyes didn’t have to help.
He swung over the gate, focusing on the rhythm of rope and glove, of getting his legs down between bull and chute and not getting them too bad squashed. Jason took a deep breath, and he could hear both Bax and Dillon talking.
Dillon murmured. “Okay. Coke took lead, so he’ll be the closest of the bullfighters. Listen to him when he gives you direction.”
Right.He closed his fist around the rope, pounding his fingers closed with his free hand.This one spins toward the right. Remember. Toward the right.
“Head up, eyes on the prize,” Bax called out.
“Yeah, yeah.” Jason had this. He did. He felt as soon as he was in the middle, and he nodded just like he always did, with his eyes wide open.Bring it on.
Bogbaby spun out, the bull leaping out of the gate, heels snapping up as he bucked. He cleared the gate, because there was no jolt of hooves hitting metal, then turned back to the right. Spinning and kicking, just like Jason remembered, like Coke and Dillon had drilled into him. Predictable bulls were good.
He forced his eyes open, his free arm up as he spun.Four. Five. Six.
He began to slide to the right, but he kicked out with his right leg, pushing back up until his ass was in the middle like his mindwas already. Mind in the middle, and that was half the battle. All bull riders knew that.
“You got this, Jase! Spur! Spur!” Bax was shouting like he always did, too, probably jumping and pounding the rail.
Jason spurred. He trusted Bax with his life and he had to believe it was safe to let it all hang out for the extra points.
The buzzer sounded and he jumped off, hearing Dillon in his ear. “Right! Right!”
He ran right, feeling the hot blow of the bull’s breath on his neck. Coke grabbed him and tossed, and he was flying toward the fence.
He staggered, hands out, and Dillon barked, “Ace!” in his ear just as strong hands caught him and helped him up the fence. “You all right, Jason?”
“Right as rain, Ace!” He grinned as wide as he could. “Not a bad ride, huh?”
“Good one, cowboy.” Ace twirled him away, he assumed toward the gate, so he put his head down to walk, avoiding the camera.
“Head up, Jase. To the right. A little more. A little more.”
He kept moving right.
And there he was, out of the gate with Bax meeting him, taking his arm. He could breathe a sigh of relief. He headed right to the chutes, letting himself be led to his pocket of friends.
“Good ride,” AJ told him, clapping him on his back.
“Thanks. Score?”
“Eighty-seven.” Bax sounded tickled as shit.
“Woo.” That meant he’d have to ride in the short go, he’d bet. That was both too cool and terrifying.
“Yeah. You’ll have one more ride today.” He wasn’t sure Bax sounded all that happy about that.
“I can do it.” Jason barely even felt queasy.
“Good job, kiddo,” Dillon said in his ear. “Cameras coming.”
He pulled his hat down and went for his trademark scowl.
