Page 81 of Leading the Blind
Christ.
“You’re all tense,” Jason muttered, rubbing shoulders with him. “Stop thinking so hard.”
“Gotcha, babe.” Bax took a deep, deep breath, then let it out. It was going to be what it was, right?
“This is what we’ve been fighting for. This event.” Coke’s lips were tight, and Bax didn’t think the old man was going to be fighting bulls much longer. There was a sorrow in Coke now, an exhaustion.
Gramps had seen too much, taken too many hits.
It made him sad, because it was going to be the end of an era—not when Jase retired. They were all going that way—but when Coke did.
Dillon came back with the first round of coffees, and he leaned on Coke gently for a moment. “We got this, guys.” Dillon was always upbeat. Relentless.
“Yes.” Sam nodded, gave him a crooked smile. “Time to be champs—you and Boug.”
Jason nodded, mouth firm. “It’s my year, damn it.”
Bax prayed then. Silently, but sure as anything.Please God, let it be true. Let him get through. Let us go home.
That was all he wanted in all the world.
To take a whole and healthy Jason Scott home.
So they would take this finals one day at a time, one ride at a time. Bax would hold Jason on by the power of will alone, if he had to.
Starting today.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Okay, Jase. This one will break your neck if you let him. Don’t let him.” That was Gramps. “You done rode five. You got this.”
“I won’t,” he muttered.
“I can’t wait for you to meet the babies,” Cotton said. The man held his vest, talking nonsense to him. “Two little boys. Well, they ain’t little. They were both over seven pounds. Emmy was pissed.”
Jason felt the bull crouch, and felt Bax move him with one booted foot. Bax was on the gate, making sure the bull was in the right place. Beau was doing Bax’s usual job of pulling his rope.
“Come on, you bastard. Stand up!” Bax sounded worried, but Jason wasn’t. He wanted the good bulls. Bax was gonna get him an ulcer, acting like he was.
“Okay, he’s up.” Bax was away, and now it was Beau jabbering at him, reminding him to keep his eyes open, his arm up, his chest out.
Then Jason nodded.
Head up.
One.
Eyes open.
Two.
Spurring.
Three.
Fuck, he was sliding.
Four.
