Page 94 of Leading the Blind
“What are you going to say to the press, Jason?” Cash asked.
“That I’m tickled I won, and I’m announcing my retirement.” That was all he needed to say, right?
“I’ll be giving the press the opportunities to ask me questions tonight, and I’ll set up interviews starting next week, after he has a chance to get home.” Daniel was slick as shit. Impressive.
“I’ll be at the conference tonight,” Ace said. “Just to have plausible deniability from the get-go.”
“Sounds good. I’m glad we were able to come to a reasonable conclusion.”
“I’m not a fucker, Dan. You know that,” Ace said. “I just don’t want to get fucked here, and I feel a little raw.”
“Would you have let me ride, if you’d known?” Jason asked.
“Of course not.”
“Then you understand why I didn’t say.”
“Hell, we all understand, Jason.” That was Cash. “Ace woulda done the same thing. But we gotta make all these noises or we lose our jobs.”
Steele cackled like a big old bird. “I personally love that you kicked everyone’s asses, kid. I love it. You start a blind bull riding league, and I’ll sponsor it.”
“You are an asshole.” Ace bit out every word, and Jason grinned. No one could tell they were best friends.
“I’ll have something tentative drawn up by morning, y’all,” Daniel said. “For right now, I need to get ready to meet the press.”
“I’ll see you here,” Ace said. “Congratulations, Jason. Really.”
“Thanks. Weirdest fucking finals yet.”
Bax began to chuckle, the sound as familiar as his own breath.
Ace snorted. “I thought last year was pretty weird.”
“Last two years,” Cash muttered.
“No such thing as normal in bull riding, boys,” Steele said. “I need to get to the hospital to see if Pharris needs anything.”
“Can you take Dillon a burger or something? He’ll be starving.” He knew how hard Dillon had worked. He’d heard it.
“Absolutely. I’ll call Nate on the way and see what they need.” Steele clapped him on the shoulder, making him jump, then those boots clomped off.
Cash grunted. “I need to get back. Bulls to move. Holler if you need me, Ace.”
“Rats deserting the sinking ship,” Ace said.
“Nothing’s sinking. We’ll make a splash, that’s all. There will be the flurry, then I get to have a real life. Hiding this was a bitch. I need to learn how to be functional, get the help I deserve.”
Ace was silent a long moment, then he just said, “If you need help, you know where to find us.”
“We do.” Bax was right there. Solid as a rock.
“We do.” He held out his hand. “Thanks, Ace.”
Ace shook hands, then Daniel was hustling them back out of the room, on the phone before they were halfway back.
“You did good, Mini,” Bax whispered.
“I need to hear about Gramps. I got him hurt.”
