"Yeah, at least a part of me needs to settle down or it'll be a pretty uncomfortable ride." Then Jeremy gave her his smile that came when he was teasing, and said, "So, if I win that buckle tomorrow, can we continue what we started tonight?"
Billy smiled back. "Sorry, cowboy. I told you before I'm not a buckle bunny." With that, she got off Jeremy's lap and took him by the hands and pulled him up to stand in front of her.
"Right," Jeremy replied.
"On the other hand," Billy said, while slipping her arms around his neck, "if you win that championship buckle riding a bull other than Wild Card, and Wild Card bucks off one of the top pro riders here and keeps his 100% buckoff record, I'll be pumped up so high I might need help coming down."
"Honey, you do realize you've just given me a reason to not want to draw Wild Card, don't you?" Jeremy said.
"Of course," Billy replied. "That was the idea." She kissed him one last time then removed her arms from around his neck and turned him toward the door, knowing she too was going to have a restless night, but the time wasn't right and wouldn't be until she could open up to Jeremy and lay things out to him as they really were.
***
When Jeremy didn't draw Wild Card he had mixed feelings. He'd been wanting to ride that bull ever since Crane Butte, but things were different now. Drawing him would be a personal challenge just to see if he could ride him, but if he did, it would be a bittersweet victory because he knew how much it meant to Billy for Wild Card to remain unridden as he made his way up the ranks to ultimately take his place at the National Finals Rodeo. Now, he was relieved of that burden, and he was happy with the bull he'd drawn, a rank bull appropriately named, Kamikaze, who was known for his deep front end dives, high kicks, and lightening responses, a bull that would without question give him a tough ride. He also shared Billy's enthusiasm that a world-champion bull rider named Alberto Vieira had drawn Wild Card because, if Wild Card bucked that cowboy off, everyone on the pro circuits everywhere would take note.
As the lineup went, Jeremy would be riding Kamikaze about midpoint of the event, a good spot to hold, and Wild Card would be bucking second to last, an even better spot because with all but one rider left to go, the judges would feel free to score high for both the bull and rider.
Glancing toward the sorting pens, he saw Billy coming his way. He met her in between. "How is Wild Card doing?" he asked.
"He's as laid back as ever," Billy replied. "He let loose with a long bellow to let the bulls in the adjacent pens know he was still there, and he was basically ignored, which I think got him into a little huff. He's doing well though. Are you ready to ride Kamikaze?"
"You bet," Jeremy replied. "It's pretty ironic that Alberto Vieira pulled Wild Card though. He rode Kamikaze at the finals last year when he won the title, so everyone will be watching him on Wild Card expecting him to make the ride. They'll be pretty surprised if he's bucked off. We'll see if Wild Card pulls his laid-back-bull stunt with Vieira like he did with me at Crane Butte."
"He will," Billy assured him. "You could have asked me about him at Crane Butte though. I would have warned you that he bails out of the chute like a rocket."
Jeremy laughed. "I was way too cool to ask you back then so instead, I made an ass of myself three seconds into the ride."
Billy stood on tiptoe and kissed him. "History, and Alberto Vieira's short ride, will exonerate you, especially if Alberto is off in less than three seconds, because then you'll hold the record."
Jeremy let out an ironic guffaw. "Yeah, like that's going to happen. Meanwhile I'd better start psyching myself up for my ride on Kamikaze." He kissed Billy again, finding it harder than ever to make it a short sweet kiss, but rodeo grounds weren't the place to let loose with the kind of passions that took couples to bed. They'd come a little closer the night before, when Billy gave him another glimpse at the passion she bottled up inside, and the day would come when she'd trust him enough to give him her all, and they'd share a soul-binding ride to heaven…
He laughed to himself, thinking the old jack rabbit was getting poetic. He'd never been that way before. But then, there had never been a Billy in his life before. Things were different now. He thought differently. Acted differently. Planned out his life differently. Before Billy, he hadn't planned his life at all. Working rodeo weekends around his job was his entire focus. Now, Billy was his focus. Nothing else much mattered. In a few short weeks she'd become important to him in a way that defied logic. It was as if she'd moved into his life and was now a part of it.
Billy had only walked a few steps away from him when she turned back, and putting her arms around his neck again, said to him, with a sheen of worry in her eyes, "Have a safe ride."
Jeremy looked at her concerned face, knowing she'd just told him more than words. It was the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes that revealed her true feelings, the same tone and look his mother had when trying to assure herself, by telling him to be safe.
"Don't worry, honey," he said, deciding to lighten things up, "I've studied Kamikaze's moves on video and seen him in action live and he's somewhat predictable, so cheer me on."
"I already am," Billy said. "So I'll see you later."
Jeremy touched her face, but it was only briefly because Billy quickly turned and headed for the sorting pens. And Jeremy prepared for what would be a tough ride, but an important one because if he scored in the high eighties he'd be back in the running for the National Finals.
Less than thirty minutes later, Jeremy walked toward the chute where Kamikaze was loaded, with one clear goal in mind—to block out peripheral distractions, including the adrenaline rush and the excitement of the crowd, and stay focused—a well-practiced routine he utilized so nothing would undermine his confidence. He'd watched the bull earlier to see how he moved around the pen, whether he was aggressive with the other bulls, or stayed to himself in the corner, and saw that he was aggressive, so he knew he'd move fast and buck hard. But from the time he climbed over the chute and settled onto Kamikaze's back he heard nothing, not the announcer's voice, or the voices around him, or the cheering crowd. It all faded into the background as if the world had suddenly gone still… part of the adrenaline rush he'd been experiencing since the day he climbed onto his first Brahma.
Slipping his hand through the bullrope, he wrapped the tail tightly, securing himself to the back of the bull, then he raised his free arm, and when he nodded, the gate opened. Noting that the bull's head turned to the left, he shifted his weight slightly to compensate, and as the bull went into a spin, he watched the bull's feet to see where he was planting them. Finding the rhythm, while maintaining his balance with his free arm, he rode the bucks in the spin, and when the 8-second buzzer sounded, he knew he'd scored high.
"91 for Jeremy Hansen," the announcer called out.
Jeremy picked himself up out of the dirt, and glancing up at the leaderboard, saw the names and scores of the leading competitors, with his name at the top. There were still a half dozen more riders to go, but for the moment he was pumped up just knowing he'd ridden a rank bull that didn't want him on its back, a bull that had done his hardest to buck him off.
Grabbing his hat and scooping his bull rope off the ground, he shoved a fist into the air for his win, then waved to the crowd as he jogged out of the arena.
Billy wasn't around when he left this time because she was involved getting Wild Card ready, but when he went to where she should be and she wasn't there, he looked around and found instead, her standing outside a squeeze chute with Wild Card inside and a vet checking his back leg through the rungs. "What's going on?" he asked.
Billy looked at him, worried, and replied, "He kicked at a bull in the adjoining pen and got his foot caught. He has a bad scrape and might have twisted his ankle."
Jeremy realized Billy hadn't seen him ride, which took him down off his high, but the event wasn't over and he could get knocked out of top spot any number of times. Seeing her worry, he said, "If he doesn't
make it this time, there are more rodeos to go."
"This one's important," Billy said. "I want to see if Alberto Vieira can ride him. It would be the ultimate test."
Jeremy wanted to mention that he was in top spot, and he could ride him and give her an idea of Wild Card's potential, but he knew Billy was too worried to consider it. Then she turned and looked at him puzzled, and said, "I missed your ride. How did you do?"
"Pretty good," Jeremy replied. "I got a 91."
The vet caught Billy's attention, when he said, "I don't feel any sprain, and the laceration's not deep. I think he's good to go."
A slight sheen of excitement shone in Billy's eyes, as she said to Jeremy, "I guess we'll see what he can do after all. Maybe you can help me get him back to his loading pen."
Jeremy knew she was still so focused on Wild Card that his score hadn't registered, so he set it aside, thinking it would be comical to see her reaction when it did sink in.
It wasn't until they were waiting with the other roughstock riders for Wild Card's turn and Billy happened to glance up at the leaderboard that she finally realized what he'd done earlier, and for a moment she stared at the board in shocked surprise. But a second later, she looked at him and shouted, "You're first!"
"Yeah, I was hoping you'd notice."
"Oh, my gosh! You're really first!" Billy threw herself at him and Jeremy closed his arms around her, but during the extended hug, he felt a rap on his back and heard someone say, "Break it up, Hansen. Your girl needs to get to her bull. He's on now."
Billy immediately turned out of Jeremy's arms and went to get Wild Card in position and attach his flank strap, and when Jeremy looked in the opposite direction, he saw Alberto Vieira walking toward the chute, his bull rope in his gloved hand, his eyes focused on the chute. It was the most intense look he'd ever seen on a rider, and he knew the man had shut out the world. He was an impressive man, hard and lean, with dark hair and eyes, a square jaw, and an uncompromising look on his face, a look that told the world he was going for the kill, which would be any score past 91. Even a microsecond past would do it.
The announcer's voice rose above the crowd, saying, "Next up is Alberto Vieira on Wild Card. This is a rookie bull with only six outs under his flank strap, and no completed rides so far, but that might change in a couple of minutes because he'll be facing off with the rider who took the world title at the National Finals last year."
Jeremy watched as Vieira lowered himself onto Wild Card, who stood immobile. He also noted that the look in Vieira's eyes registered that fact, and he suspected the man wasn't fooled, because Vieira took extra time to plant his hand and work his fingers around the rope to make sure he had a solid hold. Then raising his free arm, he gave the nod and the gate opened, and Wild Card vaulted into the arena and immediately went into a spin. Heaving his huge bulk off all four feet, he sunfished in midair, switching directions, and going down on his front legs, shot his rear legs up, extending them high into the air and again switched directions, sending Vieira off balance and tumbling into the dirt less than three seconds into the ride.
"There you have it," the announcer shouted. "No score for Alberto Vieira."
The man picked himself up, and glancing at the scoreboard saw the bull score, which registered 46 points out of a possible 50.
"Oh, my gosh!" Jeremy heard Billy cry out. "Vieira was off in less than three seconds!"
Jeremy looked around and saw Billy staring at the scoreboard, tears streaming down her cheeks, but the smile on her lips was about as wide as a smile could be. Then the announcer's voice blared out, "It looks like Wild Card's taking a victory lap around the arena. There's talk that he resembles the famous bull, Little Yellow Jacket, but he acts like him too. Little Yellow Jacket was known for his victory laps. Wild Card is definitely a bull to watch…"
Instead of watching the last rider, Jeremy headed with Billy to help her get Wild Card into his pen and fed and watered and settled down. But when they were guiding him through the narrow passageway, and he heard the crowd yelling, he looked up at the leaderboard and saw, to his extreme disappointment, that he'd been bumped out of top spot by a score of 92, but he'd still taken second place, which had him solidly in the running for the National Finals.
Billy had just turned back after giving Wild Card a scoop of grain in his bucket when a woman walked up to her, and said, "Billy Fitzsimmons?"
Billy looked up, and replied, "Yes?"
"This is a big night for you and Wild Card, could you say a few words here?"
"Well, I suppose," Billy replied.
An instant later a light shown on Billy, and the woman raised a microphone to her mouth and said, to a camera perched on the shoulder of a cameraman, "I'm happy to be standing here next to some female energy, and what a fantastic night it is for this young lady. Billy Fitzsimmons is the owner of Billy Bree's Bucking Bulls, and the stock contractor for Wild Card, who just bucked off world champion rider, Alberto Vieira." Turning to Billy she said, "What do you think of Wild Card's trip?"
Jeremy saw that Billy looked decidedly uncomfortable as her eyes shifted between the camera and the woman standing not more than a couple of feet away. "I was really happy with him," she replied in a shaky voice, though whether from nerves or fear, Jeremy couldn't decide. "Wild Card's not easy to ride and Alberto Vieira made a great ride even though he didn't finish."
"I hear you have buckouts every Wednesday night at your place in Pine Grove, so you're around a lot of cowboys, but what's it like behind the chutes?" the reporter asked. "Are you garnering some respect from some gentlemen there?"
Again, Billy's eyes darted between the reporter and the camera, as she replied, "Everyone's been great. Anything I need they help me with, and I haven't run into any problems."
"I don't think anyone's going to mess with you anyway," the reporter said, laughing. She turned to Jeremy then. "Standing beside Billy Fitzsimmons is Jeremy Hansen, who just placed second in the finals. Jeremy and Billy have been seen palling around together. Is that an accurate description?" she asked Jeremy.
Jeremy eyed Billy, whose face looked troubled, and replied, "Billy and I are good friends. We spend time together when we can."
The reporter smiled, like she knew better, and said to Billy, "There was a bull named Little Yellow Jacket a few years back that folks are saying looked like Wild Card. Is there a relationship?"
"It's his crooked horns," Billy said. "There's no connection though."
"So, what's your ultimate goal?" the reporter asked.
Billy gave a little feigned smile, and replied, "To make it to the National Finals Rodeo."
"I suspect we'll all be seeing you there then."
The light on the camera shut off, and the reporter thanked Billy, but before the reporter walked off, Billy said to her, "Will this be aired somewhere?"
"Of course," the reporter assured her. "It will be up on YouTube tonight and on ESPN at a later date, so you can tell your family to check you out. And congratulations on your success."
After the reporter moved on, Jeremy said, "I think we have some celebrating to do."
"No, I want to get back tonight," Billy replied.
"It's a five-hour drive," Jeremy said. "Why tonight?"
"I can't explain," Billy replied, "but I want to go back now."
"It's that reporter," Jeremy said. "What's bothering you?"
"I don't like cameras," Billy replied. "I don't want to talk to any more reporters."
"What do you intend to do when Wild Card makes the finals? You won't be able to ignore the reporters then, and you'll be on national television."
"I can't worry about that now," Billy said. "Please, I just want to go back."
Jeremy drew in a long breath, fixed his eyes on the woman he loved, and said with resolve, "Okay, we'll leave, but sometime in the near future you need to tell me what this is really about. I'll go hook up the stock trailer and be back to get Wild Card loaded."
As Jeremy walked toward his ri
g, he made up his mind that he'd wait it out one more week, but on returning from Nevada, if he hadn't gotten answers there, he'd get them directly from Billy. If she didn't have faith and trust in him now, she never would.
CHAPTER 11
Billy was so disturbed by the prospect of the video interview being posted on the internet and later appearing on ESPN that it was impossible to stay focused on any kind of conversation with Jeremy on the ride home, so between the stress of that, and fatigue from two days of excitement over Jeremy's wins and Wild Card's performance, the issue of talking at all faded when she fell asleep with her head resting against Jeremy's shoulder, only to be surprised when suddenly they were back at her ranch. It was almost 2:00 in the morning when they arrived, but all the outside lights were on, including those in the barn, so she knew her father was still up.
Unloading Wild Card and putting him into his pen went relatively easy. Wild Card greeted the other bulls with his usual drawn-out bawl, and after being received by them, he took up his place among them, and Billy shut off the light. But before stepping out of the barn, Jeremy drew Billy into his arms and held her, then curved a finger under her chin and kissed her long and hard, and she kissed him back with a desire that startled her. Whether it was from tension, or just having Jeremy's arms securely around her, she didn't know, but soon the kiss was an open-mouth kiss with tongues tasting and touching and exploring, and her breath coming fast and heavy until she was forced to break the kiss for air. Tucking her head against Jeremy's chest, she said, "I'm sorry I fell asleep on the way home. I didn't mean to. It was all the excitement."
"It was okay with me," Jeremy said. "You were sitting beside me with your head on my shoulder and that helped the trip pass, but I don't like leaving you."
"You'll stop by tomorrow, won't you?" Billy looked up at him, and in the dusky twilight from the outside lights, his face was dead sober.
"It's not about stopping tomorrow," Jeremy replied. "It's that guy, Moretti. I don't trust him."
Bucking The Odds (Dancing Moon Ranch Book 9) Page 12