Home on the Ranch: Oklahoma Bull Rider

by Christine Wenger

  His other nonspeaking wranglers had each managed to say a few words about their horses during one exercise that Jesse developed—and Jesse was walking on sunshine over that—but Mickey was still silent.

  Luke, Reed and Sara were chatting up a storm. His brothers liked Sara, he could tell, and that was important to him. This was going to make his split from her even more painful.

  They also wanted to meet the wranglers of Bunkhouse 13, particularly Mickey. They were going to drop by tomorrow morning.

  * * *

  As it turned out, Jesse’s brothers couldn’t make it the following morning because they were tending a bull with a sore hoof. The next day, however, they came to Bunkhouse 13. There the three of them told stories of the rank bulls—the bulls that scored the highest—that they rode, and the ones who got away.

  Jesse’s wranglers were thrilled beyond belief.

  After they left, the Bunkhouse voted that they wear the bandannas that Jesse had given them when they rode their horses tomorrow.

  Jesse thought that wearing the bandannas was like they were riding for the brand: Bunkhouse 13.

  Jesse had decided that there wouldn’t be any more riding today. The wranglers needed to say goodbye to one another and the horses needed to be washed and curried by Bunkhouses 3 and 6 and 10, who had drawn the short straws.

  Jesse took a walk to the lake to his and Sara’s spot. He did some stretches and sat crossed-legged, trying to clear his mind.

  As if everyone hadn’t had enough of Jesse and his brothers, later, after dinner, they were going to discuss bull riding and conduct a question and answer session for the whole camp.

  Camp Care was buzzing, and Jesse had heard that Cookie and his staff, and that meant Sara, were going to dish out ice cream, serve cookies and provide a vat of lemonade for everyone.

  Nice.

  He was happy that Sara had gotten along with his brothers. They’d raved about her this morning. That was great to hear.

  And then there was his father, Big Dan Beaumont. Big Dan was once a big, booming man, but alcohol had him in its grip, and in turn, so did the Beaumont County Probation Department. They weren’t going to let go until he was rehabilitated.

  Big Dan was coming around thanks to rehab, his probation officer and his girlfriend’s great cooking.

  Jesse wanted Sara to meet Big Dan someday. He’d like her. His dad would take an immediate shine to Mickey, too.

  Jesse took a deep breath, wondering why he’d been thinking about Sara meeting his family. He’d never thought about introducing anyone he’d been dating before.

  Dating? Seemed such a casual word based on what he and Sara had shared this past month.

  Only a month? It seemed like he’d known Sara forever.

  So, tonight she was going to be busy, but so was he. Tomorrow was going to be crazy, with the bull riding demo and the Camp Care Rodeo and cookout.

  The wranglers would remember it forever. Heck, so would he. Plus, he doubted if he’d ever forget Sara.

  He’d have to try.

  “Jesse?” He heard her voice as she approached their meditation spot.

  “Sara!”

  “I only have a minute, but I wanted to say goodbye. I don’t know when we’ll have another chance to get together.”

  “You mean here? Or when we get home?” he asked.

  “I meant here, but unfortunately it goes for home, too.”

  Jesse felt lonely already. In spite of all the women who regularly hung around him and whom he’d dated in the past, there weren’t many whom he wanted to go out with again. He’d never seen a future with them like he did with Sara. Besides, none of them were like her.

  Jesse managed a smile. “Yeah. We are lucky to both have jobs that we like.”

  “Oh, I know! I never thought I’d say this, but I’ve missed my job, and all the people there.”

  “You really miss it, huh?” Jesse asked. He hoped like hell that she’d suddenly changed her mind and that it was the worst job on the planet.

  “I do, Jesse. And the extra money will be wonderful.”

  Jesse reached out and pulled her close. “I’m going to miss you like crazy.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes. “I’ll miss you, too. This has been a fabulous month. I really needed someone like you, Jesse.”

  “And you’ve been just what I needed, too. Just who I wanted. Thanks for everything.”

  “And thanks for taking care of Mickey.”

  “I didn’t get him to talk, although I keep thinking he’s on the verge of a breakthrough.”

  “I do, too. I really do.” Sara smiled. “And I’m not saying that lightly.”

  “Call me when it happens.”

  “You’ll be the first. Then his teachers, psychologists, counselors, psychiatrists and whoever else has tried to help us.”

  She kissed him tenderly, then passionately. He could taste her salty tears when she broke contact.

  “Don’t cry, Sara. Think of the next time we can get together. We can plan, and then maybe, maybe—”

  “Maybe we can get together when the PBR comes to Madison Square Garden in January. It’s only six months away. Half of a year.”

  “Dammit. That sounds like a long time.”

  She smiled slightly. “It depends, I guess.”

  “On what?”

  “On what I’m doing. If I’m busy or not,” she said. “Speaking of which, I have to go now, Jesse. The kitchen is crazy, and so is Cookie. I’ve never seen him like this.”

  Jesse hugged her closer, tighter. “See you, Sara. I’ll miss you.”

  “See you, Jesse. I’ll miss you, too, but I’ll see you in a while for your bull riding speech.”

  “I almost forgot.”

  “The wranglers haven’t. They are flying. They had canteen today. I shudder to think how they’ll be when Cookie sugars them up again later tonight.”

  He kissed Sara. He opened his eyes this time, wanting to remember every moment: the glint of her hair, their favorite spot and the way the sunbeams danced on the lake...

  With a slight wave, Sara turned and walked in the direction of the chuck wagon.

  And he missed her already.

  * * *

  Sara asked Cookie to let her be the one to finish cleaning up, since she’d scooted out to meet Jesse earlier. He saluted her, handed her the key and told her to get some rest for “tomorrow’s nonstop chowfest buffet that would go on all day long.”

  An hour earlier, the rain came without warning. No thunder or lightning, just a downpour of epic proportions.

  At first she panicked, and started worrying about Mickey should the thunder and lightning hit. As she put the silverware away in the correct containers, she knew that Jesse would take excellent care of Mickey.

  And just as soon as it came, the downpour went.

  Finally, she was done.

  Then the rain hit again, and Sara wanted to hurry to her bunkhouse before she got too soaked.

  She didn’t see the top step of the stairs, and she fell, face-first, down the seven stairs. She remembered tasting mud and rainwater before she passed out.

  * * *

  “The rain is really coming down tonight,” Jesse said to his bunkhouse wranglers. “I hope it stops so everyone can ride tomorrow. Hey, look out your windows and tell me if there’s much water on the ground, will ya? My brothers will be mad and the wranglers will be sad if the rain keeps up. All that work...”

  “Mom! Mom!” A raw, raspy voice came from Mickey.

  “Mickey?” Jesse said, half in shock. “It’s okay. Just rain.”

  Jesse tried to act calm, so he wouldn’t startle Mickey. But the boy spoke! It must be more than important. “Mom! Help my mom, Jesse!”

  Jesse ran to the window and looked out. Someone was definitely lying facedown in a hu
ge puddle at the end of the chuck wagon stairs.

  “Sara!”

  Mickey nodded, and went running out of the bunkhouse.

  “Mom! We’re coming, Mom!”

  “Mickey, wait!” He didn’t want the boy to hurt himself catching a sneaker on a pothole or slipping on wet stones.

  Aww...the hell with it. The boy needed to see his mother.

  They reached Sara in record time, and Jesse didn’t want to lift her in case she had broken bones or a spinal or neck injury, but she was about to drown in the puddle. He’d seen many horrible bull riding injuries and none of them had terrified him like seeing Sara lying in the water did now.

  He gently moved Sara onto her side.

  “Sara, wake up. I have Mickey with me. We’re worried about you.” Jesse pushed back the hair from the side of her face and tucked it behind her ears. He held her head in his hand.“Talk to her, Mickey. Talk to your mom.”

  “Mom. This is Mickey Peterson. My real name is Michael James Peterson. Are you okay, Mom? Can you open your eyes? Your hair is really muddy. Your face is muddy, too. Are you going to be okay, Mom?”

  Jesse realized that Mickey actually had been speaking full sentences!

  What a thrill! Mickey had done it! But Jesse couldn’t relish in his victory; he was too worried about Sara.

  Chapter 15

  Sara slowly came out of her thick, wet fog to the sound of Mickey talking. Mickey! This was what she’d waited two years for: the sound of her precious son’s voice.

  “Sara?”

  That was Jesse’s voice.

  “I’m okay, Jesse.”

  “Don’t move, Sara. The doctor is coming.”

  That was Jesse’s voice, the cowboy that she loved. Yes, she loved him, but he’d never said that he loved her.

  “I love you, Mom. Mom, wake up. I brought the doctor.”

  They moved her to a stretcher, carried her into the chuck wagon and gently laid her on a table.

  “I’m Doctor Festerly. Do you know your name?”

  “Yes.” Everyone laughed.

  “Do you mind telling me what it is?” the doctor asked.

  “Sara Peterson.”

  “Do you think you can sit up?”

  With help, she slowly sat up. Gently, Dr. Festerly took the wadded-up wet lump that was under her head. Sara realized it must be Jesse’s shirt.

  “Sara, do you know where you are?” the doctor asked.

  “I was in a mud puddle. Now I’m in the chuck wagon.”

  The doctor laughed and held some gauze under her chin. “What hurts?”

  “Every bone in my body, but mostly my chin.”

  She took a deep breath. “Where’s Jesse?”

  “I’m right here, Sara.”

  She took some clean gauze from the doctor and held it on her chin. “Thanks for being with me, Jesse. Did you hear Mickey talk?”

  “I sure did, and, of course, I’d be with you.”

  She looked at the worried group. “Mickey, talk to me.” She reached for the boy’s hand and held it. “Give us a minute, Dr. Festerly. This is a big moment. So, tell me, what happened, son?”

  “I was scared, Mom. I saw you fall down the stairs when I was looking out the window. I ran out of the bunkhouse. I was worried that when I called for help no one would come, like with Dad. When Dad got hurt, I yelled and yelled and no one came to help. And he died. And I stopped yelling. I stopped talking.”

  “Because no one came?” Sara asked.

  Mickey nodded. “But Jesse came this time. He came and I ran for the doctor like he told me. And you’re not going to die.”

  “Not yet, Mickey. I have a lot of living to do yet, and so do you. You’re a cowboy now.” She smiled. “Jesse?” Sara turned her head to look at him. “I’m okay.”

  He took her other hand. “Your chin is bleeding.”

  Sara rubbed her thumb on the back of Jesse’s hand. “If that’s the worst thing that happened out of that swan dive, I’ll be fine.”

  “Tell me something else, Mickey. Tell me about Socks, your horse,” Sara said.

  Mickey told her that he was going to miss Socks, told her about each of his friends in Bunkhouse 13 and how much he really liked Jesse.

  “And you like Jesse, too, don’tcha, Mom?”

  “Yes. Sure. I like Jesse. He’s been a good friend to me here,” Sara said.

  “And Jesse likes you. The whole camp knows that,” said Mickey.

  Jesse grinned. “The whole camp?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Her face heated, and not from her pain.

  Later, Dr. Festerly examined Sara totally, telling her that she was fine, except for her chin, which needed three stitches, and the fact that she needed a shower to get the stones, mud and grit off her. She might see scrapes and bruises and some red marks, but they would all eventually go away.

  That was great news. She didn’t have to go to town for X-rays.

  Soon the stitches were in along with adhesive tape, and she was headed to her bunkhouse to get a change of clothes, take a shower and take a couple of her over-the-counter pain meds.

  She had a headache and was a little unsteady on her feet, but with Jesse on one side and Mickey on the other, she’d never been happier. It seemed like they were a little family, all walking together. She grinned. It was a nice feeling, probably for Mickey, too.

  Jesse deposited Mickey at Bunkhouse 13, and checked on his wranglers. Roving Ramrod Ronnie was present.

  “Thanks, Ronnie.” Jesse held out his hand and they shook. “But hang on for a couple more minutes, okay? I have to say goodbye to Sara again.”

  Jesse jogged to Sara’s shower and waited for her to reappear. When she saw him standing there, she jumped.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you, Sara. I just thought I’d check on you, but, hey, would you like me to wash your back?”

  She shook her head. “Mr. Jesse Beaumont, what are you doing here at the door of the women’s shower?”

  “Hoping to catch you naked.”

  Sara rolled her eyes. “Are you in seventh grade or what?”

  “Sixth.”

  “I’m feeling like a mess. I still have small stones everywhere, and my hair is gritty.”

  “I hear that some people pay thousands of dollars for that kind of treatment at a spa.”

  She chuckled. “Come here, bull rider.”

  When he did, she just let him hold her. “You did it, Jesse. You did it. Mickey spoke. He talked. He wouldn’t shut up!” She cried into his dry blue shirt that matched his eyes.

  “It wasn’t me. It was just the circumstances of what happened. Mickey flashed back to the accident and gave it one more try, for you this time.”

  “But you let Mickey go to me. He told me that. If you made him stay in the bunkhouse—”

  “I wouldn’t have ever told him to stay inside. He needed to see if you were all right.”

  She dried her tears, and she pulled at a lock of her hair. “I need to shower. Then I need to get some sleep. I’m exhausted.”

  “I’ll stay here until you come out. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

  “That’s not necessary, Jesse. I’ll be fine.”

  “I’ll wait. Then I’ll walk you to your bunkhouse.” He opened the door for her, and she walked in. “Yell if you need me to wash your back or something.”

  She laughed. Jesse always made her laugh.

  Sara took a long hot shower, and washed her hair three times. She kept thinking about how nice it was that Jesse was waiting for her to see if she’d be all right.

  She didn’t want to say goodbye to him again, so when she was done, she wanted to go to bed.

  “Thanks for watching out for me, Jesse,” she said. “See you tomorrow, then?”

  “We’ll find som
e time to get together.”

  Jesse gave her a kiss good-night, and Sara didn’t want him to stop.

  She pulled away, though, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and walked away, before she decided to stay with Jesse all night.

  * * *

  Lori had changed the rodeo schedule so that everyone could watch the bull riding, and all of Camp Care filed into the bleachers after breakfast.

  Cookie said that after the bull riding, the staff had to zoom into the kitchen to prepare for lunch.

  Sara couldn’t believe that today was the last day of Mickey’s Camp Care.

  She almost couldn’t wait to get Mickey home so the two of them would be able to talk nonstop. But then she’d miss Jesse.

  They all recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and then Jesse came out. “Welcome wranglers and ramrods and other staff. Welcome parents, guardians and caregivers. Welcome to the first event of the Camp Care Rodeo.” There was a round of applause. “Our first bull rider is from Canada, Justin Fletcher. Let’s see if he can ride for eight seconds.”

  Justin rode for six seconds before he got bucked off.

  Four other riders all got bucked off. Then it was time for the Beaumont Brothers.

  Reed and Luke rode, but Luke got bucked off.

  They all rode again with varying results, but the three Beaumont brothers still showed that they were world champions.

  “A big thanks to the Beaumonts for bringing their bulls to Camp Care. Now, stay put for the wranglers’ horse riding, ladies and gentlemen,” Lori said. “All entry riders, please go to the barn and saddle up!”

  Sara wanted to see Mickey lead his group, and Jesse told her just where to sit, on the edge of the bleachers on the side by her bunkhouse.

  Her heart was thumping and it was excruciating to wait. Finally, a bell rang, and Mickey walked Socks into the arena.

  Jesse walked alongside Mickey, but didn’t lead the horse. Mickey rode alone.

  The riders executed a turn in the arena, and then stopped. Sara’s heart soared. At the start of camp, she’d never believed in a million years that Mickey could ride a horse.