by Nancy M Bell
“Man, Chris’ is insane! I couldn’t get in and I didn’t see you anywhere so I thought I’d try here. You done already?” She paused to give the waitress her order.
“Just having another cup of coffee.” She glanced at her watch. “Where are they with the slack?”
“Tie down roping is done and they’ve started on the bull dogging. They won’t be done before we get back if you want to keep me company while I eat.”
“Sure. I want to watch some of the girls in the slack, there’s a few up and comers there on some good horses.” Michelle leaned back and people watched out the front window while Allie inhaled her food. Even bundled up against the weather the diversity of people in a small town like Coleman never ceased to amaze her.
“Ready?”
Allie startled Michelle out of her contemplation of the locals parading by on the sidewalk outside. She scrambled to her feet and drained the last of her coffee. “Sure, let’s go. You drive down or do you need a ride?”
I caught a ride down, so if you don’t mind, a lift would be great.”
“No problem.” She shrugged into her jacket and fished the keys out of her pocket. The wind whipped snow stung her face when they stepped out of the restaurant. Hunching her shoulders Michelle ran for the shelter of the truck. Inside the cab it seemed strangely quiet after the howling storm outside. “Damn, I hope this eases off before I have to drive home.”
“You and me both,” Allie agreed.
The short drive back to the rodeo grounds took longer than usual. A few cars fishtailed in front of them and a rear wheel drive pickup ended up facing the wrong way on the sidewalk. Weaving her way carefully through the carnage, she heaved a sigh of relief when she pulled up in the lee of the sportsplex building. Rather than leave the tack in the trailer Michelle decided to bring it in and let the leather warm up. If the storm got worse like it threatened to, she didn’t want to be fumbling around in the cold and dark later. Allie held the half door to keep the wind from slamming it closed while Michelle gathered her gear. Locking the storage area, the two girls battled their way to the entrance.
“Thanks for the help.” Michelle set the saddle on its nose and draped the bridle and pad over the upturned end. She unlocked the tack stall and stored her equipment. After checking on Spud and Flint the women headed for the arena where a sparse crowd was cheering on the girls racing in the slack. “Remember those days?” She grinned at Allie. “I thought I‘d never make it into the evening performance.”
“Me too. No early morning hauling and hanging around.”
They climbed the bleacher like seats and found a good vantage point. They spent the next hour or so watching the competitors and comparing notes on the riders and their horses. “You staying to watch the team roping?” Allie stood up and stretched.
“Nope. I’m gonna go brush Spud and take a peek and see if that little arena is free to give him a bit of a workout before tonight. If it wasn’t for the stupid snow I’d take him for a bit of a ride up into the trees.”
Allie laughed. “Good luck with that in this weather. I think I’m gonna stick around, see who shows up.” She sat back down.
“Hoping to run into Clay, or his big brother?” Michelle teased.
“Maybe, maybe not.” She grinned back.
Michelle left the stands while they were setting up for the team roping slack. After brushing the gelding and giving him a light workout to loosen his muscles, she drove back to the hotel. On the way she picked up a large coffee and some snacks. Pulling up outside the hotel room, she let herself in and tossed the truck keys on the dresser by the TV. Stretched out on the bed she propped herself up with pillows and flipped through the channels while enjoying her coffee. Crumpling the chip bag in her hand she tossed it in the general direction of the garbage can.
A glance at the clock told her it was only two-thirty. Time for a nap before she needed to get ready for the evening go. Turning on her side, she punched the remote to turn off the TV and rearranged the pillows to get comfortable. It was nice to be warm and cozy while the wind howled outside.
It was getting dark when she woke up. Turning on the bedside lamp she checked her phone for the time. Four o’clock. Time to get moving. She pulled her good shirt out of the duffle bag along with a pair of clean jeans. It only took a moment to transfer her belt with the big championship buckle from her dirty jeans to the new ones. Tucking the flashy shirt into the waist band she settled the pants on her hips and did up the belt. Hair had escaped from her braid so she spent a few minutes brushing it out and re-braiding it. She shrugged into her jacket and picked her hat up from the chair where she’d tossed it. It was still a bit damp from the snow, but hopefully Spud would be moving so fast nobody would notice. She grinned.
The parking lot was filling up fast when she got to the sportsplex. It was going to be a good crowd in spite of the storm. Excitement curled in her gut and adrenalin made her skin crawl. No more coffee or she’d be so hyped it would affect Spud’s performance. Michelle left the truck and entered the building. She circled the barn area a few times to try and wear off some of the pre-run nervous energy. The house lights were up and the chute area was lined with competitors perched on the top rail. Saddle Bronc was the first event, the stock contractors were busy getting the horses sorted so they’d load into the chutes in the right order of go. The draw for mounts had taken place much earlier and the cowboys were comparing their books on the animal’s habits and idiosyncrasies.
The big arena clock read six-fifteen. If she wanted to use the practice ring and warm Spud up some she’d have to get a move on. The other girls were starting to show up and there was a general confusion as they all worked to get ready and into the ring. Michelle let Spud move with a low ground-covering trot. The gelding knew his business, there was no point doing any fast work or running any barrels at speed like some of the girls were. When there was a lull, she took her turn and loped Spud through the cloverleaf pattern taking care to be sure where his footfalls were. Satisfied, she pulled him up and stood quietly out of the way. A roar from the main ring accompanied each bronc and rider as they exploded out of the chute. Bare Back followed the Saddle Broncs. Michelle took Spud back to the stall and wandered back to watch the bulls.
She spotted Kayla in the front row of the stands. Her hands clenched on the rail and her face paper white. Rob was third in the go and he’d drawn a bull called Show Down. Michelle hopped up on the chute beside Rolly and punched him in the arm. “Hey, long time no see. What are you doing here?”
“Hey, Chelly. Just came down to see what’s what and maybe scare up an outrider or two.”
“What happened to your regular guys?”
“Chance took a spill in practice and busted an arm, and to make things worse, Jake had a wreck with some of the youngsters. Busted up the old wagon I use for training and broke his arm and a leg.”
“Shitty luck. Doc told me about the arm, didn’t know about the leg. You finding anyone to replace them?”
“Not so far. Some of the guys will loan me some of their outriders, but if we’re in the same heat or we’re running back to back, it gets kinda hard.”
“Oh, here we go.” She pointed to the chutes as a big Brahma trotted into place and stood tossing his head while the bull rider and his helpers fussed with the bull rope.
“It’s exciting to watch, but those boys need their heads read.” Michelle shook her head.
“I’ll take my chances on the seat of my wagon any day,” Rolly agreed.
She stayed to watch Rob, who made the buzzer and scrambled for the chutes when the bull attempted to escape the bull fighters dressed as clowns who hazed it toward the exit. “Gotta go. Wish me luck, I can use the points, not to mention the day money.”
She jumped down and headed back to the barns. There was still tie down roping and bull dogging to run yet. This was the worst part, the waiting and itching to just get out there and go for it. Nerves always got the best of her and she made the obligatory tr
ip to the bathroom. Even if she didn’t really have to go, she always thought she did. Better to be safe than sorry. Before she left the brightly lit room she checked her appearance. Hair still braided, lipstick still in place, shirt tucked in, hat pulled down low. Good to go.
Finally the team ropers returned to the barn area and the bull dogging was under way. She collected Spud, tightened his cinch and checked the tack one more time. She swung up into the saddle and made her way to the practice ring. A couple of turns at the lope and she joined the other women in the holding area. They were fourth to go. No too bad, the arena wouldn’t be too torn up by then and she’d have a chance to see how the competitors in front of her handled the footing. She forced herself to breathe deeply and relax.
Spud shifted under her in anticipation. Michelle ran a hand down his neck to soothe him. “Soon, buddy. Soon.” The first horse and rider blew down the chute. She craned her neck and stood in the stirrups in order to see as much of the run as she could. They turned in a time of 14.632. She settled back into the saddle with a smile. If Spud ran like she knew he could, they’d beat that time easy. Wheeling the gelding around, she guided him around the small holding pen a few times. The guy manning the gate called to let her know she was on deck. Michelle nodded and waited for the last competitor to come down the chute and pull up. Her eyes were glued to the end of the entry gate anticipating the signal they were ready in the arena. Spud snorted and shook his head, fighting the bridle at bit in his eagerness to run.
“You’re up!”
Michelle leaned forward and gave Spud his cue. The gelding exploded beneath her, the crowd’s roar seemed a long way away as they rounded the first barrel. She stayed as quiet in the saddle as possible and let him find his path to the second barrel. Down the long straight away to the top, he dipped his shoulder a little lower than she would have liked coming in, but the barrel stayed upright as they brushed by. One last dash to the finish line, Spud stretched out long and low with his ground eating stride, then they flashed out of the ring and down the chute. She pulled the horse up and slapped his neck in appreciation.
“Nice run, Michelle,” Allie congratulated her. “I’m gonna have to run my ass off to beat that time.”
Michelle glanced at the time posted—13.514. “Good job, Spud man.” She let her horse walk a bit to let his breathing slow and his heartrate to return to normal. Once they were clear and had a bit of room, Michelle swung down and loosened the girth. Back at the stall she stripped him down and took him to the wash stall. Rinsing the sweat and arena dirt from him only took a few minutes. Throwing the lead shank over his neck, she covered him with a wool cooler and walked him back to the stall. A roar from the crowd told her that someone had turned in a really good time. She tossed Spud some hay and left him to dry while she went back to watch the rest of the girls run.
At the end of the night, her time still stood. Thank God for that, the day money would help cover her costs. The snow was still coming down thick and fast outside. Hopefully it would be done by the time she had to haul home tomorrow. She made her way back to Spud’s stall and removed the damp cooler. Underneath the horse’s coat was warm and dry. Soon he was snug and warm in his stable blanket while she rubbed his legs down with liniment, the sharp smell stinging her nose and eyes.
She stood up and stretched. Part of her wanted to join her friends and celebrate at the bar and part of her just wanted to fall into bed. Damn, I miss Cale. Pulling her phone out of her pocket she texted him her good news. There was no immediate response and she tried not to be disappointed. By the time the tack was stowed in the trailer and Spud was set for the night, Michelle vetoed the partying and drove to the hotel.
Her phone buzzed while she wrestled with the key in the door. Maybe it’s Cale. She dropped her coat on the chair and kicked off her boots. Fishing the cell out of a back pocket she called up the message. Damn! It was Rob, wanting to know where she was and why wasn’t she celebrating. Seemed Rob had high score in the bulls. She texted back, refusing his offer to buy her a beer and neglecting to say where she was at the moment. Let Kayla ride herd on him. There was still no message from Cale.
Michelle tried to call Mary but the connection wouldn’t go through. Stupid snow. Reception in the mountains was always chancy anyway, but why couldn’t it just this once give her a break. Giving up on the phone, she turned on the TV. The weather report said the snow should ease up overnight and clear out by mid-day. Thank goodness for small mercies. Flicking off the news, she wandered into the bathroom and stood under the hot shower. Bed and sleep were high on her list of priorities. She tied her wet hair back in a ponytail and slid between the covers. Almost before her head hit the pillow she was asleep.
* * *
Her inner alarm woke her up before the sun. Slipping out of bed she padded to the window and peered out. A few desultory flakes were still falling, but for the most part the snow seemed to have stopped. Good, the drive home shouldn’t be too bad. Quickly, she dressed and packed up her few belongings. The hotel office had her credit card so she left the key on the dresser and threw her things into the truck. At the Petro Can she grabbed a large coffee and filled up the tank of the truck. The Saturday slack competitors were milling around the barns, but not too many others were present. Spud whinnied at the sound of her feet when she turned into his aisle. She gave him his breakfast and packed up the contents of the tack stall. By the time everything was loaded in the trailer Spud was done with his grain and looking for his hay.
“You can eat in the trailer, bud.” Michelle removed the water bucket, dumped it down the drain at the end of the aisle and retrieved the rubber feed tub from the stall. She stashed them in the storage compartment of the fifth wheel and hurried back to collect Spud.
“C’mon, boy. Let’s hit the road. I want to get back home and see Cale.”
“You leavin’ already?” Allie appeared outside the stall.
“Yeah, I need to get home. You stickin’ around?”
“For a while anyway. You planning on going to Drayton in a couple of weeks?”
“I’m entered. Not sure if I’m taking Rain or not, but Spud and me will be there. Don’t party too hard.” She grinned.
“Don’t you worry about me.” Allie laughed. “See ya in Drayton.”
“Bye.” Michelle led Spud out of the stall and through the barn door. The gelding loaded willingly into the trailer and she secured the divider and the back gate. It would be good to get home and see Cale. She loved rodeo but going down the road almost every weekend without Cale was going to suck big time. At least the snow has stopped. She maneuvered out of the parking lot and turned onto the main road. Heading east along the Crowsnest highway she contemplated not taking the more direct route of highway 22 north and continuing east to the number 2. Driving through the mountains in April could be tricky, but it was the quickest route home. The road report said the route should be clear. Making her decision Michelle indicated and turned north. The road climbed and followed the narrow valley. The Chain Lakes were strung out along the left hand side of the highway surrounded by snow encrusted evergreens.
The road climbed at bit and at the higher elevation snow covered the asphalt. The truck’s four wheel drive engaged and Michelle’s stomach clenched. “God, I hate snow.” She ground her teeth. Memory flashes of the wreck two years ago set her hands shaking. It’s not going to happen again, it’s not going to happen again. She repeated the mantra over and over. “Quit being stupid. Concentrate on driving. It’s not that far,” Michelle chastised herself.
A few more miles and the weak sun disappeared behind a bank of thick clouds. Forcing her fingers to relax on the wheel, she kept going. There wasn’t any other choice anyway, there was nothing around but mountains, the lakes and the snow covered road. Snow began to fall when she reached the junction of secondary highway 520. Damn and double damn. She turned up the radio, the connection to the world outside the cab of the truck in some strange way gave her a sense of safety. Like nothing ba
d could happen while Ian Tyson was singing about summer wages. It was a silly notion, but it did provide a measure of comfort.
The storm continued to thicken. Michelle spared a second to glare at the radio as the announcer blithely announced the sun was shining in Calgary, and it was overcast in Okotoks and Banff. “Really? What about it’s snowing like a bitch south of Longview?” Her attention returned to the road, concentrating on keeping the vehicle straight. Thank God the road was fairly straight. The windshield wipers fought to keep up with the slushy spring snowfall.
A truck passed going in the opposite direction throwing up a veil of slush and snow. The wheels of the pickup caught in the thick wet snow and pulled it toward the shoulder of the road. Michelle fought the wheel, struggling to pull free of the unplowed snow. The trailer fishtailed a bit. Sweat broke out on her forehead and heat swept over her body. In slow motion the truck continued to slide toward the ditch.
“No, no, no, no.” Somewhere, someone was chanting and Michelle wished they’d just shut up. Biting her lip, she realized it was her voice. She breathed a sigh of relief when the front wheels caught some traction on a bare bit of road. To her horror, the trailer continued to push forward and shove the pickup deeper into the snow. Her heart stuttered and she swallowed bile as the trailer tilted sideways and slid into the ditch dragging the truck with it. It came to rest half on its side before toppling the rest of the way over.
The seatbelt dug into her neck and shoulder. She killed the engine and fought down the panic. Frantically, she wrestled with the seatbelt and finally managed to get free of it. Bracing her feet against the centre console she forced the driver door open and scrambled out. She landed knee deep in snow and floundered for a moment. Spud, I have to get to Spud. Stumbling through the snow Michelle managed to reach the trailer. “Spud? Spud?” Her voice broke and she had to pause and control her panicked breathing. She climbed up the trailer and looked inside. Spud was lying on his side but didn’t seem to be in too much distress. Slithering down, Michelle struggled around to the read and forced her cold fingers to undo the latches. The trailer was lying so that the door flopped open unto the drifted snow. Thank God it hadn’t landed on the other side, she would have had to prop the damn thing open with something. The gelding nickered when she crawled inside and put a hand on his shoulder. “I know, bud. I’m gonna get you outta here. Just let me think for a minute.” Careful to stay clear of his hooves, she checked him over as best she could. He didn’t seem to be bleeding and other than being in an awkward position, he didn’t seem too distressed. Nothing looked like it was broken.