Page 130 of The Wildest Ride

Purple silenced the rest with a hand. “Can you get us tickets?”

“Uh. I don’t know. I’d have to ask.”

“Will you ask?” This from the bride. Her pout had an edge to it, like a shank carved out of a bar of soap.

“I’d love to ask for you—” Lil started, but stopped as each of the women’s mouths dropped open into perfect little circles. They looked like a nest of baby birds, but vacant instead of hungry.

Lil turned slowly, knowing what she’d find.

AJ stood behind her, enormously tall and muscled, turned out to a T in his navy button-up, cream cowboy hat, and crisp blue jeans. His boots were brown, soft and supple, and his freshly shaved face looked like smooth silk in the flashing lights of the casino floor.

“My friend and I can certainly assist you lovely ladies. Why don’t you come along with me?” He laid the drawl on heavy at the end and the women melted in front of him.

The bride squealed and the whole crew joined in with whistles and heys, and Lil tried to steady her heart. Each and every one of these women wanted him. Hell, the bride even let out a tiny sigh following behind him while she twirled her engagement ring.

Not a single one looked back at Lil. She hadn’t moved. He’d saved her, but the price was watching him walk away surrounded by a sea of adoring women. She would have rather saved herself.

With that certainty dragging through what was left of her peace, she made it the rest of the way to the draw platform unmolested.

AJ was already there. A quick glance around the gates revealed that AJ had installed the rainbow crew where buckle bunnies typically parked, which, honestly, seemed fitting. They’d certainly have something to talk about for years to come. A few of them might even walk away with cowboy memories of a more personal nature.

Hank jogged up the four stairs to the platform last, a bit out of breath, after she’d selected one of the positions around the draw bowl—a big silver thing that was way too large for the three note cards folded and tossed in its center.

The arena was packed, but hushed, and it was a strange sensation, being surrounded by thousands of people holding their breath. Everyone’s attention was on the bowl, the jumbotron cameras zoomed in on its future-changing contents.

Everything was about the bulls tonight.

Shadow Haint was the lightweight of the bunch. He’d killed just once, and never otherwise maimed. Cortes came in second: he’d killed once, and broken many a cowboy’s legs, collarbones, and arms. Sweet Suzy had killed twice and been responsible for paralyzing four additional men. His stompings were legendary.

The announcer built the drama until the audience was gasping and it was time to draw a card. AJ went first, then Hank, and Lil took what was left.

Her hand shook slightly as she unfolded her card. She nearly jumped as she first saw the large blackCofCortes. The sweet spot. No draw turned out to be just a fine draw after all.

She looked over to AJ to see what he’d drawn and couldn’t read his face. Then he smiled and raised his card high in the air.

“Sweet Suzy!”

Lil’s stomach sank. AJ got the most dangerous bull.

The bulls determined the order for the event. She was up first on the mighty Cortes, AJ up next on Sweet Suzy, and then Hank would take on Shadow Haint. But Sweet Suzy was one of the deadliest bulls in PBRA history.

She couldn’t focus on that. Not when she was about to take on a man killer herself. AJ was the best of the three of them. He was the best suited to take on Sweet Suzy.

An announcer gave a five-minute-start warning over the PA system and Lil’s heart thundered, her mind spinning images of bad falls and gaggles of women in rainbow dresses hanging all over AJ.

The arena seated forty thousand and was supposedly sold out. That many people were watching her.

A large warm hand clamped down on her shoulder. He stayed behind her, but leaned down to whisper in her ear: “You’ve got this.”

She tried to turn and face him, but his firm grip on her shoulder wouldn’t let her, and then he was passing her, down the stairs in a few steps, and enveloped by a rainbow sea.

She vowed to wear black for the rest of her life.

Just as soon as she found her calm place.

Gran’s last words to her back at the ranch sprang into her mind unbidden.

Gran was always working some long-range plan, meddling in people’s lives. Granddad said they would’ve been rich if she’d spent half that energy on making money.