Page 6 of Protecting Peyton

Serena left us when Lucas announced that she and Duke were next up.

Peyton was getting into it, yelling the count as they struggled to stay on.

Duke held on, but Serena slipped off at nine seconds, whooping with joy at their time on the clock. This wasn’t as tough as real bull riding, where the goal was to stay on for eight seconds, but it was still a good time.

“Zane and Peyton next,” Lucas called.

Peyton shook her head and backed off.

I waved Lucas off. “Since she’s a novice, we’ll go last.”

“Okay, computer guy,” Joe said. “Let’s show ’em how it’s done.”

Jordy jumped into the ring and onto the bull.

Joe grabbed his belt and yanked him off. “No way am I riding back seat.” It took him two tries to mount the slippery, leather-clad mechanical monster.

Jordy lithely jumped up, but instead of wrapping his arms around Old Joe, he grabbed his belt loops. “You stink.”

“Shut up and ride,” Joe grumbled.

The ride started, and Jordy lost his grip within two seconds.

I took Peyton’s hand. “Okay, gorgeous, our turn.” She couldn’t avoid this any longer. “The hundred is ours to win.”

She followed willingly. “Yeah. Win.”

The heavily padded floor of the ring was a struggle to walk on.

She rushed around and beat me to the bull. “I want to be in front.”

“You go, girl,” Serena yelled.

Our competition had attracted quite a crowd, and the girls around the ring hooted and egged her on with more you-go-girl comments.

The crowd hooted.

“You’re not strong enough to hold the rope with me yanking you back when it spins.”

“Help me up,” she insisted.

“I thought you wanted to win the hundred.”

She stepped back. “I do.”

I swung my leg up and over, then offered my arm to help lever her up behind me.

The girls around the ring booed the decision.

Next to the controls, Lucas yelled, “Peyton, nod when you’re ready.”

I wrapped the rope around my hand and gripped it tight. “Hold on as tight as you can.” The feel of her soft chest pressed up against my back was something I’d been waiting for, and it felt as good as I’d imagined.

Then, the mechanical beast started gyrating.

The crowd started counting the seconds.

At three, I felt her slip to the right. Then she centered herself again on the next buck.