Bullheaded

on top after this summer.”
    “That flash of muscle memory gave you a brilliant ride tonight, but it’s telling you a lie you want to believe. The reality is you’re getting older, you don’t heal as fast as you did even two years ago.”
    “I do the work in the gym to keep flexible and strong—”
    “You’re stronger than 98 percent of the men in this country. Hell! Stronger than 90 percent of the other bull riders, but it’s not enough anymore. I’d rather you could walk in your waning years than me pushing you around in a wheelchair because you broke both legs. Or worse.”
    “Hey! I’m not on a cane yet! When I’m eighty I’ll still be bending you over my walker!”
    Johnny laughed at the image of the two of them fumbling to pull that off in old age. “Trouble is, you’re not ready to let go of calling yourself a bull rider yet, but it’s not the only way to compete. How about setting your sights on Stock Contractor of the Year?”
    “It’s hard to admit but you could have a point. But it just won’t be the same kind of rush.”
    “You never know ’til you try. Think about when you show up at an event with a bull and people say you know it’s a good one because Cody Grainger brought it to the ring. It’s a bull you can win on.” Seeing Cody still looked unconvinced, Johnny added, “I never would have picked bullfighting over riding to start with and look at me now. Vern made it official tonight. I’m part of the Top Cut bullfighting team!”
    “You totally deserve it.” Cody looked down and rubbed his hand over his new gold buckle, looking at it proudly. “Want to wear it for a while? It’s yours just as much as it is mine.”
    “How do you figure that? It wasn’t me up on that bull’s back making the whistle.”
    “I never would have been able to ride him without you. Not just the stuff you told me about how to ride him, but everything we went through. I think I need you to bring me back down to earth.”
    “It’s a beautiful buckle, but no. It’s yours.” Johnny covered Cody’s hand over it with his. “You earned it. You wear it with pride.”
    “I thought you’d feel that way.” Cody lifted Johnny’s hand resting on his and kissed it. “Be right back.”
    He limped across the room and got a small box out of a drawer. He crossed the room nervously and stood in front of Johnny, looking like an embarrassed little boy.
    “This is for you.” Cody flushed red as he held out the box.
    It was wrapped in manly silver paper with a black ribbon. Their fingers touched as Johnny took it from him. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”
    “I wanted to. Something to show you that you’re my champion.”
    Feeling a bit embarrassed, Johnny took the wrapping off carefully. He lifted the lid. Beneath some white cotton filler was a black leather band.
    “Keep going.”
    He lifted the white cotton square and gasped. “Cody, it’s beautiful!”
    A relieved grin spread over Cody’s face. “You like it? I had it made for you.”
    Johnny lifted the necklace out of the box. The pendant felt solid and familiar in his hand. “An arrowhead.”
    “Johnny Arrow, get it?”
    “Duh, I get it.”
    The gleaming arrow was made of gold, with a cloud ladder of silver zigzagging diagonally down to the central point. One side gleamed burnished gold, while on the other a starry sky was made from a field of black jasper inlaid with stars of turquoise and ice opal. His fingers trembled as he closed his hand around the tapered pendant possessively.
    “Someone Diné must have made this.”
    “I found the guy online. Calvin Begay. Any relation?”
    Johnny snorted with laughter. “I told you, Begay is like the Diné version of Smith and Jones. I doubt it. How did you ever—” He opened his hand and looked at the pendant in disbelief. “It’s so beautiful.”
    “When the tour went through New Mexico, I went to his studio. I told him about you and this is what he came up with.” Cody licked his lips nervously. “I hope it means something to you.”
    “It means a lot coming from you.”
    “Let me put it on for you.” Cody took the necklace from him and unhooked the cord, leaning over him to fasten it around his neck. “It’s almost as beautiful as you are.”
    Johnny got up to look in the mirror. He unbuttoned his shirt, opening it so the cloud ladder on his skin was visible near the gleaming gold. He stroked the pendant delicately with a fingertip. “I love it. I’ll never take