Extreme Bull

thinking of the ride. “That wasn’t a good one.”
    “No reride for you.”
    “They wouldn’t let me; that dick in first aid probably reported me,” Jeff said sadly.
    “Let’s go to my trailer.”
    “I thought you’d never ask.”
    Clay grinned. “I never actually have before, have I?”
    “Prick.”
    Sam came up to them, grinning as he overheard the last words. “Clay, gotta borrow our boy here for a minute and trot him out in the ring.”
    “What for?” Jeff protested. His arm ached, and he wanted to close his eyes. Maybe take a pain pill.
    “You got hurt. Folks’ll want to know you’re okay.”
    “Okay then,” Jeff said after a pause. He’d been so focused on his competition with Clay and needing the points Extreme Bull | Catt Ford
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    to make the finals that he’d never given a thought to the audience.
    “All they saw is that you got hurt,” Sam said. He ushered Jeff back to the ring, peering between the rails of the fence. “You got yourself a passel of fans, you know. You and Clay both. We’ll just let Terrence fall off his bull, and we’ll go inside, let you take a bow. Then you can take a load off.”
    Clay remained in the shadows, not wanting to steal Jeff’s thunder. He was just as surprised to hear that Jeff had a following, although he deserved it. He was a scrappy rider.
    Sam unhooked the gate and led Jeff inside after Terrence’s bull ended the ride. “Just hold up both your hands so’s they can see that brace, and take a bow.” Jeff raised his hands tentatively, surprised and pleased when the crowd roared with shouts of approval. Several groups of people in the stands stood up to applaud and more followed their example. He turned to bow to each section.
    Caleb trotted up and held out his fingers like horns, bending over to dash at Jeff. Sam laughed and said, “Don’t gore him, Caleb. He’s one of our boys.” Jeff stuck out his hand and shook Caleb’s. “Thanks, dude. If I never thanked you before, you do a great job.” The people in the stands seemed pleased with this demonstration and cheered louder.

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    “All it takes is to be a little bit smarter than a cow, and you’re a bullfighter,” Caleb said, consulting a big clown watch with no hands on his wrist. “Gotta go. Got asses to save and bulls to wrangle.”
    “Go for it,” Jeff said.
    “Come on, cowboy, gotta let ’em buck.” Sam put his hand on Jeff’s back, guiding him out of the ring, pausing to let him wave one last time.
    “Thanks, Sam,” Jeff said. It had been just what he needed after blowing his chances for the year and getting injured. Just the fact that Sam had engineered the moment meant more to him than the crowd’s affirmation.
    “You’ll do,” Sam said. He clapped Jeff’s shoulder and strode off.
    Clay was waiting for him past the chutes. “Ready?”
    “Yeah,” Jeff sighed.
    “Come on. Let’s go to my rig.”
    Jeff walked silently beside Clay, feeling like he would bite Clay’s head off if he tried to help by grabbing his arm or guiding him along, but Clay just walked beside him, not touching him. When they came to his trailer, Clay unlocked the door and stood back so Jeff could climb the stairs on his own.

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    “Did that medic give you a pain pill?”
    “He gave me a bunch in this,” Jeff admitted, getting the container out of his pocket. “Not like I could get one out myself,” he muttered as Clay twisted the cap.
    “It’s okay, I’m here. I’ll open it for you.” Jeff swallowed the tablet with water that Clay held for him. “Thanks.”
    “Let’s get you undressed.”
    “You horndog.”
    “Yeah, that’s me. Can’t wait to shuck you out of your clothes,” Clay joked. He knelt to tug off Jeff’s boots and rubbed his hands over his thighs. “Don’t ever do that again.”
    “What, fight with you? Or ride with an injury?” Clay laughed. They all rode with injuries. That was just part of it. And life without an occasional fight seemed dull, not that either of them showed any tendency to knuckle under in the name of peace. “Neither, I guess. I could say don’t make me worry about you, but I guess that’s not in the cards either, is it?”
    “Unlikely.”
    Clay stood up and pulled Jeff to his feet to unbutton his shirt. “You can stay with me while you’re mending.” Extreme Bull | Catt Ford
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    Jeff’s lips trembled a little. “The season’s over for me, Clay. I don’t have the