Sam had to admit the kid didn’tlookblind or scared.
“Sammy, you pull, I’ll settle.” Beau climbed on up, working gates.
He nodded, got the rope down around the bull, and pulled it up. “Jase? You’re left-handed?”
“Yeah, I ride Brazilian.”
Sam nodded again and started helping. The little bull’d been worked a lot, he could tell. The critter was calm, quiet in the chute. Those ears swiveled back and forth, the hooves stomped, but that was it. The ropes went on, lickety split, and before they knew it, Jason was kneeing down over the broad back.
“Okay, cowboy. I’ll tighten you up. Bax is out there, waiting on you.”
“Gotta keep my fucking eyes open. Bax says. Keep your damn eyes open, Mini.” Jase was muttering, talking to himself hard.
Beau was quiet. The man was used to pulling rope for him, and he didn’t need babbling. Sammy thought maybe Jason needed some reinforcement.
“That’s right, man. Eyes open, and keep your damn ass down. Don’t need no light there.”
Beau chuckled, Jason snorted, and Andy whistled. “Any time, y’all. We’re burnin’ daylight.”
Sammy swung off the gate, grabbed the chute rope. “Anytime, little man.”
“Fuck you, Bell.”
“No, sir,” Beau said. “That’s my job. Nod your head, Jay-Jay.”
Jason’s eyes went wide, and the kid nodded, so Sam pulled the gate open, the metal swinging wide.
The bull bucked out good, spinning to the left, a little slow but good with the rhythm. One, two, three, four…
“Keep your fucking eyes open!” Bax screamed as Jason started to slide and, sure as shit, the little cowboy righted himself, made the correction, and held on.
Shit, the bastard even spurred during the last eight.
Now, if he could just get off.
“Time, Mini! Right! Right!” Andy was yelling, the bull was turning toward him, and if Jason did what he was told, they could get him to the rail.
Jason nodded and dragged his hand out, jumping off and landing square on his feet.
“Go, Mini. Turn ninety and run.” Man, Andy was good at giving directions. Jase was good at following. He turned in place and ran, and Beau got his reaching hand. Up and over and Jase was in the chutes again.
“Fuck me. You did it.” Sammy couldn’t believe it.
Jason grinned. “Yeah. Is there another loaded?”
“Yeah. Andy says he’s the one who spins fast. You ready for that?” Beau clapped Jason on the back, laughing right out loud.
“Shit, yeah!” Jason seemed like a different person, alive and awake, focused. Maybe Pharris wasn’t crazy.
“Then let’s load ‘em up, Sammy. Get that rope.”
They got working on the next one. He whistled as he set it up, the rhythm familiar and easy as pie. The rope went on, the bull went out. Jason rode it. Again, easy as pie.
It was fucking unreal.
They went through all four of the bulls, proving that Jase could do a two-bull night with re-rides, no worries. Now, add ambient noises from forty-some bull riders, two announcers, aclown, three bullfighters, and twenty thousand screaming fans? That would be different.
Still, it wasn’t completely impossible, was it?
