Page 77 of Love, Lies, and Whiskey

Mom: I’m having heart palpitations.

Tiny: Chip off the old block.

Dare: He’s a badass like his old man.

Cowboy: Make sure he keeps that helmet on.

Dare: We didn’t wear helmets.

Sasha: That explains a LOT.

Birdie: What a little heart stealer! Are there any hot guys my age there?

Birdie: I would make a cute buckle bunny.

A bunny emoji popped up from Birdie.

Tiny: Over my dead body.

Doc gritted his teeth, thumbing out, B, you’re banned from all bull-riding events.

Birdie sent an eye-roll emoji.

Sasha: Don’t worry, Birdie. I’ll sneak you in. She added a winking emoji.

Cowboy sent an angry emoji.

Three laughing emojis popped up from Birdie.

Birdie: Y’all are so easy to rile up. As if I’d ever chase a man?!

Mom: That’s my firecracker.

Sasha: When can we meet Lucas?

Birdie: After the way Doc acted when we saw them at the hospital, Lucas is probably afraid we’re all jerks.

Dare: Not all of us. He knows I’m cool.

Dare: And Cowboy’s pushy.

Laughing emojis popped up from Birdie and Sasha.

Doc: When he’s ready he’ll let us know. I’ve got to run.

He pocketed his phone and watched the rest of Lucas’s practice. Lucas had a rough ride his third time around. Doc held his breath when Lucas was thrown to the ground. But he popped up quickly and headed out of the ring.

When practice ended, Lucas put away his gear and headed over to Doc. “Hey.”

“Great practice. How’d it feel?”

“A’right, except when the bull turned back.” Turning back was a bucking pattern in which the bull bucked in one direction and made a sudden move in the opposite direction. “I don’t know what happened. I knew he was gonna do it. He’s got a history of turning back.”

“Cut yourself some slack. That’s how you learn.” As they headed to the truck, Doc said, “I always wanted to ride the bulls that never showed patterns.”

“Why?”

“They kept me on my toes. Ready for anything. Focusing on my grip and moving with the bull—keeping my free hand up, getting over its front end when it reared, and keeping my butt down when he kicked up his hind legs—and not what I thought he was going to do made me a better rider.”