It was like watching in slow motion as Adam pulled his chin to his chest and gave a nod. With that, the chute flew open, and he came out on top of that huge bull. He had to be a good five or six feet off the ground.
“He’s riding Shotgun Shiloh,” the announcer said. “One huge Brahma.”
Merry Anna winced as the bull, as black as gunpowder, jetted out the gate and veered back toward it, whipping Adam around with him.
She screamed, even though she didn’t mean to. In fact, everyone else had been just as jolted as she by the sheer power of that exit. The braided, thick rope that connected Adam to the bull swung as Adam jerked to and fro.
Merry Anna was on pins and needles throughout the longest eight seconds ever. Adam spurred and held on by one hand tied to the rope, bobbling atop that huge animal until finally the buzzer sounded.
She realized just then that she’d grabbed Ginger’s arm, clutching it as if that would somehow keep Adam from flinging off Shotgun Shiloh and landing in their laps.
“I’m sorry.” Merry Anna rubbed her friend’s arm. “I didn’t mean to.”
“I didn’t even feel it.” Ginger screamed and clapped. “Wasn’t that something?”
“Something. Yes, for sure.”
The pickup men raced their horses alongside the bull, and Adam reached toward one of the horses and used it to dismount from the bull and then scrambled for the gate. He climbed quickly to the top and shook his hat in the air.
The crowd went absolutely wild!
The bull snorted and faced off with one of the bullfighters for a hot second but then finally trotted down the arena alley. Those bullfighters might look like clowns with their baggy clothes and face paint, but there was no goofing around in that job. Fearless is what they were.
Over the loudspeaker, the announcer exclaimed, “And our local favorite, Adam Locklear, has done it again—the first cowboy to ever ride Shotgun Shiloh in this arena! Give a big round of applause to him and his score of 92.5.”
Adam climbed over the rail, and the other cowboys pounded his back with enthusiasm. He grabbed his flank strap from the ground where the bull had kicked it off, and then he headed behind the chutes.
“He’s flat-out crazy.” Merry Anna hadn’t meant to say it out loud.
But Ginger laughed. “I don’t know about that, but he’s darn-sure fearless.”
“My heart is racing like I just finished a boxing class.”
“It’s exciting. Didn’t I tell you?” Ginger nudged her. “Glad you came, right?”
“It was something, all right. It’s scary enough, but when it’s someone you know, it’s terrifying.”
She only half paid attention as the next bull riders took their turns. They barely made it out of the gate before they hit the dirt. Adam had made it look effortless.
It went so fast. One…two…three more cowboys with no score. And yet those eight seconds she had watched Adam felt like forever.
The scores were announced, and Adam was the big winner for the night.
—
Merry Anna saw Roger and Adam talking on the other side of the arena.
Ginger leaned in and whispered, “Look at the way all those cowgirl wannabes come on to him. They treat him like he’s some kind of movie star.”
She’d noticed. It even irritated her a little, and that bothered her more than they did. It took almost twenty minutes for the two men to make their way through all those cowboy-hungry women to where she and Ginger sat waiting with the kids.
Roger lifted Ginger straight into the air, spun her around, and set her back down. “Great night. Yeah!”
“That was a fantastic ride, Adam. Congratulations!” Ginger flung both hands in the air and high-fived him. “I hope your luck never runs out.”
“I hope it lasts long enough to get me to the finals,” Adam said.
“Ain’t that right,” Roger said.
