Jones nodded, but that was not what he was really asking about, and Adam knew it.
“Heard you placed first out in Texas a few weeks ago,” Jones said.
“Yes sir.” Adam stacked another bag of feed. Jones knew that Adam’s folks didn’t like him rodeoing. They’d much rather he settle down and just run the store, get married, and have a family, but Jones lived it. He understood. “I’m having the best year of my life.” Adam jumped out of the truck to the ground. “If I keep my head right, I’ll make the finals this year.”
“Your dream.” Jones looked him level in the eye. “You be careful.” Jones patted his leg and grimaced. “You’re going to feel every one of those buckoffs when you’re old and gray like me. It ain’t for sissies.”
“No sir. I know it, but finally everything is really going my way. The rides. Heading for the finals in Vegas.” He crossed his fingers. “And I’ve sold off the bunkhouse and the manor house to buy in with a stock contractor. If I can win this thing, my name will mean something, and I can shift to the livestock side of things.”
“Where it don’t hurt so bad,” Jones added, finishing his sentence.
“Got that right. Won’t be as much fun either, but if I can go out on a high note, it would be good timing.”
“Yeah, well, you and I can say that. Most folks just think we’re crazy.” He twisted his wrist, rubbing it with his other hand. Probably an old rodeo injury. “Don’t end up old and alone like me, boy. When I was your age, I had more women than I could nod to. Now no one wants to take care of a broke-up, wore-out, cranky cowboy.”
“But I’m not cranky.”
“You will be. You hurt like this, you’ll be cranky.” He pointed his finger to heaven. “Even that guy can’t fix these battle scars. He keeps us alive, thank goodness, but if you’re gonna rodeo, you gotta pay the price at some point. Now or later. Used to think later was the goal. Now I’m not so sure.”
Adam walked over to the truck to shake Jones’s hand. “How many miles are on this old thing now?”
Jones got in and slammed the door. “As many miles asIhave, I presume. I just put in the third motor and fourth transmission.”
“Keep on truckin’, old man.”
“You know it. Are you riding here locally this weekend?”
“Yes sir. Can’t miss out on points rides when they are this close to home.”
“I hear ya. Good luck. Maybe I’ll see you out there.”
“I’d like that.” Since Grandpa couldn’t be there, Jones would be the next best thing.
Just as Jones revved up the truck, the new woman in town walked by. Adam had seen her around often enough, but she hadn’t even noticed him. Probably didn’t even know that bunkhouse she was living in used to be his. Her wavy brown hair swung across her shoulders. He imagined his fingers tangled in it for a moment, then caught himself.
“Who is that?” The comment came from behind him.
“Oh, nobody.” Adam blew off the musing and focused his attention back on Jones.
“Mm-hmm.” Jones snickered. “ ‘Nobody’ got your attention. Careful, boy. Get your heart all tied up in knots, and it’ll throw off your balance. Can’t ride a bull with no balance.”
“You don’t have to tell me. There’ll be none of that. I’m not going to take a single chance of blowing this dream year.”
“Good luck. See you around.” Jones took off with the window rolled down and country music blaring from the radio.
Adam went back to the loading ramp and handed his gloves to the kid standing there. “Here you go. All yours, man.” He couldn’t have been more than seventeen, tall and lanky. Adam probably looked like that when he was that age.
“Thanks, Adam!” The kid slid his hand into one of the gloves and knocked his other knuckles into the leather.
Adam went inside to his office, sat down at his desk, and worked through the inventory reports and last week’s sales numbers. The store was still holding its own, even though he’d spent less time here this year than any other.
He glanced up at the picture of Grandpa on the wall in front of him. “I’ve got to get this right, Grandpa.” Adam’s medical degree hung on the wall, too, half-hidden by a stack of farm-equipment catalogs. He’d completed the education part to please his father, but rodeo was what he’d always known he’d do. His schooling wasn’t a complete waste. He’d used a lot of those skills on himself, and buddies, after ride wrecks. He knew more than some of the EMTs who hung around behind the chutes. Dad never saw it that way, though. He was an utter disappointment in his father’s eyes. Adam could see it every time the man looked his way.
He got on the phone and placed the special orders that hadcome in that week, then got the new kid working on cleaning up the shelves. One thing about this old building was it got dusty quickly, and Grandpa didn’t like a dirty store.
“It might be a farm store, and the people that come in here might have dirt on their boots, but this place will always be clean to show our appreciation for their business.”Grandpa’s words were as clear now as if he’d been standing here saying them himself.
At the end of the day, Adam walked through the store and checked behind the kid. “You did a fine job.”
