—
Thursday-night rodeos were his least favorite, but he needed to talk to Doc, and this would be an easy points ride, so why not? Adam had planned to pick Merry Anna up early so he’d have enough time with Doc before the riders started coming in to get checked over and cleared to ride.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan. Adam, Merry Anna, and Zan hadn’t been on the road twenty minutes before they got hung up in traffic. They inched along for a while, and then nothing. Finally, Merry Anna found something on social media about an accident.
“A truckload of chickens turned over. All lanes are blocked.”
He hissed under his breath. “How far until the next turnoff?”
She turned the phone this way and that. “I think it’s about a mile ahead.”
“We’re just going to have to coast it out.”
“What time do you ride?”
“Not for a while. I was trying to meet with someonebeforehand.” He regretted the tone in his voice. “Sorry. I’m not annoyed with you.” He half grinned.
Finally, they got to the Archdale exit, and Adam sped down the ramp. Merry Anna grabbed for the door handle. “No hand brake over there, you know,” he said with a wink.
“I know.”
It didn’t take long to get to the stadium once they got moving.
They went inside. The stands were already filling up. “We’ll get seats while you go do what you need to do,” Merry Anna said.
Adam watched them take seats in the center section just a couple of rows up.
He jogged to the back, where Doc was taping up a cowboy’s ankle. Adam waved.
“Hey, Adam. You’re riding tonight?” He pulled the purple adhesive wrap tight and sent the cowboy on his way. “I thought you were coming over to talk.”
“Figured if I’m here, I better ride, you know, just in case. You got time after my ride?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Adam nodded.One last ride.Nerves wrestled in his gut. He went to the arena office, checked in for his ride, and drew his bull—a new bull he’d never heard of out of a new contractor from Georgia—Rocket Fuel.
No one else had heard of him either.
He taped up his wrist and stretched before putting on his gear, then walked over to let Merry Anna and Zan know that he’d be riding third.
“We’ll be right here watching,” Merry Anna said with a smile. “I’ve got my prayer all planned.”
“Last time you rode bulls, it scared me,” Zan said.
“I won,” Adam said, trying to comfort her. “Remember?”
She nodded. “But I was afraid.”
“This time you’ll be with Merry Anna. It’ll be okay.”
Zan’s brows pulled together, but she didn’t whine, didn’t complain. “All right.”
“Give me a hug for good luck?” he asked. She leaped into his arms and clung to him like a tree frog. He could feel her heart racing.
“Hold on tight, Daddy.” She squeezed his neck.
“I always do, Princess.”
