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"Cody..." Anthony warned, understanding immediately. "Riding off-handed isn't easy."
"Guys." I pushed myself up, feeling my head swim but ignoring it. "Y'all, I'm right-handed."
"What?" Doc asked.
So I waved my good arm. "Right-handed."
"You ride left-handed," Doc reminded me, almost like he thought the meds were making me dumb.
Ok, they kinda were. No, definitely were. Still, that had nothing to do with this. "I started riding left-handed because I kept putting my right out to land," I explained. "I sprained it enough that Daddy told me to ride left and it worked."
"When was the last time you rode right-handed?" Doc pressed.
I shrugged. "Dunno. Did it a lot, though. Hard part's remembering which one to keep up."
Doc lifted his head, looking over me. I glanced back to see Anthony meeting his eyes. The pair were having some kind of silent conversation, like they knew what the other was thinking. They also weren't telling me.
"Can I wave it?" I asked again. "Doc, that's all I need, because I have to ride."
"I can tape her up good," Anthony admitted.
"I'm worried about the shoulder as well," Doc said.
"But she has no tears there," Anthony countered. "Does she?"
"No." Letting out a sigh, Doc turned to me again. "You will come here first, get taped, and not get un-taped until after your ride. You will do physio with Anthony until I approve that arm for weight-bearing. When you aren't taped, you will wear a brace. Until I say you're healed, every time you ride, you will let him tape it and un-tape it. Am I understood?"
"Yes!" I hurried to agree. "So I can wave it?"
"It's going to hurt like a bitch," he warned.
"But can I ride?" I pressed. "Doc, I need this."
"That's what all the guys say," he grumbled.
So I slapped my good hand down on the vinyl bed. "No! I don't need this like they do. I need this because the PBR is trying to run me out. I need this because the judges aren't giving me a chance. I fucking well need this, Doc, because we all know that if I mess up in any way - including taking time off to heal - they won't let me back. So when I say I need this, I mean it's aneed. I am the one who is changing the rules. I'm the only woman here, and if they make me fail, how many more women do you think will ever get this chance?"
Doc just leaned down to look me right in the eye. "I said ok. I also will not give you pain medication for this."
"Anti-inflammatories?" Anthony asked. "Will take longer to heal if she's swelling."
"Those she can have."
"J.D.'s vape?" I asked. "He uses that for pain and will share."
"Get as high as you want after riding," Doc said. "But if you try to get on a bull high, Cody, I will yank you off myself."
"Yes, sir," I agreed, lifting my chin. "But I can do this."
"Won't be easy," he countered. "And pulling your rope is going to be a whole different problem - but you show these boys what your shirt means, and I'll help as much as I can."
"Watch me," I breathed, "because I got this. I'll make sure of it."
I just had no clue how, because this was going to be damned hard. I knew it. They knew it. Still, I'd find a way to do it, because I didn't really have any other option except to give up - and my daddy hadn't raised a quitter.
Chapter38
When my littlegirl's feet came up, I knew something was wrong. When she snapped to the end of her rope, I was standing before I knew it. When she came down hard, my damned heart stopped, but then that boyfriend of hers threw himself over her and took the hit so she wouldn't.
