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"Damn," J.D. breathed.
"Weight in your feet," I said, quoting my dad's wisdom. "Thighs on, calves gripping, but keep the weight down in your feet, and you might flop but won't fly."
"Maybe for you," J.D. said, "but ain't so true for the rest of us." Then he steered me towards the middle, right over the bull gate. "And that, rookie, is what makes riding like a girl so terrifying to the rest of these boys."
"Because I can do it?" I asked.
"Yep," he agreed, "and you're kicking our asses in the process."
Chapter16
Leaningagainst the back rail of the chutes, J.D. and I watched as rider after rider had a rough time. Out in the arena, the bullfighters were working hard to keep the bull riders in one piece. Wearing his purple jersey and matching shoes, Tanner was impossible to miss.
He was always the first one there, and usually the first one getting thrown in the air. I gasped a few times, but I was starting to realize Tanner loved it. Even better, he usually landed on his feet.
But J.D. hadn't been kidding when he said this would be a hard string. It felt like someone had just supersized the bulls in the Tough Enough series. These monsters were the kind that didn't like to keep a man up there for a full eight.
"That one's got a weird buck," I said, gesturing to show what I meant.
"He flips his hips over," J.D. told me. "Lateral movement, but his bucks are forward, so he's making a big ol' diagonal across the dirt."
I nodded, seeing what he meant. "Yeah. Gonna guess the way to handle that is to just keep my hips fluid?"
"And push," he said, looking over. "Rock with it. Ride 'em like ya fuck."
Which had my lips breaking open into a foolish smile. He couldn't say he didn't know anymore. Then again, that night really hadn't been fucking. It had been so much more, and I didn't have the first clue how to talk about it. Now also wasn't the time.
But it had felt like it meant something. I just wasn't sure what. The way he'd looked at me - hell, the way he wasstilllooking at me - made my stomach do that stupid butterfly thing again. I wanted to blush and look down, but between the chaps cinched around my waist and the hat on my head, I couldn't.
It wasn't that it was impossible. It was more that the feel of my "uniform" made me remember I had to be strong. I needed to be seen as tough. Blushing and giggling over anything wouldn't help with that. Nope, I had on my game face right now, and the feel of leather flapping around my legs was a reminder to not let it slip.
But as I lifted my eyes, I saw Ty. He was down at the other end, hanging out with the Brazilians. Beside him, Emilio looked downright tiny. Granted, the guy was my size, and most days I felt pretty small around these guys. And yet, it bothered me a little that Ty was just standing there, looking out at the dirt with nothing on his face at all.
"Whatcha doing?" J.D. asked, following my eyes. "Cody, don't you go doing that."
"Shouldn't he be pissed or something?" I asked.
"Shouldn't you?"
Yeah, that was a good point. "I'm busy."
J.D. chuckled, dropping his arm over my shoulder so he could lean into my ear and drop his voice. "So's he. Now, we're not gonna talk about Ty McBride until you're off your bull, but if you break ninety, I'll fill you in on a few things I know."
My brow furrowed. "Good things?"
"Things," he said. "Just things, and I'm not about to - " He paused as a body thumped down on the rail right beside me. "Hey, fuck off."
"Nope." I turned to see Jake Cunningham beside me. "Came to make sure the message is getting around."
"What message?" I asked.
J.D. just growled. "I'm tryin' to not distract her, ya dumb fuck."
"Not scared of you, J.D.," Jake told him. "Just figured you'd want to know about that." And he canted his head in the opposite direction of Ty.
Both J.D. and I leaned forward to see what he was talking about. There, hovering over one of the chutes was Austin Chambers. Beside him was Eli Tripwood. I was more than willing to bet Casey Davis was the one in the chute, which was why they were there.
"And?" I asked.
