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“The phone works both ways,” Dylan said.
“Stubborn. Anyway, the reason why I called is I need to make sure you’re going to work on the ranch during the off-season. I’m buying a few hundred more bulls and I need the extra help.”
If Dylan’s loan came through, he’d be too busy to help his uncle. But a pang of guilt kept him from refusing. He’d make it work. “Yeah, sure. You can count on me.”
“I’d better,” Lou said gruffly.
*
LeAnn didn’t get a chance to talk to her parents until after the rodeo. She had what she was going to say to them all planned out. In fact, she had been practicing the speech in her head ever since she’d decided to do this. She knew what her parents would say and she had a response to counter every argument they raised. Mostly it would be the same conversation they had when she’d told them she wanted to ride broncs, only with a little bit more emphasis on the danger.
But she’d been absolutely blown away when she walked into the Winnebago and saw her parents staring into their beers, looking haggard and ten years older.
“I’m sorry if I worried you,” LeAnn said, hesitantly.
Her mother whirled on her, angrier than LeAnn had ever seen her. Tears shimmered in her eyes. Her mouth was compressed in a tight line and her hands shook. “Worried? You scared us to death.”
“I’ve been practicing and training. I wouldn’t have gotten on that bull unless I knew how to ride.” She sighed, realizing they wouldn’t care. “I know you don’t agree with my choice to ride bulls, but it’s just like my choice to ride the broncs. I know what I’m doing and I’m good at it. I like it. And this is an opportunity to advance my career.”
“You don’t have a career,” her mother said. “You can play around in the rodeo for another few years and then get a real job like I did. Like your sisters did.”
“Mom, this is my real job.”
“Is that right? This not a career. You have a shelf life. How many fifty-year-old rodeo stars do you know?”
“There’s not a lot,” LeAnn said, trying her hardest not to act defensive.
“You can’t ride bulls for the rest of your life.”
“No, but I can ride bulls now, save the money I’m making, maybe invest it.”
“Invest in what?” her father said, speaking for the first time. He sounded weary and tired, and she hated hearing the defeat in his voice.
“I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
“And that’s the problem,” he said. “You don’t think things through. You’re too young to make any type of life decisions.”
“I have time.”
“Not if you keep doing dangerous things like this,” her father said.
“It’s not worth risking your life,” her mother said.
“I’m good at what I do. My life wasn’t at risk.”
“You couldn’t stay on the bull for eight seconds,” her father said. “You’re not that good. And you can’t tell me that riding that bull didn’t screw up your performance in barrel racing afterwards. You barely placed.”
LeAnn sucked in a breath. She had come in fourth when she should have won the event. “I am sorry you feel that way,” she said. “And I’m so sorry that I hurt you both. I was wrong. This is a hard lesson that I’m learning right now. But I understand and respect your decision and I want to thank you for all the support you have given me over the years. I wouldn’t be here right now without you.”
“This would’ve been so much easier if you stayed in the beauty pageants,” her mother said tearfully.
“Easy isn’t really my strong point,” LeAnn said.
Her father snorted.
“Boy oh boy, did you fuck up,” her oldest sister Loretta said, when LeAnn walked out of the Winnebago to get some air. She, Reba and Dolly had started a fire in the fire pit and were sitting around it. They were close enough to have heard her parents lay into her.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” LeAnn said, getting up to give her oldest sister a big hug. And if she held on too long and too tight, Loretta didn’t mention it.
