Chapter 32
I n the end, the doctors kept me in until Saturday night.
I made Dylan and Branch leave to head to Vegas, because they were both in contention for the gold buckle and I was fine.
Beau and Frankie stayed behind, mostly because Beau argued that I wouldn’t be allowed to drive anytime soon and Frankie only had one good arm.
I couldn’t argue with that logic, though Frankie tried.
Still, by Friday I was chomping at the bit to be out of the hospital and on the road to Vegas.
We were loaded up with pain pills and follow up instructions.
I had an appointment for a MRI in a week to make sure everything was good with my brain, and I all but sprinted out of the hospital.
Well, I would have if the damn nurse didn’t make me sit in the wheelchair.
We were almost to my truck when a cop came running up to us. “Miss Moore!”
Ah shit. What now? My heart raced in my chest, and I didn’t know why.
Beau gripped my fingers and I held on tight.
“Sorry to grab you like this, but I understand you’ll be heading out of State over to the World Championships tonight.
Not to ride, I hope?” I smiled at the cop, he must have been in his late fifties, and had the eyes of a person who’d just seen too damn much in his career.
“Purely as a spectator, Officer.”
He gave me a broad smile. “That's good. I just wanted to let you know that Mitchell McLachlan confessed to receiving a payout from Stanley Wilfred Senior to unstitch your rope, and he in turn paid the rope man to overlook it. Both have been charged with reckless endangerment, and Stanley Wilfred has gotten a conspiracy to murder added to his list of charges. We’ve offered them plea bargains to ensure that their testimonies are heard. He can’t wiggle out of this one, Miss Moore.
He will definitely see the inside of a jail cell. ”
Thank god. It was over.
I shook the officer’s hand and he gave me his card and said he’d be in touch if he needed a statement or anything from me regarding the charging of Mitch McLachlan.
When I climbed into the back seat of my truck, I let out the tension that had been sitting across my shoulders like a yoke since the incident in the bathroom with Junior. It was finally over.
“You okay Nugget?” Beau said as he started the truck. “Your head okay?”
I met his pretty whiskey eyes in the rear view mirror. “I’m fine, Beau. Relieved. Anxious to be with the other guys. Happy?”
I saw the smile in his eyes. “Us too, Beautiful. Us too.”
It was weird, standing on the sidelines of the arena, watching the other riders while I was in my civilian clothes and cheering.
I’d called Branch last night, and talked to him and Dylan.
They’d both come off their bulls, and I know they were both nervous for today.
I wanted to be out the back with them, talking strategy and generally just being with them, but I knew my nervous energy would only infect them, and I’d be a distraction.
So I sat in the bleachers with Frankie and Beau, and nervously watched on.
The crowd was packed, and I spotted Vanessa in the sponsors box.
I waved and she waved back at me, mouthing that we’d catch up afterwards.
The lawyers had approved everything, and this was the first event where both Dylan and Branch were riding in Team VANT, their vests now with big VANT patches across the back.
They called up Dylan, who was riding Ghostmaker. He was a good bull, but he wouldn’t give him the points he needed unless he pulled something truly spectacular.
“Ladies and Gentleman, next up we have Dylan Montaigne, and AJ I got a good feeling about this kid. Despite that nasty wreck in the middle of the season putting him out for a couple of weeks, he’s clawed his way back up into the top ten and you have to respect that.”
“That’s right, Earl. And with new sponsorship for both him and Branch Watson, you have to give it to VANT Enterprises for plucking these kids out of the group and making them into a winning team.
I have no doubt that if he hadn't had that bad head injury in the middle of the year, he and Branch Watson would be fighting it out for one and two right now.”
I watched Dylan climb into the chute and fix his ropes. I made him promise last night to check his rope properly before handing it to anyone, and he swore it. I’d check my rope myself everytime now, even though Senior was behind bars. That wasn’t a mistake I was eager to repeat.
Dylan gave the cowboy nod and his bull burst from the chutes.
He was a good kicker but didn't do any spinning, although he was known to get vertical from time to time, which apparently is what he was going to do today.
Dylan leaned back and rode him for the eight and I cheered, jumping from my seat.
Dylan ripped off his helmet and punched the air, and the crowd went nuts. He saw me from the otherside of the arena and he pointed, blowing me a kiss.
“And there we see Dylan blowing a kiss to his girlfriend and fellow rider, T.M. Moore. T.M. is a rookie but shows some seriously great potential and she's got that cowboy grit, getting up from that horrendous wreck off Piledriver last weekend.”
I waved as Dylan ran through the exit. He rode an 85.5 and that was a pretty damn good ride. It’d be tough to beat today.
Dylan promised he’d come and sit with us once he’d changed, so I settled back down in my seat.
The bull riders were chatting to people in the crowd as they racked up their next lot of bulls.
I turned to talk to Frankie when a small figure appeared in front of me.
A little girl, dressed entirely in pink except for her boots and hat, stood there holding a poster.
Her mother hovered a few feet away. “Excuse me, Ma’am.
I was just wonderin’ if I could have your autograph? ”
I smiled. “Of course you can. What’s your name?”
“Helen.”
“That’s a really pretty name,” I said as I wrote on her poster. “You like bull riding, Helen?”
She nodded eagerly. “Yes’m. I’m going to be a bull rider like you when I grow up.”
My smile was so wide my face almost cracked. “Is that right? I bet you will too. You look like you have all the right stuff to become a bull rider.”
I wrote “ Can’t wait to see you in the arena one day, Love T.M. Moore” on the poster, and handed it back.
“Is Dylan Montaigne your boyfriend?”
I blushed, but nodded. “Yes he is.”
She looked at where Beau still had his arm around my shoulders, a little confused. “And this man is your boyfriend too?”
Well, this was awkward. “Uh, yep. He is. This is Beau. And that’s Frankie.”
“Hi Beau. Hi Frankie,” Helen said and blushed too. Well, she was freaking adorable. Her eyes were comically wide. “But that’s three boyfriends. You can’t have three boyfriends.”
I leaned forward conspiratorially. “Let me tell you something, Helen. You can have and do whatever you want. You just have to believe you can do it and have the stubbornness to ignore anyone who’ll tell you that you can’t.” I looked over her shoulder. “Except your mama. Always listen to your mama.”
I shook her tiny hand and wished her well, and she skipped back to her mother. Beau kissed my temple. “Look at you go, Nugget. Changing lives. Creating hellraisers like you.”
I nudged him with my elbow but he was kind of right and that made me fuzzy on the inside. I didn’t set out to be an inspiration, but I’d be damned if it didn’t feel good anyway.
Dylan bounded up to me, the grin on his face infectious. “What a ride, Baby Girl! Did you see how vertical I got?” He smacked a giant kiss on my lips and then sat down next to Frankie.
“Next up is Branch Watson. Now, you’ll remember Earl that I said this kid was a contender and despite the fact he didn’t ride his bull yesterday, I stand by my words.
He’s got some beautiful style and I know he’s pulled Chopper, so we both know that if he can stick it, it could be one hell of a ride. A championship winning ride.”
I sat forward on my seat as I watched the footage of Branch in the chutes on the jumbotron. Hell, everyone in the arena was on the edge of their seat. Despite this ride being his do or die in the Championship, Branch still didn’t screw around in the chutes. He gave the nod and the gate flew open.
Chopper bucked out of the chute like he was on a personal mission to eviscerate the rider on his back, but Branch held onto that bull like he was riding a Rolls Royce rather than an enraged animal.
The bull performed beautifully, deep kicks, all four feet off the ground like a ballet dancer.
When the buzzer sounded, Branch pulled the tail of his rope and was out of there to the sound of wild applause.
I was down over the barrier to the railings, my whistles one of many in the crowd.
Branch spotted me and ran over, ripping his helmet off and kissing me until I saw stars.
“I did it. I fucking did it,” he yelled and I nodded back like a lunatic.
“You’re the world champion,” I squealed back and he laughed.
I vaguely heard the announcers saying, “Well apparently a new team sponsor is not the only thing Dylan Montaigne and Branch Watson are sharing, AJ.” And I laughed, the high of the moment chasing away any worry I might have.
“Go, Mr. Champion. The crowd wants a victory lap!”
He kissed me one more time. “I love you Tessa May Everett. Will you marry me?”
I slapped a hand over my mouth, looking around at the other guys. Could I say yes?
“It’s okay. We’ve all discussed it, Querida. Say whatever your heart wants to say,” Frankie yelled over the noise.
“Yes! Branch, yes I’ll marry you!”
Branch whooped, kissed me one more time and then ran across the arena, the cheers of the crowd following him.