Chapter Twenty-One – Bradly
brADLY
I took Mackenzie’s hand in mine as we boarded the private plane. Joining me in New York City was my mother and father, Uncle Ty, Avery, and of course, my woman. I could tell she was feeling a little out of her comfort zone.
Mackenzie sat in a seat by the window and smiled as she looked up at me. “This is exciting, but I’m a bit nervous. I’ve never been on such a small plane.”
“Trust me, it’ll be fine.”
I grinned and looked at my father, who simply tipped his hat at us as he walked by. I’d told him and Mom earlier that I’d officially told Mackenzie the news. Mom was still flying high and doing a piss-poor job of acting like she wasn’t beyond happy.
Blowing out a breath, I rotated my neck and tried to relax.
“Are you worried?” Mackenzie asked with the sweetest look of concern on her face.
“Not at all. Just a lot of things going on behind the scenes.”
“Can I help in any way?”
I took her hand in mine, brought it up to my mouth, and kissed the back of it. “Just you being here is all I need. Plus, you get to see me ride in a big event. I think you’ll like all the excitement.”
“I’m thrilled to see it all. I watched a few YouTube videos of you riding last year.”
One of my brows shot up. “Did you now? And what did you think?”
With a sheepish grin, she half shrugged. “I closed my eyes more than I actually watched you ride. I hope I don’t do that at the event.”
I kissed her forehead. “If you do, my mother will be doing it right alongside you.”
“What will I be doing?” my mother asked as she set her purse down on the window seat in front of Mackenzie’s.
“Closing your eyes while I ride.”
Rolling her eyes, she nodded. “Yes, I will. It’s something I’ve never gotten used to, and I’m glad to say it’ll be over soon.”
Mom winked at us both, then slipped into the seat.
“I won’t have a whole lot of time to sightsee in New York City, but I’m sure my mom and Avery would love to take a tour or something. Avery’s been to New York for fashion shows, and my mom has visited her when she’s here, so they’re familiar with all the tourist-type stuff.”
Mackenzie waved off my concern. “Don’t worry. I’ve been to New York a few times since Emily moved there. I’ve done the whole tourist thing. I want to stay and see you do your thing.”
Nodding, I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, then whispered against her ear, “The thing on the bull, or the thing in the bedroom?”
I watched as her cheeks turned bright red and she gave me an elbow to my side.
“Stop it!” she whispered, then looked out the window, causing me to let out a soft laugh. After everyone got settled and seated, the pilot came out to give us details on the flight to New York. It would be a smooth four-hour and thirty-minute flight.
Once we were up to altitude, I pulled out my laptop and turned to see Mackenzie had already fallen asleep. I laughed and knew with one look at my sister, I’d find her out as well. I turned to my right—and sure enough, Avery was sound asleep.
My father stood and motioned for me to join him in the back of the plane, where we could sit at a table. I unbuckled, gave Mackenzie a last glance, and followed.
Uncle Ty was already at the table, reading over something on his computer. He had a frown on his face, and I gave my father a questioning look. He shrugged as we both sat, buckled up, and opened our computers.
“What has you frowning like that?” Dad asked Uncle Ty.
He looked up and relaxed his face. “I’m tired of the politics of everything. I don’t know if I have it in me to keep going for another year. Hauling all these bulls from city to city, all the training. I love the animals, but maybe it’s time to move on.”
That caused me to raise my brows. Dad had mentioned Uncle Ty was thinking of getting out, but I was sure he’d probably reconsider, at least until next year. “Dad said you were thinking of leaving after this season. You’ve got two bulls that could take the championship this year.”
With a thoughtful nod, he leaned back in his seat. “I was, and I do have a few bulls that could take the championship. But at some point in your life, you have to take stock of what’s more important. I’m going to see how they do this weekend and then take it from there. I could keep them in the game and just have one of the boys go to the events. They could handle things just as easily as I could.”
My father’s mouth dropped open in utter shock. “You’d trust them like that? You? The guy who never lets anyone do anything to his bulls if he’s not there?”
Uncle Ty shrugged. “Yeah. If it means being home with my family, especially now that Rose is pregnant. I don’t want to miss a single thing. I already missed out on so much when the kids were growing up.”
Dad nodded. “I get that, and I’m behind you, whatever you want to do.”
My father co-owned a number of Uncle Ty’s bulls, so I knew it meant a lot to my uncle to have Dad support him.
“You’d walk away on top?” I asked, not missing how my father was side-eyeing me. It also wasn’t lost on me that I was doing the very same thing.
Uncle Ty smirked. “Why not? The bulls don’t care one way or the other. I’m getting old, Bradly. My wife wants me home, my only son is planning a career for himself that I didn’t see coming. My daughter is pregnant, and Kaylee is questioning why everyone in the Shaw family must pursue careers filled with danger. A man knows when it’s time to take the road to the left. Or right, whichever you prefer.”
Dad chuckled, and I grinned.
“I can see her point. Firefighter isn’t exactly a safe job.”
Uncle Ty pointed at me. “I think she’d actually prefer that than what you do.”
I glanced at Dad, who gave me a single nod.
“Speaking of what I do. This is my last weekend.”
Ty raised a brow. “For?”
“My career as a professional bull rider. I decided before Christmas I no longer had the heart or desire to keep riding. I talked to Dad and Lewis about it, then spoke with Mom, and after Dad suggested I take a play out of Uncle Brock’s book, I’m going to win this weekend and quit.”
Uncle Ty smiled and slowly shook his head. “Go out on top and on your own terms. Are you sure he isn’t Brock’s kid?”
Dad laughed.
“I could have taken the championship last year, but my heart wasn’t in it and I made some stupid mistakes. The decision to walk away is easier than I thought it would be. I think Mackenzie has something to do with that. The fact that our family is growing played a big part as well. I miss being home.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, son,” Uncle Ty said. “I support your decision a hundred percent, and I know the rest of the family will as well. The only thing that matters is that you’re happy with the decision.”
“I am,” I said with a firm nod. “May I ask you both a question about your relationships with Mom and Aunt Kaylee?”
They both fidgeted in their seats but said yes.
“You and Mom always say it wasn’t easy at first, that it was rocky. Did you know she was the one, though? In your heart, did you know?”
Dad scrubbed his chin for a moment before he spoke. “I think a part of me deep down knew, but I was afraid. Don’t ask me what I was afraid of or why. I was young, had everything I wanted in life. Money, women, a job I loved. I’d made some stupid decisions in my life. One of them was competing for things that I had no business competing for.”
Dad and Uncle Ty exchanged a knowing look before my father went on.
“I was an idiot, Bradly, and I almost lost your mother. I didn’t see what I had. Or maybe I did and that scared the hell out of me. I don’t know. All I know for certain is that your mother saved me, and she gave me two of the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given.”
I smiled and blinked back tears.
The thought of my mother and father not being together was something I’d never thought of before reading her journal. Looking at them now, you’d have never thought they’d a rocky start. I knew my mother had been pregnant with me before they got married, and I’d often wondered about that story but never asked. They were crazy in love and happy, so what difference did it make how they got there.
Looking at Uncle Ty, I asked, “And did you know the moment you met Kaylee?”
He laughed. “Hell yes, I did, and it scared the living shit out of me.”
“Why?” I asked. “Why were the two of you so afraid?”
They both shrugged.
“I was pretty messed up mentally after my accident. I had to give up my career, and I wasn’t happy about it. I had to sit back and watch Brock and Dirk do what I wanted to do. I had a lot of anger—and I mean a lot of it. I pretty much was living my life as one big pity party until Kaylee swooped in and turned my world upside down. Man, we fought like cats and dogs at first.”
I dropped back in my seat, surprised. “You did?”
Dad and Uncle Ty laughed.
“Yes. Let me tell you, Kaylee set me down a few times, and I think I fell in love with her more and more every time we fought. The more I resisted, the harder I fell.”
“But you eventually gave in to love?”
He nodded. “I did. We both did. I think she fought it just as hard as I did. Most people say they don’t believe in love at first sight, but if you ask someone who’s in love, plenty will tell you they fell the moment they saw the person.”
“I knew. The moment I saw her dancing in the barn in those Christmas pajamas, singing to a cat, a goat, and the horses…I knew I had to have Mackenzie in my life. I’m pretty sure I fell in love with her right then and there.” Glancing to my father, then Uncle Ty, I chuckled. “If I didn’t think it was crazy, I’d ask her to marry me tomorrow.”
“Talk about warp speed, son.” He held up his hands. “We just had one love story spin our heads with Lily and Maverick. Can we get a respite, please?”
“I know, Dad, but I’m listening to my heart, and it tells me she’s the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. I can’t even seem to remember what my life was like before Christmas night. Everything seems to be more in focus. I see a future—my whole future—and Kenzie’s in it.”
My father turned, but I was positive I saw him wipe a tear away.
Uncle Ty smiled. “I’m happy for you, Bradly. You deserve all the happiness in the world. And Mackenzie seems like a very sweet person.”
“She is,” Dad and I said in unison.
“Merit adores her, and Stella loves her to pieces,” Dad added.
Uncle Ty nodded. “Well, the rest of the family seems to like her as well. And her sister Emily.”
I glanced over my shoulder and couldn’t help but smile.
“Has she shared with you why it’s only her sister in her life?” Dad asked.
“She has, but I don’t feel right telling her story.”
“No, of course not,” Dad stated. “But it’s nothing…bad or…” His words trailed off.
“It’s nothing illegal or anything like that. Let’s just say she left Georgia for her own mental and physical safety.”
“What the fuck?” Uncle Ty said. “Who do we need to have a chat with?”
I smiled. “No one. If I’ve learned anything about Mackenzie, it’s that she’s very capable of taking care of herself. And she protected her sister for years. But I have no doubt in my mind that if she needed help, she’d ask me for it.” My father was about to say something, so I added, “And if I needed help, I’d ask for it.”
“So, what are the plans?” Uncle Ty asked.
My father smiled and winked at me. “I’ll be helping Dad with the ranch. And if you need me at any time for the bulls, I’m more than happy to help you as well. I’m sure I’ll be missing that feeling of climbing onto the back of a bull. But my focus will be with Dad and the ranch.”
Uncle Ty pointed to me. “I’ll hold you to that. Even if I do retire earlier this year than planned, they’ll still want to tango a few times, I’m sure.”
We all laughed.
“Okay, let’s get down to business. If you get a draw, let’s look at the bulls,” Uncle Ty said as he turned his computer around. The next hour or so, we came up with a game plan for the entire weekend that resulted in me winning so that I’d go out on top.
I rolled my neck as I tried to ignore everything around me. It was hard not to hear Lindsey Landon reporting on my last ride, though, since she was standing right near me.
“Littlewood has logged the second-best score of the second round here in New York City. After taking a bit of a break at the beginning of the season, he seems to be coming back strong. He registered 87.5 on Big Boy, a bull who happens to be owned by Shaw Bucking Bulls. That ride has catapulted Littlewood into second place on the event leaderboard. It looks like he’s moved past missing out on the championship last year and is focused on making this his year.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I let my gaze wander through the crowd. It didn’t take me long to find her. Mackenzie was sitting next to my mother, with Avery on the other side of her. I could see the look of worry on her face.
“Just a little bit longer, baby,” I whispered, as I willed her to look my way. When she did, I saw her smile.
“Bradly! Stop daydreaming and get your ass up here!” my father shouted. It was round three and I was about to climb onto the back of Mac’s Monster. The name suited the bull, since no one had ever been able to stay on him for the full eight. My heart pounded as I made my way up to the pen. I’d seen this bull buck off rider after rider. He’d even sent a few of them to the hospital.
“This bull is fierce, Bradly,” Dad said. “He’s going to do everything he can to get you off. His lateral moves are unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
I nodded, then climbed over the gate and onto the bull’s back and started to get my bull rope in place. I gave Uncle Ty a single tap on the rope, and he lifted to tighten it. Dad had his hand out in front of me, and I could hear him giving me last-minute advice. All of it sounded muffled. Everything and everyone slowly started to fade away into the background. The only thing I could hear was the breathing of me and the bull.
With a few deep breaths, I got myself in the final position. I could hear my song start and feel my body settle onto the bull. I swore I felt the bastard shiver with anticipation. My heart competed with the beat of the song as I tightened my grip, gave a single head nod, and held on like my life fucking depended on it.
The moment the gate opened, Mac’s Monster took off like a bat out of hell. I’d never ridden a bull that was so damn big, but could move like he’d done fucking bull yoga his entire life. He did everything he could to toss me off his back.
“Not today, Monster!” I shouted as I transitioned fluidly with the bull.
It felt like a lifetime before I finally heard the buzzer. Mac’s Monster gave one last buck as I was letting go and I took a nice flight. How I landed on my two feet was beyond me, but if I was being scored on landing, it would have been a perfect fucking ten.
“Jesus Christ, those direction changes,” I said as Jessie, one of the bullfighters, jumped between me and Mac’s Monster.
“Looks like he has it in for you!” he shouted as we both ran from the damn thing. Once they got the bull out of the arena, Jessie slapped me on the back. “You showed him who was boss.”
I took off my helmet and held it up in victory as I faced where I knew Mom, Avery, and Mackenzie were sitting. I saw the three of them on their feet clapping and yelling something. I pointed to Mackenzie, and she pointed back, a huge grin on her face.
“That is Bradly Littlewood’s third qualifying ride, and he’s your new leader with a 90.50 ride!”
Glancing up, I saw my score of 46.75, and Mac’s Monster’s score of 43.75.
When I looked back at my father, he was grinning as he tipped his hat at me. Yeah, I was definitely going to go out on top.