Chapter 5 Forsythe #2
My eyes raised to meet Lucille’s before she bashfully ripped them away.
My smile only grew, knowing damn well she wasn’t blushing from the heat.
“Dallas was just calling you an old softie, saying he’s gotta be the one to whip Torchy into shape.
” I petted Wimberly’s head and stood up. “Torchy thinks Dallas here hates him.”
Dallas scoffed. “I don’t hate the kid!”
Cooper chuckled. “Could’ve fooled me. You are a bit tough on him—”
“It’s called tough love. If I don’t give him a hard time and stay on him, that boy is going to end up getting hurt doing something stupid.
Or worse, killed—” He froze, realizing Lucille was standing right in front of him.
“Forgive me.” He removed his cowboy hat.
“I–I’m going to go help bring Reaper out now.
” He gripped his hat close, stumbling as he took off into the barn.
I watched her closely, waiting for some kind of reaction to his insensitive words, but she never showed them.
Instead, she just stood there in the warm breeze, stoic and strong, tucking her wild hair behind her ear while she played with her layered necklaces.
She had on an old black cowboy hat and was wearing an oversized, faded band tee of some kind, tucked in her all lace sheer black pants, aside from what looked like a pair of black shorts underneath, and the legs flaring at her feet.
I noticed her wearing those same old and weathered cowboy boots she had on first thing this morning while riding.
Looks like someone’s slowly settling back into things.
Her eyes flicked to me, and I quickly looked away.
“Instead of sitting here worrying about my feelings, you boys should be more focused on that bull.”
I looked back at her. “Not much to focus on. Reaper shouldn't be an issue, and it’s a basic cattle sale. Everything should move just fine.”
Lucille grinned. “I wasn’t talking about the sale.” I looked from her to Cooper, confused.
“What the hell does that mean?” I asked.
The old man just sighed and shook his head. “Lucille has asked to take Reaper for a spin before we get him ready. I told her as long as she thinks she can handle it, she can get a few minutes in the corral.”
My eyes nearly jumped out of my skull. “Like hell! She’s not going near that bull!” I looked at her with a furrowed brow. “You’re not doing it!”
Lucille frowned. “Yes I am!”
“No, you’re not,” I growled. “You’ve never even ridden Reaper. You have no idea how to control him or handle his temperament.”
She stomped her foot. “I can ride just fine,” she snarled.
“I bet the only bull you’ve ridden in the last ten years is that damn mechanical one last night.” She gritted her teeth, exposing her canines to me. “Well? Am I wrong?”
Lucille’s nostrils flared as her temper grew. “You might own Bone Ridge, but you don’t own me. I can do whatever the fu—”
“Hey, easy.” Cooper tried to calm us. “Why don’t we all just take a breath and calm down.” I looked at Lucille, noticing the resentment she always had for me returned to her eyes.
Torchy and Dallas came busting out of the barn with Reaper, desperately trying to move him into the corral.
He was bucking and huffing, his large body fighting their hold as they led him, and I noticed he had a bull rope and was wearing the flank strap around his belly.
In other words, they all knew she wanted to ride him and worked together to get him ready. Without telling me.
Son of a bitch.
With a loud groan, I pinched the skin between my eyes and took a deep breath. “You get five seconds.” My body turned as I looked at Lucille. “No more, no less.”
She scoffed, crossing her arms. “It takes a minimum of eight to even qualify in rodeos. I want eight.”
“Five,” I growled. “Or I tell Ms. Nellie what you were really doing this morning.”
The color in her face drained. And I knew she couldn’t argue. “Fine.” She stomped past me towards the two men with the temperamental bull.
Cooper joined me. I shot him a look. “I don’t even wanna know.” He chuckled as we both joined the rest to help ready the bull.
Lucille climbed up on the metal railing of the corral fence and waited as we held Reaper as still as possible.
I looked up at her from the opposite side and saw a look I hadn’t seen since she was a kid.
It wasn’t the look of someone kidding around or scared.
No, her face was that of someone who had something to prove. Something big.
What’s going on in that fiery head of yours, little viper?
Cooper was standing next to her on the inside of the corral, holding the bull rope as she carefully lowered herself onto Reaper’s back and adjusted her position.
He kicked his leg and huffed, fighting our hold.
“Alright now, remember your technique.” She nodded, listening intensely.
“You just need to keep yourself steady for a few seconds. Reaper hasn’t been out for a ride in a while, so he should grow tired pretty easily.
And if you happen to fall off, don’t fight it.
Just let go and we’ll take care of the rest. Alright? ”
Lucille nodded and he handed her the rope. She tightened it around her gloved hand and prepared herself, resembling a real bull rider. Just like her daddy.
“Alright.” Her eyes met mine and I could see the excitement bursting within them.
“Now!”
As soon as the word shouted from my throat, we all let go and ran out of the way.
The monstrous bull kicked and bucked, hopping all around, whipping Lucille’s body.
I felt sick watching, refusing to take my eyes off of her as they quickly moved around the corral.
The seconds felt like hours, and all I could do was stare at her, searching for any sign of a struggle.
Watch your leg, Lucille.
“Four!” Torchy shouted. “Five! Alright, that's time!” He clapped and shouted as the others cheered her on. “She did it! Hell yeah! You see that, Forsythe? That’s Memphis Limmerick’s daughter right there!
” The boy whistled and celebrated as Lucille remained seated on Reaper.
Wimberly barked and yipped from outside the barn, wagging her tail as she watched Lucille.
Yes. Yes, she is.
I watched her try to pull the tail of the rope to release her hand, but she didn’t push off as she should’ve. And her face said it all.
Something’s wrong.
“Fuck,” she groaned while being bucked around. “Fuck. Fuck!”
I ripped my jacket off and rolled my sleeves, rushing towards her. “Release the rope!” I shouted, reaching for the rope myself.
“I can’t!”
My eyes noticed her hand stuck in the rope, thanks to the oversized gloves she was wearing. “Cooper! She’s hung up! I need y’all to distract Reaper so I can rip her free!”
The men all rushed to Lucille’s aid. Dallas and Torchy tried to help distract the bull as I focused on freeing her hand. Wimberly whined and paced around the corral, sticking close to Cooper while he kept an eye on us all.
I had jumped onto Reaper’s side, leaning against Lucille’s leg.
My shoulder and right side of my back ached as I pulled myself closer, tugging on the rope.
It loosened a little, but continued to give me a hard time.
“Mother—hold on, Lucille!” I used all my strength, ignoring the pain I felt, and pulled the rope as hard as I could.
It jolted free. I felt the immediate slack before grabbing her hand.
“Now! Push off! Push off, Lucille!” Her eyes met mine, and she nodded.
The look in her eyes told me she was scared.
“You can do this,” I whispered, letting go.
“Push off.” I hopped back, and Lucille did as I said, pushing off towards Reaper’s hips.
Unfortunately, just as she was clear, the bull turned directions and kicked her straight in the thigh, sending her body tumbling down to the ground.
She hit the earth hard, losing her hat as she rolled a bit before settling.
“Lucille!” I ignored my sore shoulder and rushed after her, followed by Cooper. We both sprinted to help her while the others handled Reaper.
Please be okay. Please be okay!
My body hit the dirt and slid down next to her, examining her closely.
She groaned, gripping her right leg tight.
“Fuck.” She winced, her entire face flushed.
“God damn it!” My eyes caught the large scar that stretched along her right thigh through her sheer, lacy pants.
Seeing it made my entire body tense up at the graphic memory, and my shoulder ached even more.
I looked up at her pain-stricken face and felt nothing but regret and even a bit of self-hatred.
I shouldn’t have let you get on that damn bull.
Cooper carefully kneeled down next to her, examining her limbs for injury. “Talk to me, Lucille. Tell me what hurts.” I could hear the worry in his old voice. I knew he was scared, having just witnessed Boone in a similar accident not too long ago. “Talk to me, kiddo.”
She breathed heavily, trying to keep her composure and hide her pain. “M-my leg. He kicked my leg.”
Cooper’s eyes shot to me, and we both knew how serious her injury could be. “I understand,” he whispered. “Let’s get you up and we can take a look at it. Come on now.”
He reached to move her, but she wouldn’t let him. “No. I’ll be fine…just—just give me a minute.” Her sharp breaths told me the injury was worse than she let on.
“Lucille, Reaper got you pretty good. Your thigh is already weak…I think it’s best if we—” My patience ran thin, and before he could even finish his sentence, I reached down and picked Lucille up, straining my shoulder more in the process. “Careful, Forsythe. Your shoulder.”
I adjusted my hold on her body, careful as to not hit her thigh, and ignored her protests. “I’m fine,” I snapped. “I’m not the one who needs help right now.”
Lucille groaned and tried to break free from my grasp, shouting at me with each step I took. “Put me down! I don’t need your help. I don’t need anyone’s help!”