Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
“Okay, Jase. There’s a bunch of sports reporters and photographers here today, since it’s Dallas.” That was Dillon, who talked a mile a minute and always knew all the angles. “If you can, head for the west gate when you come off the bull so they don’t get you full in the face with pictures.”
Bax didn’t say nothin’, just kept his head down, checking Jason’s gear. Rope, gloves, vest.
“Coke will be right there, and I’ll be hollering directions if you get spun and don’t know west.”
Jason was surprisingly relaxed, for a son of a bitch who was fixin’ to ride blind at the big show.
Maybe this was just his natural habitat.
The little shows had been harder, less familiar.
The main tour had the same arena set up as much as possible every time.
Well, except for Albuquerque, which was damn small.
Dillon went on and on, a constant, steady patter that Bax was pretty sure Jase wasn’t listening to. Maybe that was the point. Sam had always done that for Beau when he was pulling rope, just jabbering to keep the nerves down where they belonged.
Jase was loose, easy in his skin, breathing like he was where he needed to be.
“Keep your eyes open, Mini. You do that and you’ll be fine.”
Jason nodded, his jaw tight, but Bax knew that was pure concentration, not stress. Mini had his game face on.
The gate swung open, and fuck him, Mini was riding like the bull wasn’t rank, like he was born to this shit. His free arm was flexible, he sat up, and at six point five seconds, damn if that man didn’t start to spur.
Bax almost jumped over the rail, snatching off his hat and waving it, whooping and hollering.
Jason leapt off after the buzzer, and Dillon hollered, “Left! Left, buddy! Stop! I’m coming to shake your hand.”
Jason stopped, and the moment Dillon’s fingers touched his, he pulled back to run his fingers along his hat brim like he was too cool to shake the clown’s hand, a joke those two had done for ages.
For a long moment it was like he was back more than a year ago and nothing had changed, and Bax caught his breath.
He’d go back in a second. He’d give everything they had now away, if Mini could see.
Then Jase turned to the gate again, his head down, his jaw clenched again, just to get out of the arena, and he blew out that air, clambering down to meet his man. AJ was there, clapping Jason on the back, steering him the right way to avoid the gal with the microphone. “Good ride, man!”
“Eighty-nine-five. Not bad.” Jason smiled—an actual real-life shit-eating grin, for fuck’s sake. Damn.
“Not bad at all,” Bax said, winking at AJ. “Come on. Let’s get out of the noise, huh?” Shit, that was a hell of a good thing for the first ride back.
“Y’all ready to go?” Aje asked. “I got the truck.”
“We’re out.” Bax grabbed their go bags. “You solid, Mini?”
“Yeah. Yeah, just let me…” Jason reached back to unhook his chaps. “Oh, damn. I think I gained weight.”
“Muscles.” Jason was damn near buff.
“Nah.” AJ snorted at both of them. “You’re frickin’ tiny as ever, Mini. You’re just not used to sitting in the damn chaps for three or four other rides. Small events spoil us all.”
“True, that.” They stomped out of the arena, avoiding the fans, the cameras and the other riders, thanks to Balta.
That Brazilian was wide, loud and sounded happy as a pig in shit running interference when Ace hollered at Jason. Dodged that bullet, for sure.
“I owe him one,” Jase muttered. “And he’ll collect. Crazy old man.”
“He will. He loves being in on something.” Bax had to laugh, just because it felt damn fine to be alive.
“Three more rides, then we get to go to Phoenix.” Jason had this down.
“Yep. We can do this.” Bax was feeling amazing. He hugged Jase as they slid into the truck.
“We will. Dammit. Pizza upstairs once the event’s over, Aje?”
AJ glanced at Bax, one eyebrow up, then he grinned wide. “Hell, yeah! I’m in.”
AJ loved pizza, and he would work it off. The man could gain and lose the same five pounds a million times. Mini would eat his one piece, but the invite was out there, and Jase hadn’t done that in months.
God. His Mini was glowing.
Bax wanted to go two-stepping all of a sudden.
They could do it, in the suite part, just turn on some King George and go for it. Jason followed like a dream, and Bax did love to dance. After AJ left, he would make sure they rubbed belt buckles.
They ambled up to the hotel, and Aje pulled to the door. “I’m going to grab some Cokes and stuff. I’ll see y’all for pizza when everyone gets here.”
“Cool. See you in a bit.” Bax kept it casual, but he felt like hollering, “score”. He grabbed Mini by the wrist. “Come on. We’re early.”
“Good deal.” Jason nodded, and they went in, Jase easily fielding the couple of fans who either didn’t have tickets for tonight or whatever.
The confidence one ride had brought amazed him. Made him damn happy, too.
They got the elevator to themselves, and they both relaxed for the first time since they’d left the hotel.
Bax grabbed Jason’s hand. “Damn good ride, Mini. Damn fine.”
“It felt normal. It felt like a ride.” Jason’s smile was like the sun coming from behind a cloud. “I’m tired of stressing shit, Bax. I want to ride and win.”
“Well, you know how to do that.” He was just along for the ride. Oh, he was good enough, but he’d been injury boy from day one. Mini was a master class on how to get it done.
“I do.” Jason yelped when Bax dragged him out of the elevator and down the hall. He wanted to beat the crowds. Jason could run, though, and he didn’t question Bax, just came along, sweet as you please.
He got them into the room. “Stay right there.” He didn’t worry about the arena dust. He just plugged his phone in before calling up his favorite playlist.
“Bax?” Mini tilted his head, curious.
“Hear that King George?” Now that was a boot-sliding song. He moved close again to take Jason in his arms.
“Oh.” Mini relaxed. “I do. I hear you, Bax.”
“Mmmhmm. You know I like a victory dance.” He used to have to dance with any girl who was willing but not clingy. Now he had this man to touch and hold.
He thought he might even be pro-clingy where Jason was concerned.
Definitely pro that little smile and the way Jason went on tiptoe to brush a kiss over his lips. “You’ve got my whole dance card filled, Bax.”
He liked that. Hell, he liked that quite a bit. Jason’s hand came to rest on his hip, solid and hot.
They moved around the little sitting area in front of the bed, long-short-short, long-short-short. He could do this forever.
Mini hummed, breathing in time with the music, trusting in Bax’s hold. He loved that Jason never doubted him. Not once.
Nothing had ever made him feel so goddamn big. Ever.
Not even the time he’d won the big Cowboy Rides Away round-robin event, covering six bulls.
Although that had rocked.
Jase sighed softly, his breath brushing against Bax’s throat.
“You okay?” he murmured. He just wanted to be sure they were as much on the same page as he thought.
“This is perfect. Perfect.”
“It is.” Woo. Thank God. He took another turn around the room, feeling like a million bucks.
A ride. A dance. A happy Jason. His life wasn’t going to get much better than this.
Bax decided to just be right there in the moment as long as he could.
Sometimes that was the best a man could do.