Chapter 20 - 2
Only twenty more minutes and the show would begin. Lily could feel her own nerves starting, so she considered going for a quick walk to get a drink of water herself but decided against it. The longer she stayed hidden up here, the less likely she was to run into Camellia.
A light cough at the door entrance shattered that hope quickly. “Here, I brought you some water. From what I remember Autumn telling me, it gets pretty hot up here. Even though you’re not actually talking on the speaker, you will be communicating a lot.”
Camellia set two cold bottles of water in front of Lily and looked down over the stadium.
“Thanks, that’s very thoughtful of you,” Lily said, watching her sister study the scene below her. Now’s your chance! Tell her! Lily did her best to block out the voice in her head.
“You know, for all the years I’ve been riding and working rodeos, I’ve never really been up here. It’s quite a view. You’ve certainly scored yourself a front-row seat,” said Camellia.
“Really?” Lily looked at Camellia, surprised. “You never came up, even when Autumn was working with Dakota?”
Camellia shook her head. “No. She preferred I stay out of her way. Autumn has always been the independent type, and I suppose I spent so much time with Mama while she was growing up that I unwittingly nurtured that in her.” She looked at Lily sadly. “I wish now that I’d spent more time with her. Maybe we’d be closer, and she’d be coming home on Christmas instead of heading off to some stranger’s family.”
Lily’s heart went out to Camellia. She knew the pain of what felt like abandonment when your kids grew up. “Don’t blame yourself, Camellia. It’s an inevitable part of life. My daughter, Olivia, and I have always been close. My mother died before she was born, and I threw all my energy and attention at my two children. But that didn’t seem to make any difference, either. They both also chose to spend Christmas away from me.”
Camellia practically balked at the comparison. “That’s not the same at all, Lily. You’re divorced, and your daughter is spending Christmas with her father. Your son is married and spending Christmas with his wife and children. That’s all to be expected, and it’s not the same at all as my daughter choosing to spend her holiday, our special holiday, with people she barely knows!”
The harshness in Camellia’s voice caught Lily off guard, but before she could explain that she hadn’t at all been trying to negate what her sister felt, they were interrupted by the arrival of the young singer.
“It’s almost time. Is it okay if I just wait up here until I sing?” she asked, timidly looking from one to the other.
Camellia immediately plastered a smile on her face. “Of course it is, dear. You just sit there and relax. Dakota will introduce you, and then you’re on. Don’t you worry. You’re going to do just fine.”
“Thanks for the water,” Lily said quickly as Camellia turned to leave. “I’ll see you later, right?”
Without answering, Camellia just gave them both a smile and a wave and hurried back down the stairs. Lily sighed, miserable. She was really starting to feel like she would never understand the people around her.
Surprisingly, Dakota was pleasant and congenial, drawing in the crowd with a slow, drawn-out drawl that Lily hadn’t noticed before and wondered if he might be playing it up a bit. He gave the young singer such a flattering introduction that she blushed throughout her entire performance, even though no one but Lily could see her.
The rodeo proceeded, and Lily watched in admiration as Dakota expertly rode his nervous horse around the ring. She could see the creature shy away from several objects, and at one point, she swore she saw it pop up a bit, but Dakota seemed unfazed, carrying on with the introductions and his lighthearted banter with the rodeo clown. The crowd seemed enamored. A few times, she heard his voice come softly through the mic, asking for a reminder of where he was on the list and who was next, but for the most part, she felt more like a spectator than an actual assistant.
When it was finally time for the intermission, Lily allowed herself to sit back and relax, just then realizing just how tense she’d been. She was just about to remove the earpiece to rest both her ears and neck when Dakota’s urgent voice came through.
“Lily, come down by the gate. I need you.”
Immediately, Lily sprang up and raced down the steps. When she got to the gate, she could see an ambulance, and the rodeo clown was being loaded onto a stretcher. She could hear his protests as she drew nearer.
“This is crazy, Dak! I don’t need to go to no hospital. It’s just a small sprain. Let me tape it up, and I’ll be good as new. You can’t leave Jake out there by himself for the bull riding.”
Dakota shook his head as he stood over the protesting clown. “Sorry, but no can do. That ankle looks like you turned it around backward. I’ve warned you about jumping over the barrels like that. You’re getting too old and brittle for those kinds of stunts!”
Among the noise and the protestations, Lily gathered that while she’d been resting and not paying attention, the clown had tried to entertain the crowd with one of his signature stunts, landed wrong, and twisted his ankle badly enough to need immediate help.
Once the ambulance left, another man, dressed more like a cowboy than an actual clown, approached Dakota.
“What are we going to do, Dak? I can’t handle the bulls alone. It’s a two-man job if one of them gets ornery and goes after the rider. We’re going to have to cancel the event.”
Dakota shook his head. “No, we can’t do that. There are a bunch of young riders who are trying their hand at this for the first time, and they’ve paid their entrance fees already. We can’t disappoint them.”
And one older cowboy, in particular, you don’t want to disappoint, Lily thought wryly, looking up at Dakota.
“But—”
Dakota held up a hand to silence the young cowboy. “I’ll get out there with you. The bulls are tamer today than they usually are, and I’m still fast enough to get out of the way.”
The cowboy frowned. “It’s not that, Dak. I trust you. But who’s going to announce the show?”
When Dakota looked her way, Lily immediately went pale and felt the contents of her stomach rise to her throat.
“Oh no. No, no, no. I can’t do that. I don’t know anything about announcing. Besides, I can’t ride a horse.”
Dakota grinned. “There’s nothing to know, and you don’t have to ride a horse. Mike here will drive you around in the four-wheeler. You’ll be safe and out of the way. All you need to do is to announce the rider and read the information you have on the sheet. You’ve been watching me do it all afternoon, and you’ve even been feeding me some of the information.”
She shook her head vehemently. “Dakota, I can’t!”
By now, all the cowboys around her were looking at her in expectation. She’d never be able to explain her crippling fear of speaking in public. Even if she agreed, she was certain that when she opened her mouth, nothing would come out.
“There has to be someone else who can do it!” she pleaded.
Dakota looked over at the clock, shaking his head. “We don’t have time to find anyone else. You only need to announce the bull riders. Intermission has been over for almost ten minutes now, and the crowd is getting restless. I need to head out there. There are only the two sisters doing trick riding, a few barrel racers, and then we’re on to the final bull riding segment.”
Someone had brought Dakota’s horse over, and the creature was even bigger up close. Lily shrank back as the beast snorted and pawed at the ground impatiently. Undeterred, Dakota swung himself up onto its back and took hold of the reins.
“I’ll keep announcing until right after the last barrel racer. Then Mike will pick you up with the four-wheeler. I’ll introduce you, hand over my horse, and you’ll announce the riders. In less than twenty minutes or so, it’ll be over.” Glancing down at her, Dakota gave her a reassuring smile. “Looks like you’re getting a debut as an announcer while Ray is getting his swan song.”
Wheeling his horse around, Dakota swiftly cantered through the gate and into the arena.
Transfixed, Lily watched the rodeo from the sidelines, automatically feeding Dakota the information he needed and envying the two women riding around the arena on those fast horses for their courage. If they could do that, then surely she could sit in a four-wheeler and read out a bunch of names.
Before she was even close to ready, a man named Mike drove up beside her, opening the door and indicating it was time for her to step in.
“Don’t you worry none, miss. I’ll make sure this here four-wheeler keeps you safe and out of the way of those bulls. You can count on ol’ Mike here to keep you safe.”
Ol’ Mike was at least seventy--and had apparently either forgotten or neglected to put his false teeth in that morning. She suspected the reason he was driving the four-wheeler was because he couldn’t really walk anymore.
“Uh, great. Thanks,” she barely got the words out before Mike gunned it, and they went squealing into the arena amid a crowd of cheers and clapping.
Dakota rode over to hand her the microphone, and Lily guessed from the look he gave her that he was actually noticing her trepidation for the first time and likely already regretting his decision to choose her as his replacement. “Breathe, Lily; you’ll be fine. Forget about the crowd and just think about those cowboys behind the gates, waiting for their chance at a little recognition and glory.”
After a brief introduction, Dakota handed his horse to another mounted cowboy and waved to the audience.
Trying desperately to avoid looking at the crowd, Lily focused on the arena and the men in it. To her surprise, there were actually three bull wranglers—a young man named Jake, Dakota, and the cowboy who had taken Dakota’s horse and led him out of the ring. In the back of her mind, Lily wondered why Dakota had chosen to be on the ground instead of mounted. The two mounted cowboys looked to be at least twenty-five years younger and were probably that much faster than Dakota would be.
Ol’ Mike gave her a nudge. “Look at your list, miss. They’re waiting for you to announce the first cowboy.”
She glanced over to the gate and saw three of four cowboys helping the rider keep calm and rope up correctly for his ride. Two of them were staring at her expectantly.
She took a deep breath and introduced the rider, who was waiting for his chance to ride. At first, her voice came across as squeaky and uncertain, but as soon as the gate opened, she got caught up in the excitement, and her heart connected with the young rider. She could feel his enthusiasm and determination, and her voice soon reflected her emotions.
An instant before the buzzer went off, the cowboy lost his grip and flew through the air, miraculously landing on his feet and hustling to the fence while Dakota and Jake surged forward to get the bull’s attention. The third bull wrangler came up from behind, cracking his whip, and the bull obediently went through the gate. Lily breathed a sigh of relief.
This isn’t so bad, she thought, sending out a prayer of thanks. She nodded at ol’ Mike, who was anxiously looking at her. “I can do this,” she informed him.
The next few minutes were a blur. She felt herself reacting to the crowd as well as to the young cowboys behind the gates. The excitement in the arena was palpable, and the excited crowd suddenly became her friends, all of them cheering and caught up in the excitement of each individual rider.
Finally, there was only one rider left, and when Lily looked down, her mouth went dry. Ray was next, riding a bull named Redemption. As Lily announced his name and information, she looked up to see Camellia staring right at her, her eyes filled with venom. Any hope that she’d had about Camellia’s understanding her reasons for keeping this information a secret was shattered with that one look. Lily could only hope that Ray sat this ride unharmed and for the full eight seconds.
After announcing his name, she, along with the rest of the crowd, anxiously watched the gate. It was clear from the banging that Redemption wasn’t too pleased with the rider on his back, and when the gate finally opened, that old bull twisted and turned like he was a tornado. Miraculously, Ray stayed on, his body whipped around like a rag doll.
Subconsciously, Lily gripped Mike’s arm, praying with everything she had that Ray would somehow manage to stay on, although she was certain at times that his head was going to be ripped off. After what seemed like the longest eight seconds of her life, the buzzer sounded, and the mounted cowboy named Jake rode up to Ray, trying to grab him off the bull.
Lily had loosened her grip on poor Mike’s arm and was just about to breathe out a sigh of relief when she noticed Ray wasn’t coming off the way he should. He was half on the ground, half on the horse, but his hand was still on the bull’s back.
“Dang, he’s gone and got his hand stuck,” Mike said.
Lily watched, terrified, as the cowboy, Ray, and the bull circled the arena. Just as she was sure Ray was about to fall under the trampling hooves of the bull or the rider’s horse, Ray finally sprang free, tumbling to the ground and scrambling back to his feet.
Apparently, the bull named Redemption held grudges because he ignored the whip of the cowboy behind him, the whooping and flailing arms of Dakota and Jake, and made a beeline straight for Ray, who was still staggering around, trying to get his bearings. Ray saw the beast coming at him and rolled to the ground just as the huge bull plowed into him. He avoided the horns, but by the flinching of his body, Lily guessed that at least one hoof had caught him in the side.
The third cowboy rode behind Redemption, cracking the whip and doing his best to chase the angry bull to the gate. Unfortunately, Redemption should have been named Revenge because that was what that bull was after. With a quick snort and a charge at the horse chasing him, Redemption quickly turned his attention back to Ray, who staggered toward the fence, holding his side.
“Hurry up, Mike! We’ve got to go get him,” Lily said urgently, wanting to push the old man aside so she could take control.
“Are you crazy, miss? That old bull will knock this thing right out of the arena. I’m supposed to keep you safe!”
When Lily looked at him, she doubted it was her safety he was worried about.
Ray was slightly to their right, running in an effort to reach the fence before the bull got to him. Dakota and Jake were doing their best to get the bull’s attention onto them and off of Ray, but it was clear the bull knew exactly who he was after.
Lily watched in horror as the bull passed close to the four-wheeler, gaining on Ray, who was only steps from the fence now.
He’s not going to make it!
She was frantic. The bull was gaining on Ray, and Lily knew she had to do something. She grabbed what she hoped was the horn on the four-wheeler and started banging on it, screaming and waving her free hand at the bull with everything she had. The noise was enough to distract the bull long enough for Ray to reach the fence and scramble up, and by the time the bull did reach his mark, his horns only clanged against metal.
As the crowd cheered, Lily sensed the anger and frustration emanating from the bull, and she instinctively sat down, clutching her seat. “Drive, Mike; I think I’ve really pissed him off.”
Mike slammed the four-wheeler into gear, steering it away from the bull and the fence, while Redemption stood looking after them, circling and snorting, confused as to where to take his frustrations out now.
Lily knew there were still three vulnerable men out here with a very angry bull and said, “Drive toward the gate, Mike. Maybe he’ll follow us. It’s time to put this beast away.”
Mike slowed the four-wheeler slightly, and Lily called out again to the bull, hoping to convince him to chase them. Whether he was just irritated with her high-pitched voice or ready to call it quits, her tactic worked, and Redemption charged toward them, albeit at a much slower, more controlled pace.
“Hang on, miss. I’m gonna veer off here and make room for that bull to go in without us. I don’t much fancy being behind a closed gate with that critter.”
True to his word, Ol’ Mike swung the wheel, pulling the four-wheeler off to the side. Dakota had been watching, and guessing correctly at what they were up to, he came in behind the bull, swinging and cracking his own whip in an attempt to fully drive the bull through the gate.
For a minute, it looked like Redemption was ready to call it quits, but then Dakota let down his guard and hopped off his horse. The wily bull turned and rushed at him before he had a chance to even register that the bull was now charging.
Horrified, Lily could only watch as the bull’s horns caught Dakota, tossing him up into the air like a rag doll and stomping on him angrily when he came down. Jake and the other mounted cowboy sprang into action at once, and finally, the bull lowered his head one more time, pushed his head into Dakota’s motionless body, and then let himself be driven back through the gate.
As soon as the bull was gone, Lily jumped off of the four-wheeler, running toward the prone man lying in the dust. Once she reached him, she realized the agonized scream she kept hearing was her own.