Page 67 of Austin
“They listened to me.” He sounded surprised, although she wasn’t—who wouldn’t listen to a guy who risked his life in a big way every time he went to work?
He told her about his speech, how he’d prepared and used notecards, because he thought he was supposed to, until they got into the way of what he wanted to say.
“That happens,” Kristen said, thinking that this call felt too intimate for the type of relationship they both wanted, but she wasn’t about to end it.
“Not to me. I skipped speech class as often as possible. Took the D.”
“Why am I not surprised?” He gave a low laugh, and she realized that she wanted to hear him laugh again. Enough. “I should go.”
End this call. Get back to reality.
“Yeah. Me, too. I don’t know when I’ll be able to call again.”
“That’s okay.” It was supposed to be, anyway.
After Austin said goodbye, Kristen went into the empty house, changed into her sleeping T-shirt, then lay in bed watching his rides. She knew he’d done well, but that didn’t keep her heart out of her throat as she watched eight long seconds of action. Twice.
In both prelims and finals he’d ridden until the horn blew. Both times he dismounted and made it to the gate unscathed, but he was limping more than before after his final ride. That damned leg injury. Had he had it looked at?
She’d bet not.
She replayed the videos. It was obvious he was doing what he loved. Grit and determination were evident in every practiced move he made as he prepared for the rides. The confidence in the quick nod before the gate opened and the bovine Kraken was released. The stunning skill he showed as the bull gyrated, twisted, bucked and reared.
He raised his hand in victory after both rides. Despite the limp, he carried himself like a champion as he left the arena.
He was a champion. Doing what he loved. Pursuing a dream that could be crushed at any moment.
That took guts.
Kristen put the phone aside and closed her eyes, picturing Austin striding across the arena, ignoring his limp, focusing on his victory. The guy had panache.
The guy made her ache.
*
Austin’s win inSpokane, following his painful third-place finish in Portland, came at a price.
Riveter had given Austin one hell of a ride, then sealed the deal by hooking him before he could get to his feet, tossing him sideways. Austin landed on his bad leg, which once again turned bluish black, and this time the sports medicine team told him to stop fucking around and have the leg X-rayed. If it hadn’t been fractured before, it certainly was now.
Less than an hour later, Austin had his answer—a fracture of the fibula, mid-shaft, thank goodness, which was the best of all possible breaks. He was good to go for the rest of the season, as long as he protected the leg. Of course, riding bulls made that an iffy proposition, but he’d do his best.
Kelly suffered a dislocated elbow and a wrenched ankle during the prelims, so the trip to Nampa was slow and easy. They arrived the day before the meet and greet and took it easy, hanging out in the hotel spa, putting their battered bodies on display for anyone who cared to glance their way. Both wore AEBR ball caps as they let the spa jets work their sore muscles, and it didn’t take long for word to spread that there were honest to goodness bull riders in the spa. The kids showed up first, followed closely by women, some young, some older, all kind of interested in what a body looked like that went through hell every week.
Kelly focused on the water, not making eye contact, even when a couple of women slipped into the opposite side of the spa and smiled at the two bull riders.
As they’d driven from Portland to Spokane last week, Kelly had finally let out his story in fits and starts. He was married and his wife had left him mid-tour because she couldn’t handle the stress of his career. Austin had extrapolated that last part, but it made sense. The wife was gone. Kelly’s truck was gone. Kelly was in a perpetually shitty mood. He’d experienced the same thing more than once, only without the rings on the fingers. For that he was grateful.
“I’m heading back to my room,” Kelly said as another woman eased into the spa. He stood up, water sheeting off him, oblivious to disappointed looks sent his way.
“Yeah. I’m coming, too.” Austin smiled at the ladies, then followed his friend. He was glad to escape. He had tapes to watch, and he wanted to stretch while his muscles were loose from the hot water and jets…and since hooking up with Kristen, he hadn’t had much of an eye for the women. She’d kind of ruined him in that regard. As it was, he had to stop himself from reaching for the phone and contacting her a couple dozen times a day.
The important thing was that hewasstopping himself, thus allowing Kristen to move on without worrying about him.
Yep. Moving on.
He got into the elevator with Kelly and they rode up to the ninth floor where they went their separate ways. Kelly was pinching pennies, but had sprung for a decent room in Nampa and Austin suspected it was for his lady, just in case she decided to join him.
For Kelly’s sake, Austin hoped that happened. And if it didn’t—well it’d be a long, silent ride to Cheyenne.
