Page 4 of Lady Luck's Kiss
Tonight’s ride had no appeal. Waiting for the next broken bone or hearing the horrifying crunch of his bones over the din of the crowd. The thought of ending up gored, broken or hospitalized lingered in his mind. He was skittish and that was dangerous.
The show tonight, at least, was close to home and he could sleep in his own bed tonight. There was that much to be said for it. Jack woke, spent some time stretching and working the tight muscles of his body trying to loosen them up for his performance. Giving up on the stretches, he opted to have his morning coffee in a small hot tub off the back deck. The heat of the water allowed his muscles to relax, getting him a deeperstretch. He would be back in the hot tub again tonight before taking off for the next show.
As he soaked and stretched his limbs in the hot tub, Jack looked out over the rolling hills. It would be a hot one later today but, for now, the air felt cool against his heated skin. He loved that there was no one else nearby. It felt peaceful and serene. That was the reason he had bought the place. It was outside of town but close enough to be convenient if he needed something.
As he had driven down the farm road, he thought the realtor was nuts as they drove down a gravel drive. Instead of insanity, it was complete understanding he found. The little, thin man had listened, understood and sensed what he was looking for apparently because in front of him lay the Garden of Eden. In fact, that is what he called the property: Heavenly.
Jack had welded horseshoes and other metallic items into a sign that he mounted along the fence line. A massive, well-worn, split tree served as the very bottom rail of the fence and here he nailed the carefully crafted letters.
He left the unpaved gravel drive as it was, simply because it was a breathtaking, long route back towards the hills. Jack never dreamed he would ever try to purchase more than an acre of land. But when he was shown this property, he had to have it on the spot. Thirty acres of green rolling grasses, a small creek and an entire hillside covered in bluebonnets gave him more than he could have ever asked for.
The house on the property had been quite rustic, but it functioned. Once he cleaned it out, he built a deck on the back and put a hot tub upon it. He thought once that the place would be a bachelor’s pad and that he would get some use out of the hot tub with the ladies. Instead, the use he got out of it was only for himself. Grinning, he thought of how lame it sounded to his own ears much less anyone else’s.
“Oh yeah, Jack’s got a place for the ladies complete with a hot tub he uses to stretch his sore and aching old-before-my-time body,” he mumbled and took a big sip of the black coffee before setting it down on the window ledge nearby.
“Jack, the ladies’ man,” he groaned and winced as he tried stretching his hamstrings out again. His body screamed as the tight muscles refused to let loose.
“Dang it,” he muttered, dreading the ride tonight.
After a time,Jack exited the hot tub and headed into the house. Already, his muscles were loosening up and giving him some relief. He rubbed ointment on his legs and hips to allow a bit more relief. The foul peppermint smell stung his nose, but he could instantly feel the heating and cooling sensation causing his body to release.
Washing his hands, he pulled on his favorite pair of Levi’s and boots. Grabbing a plaid show shirt with pearl buttons, he remembered fondly how much he hated the idea of “fancy buttons”. After having been nearly gored, yanked from a horse or jerked out of the path of a bull, those fancy snap buttons gave way saving his life more than once. He never saw the appeal until he needed them and now wouldn’t perform without them. He put the plaid shirt on and skipped the belt.No need to give the animal something to catch his horn on,he thought. Slapping a hat on his head, he glanced in the mirror to see a tired reflection looking back.
“Almost done, old man,” he mumbled and stretched deeply, extending his arms far over his shoulders, reaching down towards his boot tips. He was willing to try anything at this pointto loosen up his body. He was bored, tired of hurting and looking for more…but what?
3
CHARLIE
Charlotte was excited to collect her cash winnings, more so than her tickets. Her tickets were “Gold Buckle seats”. She had originally laughed at the description until she saw the faces of the radio employees. They were downright hostile and not shy about it.
“If you don’t like rodeos, why’d you even call in?”
“You can forfeit your tickets and we’d be happy to give them to someone who wants them,” the blonde at the counter snapped. Stunned by the vehemence that came from the two ladies, Charlie assured them that she wanted the tickets. She gaped at the estimated value on the form she was about to sign as she saw the cost. Then she bit her tongue to keep from asking for the monetary value of the tickets instead. She gratefully accepted them and ran from the office, tickets in hand.
Hopping in her old pickup truck, Charlie rolled down the windows and pulled her hair back in a ponytail. She tucked the tickets in her wallet and zipped the enclosure to make sure they wouldn’t fly out as she drove from town. Perhaps she would just go instead of scalping them. Scalping them was illegal and if she couldn’t afford the cosmetic items for her project car, she surecouldn’t pay for them if she had to pay a fine or bail money. Instead, she called her friend and invited her to go with her.
“Rodeo? Seriously?” she heard Beth’s voice chirp on the other line. “You never get out and now you are going to see a rodeo?”
“I do so get out! And it’s a yes or no question, Beth. Yes, you want to go? Or no, you don’t?” Charlie asked sarcastically in the phone.
“When is it?”
“Lemme look,” she said, feeling a bit stupid for not even looking at the tickets.
“You bought tickets and didn’t check the date?”
“I didn’t buy them. I won them on a radio contest,” she replied absently, thumbing through her wallet between gas receipts and such. She couldn’t imagine the chaos she would have at the bottom of a purse if her wallet was any indication.
“Shaddup! You actually won something?” Charlie held the phone from her head and flinched as Beth screeched into the receiver in shock. It really was odd that she won but it was definitely due at some point. Beth didn’t have to be so darned shocked about it. Her surprise was a bit insulting.
“I know, right?”
“No way! You never win anything, dork.”
“I won these! And they are for September 12th,” Charlie gasped. “Crap! They are for tonight!”
Sheer panic set in almost immediately. She had to get ready and make sure there was no one waiting at the shop when she got back. If there was, they absolutely had to leave the car this time or buy out her tickets. She never won and, for the first time, she was going to enjoy her prize!
