8 Seconds

I stuck my hand in the bowl of numbers and pulled number ten. My heart stopped, waiting for the name of the bull it was linked to. “Jacobs Callahan, you have drawn Bully for your ride tonight. Gonna be a tough reunion folks.” The air stuck in my lungs and I couldn’t breathe, I needed the opening ceremony to be over so I could get some fresh air. Dammit, this was my chance to change the way people looked at me after my last encounter with this bull. “Ladies and Gentlemen please stand on your feet and give these fine men and women a hand. I’m going to turn it over to the beautiful Jessica Marx to sing us the national anthem.”

As the crowd sang the end of the anthem and roared we walked off stage. I headed straight for the outside air. How the hell was I going to make eight seconds on Bully, hell I’d only made it two the first go round and he’d sent me to the hospital with a concession, broken ribs, and broken collar bone. I’d only been back on the circuit a year or so since the accident and that was after the extensive therapy and recovery time. I took my black stetson off and slammed it on my thigh to get the dust off and let out a bit of frustration. As I walked over to where the cattle were being kept, I heard a voice come out of nowhere. “Hey Cowboy, you ready for your ride?” I turned as the beautiful brunette swayed towards me, Madison Baker. She was the communications liaison for the PRCA and she was at almost all the bigger rodeo events. I’d watched her from afar, but never worked up the courage to have an actual conversation with her outside of the typical interviews. I felt a smile tug at my lips and a strange sense of comfort washed over me. “Hell, I thought I was...” my voice trailed off before I could finish the sentence. Madison laughed “I meant the ride with me over to the autograph booth, you’re up for about ten minutes after your ride and since you’re last, I figured we could get everything to your likin’ beforehand.” She smiled as she talked, it wasn’t any wonder why she’d got the job, she was a complete natural and gorgeous as ever. But not like your typical buckle bunny gorgeous, she was elegant, a lady, and she didn’t take any shit from the cowboys she interviewed and travelled with. “I’m sorry if you thought I meant your actual ride. I was there three years ago when you had your first ride.” Her voice pulled me out of my thoughts of her and back to reality. “You...You were?” Shocked I shifted my weight to lean back on the fence. “First day on the job and that was what you gave me to report.” She laughed, making the air less serious. “My boss asked me repeatedly if I was sure I could handle what the media would throw at me about you.” She walked over to the post and rested her arms on the rail next to me. Her body was so close I could smell the leather and vanilla of her aroma. What the hell was going on? No woman had ever affected me like Madi had. Sure I’d never really looked at her in that way, but what was so different about tonight? My nerves of getting back on Bully, or wasI finally letting myself admit the secret crush I’d had on her since the day she interviewed me in the hospital after the accident. She was telling the stories of the nosey women and reporters she’d dealt with the night of my accident, but I was too busy staring to listen to her words. Snap out of it Callahan. “Ready Jake?” Her voice chimed in over my mental battle. “Yes ma’am.” I muttered.

After the booth was set up and the stack of pictures were out of the box I headed back to the cattle. “Jake?” I heard Madison call, I spun around and was met with a concerned look on her face. “What’s wrong Madi?” I said as I walked back toward her. “I...I just...” she started to stutter, so I grabbed her arms and looked at her “I’ll be careful darlin’. I don’t wanna deal with the aftermath of what happened last time either.” She nodded and before I knew it her lips pressed a gentle kiss on my cheek. “You better be in one piece after your ride, mister” she retorted, letting some of the concern wash off her face. What the hell? Was she flirting, Jesus what was going on tonight. Testing the waters I shot back “How else would I be able to take you for drinks after if I’m not?” I smiled and gave her arms a gentle squeeze before pulling away. “I’ll be waiting for that formal invitation afterwards then.” She laughed as I walked away.

The rodeo was coming to an end and the next event was Bull Riding, my event. I hadn’t been this nervous to get on a bull since, well ever. When I was eight my parents had me training to ride and it’d just came so naturally to me as the years passed. Even after the accident, I was so ready to get back to riding, but tonight was different. What the hell kind of spell had Madison put over me? All I could think about was getting through this ride to see her again. My mind was on replay of what her soft lips would feel like on mine, the way she smelled, her laugh, god I just wanted to keep her laughing. “Callahan you’re in the hole cowboy!” My buddy Corbin shouted from the other end of the chutes. I willed myself to think of anything other than Madison, but every time I did, the nerves flooded back over me, overwhelming me with nausea and anxiety. I walked over to the chute that had Bully pinned up, said a quiet prayer for safety, and slid onto the bull. I felt a hand slap me on the shoulder and ask if I was okay, I nodded, but the shaky hands and sweat told them otherwise. Corbin tightened the rope around Bully, making him buck just a little. I heard a gasp and turned to find Madison standing to the side of the chutes, where the cowboys were going out of the arena. At that moment, that same sense of calm radiated through my body and I began to relax. I tipped my hat and smiled at Madi just before giving the “Let’s go boys” phrase of approval to open the gate.

Bully bucked and stomped, tried a half belly roll, but I stayed planted, never wavering off my spot. The seconds seemed to crawl by, but I matched him move for move. I was ready for this ride, I’d trained for this ride, and knew exactly what moves the bull would try and pull on me. The sound of the buzzer pulled me from my thoughts. I saw the two cowboys headed my way and I leaned over and grabbed one around the waist and slung off the bull. Bully was pissed, he tried to ram one of the bullfighters, but eventually gave up and ran out of the arena. The crowd went wild, everyone got to their feet, and applauded with yips and yells of approval. I took off my stetson and threw it in the air and ran to the gate. I was only concerned about the approval of one woman and she was waiting there with open arms for me. I picked her up and swung her around, only to set her on the ground, cup her face with my hands and pull her into the sweetest kiss of my life.

The cameras must have followed me out of the gate, because as soon as I pressed my lips to hers the fans got even louder. I pulled away slowly, letting our foreheads rest against each other, my hands gently rubbing her cheeks. Her smile matched mine and it made my heart soar. “Ready for our date Miss Baker?” I drawled. She nodded and took my hand and I led us out of the arena.

A night that started going downhill because of a raging bull turned out to be the best night of my life, I got the girl.