his feet spread as if he was holding his ground. “You’re Luke Dawson.”
Luke turned around, looking the kid up and down. “That’s right.”
“Heard you got sidelined. Knee injury. Freak accident.”
“Yep.”
“They say you’ve still got a chance to win it all, assuming you make it to the World Championship.”
“I’ll be there.”
The kid flicked his cigarette. “I saw you ride once in Amarillo.”
“Yeah? Which time?”
“Last January. You won. Rode a bull named Executioner. Scored a ninety-two.”
“Yeah, I think I remember that ride. You got a good memory, kid.”
The redheaded boy piped up. “Hey, Luke! What’s the toughest bull you ever rode?”
“Don’t ask him that!” the short one said, slapping his friend on the arm.
“Why not?”
“’Cause he’s Luke Dawson, you idiot! None of them are tough for him to ride!”
“Now, that’s where you’re wrong,” Luke said. “Rodeo’s a hard sport for any man. Sooner or later you’re going to get the crap beaten out of you. It’s just a matter of when. You just gotta decide if you want it bad enough to keep coming back for more.” Luke fanned his gaze over them. “Any of you boys got what it takes?”
Two of the boys swallowed hard, their eyes growing big, looking as if they’d love to turn tail and run. The blond kid spit in the dirt and stood up tall, peering at Luke from beneath the brim of his hat.
“I do.”
Luke shifted his gaze to meet the kid’s eyes. “What’s your event?”
“Bull riding.”
“You want to go pro?”
“Yep.”
“How bad?”
The kid paused. “Bad.”
“How do your parents feel about it?”
The kid tossed down his cigarette and ground it out with the toe of his boot. “My parents don’t give a shit about me.”
“Watch your language,” Luke said, flicking his gaze toward Todd, who had picked a few stalks of Johnson grass and was feeding it to the horse.
“They don’t care what I do,” the kid said.
“Rodeo’s a hard life.”
“Can’t be as hard as what I got now.”
“It’ll kick your butt from here to next Thursday.”
“I’m used to that already.”
“Then I guess there’s nothing standing in your way, is there?” He turned to Todd. “Hey, Todd. I bet Shannon has those hot dogs by now.”
“Any advice?” the blond kid said.
Luke turned back, staring at the kid for a long time. “Yeah. I got plenty of advice. But I only give it to people who are ready to hear it.”
The kid looked at him evenly. “I’m ready.”
“Okay, then. First thing—don’t get anywhere near a chute unless you’re wearing a helmet. Only idiots go out there unprotected.”
“Some guys say that’s for pussies.”
“Then call me a pussy, because I wouldn’t get on a bull without one. Second,” he said, “losing isn’t the worst thing in the world. The worst thing in the world is whining about it. Learn from it, then get back on the next bull. Pretty soon you’ll be winning more than you’re losing, and that’ll take you to the top. You hear me?”
“I hear you.”
“Third—behave yourself in public, and be thankful when people help you. Nobody likes a jerk. You may think you don’t care about that right now, but believe me, the day will come when you will.”
The kid nodded.
“That being said, be careful who you trust. From this day forward, you better assume the only person who has your best interests at heart is you. Got that?”
“Got it.”
“Oh, yeah. One last thing. Get rid of the cigarettes. No serious athlete smokes. Bull riders are no different.”
The kid stared at Luke a long time before giving him another silent nod.
“I’ll be up there watching you ride,” Luke said, nodding toward the stands. “Show me what you’ve got.”
With one last nod of acknowledgment, the blond kid turned and walked away, his posse hurrying after him. A few moments later, he passed a trash can. He pulled out his cigarettes, tossed them away, and kept on walking.
Shannon felt the most amazing sensation of her preconceived notions being blown away. From one moment to the next, it was as if the last remnants of the boy she’d known had disintegrated in her memory, and the only thing left of him was the man Luke had become—a man she was drawn to more with every breath she took.
She walked up behind him. “He trashed the cigarettes. Maybe that means he was paying attention.”
Luke spun around, looking surprised. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough. I didn’t know you were a rock star.”
“They’re just kids. Easy to impress.” He nodded down at the hot dogs. “Let’s eat.”