back up the bleachers, where they watched calf roping and ate their hot dogs. After they finished, a man sat down in front of Todd wearing a gigantic cowboy hat. Luke scooped Todd up and sat him on his lap so he could see better. Then he reached over and patted the bleacher beside him, telling Shannon to come closer. She scooted over next to him, close enough that every time he turned around to talk to her, his lips were only inches from hers. Her skin felt touchy, alive, as if she suddenly had a hundred times the nerve endings she’d had only two hours ago. So every time his thigh or his shoulder brushed against hers, warm little shivers raced through her. Sitting so close to him, she smelled the clean aroma of soap, but also a warm, wonderful guy smell she wished she could inhale every moment of every day. If somebody could bottle that, women the world over would knock each other down to buy it.
Soon she became more aware of how much attention Luke had garnered just by stepping onto the rodeo grounds, and not just from women. As the evening wore on, a few other people dropped by to speak to him. Most of the conversation was centered around his injury and whether he’d be back on a bull come November. He assured every person he talked to that he would. He was kind, considerate, and had a smile for everyone. She had the feeling a lot more people had recognized him, too. They just didn’t have the nerve to talk to him.
“Bull riding’s coming up,” Luke said to Todd. “The rider needs to stay on eight seconds. The judges score his ride, but the bull gets a score, too. Then both scores are added together. So the tougher the bull, the higher the score.”
Todd nodded seriously and focused on the action. The first kid climbed the fence and settled onto the bull’s back. The animal reared, then slammed his front legs down again.
“My God,” Shannon said. “That kid’s going to get killed before the bull even comes out.”
“Nah,” Luke said. “The chute’s pretty safe. There’s only so much a bull can do in there.”
In the next moment, though, the chute gate swung open, and the bull came barreling out. Three seconds later, he tossed his young rider into the dust.
“And exactly how safe was that?” Shannon asked.
Luke chuckled. “These bulls aren’t too bad.”
“Well, if these aren’t too bad, what are they like in the big leagues?”
“A whole lot bigger and a whole lot meaner.”
“My God,” she said on a hushed breath. “They could kill a man.”
“There’s a reason they call bull riding the most dangerous eight seconds in sports.”
Shannon believed that. Every word.
“Look!” Todd said, pointing. “Clowns!”
“They’re also called bullfighters,” Luke said. “Once the ride is over, they distract the bull so he doesn’t go after the cowboy. Good thing, because those horns are sharp.”
Only one of the next four kids managed to stay on the full eight seconds. Then came the blond kid Luke had talked to. He climbed over the fence and slid nonchalantly onto the bull. Shannon didn’t know if he’d worn a helmet before, but he was wearing one now.
The gate opened. The bull came flying out, then began to buck in a circle, dropping one shoulder every time he hit the ground.
“Tough bull,” Luke said, his gaze fixed intently on the arena. “Come on, kid…”
The bull slammed the kid left and right until Shannon swore his arm was going to be torn from its socket. She held her breath, counting silently inside her head. Then the buzzer sounded. With the bull’s next buck, the kid let loose and landed on his feet on the arena floor.
“He did it,” Shannon said. “He stayed on the full eight seconds!”
“That bull threw him four seconds in,” Luke said. “He just refused to get off.”
The kid left the arena as nonchalantly as he’d slid down onto the bull. But once the gate closed behind him, Shannon noticed he wasn’t looking at his friends. He wasn’t being congratulated by any family members. He was looking into the stands. A few seconds later, his gaze settled on Luke. Luke looked back at him, turning his fist into a thumbs-up. The kid nodded, then walked away.
“That was nice,” Shannon said.
“He can take it for what it’s worth.”
“Are you kidding? Your approval meant everything to him.” A few loose strands of hair fanned her face, and