Becca pulled her black felt Resistol hat down over her eyes to block out the withering sun above her. She took a red and white bandanna from the back pocket of her skin tight black Wrangler jeans and laid it on the metal railing. She had been burned before and that wasn’t going to happen again because she was a woman who learned from her mistakes. Well, almost all of her mistakes.
She had come back to the rodeo, drawn like a moth to the flame. It was the one thing she could not get out of her blood. She loved the sounds and the smell and most of all, the action! Where else could you watch men be more stupid and more courageous all at the same time. She sensed the raw courage it took to climb on the back of a two ton devil trying to shed itself of its cargo. She also saw the stupidity of doing it more than once.
She was a regular this season and was getting to know a number of the people involved in putting on the rodeo, but she had yet to meet one of the riders. That would change today.
She was mentally focused and physically prepared. That is not to say she was in shape. Becca was a large but shapely woman with a pair of boobs that put most women to shame. She knew she was blessed by this attribute and she had taken advantage with them many times before. She was sure the red, white, and blue halter top she was wearing would be quite noticeable even at a distance.
Up close she counted on her long red hair and emerald green eyes to help finish off her cowboy. Becca was betting her full house over whatever the cowboy was holding. She smiled thinking about those odds. At five foot ten, Becca was no short woman so she was looking for a bit taller and bigger man. She had been with smaller guys and they just didn’t seem to be the right fit in so many ways. Maybe it was a proportional thing, maybe not , but she knew what she wanted and she had a good idea who also.
Refocusing on the event at hand, she propped one of her black Justin Roper clad feet up on the bottom rail and then crossed her forearms on the top railing. She then pushed herself up where she could rest her boobs on her forearms for maximum effect. Just in time too. She heard the announcer calling out the name of Harley Bailes. She was squirming just thinking about that man..
Harley stood six foot two at about 250 pounds. He was a little older then the other cowboys but that did not bother Becca in the least. She was no spring chicken herself and she knew the young guns, while energetic were mostly in it for themselves. Older men just seemed to be more willing to give a little more. She did not know why that was but was sure it was the gospel.
Harley had short, almost silver hair and a darker complexion from being in the sun all day. Becca thought his blue eyes were to die for. They suggested a wisdom tempered with a bit of whimsy. Maybe his lips caused that last effect. She was not sure but knew she liked it just the same.
Harley was now settling onto the bull in chute number two. She heard the announcer call out the bulls name, “Devil’s Climax”. He was a brahma full of piss and vinegar, that few were victorious on. Harley finally got his hand set and nodded.
The chute flew open and the bull exploded out of the gate like a trainload of TNT. He immediately jerked 180 degrees to the left and sent Harley yawing off to the right where his left knee was almost over the center of the bull’s back. Harley pulled hard with his left hand to get recentered just as the bull started to twirl back the other way. As the devil started to swing back to the right, he leapt into the air and had his back angled down about 45 degrees with his ass above his head now.
This caused Harley to lean backwards into the bull’s back like he was laying on him. The bull sensed this and kicked out his hind legs causing Harley’s head to careen into a huge mass of tight bull muscle on the animal’s flanks. Harley might as well have been smacked with a 2 by 4. He almost saw stars, but shook the cobwebs out oh his head and pulled himself upright.
He could hear the screaming of the crowd. He was sure they were getting their money’s worth. Unbelievably this ride was only three seconds old at this point. The bull then took a beeline across the arena bucking every few yards. Harley could sense he was now in control. Even as he thought it, the bull stopped so viciously that Harley was pitched out over the horns before he knew what had happened. He was rolling ass over teakettle before he realized he was thrown.
“Shiiiiit! No buckle today!” he told himself. He got up and started to dust himself off while keeping a wary eye out for the bull. Seeing that the clowns had engaged the bull and released it’s harness, he relaxed and peered up at the clock. The number 6.9 screamed failure at him like a bullhorn. One more event with nothing to show for it.
He heard some one say “Nice try, cowboy.” He turned and was face to face with a red, white, and blue cloth mural. He looked up to see a pair of piecing green eyes and brilliant white smile above that.
“Howdy!” Becca said. ”Are you hurt?”
“Just my pride” Harley drawled as he refocused on the red, white, and blue mural. It was all he could do to keep his jaw from dropping.
Becca noticed his subtle head shift and thought “Gotcha.” Her only question now was how long it would take to get this fish in the boat. Becca rarely lost a catch when she got the hook set. This one looked to have swallowed the bait, not just bit down on it.
Harley regained his composure and thanked her for her support. He started to pull his bandanna from his pocket but Becca quickly yanked hers out from under her arm and passed it to him.
“Thanks” Harley drawled. As he wiped his face with it, his nose hairs came alive with the sweet perfume smell emanating from the cloth. He was in nirvana. “That’s funny.” he thought to himself. “Who would believe you’d find a cowboy in nirvana.” continuing the thought.
“Thanks again” he said as he handed it back to her. He noticed she took it and sniffed it herself. “That’s a little weird” he thought to himself.
“Are you done with this competition?” Becca asked. “Where are you headed next?”
“I’m on my way to Laramie next. I’ll probably head out in the morning”
“Do you need a place to wash up and clean your clothes? Becca stammered, realizing she was nervous, here at the moment of truth. “I’ve got lots of room for you to stretch out in. It would be no problem.” “Don’t oversell” she thought to herself.
“Well if its not too much trouble ma’am” Harley said. “ I don’t want to inconvenience you.” He smiled..
“ It would be my pleasure. I know living out of a pickup truck can’t be much fun.”
“ You are too right there ma’am” Harley said as he chuckled. Harley thought “This is too damn easy. Shootin fish in a barrel is twice as hard as this.”
Becca told him how to get out to her place and that she would be home within the next hour. She literally ran to her truck, a black Dodge Ram Dooley with all the trimmings. There was so much to do and so little time, but she vowed to herself she would be ready.