Page 31 of Forever Enough

“Yeah, they can get pissed off, especially when they start tightening the bull rope. Plus, some of these are newbies. Young three-year-olds. Some have never even had a rider on their backs yet.”

“Wow.”

“Once Bradly is all set, he’ll give a nod and the gate will open, and his job is to try and stay on for eight seconds. The bull’s job is to buck him off before that time.”

“Got it.”

“You’ll see Bradly rubbing the bull rope with his gloved hand before he nods. That’s because he’s put some rosin on it. When they rub it, the rosin warms up and gets sticky, which helps him hold onto the bull rope.”

I chewed my lip nervously as I stared at the bucking chutes. Then my entire body felt like the hairs stood up, and I turned to see Bradly walking up the steps.

Holy cowboy.

He had a black vest on and was holding a helmet in his hand. He’d changed into cowboy boots that looked well-worn. He wore chaps over his jeans and had even changed shirts. When he smiled at me, and those dimples appeared, my knees actually felt weak.

Ty and two other men were behind him, talking about something I couldn’t really hear. All I could focus on was the man standing in front of me, making me feel breathless.

“Josh teaching you all about bull riding?”

I wanted to take in the sight of him. Fix it in my memory. So I did what any woman in her right mind would—I slowly let my gaze run over him.

When my eyes met his, he raised a brow. “Like what you see, Kenz?”

Smiling, I replied, “Very much.”

Ty clapped his hands, and I let out a small squeak and jumped.

“I was thinking you could give Dino a run.”

Bradly’s brows flew up and he laughed. “Are you serious?”

Ty shrugged. “He’s getting antsy and needs the exercise before New York.”

Turning to Josh, I asked, “Who’s Dino?”

“The number-two-ranked bull in the world. He’s a mean son-of-a-bitch.”

“Will he be okay?”

“Oh, yeah. This bull is a top athlete.”

“Josh,” I said as I rolled my eyes. “I meant Bradly.”

Grinning, he nodded. “Bradly rides better than any of us, and that includes my father and his daddy. Even Uncle Brock. There isn’t a bull he can’t ride. It was only because of an injury he wasn’t number one this past year.”

I chewed nervously on my thumbnail as I watched Bradly step into the chute. He put his foot on the back of the bull first, then slowly lowered down onto him.

“See how he lines up his pinky with the middle of the bull? Damn, he makes it all look so easy.”

The bull jumped, and Bradly lurched forward, causing me to let out a gasp.

“He’s okay,” Josh said as he leaned over the rails and rested his arms on it as he looked on.

I watched as Ty tightened the rope and Bradly took it, rubbing it with one hand. He threw the tail of the rope behind him and then slid forward and positioned himself by adjusting his seat. The way he moved so gracefully on the back of the bull made my insides tremble.

“Here we go,” Josh said as he turned his baseball cap around, as if the bill was blocking his view.

Bradly nodded—and when the gate flew open, I could not believe my eyes.