Friday, June 17, 2011

Fiction Preview Part 2

Posted by Tracy Wainwright at 9:05 AM
Second half of chapter 1

Bo looked into Dana’s eyes. Man, she was beautiful. Her blond hair flowed down her back and over her shoulders. He loved that blond hair. He loved to run his fingers through it and hold a handful of it. He loved those full, pink, soft lips. He loved kissing them. Oh, and that red tank top. He definitely loved that. He dared not focus on it, though. She had this thing. Before each ride, when things were getting geared up, they looked at each other across the arena. She never had trouble finding him, and her thin, beautiful body, gorgeous face were hard to miss. Especially since she always sat in the same section with his mama, who’d been sitting in the same place since she came to the rodeos to watch his dad ride.
He wondered again how in the world he landed her. She was gorgeous. Way out of his league. He thought about the day they met as she held his gaze across the arena.
One the last day of school last year, she’d parked her cute little red car next to his beat up blue pickup. He’d known who she was since the day she’d first stepped into his school five months before. Everyone knew Brooke Ackerman, the new girl from Virginia.
He’d seen her standing beside her car talking to one of the other cheerleaders as he walked across the parking lot. His mouth went dry, which he knew had nothing to do with the blazing sun and eighty percent humidity. No way would he ever have the courage to talk to her. He could ride a bull. But he couldn’t find two words to say to this goddess.
The other girl left as he approached and he held his breath as he waited for her to slip into her car and drive away. But, she stood by her driver’s side door smiling and staring him down with her piercing green eyes.
He couldn’t see those green eyes now, but he knew them by heart. He’d looked into them that day, all sparkling and chipper as she introduced herself, and he’d looked into them every chance he got since then.
He shifted in his saddle, but held her gaze. He didn’t mind. As long as she didn’t expect him to blow a kiss or do some silly sign to tell her he loved her. That stuff made him want to gag.
As he shifted, another blond caught his eye. His teeth clinched involuntarily. She wouldn’t. His eyes narrowed as this blond, with short, wavy hair, came into focus. It was her. How could she show up here? That –
The announcer called up the first rider. Bo had drawn the fifth spot, which meant he had to get ready. He forced his thoughts back to the huge wild animal he would spend eight seconds taming. At seventeen he had already built himself a good reputation in the local riding circuit, and he wasn’t going to jeopardize that for anything.
Bo sat on the huge animal, encased in a box that didn’t allow him to move much. At least the bull he’d drawn wasn’t known for being wild. Not that any bull made it easy to stay in position for the time needed to earn a score, but he knew he wouldn’t face his most difficult challenge today. He double and triple checked everything. Everything that was supposed to be tied, was. Everything that was supposed to be loose, was. He gripped the rope at the bull’s neck. He held on to the side of the shoot to steady himself with his other hand. In a few seconds, the gate would open and every muscle in his body would be concentrating on not getting thrown to the ground.
He listened for the familiar sounds leading up to the release and watched with a keen eye. The slightest disturbance of his concentration could mean injury or disaster. He’d been doing this too long to make a stupid mistake.
A buzzer sounded. The gate swung open. The bull darted out. Bo’s one hand held on as his body rocked up and down and side to side. There was no format or rhythm to it, but he matched each move the bull made with his own. It tried to fling him off this way and that, but he would not be beat. Five more seconds.
His body jerked side to side, frontwards, and back. He controlled every muscle. Every movement. Every action. He reacted to each movement the bull made and held on. Two more seconds.
He allowed only the slightest bit of his attention to leave from his task at hand. He would ride this bull, but he also needed to hear that buzzer. Eight seconds were as long as he needed to stay on, and not a bit longer.
There it was. The sound every bull rider lived for. Eight seconds. A successful ride. Bo loosened his grip and skillfully leapt off and away from the erratic animal. Two clowns worked their magic to entice the bull away from Bo and towards the exit gate. He pumped his fist in the air, knowing his score would be good. Only now did he feel and hear his heart racing. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. What a ride. What a rush.
He returned to behind the walls of safety to wait on his score and watch the rest of the riders. Some of them slapped him on the back. They were all competing, but they were also family. Most people didn’t understand bull-riding. Those who did were bound together by the love of the sport and everything that came with it.
Bo accepted every handshake and congratulations when they announced his score, landing him in first place. His heart thudded in his chest. Five riders down. But, with twelve riders to go, he hadn’t won anything yet.
His brother Jeremy was one of those twelve and would give Bo a run for his money. Jeremy had been the one who’d taught Bo most of what he knew about bull-riding. He almost always outscored Bo. He used to, anyway. Before this stuff with Stacy.
He could spit nails at the thought of that girl and what she’d done to his brother. He hoped Jeremy hadn’t seen her. He glanced at Jeremy and knew. He had. Bo recognized the tight jaw and lowered hat.
Bo watched Jeremy as he began to get ready for his own ride. He had to say something. But what? Don’t worry about her, man. There are plenty more chicks out there. No. That wouldn’t do any good. Nothing would change what had happened.
He walked over and said the only thing he could. “Hang on tight, man.”
Jeremy looked at him and nodded, then turned back to the bull he sat atop of. The wild animal snorted and knocked against the box. Jeremy probably shouldn’t be on that bull, but if someone tried to tell his brother not to ride, he’d let ‘em have it for sure. Jeremy had lost enough. He wouldn’t know what to do without riding.
The buzzer sounded and the gate opened. The bull lurched out of the gate sideways. Immediately Bo knew something was wrong. Jeremy leaned to the side. He tried to unwrap his hand, but he couldn’t get it loose. The bull flung Jeremy’s body left and right.
Bile rose in Bo’s throat as he watched his older brother and best friend being tossed about like a piece of meat.

0 comments on "Fiction Preview Part 2"

Friday, June 17, 2011

Fiction Preview Part 2

Second half of chapter 1

Bo looked into Dana’s eyes. Man, she was beautiful. Her blond hair flowed down her back and over her shoulders. He loved that blond hair. He loved to run his fingers through it and hold a handful of it. He loved those full, pink, soft lips. He loved kissing them. Oh, and that red tank top. He definitely loved that. He dared not focus on it, though. She had this thing. Before each ride, when things were getting geared up, they looked at each other across the arena. She never had trouble finding him, and her thin, beautiful body, gorgeous face were hard to miss. Especially since she always sat in the same section with his mama, who’d been sitting in the same place since she came to the rodeos to watch his dad ride.
He wondered again how in the world he landed her. She was gorgeous. Way out of his league. He thought about the day they met as she held his gaze across the arena.
One the last day of school last year, she’d parked her cute little red car next to his beat up blue pickup. He’d known who she was since the day she’d first stepped into his school five months before. Everyone knew Brooke Ackerman, the new girl from Virginia.
He’d seen her standing beside her car talking to one of the other cheerleaders as he walked across the parking lot. His mouth went dry, which he knew had nothing to do with the blazing sun and eighty percent humidity. No way would he ever have the courage to talk to her. He could ride a bull. But he couldn’t find two words to say to this goddess.
The other girl left as he approached and he held his breath as he waited for her to slip into her car and drive away. But, she stood by her driver’s side door smiling and staring him down with her piercing green eyes.
He couldn’t see those green eyes now, but he knew them by heart. He’d looked into them that day, all sparkling and chipper as she introduced herself, and he’d looked into them every chance he got since then.
He shifted in his saddle, but held her gaze. He didn’t mind. As long as she didn’t expect him to blow a kiss or do some silly sign to tell her he loved her. That stuff made him want to gag.
As he shifted, another blond caught his eye. His teeth clinched involuntarily. She wouldn’t. His eyes narrowed as this blond, with short, wavy hair, came into focus. It was her. How could she show up here? That –
The announcer called up the first rider. Bo had drawn the fifth spot, which meant he had to get ready. He forced his thoughts back to the huge wild animal he would spend eight seconds taming. At seventeen he had already built himself a good reputation in the local riding circuit, and he wasn’t going to jeopardize that for anything.
Bo sat on the huge animal, encased in a box that didn’t allow him to move much. At least the bull he’d drawn wasn’t known for being wild. Not that any bull made it easy to stay in position for the time needed to earn a score, but he knew he wouldn’t face his most difficult challenge today. He double and triple checked everything. Everything that was supposed to be tied, was. Everything that was supposed to be loose, was. He gripped the rope at the bull’s neck. He held on to the side of the shoot to steady himself with his other hand. In a few seconds, the gate would open and every muscle in his body would be concentrating on not getting thrown to the ground.
He listened for the familiar sounds leading up to the release and watched with a keen eye. The slightest disturbance of his concentration could mean injury or disaster. He’d been doing this too long to make a stupid mistake.
A buzzer sounded. The gate swung open. The bull darted out. Bo’s one hand held on as his body rocked up and down and side to side. There was no format or rhythm to it, but he matched each move the bull made with his own. It tried to fling him off this way and that, but he would not be beat. Five more seconds.
His body jerked side to side, frontwards, and back. He controlled every muscle. Every movement. Every action. He reacted to each movement the bull made and held on. Two more seconds.
He allowed only the slightest bit of his attention to leave from his task at hand. He would ride this bull, but he also needed to hear that buzzer. Eight seconds were as long as he needed to stay on, and not a bit longer.
There it was. The sound every bull rider lived for. Eight seconds. A successful ride. Bo loosened his grip and skillfully leapt off and away from the erratic animal. Two clowns worked their magic to entice the bull away from Bo and towards the exit gate. He pumped his fist in the air, knowing his score would be good. Only now did he feel and hear his heart racing. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. What a ride. What a rush.
He returned to behind the walls of safety to wait on his score and watch the rest of the riders. Some of them slapped him on the back. They were all competing, but they were also family. Most people didn’t understand bull-riding. Those who did were bound together by the love of the sport and everything that came with it.
Bo accepted every handshake and congratulations when they announced his score, landing him in first place. His heart thudded in his chest. Five riders down. But, with twelve riders to go, he hadn’t won anything yet.
His brother Jeremy was one of those twelve and would give Bo a run for his money. Jeremy had been the one who’d taught Bo most of what he knew about bull-riding. He almost always outscored Bo. He used to, anyway. Before this stuff with Stacy.
He could spit nails at the thought of that girl and what she’d done to his brother. He hoped Jeremy hadn’t seen her. He glanced at Jeremy and knew. He had. Bo recognized the tight jaw and lowered hat.
Bo watched Jeremy as he began to get ready for his own ride. He had to say something. But what? Don’t worry about her, man. There are plenty more chicks out there. No. That wouldn’t do any good. Nothing would change what had happened.
He walked over and said the only thing he could. “Hang on tight, man.”
Jeremy looked at him and nodded, then turned back to the bull he sat atop of. The wild animal snorted and knocked against the box. Jeremy probably shouldn’t be on that bull, but if someone tried to tell his brother not to ride, he’d let ‘em have it for sure. Jeremy had lost enough. He wouldn’t know what to do without riding.
The buzzer sounded and the gate opened. The bull lurched out of the gate sideways. Immediately Bo knew something was wrong. Jeremy leaned to the side. He tried to unwrap his hand, but he couldn’t get it loose. The bull flung Jeremy’s body left and right.
Bile rose in Bo’s throat as he watched his older brother and best friend being tossed about like a piece of meat.

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