Read Online And Then You Dare (Crested Butte Cowboys Series Book 5) by Heather A Buchman - Free Book Online Page B

thinkin’ next week is more like it.”
    A terrible thought crossed Bill’s mind. “She don’t want me to
stay here, does she?”
    “I don’t have a read on that yet. Seems if she wanted you to,
she woulda’ asked me to bring your gear down with us. And she didn’t ask me to
do that, just to bring you.”
    “Maybe he doesn’t want her son around. Maybe that’s the bad
feelin’ I get from him, that he doesn’t want me.”
    Clancy rubbed his chin. “Possibly, but I think it’s more than
that.”
    “Yeah, me too.”

Chapter 7

 
    “Got a minute Billy?”
    “Ya know, I’ve been meaning to ask you somethin’. Is Bullet a
nickname?”
    “Uh, no. It’s my name.” Bullet couldn’t always follow Billy’s
line of thinking. Sometimes the guy came out of left field.
    “Pretty cool name. How’d you get it?”
    “Uh, my parents. How’d you get yours?”
    “Smart ass. I’m a junior. So come on, tell me. Your parents
really named you Bullet?”
    “Yep.” Billy was working on his last nerve.
    “You ever ask if there was a story behind it?”
    “It’s always been my name. Never seemed unusual to me.”
    “I mean, Lyric, that makes sense. Your dad bein’ a rock star
and all.”
    “Number one with a bullet.”
    The expression on Billy’s face changed in an instant. “You
couldn’t have told me that ten questions ago?”
    “Nope.”
    Billy laughed, and grabbed Bullet’s shoulder. “You fit in
right perfect ol’ Bullet. Damn smart ass, ornery bastard. So what did you wanna
talk to me about?”
    “Bull ridin’.”
    “That’s what I figured. Been waitin’ for you to bring it up.
Everybody has. We got a deal all worked out for when you finally did.”
    “Oh yeah? What kinda deal?”
    “Now don’t get your panties all twisted up. It’s a good one.”
    Bullet folded his arms across his chest and waited.
    “Here’s the thing. My daddy isn’t too keen on the idea of
raisin’ rough stock up in Black Forest. The truth is, he isn’t too keen on what
he refers to as modern rodeo .”
    “Why are you involving him if he doesn’t want to do it?”
    “Because we need the support in El Paso County. We’re
partnerin’ with TZ Bucking Bulls in Larkspur, but that’s just bulls. We need a
bronc operation too.”
    Bullet shrugged his shoulders and looked off in the distance.
    “You got an opinion? Now’s the time to tell me.”
    “I’d say the land belongs to your daddy, and if doesn’t want
to do it, ain’t nothin’ gonna change his mind.”
    “That’s where you come in.”
    “Oh no. No way. I’m not gettin’ in the middle of this. I
hardly know you, let alone your family. Go fight your own battles.” Bullet
walked away.
    “Don’t you wanna know how this involves gettin’ you on bulls?”
    He stopped. “How?”
    “My dad’s gonna be your trainer, and Flying R is gonna be your
sponsor.”
    Bullet turned around. “Is this another thing he ain’t too
‘keen’ on?”
    “Nope, he’s all for it.”
    Bullet walked back over to where Billy stood. “This doesn’t
add up. If he’s against raisin’ rough stock because he’s against rodeo, why
would he train me on bulls?”
    “Guess that’s somethin’ you’re gonna have to ask him.”
    “I wouldn’t walk in that water wearin’ your boots.”
    “I don’t know what the hell that means, but I’m headed to
Black Forest tomorrow. Renie and Willow are comin’ with me. You and your son
can follow us. We can talk to my daddy and straighten this all out.”
    Bullet didn’t see he had much choice. He worked for Flying R,
and if one of the partners told him he had to go to Black Forest, then that’s
what he had to do.
    ***
    “Hey Daddy, I’d like you to meet Ben Rice. Ben, this is my
father.”
    “Nice to meet you Mr. McCullough,” Ben stepped forward to
shake hands.
    “Call me Hugh, and it’s nice to finally meet you in person.
Can’t thank you enough for getting my girl home safe and sound.”
    “And this is my