Read Online Bullheaded by Catt Ford - Free Book Online Page B

gear, regular bull rope versus Brazilian, what to do if you get hung up dismounting, and how to fall.”
    With a groan and exaggerated roll of the eyeballs, Bobby Blue crossed his arms over his chest.
    Aubrey opened his mouth but Cody stopped him by pushing a hand out. “You’ll all get a chance to tell Sam how much I suck later. Right now we have work to do. My boys’ll each take one of you for a little one-on-one attention.”
    Johnny crooked a finger at Zane, who looked surprised but came over to him. “My name’s Johnny Arrow.” He stuck his hand out.
    With a shy smile, Zane shook. “Zane Winslow. But I guess you knew that.”
    “I guess I did.” Johnny smiled at him. “Tell me about yourself. Where you ride, what gear you prefer. Regular rope or Brazilian?”
    It seemed Zane wasn’t used to talking much; he was a man of few words. Johnny got them sorted and on with the practical before any of the other men. He was down in the dust showing Zane how to roll when Cody called for everyone’s attention.
    “I want you to watch this. Johnny’s going to show you the best way to roll when you hit the dirt, and believe me, you will hit the dirt and hard. It’s all about using your momentum to not get hurt. You try to put on the brakes and breaking something is just what you’ll be doing.”
    Despite the sneer, Cody could tell Bobby Blue was interested. “You ever broke anything?”
    Cody sniggered. “I been riding over twenty years. I’ve broken plenty of bones. Last time, it was my femur.” He chuckled sheepishly. “Shouldn’t be funny, but it kinda was how it happened. And it wasn’t the bull so much as the fence, but it’s a story for another time. If I can keep you boys from breaking something, it’ll probably be better than if I teach you to stay on top of the rankest bull.”
    “Are we going to see an actual real live bull or don’t you have any?” Aubrey demanded.
    “Oh, I got ’em, but you won’t see them until I’m satisfied you’re not going to hurt my animals,” Cody retorted. “Johnny?”
    Johnny went down again to do a small circle roll to his left and came up effortlessly on his feet. “It’s all about using the energy to roll rather than trying to stop your forward motion. There’s a lot of power in these bulls and when they buck you off, that energy has to go somewhere—”
    Cody cut in. “Your first impulse will be to stick out your hand and stop yourself. Don’t. You do that, and you’ll be riding in a cast.”
    “What if I can’t roll?” Tommy asked.
    “Practice ’til you can. It could save a limb or your career. I’m showing you how and you can practice them as part of your workout,” Johnny said.
    Cody horned in again. “Even if you can’t make it look as good as Johnny, don’t tense up when you get thrown. Land like a rag doll if you can and tumble over a few yards to get out of the path of the bull. If you stiffen up, you’ll get hurt. Okay, boys, it’s your turn. Down in the dirt.” He pointed.
    Three of them obediently went down to start their rolls, but Bobby Blue hung back. “I got a new shirt on.”
    “Son, bull riding’s a dirty sport. From now on save the fancy new duds for Saturday night date night. Now get down there and roll,” Cody ordered.
    Reluctantly, Bobby Blue went down, and soon he was covered in as much dust and sweat as the other three, which made Cody chuckle a little inside.
    Looking at his watch with a sly grin, Cody eventually called a halt to the acrobatics. “Okay, that’s enough for now. Time to get cleaned up for lunch.”
    Huffing for air, Aubrey sulkily got to his feet. “This sucks.”
    “You can thank me later.”
    From a standing position, Johnny did a backflip in the air and landed on his feet with a grin.
    “Yeah, I’ll mail you a postcard some time.” Aubrey climbed over the fence and stalked off to the bunkhouse.
    Bobby Blue glowered first at Cody and then at Travis and Johnny before he went after