Jules and Bulls

by Chandler Ardnas

  I turned and ran as fast as I could to find Tennyson. There was no way I was letting him near that beast. I couldn't locate him in any trailer, so I headed to the arena. I ran down the hallway, coming around the corner and crashing into Russell.

  “Jules, are you okay?” he asked, as he held me steady.

  “No, I need Tennyson,” I cried. “He can’t ride that bull; it will kill him. I can’t let him ride.”

  He chuckled and pulled me to a chair and made me sit. “Jules, Tennyson is a pro; he’s the world champion for heaven’s sake.”

  “No, this is different, Russell. This thing isn’t an animal; it’s a beast from hell.”

  Russell laughed at my drama, and I began to cry loudly. “Jules, I talked to Tennyson. He’s ready and whenever he has a moment of doubt he remembers his horse lying in the dirt with his throat slit.”

  “He should call the police and have them arrested,” I said adamantly.

  "Arrest who, the farmhand? You know damn well he was only the lackey. Tennyson is going right for the top by taking away their prized bull. This is a serious fight he's waging, and he's the man to do it."

  I let my face fall into my hands, and I cried hard. I wanted Royal and Bethany here so badly to talk some sense into Tennyson. Surely, she wouldn’t allow her husband close to that beast. Eric and Vince finally caught up with me and stared like I had lost my mind. I introduced them to Russell and then allowed them to help me into the family box. Eric held me in his arms as I continued to cry.

  The bull riders began the event to a sold-out crowd, all here to witness Tennyson's victory or his death. I could not focus on anything and continued to stare vacantly at the swirl of colors before my eyes. When Russell rode, I buried my face in Eric's side. I knew he would ride well, but his ride meant Tennyson was next and I didn't know if I had the strength to watch. Russell scored high and was guaranteed the title, unless Tenn could manage to stay on Diablo. The crowd gave him a standing ovation, and he walked slowly to the railing and climbed up to watch Tennyson. I saw how his eyes darted back and forth between the bullfighters and it made me leery he was planning something.

  Diablo came into the chute, and you could hear the gasps around the arena. Tennyson stood on the rails and pointed at me, so I raised my hand to repeat the action back and watched him place his hand over his heart.

  He began buckling down and took a long time to prepare his rope. I saw Merritt on the railing helping him and noticed how all the bullfighters backed up in the arena. Tennyson talked to his father, and I watched him kiss his son on the forehead and then lower his hat for him.

  My arms and legs were shaking beyond control, and I noticed Vince and Eric were silent. Cherry sat quietly with her head down refusing to watch. Tiny Amylia was perched on the railing in the alley, just as she was before. I felt a bit of relief knowing Miriam was at the hospital with Bethany and Royal. The ride was televised live, but she was spared having to watch it in person.

  The stadium grew quiet, and the chatter of the men around the chute was echoing off the walls. I saw Morgan reach up and swat Tennyson on the ass and then pat the leg with the image of Man-o-war. I looked up at the giant projection screen to see the horse's picture and prayed he was with Tennyson right now. Tenn let his weight settle on the bulls back, and Diablo began to bang his body against the gate in protest. Tennyson kept his legs tucked to keep from being injured as the beast continued to battle confinement.

  Merritt yelled for the bullfighters to come in, but they looked down at the dirt and ignored him. They had been either threatened or paid off, but Tennyson couldn't expect any help from them. I watched as Tenn's arm rose slowly in the air and his head gave a slight nod. The latch was sprung, and the gate flew open.

  Chapter 26

  Eight seconds sounds like such a short amount of time. But, when it is spent watching the man you love abused, it feels like an eternity. Diablo shot from the chute, bucking so quickly and so hard the arena filled with screams. His head lowered to the ground and his hind legs shot up so far, I honestly thought he was going to flip completely over.

  Tennyson’s arm was jerked harshly as his body rose off the back of the bull. He luckily came back down squarely and dug in his spurs. The bull began to spin as thick streams of saliva shot from his mouth and nose. I could hear Russell screaming, “Stay centered,” repeatedly until the bull quickly changed directions.

  Tennyson's free arm flew wildly over his head, knocking his hat to the ground and causing him to lose his balance for a moment. He leaned into the spin and Russell screamed, "Lift your arm." Instead of lifting it, Tennyson stuck his free arm out to the side, and the next kick centered his body back onto the bull. Diablo was wild with rage and threw his head trying to find the intruder with his horns. Tennyson suddenly smiled, and my heart soared. The horn sounded, and the crowd went insane. Everyone jumped up and cheered so loudly it left my ears ringing.

  I watched with fear as Tennyson brought his free hand to the rope handle and continued to hold on without trying to free himself. Diablo continued bucking, and Tennyson was being tossed around aggressively. I watched the bullfighters run around pretending like they were helping but they remained back and out of the bull's way. I looked over to see Amylia screaming at a man standing by the alley gate and realized the gate wasn't open. Diablo wasn't being allowed to leave, and I hollered for Merritt. Morgan ran up to the gate and began pushing with all his might as Merritt screamed toward the judges, but the stadium was too loud.

  I watched in shock as Russell jumped from the railing and ran at the fierce bull just as Tennyson was tossed high in the air and over the side of the enormous beast. His hand stayed in the tight wrap as he tried desperately to climb back on. He was being dragged like a rag doll as his feet tried to keep up with the fast bull. Diablo began to spin, and I screamed as Tennyson hung lifelessly from the side.

  Russell ran up to the bull catching his attention and bringing him out of the spin. The bull lunged and ran right at him. Russell didn't jump on the railing as I expected, but ran the length of the fence with Diablo following. He finally jumped up and ran his hand over the back of the bull as Diablo passed, too big to make a sudden stop. Tennyson's bull rope fell to the ground with him still attached. There was no movement from Tenn, and the bull was coming back around. Morgan now had the gate opened, and both he and Merritt were waving their arms to get Diablo's attention.

  Russell jumped down and reran the length of the fence as the bull set him as a target. The giant beast went right over the top of Tennyson and headed toward the exit. Merritt jumped onto the rails, holding out his arm for Russell, pulling him off the ground and out of the way just as the bull reached him. As soon as Diablo headed into the alley, everyone ran for Tennyson.

  Eric and Vince were both holding onto me tightly with pale faces and terrified eyes. I was yelling loudly, “Get up,” without any knowledge of what I was saying. I looked at the image of Man-o-war still on the screen, begging him to find some way to help Tennyson.

  “He moved,” Eric yelled, and I looked over at the sight of Tennyson’s hand rising into the air. The crowd exploded in cheers again.

  Tennyson was helped up and I gasped at the sight of his arm hanging limply in an odd way. Merritt and Morgan were talking to him, and the entire arena watched as both men moved in tightly, holding him from the front and the back and jerked his shoulder back into the socket. I screamed and buried my face in Eric’s chest. An ambulance backed into the alley, and Tennyson refused assistance as he walked slowly toward the waiting vehicle. The sound of the crowd was thunderous, and when the video of Man-o-war began playing overhead again, there wasn't a dry eye in the place.

  Tennyson looked up at me, with blood dripping down the side of his head and pointed. I used both hands to blow him a kiss and cried with pride. I told Eric and Vince to wait and ran to the back of the arena, behind the chutes. I found Russell first and ran into his arms. I tried to thank him, but I couldn't stop crying enough to
speak. Amylia came up and threw her arms around us both so we pulled her into the hug. “How did you do it?” she asked Russell.

  He pulled a scalpel from his pocket and said, “I think your fiancé will be looking for this.”

  I didn't know which question to ask first, and Russell began talking to fill in the gaps. "I'm buddies with one of the bullfighters. They were told to stay back and not to run along the railing. It seems old Diablo can't resist a chase if you run along the rails. When I found out Royal wouldn't be here, I knew someone had to be ready."

  “Jules,” someone called out, and I saw Morgan waving me over to the ambulance.

  I yelled a quick thank-you to Russell and ran to find Tennyson. I was afraid to touch him as they worked on stitching his head and re-stitching his hand. He looked at me with tears in his eyes, and I wasn't sure if it was from pain or pride, "I did it, Jules. It would have been flawless if they had opened the gates."

  "They're cowards for what they've done," I said firmly, and he smiled wider.

  Merritt walked up and held up a phone with Royal on speaker, “You crazy son-of-a-bitch, Tennyson. The way you countered the spin was perfection, but you got freight-trained while you were down, so we need to work on that.”

  "Right before the final spin I kissed his head, and it all went dark," Tennyson responded.

  "You have to give Tarwater your title since he saved your ass," Royal said with conviction.

  Tennyson looked at me with a blank stare, and I explained, "He used a scalpel to cut you free."

  “He cut Diablo pretty good,” Merritt added.

  I watched as Tennyson's smile fell, and he looked at his father with a heavy heart, "Too bad it wasn't across the throat."

  We all stood in silence until Royal shouted, "Well, at least I don't have to name my son Tennyson now."

  “He’s here?” I asked with excitement.

  "Yeah, get your asses down here," Royal yelled, and then added softly, "Tenn, mom needs to see you."

  “You should have x-rays,” the paramedic said to Tennyson.

  “I’m fine, I’ve got a baby to meet and a girl to marry,” he replied with a big smile.

  I looked around the circle at all the staring faces and mumbled, “Oh shit.”

  They all laughed loudly, and I suddenly remembered I left Eric and Vince sitting alone with Cherry. Merritt agreed to wait for Tennyson, and the rest of us made plans to meet up at the hospital. I ran off to find my friends; who were sitting in shock as they tried to make sense of the world they entered

  I watched the closing ceremonies as Russell, who stood in for Tenn, and Amylia got their titles for the following year. Then we all headed to the hospital. I was so focused on Tennyson that I never noticed Eric and Vince had been holding hands as we left the arena. We waited for a cab, and someone called them a dirty name, but Eric didn't care at all. "It's Vegas, tighten your belt if it scares you," he yelled at the cowboy. I laughed and hugged him, knowing he would always be my best friend.

  When we got to the hospital the press was all over the place, everyone wanting a piece of Tennyson and to hear what was going through his mind as he rode. He smiled when he saw me and held out his good arm, the other resting in a sling. I walked over and sat on his lap, making sure to stay free from his injured arm. We kissed and stared into each other’s eyes as the camera’s flashed like crazy.

  “Are you keeping our deal?” he asked me quietly.

  “Are you up for it?” I asked.

  “It’s not my first rodeo,” he said, and I smiled at the man I loved, knowing I would marry him covered in mud if he wanted.

  “It’s on,” I said, and watched his face light up and his eyes close in thanks.

  A reporter asked about the television show and announced it was not something I was interested in pursuing. I wanted to sing, and that was something I could do as I built a life with Tennyson. I knew somewhere in the country Martin’s head was exploding.

  A reporter asked Tennyson if he planned to go after his title again, and he shocked me by shaking his head back and forth. "I have nothing left to achieve. I rode to win, and I rode to fix the tear in my heart. I want to be a simple rancher now."

  “There it is,” I whispered, and he looked at me with confusion. “There’s your compromise.” I kissed him softly as my heart swelled.

  Finally, they asked about his feud with Tattorsal Ranch. I watched as he took a few steadying breaths and chose his words wisely. "There won't be a day I won't miss Man-o-war. He was my best friend. I wanted to ride Diablo to take money from their pockets, but the more I think about it, I am angriest over the fact they bred and trained a bull to seriously hurt cowboys. He would have been a honker on his own, but they turned him into a killer, and that isn't right."

  “What’s a honker?” I whispered without moving my lips.

  “It’s a tough bull to ride,” he answered, and laughed loudly at how his words still confused me.

  The press conference went on for close to an hour when Merritt announced his son needed to be seen by a doctor and got us out of there. I brought Eric and Vince with me to see the baby. I laughed at the sight of a small stuffed bronc sitting in his crib. A gold sheriff’s star with the name, Lawrence Weller, hung on the outside. Eric was practically drooling on the glass, and Vince looked very nervous.

  I finally brought them up to speed on my plans. “I’m marrying Tennyson, tonight, here in Vegas. Can you guys stay?”

  "Did you bring a dress?" Eric asked, and I merely shook my head.

  “It doesn’t matter what I wear,” I said to his shocked face.

  “Oh, no way, girlfriend. I knew there was a reason for me to be here.” He pulled out his phone and began making calls.

  I looked at Vince and laughed. “I’m glad he’s here, and not for the wardrobe help. I would never get married without Eric being there.”

  "He's happy for you, Jules. He wants things to work out for you and Tennyson," Vince admitted.

  I felt tears fill my eyes and I nodded in agreement. "Eric will always be my best friend, and I want happiness for him, too. You make him happy, so thank you."

  We hugged each other tightly, and Amylia came running up to see the baby. She jumped up and down and made baby talk until Eric walked over and said, "I arranged everything for the wedding; I need to know where to have the stuff sent."

  Amylia looked at me in shock and screamed, “You and Tennyson are getting married?” I nodded and laughed as she ran off to do… something. I assumed she was telling the rest of the family, but the men already knew.

  When I finally saw Tennyson again, he gave me the good news that he only had one cracked rib. I held his beautiful face in my hands and kissed him gently. “Jules, if you want your father to walk you down the aisle, I understand,” he said softly.

  I didn't want my parents to ruin this night. They would tell me I was irresponsible and presumptuous. I wanted my wedding to Tenn to be perfect and lecture free. "You're not getting out of this city as a single man; so, cowboy up, Weller." He smiled and blew out some air before kissing me passionately. I felt like the luckiest woman in the world. Nothing I had ever done compared to this feeling because this was real.

  "Bethany will be released from the hospital around midnight; can we wait for her?" he asked.

  “Of course, exactly where are we getting married? Eric has the wardrobe handled.” I laughed, as I watched Tennyson gulp loudly.

  Amylia came running back to us with Eric in tow. “We have it all arranged. You’re getting married at the bar inside Harrah’s. Get back to the arena and get your truck, we have a lot of work to do,” she said to Tennyson. “Jules, come with us,” she instructed, pulling me away.

  I was taken into a dark costume closet and met by some dancers Eric knew. They showed me a rack of various wedding dresses, most very risqué, but I found one close to what I had always wanted. It was simple satin with a halter neckline, hugging my hips as it fell into a small train around my feet. One dance
r worked on my hair, adding a long train tucked under a messy bun in the back. Eric insisted on doing my make-up, and I trusted him completely. "What did you plan for Tennyson, and be nice, Eric?"

  “He’ll feel right at home, I promise,” he said, but I wasn’t so sure I trusted him that completely.

  “Oh, my God, I need a ring,” I said in a panic.

  "Tell me what you want, and I'll get right on it," Vince offered. I didn't have a clue, so I gave him Tennyson's number and told him to get some ideas and size from him.

  A dancer brought in some white cowboy boots and held them up for me to see, “Not on your life,” I laughed. “I want a simple slipper.” She smiled and ran back for another choice. “Eric, what are you wearing? I want you in the wedding.” I said with excitement.

  "I have something set up, of course, I'm in the wedding; don't be so stupid, Chica."

  I wanted this whole thing to be over and done. I was growing more nervous as time went on and wondered if Tennyson was as sure about marrying me as he pretended. Eric left to get ready, and the dancers kept me company by doing my nails and helping me pick which fake bouquet I wanted to carry.

  Vince came back and handed me a ring box. “That was fast,” I said, as I stared in shock.

  "It's Vegas; every hotel has a jewelry store…and I used your credit card," he laughed.

  I opened the box to see a simple silver band with an engraved ring around the center. “It’s perfect, Vince. Did Tennyson pick it out?”

  “No, I couldn’t reach him, but his sister gave me the size.”

  “Thank you, so much,” I said, and had to fan my hands in front of my eyes to stop the tears.

  Eric came walking in wearing a black tux with a white scooped-neck satin shirt underneath. He gave me a spin, so I could see the whole effect, and then unbuttoned the suit coat to show the shirt had a bare midriff. I laughed and shook my head. “Tennyson already almost died once tonight, let’s not push it.” He re-buttoned the coat and held his hand out for the ring.