“I haven’t heard my parents say they love me in years.”
“I’m not trying to make excuses for them, Curt. I’m just trying to say there might have been extenuating circumstances or they might be lousy parents, but a little effort on your part could go a long way.”
“Fine. I’ll try when we go.”
“Good.” Levi stood, tugging at the thighs of his jeans to pull them back down into place over his boots. “Rest and I’ll see you tomorrow after I ride.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” He leaned in, kissing Curt full on the mouth with more hunger than he thought possible. He wanted his lover more than anything, but he knew they would have to play things by ear. Curt had a long road to recovery, but Levi planned to be there every step of the way.
Chapter Fifteen
“It all comes down to this, folks. One ride. If Levi Bond rides this bull for his eight second ride, he’ll win the championship.”
The entire crowd was silent. Twenty thousand people didn’t make a sound.
Levi could hear himself breathe.
His stomach knotted.
The bull banged his horns against the side of the chute. The clang echoed in the silence.
One ride. How in the fuck had it come down to one ride for all of it? He didn’t know, but here he sat on the back of his final bull, Lucifer’s Chaos, waiting to ride as he wrapped his hand for the final time of the season. This was it. Stay on and win, buck off and go home in second place.
This bull was rank. Top of the line. His buck off rate was phenomenal. He’d only been ridden twice in his entire career as a bucking bull.
Levi had to ride like his life depended on it.
Curt watched from his seat behind the chutes.
Levi looked up and caught his gaze. Curt smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. He could do this.
He nodded.
The gate flew open as the bull turned to his left, shot out of the chute, and jumped straight up. His body twisted to the left while his hind end went right.
Levi’s right shoulder burned as it took the brunt of the movement. His left arm whipped back and forth. His thighs ached as he gripped the bull with his legs, spurring the beast with his boots to make it look like an even better ride.
He counted in his head. One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi.
His body slid sideways.
He corrected by pulling himself back up on the back of the bull.
Four Mississippi, five Mississippi, six Mississippi.
The buzzer sounded, indicating the end of his eight second ride.
He pulled on the end of his bull rope to release his hand so he could jump free.
He’d done it!
World Champion!
The crowd went wild, screaming and chanting his name as he pumped his fists in the air in triumph. He ran around the entire length of the arena in a wild sprint as the announcer said his name and talked about what an amazing comeback from twenty-eighth in the standings to win the entire thing.
“What an astonishing feat! Levi Bond has won it all! World Champion!”
The circuit reporter stopped him as he made his way to where they would present him with the buckle, the trophy and the check for over one-million dollars.
“How does it feel to win it all, Levi?”
“Fantastic! Oh my God. I can’t believe it.”
“This has been an astounding year for you after your shoulder injury of a couple of months ago. Did you do anything different to train for such a fantastic string of qualifying rides?”
“Nothing different except fall in love.”
“Well, that’s great, Levi. I wish you all the happiness in the world. Go accept your earnings.”
The announcer pulled him up on top of the shark cage. “Ladies and gentlemen. I give you your 2015 World Champion Bull Rider, Levi Bond.”
* * * *
Three days later, they pulled into the yard of Curt’s parent’s ranch. He knew his lover was nervous, scared, and sweating over telling his folks about their relationship, but it had to be done. They couldn’t move on with their lives without at least telling them about it. They didn’t really need their blessing, although that would make the whole thing much sweeter.
“You okay?”
Curt smoothed the thighs of his jeans with his hands. Levi figured he was wiping the sweat from his palms.
“Yeah, let’s get this over with.”
They watched through the windshield of Levi’s truck as Curt’s mom stepped out of the house. She reminded Levi of a ‘50s housewife with her hair back in a bun, an apron around her waist and a sweater around her shoulders.
“Curtis!”
“Curtis?”
“That’s my full name.”
“I guess I should have guessed that.”
“I should have told you.”
“No biggie, Curtis.”
Curt smiled and shook his head before they stepped out of the truck on either side. His mother rushed down the two small stairs on the porch, and grabbed Curt in a hug.
“I’m so glad you’re home.”
“You are?”
“Yes. You haven’t been home in months, it seems.” She stepped back, wiping tears from her cheeks. “You look pretty good. How do you feel?”
“Weak sometimes, but pretty good today.”
“Let’s get you in the house and sitting on the couch. I can bring you something to drink and eat while we wait for your father to come in from the barn. I’m sure he heard you pull in. If not, I’ll go get him in a bit.”
“I’m okay to walk, Mom. In fact I need to so I keep the strength and coordination in my legs.”
“Well, go slowly then. I don’t want you tripping or anything.”
They walked into the house, through the entryway, into the living room. The décor spoke of hominess, long time antiques, and special memories. Levi liked the feel. He also liked Curt’s mother. Long drapes hung on the windows, but were pulled back to let the sunshine in. Leather furniture graced the room in a pattern meant to bring people together with the center focus being the huge fireplace along the wall. Wrought iron tables brought the whole thing together.
“What a great room,” Levi said, taking a seat next to Curt on the couch.
“Thank you. This is one of my favorite rooms in the house. I love to sit in here with a book, a fire, and a cup of tea.”
“I certainly can picture you in the chair over there, with your feet on the ottoman, relaxing with a good book.”
She wiped her hands absently on the apron around her waist. “What can I get you boys to drink?”
“A soda would be good, Mom.”
“Okay. Levi?”
“Soda is fine for me as well.”
“Coming right up.” She disappeared through the doorway at the back of the room for a couple of moments before returning with two cans and a couple of glasses with some ice. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
“How long are you boys planning to stay? Do I need to get your room ready, Curtis?”
“No, we aren’t staying the night. We need to get to Levi’s so I can start therapy in the morning.”
Her face reflected her disappointment as a frown drew her lips down. “Oh. I see. I wish you could stay a couple of days, honey. We haven’t seen you in months.”
“I know.”
The back porch screen banged as his father came in from the barn. “Where is everyone?”
“In the front room, dear.”
His father came through the kitchen doorway, bigger than life. Standing at what Levi guessed to be six-foot-five with huge, broad shoulders, the man filled out the doorway. His hair had gone completely white and his face was leathered with lines from so much time in the sun.
“Curtis.”
“Dad.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Good. A little weak, but good overall.”
“I’m glad. It’s nice to see y
ou.” He moved to the end of the couch. “You must be Levi.”
“Yes, sir.”
“It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for being there for our boy. You’ve been a good friend.”
“I should get dinner started.” His mother got to her feet, kissed her husband on the lips, and then moved through the room toward the kitchen.
His father took the chair she’d vacated. “You won the championship, eh Levi?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What a fantastic run you had there toward the end. What was it? Eight bulls in a row with a qualifying ride?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Where are you from, son?”
“Mystique, Oklahoma, outside Stillwater.”
“Ah, yes. I’ve been there a time or two buying stock.”
“How’s the ranch doing, Dad?”
“Fine, fine.” He waved his hand to dismiss Curt as if he hadn’t even talked. “What do you do for a living, Levi?”
“I have a ranch that I raise cattle, horses, and a few bucking bulls we are hoping to get contracted for the circuit next year.”
“Interesting. How are things on your place? I know beef prices are down right now.”
Curt’s face looked forlorn. He’d been basically dismissed by his father. Levi could now see what Curt had been talking about all along with thinking his parents didn’t care. It appeared they didn’t, but Levi wasn’t giving up. Nope, not yet. They still had to break the news of their relationship to his parents, and it might be a breaking point in the tumultuous relationship he already had with them.
“Things are well, sir. Curt has taken over doing my finances and tells me the ranch is very well-off financially. I owe everything to him. If he hadn’t straightened me out, who knows where I would have been and with winning the championship, that million dollar check will come in handy.”
“Good. Curtis was always a wiz with numbers. He got straight As in school.”
“I didn’t think you noticed, Dad.”
“Of course, I noticed. I kept pretty good tabs on you.”
Emotion tainted Curt’s words as he rattled off complete sentences, blasting his father with everything he’d been bottling up inside for years. “You didn’t give a shit enough to keep tabs on me. You never cared enough to worry about what I was doing before, during, or after school. You never came to events. You didn’t let me help with anything. You haven’t been to one of my bull riding events since I started on the circuit. You don’t care about me at all.” Curt climbed to his feet. “Let’s get out of here, Levi. These people care nothing for me.”
“Hold on one second, son. Your mother and I love you.”
“News to me. That’s the first time I’ve heard you say it in years.”
Curt’s dad stood so he and Curt were almost toe-to-toe. “I’m sorry you feel we didn’t care about you. This ranch takes man power to run. The reason I didn’t let you get involved so much in the ranch was because I didn’t want you wasting your teenage years working on this place. You worked for the neighbor for your riding gear. It taught you to work for your money, rather than your mother and I handing it to you. You never really showed an inclination to want to learn about the ranch and how it was run.”
“I wanted to learn. You wouldn’t teach me.”
“I didn’t know that. I thought you were too busy doing rodeo to want to learn about running the ranch.”
“I followed you everywhere. You brushed me off.”
“I’m sorry, but you have to understand how much work is involved in running a place like this. And your mother? She worked her tail off to provide for you and your sister while you were growing up. We did go to your events while you were in high school. We went to every one. You didn’t see us because we didn’t think you wanted your friends to think you weren’t cool. We saw you ride. We’ve even been to several of your bull riding events.”
“You have?”
“Yes. We saw your ride in Oklahoma City.”
Levi saw his mother standing in the doorway wringing her hands as tears rolled down her cheeks. “We love you, Curtis. You are our son. How could we not love you?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were there?”
“You were working. Bull riding is your job. You don’t bother men while they’re working.”
Curt slowly sat back on the couch. “I feel like such an idiot. I’ve misjudged you both all these years thinking you didn’t love me as much as Carolyn.”
“Honey, we are so proud of you for being the man you are, you wouldn’t understand. We are constantly telling folks about you, your life, and what you’ve accomplished,” his mother said, putting her hands on his shoulders as she kissed the top of his head. “You are everything to us.”
“Wow. I feel like shit. All these years I hated you for not being there for me, when you always were.”
Levi saw Curt glance his direction and smile. The relationship between him and his parents had concluded in a happy ending. Now if they could get their happy ending, all would be perfect.
* * * *
Curt scooped up dinner with his spoon, letting the flavors explode on his tongue. He loved his mother’s beef stew and rolls more than anything. “This is fantastic, Mom.”
She smiled as she picked up his father’s bowl to give him more of the delicious stew. “You are such a charmer, Curtis.”
“So, Curtis, tell us about your relationship with Levi?”
Curt choked on his food. “What do you mean, Dad?”
“It’s obvious there is something going on between you two, so spill it. We want the details.”
After a few steadying breaths and a smile of encouragement from Levi, he said, “Levi and I are lovers. We’ve been together for several months now and we’ve fallen in love with each other. We are planning on making this a permanent relationship as soon as we can.”
“You’re getting married?”
The smile on his mother’s face gave him the reassurance he needed to continue. “Yes.” He turned to Levi. “At least I think that’s where we are headed. We want to build a life together on Levi’s ranch.”
“How exciting!” His mother clapped her hands before coming around the table to hug both of them in turn.
“You’re okay with me being gay?”
“You are who you are, Curtis. We don’t pick your partner in life, you do. It’s important for you to be happy. If Levi makes you happy, then so be it.” His father clapped him on the shoulder. “We do want grandchildren someday from you, so you need to figure out how to make that happen, but you do what you need to for you.”
“You have grandchildren from Carolyn.”
“Yes, but she doesn’t even know who the father of those kids are. We know how she’s been milking you for money, and we want it to stop. She can learn to take care of herself from now on or get some money out of the men she’s been shacking up with. Besides, you need to give me someone to leave this ranch to.”
“The children we have may not be biologically mine though, if we adopt.”
“They will be your children whether they have your genes or not. I don’t care.”
Curt shook his head and sighed as he reached over the table to grasp Levi’s hand in his. “This has been such an eye opening day, I don’t know how to absorb it all.”
“I wish you could stay longer so we could get to know Levi more.”
“We’ll have to make an effort to come back to visit, that’s all. We have a couple of months off from the circuit for now, so we’ll make a trip out in a couple of weeks. It’s only a half a day’s drive,” Levi answered, giving him no choice but to agree.
He didn’t mind though. After today, he’d gladly visit his parents again. He had a lot of time to catch up on and he planned to spend every minute he could making up for it. “We need to get going,’ Curt said, getting to his feet. “I don’t want to get back home too late.”
“Home.” Levi smiled. “It has a nice ring to it.”
“O
ur home.”
He leaned in a kissed Levi on the mouth right there in front of his parents. When they separated, his mother was smiling so big, he thought her cheeks must hurt, and his father beamed as well.
“You two are too cute together. I’m so happy you found someone to love,” his mother said as she hugged them both. “You two be careful driving home.”
“Thanks, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too, Curtis. Call us when you get there.”
“Sure.”
He and Levi walked out to the truck and slid inside the cab. Levi slowly drove down the driveway, leaving his parent’s home behind them.
“I can’t believe how things went down. I feel like such an idiot.”
“I’m glad it all got worked out.”
“Yeah, me too, and to know they are supportive of us makes our relationship all the more sweet.”
“Yes, it does.”
“So when is the wedding?”
Epilogue
The day dawned bright and sunny for an October wedding.
Curt stood on one side of the row of chairs at the back, while Levi stood at the other side.
As the music started, they came together in the middle of the flower petal decorated walkway, and moved together toward the preacher standing before the archway at the end of the chairs.
Several hundred people had come to Levi’s ranch to help them celebrate their union and their wedding in the eyes of God and the state of Oklahoma.
“Levi. Curt. Please join hands.”
Levi took his hand as they stood side-by-side.
The preacher spoke of God, loving each other, and marriage as a sanctity of love, how they would grow old together, and how their union would be graced with the love of children—with a little help.
The crowd chuckled.
“I believe you two have written vows?”
“Yes,” they said in unison as they turned to face each other.
“I’ll go first,” Curt said.
“You always were the more forceful one.”
“You know it.”
Falling Hard Page 18
