He stopped and looked at Sky, speaking low as he gave his husband a ridiculously platonic half hug and yet another clap on the back. “I’d really like to kiss you right now.”
“Yeah. I hear you. This whole being discreet thing is stupid.”
“Love you.” Beck pulled back. “You’ve got this, cowboy. Go do your thing. I’m watching.”
The words tumbled out of him without thought because he’d said them so many times before, but they felt different this time. He was shocked at the sudden ache in his gut and the pounding of his heart.
Don’t you dare let him see.
He smiled and gave Sky a wave, watching his husband, the champion, disappear into a sea of cowboy hats.
He’d been so caught up in making sure Sky was whole, he hadn’t given one second of thought to this moment. He hadn’t thought about how he’d feel or what he should do, hadn’t prepared himself at all.
I’ll be yelling the loudest.
He wished he could say he remembered clearly the last time he’d said that to Sky, but it had been just another rodeo, just another ride, and he hadn’t known then that it would be the last time ever.
Ever.
He turned away, taking a couple of steps before pretending to look at his watch so he’d have an excuse to stop walking and breathe a second. God, if he’d known he’d never…
A couple of kids bumped into him on their way to the family area, reminding him that this wasn’t the place or the time for this. Again. He wasn’t sure there was a place or a time. It was his own damn fault he missed all those years.
He got a deep breath and continued on, finding a smile as he joined the other families. He was here today. That was the best he could do.
The lights went down, and the cowboys were introduced, Sky walking out at the end with the rest of the attending champions under the spotlight. There were prayers, the National Anthem, then the lights came up, and they were on.
Park was in the first section, and Beck kept trying to catch sight of Sky in the sea of cowboy hats up there as the announcers chattered, cowboys setting up and spinning out.
Sometimes one little bull riding cowboy looked a lot like another and he squinted, looking for the right hat or the right…oh. And there Sky was. He’d know the ass in those Wranglers anywhere.
Parker was warming up, and Sky was on the fence, talking hard. When they loaded the bull—Skyscraper—Sky and another cowboy he didn’t know climbed the rail to help.
Sky was holding Parker’s vest, mouth going a mile a minute, and he knew that it was babble—just enough to keep Parker from thinking.
Parker had just gotten his glove set in the bull rope, slamming his fingers shut, when the bull reared and jerked forward, but Sky had Park’s vest, damn near holding him in air for the few seconds the bull was out of control.
Skyscraper settled, but only for what seemed like a second, then the wild bastard reared again, this time taking Parker down into the chute.
Sky roared for the gate puller to open the gate, and the bull spun out, the bullfighters all around him, hazing him away from the open chute. That was when everything went to hell in a handbasket.
The bull turned toward the chute, and Parker, who was either out or stunned on the dirt. Beck saw Sky vault himself up and over, covering Parker with his body.
Beck jumped to his feet but froze, torn between trying to run down there and watching. There were hands on his shoulders and someone telling him to wait a minute, but otherwise the whole arena was silent. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, terrified for them both.
The bull lunged, the bullfighter grabbed one horn, and the gate puller shoved the gate. When Skyscraper made contact, it was with the gate, the whole thing shaking with the impact.
Just like that, it was over, Jack Boers roping the bull and dragging him into the back, sports medicine hurrying into the chute.
“Shit.” Beck was moving in a heartbeat, ducking around kids and people getting out of his way as he left the viewing area and headed back, trying to get to Parker and Sky.
Mitch caught him as he went. “He’ll come through this gate, if he can walk. You okay?”
“Fine.” It wasn’t a real question; Mitch knew damn well he wasn’t fine, but the man’s concern was real and appreciated. He shifted restlessly from one foot to the other, eyes glued to the gate. “Trying not to puke.”
“Yeah. Look. Crowd’s cheering. They’re coming.”
Sure enough, here came Sky, the man limping hard, but holding Park up. As soon as they got through the gate, they swept Parker back, leaving Sky standing there.