“Yeah. Don’t you get that vibe from him? Like some crazy stuff happened to him back in the day?”
“Yeah. He’s got that vibe, I guess. He’s been on the circuit for half his life, so I’m sure he’s seen some crazy shit.” The few things he knew weren’t for him to share, though. He shrugged. He should ask, but he never did. If Jack wanted to share, he would, right?
“I can only imagine. I mean, dude. How many close calls, and it wasn’t as easy to be gay when he was a kid. I’m not saying he’s old and stuff, but you know…” She shrugged for him. “It’s easier, even if it’s just a few years.”
“It’s easier in most places; I don’t know about the circuit.” Jack never talked about that either. But he was getting in fights like he had something to prove. “He’s not old, but he is getting up there for the sport, I think.”
“He’s not riding bulls, at least. So he could ride another forty years, if he keeps buying young horses and keeps most of his fingers.”
He stared at Ellie. Seriously? Seriously, that was what she went with?
“Jesus, El. I like all of his fingers, thank you.” Jack should ride as long as he wanted to, even if it was forty years. Ghost and Princess might need somewhere to retire though. “I wonder how old Ghost and Princess are. It feels like he’s had them forever, but I have no idea.”
“I remember Ghost coming in… maybe? Princess is older. That’s why he only uses her if Ghost gets worn.”
“I don’t remember. I only get to see him ride on TV if I’m very lucky.” He took the last sip of his margarita. That was quick. He really ought to ask Jack more questions, especially if he was trying to bring Jack in closer. “I better switch to Coke.”
“Yeah, this is number two for me. I understand. So, what happens next? Can I help?”
He kind of had a plan. But he had to think about it. “No. Or not yet, maybe? I’m going to be at the Vegas event next weekend, but he doesn’t know that yet. I have some marketing stuff do, so I’m totally there on business.” He didn’t want to admit to her that they only saw each other once a year for a booty call in Anaheim; she had to believe it was more often than that. “I was thinking about being very busy. See how much he really wants me. Is that mean? It feels mean.”
“Playing a little hard to get isn’t mean, if you don’t cheat. Cheating makes it weird.” She rolled her eyes. “Of course, y’all aren’t married.”
Cheating. That was a weird concept. Jack was with a different guy every weekend. Hudson had plenty of close calls himself. He wasn’t jealous. They had an arrangement and it was what it was.
He just wanted it to be something else now.
“No. No, I’d never cheat. He wouldn’t either.” For some reason, he knew that. If Jack decided he was the guy, he’d be the only guy.
“Then you need to get him and make him all yours. You love him, I can tell.” Her hand covered his. “I’ll pray for y’all.”
He picked her hand up and kissed it. “I guess we should go see your guy ride, huh?”
“We should. We’ll watch them both ride, just in totally different ways.”
He slid off his barstool and offered her an arm. “Scott’s going to kill it. He’s on a roll.”
“He so is. He’s riding high, and I’m thankful.” She took his arm and kissed his cheek.
He was feeling a little high himself. He tried to remind himself that he might be setting himself up for disappointment, but it wasn’t working. He was ready to go watch Jack do his thing, and he wasn’t in the mood to think about anything else.
* * *
It had been a weird-assed show.
Mackey was in the hospital. Four riders were in the back at sports medicine. A couple guys rode, but the whole thing was just fucked.
Totally fucked.
He walked Princess around, cooling her down, trying to see both where Hudson was and where they’d taken Mackey.
Hudson
trying to find you
Hudson’s text came in, the notification covering the Google search he was doing for the hospital.
Jack