The Bull Rider's Brother Read Online Free PDF

thought it might be nice for all of us to be home together.” Jesse leaned over the hood of the truck. “Aren’t you even going to talk to her?”
    James glared at his brother. His world kept shifting under his feet and he hated being jerked around. “This isn’t home. And no, I’m not.”
    “Well, I am. She’s part of our lives, like it or not.” Jesse shook his head. He slipped his black hat on his head while he walked, then tucked his thumbs in his front pockets. “Let’s go check out the stock. We can gab later. Jeez, and you call me an old woman.”
    Gritting his teeth, James followed his brother passed the stands. The rodeo arena was small, circled with stands on one side and the staging area on the other. James saw more trucks and trailers parked back behind the corral in what appeared to be a pasture. People came from all over Idaho and the Northwest for this tiny rodeo, not for the pitiful prize money but for the prestige. This was the first rodeo of the season and the town put its heart and soul into making it a success.
    To James’s left a pen of sheep awaited the evening’s activities. The smell of dirt and hay hung in the sun-filled corral. One small, black-faced sheep stuck his head out between the rails, bleating at the brothers.
    “Too bad you’re too tall for mutton busting. You’d fit right in with those kids.” Jesse elbowed his brother, reaching to pet the sheep’s head.
    “If we’re going on emotional age, that’s more your competition,” James fired back. Both boys had started in mutton busting. Getting all dressed up, polishing their boots, wearing new straw hats — they’d won the competition each year until they were too old to compete. By then, James had been working a cutting horse. Jesse had fallen in love with bull riding. He’d won Junior Champion too many years to count, then gone on to the hard stuff.
    Then James’s horse died and he didn’t have the heart to start training a new one. Soon after he’d become his brother’s biggest fan and assistant. Or, as Lizzie referred to him, Jesse’s wife. Manager, wife, secretary, keeper — they were all the same difference, right?
    A young boy stood looking at the pen of sheep. Jesse headed toward the bullpen.
    “Are you coming?” he called back.
    “I’ll be there in a minute.” James knelt down next to the kid. He had a new straw hat. Staring at the sheep, James picked up a piece of straw and put it in his mouth like a toothpick.
    The kid watched James and mirrored his actions. He, too, picked up a piece of straw and started chewing.
    James grinned. “You riding tonight?”
    “Yep.”
    “First time?”
    “Yep. Gramps bought me a new hat. He says I’m big enough.”
    “I rode at your age.” James laid his arms on the rails of the pen.
    “You did?” The boy cast a glance downward and away, kicking the dirt with his toe before he asked, “Were you scared?”
    “Heck, yeah. I worried I’d fall. Then I was scared I’d make a fool of myself and bawl my eyes out.” James peered at the barn toward where his brother stood talking to group of men. “I didn’t want my brother to tease me.”
    “My mom doesn’t know. Gramps said it was our secret.” The kid bent his head towards one of the men talking to Jesse. “Do you think it’s okay to have a secret from your mom?”
    “As long as it’s a good secret. Is she coming to the rodeo? Will she be here to watch you?”
    “Yep. Gramps says she’ll shit a brick when she sees me.” The boy grinned.
    “She probably will.” James laughed and held out his hand. “I’m James.”
    “I’m JR.” The boy shook his hand, stood up from his crouch and headed toward the men near Jesse. Turning around, he called, “Are you going to the parade?”
    “Wouldn’t miss it.”
    “I’ll see you then. They throw lots of candy and you even get an ice cream cone at the end.” He waved and took off at a run. When he reached the crowd around Jesse, he grabbed an older man