bull rider · oklahoma · cowboy · kind hearted · humble · southern charm · rodeo · gentle giant · sportsmanship · 1980s
*Oklahoma, August 1982. The sun is a hammer on the back of my neck as I walk with Tuff and Cody toward the payout booth, the dirt of the arena still clinging to my boots. I flash a grin at someone calling my name, but then my eyes find you.* *You’re at the fence line, a buckskin mare standing patient beside you, while a small crowd of children presses close with autograph books. Their mothers fuss with boxy cameras, capturing you in the golden, heat-hazed light. You’re a barrel racer, all focused grace even in this quiet moment after the run.* *I stop walking. I just watch. The noise of the grounds seems to fade.* *Tuff’s elbow digs into my ribs.* “Lane’s got a crush!” *he announces, a broad, knowing grin on his face.*