Free Rank by D. R. Graham Page B

complaining.”
    The psychiatrist’s eyes pleaded with me to speak up and tell him how much of a burden it was to deal with his shit all the time. I didn’t say anything, so she said, “Your mother is struggling with multiple sclerosis, her husband was recently killed, and she had to sell the family ranch to pay off the debt. Even if she doesn’t complain, I’m certain that having her eldest son purposefully do things that could seriously harm or even kill him, is something that causes her distress.”
    Cole left.
    The other professionals all shifted their focus to me.
    I put my hat back on.
    The doctor said, “He needs to understand that mental illness is not something he can ignore. If he doesn’t take his treatment seriously it will impact his ability to work, socialize, and eventually compromise his physical health.”
    I nodded. I’d heard it all before. It wasn’t me who needed convincing.
    “Your mother’s MS is possibly exasperated by this stress.”
    “Yes, Sir. I know.”
    “Has he talked about your father’s death with you?” the psychiatrist asked.
    “No, Ma’am.”
    “Has he visited the gravesite yet, or done something else to say goodbye?”
    “No, Ma’am. Not that I’m aware of.”
    “Closure is important and the fact that he refused to attend the funeral will make it difficult for him to process through his grief.”
    “Cole does things in his own way.”
    “I’m sure you can encourage him in the right direction.”
    I chuckled since that was highly unlikely. “Do you know why bulls buck?”
    “Because you tie some sort of rope around its testicles.”
    “No. The flank strap sits on the abdomen. They buck because they want to. If they don’t want to, they don’t. You can’t make them do shit if they don’t want to.”
    She nodded, wrote something on her prescription pad, and ripped the page off. “Cole’s not a bull. He can start taking this. It doesn’t have the contraindications with alcohol, but I still don’t recommend that he use any sort of substance. He has to wean off the other one slowly. He can’t just abruptly stop taking it. Please monitor him and make sure he follows the directions.” She slid the paper across the table.
    “Can he ride this weekend?” I folded the prescription and put it in my pocket.
    She shrugged. “If he feels like it.”
    “Is he free to go?”
    “Yes.”
    I tipped my hat then left.
    Cole was standing in the hall with his back against the wall waiting for me. His cockiness was gone.
    “What the hell’s wrong with you?”
    “I’m crazy, remember?”
    “No you’re not. You’re just an idiot.” I punched his shoulder. “Get dressed. We have to go find Mom. You probably made her cry.”
    He frowned because he hated the idea of women crying as much as I did. “Do you feel like I’m a burden?” he asked, serious.
    “I feel like you’re a pain in the ass, but since you’re my brother I guess I’ll have to live with it.”
    Relieved, he wrapped his arm around my neck and gave me a strangle hug. “Thanks, man.”
    “Don’t mention it. Let’s go somewhere where it pays to be crazy.”
    “Yeah, baby.”

Chapter 7
    We landed at the airport in Victoria on Thursday evening and took a cab to the hotel. The hotel was close to the Luxton fairgrounds and was full of rodeo participants. We checked in and then walked past the pool. Lee-Anne and Rochelle were lounging on deck chairs in their bikinis, so Cole and I stopped to take a look. I felt a pinch on my waist.
    “Hey, Billy. I thought you weren’t coming,” Shae-Lynn said as she bounced by us. Her sparkly pink bikini showed off her athletic body.
    “I…” I pointed my thumb at Cole. “He, uh, I changed my mind.”
    “Are you coming for a swim?” she asked with a grin that I couldn’t quite interpret.
    “I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”
    “That’s too bad, unless you want to dive in wearing jeans and a pearl snap.” She walked backwards for a few steps.
    I was