Free Bullheaded by Catt Ford

Aubrey.
    Tommy and Zane stood there sweating and panting, as if they wanted a little space between them and the other two.
    “What did Johnny tell you before we started this?” Cody asked.
    “Don’t stop your forward motion. Let it roll,” Zane said.
    “Smart man. Holds true for when you’re on top of the bull too.”
    “What does that mean?”
    “You’ll find out,” Cody promised. “Go wash up.”
    “Uphill all the way,” Travis groaned after the two boys were out of earshot.
    RJ spat his shredded toothpick into the dust. “Dudes.”
    “Wow, way harsh,” Johnny said. “Even though I kind of agree. Hey, at least that Bobby Blue isn’t mad at you . If looks could kill….”
    “I can feel the death rays flying out from his eyes. Oh yeah, it’ll be a fun week.” Cody was the only one amongst them who was still clean because he hadn’t partaken of the roll fest. He had simply stood over Bobby Blue, making sure he did the exercise over and over until he was coated in dust and grit.
    “You just like torturing greenhorns.”
    “Well, hell yeah!” Cody grinned at Johnny. “There’s got to be some upside to getting older and wiser.”

    A FTER lunch, Cody studied the four boys gathered in the ring again. They looked a bit worse for wear; their hands were clean to the wrists from where they’d washed up before lunch, but they could have used a hose turned on them. However, they didn’t need to be clean to learn.
    “You may have noticed this ring is set up like a regular one, except it’s smaller—”
    “And outdoors,” Tommy interjected.
    “Plenty of outdoor rings where you’ll be riding,” Cody said. “When you get into the Top Cut, that’s when you see the big indoor arenas.”
    “Can’t be that hard to make the Top Cut,” Bobby Blue muttered offensively.
    “Top Cut’s where the elite ride and the rankest bulls are. You have to earn your way there,” Cody snapped, his temper flaring for an instant. Then he shook it off. Kid didn’t know any better.
    He pointed toward where RJ was sitting. “There’s the chute. RJ will help you get set and tied up. Travis is the gateman. When you nod, he’ll get the gate open pretty damn quick so don’t nod ’til you’re ready.”
    “But he’s black. There ain’t no black cowboys,” Bobby Blue said. The other three boys took a step away from him as if to distance themselves from what he’d said.
    Travis looked down at his hands and jumped back as if in shock. “Damn! When did that happen? How come you guys didn’t tell me!”
    RJ grinned around his toothpick and sniggered.
    Bobby Blue reddened and tried to backpedal. “Look, I’m sorry. I just never heard of no black cowboys.”
    “Isom Dart,” Travis said crisply. “Google him. Born into slavery. Went west, where he earned his rep as a rider, roper, and bronc buster. I’m just following in his noble footsteps. They used to call him the Black Fox, and he wasn’t the only black cowboy on the frontier trail. Also Nat Love, Bose Ikard, Addison Jones, and Bronco Sam, just to name a few.”
    “Try not to sound more fucking ignorant than you absolutely have to,” RJ said to Bobby Blue, his Aussie accent making his rare speech sting just a little more.
    “Johnny’s the bullfighter. He’ll make sure none of you get gored too bad. Unless you piss him off.” Cody couldn’t help teasing. Newbies were too much fun.
    “You mean the clown.” It seemed to be Aubrey’s turn to take his assholery out for a stroll.
    Cody took two quick steps toward Aubrey before he stopped himself, controlling his angry impulse to jack the kid up. He was supposed to be teaching these kids, not beating them into the ground for insulting his partner.
    “I mean the bullfighter you might owe your life to one of these days. If you’re lucky enough to convince some dumb contractor to let you up on their bull.” He controlled his breathing, becoming aware his nails were digging into his palms. Then he laughed it