The simple girl from Mississippi

After graduation

As me and Luke hope in my truck we look at each other with huge smiles on our faces and give each other a kiss.
" you happy to finally be out that place?"
" he'll yeah I am!" I chuckle at his answer. I turn my truck on and we drive to my house.

When we get to my house I back out the truck in reverse to hook up my trailer. I lower the trailer then attach it to my truck and plug the light cord in. I walk to the barn and grab at white flat halter and lead rope and go to the last stall. A golden bracket nailed on his door printed AZTEC I unlatch his stall door and slip his halter over his head and clip it up I walk him out his stall and walk him to the trail. I walk him in and hook him up and latch the trailer door shut.

I look in the truck, Luke still sitting there I throw up one finger telling him one second. I jump on the porch and open the front door
" ma pa?"
" in here summer."
" hey ma hey pa I'm leaving with Luke for Kansas."
" ok honey I wish we could watch y'all in your first rodeo of the season."
"It's ok ma, bye pa"
"By sweetie" he hugs me and kisses my cheek. I lean over pa to give ma a huge. I run out the door yelling " love y'all" I run to the truck and hop in.
"Sorry babe had to say bye to my family"
" it's ok honey I get it" he kisses my cheek and says
" well let's hit the road"
" ok" I start the truck with a loud rumble and with the sound of crunching gravel we head for Kansas.

After a couple of hours on the trip we take a stop at a gas station. Geez mart. I hope out the truck and Luke does the same and we walk our separate ways to use the bathroom. When I'm done I walk out to get us some jerky, chips and a drink for the rest of the trip. I go to stand in line and Luke comes up beside me. As another cowboy stands behind us thinking he's probably headed to the same place as us but out of the blue he grabs my butt and I jump. Luke turns around and with a clinched fist say " hay you, you think you can touch my girl?!" He hold up his fist and I drop the stuff I planed on buying and grab his arm. And mumble to him "not here honey" I grab our things quickly set them on the counter and apologize to the man at the counter . But Luke says under his breath " he'll Im not!" I elbow his ribs and the man mentions
" trust me it's ok you've got yourself quit a man, and I'd only have a problem if he really threw the punch." He says with a chuckle.
" well thank you"
" it'll be $12.35 " I give him the money and we walk out.

We get back on the road and pass a sign that says "clerks county rodeo next left." Well on the next left we take a left and head into a field to park the truck and trailer.Before dark me and Luke set up camp then head in for bed.

In the morning I tack up Aztec and head to the arena to practice.

After a couple hours right before the show Luke hops behind me and I take him up to the show.
" hey honey Ima run to camp to get my hat"
"Ok"
I canter Aztec to camp and hope off him. I step up the steps and open the living courtiers of my trailer and grab me hat but on the way out I happened to glimpse at the counter and when I did I saw it the little lifeless black box that every girl wanted to see in the hands of there loved one. I opened it and there it was a beautiful wedding ring sitting there in the box. I closed the box easily and acted like I never saw it but, I did. I went back up to the show grabbed my number and went in the line for barrel racers and of course I was last, but that was ok cause time flew by from thinking about that ring.

Then my number was called 266 I was sweeting up as storm but I knew I had to run this was my dream. Then I made the move I kicked Aztec and we bolted into the arena we headed in the angle of the first barrel and made a clean turn then the second and made another clear turn we went to the third barrel with a slid but clean And kicked hard and we sprinted home. We stood in the gates waiting for my time and place. And that's a 13.35 putting her in first place.

I tie Aztec up to a gate and go sit in the stand. next we're the bull riders and Luke was first. He jumped side to side warming up up top the chutes and when he was ready he climbed in the chute and easily lowered himself up top that bull. He got his bull rope on and tight and the one move he made to let that bull go flying in the arena with boyfriend on it. And there it was he nodded his head and that chute flew open and that bull tossing and turning bucking and jumping high in the air.
Then the buzzer went off. he had made his eight seconds I stood up and cheered for him. He loosened his rope and jumped off. He landed on his foot and back hurting his foot. He looked back and saw the bull looking at him he stood up and hobbled over to the gate as fast as he could but he was to slow. The bull charged after him and then with one more step took his horn right to the middle of his back and instantly he dropped to his knees then his stomach and there he laid ...... lifeless in the middle of the arena dead.