Caballeros

Have a little faith

Jules

My eyes flutter open I am being scooped into strong arms. I look around startled and see Jeremy carrying me across the dirt path. I scramble to get down but the more I fight he holds onto me tighter. The tears are falling full force down my face so much that I can't catch my breath. I'm hyperventilating he looks at me puts his lips to my temple.

"Shhhh Jules, shhhhh," he says trying to sooth me.

"Where, where is Joaquin." I stutter out.

"He is in the ambulance on the way to the Trauma hospital here in Houston, Hermann something or other."

"I need to get to him!"

"No first you need to see the paramedic to make sure you are okay," I hear my daddy say as he approaches. "Don't give me any shit Juliana Maria"

"Okay, where is Trinity."

"She left with Joseph and Britni to the hotel." He says.

Jeremy puts me down and I sit down on the back of an ambulance bumper. Everyone is zipping around me concerned. Everyone is staring at me with sympathetic looks I over hear the announcer of the Rodeo lead everyone in attendance in prayer for Joaquin. I'm listening but I am also in my own head the announcer is announcing the winner of bull riding portion of the Rodeo. I don't care at this point as the paramedic comes over to me.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asks and blue eyes haunt me they are like Joaquin's.

"No just a scrape on arm that stings but other than that I think I'm good. I just want to go to my husband."

"Understandable but I need to clean that wound and check your blood sugar to make its okay."

"That's fine," I say. He comes back and pokes my finger with a needle. Damn that hurt. He leaves to run it in a machine. I half listen to the announcer again

"Okay ya'll as you know the winner of this Rodeo will be given the biggest money prize in the history of the state of Texas. It's a whopping one hundred thousand dollars. Good luck to all the participants and our thoughts are with Joaquin Ortega and his family." He drones on as the paramedic comes back holding a small box of apple juice.

"Juliana your blood sugar is really low it's 75 and you need to drink this before I let you leave."

"Okay." I say taking the juice and drinking it. He cleans up my arms and I listen to what the announcer is saying. "'Wait did he just say Joaquin won? I ask Jeremy.

"Oh my god yes he did just say that." He gets teary eyed. We listen closely again.

"Wow I will make sure that his family get this check." He says.

"Okay Juliana, you are okay to leave." The paramedic says. "I hope everything is okay with your hubby."

"Thank you." I say. As we are leaving a representative from the Rodeo come up to us and hugs me tightly.

"Mrs. Ortega I wanted to make sure that you had the prize money before you left. This may come in handy right about now."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can?"

"Did he really win? Not that I underestimating my man but it seems weird."

"He most certainly did win I'll show you the stats." He says pulling out a ledger. I look at it and pretend I know what the fuck I'm looking at. Jeremy laughs,

"See here he has the most points out of everyone. These points where tallied even before his ride was even over. Well damn he smoked everyone!" Jeremy says. "Ready to go see him?"