Jasmine Final Copy

“Kel, I love you”. With that Lane turned and walked swiftly towards the arch marked ‘competitors only’. Kellie remained where she was, sitting on the steel race fence watching and thinking. Her eyes remained on Lane as her fingers played with her crucifix, a habit, she found herself doing whenever she thought of him.

‘Lord I am a lucky woman. ‘Kellie thought to herself as she recalled not long forgotten memories. The old weathered cowboy’s wives once warned her ‘to catch the cowboy is the easy part, but to keep the cowboy is what proves to be difficult. They are free, there aren’t any women, flesh or blood to hold them back, it’s just them and that damn old rodeo!’ Kellie wasn’t complaining though, it had been a long and tedious road, only now were things just right.

Lane stopped to offer advice to a young cowboy swinging all over a practice barrel. With a few corrections, a pat on the back and gruff “cowboy up” Lane was on his way as Kellie still watching him, swelled with joy. Things had been rough. Almost two years ago Lane had been named PRCA World Champion bull rider. His great feat had taken a toll on their marriage.

Still in thought Kellie made her way back to the Grandstand to where Lane's ever proud Parents sat waiting.

'Bang' 'Clatter', the bulls drawn were being brought into the bucking chutes. Lane had drawn a very athletic contender, with an impressive buck-off reputation 'Takin Care of Business' was already trying to prove himself in the chute, making one hell of a noise. All nerves were on edge however despite the current action in front of her Kellie’s thoughts continued to slip back to their tedious past.

Kellie strongly believed the past ten months had been the best of their marriage. They had been working through the loneliness and conflict of being apart. The months prior could be best described as hell. Left at home in Oklahoma, while Lane travelled the professional bull riding circuit with his buddies Tuff and Cody, Kellie had struggled with the emptiness of being without Lane, for months at a time whilst juggling her challenging career training stunt horses. Their once strong marriage became strained.

Lane’s achievement had united them; things had begun to work once more. Kellie’s lonely voids were once again filled. Together they had aspirations of building their own ranch, raising bulls and for Lane teaching young bull-riders the skill to win their own world title.

Just thinking about their future made Kellie excited. Tonight she would tell Lane the news she had wanted to tell him for years. She could already begin to imagine the sparkle in his eyes and the huge grin that would appear with realisation that soon they would have another little bull rider join their ranks. She already liked the idea of Lane Frost Jnr.

Once again clutching her crucifix and holding the reassuring hand of Lane's mother, Kellie mentally prepared her nerves for Lane's ride.

'Ok boys, ok boys'. The gate cracked open. For the eight seconds, Lane rode the bull. Bucking and spinning, the muscular bull made Lane work hard. The crowd went wild this is what they had come to see. Lane expertly hung on, the bull jumped, Lane was right there with him, balancing every turn and making it look easy. Lane 'stuck to it'.

Kellie’s hand clamped down on her mother in-law’s. She loved watching Lane ride, the dismount was the part she dreaded.

The bull-fighters, the men charged with the protection of the bull riders, lurked waiting to distract the bull from the rider. Everything happened too fast, they never had a chance...

It always pained her to see Lane hurt no matter how minor it may have seemed. Only this time unknown to her, the pain would be unbearable.

Lane dismounted to the left. 'Takin care of Business' spun to the left. Kellie stood and screamed as Lane's chest was compressed between the bulls head and the ground, not once but twice. The bull eventually content, allowed himself to be distracted by the bull fighters flaying arms.

Kellie ran in a blind panic, taking the steps down the grandstand two at a time, the crowd were now on their feet. 'No No No' Kellie wailed. Running to the fence she paused momentarily as Lane found his feet. Kellie immediately realised something was not right, Lane clutched his side as he jogged his way to Tuff and Cody who were on their feet running towards him.

Before he could reach the strong hands of his buddies and the loving embrace of his wife, Lane collapsed. The crown 'ahhd' but within seconds, Lane's heart had stopped beating.

Lane had won third place that day, he would never know, He had won money that he would never see. Lane also had a son he would neither know nor see grow up and make him proud.

"The story of Lane Frost is very simple. He'd always help in the chutes, he could never say no to a fan, never would he complain of an unjust score or never would you see him throw his hat to the ground. Lane was a good man, friend and Husband" Kelly uttered the words, clutching her crucifix while staring at the casket in front of her, wishing it was and knowing it wasn’t all a bad dream.