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While they all knew the risks of riding a bull, it was rare that it would end in death. Broken collarbone, a broken leg, sure. One of their own dying was a solemn occasion that put the fear of mortality in a lot of bull riders. And anger could simmer into something more dangerous.
“Ronnie wouldn’t want that,” Taylor said, coming up alongside of his father. “Sverre isn’t a murderer. He’s just a bull.”
He looked up at the sound of running feet. Ready to defend his bull if he had to, Shane clenched his fists. But he was relieved to see Reba as she flung herself into his arms.
“I just heard,” she said, out of breath. “I ran all the way here.”
“Were all the golf carts taken?” he said, trying for a joke.
“We’ll go back and try and keep the peace,” Barney said.
“It’s not your fault,” Taylor said.
Shane nodded at them over Reba’s head, grateful that they came to see him, even as they were dealing with their own grief. Ronnie had been a good man. He had been well liked. Shane—and everyone else—was going to miss him.
“I’m so, so sorry about Ronnie,” Reba said. “How are you doing?”
“Shitty,” he said. “But it’s better now that you’re here.” His phone buzzed. He didn’t want talk to anyone right now, but this was Jackson Blevins.
“Yeah,” Shane said.
“Shane, we got a problem.”
“I’ll make sure that Sverre is no longer at the events for the rest of the season.”
“Don’t be hasty,” Blevins said. “He’s still a fine bull. I will be pleased to have him at the next rodeo. But Vanessa Sunderland is saying that the bull was doped up.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Shane said.
“That’s what I was hoping to hear,” Blevins said. “We’re going to run the tests again.”
“That’s fine. You’re not going to find anything. My bulls are clean.”
Reba’s head jerked up. “Of course, they are. I ran your tests myself this morning. They were perfectly fine.”
“Who’s that?” Blevins said.
“That’s Reba Keller. She’s one of the UPRC veterinarians.”
“I know the Keller family very well. Her words will go a long way to settling down the rumors. I’ll talk to her sister, Dolly, and let her know that Reba tested your bull herself.”
“Thank you,” Shane said, but Blevins had already hung up.
“I should’ve taken a golf cart,” Reba said. “I’d have all my stuff right now. Give me about half an hour and I’ll be back with everything, and then I’ll run the tests on Sverre again.”
“I know he was clean when I brought him up here this morning. Could he have been injected with something in between the time your test happened and the time Ronnie got on him?”
“I don’t know,” Reba said. “We’ll have to check with security and see if there’s been anybody back with the bulls who shouldn’t have been.”
“I’ll do that,” Shane said.
While Reba went to get her equipment, Shane called Pat who had been resting in his truck and had missed everything. Shane filled him in on what had happened.
“Oh shit, I’ll be right there,” Pat said.
“Were you back in the bull area?”
“No, boss, I wasn’t. I think from now on one of us should be.”
