Everything that Glitters

Regardless, Prescott was a competitive rodeo that paid well, and in their present circumstances, that was what mattered. The National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas was in their sights, and winning here against the other teams in the running accomplished two things: adding to their total earnings, and leaving their competition further behind.

Brad and Zane had started the year on fire, placing in the top five in each of the big four rodeos in Texas. More importantly, they won at least one go round in each rodeo, and won money in all but three go rounds. They were second at San Antonio, first at the world's biggest and best paying rodeo in Houston, second again at Austin, and fourth at Fort Worth, before winning every round at San Angelo..

Their draws had been good and the breaks had gone their way to the extent that the other team ropers would sneak up and rub on them like the Blarney Stone, trying to catch some of their luck. They stood eight thousand dollars above second place in team roping when the tour moved on from Texas and scattered across the country, and two months later, they had increased the lead by 2k.

Zane had been almost as good in tiedown calf roping, winning first at San Antonio, fifth at Houston, second at Austin and Fort Worth, and winning the average again at San Angelo. The go-round money alone would have him in the top five, but with the wins he was sitting seven thousand above second place in calf roping and eight thousand ahead in the All-Around Cowboy competition.

Given their early success, the adults sat down for a serious discussion, and then brought the kids in for their input. They had kids and they had ranches and business obligations, but the lure of the Finals in Vegas was great, and the money they could win there made the money they had won to date look paltry. They had to decide whether to commit to making rodeos all over the country to keep their standings, or do as they had done for several years: win some money in Texas and the surrounding states, and settle for that so they could meet their other obligations.

This was not an easy decision for Zane. When Cassandra suddenly abandoned the ranch, her husband, and daughter, to concentrate on making the finals in barrel racing, Zane had dutifully withdrawn from the tour to stay home with his daughter, work the ranch, buy, train, and sell horses, and handle his growing business interests. While he had continued to rodeo in Texas and the surrounding states, he had been off the rigorous national tour for about four years.

Brad had roped with another partner for an additional two years before deciding to stay in Texas for the last two. He was not as invested in land or business as Zane, and the lure of big dollars in the Finals shone brightly to him and his wife.

Zane and Casey lived off the earnings from selling cattle bred and raised on the ranch. That allowed him to use his winnings from the previous years and his earnings from buying, breeding, raising, training, and selling roping and barrel horses, to invest in real estate and in mineral rights in the Delaware Basin of far west Texas and eastern New Mexico. That investment advice came from Cal, who had what the SEC might call 'insider information'. That was a serious crime, unless you were already a billionaire or a major investment group; then it was just 'the benefit of good research'.

Cal was not a billionaire, but his friend with the info was, so Zane swallowed hard, made the Sign of the Cross, and handed over almost all of his hard-earned money.

Brad had the same information but wouldn't go in that deep; he put in about half of what he had, and, now, nearly four years later, both were more than ecstatic about the result. Their royalties were mostly reinvested, but their accounts were filling nicely, and they could afford nice things.

Brad added to and fixed up his house, and added a deck and swimming pool. Zane added to the section of land his grandfather willed to him, buying another half-section Zane. That gave him ownership of 960 acres of beautiful Texas Hill Country, with a half-mile of Llano River frontage. He paid more than he wanted for the 320 acres, but the land had more than doubled in value in the three years he had owned it, so that looked like a winning decision also.

Because of their business acumen, or more accurately, the acumen of their contacts -- as the man said, "Sometimes it ain't what ya know, it's who" - Zane and Brad were set financially, at least for the next few years. That was a big factor in deciding whether to go hard all year and try to win the championship, or try to build their businesses.

That Carole was a certificated teacher who could enrich whichever paltry home school curriculum program they decided on was another big factor.

The deciding factor, however, was when Coastal came forward offering to enrich their sponsorship after their early success. The additional funding would ensure their fuel, food, and other expenses on the road were covered, and the wrap job for their rigs was an added bonus. The company had the artists weave their logo and name inauspiciously into the beach scene, which became a moving work of art.

Coastal got with Mack trucks, which offered to become their other major sponsor. They quickly accepted, and Mack set them up with the newly-introduced Anthem trucks. The wrap job, extending from the front bumper of the trucks to the back gates of the trailer made people on the street stop and stare, and Zane was afraid they were going to cause wrecks due to the rubber necking when they went down the road.

The big diesels pulled the trailers with ease and provided a nice bed, refrigerator, TV, and toilet for the kids. Brad complained that the cockpit was like a spaceship, but it rode and handled like a dream.

They were living large and loving it as 2018 turned into spring.

There was, however, a fly in the ointment for Zane and Casey - their abandonment by Cassie.

Zane had argued against her going on the tour full time from the moment she brought it up, citing Casey and their desire to have at least one more child while they were young, and then going hard on the tour when the kids were three or four years old.

He argued against it one last time before she left, but her father had convinced her she needed to do it now, and that Zane was just trying to hold her back. He begged her not to go, but she loaded Goldie in the trailer and herself the cab with her worthless daddy. She shed tears as they pulled away, and shouted out the window her promise to come back at the first break.

That was more than four years ago. After more than two years of dating Zane, almost three years of marriage, and a child, she left them behind. Casey was eighteen months old when Mom left that last time. She promised to call her every night and to come home every time the schedule allowed, but by Casey's second birthday, the phone calls were weekly, and she had made three two-day stops at home that entire year. Even when she was there, she was antsy and distracted. She did send expensive presents to Casey and Zane for every important date she missed, and sometimes for no reason at all. Zane couldn't tell if it was because she missed them, or felt guilty.

The phone calls continued to diminish in frequency, until they were limited to Christmas and Casey's birthday; nothing to acknowledge Zane's birthday or their anniversary. The demands of the rodeo tour had been augmented by sponsor-paid TV appearances to hype the next rodeo, talk show appearances, a few minor roles in prime-time TV shows, and a bit part in a movie. She got positive reviews for her portrayal of a cheating girlfriend in the movie, which Zane and her mother believed was due to extensive practice.

Eighteen months into their separation, Zane's many friends on the road began phoning him with stories of her conduct, featuring drugs and fractured marriage vows. Her omnipresent companion for all this was daddy dearest, who introduced her to the pipe and the straw, and to the pills she needed to face the day after using the pipe and/or straw all night.

Wanton sex with a variety of men was a part of the party life she chose over husband and child.

Zane asked his friends for photographic, video, and audio evidence on her and on her dad. He got it quickly and in volume, and he and his mother-in-law both promptly filed for divorce. Texas being a no-fault state, their evidence would have made no difference to the judge, but when asshole dad went after their property, horses, and cows, it gave them the advantage they needed.

Cassie hadn't been heard from since she called crying after she was served, but Daddy came after everything. When they threatened to ruin her reputation, which would drive away her many sponsor and end her budding TV and film career, Daddy changed his mind. When confronted with the loss of his meal ticket, and Zane and Gram got everything except half of the funds in their joint checking and savings accounts at the time they filed for divorce. Since almost all of their money was now in investments, that meant little to either party.

The papers were signed and the marriages were terminated in ninety days.

***

Brad parked his rig behind Zane's, along the fence in the back, away from the arena. They were performing in the show, sleeping through the evening slack, and roping again in the morning slack so they could head home as soon as they finished. Prescott didn't have finals, so the team with the lowest total time on two steers was the winner; the same was true with calf roping.

That meant each of the two runs was for a lot of money, with no chance to make up time in the short go. They were fired up, focused, confident, and ready to win it all!

Cal's white limo made its debut at 2:45, the 6'4", 250 pound 'driver' opened their doors, and the girls alighted in their finery, as promised. Cal looked like any other cowboy, sporting Wranglers, a grey Stetson, and worn boots, but the pearl snap white shirt with red roses and vines embroidered across the shoulders and chest were a little grander than the other cowboys wore. He escorted his entourage to his perfectly situated box seats, located about a third of the way down the arena.

As with most PRCA rodeos, the Grand Entry featured the local sheriff's posse and plenty of pretty girls. The prettiest and shiniest, of course, was the rodeo queen, Miss Cassie Collins!

She wore her trademark rhinestone and sequins shirt, golden boots, indigo jeans, and a white hat with a jeweled hat band. Her long blonde hair blowing behind, she received a roaring ovation as she carried the American flag around the arena in the grand entry, with the crowd standing in honor of the flag.

Zane was out at the trailer taking care of final details before the team roping started; Casey was sitting in Cal's box seats right next to the fence. She locked her eyes on her momma, and saw nothing else. Cassie's first pass around the arena was ridden fast and hard; she saw nothing but the other riders. As the posse formed up in the middle, she made another pass around the arena with a huge smile for her doting fans. As she passed the chutes she was looking right into Cal's box, and everyone saw surprise replace the smile, if only for a moment.

Casey was standing against the railing with her little hand hanging over; it appeared she was reaching for something.

Cassie finished the pass and joined the others in the middle of the arena, flag perfectly placed. Supreme Court be damned, there was a non-denominational prayer, followed by a moment of silence. Everyone remained standing as the arena band played the Star Spangled Banner, led by a local high school songstress with great range and timing.

Cassie stared at the box where the little blonde beauty stood with her hand over her heart. The child looked so much like her it almost had to be Casey, but Zane never appeared in shows on the days Cassie was performing, and he certainly wouldn't bring their daughter!

He had been very, very clear in informing her that Casey deserved more than a mom who popped up for a few days, and then disappeared for months, so she should just leave them alone.

Cassie was still puzzled when the anthem ended and she began her final circle of the arena with the flag. This time she looked intently at the box; she saw the little blonde with a dark haired woman standing behind her with her hand on her shoulder: Carole!

'OH MY GOD! It really is her! The daughter I haven't seen in almost four years! She's gorgeous!'

Cassie completed her pass, handed off the flag as she left the arena, jumped off her horse, tied it to the fence, and hurriedly started for the box seats where her beautiful daughter was sitting! She stopped mid-stride, realizing that reunion was impossible.

SHE had abandoned her daughter and husband! SHE had left home and made promises SHE didn't keep, just like the vow SHE didn't keep that SHE made in front of God, her family, and much of her hometown to love, honor, and cherish her husband, forsaking all others!

He shoulders slumped, she retrieved Goldie and rode back to her trailer with her fake smile plastered in place; the show must go on! Once inside the living quarters, however, she wept bitterly.

Brad and Zane warmed up their horses while the cowboys tested the rank broncs bareback, and then sat on top of the chutes to gauge the barrier during steer wrestling. They were the last team up in team roping, so they got to watch the first three goes before they returned to their horses and prepared them to enter the arena and compete.

They had drawn a running steer, and since they were here for the money, agreed that Zane would throw early if the steer was within range. It was a dicey decision that was more likely to end in a miss than a catch, but Suds rated the steer and the barrier perfectly, breaking as hard as the steer. Zane threw on the second jump out of the box, and the rope settled around the steer's horns. He turned the steer; Brad reached under him with the loop and came up with both legs. They faced up, the flag came down, and they had a 5.2 run! Not their best by any means, but about as good as you could do with a fast steer like this, and the best time of the show. It was also better than any time in the morning slack, and the announcer made a big deal of that!

In reality, it meant little, because there were thirty teams left to go in the slack before the first go-round was settled tonight, and they could be out of the money by dawn. Still, it was a good run.

"Damn, I don't know why the rest of us keep showing up where you guys are! That was fuckin' immaculate! You know your competition, Rick and Joe, went 8.4 plus 5 on that gazelle last night, and today you turned him into a pup!

Brad, you lucky SOB; the handle your partner put on that runner was a thing of beauty; caught him, slowed him, turned him with you right on his hip, and viola: best time of the first go!"

"You're right about that, Sonny. Hell, I'll bet YOU could have caught two legs with that handle," Brad teased back.

They rode on back to their rigs with Sonny and his partner, Buddy, who asked, "Hey, Zane, I saw the kids are along, and so are ours and a bunch of others. This turned into a real 'family rodeo' for May, when most are still in school. Does that mean you'll be hosting the traditional singalong tonight after the show?"

"Don't think the girls will let me refuse, Buddy," Zane replied with a grin. "Y'all know you're welcome, and invite anyone you want to be around, okay! Now, I've got to go warm Junior up again for the calf roping."

The steer wrestling ended, and Zane was first out of the box; he drew a big, fast calf. The times in the slack had been slow due to the size of the calves in this pen, and he was worried about Junior acting up in the box. He had been on the road a long time for a young horse, and he need to be rode hard a few times in the pasture to get some of the orneriness out of him. That would start next week, but tonight he had to go and go fast.

Zane whispered in his ear and held his head high; Junior settled in the box, coiled like a Cobra ready to strike, forefeet prancing, and Zane nodded to release the calf.

The calf took off like he was shot from a gun; Zane released the reins, and Junior was hot on his tail. In fact, Junior broke so hard Zane figured he broke the barrier, but they caught the calf on the third jump. Zane had to throw a lot of rope, but the loop settled over the calf's head. Junior slowed him while Zane hit the ground running; he 'picked him up and laid him down' quickly.

He put the loop in the pigging string over the right front leg, gathered the back legs, gave the three legs a double wrap and hooey, and threw his hands up. The judge dropped the flag, Zane mounted up, put slack in the rope, and waited for the judge's nod. He looked back at the barrier and saw they got out clean.

A kid ran out and released the piggin' string, gave it to Zane, and ran back to the fence.

"We have a new leader, folks; the best time of the first round, so far, goes to Zane Rhys with a 7.9 second run! He takes the lead by 3/10 of a second. That gives the remaining contestants something to shoot at!"

***

The bull riding was over and the arena cleared; the fans were gone, and the announcer was calling cowboys to the first event of the slack. Those so minded, and especially those who had their wives and kids along, began gathering in front of Zane's trailer with lawn chairs and blankets, waiting for the playing and singing to start.

The girls were still in their new clothing, but Zane and Brad were in their relaxing duds. Brad had drug out his big fire pit, which was really a truck wheel he had cut the insides out of, and he had a nice little fire built. The kids, and there were easily a dozen and a half now, were burning marshmallows to make s'mores, and the conversation among the score of adults was light and hospitable.

"Zane, between the hot dogs and s'mores the kids are getting full now. You 'bout ready to kick this off?" asked JB, a huge bulldogger with a heart of gold and a petite wife he adored so much they had five kids.

Zane pulled his guitar out of the sleeping quarters and sat on a stool he always carried with him. "Come sit by me, songbirds, and I'll let you pick the first songs." The kids all took seats on ground blankets the parents had spread around Zane and Terry, who sat on a stool with his banjo.

Red River Valley won by consensus, and the kids all joined in. Zane stopped after the first verse, looked at the adults, and warned, "You know the rules! If you stay, you have to sing! Now get with it!" They did.

Oh! Susanna followed Clementine, Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie, and Zane added a few Hap Palmer favorites. The numerous Texans demanded Deep in the Heart of Texas and The Yellow Rose of Texas. By then it was well after dark and little heads were nodding, so they took a break to put the kids in their trailers and say night prayers.

When Zane came back out of the trailer, he saw that the three young barrel racers wearing colorful hoodies, who had listened to the kids from the tailgate of a pickup parked way in back, had backed it in behind the chairs. It was hard to see their faces, but he waved a welcome and invited them to come sit up front. One shouted that they appreciated the offer, but the tailgate was comfy.

The beer coolers were brought out once the kids were in bed, and Zane was given a Lone Star in a Prescott Frontier Days koozie. He thanked the donor and took a sip, then strapped on his guitar and Terry took up his banjo. Billy the Kid, a 5'8"bat-shit crazy bull rider who loved to sing, play, dance, and fight almost as much as he loved his 5'10" wife, waved his harmonica so they knew he would chime in.