Champion At Heart (Sequel of Breaking Ice)

Chapter Forty-One

It had seemed like a great opportunity for Marshall to be honored by friends and family at the rodeo event. His fans, who had been loyal to him since he started at the age of eighteen, would be happy to see him back, if only to show up and support his fellow bull riders.

All these years, he felt he had let them down, and now he could go back and see it all unfold from the stands. It would feel strange, as he was one of the main attractions, and all it took was one bull impaling him to change his life entirely.

But that cloud of doubt had taken over, and he frowned, shaking his head.

"I can't do it. They should honor someone else. Someone more deserving," he mentioned as Brooklyn and Thomas stared at him with confused expressions on their faces. Even Abilene, who saw the disappointment in his eyes, stood from the booth and sat next to him, looking at her father with innocent eyes.

"Yes, you can, Daddy. It's your day," she whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder. Marshall's gaze met hers; the encouragement of a five year old melted his heart, the heart he never thought would learn to love and be happy again, and a lump formed inside his throat.

"Sugar Bug. I don't think..."

"My birthday is in a few months, and if you do this, I will not ask for anything. Seeing you get your award will be my biggest present." She sat straight, giving him a confident smile that hoped to convince him to change his mind. "Please, say you'll go, Daddy. Say you'll go!"

Marshall turned his gaze to Brooklyn, who sat there, pride written all over her face. "She sure is like you in every sense of the word."

Brooklyn shook her head. "No, Marshall. She's like you, in every sense of the word."

~~~~~~

Bexley and Jeremiah arrived just in time, joining Brooklyn and Marshall on the seats, ahead of the start of the event.

"Did we miss anything?" Bexley asked, sitting down with a glass of lemonade in her hand and a bag of popcorn in the other.

"What do you think this is, the movies?" Brooklyn teased, taking some popcorn and tossing it inside her mouth.

"Hey, never take anything from a pregnant woman. And no, it's not. It's much better than the movies, and I need my snack to enjoy it."

"You only missed the national anthem, but they haven't started yet." Brooklyn held Marshall's hand, feeling how much they were trembling and sweating, knowing he was as nervous as a dog in a thunderstorm.

"It'll be okay, love," she reassured him. "It's all for you."

"I know. I still can't help but feel nervous. It's been a long time since I've been here."

"Where is Abilene?" Jeremiah asked.

"She's out back. They have a petting zoo. Sophia and Jonah took her there," Brooklyn replied, leaning against Marshall to whisper in his ear. "By the way. Got the results of the test. Abilene is yours, Marshall. There will be no doubt in town."

"Oh, I never doubted, Sugar. And you know I don't care what the town thinks. Abilene is my daughter, even if she wasn't my blood." He looked at Brooklyn's belly, running his hands on it, smiling. "And this little one here will be another treasure to adore."

Brooklyn cupped her cowboy's cheeks and kissed him tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you more."

The event was in full swing. Bull rider after bull rider came out of the bucking chute, some of them lasting the full eight seconds, others not even close, but with each man on top of a bull, Marshall stood from his seat, cheering them on, giving them pointers even though they couldn't hear him.

The adrenaline was shooting up his veins, and with every young man out there risking their lives, he thought of that same moment where he loved being on that bull, showing the world his talent and his admiration for the sport.

"And last, but not least, Haywire. In honor of our very own local, Marshall Redd, whose last moments were spent on this animal before he was forced to retire. Let's give our hero a round of applause!"

The crowd shouted, whistled and clapped for Marshall, who sat there, feeling uneasy. "They told me they had to put him down."

"Maybe they lied to you. Didn't Thomas say those men were scammers? I doubt they'll risk losing money knowing this bull is the star of the show." Brooklyn mentioned, holding his hand. Seeing he was close to hyperventilate, she squeezed reassuringly, pulling his focus back to her. "Easy, cowboy. Listen to the crowd. They're cheering for you. Don't focus on the bull, focus on your fans. Focus on us."

Marshall closed his eyes and put his head down, his hat covering half of his face as he tried to take deep breaths. "Breathe, love. Breathe."

Then he felt two small hands touch his arm. He looked to the side, seeing Elliott and Abilene looking at him with a smile on their faces. "I'm here, Daddy. Breathe." he whispered, disappearing in thin air, following the faint light in front of him. Knowing he had finally done his deed, the young boy could rest in peace and it gave Marshall the joy he needed.

"Daddy?" Abilene asked, worried. "Are you okay?"

Where had she come from? "It's okay, Daddy. My brother told me you needed me. Listen to the crowd. They love you."

Marshall had heard kids could sense a loved one's presence, even if they were dead, but he never thought his son would do this for him. Bring the one person who could truly calm him. The one little lady in his life who brought peace to his soul.

With a smile on his face, and tears in his eyes, he wrapped his arms around Abilene, kissing her head while whispering a thank you to her and his son.

Pulling away, he gave the crowd a curt nod while he stood, waving in gratitude as he smiled widely at them. Thousands of fans respected him, and he couldn't be any happier to know there were still people out there who remembered him for what he had accomplished, not for what he had lost.

As the cheers died down, the chute had opened, letting the bull out, bucking the young rider harshly while the older cowboy sat straight, his hands balled into a fist while sending positive vibes towards him.

As the horn sounded, the crowd stood from their seats once again, cheering at the new hero that had beat the fiery and dangerous bull.

A laugh escaped Marshall's lips as he took Brooklyn in his arms, lifting her while his lips met hers, both of them celebrating a victory. First time in the history of rodeo, that a rookie was able to beat a pro bull like Haywire, and through his win, Marshall was able to feel accomplished.

"Good job, kid," he said as he set Brooklyn down while the man towards the gate, climbing it in front of him and taking his hat off, giving Marshall the well deserved and most respectful bow. He lifted his hat into the air and gave the rider the same respect. "Good job."