Jay Terry heard the collective gasp from the audience when the announcer told them he’d drawn Incubus. He asked the crowd if they thought Jay would be able to ride the meanest bull on the rodeo circuit and walk away with the National Bull Riding Championship title for the third year in a row.
Based on the way Jay nearly wore a path in the boards behind the chutes, or the fact that he threw up before almost every ride—he’d witnessed friends die—people would probably guess he didn’t like what he did, but they’d be wrong. Climbing onto a huge, ill-tempered, muscle-bound beast intent on getting you off his back and grind you into hamburger would make any sane person nervous. So, yes, the pre-ride jitters got to him, but he’d rather die than give up that adrenaline rush.
Back to what the announcer asked. Win? Yes, Jay gave Incubus the most perfect eight second ride the crowd had ever seen, but then it was the bull’s turn to astonish the audience. Jay didn’t walk away.

Gilligan Baker was always the black sheep of the family, nothing like her four perfect siblings. They all wanted good grades, academic awards, and scholarships. She wanted … a good time. When everyone in town invites you to their parties, tells you how much fun, or how pretty you are, when all it takes is a certain look to have any boy, or man, falling at your feet—it would be a waste not use the assets with which she’d been born.
So, that’s what she did, until she graduated without a scholarship, anyway. She’d grown up in a house where they all knew from the get-go, once you turned eighteen, you were on your own, so with her grades, her choices were limited, college was out. She had to decide between working at the fast food joint down on the corner, or take that nanny job her sister hooked her up with.
Now, on the run, afraid for her life, she’s unsure what’ll happen to the poor baby she’s carrying, wishing she’d decided to flip burgers.